Featured Stories
University of Nebraska: Husker Rocketry Launches to Success at International Competition
LINCOLN, Nebraska, Aug. 8 -- The University of Nebraska posted the following news:
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Husker Rocketry launches to success at international competition
By MJ Strasburger, University Communication and Marketing
When Caleb Hans and his fellow Husker Rocketry teammates prepared to launch their rocket at the International Rocket Engineering Competition in Midland, Texas, this summer, months of work came down to a single moment.
Despite a year of preparation, one test launch and countless design tweaks, the team knew anything could happen once the rocket left the launch pad.
"It's so stressful
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LINCOLN, Nebraska, Aug. 8 -- The University of Nebraska posted the following news:
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Husker Rocketry launches to success at international competition
By MJ Strasburger, University Communication and Marketing
When Caleb Hans and his fellow Husker Rocketry teammates prepared to launch their rocket at the International Rocket Engineering Competition in Midland, Texas, this summer, months of work came down to a single moment.
Despite a year of preparation, one test launch and countless design tweaks, the team knew anything could happen once the rocket left the launch pad.
"It's so stressfulbecause, despite all the prep we'd done up to that point, we just can never predict exactly what's going to happen," Hans said. "You're just waiting to see if it's all going to work."
The last-minute adjustments the team of 17 Huskers made right up until launch didn't help calm their nerves, but they did help produce nearly flawless results. Competing before hundreds of student teams from around the world and industry professionals, Husker Rocketry recorded a perfect flight and recovery, with the rocket landing less than a quarter mile from the launch site. The performance earned the team seventh place overall among 141 schools and fourth in its division.
"We had a perfect flight and perfect recovery, too," Hans said. "Our rocket landed not even a quarter mile from the launch site, so it was great. It's so gratifying and relieving to see all your work pay off."
That success was nearly a year in the making. Guided by College of Engineering faculty and industry mentors, the team began preparing for the competition shortly after last year's event.
"We use so much data that we collect to make all our decisions," Hans said. "We had one test flight in May at UNL's Haskell Agricultural Laboratory, and that went really well. Some industry mentors were there with us and suggested ways we could improve our aerodynamics. We took all that into account, and I think that really helped us at the actual competition."
Hans, who leads Husker Rocketry's avionics team and serves as president of the UNL Aerospace Club, said the experience also offers a glimpse of the career he hopes to pursue.
"I'm a big space geek, and I really want to work in space engineering, so being able to build a rocket as a team of students is super, super cool to me," Hans said. "When we're at the actual launch site in Texas, you feel like you're in your own mini mission control center. It makes you feel like this career is really possible."
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Original text here: https://news.unl.edu/article/husker-rocketry-launches-to-success-at-international-competition
University of Manchester: Social Prescribing Boosts Health Checks Without Raising Costs
MANCHESTER, England, Aug. 8 (TNSjou) -- The University of Manchester issued the following news release:
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Social prescribing boosts health checks without raising costs
Patients referred to social prescribing are more likely to seek healthcare in the short term, but could end up needing their GP less often within a year, a new study by University of Manchester researchers suggests.
The researchers analysing the records of more than 1.4 million people found that social prescribing - where patients are referred to support such as community groups, exercise schemes or financial advice - was
... Show Full Article
MANCHESTER, England, Aug. 8 (TNSjou) -- The University of Manchester issued the following news release:
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Social prescribing boosts health checks without raising costs
Patients referred to social prescribing are more likely to seek healthcare in the short term, but could end up needing their GP less often within a year, a new study by University of Manchester researchers suggests.
The researchers analysing the records of more than 1.4 million people found that social prescribing - where patients are referred to support such as community groups, exercise schemes or financial advice - waslinked to an early rise in healthcare use, followed by a small drop in GP appointments.
The study was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and published in eClinical Medicine.
Social prescribing became a key part of NHS plans in 2019, with thousands of link workers recruited across England to connect patients with community support.
It has become a central part of NHS efforts to address the wider social factors that influence health, including loneliness, housing problems, debt and inactivity.
Despite the scheme's rapid expansion, until now there has been little robust evidence showing whether social prescribing affects NHS demand, healthcare use or costs.
The findings come from one of the largest studies of its kind, using anonymised NHS records from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), covering around a quarter of England's population.
The research team compared 168,699 patients referred to social prescribing between July 2019 and April 2022 with more than 1.3 million similar patients who were not referred.
