Education (Colleges & Universities)
Here's a look at documents from public, private and community colleges in the U.S.
Featured Stories
University of Windsor: Game Changer - Master of Education Graduate Tackles Gender and Video Games
WINDSOR, Ontario, Jan. 24 -- University of Windsor issued the following news:
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Game changer: Master of Education graduate tackles gender and video games
By Kate Hargreaves
Kathleen Rose (MEd '25) calls herself a long-time gamer, playing early role-playing games (RPGs) like Baldur's Gate since the 1990s.
As the mother of young children at the time, and as a woman in the male-dominated video gaming space, she began to wonder about what messages these games were sending to players about gender and bodies.
"As an English teacher, games are a text. They're a media text like anything else,"
... Show Full Article
WINDSOR, Ontario, Jan. 24 -- University of Windsor issued the following news:
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Game changer: Master of Education graduate tackles gender and video games
By Kate Hargreaves
Kathleen Rose (MEd '25) calls herself a long-time gamer, playing early role-playing games (RPGs) like Baldur's Gate since the 1990s.
As the mother of young children at the time, and as a woman in the male-dominated video gaming space, she began to wonder about what messages these games were sending to players about gender and bodies.
"As an English teacher, games are a text. They're a media text like anything else,"she explains.
With a prior master's degree in English with a focus on feminist literary theory and a bachelor of education from her home province of Nova Scotia, encouraging critical thinking and media analysis was far from unfamiliar to Rose.
In fact, she had already developed a grade 11 critical thinking course for her school board in Nova Scotia in the early 2000s.
However, it was not until she started her Master of Education in UWindsor's Faculty of Education in 2024 that she was able to connect her passion for critical media literacy and video games through her research.
Rose had taught high school English and social studies before taking some time off to start a family, eventually moving from Nova Scotia to Windsor.
When her children were grown, she had the itch to return to graduate school, initially considering a PhD in Education but choosing to reacclimatize herself to academia by taking the MEd first.
"I love to learn," Rose says. "We are a house of learning, always learning something new."
Applying to the University of Windsor at the same time as her son, now a third-year biology major, Rose was accepted to the MEd program and immediately found a welcoming environment in the Faculty of Education.
"The faculty is lovely," she says. "Very nurturing. There's not that intense sense of competition and judgment, but everybody's still very scholarly, bright and engaged."
While she was not sure initially of what direction she wanted to take her MEd, Rose credits this welcoming environment and the flexibility of the program for allowing her to explore and land on a direction that was right for her.
Starting in the course-based stream before eventually switching to pursue a thesis, Rose applied her past experience in curriculum development while also exploring courses that were less familiar.
Statistics, in particular, was a new experience for Rose and a nerve-wracking one at that. However, she credits adjunct professor Dr. Atinuke Adeyemi with making the experience surprisingly painless.
"I was terrified," Rose laughs. "But she made me fall in love with math all over again and helped us all relax and focus. She took the time to explain if any of us didn't get it. She was an inspiring educator."
Rose also cites Dr. Naved Bakali's course, which centred diversity and inclusion in education, as a highlight of the MEd program.
"He really created a culture of it being okay not to know things, to be uncomfortable, to help each other and bolster each other," says Rose.
This sense of safety and support in the classroom extended from Rose's instructors to her peers.
"That's what I love about graduate studies," she says. "You're not lost in a sea of 200 faces. You get to know the people in your class, the professors and the culture. I saw how many people from different walks of life all over the globe came into the program, just wanting to learn and do well and share their stories and capabilities."
While her course work was certainly transformative, Rose was able to come into her own as an educational researcher through switching to the thesis stream under the supervision of Dr. Catherine Vanner.
"Dr. Vanner took me under her wing, and we crafted a plan for my research in video games and body positivity," Rose explains, noting that the shift from literature to social sciences research came with its own learning curve.
Her eventual thesis project combined her gaming experience with a critical feminist lens, exploring how women gamers identify with their gaming avatars for better or for worse.
