Education (Colleges & Universities)
Here's a look at documents from public, private and community colleges in the U.S.
Featured Stories
Virginia Commonwealth University: Hernan Bucheli Named Interim Leader for VCU Global Education Office
RICHMOND, Virginia, June 6 -- Virginia Commonwealth University issued the following news:
* * *
Hernan Bucheli named interim leader for VCU Global Education Office
Hernan Bucheli, Ed.D., has been named interim leader for the VCU Global Education Office, effective June 19.
In addition to the interim role, Bucheli will continue to serve as vice president for Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Success.
"As VCU's international footprint continues to grow, strategically aligning our enrollment and global education efforts will help build a seamless pathway between international student
... Show Full Article
RICHMOND, Virginia, June 6 -- Virginia Commonwealth University issued the following news:
* * *
Hernan Bucheli named interim leader for VCU Global Education Office
Hernan Bucheli, Ed.D., has been named interim leader for the VCU Global Education Office, effective June 19.
In addition to the interim role, Bucheli will continue to serve as vice president for Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Success.
"As VCU's international footprint continues to grow, strategically aligning our enrollment and global education efforts will help build a seamless pathway between international studentdiscovery and long-term academic success," said Art Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice president and provost at VCU. "This interim appointment will help ensure that our global efforts are structured to meet institutional enrollment goals and further contribute to a vibrant campus community."
Bucheli, a global leader with U.S. and Ecuadorian citizenship, is a nationally recognized higher education executive and strategist with more than two decades of senior leadership experience driving institutional growth, strengthening financial sustainability, expanding global engagement and advancing student outcomes across complex universities. His experience includes prior executive leadership of global education offices and institutional global strategy at higher education institutions.
"I am honored to support the Global Education Office and Provost Saavedra's global vision," said Bucheli. "GEO plays a vital role in advancing VCU's global engagement, study abroad, global education, immigration services and enrollment success. I look forward to working with the GEO team and campus partners to build on this strong foundation to further strengthen VCU's global impact."
Bucheli's appointment follows the May 7 announcement that Jill Blondin, Ph.D., current vice provost for global initiatives, will leave VCU after a distinguished 13-year tenure to become vice chancellor for global affairs at the University of Colorado Boulder in July.
* * *
Original text here: https://news.vcu.edu/article/hernan-bucheli-named-interim-leader-for-vcu-global-education-office
University of Michigan: How Peach Fuzz Could Hold Clues to Develop New Treatments for Chronic Itch
ANN ARBOR, Michigan, June 6 (TNSjou) -- The University of Michigan issued the following news:
* * *
How peach fuzz could hold clues to develop new treatments for chronic itch
Researchers discover specialized neurons and vellus-like hair in mice--hairs that are like vellus hairs, or peach fuzz, on humans--give rise to itchiness in response to touch
-
Working with mouse models, research led by the University of Michigan has revealed previously hidden biology of how touch-sensitive hairs create itching sensations. This fundamental discovery opens new avenues to better understand and potentially
... Show Full Article
ANN ARBOR, Michigan, June 6 (TNSjou) -- The University of Michigan issued the following news:
* * *
How peach fuzz could hold clues to develop new treatments for chronic itch
Researchers discover specialized neurons and vellus-like hair in mice--hairs that are like vellus hairs, or peach fuzz, on humans--give rise to itchiness in response to touch
-
Working with mouse models, research led by the University of Michigan has revealed previously hidden biology of how touch-sensitive hairs create itching sensations. This fundamental discovery opens new avenues to better understand and potentiallyaddress human health conditions characterized by persistent itchiness.
"Itch is one of the major symptoms in most chronic skin inflammation patients," said Bo Duan, associate professor in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. "What we've discovered is a pathway that we believe plays a very important role for both acute and chronic itch sensation."
The team discovered a previously unrecognized class of hairs in mice, known as vellus-like hairs, and a specialized population of touch-sensitive neurons that connect to them. As their name suggests, these hairs are similar to the fine, short, light-colored vellus hairs found on humans, though we more commonly refer to them as peach fuzz.
The work, supported in part by funding from the National Institutes of Health, was published in the journal Neuron.
For one set of experiments, the team worked with mice that had chronic skin inflammation, which is known as eczema in humans. Mice that expressed these neurons scratched normally, as one would expect. But, for mice that lacked those neurons or in which the neurons were inactive, the itching response was greatly reduced.
