Education (Colleges & Universities)
Here's a look at documents from public, private and community colleges in the U.S.
Featured Stories
Yale Admits 779 Early Action Applicants
NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, Dec. 18 -- Yale University issued the following news:
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Yale admits 779 early action applicants
Yale College has offered early-action admission to 779 applicants for the Class of 2030. Regular-decision admissions follow in March.
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Yale College has offered admission to 779 applicants for the Class of 2030 through its early action program, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions announced today.
Among all 7,140 early action applicants, 18% were deferred for reconsideration in the spring, 70% were denied admission, and 1% were withdrawn or incomplete.
"The students
... Show Full Article
NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, Dec. 18 -- Yale University issued the following news:
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Yale admits 779 early action applicants
Yale College has offered early-action admission to 779 applicants for the Class of 2030. Regular-decision admissions follow in March.
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Yale College has offered admission to 779 applicants for the Class of 2030 through its early action program, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions announced today.
Among all 7,140 early action applicants, 18% were deferred for reconsideration in the spring, 70% were denied admission, and 1% were withdrawn or incomplete.
"The studentsadmitted through early action impressed the admissions committee with their broad range of academic achievements, their significant contributions to countless communities, and their myriad talents," said Jeremiah Quinlan, dean of undergraduate admissions and financial aid. "I was thrilled to see so many of the world's highest-achieving students identifying Yale as a top choice in their college search."
Yale does not require students who are offered admission through the early action program to enroll; admitted students will have until May 1, 2026 to reply to Yale's invitation to join the Class of 2030.
Earlier this month, Yale College also admitted 118 students through the QuestBridge College Match program. QuestBridge is a national nonprofit organization that connects academically accomplished students from lower-income backgrounds with selective colleges and universities. This year, QuestBridge matched 2,550 students at 55 partner schools.
The 118 QuestBridge "matches" for Yale set a new record -- 35% higher than the previous record, in 2019 (87), with 52 more students admitted than last year (66). Since Yale became a QuestBridge partner in 2007, more than 1,500 students affiliated with the organization have enrolled in Yale College.
Students admitted through the QuestBridge Match program qualify for Yale's most generous financial aid award -- the "zero parent share" award. In addition to covering the full cost of tuition, housing, and meals, Yale will provide hospitalization insurance coverage and a $2,000 start-up grant in each student's first year.
Yale College meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for all students without requiring students or their families to take out loans.
Among the 1,640 students in the current first-year class, 54% are receiving a Yale need-based financial award with an average scholarship of $75,854.
The admissions office has invited all newly admitted students to visit campus in April 2026 for Bulldog Days, a three-day immersive experience of life at Yale, or for Bulldog Saturday, a one-day program offering campus tours, panels, academic forums, and student performances. The admissions office will also host virtual events, online communities, and local in-person events with Yale alumni to help admitted students connect with each other and with the Yale community prior to Bulldog Days.
Admitted students from lower-income families receive financial support to visit campus during Bulldog Days so that they can experience campus life before replying to their offers of admission. Last year the admissions office's Yale Travel Program offered travel grants to more than 600 admitted students.
In January, the admissions office will turn its attention to the much larger group of applicants who opt to apply through the regular decision program. Those students will receive their admissions decisions on March 26.
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Original text here: https://news.yale.edu/2025/12/17/yale-admits-779-early-action-applicants
University of Utah-Gardner Policy Institute: Utah's Population Reaches 3.55 Million in 2025
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Dec. 18 -- The University of Utah Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute issued the following news release:
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Utah's population reaches 3.55 million in 2025
Utah's population reached an estimated 3,551,150 as of July 1, 2025, according to new estimates released today by the Utah Population Committee (UPC), chaired and staffed by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. The state added 44,351 residents since July 1, 2024, reflecting a continued moderation in growth, with the annual growth rate slowing to 1.3% from 1.5% in the previous year.