In the first six months after referral, patients receiving social prescribing had an average of 2.25 more contacts with healthcare services than those who were not referred - a rise of around 24%.
The increase was largely driven by more visits to primary care services and attendance at planned outpatient appointments in hospitals.
This, they say, may reflect patients becoming more proactive about managing their health and seeking help for conditions that might previously have gone untreated.
But by one year after referral, the picture had changed.
The increase in healthcare contacts had fallen substantially and patients referred to social prescribing were attending slightly fewer GP appointments than those who had not been referred.
Despite the higher number of healthcare interactions, the overall cost to the NHS was virtually unchanged.
The study found healthcare costs were less than 0.1% higher among referred patients, a difference researchers described as clinically insignificant.
The small increase in spending was mainly linked to additional secondary care admissions.
Lead author Dr Anna Wilding from The University of Manchester said: "Our findings suggest that social prescribing may encourage people to engage with healthcare services in the short term, particularly with planned and preventative care."
"Importantly, we found that this increase did not translate into meaningful increases in overall healthcare costs, and by one year patients were having slightly fewer GP appointments."
"This could indicate that social prescribing helps direct people towards more appropriate forms of support while reducing pressure on general practice."
She added: "Better integration between social prescribing data systems and electronic health records will be needed to understand whether patients who fully engage with these services gain even greater benefits."
Charlotte Osborn-Forde , CEO of the National Academy for Social Prescribing added: "There is now strong evidence that social prescribing leads to improved wellbeing and that it can support people with a range of health conditions.
"This research provides useful analysis of how referrals to link workers affected healthcare use during the COVID pandemic, potentially leading to a long-term fall in GP appointments.
"It also shows the need for further exploration of how to account for the unmeasured social needs that lead to a referral for social prescribing, and better data on support received after the referral, to track the impact of social prescribing more robustly."
* The paper "Changes in healthcare use and cost associated with referrals to social prescribing link workers in England: a matched case-control cohort study" is published in eClinical Medicine. DOI
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Original text here: https://www.manchester.ac.uk/about/news/social-prescribing-boosts-health-checks-without-raising-costs/
University of Manchester: Funding Boost Expands Healthcare PhD Training Across the North
MANCHESTER, England, Aug. 8 -- The University of Manchester issued the following news release:
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Funding boost expands healthcare PhD training across the North
The University of Manchester has secured new funding to help more healthcare professionals train as researchers through the Forward North doctoral programme, delivered with the Universities of Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle and Sheffield.
Building on more than a decade of success, Forward North brings together five leading northern universities to support healthcare professionals to become the next generation of research leaders.
Director
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MANCHESTER, England, Aug. 8 -- The University of Manchester issued the following news release:
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Funding boost expands healthcare PhD training across the North
The University of Manchester has secured new funding to help more healthcare professionals train as researchers through the Forward North doctoral programme, delivered with the Universities of Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle and Sheffield.
Building on more than a decade of success, Forward North brings together five leading northern universities to support healthcare professionals to become the next generation of research leaders.
Directorof Forward North Professor Anne Barton from the University of Manchester, said: "I am delighted that we can continue to offer doctoral training fellowships for healthcare professionals over the next five years.
"By working together across the North, we can help more healthcare staff develop research careers and generate the discoveries and innovations needed to improve patient care and health outcomes."
The renewed programme builds on a strong track record of supporting healthcare professionals to undertake PhDs.
It will also introduce new pre-doctoral opportunities to help more people enter research, provide enhanced support for early career researchers, and strengthen partnerships with organisations including the Nuffield Foundation, STEM Learning and the Francis Crick Institute.
Through expert mentoring, interdisciplinary collaboration, industry engagement and specialist training, Forward North will help develop future research leaders equipped to tackle some of the North's biggest health challenges.
A virtual launch event will take place on 18 August from 11.30am to 1pm, providing information about the next round of fellowship applications and an opportunity to ask questions.
You can join the event here (https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/333177078599772?p=D5WZFY8rEvuoUgofOE)
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Original text here: https://www.manchester.ac.uk/about/news/funding-boost-expands-healthcare-phd-training-across-the-north/
University of Leeds Secures National Teaching Excellence Awards for Student Employability and Humanitarian Work
LEEDS, England, Aug. 8 -- The University of Leeds issued the following news:
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Teaching excellence at Leeds
Two University of Leeds teams that boost employability for global students have received one of the highest honours for teaching and learning in UK higher education.