While there are a number of ways to help soothe chemical itch caused by things like mosquito bites and poison ivy, those treatments are ineffective against itch caused by skin inflammation, Duan said. This study suggests treatments that target the "mechanical itch" pathway could be more successful.
"We need a new pathway to target if we want to treat chronic itch," Duan said. "And our research suggests that this population of neurons could be a target in the future. We have ongoing projects looking at this."
Although the team can't run experiments to directly identify the same or related pathways in humans, the researchers are already building the case with other forms of evidence. For starters, humans do possess genes required to make these touch-sensitive neurons.
The team also discovered proteins in mice that help transmit the itch signal from hairs to the spinal cord via the specialized neurons. Human neurons grown in cultures respond to the same proteins, the team found.
"Our study indicates that humans may have this same kind of mechanism to transmit mechanical itch," Duan said. "It also reveals that the body has a dedicated system for this type of sensation."
A real head-scratcher
It's one of Duan's favorite science demonstrations, one that he gave while interviewing for his job and one that he still shows to students joining his lab.
First, you take a tissue and roll one of its corners into a long, fine point. Then take that point and, ever so gently, stroke at the hairs around your lips. Not the thicker, darker hairs, which are called terminal hairs, but the thin, light vellus hairs. If you graze one just right, that peach fuzz will make you itch.
"Humans and animals experience this kind of itch, but no one knew the molecular and cellular mechanisms behind it," Duan said. The new study identifies the sensory pathway that links specialized hairs to itch and, together with earlier research from Duan and his teammates, helps explain how these signals are transmitted through the nervous system.
It was more than a century ago that scientists first noted that the vellus-like hairs of mice, which are especially concentrated behind their ears, beneath their lips and at the base of their paws, were "special." Yet these hairs have remained largely understudied in sensory science, Duan said.
Because of that, there really weren't any standard procedures to test whether and how mice responded to mechanical itch. That meant Duan and his colleagues had to develop their own methods.
"A mouse can't say that it's itchy," Duan said. "But it will scratch."
For the new study, the team mechanically stimulated itch in mice using a small loop of thread and stroking the animal's vellus-like hairs. Once they identified the neurons that gave rise to the itching response, the researchers could then make those neurons sensitive to blue light. Shining light on a mouse's skin and observing it scratch in the same way it did with mechanical stimulation helped confirm the specific neurons' role in itch.
Peach fuzz and peach fuzz-like hairs grow in higher numbers near human and mice mouths and ears, Duan said. This suggests they may have evolved as a warning system for mammals to alert them when pests or parasites are trying to get in.
But human bodies are covered in vellus hair (with some notable exceptions like the palms of our hands) and you may wonder why we're not constantly scratching if we're coated with such sensitive touch receptors. Another one of Duan's earlier projects studying itch in mice could also explain that: Within the spinal cord, there are "gating" circuits at work that essentially block the mechanical itch signal unless it's activated in a particular way.
* * *
Study: A specialized population of hair afferents dedicated to transmitting mechanical itch (DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2026.05.017)
* * *
Original text here: https://news.umich.edu/how-peach-fuzz-could-hold-clues-to-develop-new-treatments-for-chronic-itch/
University of Colorado: System and Community Response to Faculty Special Election
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, June 6 -- The University of Colorado issued the following news release:
* * *
System and community response to faculty special election
Following the Faculty Assembly's special election resulting in a vote of no confidence in three members of the executive leadership team, members of the University of Colorado system and community leaders issued statements regarding the outcome and the university's path forward. These statements acknowledged concerns raised by faculty and reaffirmed their confidence in UCCS leadership and their commitment to working together to address
... Show Full Article
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, June 6 -- The University of Colorado issued the following news release:
* * *
System and community response to faculty special election
Following the Faculty Assembly's special election resulting in a vote of no confidence in three members of the executive leadership team, members of the University of Colorado system and community leaders issued statements regarding the outcome and the university's path forward. These statements acknowledged concerns raised by faculty and reaffirmed their confidence in UCCS leadership and their commitment to working together to addressthe challenges facing the campus.
Chancellor Sobanet said she respects the faculty assembly's right to conduct the vote and expressed optimism that upcoming facilitated conversations with shared governance leaders will help build a shared understanding of key issues and inform the future direction of the university.