"Our 2025 estimates reveal a moderation
... Show Full Article
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Dec. 18 -- The University of Utah Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute issued the following news release:
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Utah's population reaches 3.55 million in 2025
Utah's population reached an estimated 3,551,150 as of July 1, 2025, according to new estimates released today by the Utah Population Committee (UPC), chaired and staffed by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. The state added 44,351 residents since July 1, 2024, reflecting a continued moderation in growth, with the annual growth rate slowing to 1.3% from 1.5% in the previous year.
"Our 2025 estimates reveal a moderationin Utah's population growth," said Emily Harris, senior demographer at the Gardner Institute and lead author of the report. "A significant shift occurred this year, with natural change contributing the majority of new Utahns, making it the primary driver of growth for the first time this decade. This represents a return to Utah's historical growth patterns seen before the recent period of high levels of net migration."
Key findings from the population estimates include the following:
Overall Growth - Utah's population increased by 44,351 residents, or the approximate size of Bountiful, bringing the total to 3,551,150.
Growth Rate - The state's growth rate decelerated to 1.3% in 2025, down from 1.5% in 2024, continuing a two-year trend of moderation.
Drivers of Growth - Natural change generated 57% of the state's growth, while net migration contributed 43%. This is a notable reversal from the past four years, when net migration was the major driver.
Fastest Growing Counties (by percentage) - Tooele and Iron counties experienced the fastest population growth at 3.0% each. Washington (2.3%), Utah (2.1%), Grand (2.1%), and Wasatch (2.0%) counties also saw growth rates of 2.0% or more.
Most New Residents (by absolute number) - Utah County added the most people, totaling 15,914 new residents, accounting for approximately 36% of the state's population growth. Salt Lake (8,281), Washington (4,751), and Tooele (2,466) counties also saw significant absolute increases.
County Declines - Five counties experienced population declines in 2025: Daggett, Piute, Garfield, Wayne, and San Juan.
The research brief is now available online (https://d36oiwf74r1rap.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/UPC-Estimates-Dec2025.pdf).
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Original text here: https://gardner.utah.edu/news/utahs-population-reaches-3-55-million-in-2025/
UMass Amherst Chemists Develop Unique Tool for Studying RNA
AMHERST, Massachusetts, Dec. 18 (TNSjou) -- The University of Massachusetts issued the following news:
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UMass Amherst Chemists Develop Unique Tool for Studying RNA
Fluorescent method is best yet for observing the mysteries of RNA inside the cell, in real time and in color
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An innovative three-color method for capturing images of mRNA inside live mammalian cells has been developed by UMass Amherst chemists. Because RNA is both incredibly important to human life and health and poorly understood, the ability to tag disparate RNA with different colors and watch them, in real time, as they
... Show Full Article
AMHERST, Massachusetts, Dec. 18 (TNSjou) -- The University of Massachusetts issued the following news:
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UMass Amherst Chemists Develop Unique Tool for Studying RNA
Fluorescent method is best yet for observing the mysteries of RNA inside the cell, in real time and in color
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An innovative three-color method for capturing images of mRNA inside live mammalian cells has been developed by UMass Amherst chemists. Because RNA is both incredibly important to human life and health and poorly understood, the ability to tag disparate RNA with different colors and watch them, in real time, as theydo their work is a giant step forward in understanding one of life's basic building blocks. The study appeared recently in Nature Methods.
"There are many diseases that result from something going wrong with RNA," says Daisy Pham, a graduate student in chemistry at UMass Amherst and the paper's lead author. "And RNA plays a crucial role inside our cells: it's the messenger that tells the cell how to make the proteins for which DNA is the master blueprint, they can turn on and off specific genes, they can organize and shape cellular structures, and other functions that need to happen perfectly for our cells to remain healthy."
"We're very curious about all of RNA's many functions," says Jiahui (Chris) Wu, assistant professor of chemistry at UMass Amherst and the paper's senior author, "and the big question is how do you actually study them? The best answer is to actually observe them inside a living cell, but they're tiny."
One answer--if you specialize in fluorescent microscopy, as Wu does--is to make the individual RNA strands stand out from their background by tagging them with fluorescent markers and then peering at the glowing bits of cellular code through a powerful microscope.