"Some women actually don't want to reflect on their bodies at all when they play video games," she explains of her findings.
"They don't want another space in their life where they have to think about their bodies. And then there are people who are deeply affected."
While the literature suggested that gamers may identify with their avatars, Rose's research, which consisted of interviews with 11 participants, suggested that this identification could have a major impact on their body image and self-esteem.
She also found that participants who played games with no women characters available to players sometimes identified more with computer-controlled non-player characters (NPCs) so long as these were women.
For trans women and gender-queer people in Rose's study, role-playing video games could be both a site of gender exploration at the same time as bringing up negative feelings about their real-life bodies.
"It's fascinating because these games take hundreds of hours to finish, so you're immersed in the world," Rose explains. "People are having very strong feelings about themselves as a result."
Rose's participants also found sites of gendered resistance in gaming, pushing back against gendered roles and expectations in the games' mechanics to reject dominant ideology.
While Rose's thesis focused on adult women, this led her to question how much these potentially damaging effects were affecting children and what educators' role might be in mitigating that harm.
She hopes to explore this perspective in the Joint PhD program in Education, which she is set to start this July, with classes hosted this summer on the UWindsor campus.
In particular, Rose wants to explore how educators are helping students navigate content in video games that may be harmful or discriminatory, citing the influence of the so-called manosphere in interactive video game spaces.
"You want to stand up for what you believe in, but you also want to fit in, especially for school-aged kids," she explains. "So what kind of strategies are educators using to help kids get through that? I think that will be fascinating."
Citing the collaborative nature of education as a service-oriented profession, Rose's eventual goal is to mobilize this knowledge to other teachers in order to help them better support students.
To learn more about the MEd program and the Joint PhD program in Education, visit the Faculty of Education website (https://www.uwindsor.ca/education/graduateprograms).
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Original text here: https://www.uwindsor.ca/news/2026-01-22/game-changer-master-education-graduate-tackles-gender-and-video-games
University of Birmingham Researchers Call for Urgent Action to Improve Safeguarding in Dance
BIRMINGHAM, England, Jan. 24 (TNSjou) -- The University of Birmingham posted the following news:
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University of Birmingham researchers call for urgent action to improve safeguarding in dance
Researchers have led a new study highlighting widespread risk factors for abuse and harm in dance, and calling for coordinated, system-wide action.
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Researchers at the University of Birmingham have led a major new study highlighting widespread risk factors for abuse and harm in dance, and calling for coordinated, system-wide action to improve safeguarding across the sector.
The scoping review, Risk
... Show Full Article
BIRMINGHAM, England, Jan. 24 (TNSjou) -- The University of Birmingham posted the following news:
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University of Birmingham researchers call for urgent action to improve safeguarding in dance
Researchers have led a new study highlighting widespread risk factors for abuse and harm in dance, and calling for coordinated, system-wide action.
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Researchers at the University of Birmingham have led a major new study highlighting widespread risk factors for abuse and harm in dance, and calling for coordinated, system-wide action to improve safeguarding across the sector.
The scoping review, Riskand Protective Factors for Safeguarding and Abuse Prevention in Dance, brings together international evidence to examine how abuse, maltreatment and neglect can become normalised within dance environments - and what can be done to prevent it. The research is among the first to apply a systems thinking approach to safeguarding in dance, drawing parallels with progress made in sport.
Led by researchers from the University's School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, the review analysed 15 academic studies and was informed by consultations with 23 dance professionals, including performers, educators, clinicians, researchers and safeguarding experts from across Europe and North America.
The findings suggest that entrenched cultural norms in dance - such as the expectation to tolerate pain, harsh criticism and power imbalances in pursuit of excellence - combine with weak regulation, inconsistent safeguarding guidance and a lack of mandatory certification for teachers to increase the risk of abuse.
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"Abuse and harm in dance do not occur in isolation. Our review shows that they are enabled by interconnected systems - from cultural expectations and organisational practices to gaps in regulation and oversight. If we want meaningful change, safeguarding has to be everybody's business."