CU President Todd Saliman and Board of Regents Chairman Ken Montera both issued statements of support for Sobanet's leadership, citing the difficult work underway to address financial challenges - accumulated over the last decade -- and position the campus for long-term success. Both emphasized the importance of collaboration among campus stakeholders and the development of a shared vision for UCCS's future.
Community leaders Becky Medved, Board Chair of the University of Colorado Foundation; John Suthers, Former Mayor of Colorado Springs; and Johnna Reeder Kleymeyer, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC; similarly highlighted the university's significance to the Pikes Peak region, pointing to its role in workforce development, research and military engagement. They expressed support for ongoing efforts to address budget challenges while encouraging continued partnership between the university and the broader community.
Collectively, the statements emphasized a shared commitment to ensuring UCCS remains financially sustainable, academically strong and responsive to the needs of students, faculty, staff and the region it serves.
Read the responses:
Statement of Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet
I respect the faculty assembly's right to conduct the vote. I'm optimistic that the upcoming facilitated conversations between our shared governance leaders and me will help us reach a shared understanding of facts and issues as we create the UCCS of the future on a stable, sustainable foundation.
Statement of CU President Todd Saliman
Let me state first that Chancellor Sobanet has my support in the critical work she is doing on the Colorado Springs campus. Clearly, it has been challenging for her, her leadership teams and the entire campus community. The budget problem developed over many years and won't be fixed overnight, but it is critical we move forward together, in a productive manner. I speak with the chancellor almost daily as she engages in the work at hand while she also works to ensure a stable, respected and effective team. The facilitated process she has committed to will help bridge communication and information gaps to shore up the foundation upon which we can all move forward. Importantly, she is already working to collaboratively build a plan that enhances the campus' strengths and identifies areas where changes will be needed.
One thing I have seen over my years at CU is that everyone at UCCS loves UCCS. I understand the faculty vote comes from that common feeling. Many of the faculty have spoken. I hear them and will continue to listen. I will, of course, also listen to the staff, students and community as well. All voices matter and are important. It is my hope that the entire campus community, and broader community, will work together in good faith to define a new path for UCCS that will put the campus not only on stable financial footing but one that also shows the world that UCCS is an extraordinary place to learn and work, and that it is forever and always dedicated to our mission and our great state.
I also want to restate my commitment - and that of the entire system office - to the success of UCCS. I will continue to provide resources, both financial and human, to ensure that the difficult work ahead is well supported and that the campus moves into its next evolution strong and even more equipped to meet its mission.
Statement of Ken Montera, CU Board of Regents Chairman
Chancellor Sobanet and her leadership teams have the support of board members in the tough work they are tackling on behalf of the campus and the entire university. It is my hope that the development of a shared vision for the next evolution of the campus, along with ongoing collaboration with faculty and staff governance will serve to more deeply focus and enhance that work. As a member of the Colorado Springs community myself, I know the incredible value UCCS has always brought to our entire region. The campus' contributions to the workforce of our region, the support of our military affiliated community members and its focus on first generation learners are just a few of the ways that it contributes to the lifeblood of our city and the region. The work to create the UCCS of the future is not easy, but it is essential. I look forward to supporting it in any way I can.
GUEST OPINION: Colorado Springs and UCCS have a strong, essential connection
Published in the Colorado Springs Gazette on May 31, 2026
by Becky Medved, Board Chair of the University of Colorado Foundation; John Suthers, Former Mayor of Colorado Springs; and Johnna Reeder Kleymeyer, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC
Since UCCS's founding some 60 years ago, Colorado Springs has been integral to its success. Over those 60 years, UCCS has repaid the community by driving growth in the Pikes Peak region.
Today, UCCS serves more than 11,000 students and employs more than 1,500 dedicated faculty and staff. Among its other contributions, the campus is integral in educating our workforce and responding to the needs of business and citizens to ensure we have the tools to thrive in an ever-changing and competitive world.
The reality is that 80 percent of UCCS graduates stay in Colorado and contribute directly to our state. The economic impact of UCCS exceeds more than $560 million annually. The ties that bind are too numerous to capture here, so let's just agree that we depend upon each other to be great.
Fast forward to this moment. Almost daily, there is a newspaper article or media story about colleges across the country cutting programs and jobs due to lower enrollment and higher costs. Each institution has its reasons resulting in some schools merging or even closing its doors entirely. Often there is a comment regretting the failure to take action sooner.
John Suthers will join Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck as a shareholder, focusing on government relations and matters involving state attorneys general.
