Featured Stories
Virginia Tech: Graduate Student Pursues Potential Therapy for Deadly Lung Disease
BLACKSBURG, Virginia, June 30 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news:
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Graduate student pursues potential therapy for deadly lung disease
An American Heart Association fellowship recognizes Dilruba Yeasmen's research into an essential signal control that has the potential to inhibit lung scarring.
By Leigh Anne Kelley
With no cure in sight, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis kills roughly 22,600 Americans each year. Virginia Tech doctoral student Diruba Yeasmen is working to halt the deadly lung disease.
A student in the Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health Graduate Program, Yeasmen
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BLACKSBURG, Virginia, June 30 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news:
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Graduate student pursues potential therapy for deadly lung disease
An American Heart Association fellowship recognizes Dilruba Yeasmen's research into an essential signal control that has the potential to inhibit lung scarring.
By Leigh Anne Kelley
With no cure in sight, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis kills roughly 22,600 Americans each year. Virginia Tech doctoral student Diruba Yeasmen is working to halt the deadly lung disease.
A student in the Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health Graduate Program, Yeasmenhas been awarded a predoctoral fellowship from the American Heart Association. The award will support her research on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a chronic and fatal lung disease with limited treatment options.
IPF primarily affects older adults and is characterized by progressive scarring of lung tissue that impairs breathing. Despite advances in diagnosis, there is no cure, and half of patients typically survive for less than four years after diagnosis.
"My research focuses on a protein that acts like a brake on the signals that cause lung scarring. If we can restore that brake, we may be able to stop the disease in its tracks -- and for patients who currently have so few options, that would be enormously meaningful," Yeasmen said.
Yeasmen's work focuses on the role of a protein known as SARA, short for Smad anchor for receptor activation. The protein helps regulate Transforming Growth Factor-beta (TGF-beta) signaling, which drives fibrosis. She's conducting her research in the lab of Yassine Sassi, associate professor at Virginia Tech's Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC.
Yeasmen's preliminary findings show that SARA levels are significantly reduced in fibrotic lungs and in lung fibroblasts exposed to profibrotic signals such as TGF-beta.
Her studies suggest that restoring SARA expression may counteract the processes that lead to lung scarring. In laboratory experiments, increasing SARA levels reduced fibroblast proliferation, migration, and differentiation, which drive fibrosis. In animal models, restoring SARA levels prevented the development of pulmonary fibrosis and improved lung function.
Using advanced molecular and imaging approaches, the fellowship will help Yeasmen investigate how SARA modulates TGF-beta signaling and whether targeted delivery of SARA to lung fibroblasts can reduce fibrosis and restore lung function.
"Dilruba has done remarkable work uncovering a role for SARA that nobody in the field had explored before. What excites me most is that this isn't just a basic science finding. It points toward a concrete therapeutic strategy. By delivering SARA specifically to the lung, we're aiming to interrupt fibrosis at its source, and this fellowship will allow her to take that work to the next level," said Sassi, who also holds an appointment in biomedical sciences and pathobiology at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine.
By uncovering how SARA regulates fibrotic signaling and testing strategies to restore its function, Yeasmen's work aims to identify a novel therapeutic approach for IPF.
If successful, the research could lay the groundwork for treatments that directly target the underlying mechanisms of fibrosis and offer hope for patients with this life-threatening disease.
The American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship supports outstanding graduate students conducting research in cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and related fields, with the goal of developing the next generation of scientific leaders.
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Original text here: https://news.vt.edu/articles/2026/06/research_fralinbiomed_dilrubaaha.html
University of South Florida-St. Petersburg: How the Community Has Rallied Around Marine Scientists in Their Time of Need
ST. PETERSBURG, Florida, June 30 -- The University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus issued the following news:
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How the community has rallied around marine scientists in their time of need
Dyllan Furness and Carlyn Scott, College of Marine Science
On Saturday, May 2, a few hours after a powerful afternoon storm rolled through the Tampa Bay region, cell phones across the area lit up with texts and calls from friends and colleagues -- a fire had broken out at the Marine Science Laboratory (MSL), a facility that housed much of the USF College of Marine Science and Florida Institute
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ST. PETERSBURG, Florida, June 30 -- The University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus issued the following news:
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How the community has rallied around marine scientists in their time of need
Dyllan Furness and Carlyn Scott, College of Marine Science
On Saturday, May 2, a few hours after a powerful afternoon storm rolled through the Tampa Bay region, cell phones across the area lit up with texts and calls from friends and colleagues -- a fire had broken out at the Marine Science Laboratory (MSL), a facility that housed much of the USF College of Marine Science and Florida Instituteof Oceanography.