Wu and Pham are quick to point out that there is currently a state-of-the-art, widely used way of doing this called the "RNA hairpin method," that depends on fusing glowing fluorescent protein tags onto a targeted strand of RNA.
The UMass chemists have built upon this method in a few ways.
First, they designed glowing proteins that target a specific part of the RNA molecule and only glow when "plugged in" to the RNA strand. This differs significantly from traditional methods, which are "always on," and can introduce background light pollution. Finally, Pham and Wu engineered three distinct glowing proteins that each light up in a specific color (green, red and far-red) to target specific kinds of RNA that perform distinct functions.
"We can now watch as different kinds of RNA in action inside a living cell," says Pham, "and we can better understand how they do what they do."
Their process is publicly available to the research community and could be an important addition to the tool kit with which scientists seek to better understand how life works.
This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health and UMass Amherst's Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS), which combines deep and interdisciplinary expertise from 29 departments on the UMass Amherst campus to translate fundamental research into innovations that benefit human health and wellbeing.
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Original text here: https://www.umass.edu/news/article/umass-amherst-chemists-develop-unique-tool-studying-rna
Trine University Engineering Seniors Secure Sponsorship From Hometown for Senior Design Project
ANGOLA, Indiana, Dec. 18 -- Trine University issued the following news:
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Trine University engineering seniors secure sponsorship from hometown for senior design project
Trine engineering mechanical engineering majors Ezekiel Keim, Christian Verst, Collin Seegert, Jacob Batten, Michael Jones, Ryan Somsel and Tristan Pappano secured a sponsorship from one of their hometowns for their senior design project, an entry for the annual Shell Eco-marathon.
Students have to go through the process of soliciting sponsors on their own by marketing their project and describing the benefits of sponsoring
... Show Full Article
ANGOLA, Indiana, Dec. 18 -- Trine University issued the following news:
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Trine University engineering seniors secure sponsorship from hometown for senior design project
Trine engineering mechanical engineering majors Ezekiel Keim, Christian Verst, Collin Seegert, Jacob Batten, Michael Jones, Ryan Somsel and Tristan Pappano secured a sponsorship from one of their hometowns for their senior design project, an entry for the annual Shell Eco-marathon.
Students have to go through the process of soliciting sponsors on their own by marketing their project and describing the benefits of sponsoringthem.
The Shell Eco-marathon challenges students to create the most energy-efficient vehicle possible. There are three categories students can compete in: hydrogen fuel cell, battery-electric, and internal combustion engine.
Keim said, "Our team is competing in the Prototype Internal Combustion Engine category, pushing the limits of fuel efficiency with a lightweight frame, aerodynamic body, precision tires, and a finely tuned engine built to go farther on less."
Support from home
The group received many sponsorships from companies like Michelin, MSP Seals, Acieta-Capital Industries, Eaton, GDC and Sage RV. However, one of the most personal sponsorships was from Batten's hometown of Morristown, Indiana.
Batten reached out to Morristown's police chief to inquire about a sponsorship. He sent their group brochure designed by Keim, which detailed all the information about their project and what a sponsorship would entail.
Seegert said, "It felt incredibly relieving to receive this sponsorship. Our project requires significant funding and having Jacob's hometown support us was both encouraging and motivating. It showed that our community believes in what we're doing."
The project requires a lot of hard work with several challenging design elements. The biggest challenge for the group is creating the body of the vehicle that they will be showcasing at the competition.
Seegert said, "One major challenge we've faced is creating the vehicle's body. We're building a carbon fiber monocoque, which involves laying carbon fiber over a sacrificial foam mold, a process that demands precision and practice. We've completed a few practice layups at quarter- and half-scale to refine our technique."
"Our favorite part of this project is definitely the team dynamic. Everyone contributes equally, and we work extremely well together, constantly bouncing ideas off one another to improve our design," Seegert said.