If you have been following the recent UCCS announcements, you know the campus is working to address a $27.7 million shortfall over the next five years. Like other institutions, declining enrollment trends, rising operational costs, reduced state support and unfunded regulatory mandates are major factors.
Facing these facts, this spring, UCCS Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet, campus leaders, faculty, and staff made the difficult decision to act now. Their five-year approach allows for immediate reductions as well as efforts to strategically identify future reductions. For the past six months, we have observed their work to diligently reduce the current year planned $11.7 million reduction down to $10.3 million. Real progress like this means, for the moment, virtually no job losses. Some administrative staff have taken pay cuts and reduced overhead, and even the state of Colorado provided welcome relief by restoring some state funding. We appreciate and support Chancellor Sobanet's leadership during this time.
With this breathing room, the leadership - partnering with faculty and staff - can thoughtfully and strategically review the programs and have hard discussions about what is no longer in demand or is not core to being a regional research campus. Doing this work now aligns resources and strengthens the foundation of the campus to ensure long-term sustainability and investment in future growth.
Moving the campus towards a sustainable size and structure will mean that our UCCS campus will continue to provide vital opportunities to traditional and non-traditional students alike.
This is where the Colorado Springs community can come alongside the campus as partners:
* Support the university leadership when they have to make impossible decisions
* Engage students as paid interns or employees
* Mentor students and staff and partner with faculty
* Donate to support scholarships or other student-focused efforts that help students stay in school and complete their degree
* Help find new jobs for those whose positions are eliminated
At a recent meeting of the CU Trustees on the UCCS campus we were reminded of all the good happening there. UCCS has been named a First Generation-Serving Institution for the second year in a row. An Air Force ROTC Operating Location will launch at UCCS this fall, acknowledging again that nearly 30 percent of students who attend are military-affiliated. The UCCS Center for Student Research supported more than 330 student researchers across every college, underscoring the campus' Carnegie R2 research designation. UCCS Mountain Lion athletics continue to shine ranking number one in the NCAA Division II for overall athletic success.
While some faculty have made their opposition to change public, doing nothing now will not change the facts. The university must face the financial gaps while also focusing on meeting the needs of students and employers to strengthen what a regional comprehensive university can be. We don't have the answers to the hard questions, but we believe working as partners will generate the best outcome for all of us.
* * *
Original text here: https://news.uccs.edu/2026/06/05/system-and-community-response-to-faculty-special-election/
University of Birmingham: Who Tests the Chip in Your Phone?
BIRMINGHAM, England, June 6 (TNSjou) -- The University of Birmingham posted the following news:
* * *
Who tests the chip in your phone?
Hidden components inside smartphones can silently track activity beyond your control. Research at Birmingham is exposing the risks before they are exploited.
-
Inside every phone are components most users never think about, capable of silently sharing your location, sending messages, or opening a browser without you ever knowing. At the University of Birmingham, Marius Muench has spent years cracking this black box open before the wrong people do.
A digital
... Show Full Article
BIRMINGHAM, England, June 6 (TNSjou) -- The University of Birmingham posted the following news:
* * *
Who tests the chip in your phone?
Hidden components inside smartphones can silently track activity beyond your control. Research at Birmingham is exposing the risks before they are exploited.
-
Inside every phone are components most users never think about, capable of silently sharing your location, sending messages, or opening a browser without you ever knowing. At the University of Birmingham, Marius Muench has spent years cracking this black box open before the wrong people do.
A digitaldevice can sit idle on a desk, screen locked and untouched, yet still be active in ways its owner cannot see and would not expect. Beneath the screen lies a set of separate processors, each running its own code and carrying its own vulnerabilities.
"I consider myself a researcher in low-level cybersecurity", says Marius Muench, as he introduces his work as Assistant Professor of Cyber Security focused on "everything which is typically not directly visible to the user, but affects them tremendously because it's deployed in all the devices out there."
His work is built on a simple idea: systems need to be tested under adversarial conditions, a principle he has spent years applying to parts of modern devices that the industry has largely left untested.
Untested, hidden, inside every phone
Most people interact with their phone through its operating system--the main software, such as Android or iOS, that runs apps and controls what appears on screen. What sits beneath it is considerably less familiar.