As news of the historic fire quickly spread, outpourings of support arrived just as fast from a global network of alumni, colleagues, donors, and more.
"Rest assured, we will rebuild stronger than ever, and my commitment is to do everything we can to move quickly to ensure we have the best possible facilities to support our world-class students, faculty and staff," said USF President Moez Limayem in a statement soon after the fire.
In a recent meeting with students, faculty, and staff, the president reiterated this message and shared his vision for the College of Marine Science as a "strategic program" for the university.
The fire was a challenging setback for Chuanmin Hu, a physical oceanographer over three decades at the college. His lab lost most of its equipment and samples of a seaweed called sargassum. But Hu said he was encouraged by the waves of support he received from around the world.
"It has really shown how tightknit the science community is and how impactful our research has been on oceanography globally," said Hu, a Distinguished University Professor.
Support for the college has taken many forms, from messages of care to access to sophisticated lab equipment to substantial financial donations. The USF Foundation swiftly set up the Marine Science Operating Fund for people interested in making contributions to the immediate and ongoing needs of the college. To date, the fund has raised just shy of $500,000.
"It's tough to overstate the disruption we've experienced because of the fire," said Tom Frazer, dean of the USF College of Marine Science. "While we are still picking up the pieces, I am incredibly moved by the countless offers of assistance and donations from members of our local, national, and international community."
Immediately after the fire was extinguished, the Duke Energy Foundation, a long-time supporter of USF, provided a $50,000 emergency grant to the college. The funds proved critical to the university's rapid response effort.
On Monday, just two days after the fire, elected officials visited MSL with their teams to survey the damage. St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch was joined by community leaders such as City Council Member Gina Driscoll, Fl. State Representative Lindsay Cross, FL. State Senator Darryl Rouson, and Pinellas County Commissioner Rene Flowers.
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To see the response from our elected officials, community partners, and neighbors has been extraordinary. In a moment when our marine science community was facing real loss and uncertainty, people showed up quickly, generously, and with a clear commitment to helping USF, the College of Marine Science, and FIO recover. That support reflects the deep value this community places on ocean science, education, and the work being done here in St. Petersburg.
- Mike Kahle, director of FIO
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Original text here: https://www.usf.edu/marine-science/news/2026/how-the-community-has-rallied-around-marine-scientists-in-their-time-of-need.aspx
University of Michigan: Mapping Trade-offs to Help Build Better EV Batteries
ANN ARBOR, Michigan, June 30 (TNSjou) -- The University of Michigan issued the following news:
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Mapping trade-offs to help build better EV batteries
Working with car companies, battery developers and policy makers, University of Michigan researchers have developed a framework to help stakeholders navigate toward a future with better, more affordable and more sustainable electric vehicles.
"I think of it as a break-out story. How do we break out of this complex puzzle where we're trying to benefit the environment, to help the industry compete and to be cost-effective for consumers?" said
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ANN ARBOR, Michigan, June 30 (TNSjou) -- The University of Michigan issued the following news:
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Mapping trade-offs to help build better EV batteries
Working with car companies, battery developers and policy makers, University of Michigan researchers have developed a framework to help stakeholders navigate toward a future with better, more affordable and more sustainable electric vehicles.
"I think of it as a break-out story. How do we break out of this complex puzzle where we're trying to benefit the environment, to help the industry compete and to be cost-effective for consumers?" saidGreg Keoleian, a professor at the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability, or SEAS. Keoleian, who is also the co-director of the U-M Center for Sustainable Systems, or CSS, is the senior author of a new study published in the Journal of Energy Storage detailing the framework.
"You have all of these interested parties that can have different goals and objectives, so how do you align those?" Keoleian said. "Our framework helps stakeholders consider a holistic set of factors to achieve better outcomes for batteries and electric vehicles."
With input from experts in academia, industry and government, Keoleian and colleagues assessed economic, environmental and social trade-offs and outlooks from the perspective of stakeholders across the entire battery life cycle. This enabled the team to create a framework that stakeholders--from battery and vehicle manufacturers, to drivers, to battery recyclers--can use to better understand, anticipate and prepare for trade-offs and consequences as they make decisions and set priorities.