A team that designs collaborative learning to enhance students' employability and another that teaches English skills to students escaping the impact of conflict and disaster have each been awarded a Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE) by Advance HE.
The awards recognise the teams' outstanding contribution
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LEEDS, England, Aug. 8 -- The University of Leeds issued the following news:
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Teaching excellence at Leeds
Two University of Leeds teams that boost employability for global students have received one of the highest honours for teaching and learning in UK higher education.
A team that designs collaborative learning to enhance students' employability and another that teaches English skills to students escaping the impact of conflict and disaster have each been awarded a Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE) by Advance HE.
The awards recognise the teams' outstanding contributionto student learning and celebrate how teamwork plays a vital role in delivering an exceptional student experience.
The Innovation in Practice team, led by Tony Morgan, Associate Professor in Innovation Management Practice, brings together staff, students, industry partners and external contributors to create experiential learning opportunities that develop students' innovation, teamwork and employability skills.
The distinctive approach at Leeds - developed within Leeds University Business School (LUBS) - encourages students to tackle modules on real-world organisational and societal challenges and engage with external organisations.
The Innovation in Practice portfolio has evolved from one interdisciplinary undergraduate module in 2017, engaging 60 final year students, to three connected modules reaching more than 400 students annually.
The team works with an eco-system of more than 40 external industry partners, experts and coaches contributing challenge briefs and participating in student-facing activities.
Tony Morgan said: "As a team, we're exceptionally proud to receive this award. We view it as recognition not just for our own efforts, but for the many students, colleagues and partners we work with."
Refugee programme recognised
The team behind a free online programme that teaches English skills to students escaping the impact of conflict and disaster has also received a CATE award.
RefugEAP is designed for refugee-background students who need to improve their academic English language and skills to help them access a degree programme at university.
The team is co-led by Deirdre McKenna, Associate Professor in English for Academic Purposes in the University of Leeds Language Centre, alongside Aleks Palanac, Head of Sanctuary at the University of Leicester's Sanctuary Seekers' Unit, which was the nominating institution for this CATE aaplication. Together, they lead a team of 30 volunteer EAP tutors.
The course recently marked its fifth successful cohort of students. It has supported 167 students since it was established in 2022, with 27 so far receiving offers to study at university and another 41 moving on to further preparation for university or requalification.
Deirdre said: "We are so pleased with the impact of RefugEAP and its demonstratable role in delivering social justice for students.
"The programme is designed to give students an opportunity to develop their academic English language and skills in a supportive environment while they are waiting for more formal opportunities to become available. We're excited about the next chapter."
Professor Wendy Robinson, Pro-Vice-Chancellor: Student Education and Experience, said: "During recent years, Leeds has made significant progress in delivering its vision for a truly student-centred university.
"Across the institution, colleagues collaborate to reimagine aspects of the student experience, creating stronger foundations for learning, belonging, success and future employability.
"Such prestigious awards are a tremendous credit to all the team members and those partners who enrich the learning experience at Leeds."
Advance HE is a charity working with partners across the world to improve higher education for staff, students and society. The CATE celebrates excellent practice and outstanding achievement in learning and teaching throughout the sector.
Alistair Jarvis CBE, Chief Executive of Advance HE, said: "Congratulations to the recipients of the 2026 National Teaching Fellowships and Collaborative Awards for Teaching Excellence.
"They exemplify the dedication, creativity and leadership that underpin outstanding higher education. Through their commitment to students and continual enhancement of teaching and learning, they are making a significant contribution to their institutions and the wider sector."
CATE winners will be presented with their awards during a special ceremony held at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh on 24 September.
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Original text here: https://www.leeds.ac.uk/news/article/6010/teaching-excellence-at-leeds
Spencer Named Yale's Vice President for Finance, CFO, Treasurer
NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, Aug. 8 -- Yale University issued the following news on Aug. 7, 2026:
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Spencer named Yale's vice president for finance, CFO, treasurer
Following a national search, Yale has appointed Rice University chief financial officer Katrina Spencer as Yale's next vice president for finance, chief financial officer, and treasurer, university leaders announced today.
She will begin her new role on Sept. 23.
"Throughout her career, she has earned a reputation as a strategic leader who helps institutions strengthen their financial foundations while advancing their academic
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NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, Aug. 8 -- Yale University issued the following news on Aug. 7, 2026:
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Spencer named Yale's vice president for finance, CFO, treasurer
Following a national search, Yale has appointed Rice University chief financial officer Katrina Spencer as Yale's next vice president for finance, chief financial officer, and treasurer, university leaders announced today.