Every phone also contains a second, entirely separate processor with a single dedicated job: managing communication for the phone. "A lot of people are not aware that the software implementing communication with a cell tower--2G, 3G, 4G, 5G--runs on a completely separate chip," says Muench. "It's a dedicated processor, highly proprietary, produced by only five or six vendors in the world...and they keep the source code of their implementation secret."
This system, known as the baseband, operates largely outside the reach of the main operating system. Its code is not publicly available, cannot be independently audited, and offers little opportunity for inspection--whether by external researchers or by the users who rely on it.
The scale of the software involved is significant: Muench estimates it at four times the size of the Windows operating system kernel, and ten times the complexity of the code that flew the Apollo moon missions. Built up over decades, each cellular standard has added features while older ones remain, creating layers of accumulated complexity. "There's a large amount of software, not a lot of introspectability--and as a result, a high-profile impact," Muench concludes.
Because this layer communicates directly with the network, it can be reached over the air. An attacker within wireless range can simulate a cell tower and send crafted signals to test how the system responds. "If you can attack a cellular baseband processor, you get access to a victim's communications," warns Muench, with documented attack chains reaching into the Android runtime, demonstrating how this layer can serve as a foothold into the device.
Yet cellular vulnerabilities remain among the least reported in wireless security tracking, reflecting how difficult these systems are to access and study in practice.
Turbulence testing for smartphones
By default, testing for the baseband follows a narrow pattern: systems are evaluated against expected behaviour. Does the device respond correctly to valid inputs? Does it comply with the standards that define how cellular networks should operate?
This process uses well-formed, legitimate inputs--signals a real cell tower would actually send. While necessary, it only confirms one side of security: that the device complies with its specification. "If you have an aeroplane, you use wind tunnels and stress testing rigs to put it under adverse conditions before it flies," says Muench. "For baseband processors, that kind of adversarial testing doesn't exist in the design process, which is why we built it."
His approach recreates the baseband environment outside the device. Working without access to source code or internal specifications, Muench extracts the compiled code ("binary firmware") directly from the device and replicates it inside a virtual software environment, where it can be subjected to large volumes of adversarial inputs while its responses are observed. The result was FirmWire, published at the Network and Distributed System Security Symposium (NDSS) 2022: the first platform to bring systematic adversarial testing to baseband firmware, now widely used across the field.
Moving the firmware into a controlled environment changes what can be tested. "We find attack scenarios and types of bugs which people simply didn't think about, and had no way of testing for," explains Muench, describing a shift that has helped surface more than 20 vulnerabilities across 2G and 4G baseband software stacks, with patches from Google, Samsung, and MediaTek.
The FirmWire approach has since expanded to testing with network-connected phones through BaseBridge and to SIM security with SIMurai. For Muench, these are not separate projects but variations on the same goal: "In my research, what I'm doing is finding new testing methods to make sure a third party can assess the security of these devices, and building tools to make that testing more accessible."
The spec that turns a SIM into a threat
That a component as familiar as the SIM card can act in ways its owner never intended, and never sees, is what makes it worth understanding. This danger begins with a misconception: "What people don't realise is that SIM cards are tiny computers," explains Muench. "They don't just store secrets to access the network; they can directly interact with the phone. And there is a full specification defining what a SIM is allowed to request from the phone."
A SIM can instruct the phone to reveal its location, send an SMS, or open the browser at a specified address; combine the first two, and a hostile SIM becomes a passive tracking device. Muench's work shows that this is not a single vulnerability, but a class of risks that can be understood across three attack surfaces:
1. Physical attacks that require access to the device or SIM. In practice, this can be as simple as placing a thin hardware interposer between the SIM and the phone: a commercially available layer, often sold for carrier unlocking, that can be planted in seconds to manipulate the commands exchanged by the two. Using this approach combined with SIMurai's adversarial testing, Muench's team discovered a regression in Android 14, patched in December 2025, that allowed a SIM inserted into a locked phone to silently open the browser to an attacker-chosen address. "If I lose my phone or it gets stolen, I would be very happy if someone could not access my data. These kinds of things are, in my opinion, not great for a user," reflects Muench.
2. Remote attacks, where the SIM is reached through the same infrastructure that allows it to be managed by the operator. "The software just updates, and the user would never know," warns Muench. Leaked intelligence documents suggest state agencies have been using similar methods to decrypt calls and messages since at least 2010.