The assessments also underscored the various challenges facing EVs from various perspectives. That includes an oil industry with federal support and a vested interest in internal combustion engine vehicles that also have more mature cradle-to-grave infrastructure, Keoleian said. But he is still optimistic the framework can help accelerate EV transition.
"There are multiple problems that need to be addressed in this journey, but ultimately these vehicles outperform internal combustion engine vehicles," Keoleian said. "They are quieter. They don't have tailpipe pollution and they're better for the environment. You get better acceleration, you have less maintenance costs, lower operating costs and the lowest total cost of ownership. We know that they are the future."
Trade-offs and chemistry case studies
Looking at the different battery chemistries that are being used and developed for EVs helps provide concrete examples of the types of trade-offs highlighted by the framework. In China, where more than 60% of new car sales are electric, EV manufacturers have come to rely on a battery chemistry using lithium iron phosphate, abbreviated LFP. Compared with another popular battery chemistry known as NMC for its nickel, manganese and cobalt components, LFP batteries are less expensive.
"EV adoption is really influenced by cost and the battery is about 30% of the cost of an electric vehicle," Keoleian said. "LFP is less costly because of the chemistry--it doesn't have the cobalt and the nickel."
But LFPs require more battery mass to achieve the same level of charge storage as NMCs. That translates to less range for an LFP vehicle. And because cobalt and nickel are valuable, there's more incentive to recycle these batteries, which would let battery makers create them more sustainably, by mining less new materials for each new battery.
American automakers, including Ford and General Motors, are also developing what are called LMR batteries, or lithium manganese-rich batteries, that have potential to marry the low cost of LFPs with the longer range of NMCs. Their durability, however, is a work in progress.
"There are a lot of different trade-offs and this framework helps elucidate what they are from different stakeholder perspectives," Keoleian said. "If you have blinders on, you can think you're really improving sustainability and performance, but you may actually be causing problems somewhere upstream or downstream."
The research was funded by the Responsible Battery Coalition, a group of companies, academics and organizations promoting sustainable battery life cycle management. The research team also included Christian Hitt, a CSS research area specialist; Elliot Busta, a research assistant with the CSS and the U-M Electric Vehicle Center; Timothy Wallington, a CSS research specialist; and Hyung Chul Kim, a research scientist with Ford Motor Co. Experts with GM, Ford, Toyota, Dow Chemicals, the U.S. EPA, the U.S. Geological Service and Clarios, a leader in manufacturing batteries for the automotive industry, were consulted on this study.
Study: Framework and drivers for sustainable life cycle management of electric vehicle batteries (DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2026.123094)
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Original text here: https://news.umich.edu/mapping-trade-offs-to-help-build-better-ev-batteries/
Michigan Medicine: Rogel Research Team Receives $3.2M Grant to Cascade Genetic Testing to Relatives
ANN ARBOR, Michigan, June 30 (TNSjou) -- Michigan Medicine, the academic medical center of the University of Michigan, issued the following news release:
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Rogel research team receives $3. 2 M grant to cascade genetic testing to relatives
A team of researchers based at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center and Stanford University received $3.2 million from the National Cancer Institute for a clinical trial to help patients with a hereditary-based cancer diagnosis extend genetic testing to at-risk relatives.
The project is led by Steven J. Katz, M.D., M.P.H., and Lawrence C. An,
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ANN ARBOR, Michigan, June 30 (TNSjou) -- Michigan Medicine, the academic medical center of the University of Michigan, issued the following news release:
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Rogel research team receives $3. 2 M grant to cascade genetic testing to relatives
A team of researchers based at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center and Stanford University received $3.2 million from the National Cancer Institute for a clinical trial to help patients with a hereditary-based cancer diagnosis extend genetic testing to at-risk relatives.
The project is led by Steven J. Katz, M.D., M.P.H., and Lawrence C. An,M.D., at Rogel and Allison Kurian, M.D., M.Sc., at Stanford.
The team published results of their initial trial, Genetic Information and Family Testing, in the Journal of Clinical Oncology in March 2026.
GIFT uses a web-based intervention to educate people with cancer about the impact genetic variants can have on their family. It includes education and decision support to help patients feel comfortable communicating genetic testing information to their relatives. The platform also allows patients to invite first-and second-degree relatives to the site.