- Michelle Dwarika, lead author and doctoral researcher at the University of Birmingham
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While the review identified significant risks, it also highlighted protective factors that could reduce harm. These include clear safeguarding and reporting guidelines, stronger regulatory oversight, standardised certification for dance educators, improved safeguarding training, and the creation of psychologically safe spaces where dancers feel able to speak up without fear of career repercussions.
The researchers emphasise that progress will depend on collaboration across the entire dance ecology - involving dancers, teachers, organisations, policymakers, healthcare professionals and audiences.
"Dance is a highly valued art form, but artistic excellence should never come at the expense of wellbeing," Dwarika added. "By learning from safeguarding advances in sport and working collaboratively across the sector, dance can move towards healthier, safer and more ethical environments for everyone involved."
The study also identifies key gaps in existing research, including limited evidence beyond ballet, underrepresentation of non-Western dance contexts, and a lack of data on the experiences of marginalised and neurodiverse dancers. The authors call for further research that centres lived experience and strengthens prevention-focused approaches.
The review provides practical recommendations for researchers, practitioners and policymakers, and aims to support the development of more effective safeguarding strategies across the performing arts.
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Original text here: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2026/university-of-birmingham-researchers-call-for-urgent-action-to-improve-safeguarding-in-dance
UEA Expert Contributes to Global Report on Risks From Water Use in Agrifood Systems
NORWICH, England, Jan. 24 (TNSrep) -- The University of East Anglia issued the following news:
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UEA expert contributes to global report on risks from water use in agrifood systems
An academic from UEA has contributed to a major global report on the chemical risks from water use in agrifood systems - with arsenic, lead and PFAS among those identified as posing a risk to human health.
Prof Kevin Hiscock was one of 11 experts from eight countries tasked with assisting the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in producing their
... Show Full Article
NORWICH, England, Jan. 24 (TNSrep) -- The University of East Anglia issued the following news:
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UEA expert contributes to global report on risks from water use in agrifood systems
An academic from UEA has contributed to a major global report on the chemical risks from water use in agrifood systems - with arsenic, lead and PFAS among those identified as posing a risk to human health.
Prof Kevin Hiscock was one of 11 experts from eight countries tasked with assisting the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in producing theirjoint report.
Reliable access to sufficient and safe water is essential for food security. However, water systems globally are under unprecedented pressure. Agriculture accounts for over 70 per cent of freshwater withdrawals, and growing challenges, such as climate change, population growth, and societal changes, are increasing water demand.
This often leads to the use of alternative water sources that may be of lower or unknown quality. While progress has been made in identifying microbial risks in agrifood water sources, guidance on chemical hazards remains limited.
To address this FAO/WHO released their report, Prioritizing food safety issues related to chemical water quality in agrifood systems, highlighting approaches for identifying and prioritising food safety risks from waterborne chemical hazards.
It aims to support national and regional authorities, along with stakeholders in the water and agrifood sectors, in assessing chemical hazards, as well as characterising and managing food safety risks in agrifood water use.
The expert group met in Rome in May 2025 to review the scientific content, before publication of the report last month. Prof Hiscock, from UEA's School of Environmental Sciences, contributed expertise on the transport and fate of chemicals in the natural environment and the risk of chemical exposure in water sources.
"The report shows that chemicals in water used to grow and prepare food can pose a risk to human health," said Prof Hiscock. "As part of the work of the expert review group, we identified high-priority contaminants including arsenic, cadmium, lead, thallium and fluoride, as well as emerging pollutants such as PFAS, often called 'forever chemicals'.
"These substances can enter food through irrigation, washing and processing, increasing long-term risks to human health. It is anticipated the report will provide governments with improved tools to assess and manage these risks, helping to protect consumers and ensure food safety worldwide."
The report highlights that many chemical contaminants in agrifood water sources lack food safety risk management guidelines, a gap that requires urgent attention. Emerging challenges, such as climate change, advances in chemistry, the use of alternative water sources, new food production systems, chemical mixtures, antimicrobial resistance, and growing digital technologies further influence water use and recycling, raising additional food safety concerns.