3. Technical attacks that exploit flaws in the SIM software itself. Like any software, SIM applications can mishandle unexpected inputs from the phone, turning trusted functionality into behaviour the designers never intended. SimJacker attacks, originally observed in 2019 and still in use today, are showing what this type of SIM exploitation can do at scale: a crafted SMS message exploited a vulnerability in legacy SIM software to silently retrieve the locations of thousands of devices across tens of countries, without any user interaction or visible signs.
-
Attack surfaces
* Physical
Attacks that require access to the device or SIM. In practice, this can be as simple as placing a thin hardware interposer between the SIM and the phone: a commercially available layer, often sold for carrier unlocking, that can be planted in seconds to manipulate the commands exchanged by the two.
* Remote
Where the SIM is reached through the same infrastructure that allows it to be managed by the operator.
* Technical
Attacks that exploit flaws in the SIM software itself. Like any software, SIM applications can mishandle unexpected inputs from the phone, turning trusted functionality into behaviour the designers never intended.
-
One hole after another
Fixing one vulnerability is not the same as fixing the underlying problem. In 2024, when Marius Muench's team identified a faulty boundary check in the code handling a routine cellular function on Pixel devices, Google patched it and paid a bug bounty; months later, a different flaw appeared in the same function, also later patched: same class of error, different line. For Muench, this makes the case for more comprehensive and systemic security measures. "It's not enough to mitigate vulnerabilities one by one," he says. "We need robust systems in the first place."
There are signs that this is beginning to change, with Muench highlighting Google Pixel 10's memory-safe firmware components and Raspberry Pi's RP2350 Hacking Challenge, which he believes was the first launch-time challenge of its kind from a chipmaker, as examples of the industry beginning to treat security more and more seriously. "Vendors used to say: 'Oh, this is an arcane attack that only works if it's full moon on the first of the month,' he notes, "but there's been quite a shift in recent years: vendors are trying to get their systems secure, looking into proactive security measures, helping academics to do their research and, most importantly, listening to us."
* * *
Original text here: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2026/who-tests-the-chip-in-your-phone
Newcastle University: Summer Sun Fails to Fix Vitamin D Gap in At-risk Groups
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, England, June 6 (TNSjou) -- Newcastle University issued the following news:
* * *
Summer sun fails to fix vitamin D gap in at-risk groups
Vitamin D levels remain low all year-round in key at-risk groups in England, challenging the belief that summer sunlight is enough to restore them.
-
A new study, led by experts at Newcastle University's Human Nutrition and Exercise Research Centre, analysed the vitamin D levels of almost 300 people from across northern Britain.
Findings show that many people could be living with low vitamin D all year round without realising it. This
... Show Full Article
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, England, June 6 (TNSjou) -- Newcastle University issued the following news:
* * *
Summer sun fails to fix vitamin D gap in at-risk groups
Vitamin D levels remain low all year-round in key at-risk groups in England, challenging the belief that summer sunlight is enough to restore them.
-
A new study, led by experts at Newcastle University's Human Nutrition and Exercise Research Centre, analysed the vitamin D levels of almost 300 people from across northern Britain.
Findings show that many people could be living with low vitamin D all year round without realising it. Thishas implications for bone health, general wellbeing and longer-term health risks.
The research, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, focused on adults aged 65 and over, alongside people from minoritised ethnic backgrounds of all ages.
It was funded by Better You Ltd, a UK-based health and wellness company that makes and sells nutritional supplements.
Low Vitamin D despite summer sun
Analysis revealed that vitamin D insufficiency was widespread across both groups as more than half of older adults were affected, while rates were even higher among minoritised ethnic participants.
Crucially, vitamin D insufficiency rates did not improve during the summer months, challenging the common belief that increased sunlight alone is enough to restore healthy levels.
Vitamin D plays an essential role in bone health and overall wellbeing, and low levels are linked to a higher risk of long-term conditions, such as osteoporosis, rickets and weakened immune systems.
Bernard Corfe, Professor of Human Nutrition and Health at Newcastle University, who co-led the research, said: "What's striking about these findings is that vitamin D levels didn't improve, even in the summer months when we would usually expect them to recover.
"For people living in places like the North of England, this shows that sunlight alone may not be enough, particularly for older adults and those from minoritised ethnic backgrounds.
"The message is simple but important. If you are in a higher-risk group, you can't assume that spending more time outdoors in summer will solve the problem.
"We need to be thinking about more consistent, year-round ways to support healthy vitamin D levels."