In the new study, the research team will use the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results, or SEER, registry to reach out to nearly 4,000 adult cancer survivors diagnosed in Georgia and California in 2024 who carry a mutation that increases the risk of cancer in the family. Enrolled patients will invite all first-and second-degree relatives to join GIFT to receive online education and the offer of low cost home genetic testing.
The goal of GIFT is to increase cascade genetic testing which can inform prevention and early detection strategies to reduce the burden of cancer in families with hereditary susceptibility. GIFT will evaluate the best approach to online family education and communication using an artificial intelligence assistant that could be scaled across the entire SEER program in 18 states.
"Since launching GIFT 1, it has become clearer that clinician organizations will be unable to respond sufficiently to the tsunami of genetic testing in cancer patients that is occurring in clinical practice. Cancer registries could serve a useful role, delivering support to families with HCS through initial engagement of cancer survivors identified through registry operations," Katz said.
Funding: National Cancer Institute grant R01CA303649
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Original text here: https://www.uofmhealth.org/news-release/rogel-research-team-receives-3-2-m-grant-cascade-genetic-testing-relatives
MSU Study Highlights Barriers Male Survivors Face in Seeking Help After Abuse
EAST LANSING, Michigan, June 30 -- Michigan State University College of Social Science posted the following news:
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MSU study highlights barriers male survivors face in seeking help after abuse
New research from MSU School of Social Work associate professor Hyunkag Cho examines why male survivors of intimate partner violence are less likely to seek help and calls for more supportive, inclusive intervention services.
By Brandon Drain
Male survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) often go unrecognized and underreported, according to new research from Michigan State University School
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EAST LANSING, Michigan, June 30 -- Michigan State University College of Social Science posted the following news:
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MSU study highlights barriers male survivors face in seeking help after abuse
New research from MSU School of Social Work associate professor Hyunkag Cho examines why male survivors of intimate partner violence are less likely to seek help and calls for more supportive, inclusive intervention services.
By Brandon Drain
Male survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) often go unrecognized and underreported, according to new research from Michigan State University Schoolof Social Work associate professor Hyunkag Cho.
"Male survivors are less likely than female survivors to seek help," Cho said, citing research showing that about 32% of men seek help following abuse compared to 64% of women.
In his recent study, Cho identified several factors that contribute to disparities in help-seeking behavior among male survivors, as well as four distinct patterns of abuse they may experience:
* Physical and Psychological Violence
* Physical Violence and Stalking
* Coercive Control
* Psychological Aggression
Cho's study examined how abuse type, stigma and perceptions of masculinity shape whether male survivors seek formal support after intimate partner violence.
"Male survivors experience a variety of barriers when they choose to seek help for their victimization," Cho said.
Those barriers can include shame and embarrassment, as some men may view disclosing abuse as a challenge to traditional expectations around masculinity and gender roles.
Distrust in police and other formal support systems is another key reason many male survivors do not report abuse.
"Approximately only half (51%) of the male survivors included in another study chose to report to the police, particularly due to the shame associated with coming forward as a male victim of IPV," Cho said.
Cho's study also found that the severity of intimate partner violence strongly influences whether men seek help, with prior research identifying severity as the strongest predictor of help-seeking among male survivors.
Survivors who experienced more severe forms of abuse were more likely to contact police, doctors and psychologists. For example, survivors in the Physical and Psychological Violence category were more likely to seek formal help than survivors in the Physical Violence and Stalking category.
Cho said male survivors may also interpret abuse differently from female survivors.
"Men may downplay or dismiss their experiences with IPV due to traditional gender norms and social constructions of masculinity that associate manhood with strength and emotional toughness," he said.
As a result, some men may view physical violence as less serious, resist identifying themselves as victims and avoid reporting abuse altogether.
Cho said these findings point to the need for healthcare, intervention and support services that better reflect male survivors' experiences.
"Enhanced awareness of the unique challenges faced by male victims in the help-seeking process can inform policy changes and resource allocation to ensure improved access to services and legal protections," he said.
"By incorporating a more supportive approach to IPV intervention, healthcare providers can contribute to more effective prevention and intervention efforts, ultimately reducing the prevalence and impact of IPV on male victims and their communities," Cho said.