Magdalena Niegowska Conforti, FAO Food Safety Consultant, said: "With water playing a critical role in the agrifood sector, assessing chemical hazards in water used for agrifood production is essential to ensure safe food. In our joint FAO/WHO report, we focus on the food safety considerations for agricultural water use, emphasizing the crucial role of food safety foresight in identifying and addressing emerging food safety issues."
"Conducting a comprehensive assessment of a wide range of chemicals in water for agrifood system was the first attempt in the world," added Akio Hasegawa, WHO Technical Officer. "I am honoured to have been involved in this important project together with FAO and the world's leading experts. I hope that our report will serve as a basis for making more effective safety measures in countries and support discussions at Codex Alimentarius."
To improve understanding of potential risks, the report presents a three-stage prioritization exercise to identify and qualitatively assess key chemical hazards in agrifood water: firstly, compiling examples of reported chemical hazards in water sources; secondly, qualitatively assessing their potential uptake into different food production systems; and thirdly, compiling reported exposures from waterborne sources entering the diet.
The publication also outlines that addressing waterborne chemical contaminant risks requires improved and standardized assessment of dietary exposure, while recognizing the interconnections between water scarcity, food security, animal, crop, environmental and human health.
Risk management measures should also follow the unifying One Health approach, which aims to sustainably balance and optimise the health of people, animals and ecosystems. Collaboration across sectors and disciplines helps to protect health, address health challenges such as the emergence of infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and food safety and promote the health and integrity of ecosystems.
This work was made possible with the support of the Government of Canada.
The publication is available to download on the FAO website (https://openknowledge.fao.org/items/7c7c1909-531b-4a7f-adbe-68aaa51f435e) and the WHO website (https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240117105).
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Original text here: https://www.uea.ac.uk/about/news/article/uea-expert-contributes-to-global-report-on-risks-from-water-use-in-agrifood-systems
London Business School: Framework for a fractured world
LONDON, England, Jan. 24 (TNSrpt) -- London Business School posted the following news:
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A new framework for a fractured world
When The London Consensus: Economic Principles for the 21st Century was published in October 2025, it set out to do something both ambitious and restrained: to rethink the foundations of economic policy for an era defined by inequality, repeated shocks, climate risk, technological disruption and political fragmentation, without pretending there could be a single, universal formula for success.
Edited by Tim Besley, Irene Bucelli and Andres Velasco, and published
... Show Full Article
LONDON, England, Jan. 24 (TNSrpt) -- London Business School posted the following news:
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A new framework for a fractured world
When The London Consensus: Economic Principles for the 21st Century was published in October 2025, it set out to do something both ambitious and restrained: to rethink the foundations of economic policy for an era defined by inequality, repeated shocks, climate risk, technological disruption and political fragmentation, without pretending there could be a single, universal formula for success.
Edited by Tim Besley, Irene Bucelli and Andres Velasco, and publishedby LSE Press, the volume brings together more than 50 leading economists, political scientists and policy practitioners. Their collective aim is not to replace one orthodoxy with another, but to assemble the best available evidence and ideas into a coherent set of guiding principles for policymakers operating under real political and institutional constraints.
That approach has resonated. Since publication, The London Consensus has attracted significant attention across academic, policy and media circles. It has been launched and debated in cities including Delhi, Washington, New York, London, Brussels, Rome, Montevideo and Buenos Aires, and discussed within institutions such as the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Group of 30 and Italy's Ministry of Industry. Media coverage in outlets including the Financial Times, The Guardian, The New Yorker and Project Syndicate has positioned the book as a serious and timely alternative to austerity-driven economic thinking.
At its core, the volume defines itself in contrast to the so-called Washington Consensus of the late twentieth century. Where that earlier framework treated growth as the primary objective, assuming that politics, distribution and institutions could be addressed later, the London Consensus argues that wellbeing, resilience and state capacity must be central from the outset. It elevates human welfare beyond GDP, recognises the political economy of reform, and emphasises the need for policies that are socially sustainable as well as economically sound.