She will begin her new role on Sept. 23.
"Throughout her career, she has earned a reputation as a strategic leader who helps institutions strengthen their financial foundations while advancing their academicmissions," Maurie McInnis, Yale's president, and Geoff Chatas, senior vice president for operations, wrote in a message to the community.
At Rice, Spencer has provided strategic oversight for the university's finance organization. She has led the development of a new university-wide budget model, long-range financial planning efforts, and initiatives that improved collaboration, service, and financial stewardship across the institution.
Spencer, who earned a master of public administration from Columbia University and a bachelor of arts in history from Brigham Young University, previously held senior financial leadership roles at the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Chicago, and the University of Connecticut. At these institutions, she led transformative financial planning and budget initiatives that guided the organizations through complex operational and financial challenges.
"Katrina's experience will serve Yale well as we continue to strengthen the university's financial stewardship and support our academic mission," McInnis and Chatas wrote in their message. "We are confident she will be an outstanding partner to colleagues across the university and a valuable member of the Operations leadership team."
In their message, McInnis and Chatas expressed gratitude to the members of the search committee during the search process, which began in March. "Their efforts were instrumental in identifying the next leader for this important role," they wrote.
They also expressed their thanks to Shannon Smith for her outstanding leadership while serving as interim vice president of finance. "Shannon's steady guidance during this transition provided continuity, and we are grateful for her many contributions," McInnis and Chatas wrote.
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Original text here: https://news.yale.edu/2026/08/07/spencer-named-yales-vice-president-finance-cfo-treasurer
Marina Lomeli '28 Cultivates Adaptability Through Neuroscience Research at Gettysburg
GETTYSBURG, Pennsylvania, Aug. 8 -- Gettysburg College issued the following news:
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Marina Lomeli '28 cultivates adaptability through neuroscience research at Gettysburg
At Gettysburg College, skill building happens with hands-on research. Psychology and biology double major Marina Lomeli '28 has found Gettysburg's Cross-Disciplinary Science Institute (X-SIG) summer research experience invaluable in helping her develop adaptability and opening her mind to future careers in psychology or health care.
Donning a white lab coat and picking up a clipboard, psychology major Marina Lomeli '28
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GETTYSBURG, Pennsylvania, Aug. 8 -- Gettysburg College issued the following news:
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Marina Lomeli '28 cultivates adaptability through neuroscience research at Gettysburg
At Gettysburg College, skill building happens with hands-on research. Psychology and biology double major Marina Lomeli '28 has found Gettysburg's Cross-Disciplinary Science Institute (X-SIG) summer research experience invaluable in helping her develop adaptability and opening her mind to future careers in psychology or health care.
Donning a white lab coat and picking up a clipboard, psychology major Marina Lomeli '28prepares for another day of summer research at Gettysburg College. As she reaches down to pick up her furry black-and-white research subject, she's greeted by a little squeak of excitement from a creature that will yield insights for her research project through the Cross-Disciplinary Research Institute (X-SIG) at Gettysburg.
The X-SIG opportunity, supported by Psychology Prof. Sara Keefer, is giving Lomeli the chance to cultivate adaptability while conducting hands-on neuroscience research.
Alongside her fellow student researchers Sophia Hume '28 and Megan Kane '27, Lomeli is using rodent models to observe behavioral inflexibility in both female and male rats in response to food rewards and environmental cues. Lomeli hopes to apply the findings from her research to better understand reward-seeking and risk-taking behavior in humans.
Now participating in X-SIG for a second year, Lomeli, a STEM Scholar from Round Lake Beach, Illinois, believes this dynamic summer research experience at Gettysburg is preparing her for careers that may include psychiatric studies with the brain, cancer research, or a health care profession. The opportunity to conduct this type of research as an undergraduate sparked Lomeli's interest in applying to and enrolling at Gettysburg.
"It's been very beneficial to get to know professors and professionals in these fields, as well as get hands-on skills with these types of labs. These opportunities have helped me determine what I enjoy doing and identify things that I don't think I would pursue in the future," she said.
Lomeli first learned about Keefer's research through her Brain and Behavior course she took with Keefer last fall.
"Building relationships with the professors here helps you get involved in these research projects. Those connections have given me so much more experience than I could have gotten if I had gone somewhere else," she said. "Dr. Keefer wants students to be very involved but still is understanding if someone isn't comfortable performing any part of the project. However, for the most part, I have been very comfortable doing everything and learning these different skills in the lab."