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Original text here: https://www.trine.edu/news/2025/eco-marathon-hometown.aspx
Indiana University Indianapolis: Philanthropy Skills Launch Student's New Career, Chart Future of Domestic Violence Nonprofit
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, Dec. 18 -- The Indiana University Indianapolis campus issued the following news:
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Philanthropy skills launch student's new career, chart future of domestic violence nonprofit
When Elizabeth Greene felt called to pivot to a career in nonprofits, she thought her experience supporting grant distribution at the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority would quickly land her a grants officer role. But her early applications were met with a "brick wall," because she didn't have experience applying for significant grants or managing a portfolio.
A friend attending
... Show Full Article
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, Dec. 18 -- The Indiana University Indianapolis campus issued the following news:
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Philanthropy skills launch student's new career, chart future of domestic violence nonprofit
When Elizabeth Greene felt called to pivot to a career in nonprofits, she thought her experience supporting grant distribution at the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority would quickly land her a grants officer role. But her early applications were met with a "brick wall," because she didn't have experience applying for significant grants or managing a portfolio.
A friend attendingIndiana University Indianapolis advised her to consider the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy for a successful career transition. Greene said she was pleasantly surprised to learn that the world's first philanthropy school was in her own backyard.
She chose to pursue the online graduate certificate program in philanthropic studies for maximum flexibility, since she works full time and has a busy family life. She called the decision a game changer.
WATCH: Greene's "game-changing" credential (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe5b4uSBPOc)
"Once I had the graduate certificate on my resume, it was a night-and-day difference in terms of all kinds of emails and phone calls for interviews," Greene said. "I think employers just see that and know you'll be able to hit the ground running."
That success led her to roll the certificate into a Master of Arts in philanthropic studies.
Now, as the sole grants officer at Sheltering Wings, one of the two largest domestic violence shelters in the state, Greene oversees the "big picture" of how funding drives outcomes. She applies for grants and ensures that restricted gifts are used for their intended purposes, such as rental assistance or children's programming.
Founded in 2002 by members of Cornerstone Christian Church, Sheltering Wings serves approximately 350 clients annually through an emergency shelter and community education and advocacy programs, in addition to prevention efforts. Half of their clients are children who fled with a parent. According to the National Coalition Against Violence, Hoosiers experience domestic violence at a rate higher than the national average, with 42.5% of Indiana women and 27.9% of Indiana men becoming victims.
"While we remain true to our faith-based roots, we serve all survivors fleeing domestic violence," Greene said. "Sadly, the need continues to grow."
From research to operational insights
Given the growing number of clients, more funding is needed to ensure consistent and uninterrupted care. With this reality in mind, Greene's supervisor asked her to research potential support opportunities, including government grants, foundation support and interfaith partnerships.
The request came at the perfect time for Greene, who is taking a practicum class in her final year of graduate school. Students who already work at a nonprofit may take on a special project to better serve their organization, earning class credit. It was a win-win situation for Greene: Creating the report would help her organization make well-informed decisions, and she would get course credit.
Greene recently completed the economics of philanthropy course taught by Ph.D. candidate Shinyoung Park, where she learned about the importance of having many funding sources, and how behavioral economics can inform nonprofit managers' decision-making. This helped her evaluate recommendations on how to structure funding, but the next question was who else could Sheltering Wings reach out to for additional financial support.
To get started, Greene turned to assistant dean of academic programs Kathi Badertscher, who had a similar journey. Badertscher, who pivoted from corporate insurance to philanthropic research, is an active volunteer for Coburn Place, which also provides safe housing choices for domestic violence survivors.
Badertscher directed Greene to the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving at the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, which researches and teaches about the relationship between faith and giving.
Greene learned about religious giving across different Abrahamic faiths, noting similar calls for humanitarian compassion combined with action. She learned about the Jewish principle tikkun olam, which means, "repairing the world." Badertscher also introduced Greene to leadership at the Islamic Association of North America, based in Plainfield, Indiana, which fosters interfaith collaboration both nationally and internationally.
A secondary aspect of Greene's research focuses on how faith-based nonprofits depict domestic violence survivors and people experiencing homelessness in their donor appeals. Greene stresses the importance of empowering clients and portraying them in a way "that does not rob them of their dignity." She wants donors to see how they can stand with people experiencing poverty, homelessness or abuse while honoring their resilience and agency.
She is still finalizing her report but said she appreciates the clarity it will provide.