London Business School is proud to see Professor Helene Rey contribute to this collective effort. Her chapter, on monetary and financial policies, addresses one of the most pressing challenges facing modern economies: the limits of monetary independence in a highly integrated global financial system.
Professor Rey's analysis explains why the long-held assumption that free capital flows naturally support stable and effective policy no longer holds. She shows how global finance now moves in powerful, synchronised waves, the global financial cycle, driven largely by shifts in risk appetite and by US Federal Reserve policy. These forces shape credit conditions and asset prices across countries, often overwhelming domestic monetary decisions, even in economies with floating exchange rates and credible inflation-targeting regimes.
The chapter's conclusions are pragmatic. Rather than rejecting open capital markets, it argues for governing them more carefully, through macroprudential regulation, stronger financial frameworks and, where appropriate, targeted capital flow management. In doing so, Professor Rey's contribution fits squarely within the broader spirit of the London Consensus: evidence-based, politically aware, and focused on building resilient economies rather than pursuing growth at any cost.
The breadth and quality of the volume have drawn strong praise from across the profession. Commentators including Janet Yellen, Kenneth Rogoff, Carmen Reinhart, Paul Collier and James A. Robinson have described the book as timely, pragmatic and essential reading for policymakers navigating an unusually uncertain global landscape.
As further events and engagements are planned across Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, The London Consensus is fast becoming a reference point for contemporary policy debate. For LBS, Professor Rey's contribution reflects the School's wider commitment to rigorous, globally engaged scholarship, and to shaping economic thinking that speaks directly to the challenges of the 21st century.
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REPORT: https://press.lse.ac.uk/en/books/26/files/b1a3c20c-9e9e-47cc-87ec-3575abe20865.pdf
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Original text here: https://www.london.edu/news/the-london-consensus-economic-principles-for-the-21st-century
Indian River State College: What Really Happened in 1776 - Fielden Institute Reveals the Dramatic Story Behind America's Founding Document
FORT PIERCE, Florida, Jan. 24 -- Indian River State College issued the following news release:
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What Really Happened in 1776? Fielden Institute Reveals the Dramatic Story Behind America's Founding Document
Event Details:
* Event Name: Divided Minds and the Birth of the Declaration
* Date: Friday, February 13, 2026
* Time: 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
* Location: Indian River State College, Massey Campus, Room V-110, Fort Pierce, FL
* Cost: Free (reservations required)
* Registration: Call 772-462-7880 or email tlacey1@irsc.edu
* Target Audience: Lifelong learners, adults 55+,
... Show Full Article
FORT PIERCE, Florida, Jan. 24 -- Indian River State College issued the following news release:
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What Really Happened in 1776? Fielden Institute Reveals the Dramatic Story Behind America's Founding Document
Event Details:
* Event Name: Divided Minds and the Birth of the Declaration
* Date: Friday, February 13, 2026
* Time: 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
* Location: Indian River State College, Massey Campus, Room V-110, Fort Pierce, FL
* Cost: Free (reservations required)
* Registration: Call 772-462-7880 or email tlacey1@irsc.edu
* Target Audience: Lifelong learners, adults 55+,history enthusiasts, community members
* Event Type: Distinguished Lecture Series, educational seminar, 250th anniversary year commemoration
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They didn't all agree. In fact, they argued, debated, and fundamentally disagreed about the future of a nation that didn't yet exist. The story of the Declaration of Independence isn't just about unity--it's about brilliant minds clashing over ideas that would change the world forever.
In honor of the 250th anniversary year of this pivotal moment in history, the Fielden Institute for Lifelong Learning at Indian River State College presents "Divided Minds and the Birth of the Declaration" on Friday, February 13, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Massey Campus, Room V-110.
Forget what you learned in high school. This isn't your typical history lecture. Four dynamic scholars will pull back the curtain on the heated debates, competing visions, and raw ambition that shaped the document we celebrate today--and explore why those 250-year-old arguments still matter in 2026.