Beyond practical skills, such as operating lab equipment, Lomeli highlights the data analysis she's had to do, the personal growth she's experienced as a researcher, and the comfort she's developed with scientific writing in preparation for the annual X-SIG poster presentations that will take place in the fall.
This adaptability--being able to handle the myriad responsibilities of conducting and reporting research--has given Lomeli the confidence to explore new ideas as she considers her future career interests.
Looking ahead to her junior year at Gettysburg, Lomeli anticipates continuing research with Keefer and serving as a Peer Learning Associate (PLA) for a developmental psychology class.
Each summer, faculty and students regularly work together across multidisciplinary departments--including biology, chemistry, computer science, environmental studies, health sciences, mathematics, physics, and psychology--representing the true cross-disciplinary nature of the Gettysburg Approach.
In addition to academics, she is also exploring co-curricular interests through the Guided Pathways. She's most looking forward to pursuing activities in the Leadership, Teamwork, and Collaboration Pathway, in addition to the Career Development Pathway, she said. These activities include serving as manager of the ice hockey club team, where she'll help with program leadership and organization.
"I see the Guided Pathways helping me to get a well-rounded experience academically, while being more involved on campus, which is something I want to work on more," she said. "The Guided Pathways offer you many different opportunities for things you can participate in."
Lomeli also hopes to build on her previous involvement with the Latin American Students Association (LASA) and take part in Casa de La Cultura swim program instruction when the 2026-27 academic year begins.
From the classroom to the lab, and beyond the campus borders, Lomeli has come to appreciate Gettysburg's all-encompassing education available to her at every turn.
"The education here is consequential," she said. "When you leave Gettysburg College at the end of your four years here, you're able to apply the skills and what you've learned here to different fields. It's reassuring to know that all the work I'm putting in is bringing me closer to a better future."
-- By Michael Vyskocil
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Original text here: https://www.gettysburg.edu/news/stories?id=d668f112-c81a-4b13-bcd1-52476e491556&pageTitle=Marina+Lomeli+'28+cultivates+adaptability+through+neuroscience+research+at+Gettysburg
Institute of Genetics and Cancer: DNA Sequencing Technology Helps Improve Diagnosis of Rare Diseases
EDINBURGH, Scotland, Aug. 8 -- The University of Edinburgh College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine - Institute of Genetics and Cancer issued the following news:
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New DNA sequencing technology helps improve diagnosis of rare diseases
Long-read sequencing technology has been used to make notable strides in identifying elusive genetic causes of diseases that previously remained undiagnosed.
The Scottish Genomes Partnership (SGP), a collaboration with NHS Scotland, focused on diagnosing rare diseases believed to originate from a single gene. Previously, using short-read sequencing (SRS)
... Show Full Article
EDINBURGH, Scotland, Aug. 8 -- The University of Edinburgh College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine - Institute of Genetics and Cancer issued the following news:
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New DNA sequencing technology helps improve diagnosis of rare diseases
Long-read sequencing technology has been used to make notable strides in identifying elusive genetic causes of diseases that previously remained undiagnosed.
The Scottish Genomes Partnership (SGP), a collaboration with NHS Scotland, focused on diagnosing rare diseases believed to originate from a single gene. Previously, using short-read sequencing (SRS)techniques, SGP had managed to diagnose 23 per cent of cases.
To improve diagnosis a study, led by researchers at the Institute of Genetics and Cancer, applied Oxford Nanopore Technologies' long-read sequencing (LRS) to a cohort of 24 families (made up of 74 individuals) who had not received a diagnosis from the initial short-read technology analysis.
Pilot tests showed that even partially degraded DNA samples could be analysed effectively using LRS technology.
Further analysis
After filtering and reanalysing the data, researchers retained 392 candidate variations for closer examination. Of these, eight were deemed likely to be disease-causing and ultimately three families received definitive genetic diagnoses.
"These findings demonstrate that long-read sequencing analysis can identify diagnostic structural variants in families with a rare genetic disorder that remain undiagnosed after standard short-read genome sequencing."
Professor Tim Aitman, Chair of Molecular Pathology and Genetics
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Original text here: https://institute-genetics-cancer.ed.ac.uk/new-dna-sequencing-technology-helps-improve-diagnosis-of-rare-diseases