Call for targeted action
Study participants were recruited locally through community and online approaches. Each completed a simple finger-prick blood test, with samples analysed by a specialist laboratory.
Data also highlighted the need for more targeted public health action. This could include clearer messaging, brief checks during GP appointments, and, where appropriate, vitamin D supplementation.
It strengthens the evidence base in a relatively under-researched area and provides a clearer understanding of year round risk among vulnerable populations.
The next phase of the research will focus on improving vitamin D levels through personalised and culturally appropriate approaches, such as tailored dietary advice and sensitive healthcare delivery.
The research funder, Better You Ltd, was not involved in the study design, delivery, or interpretation of the data, which was carried out entirely by Newcastle University.
* * *
Refence: Circannual prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in older and minoritized ethnic adults in Northern Britain: screening outcomes from a clinical trial. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Doi: 10.1038/s41430-026-01760-z
* * *
Original text here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/press/articles/latest/2026/06/vitamindstudy/
Grand Valley State University: Mantella Interviews 2 Former U.S. Presidents, Caps Milestone Year Chairing Economic Club
ALLENDALE, Michigan, June 6 -- Grand Valley State University issued the following news:
* * *
Mantella interviews 2 former U.S. presidents, caps milestone year chairing Economic Club
President Philomena V. Mantella capped her term as Board Chair of the Economic Club of Grand Rapids with a historic career milestone -- welcoming and interviewing former U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
The June 2 discussion she led was part of the club's 50th Anniversary celebration at DeVos Place. The 37th Annual Dinner, attended by more than 3,500 people, brought the two former presidents to
... Show Full Article
ALLENDALE, Michigan, June 6 -- Grand Valley State University issued the following news:
* * *
Mantella interviews 2 former U.S. presidents, caps milestone year chairing Economic Club
President Philomena V. Mantella capped her term as Board Chair of the Economic Club of Grand Rapids with a historic career milestone -- welcoming and interviewing former U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
The June 2 discussion she led was part of the club's 50th Anniversary celebration at DeVos Place. The 37th Annual Dinner, attended by more than 3,500 people, brought the two former presidents toGrand Rapids for a conversation on leadership, civility and the future of the nation.
The event also honored Mark J. Bissell, as recipient of the 2026 Businessperson of the Year Award, and the DeVos Family as recipients of the Slykhouse Community Leadership Award.
"Sharing the stage with two former presidents and having the opportunity to celebrate Mark Bissell and the DeVos Family was truly the honor of a lifetime," Mantella said.
"Serving as chair of The Econ Club during this milestone year has inspired and challenged me while also driving home the importance of stewardship of organizations that build community while nurturing and celebrating leadership."
* * *
Original text here: https://www.gvsu.edu/gvnext/2026/mantella-interviews-2-former-us-presidents-caps-milestone-year-chairing-economic-club.htm
Christopher Mbonu Named to the Inaugural Class of American Chemical Society PMSE Emerging Professional Scholars
HOBOKEN, New Jersey, June 6 -- Stevens Institute of Technology issued the following news:
* * *
Christopher Mbonu Named to the Inaugural Class of American Chemical Society PMSE Emerging Professional Scholars
Stevens graduate student is one of only 15 nationwide to receive this first elite award for polymer science, materials and engineering excellence
-
Christopher Mbonu '22 M.S. '26 Ph.D. has earned the distinguished honor of joining the first cohort of American Chemical Society (ACS) Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering (PMSE) division's Emerging Professional Scholars.
This prestigious
... Show Full Article
HOBOKEN, New Jersey, June 6 -- Stevens Institute of Technology issued the following news:
* * *
Christopher Mbonu Named to the Inaugural Class of American Chemical Society PMSE Emerging Professional Scholars
Stevens graduate student is one of only 15 nationwide to receive this first elite award for polymer science, materials and engineering excellence
-
Christopher Mbonu '22 M.S. '26 Ph.D. has earned the distinguished honor of joining the first cohort of American Chemical Society (ACS) Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering (PMSE) division's Emerging Professional Scholars.
This prestigiousnew national ACS award recognizes final-year Ph.D. students and postdoctoral researchers in polymer science who have made significant research contributions while demonstrating leadership as they pursue careers in industry and national laboratories.
In January 2026, Mbonu successfully defended his chemical engineering Ph.D. dissertation, "Interfacial Design for Polymer Nanocomposites: From Miscibility to Macroscopic Properties." His work explored how microscopic particles interact with polymer chains to create stronger, smarter and more versatile materials.