Featured Speakers and Topics:
* Dr. David Purificato (Indian River State College) - Historical events leading up to the Declaration of Independence
* Dr. Carl Colavito (Florida State College at Jacksonville) - "Divisions Among the Founders Shape a New Nation"
* Dr. Debidatta Mahapatra (Florida State College at Jacksonville) - "Great Minds Not Just Conform but Also Confront: An Exploration Into the Clash of Visions that Shaped the Declaration and the Aftermath Thereof"
* David Yankwitt (Indian River State College) - Contemporary context and modern implications
* Moderator: Scott Simmons (Indian River State College)
This engaging morning promises lively discussion, surprising revelations, and historical insights about America's founding.
This free event is designed with lifelong learners in mind, and all community members with a curiosity about American history are welcome. Reservations are required. Space is limited, so secure your spot today by calling Theresa Lacey at 772-462-7880 or emailing tlacey1@irsc.edu.
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About the Fielden Institute for Lifelong Learning: The Fielden Institute for Lifelong Learning, operated by the Indian River State College Foundation, transforms curiosity into discovery. Through thought-provoking courses, lectures, and programs, the Institute creates a vibrant community where adults explore new ideas, engage with expert scholars, and feed their passion for learning. The Indian River State College Foundation supports educational excellence and enrichment opportunities that enhance the college's mission to serve the Treasure Coast community. It's education for the joy of it--because the best students never stop asking questions.
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Original text here: https://irsc.edu/news/what-really-happened-in-1776-fielden-institute-reveals-the-dramatic-story-behind-americas-founding-document/
Fordham Focus on AI: Why Humans Still Make the Best Co-Workers
NEW YORK, Jan. 24 -- Fordham University issued the following Q&A on Jan. 22, 2026, by Patrick Verel with Navid Asgari, Grose Family Endowed Chair in Business:
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A Fordham Focus on AI: Why Humans Still Make the Best Co-Workers
As part of a new series, A Fordham Focus on AI, we're talking with Fordham experts from a range of disciplines about the technology that seems to be affecting everything, everywhere, all at once.
In our first installment, we sat down with the Gabelli School's Navid Asgari, PhD. Asgari holds the Grose Family Endowed Chair in Business and teaches classes such as Generative
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, Jan. 24 -- Fordham University issued the following Q&A on Jan. 22, 2026, by Patrick Verel with Navid Asgari, Grose Family Endowed Chair in Business:
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A Fordham Focus on AI: Why Humans Still Make the Best Co-Workers
As part of a new series, A Fordham Focus on AI, we're talking with Fordham experts from a range of disciplines about the technology that seems to be affecting everything, everywhere, all at once.
In our first installment, we sat down with the Gabelli School's Navid Asgari, PhD. Asgari holds the Grose Family Endowed Chair in Business and teaches classes such as GenerativeAI for Managers and Navigating AI Disruption. His research focuses on how AI is affecting teams in the workplace and organizational structures in the health care and pharmaceutical industries. In his work, he uses AI tools to conduct statistical analysis.
What are you investigating through your research into teams and AI?
In software development, there is evidence that AI is helping individuals, but my hypothesis is that it hurts coordination between individuals on teams. When you're working in a group, you need to know what you don't know and what others don't know so that you can adjust your expectations and interaction patterns. When AI comes along, these boundaries are blurred, in what I call an epistemic disturbance. When that disturbance happens, coordination is going to suffer between teams, at least in the short term.
What are some of the concerns you have about AI being used in the health care industry?
If you're a doctor working in a hospital, you can save a lot of time using AI for transcriptions. But what would you do with the extra time you gained? Would you spend it on current patients? Before, you would see a patient for seven or eight minutes; now you can see them for 15 minutes. That's one way of using that saved time. The other way is to see more patients. You used to see 20 patients; now you see 30.
Whatever choice you have to make, you must choose the right structure for how doctors are incentivized. It requires the active leadership of the manager who is not just using AI like a plug-and-play tool. Technological innovation is important, but what I call organizational innovation is also important.
