Education (Colleges & Universities)
Here's a look at documents from public, private and community colleges in the U.S.
Featured Stories
University of Rhode Island to Break Ground on New, On-campus Student Housing Jan. 28
KINGSTON, Rhode Island, Jan. 28 -- The University of Rhode Island issued the following news:
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University of Rhode Island to break ground on new, on-campus student housing Jan. 28
First new residence hall slated to open fall 2027
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On Wednesday, Jan. 28, University of Rhode Island President Marc Parlange and Gilbane Development Company President and CEO James Patchett will join elected officials, members of URI's Board of Trustees and URI faculty, staff and students to break ground on the University's newest student housing development.
Through an innovative new public-private partnership,
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KINGSTON, Rhode Island, Jan. 28 -- The University of Rhode Island issued the following news:
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University of Rhode Island to break ground on new, on-campus student housing Jan. 28
First new residence hall slated to open fall 2027
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On Wednesday, Jan. 28, University of Rhode Island President Marc Parlange and Gilbane Development Company President and CEO James Patchett will join elected officials, members of URI's Board of Trustees and URI faculty, staff and students to break ground on the University's newest student housing development.
Through an innovative new public-private partnership,URI and Gilbane will build new residential spaces at URI's Kingston Campus that will significantly increase the number of on-campus beds and modernize on-campus living. Construction includes two new undergraduate residence halls with apartment-style suites on Flagg Road, located on the northwest side of campus, and reconstruction of the Graduate Village Apartments complex for graduate students on Route 138.
The initiative will add more than 1,100 beds to URI's Kingston Campus, addressing the growing demand for on-campus housing and enhancing the university experience for undergraduate and graduate students. By expanding housing capacity, this transformative initiative will strengthen URI's standing as a top public university in New England, providing high-quality, accessible housing that supports academic success and enriches campus life.
The first residence hall is scheduled to open in August 2027.
WHO: URI President Marc Parlange; Gilbane Development Company President and CEO James Patchett; URI Board of Trustees members Joseph Matthews and Cortney Nicolato; URI Vice President for Student Affairs Ellen Reynolds; state and local elected leaders; and URI officials, faculty, staff, and students
WHAT: New Student Housing at URI Groundbreaking Event
WHEN: Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026,11 a.m.
WHERE: University of Rhode Island, Flagg Road Lot (near the intersection of Flagg and Tootell Roads) Kingston Campus
TO MAKE COVERAGE ARRANGEMENTS: Contact Dawn Bergantino, URI Communications and Marketing, at 401-874-4147, or dawn_bergantino@uri.edu. Follow "Special Event" signage from the Upper College Road entrance to the event. Parking is available in the Flagg Road Lot.
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Original text here: https://www.uri.edu/news/2026/01/university-of-rhode-island-to-break-ground-on-new-on-campus-student-housing-jan-28/
USC Earns Carnegie Redesignation for Community Engagement
COLUMBIA, South Carolina, Jan. 28 -- The University of South Carolina issued the following news:
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USC earns Carnegie redesignation for community engagement
By Collyn Taylor, 803-777-3691, collyntaylor@sc.edu
The University of South Carolina has earned 2026 Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement, an honor recognizing an institution's commitment to community engagement.
USC is one of less than 100 public institutions nationwide to have a Carnegie Classification for both Community Engagement and as an R1 research institution. The classification for community engagement will be
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COLUMBIA, South Carolina, Jan. 28 -- The University of South Carolina issued the following news:
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USC earns Carnegie redesignation for community engagement
By Collyn Taylor, 803-777-3691, collyntaylor@sc.edu
The University of South Carolina has earned 2026 Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement, an honor recognizing an institution's commitment to community engagement.
USC is one of less than 100 public institutions nationwide to have a Carnegie Classification for both Community Engagement and as an R1 research institution. The classification for community engagement will bevalid through 2032.
"This Carnegie redesignation recognizes the University of South Carolina's deep commitment to serving as a true anchor institution for our state," says Julian Williams, vice president for system affairs and community engagement. "Our faculty, staff and students work in meaningful partnership with citizens across South Carolina to expand educational access, support economic development, improve health outcomes and strengthen civic life."