As part of the award, Mbonu has been invited to present a technical talk at the PMSE Emerging Professionals Symposium during the ACS Fall 2026 Meeting in Chicago. He will also hear keynote presentations and connect with polymer science leaders.
"Christopher's selection as a PMSE Emerging Professional Scholar is a powerful recognition of the originality of his research and the breadth of his impact," said Pinar Akcora, associate professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and Mbonu's advisor.
"Chris' work has helped scientists better understand how to combine polymers that normally don't mix well, by designing molecular structures around nanoparticles that help hold the materials together," Akcora said. "He has also been an exceptional mentor to our undergraduate researchers in our soft materials laboratory. This honor reflects his resilience, intellectual curiosity and commitment to excellence, as well as the strength of Stevens' research environment, where ambitious interdisciplinary research is closely connected to student success."
Engineering materials from the molecular level
Throughout his academic studies and professional work in the oil and gas sector, Mbonu became fascinated by how tiny structures can dramatically change the behavior of everyday materials. He quickly realized that the interface where nanoparticles and polymers meet is the figurative "room where it happens," determining a material's strength, mechanical properties and durability.
"What inspired me most was the idea that by engineering something invisible to the human eye," Mbonu said, "we could create materials with enormous real-world impact, from defense systems to advanced electronics and energy technologies."
His research focuses on understanding how specially designed polymer molecules move and interact, and how those behaviors affect the tiny structures inside advanced polymer-based materials. Within these materials, nanoparticles often clump together, reducing performance and reliability.
Mbonu's work seeks to disperse those particles more evenly. The goal is to help these materials interact more effectively at the molecular level, so researchers can better predict and improve how they will perform in products such as batteries, electronics, coatings, medical devices and lightweight structural materials.
"Industries are demanding materials that can do more with less: lighter vehicles for energy efficiency, more reliable batteries, stronger medical materials and sustainable plastics with improved performance," he said. "At the same time, advances in nanotechnology allow us to engineer materials with unprecedented precision. That means we can move beyond trial-and-error approaches and begin designing materials from the molecular level."
Traditionally, researchers have focused on the chemical composition of polymers. Mbonu demonstrated that the shape and connectivity of polymer chains attached to nanoparticles can strongly influence nanoparticle dispersion, strength and molecular motion, which determine material properties. He found that loop-like polymer architectures can create more balanced and stable interactions within nanocomposite systems.
These findings contribute fundamental knowledge about how soft materials behave at nanoscale interfaces and may help establish new design principles for high-performance materials used in energy storage, advanced coatings and lightweight structural systems.
"The interfacial architectures I have developed can create materials that are lightweight yet extremely tough, with enhanced ability to absorb and dissipate high ballistic energy," Mbonu explained. "This could be valuable for next-generation armor, impact-resistant aerospace components and other defense technologies where durability and weight reduction are critical, as well as in energy storage, transportation and advanced manufacturing. Breakthroughs like this make the journey worthwhile."
Integrating perspectives at the interface of nanoparticles and polymers
Mbonu has thrived in the rigorous and collaborative research environment at Stevens, where he developed extensive expertise in nanomaterials characterization and polymer nanocomposites research.
Stevens' strong research reputation also helped position him competitively for national conferences and prestigious neutron-scattering summer programs, while university travel grants enabled him to present his work at major meetings hosted by ACS, the American Physical Society (APS) and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).
Serving as a graduate peer mentor for three years further shaped his development as a communicator and leader.
"I know first-hand how transformative encouragement and guidance can be during difficult stages of education and research," he said. "I enjoy helping students build confidence and watching them become independent problem-solvers."
Mbonu collaborated with computational scientists at Northwestern University to connect experimental observations with molecular dynamic simulations, strengthening the impact of his findings.
"Scientific progress is rarely an individual achievement, and the strongest insights often come from integrating perspectives," Mbonu said. "Every discovery is a network of mentors, collaborators, students and colleagues who contribute ideas and support. I am grateful that my journey has allowed me to combine research, mentorship, leadership and interdisciplinary collaboration to help shape the next generation of advanced materials."
* * *
Original text here: https://www.stevens.edu/news/christopher-mbonu-named-to-inaugural-class-of-acs-pmse-emerging-professional-scholars