Are people placing too much faith in AI at work?
I think people are beginning to realize that AI has limits. AI is fantastic if the job is next-word prediction, but most human tasks, particularly when it comes to writing, involve some sort of reasoning and causal analysis. AI cannot do that.
Sometimes AI does something like write an essay, which makes it seem like it "thinks." It doesn't think at all. There are neuroscientists who believe that AI is less intelligent than a cat. So why does it look smart? Well, its responses are not always the same, which gives you the illusion of being smart. The other reason is that it can produce certain inferences that can be generated by many auto-completion, next-word prediction tasks.
What is one thing you want people to know about AI?
We often think about our work in terms of tasks, not jobs. Think about a programmer writing code--that's a task. But a programmer working in an organization does a variety of tasks that are related to one another in a very complex manner--that's the essence of a job.
You can replace every one of the individual tasks that a person does with some sort of AI, but putting them together into a job is a completely different challenge. When we're doing our job, we're more than just the sum of the tasks that we do.
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Original text here: https://now.fordham.edu/business-and-entrepreneurship/a-fordham-focus-on-ai-why-humans-still-make-the-best-co-workers/
Checking in With Chancellor May: New Year, New Opportunities at UC Davis
DAVIS, California, Jan. 24 -- The University of California Davis issued the following statement on Jan. 22, 2026, by Chancellor Gary S. May:
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Checking in with Chancellor May: New Year, New Opportunities at UC Davis
Quick Summary
* UC Davis creates pathways for hands-on learning -- nearly 1,400 students participated in global study, internships or research last year.
* Internship opportunities like the Environmental Science and Policy Experiential Learning Fund, which launches this fall, provide financial support to help students gain real-world field experience.
* A record number of
... Show Full Article
DAVIS, California, Jan. 24 -- The University of California Davis issued the following statement on Jan. 22, 2026, by Chancellor Gary S. May:
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Checking in with Chancellor May: New Year, New Opportunities at UC Davis
Quick Summary
* UC Davis creates pathways for hands-on learning -- nearly 1,400 students participated in global study, internships or research last year.
* Internship opportunities like the Environmental Science and Policy Experiential Learning Fund, which launches this fall, provide financial support to help students gain real-world field experience.
* A record number ofLatinx and African American students enrolled in fall 2025.
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To the UC Davis community:
Welcome back, Aggies! With winter quarter underway, I hope you're feeling recharged and ready to pursue your goals.
As a new year begins, we are reminded of the challenges we face as a campus, a nation and a global community. From the scenes in Minneapolis to strife across the globe that weigh on many in our Aggie family, it's natural to feel apprehension and sorrow. In this moment, I call on our community to support one another, engage in respectful dialogue and remember the power of listening.
Although the past year tested us in profound ways, asking us to adapt and stand together through uncertainty, we never lost sight of our purpose. We continue to remain focused on our mission of research, teaching and public service, laying the foundation for our students' success.
While headlines often highlight friction and fragility, I look across our campus and see the remedy. I see Aggies actively pursuing the solutions that will define tomorrow. I see a university that is an engine of opportunity for our students and a force for public good.
At UC Davis, we do the work that matters.
I'm pleased to share some of the most innovative developments on our campus and how they are opening doors for students to shape a better future.
Expanding academic opportunities
Across our campus, we are creating pathways for students at the cutting edge of learning.
Under the leadership of Associate Professor Gozde Goncu-Berk, the Maria Manetti Shrem Institute for Sustainable Design, Fashion and Textiles explores how sustainable design can improve well-being. Made possible by the support of Maria Manetti Shrem, the center serves as a campus hub where artists and innovators working across disciplines combine visionary approaches to redefine the future of fashion and design. Among their most important work is the continued development of smart textiles that monitor health. They are pioneering new ways to detect and treat conditions ranging from anxiety and heart disease to sudden infant death syndrome.
To serve current and future students, we know we must continually evolve our educational approach to meet the needs of a changing world. That commitment to future-proofing a UC Davis education is exemplified by the revamp of our introductory biology curriculum. Years of development led to a new approach centered on discovery-based labs and reframing core concepts through the lens of problem-solving, resulting in greater student engagement and understanding.