"It's an honor to be behind the scenes ensuring case managers and advocates can hold the hands of survivors through the hardest part of their life," Greene said. "I'm grateful that IU helped me get to the next chapter of my story. Now, I can help the organization and survivors write their next chapter too, because every Hoosier, every person deserves a safe place to live."
- Nikki Livingston, Storyteller, niklivin@iu.edu
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Original text here: https://news.iu.edu/live/news/48226-philanthropy-skills-launch-students-new-career
Cowley College Fall 2025 Robotics Competition Showcases Innovation, Teamwork, and Problem-Solving Skills
ARKANSAS CITY, Kansas, Dec. 18 -- Cowley College issued the following news release on Dec. 17, 2025:
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Cowley College Fall 2025 Robotics Competition Showcases Innovation, Teamwork, and Problem-Solving Skills
The Cowley College Fall Robotics Competition kicked off at 8:30 a.m., bringing together 46 students from five schools--Mulvane, Udall, Winfield, Arkansas City, and the Arkansas City Gifted 5th Grade group--for a morning filled with creativity, collaboration, and hands-on learning.
Students formed nine teams and rotated through 12 robotics challenges, spending 10 minutes at each event.
... Show Full Article
ARKANSAS CITY, Kansas, Dec. 18 -- Cowley College issued the following news release on Dec. 17, 2025:
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Cowley College Fall 2025 Robotics Competition Showcases Innovation, Teamwork, and Problem-Solving Skills
The Cowley College Fall Robotics Competition kicked off at 8:30 a.m., bringing together 46 students from five schools--Mulvane, Udall, Winfield, Arkansas City, and the Arkansas City Gifted 5th Grade group--for a morning filled with creativity, collaboration, and hands-on learning.
Students formed nine teams and rotated through 12 robotics challenges, spending 10 minutes at each event.The fast-paced rotations kept teams engaged as they tested their skills in problem-solving, engineering, and teamwork across a wide range of activities.
Events included Mini Golf, RVR Maze, VEX Block Stacking, Pickup the Balls, Don't Fall into the Hole, Don't Fall Off the Board, Pallet Maze, Relay Race, Ollie Jump, Sphero Bowling, the Visually Impaired Challenge, and Robot Soccer. Each station was judged by dedicated volunteers, including Cowley faculty, staff, and sponsors, who provided guidance and encouragement throughout the day.
At the conclusion of the competition, medals were awarded to the top three teams:
* 1st Place: Udall Team #2
* 2nd Place: Udall Team #1
* 3rd Place: Arkansas City Team #5
The Fall Robotics Competition highlighted both individual creativity and the importance of teamwork, giving students the opportunity to apply their technical skills in a fun yet challenging way.
Congratulations to all participating students for their dedication and enthusiasm, and a sincere thank you to the many judges who volunteered their time to make the event a success. The competition was a strong showcase of innovation, collaboration, and a shared passion for robotics.
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Original text here: https://www.cowley.edu/news/12172025-fall-robotics-competition.html
Colorado State University: Wildfire Mitigation Planning Begins Amid Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreak in Front Range Forests
FORT COLLINS, Colorado, Dec. 18 -- Colorado State University issued the following news release:
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Wildfire mitigation planning begins amid mountain pine beetle outbreak in Front Range forests
Colorado State Forest Service experts joined Gov. Jared Polis on Monday to announce increased wildfire mitigation and other efforts to protect Colorado forests and communities amid a mountain pine beetle outbreak that is killing trees, which could fuel extreme fires along the Front Range.
"The forests now showing expanding beetle activity sit adjacent to Colorado's most populated communities," Colorado
... Show Full Article
FORT COLLINS, Colorado, Dec. 18 -- Colorado State University issued the following news release:
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Wildfire mitigation planning begins amid mountain pine beetle outbreak in Front Range forests
Colorado State Forest Service experts joined Gov. Jared Polis on Monday to announce increased wildfire mitigation and other efforts to protect Colorado forests and communities amid a mountain pine beetle outbreak that is killing trees, which could fuel extreme fires along the Front Range.