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Original text here: https://socialscience.msu.edu/news/2026/06/2026-06-26-male-victims-study
Case Western Reserve: Tiny DNA 'Hitchhikers' May Be Reshaping Life in Thawing Arctic Soils
CLEVELAND, Ohio, June 30 (TNSjou) -- Case Western Reserve University issued the following news:
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Tiny DNA 'hitchhikers' may be reshaping life in thawing Arctic soils
Case Western Reserve University-led study with Ohio State University and DOE Joint Genome Institute reveals how often microbes trade genes--and what it means for climate change
Story by: Colin McEwen
Amid the peatlands of northern Sweden, billions of microbes are quietly rewriting their genetic playbooks--and doing so far more often than scientists realized.
A new study led by researchers at Case Western Reserve University
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CLEVELAND, Ohio, June 30 (TNSjou) -- Case Western Reserve University issued the following news:
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Tiny DNA 'hitchhikers' may be reshaping life in thawing Arctic soils
Case Western Reserve University-led study with Ohio State University and DOE Joint Genome Institute reveals how often microbes trade genes--and what it means for climate change
Story by: Colin McEwen
Amid the peatlands of northern Sweden, billions of microbes are quietly rewriting their genetic playbooks--and doing so far more often than scientists realized.
A new study led by researchers at Case Western Reserve Universityprovides one of the clearest pictures yet of how frequently microbes--tiny living organisms too small to see with the naked eye--swap, gain and lose genes in nature.
Studying microbes can provide important clues to understanding climate change.
Published in Nature Microbiology, the research analyzed eight years of soil samples from Stordalen Mire, a permafrost ecosystem near the Arctic Circle.
Scientists have long known that mobile genetic elements--small pieces of DNA capable of moving between organisms--can transfer genes among microbes. What has remained largely unknown is just how active that process is in real-world ecosystems.
The answer, according to the new study: very active. That matters because permafrost holds enormous amounts of carbon that is becoming bioavailable as the soil thaws, and the balance between keeping that carbon locked away and releasing it as greenhouse gases depends in part on how microbes are able to adapt to their changing environment.
Beyond the findings themselves, the study establishes a new framework for measuring genetic mobility in natural environments. The approach could help scientists better understand how microbial communities adapt to changing conditions--and how those changes ripple through ecosystems worldwide.
A busy genetic marketplace
Using advanced bioinformatic techniques, the international research team--including researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute and Ohio State University--identified roughly 2.1 million genetic elements capable of moving DNA among permafrost peatland microbes. They also analyzed RNA sequences to look for evidence that each of these sequences was actively moving, and DNA sequences to uncover a history of movement. The findings suggest that gene exchange is occurring on a massive scale, potentially affecting as much as half of all microbial populations in a given community at any one time.
"These aren't rare events," said Sarah Bagby, assistant professor of biology at the College of Arts and Sciences at Case Western Reserve, one of the study's lead authors. "Microbial communities are sampling new combinations of genes all the time."
One of the study's biggest findings, Bagby said, was just which genes are being affected by mobile genetic elements, either when they get carried along as cargo (scientists call them DNA "hitchhikers") or when a cell's own genes are altered by the arrival of a mobile genetic element.
"Most studies of mobile genetic elements have focused on the transfer of antibiotic resistance, but that sort of competitive interaction is really just a small slice of what these microbes are doing," she said. "About half of the functions we found being affected by mobile genetic elements are tied to basic, everyday cellular processes--the things microbes need to do just to live, not to fight off threats."
Implications for a warming Arctic
Those changes matter because microbes help regulate some of Earth's most important environmental processes. The study found that mobile DNA frequently affects genes involved in carbon cycling, nutrient processing and other functions that influence how ecosystems operate.
Bagby said that is particularly significant in thawing permafrost, which stores enormous amounts of carbon. As Arctic regions warm, microbial activity helps determine whether that carbon remains locked in the ground or is released into the atmosphere as greenhouse gases such as methane.
She said the constant gene-swapping gives microbial communities a built-in capacity to gamble on survival.
"Unlike us, microbes can take up DNA from their environment and start using it," she said. "Every microbe has a set of core genes it needs just to be itself, but it also has access to this much larger, flexible pool of genes out in the world. In a population of billions of cells responding to change, many won't make it--but some will succeed because they managed to pull in that extra piece of DNA at the right time."
Collaboration nearly a decade in the making
The project was conducted through the DOE-funded VirSoil collaboration and the EMERGE Biology Integration Institute, a National Science Foundation-funded collaboration involving researchers across the United States, Australia and Europe. Scientists collected field samples from Sweden for nearly a decade and combined them with large-scale genetic analyses to track the movement of DNA through microbial communities.