As College of Biological Sciences Dean Mark Winey notes, the new curriculum will empower students to focus on "looking at original literature and interpreting data to get a sense of how a scientist works and thinks." For thousands of students across all four colleges each year, this new approach will provide a strong foundation for the interdisciplinary and exploratory thinking that underpins successful careers.
Our commitment to nurturing potential extends to the next generation of scholars. In February, we'll launch NextGen Bio at Aggie Square and on the Davis campus. This partnership will bring educators and students from historically underserved groups to our campus to explore biotechnology, AI and precision manufacturing. This exposure to our research and the collaborative learning environment of our campus will open doors for students to succeed in university classrooms and future careers.
Leading in experiential learning
We are building on our commitment to ensure that every student on our campus engages in hands-on learning, whether through an internship, a research experience or a global connection. In 2022, our Aggie Launch campaign committed to providing every UC Davis graduate with this kind of professional advantage, and we're well on our way to achieving that goal.
One exciting new internship program is the Environmental Science and Policy Experiential Learning Fund. Initiated by current and former faculty members in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the program bridges the gap for students who want field experience but need financial support. The program will empower students with opportunities for these vital first steps towards careers in fields ranging from marine and coastal ecology to public communication.
When the program distributes its first funding in fall 2026, it will, as Professor Gwen Arnold says, let students "focus on doing educational internships, not how to afford them."
At the UC Davis Library, a new program offers undergraduate interns a blend of professional experience, mentorship and collaborative learning as they work alongside librarians and staff to advance key library priorities. The inaugural cohort is engaging in initiatives that will help shape the library's future, from designing e-learning content to participating in data projects to measure scholarly impact.
One of those library student interns, Rayan Mansoor, will lead a biweekly AI exploration lab this quarter called Human x Machine. It will guide fellow students in exploring AI tools to build an understanding of how these applications work and crafting prompts to encourage research and learning. The third-year computer engineering major notes that as the use of AI is exploding across campuses and industry worldwide, we all must develop literacy in this emerging space to ensure it's used ethically and effectively.
And we remain committed to providing students with opportunities to learn while exploring the world. Last year, almost 1,400 students pursued study, internships or research in other countries, while more than 7,600 students engaged in on-campus, local and virtual global and intercultural learning opportunities.
This summer, Global Affairs is offering four new study abroad programs and four new intern abroad programs. The new programs range from Brewing and Beer in Germany, which will explore food production, safety and marketing, to Agriculture and the Environment in Colombia, which focuses on sustainability, food security and climate solutions through hands-on research and field experiences.
There are also many exciting global learning opportunities closer to Davis. Applications for the 2026 Global Learning Programs are open now. I encourage you to explore the options available to you and see what the world has to offer.
Moving forward
From its inception, our foundational mission at UC Davis has been to serve the public good while opening doors for students from every background. Those goals are inextricably linked: When we create opportunities for students, we build the potential to solve challenges that seem insurmountable.
That commitment continues today. We were excited to announce this month that UC Davis enrolled one of its most diverse classes in fall 2025, with record numbers of Latinx and African American students. These numbers represent our continued commitment to build a UC Davis that looks like and serves the people of our state, especially as we celebrate our designation in the inaugural class of Black-Serving Institutions in California.
More than 40% of the enrolled undergraduates will be the first generation in their families to graduate from a four-year college. We remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that the powerful investment of a college education is available to every student with the drive to succeed.
At UC Davis, opportunity is for everyone.
As we move into 2026, let's resolve to strengthen UC Davis as a driver for global good. Let's renew our commitment to collaborate on solutions to the world's most profound challenges, to authentically listen to every voice in our community and to seize the opportunities before us.
Together, there's no limit to what we can achieve.
Sincerely,
Gary S. May
Chancellor
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Original text here: https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/checking-chancellor-may-new-year-new-opportunities-uc-davis