"The forests now showing expanding beetle activity sit adjacent to Colorado's most populated communities," ColoradoState Forester Matt McCombs said at a news conference. "They overlap with areas at high wildfire risk and are visible along major transportation corridors like I-70 and U.S. Highway 285. These landscapes also protect critical watersheds, infrastructure and recreation opportunities that are foundational to Colorado's economy and quality of life."
After speaking at the news conference in Evergreen, Polis signed an executive order to establish a task force that will develop forest protection and wildfire mitigation strategies. McCombs will co-chair the task force with the executive director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources and the director of the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control.
"Colorado has long been a leader in forest health and fire mitigation efforts, and this is no exception," Polis said. "As the latest outbreak of pine beetles begins to take shape along the densely populated Front Range, we are taking an aggressive approach to boost tools and partnerships to help protect our communities, forests and key water sources, and equipping homeowners with the resources they need to better protect their homes. I am grateful to our local partners, foresters and leaders across sectors for helping us take action on this issue."
Recent aerial mapping by the Colorado State Forest Service showed pockets of beetle activity that could expand rapidly under warm, dry conditions, McCombs said. At the same time, the Colorado Climate Center at Colorado State University just recorded one of the warmest Novembers on record.
In addition to wildfire and emergency management professionals, the Mountain Pine Beetle Ponderosa Outbreak Task Force will include representatives from local government, utilities, conservation organizations, nonprofits and the recreation, housing, and timber and milling sectors. The task force was created to improve collaboration on fuel mitigation, protect watersheds and utility infrastructure, plan for reforestation and forest health, and explore uses for beetle-kill wood, among other objectives.
In the early 2000s, the mountain pine beetle devastated lodgepole pine on more than 3 million forested acres, changing the landscape in Summit, Grand, Eagle and Routt counties in northwestern Colorado. Beetle-killed timber contributed to the two largest wildfires in state history, the 2020 Cameron Peak and East Troublesome fires.
This time, the native insect is attacking Front Range ponderosa pine forests that mostly escaped the prior mountain pine beetle epidemic. In unmanaged areas, these forests are dense, stressed by drought and warmer temperatures, and increasingly vulnerable, McCombs said.
Beetle-killed trees dry quickly and drop their needles, and fallen trees accumulate as heavy downed fuels that can feed extreme fire behavior. Dead trees that remain standing or pile up on the forest floor also pose hazards for recreators and firefighters and alter fire behavior in ways that make suppression more dangerous and less effective.
Colorado State Forest Service scientists and foresters are actively monitoring the spread of the current outbreak through aerial surveys with the USDA Forest Service. The state forest service facilitates state-funded programs that help communities reduce fuels, protect infrastructure and prepare for the wildfire conditions caused by insect outbreaks. The agency also provides direct assistance to thousands of Coloradans with forest health issues every year.
"This is not just a forest health issue," McCombs said. "It is a public safety issue, a water quality issue, and a recreation and economic issue. And it is a challenge that demands action before impacts accelerate."
The Colorado State Forest Service will release the 2025 Forest Health Report in March that will show the latest locations of mountain pine beetle outbreaks from aerial surveys and provide analysis.
Information about the mountain pine beetle and a 2024 map of the outbreak can be found here (https://csfs.colostate.edu/forest-management/common-forest-insects-diseases/mountain-pine-beetle/).
What you can do
* Know the signs of a mountain pine beetle infestation and take action to reduce the spread on your property.
* Support forest management. Thinning, prescribed fire and timber removal are tools that reduce future wildfire risk, protect watersheds and reduce the impacts of insect outbreaks.
* Prepare your community through home hardening, defensible space and neighborhood wildfire mitigation projects.
Established in 1955, the Colorado State Forest Service is a service and outreach agency of the Warner College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University. Headquartered in Fort Collins, the agency provides staffing for the Division of Forestry within the Colorado Department of Natural Resources.
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Original text here: https://newsmediarelations.colostate.edu/2025/12/16/wildfire-mitigation-planning-begins-amid-mountain-pine-beetle-outbreak-in-front-range-forests/