Also involved in the study were researchers from Michigan State University, Queensland University of Technology, Instituto Espanol de Oceanografia and Friedrich-Schiller-Universitat Jena, reflecting the project's reliance on expertise spanning genomics, microbiology and environmental science across three continents.
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Original text here: https://case.edu/news/tiny-dna-hitchhikers-may-be-reshaping-life-thawing-arctic-soils
CSUSB Receives Historic Archive Gift From Congregation Emanu El
SAN BERNARDINO, California, June 30 -- California State University San Bernardino campus issued the following news:
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CSUSB receives historic archive gift from Congregation Emanu El
The William Russler Memorial Archives of Congregation Emanu El Collection, which documents 135 years of Jewish life in the Inland Empire, will be housed at the John M. Pfau Library.
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California State University, San Bernardino has received an extraordinary collection of historical archives from Congregation Emanu El documenting 135 years of Jewish life in the Inland Empire. This landmark gift - the William
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SAN BERNARDINO, California, June 30 -- California State University San Bernardino campus issued the following news:
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CSUSB receives historic archive gift from Congregation Emanu El
The William Russler Memorial Archives of Congregation Emanu El Collection, which documents 135 years of Jewish life in the Inland Empire, will be housed at the John M. Pfau Library.
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California State University, San Bernardino has received an extraordinary collection of historical archives from Congregation Emanu El documenting 135 years of Jewish life in the Inland Empire. This landmark gift - the WilliamRussler Memorial Archives of Congregation Emanu El Collection - will be housed at the university's John M. Pfau Library.
Congregation Emanu El, formally chartered in San Bernardino in 1891, traces its roots to the region's Jewish community of the 1850s. Among its most enduring legacies is the Home of Eternity Cemetery and Mausoleum, founded in the 1850s. It is designated as a California historical site and recognized as the oldest Jewish cemetery in continuous use in Southern California. The congregation relocated to Redlands in 2010 and has remained a vital part of the Inland region's cultural and historical fabric.
"This is a significant moment for Cal State San Bernardino and the Inland Empire," said Ginger Thomas, assistant director of philanthropy at CSUSB. "The trust placed in our institution through this gift ensures that the stories, voices, and contributions of Congregation Emanu El will be preserved and shared for future generations."
For Congregation Emanu El, the gift represents both a preservation of history and a partnership with CSUSB.
"The rich history Congregation Emanu El enjoys in the San Bernardino Valley pairs perfectly with the resources and stewardship abilities of California State University, San Bernardino," said Greg Weissman, president of Congregation Emanu El. "Since its charter in 1891, our synagogue has amassed a significant historical collection of writings and artifacts that weaves a wonderful tapestry to tell the story of the Jewish people in Southern California. CSUSB is perfectly positioned to preserve our rich history and make it available for generations to come."
The archives include sermons from Rabbi Norman F. Feldheym and Rabbi Hillel Cohn, as well as photographs, ledgers, directories and commemorative plaques documenting generations of community life.
Eric Milenkiewicz, head of Special Collections and University Archives at the Pfau Library, emphasized the broader impact of the collection. "The William Russler Memorial Archives of Congregation Emanu El will strengthen the CSUSB Libraries' extensive holdings on Inland Empire history and expand access to these primary source materials, enabling students, researchers, and community members to cultivate a deeper understanding of our region's diverse cultural heritage."
The gift advances the mission of the CSUSB Libraries by expanding access to primary historical materials and enhancing hands-on learning opportunities for students in archival preservation and research. It also reinforces CSUSB's role as a leading center for Inland Empire historical scholarship.
Plans are underway to preserve and digitize the collection, making it accessible to local, national and international audiences. Priority will be given to the sermons of rabbis Feldheym and Cohn, ensuring their teachings and leadership remain available to future generations.
Funding associated with the gift will support storage, preservation, digitization, staffing and ongoing stewardship of the collection.
Reflecting on the broader significance of the collection, Rebecca Lubas, dean of CSUSB Libraries, said, "The William Russler Memorial Archives is foundational to our commitment to honoring the histories of the diverse communities of the Inland Empire."
For more information about the William Russler Memorial Archives of Congregation Emanu El Collection, contact Eric Milenkiewicz at Eric.Milenkiewicz@csusb.edu.
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Original text here: https://www.csusb.edu/inside/article/596157/csusb-receives-historic-archive-gift-congregation-emanu-el