As part of its application materials, USC cited several ways it's a mainstay in the Columbia community with over 20,000 USC undergraduate students participating in at least one experiential learning or leadership distinction course during the 2023-24 academic year.
USC has over 470 courses designated as service learning or community engaged courses with almost 36 percent of faculty teaching at least one course with designations specific to community engagement and/or service learning.
Almost one in four courses at USC provide purposeful engagement beyond the classroom for students to apply course concepts to real world settings.
"This application process was both a marathon and a mirror," says Shannon Means, vice provost for academic administration. "It showed us who we are, what we value, and just how far we've come. The reclassification is the finish line medal that I hope makes all of us proud. We're excited about where we are and eager to continue positively impacting our surrounding communities."
USC has a variety of key community relationships that include hosting Service Saturdays throughout the year where students go into the community and volunteer with various community partners.
Cocky's Reading Express is a literary outreach initiative traveling to Title I schools in the state to read to children and provide book giveaways while USC's colleges of social work, nursing and pharmacy partnered to combat health worker burnout through online training sessions.
Other key community initiatives include USC's rural health initiatives like the Brain Health Network, social service programs like the CommUnity Shop and partnerships with Habitat for Humanity.
USC also serves as a polling place during elections and saw over 12,000 Richland County voters cast their ballots on campus during the 2024 elections. Thanks in part to voting workshops, USC helped almost 1,000 students register to vote in the three months leading up to the 2024 elections.
The university recently rejoined the Campus Compact network, the largest and oldest coalition of higher education institutions dedicated to civic and community engagement.
"This honor validates the transformative work happening on our campus and in communities statewide," Williams says, "reflecting our dedication to ensuring the knowledge and resources of our flagship university directly benefit the people of South Carolina."
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Original text here: https://www.sc.edu/uofsc/posts/2026/01/carnegie-designation-for-community-engagement-2026.php
UNC Foundation Earns BBB Accreditation for Trust and Transparency
GREELEY, Colorado, Jan. 28 (TNSrpt) -- The University of Northern Colorado issued the following news:
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UNC Foundation Earns BBB Accreditation for Trust and Transparency
Meeting standards, making impacts
By Jenny Haines
The University of Northern Colorado (UNC) Foundation is proud to have earned accreditation from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), meeting its Standards for Charity Accountability.
The recognition highlights the foundation's commitment to strong fiduciary stewardship and to ensuring UNC, its programs and students continue to be transformed by the power of philanthropy.
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GREELEY, Colorado, Jan. 28 (TNSrpt) -- The University of Northern Colorado issued the following news:
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UNC Foundation Earns BBB Accreditation for Trust and Transparency
Meeting standards, making impacts
By Jenny Haines
The University of Northern Colorado (UNC) Foundation is proud to have earned accreditation from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), meeting its Standards for Charity Accountability.
The recognition highlights the foundation's commitment to strong fiduciary stewardship and to ensuring UNC, its programs and students continue to be transformed by the power of philanthropy.
BBB accreditation affirms the foundation's dedication to transparency, ethical practices and the responsible management of donor contributions -- building public trust, strengthening governance and inspiring continued support.
Read more about the impact we're making in the UNC Foundation's Annual Endowment and Stewardship Report.
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REPORT: https://www.unco.edu/app/uploads/fy25endowment-stewardship-24-25.pdf
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Original text here: https://www.unco.edu/news/articles/unc-foundation-earns-bbb-accreditation-for-trust-and-transparency/
Texas A&M University College of Engineering: Senior Capstone Projects Excel in Virtual Project Showcase
COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Jan. 28 -- The Texas A&M University College of Engineering issued the following news:
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Senior capstone projects excel in Virtual Project Showcase
With ample sponsor support, the showcase awarded over $20,000 in prizes to students in the College of Engineering for their senior capstone projects.
By David Cook
At the end of the 2025 fall semester, Texas A&M University engineering students presented their senior capstone projects in the annual Virtual Project Showcase (VPS). Judged by 131 judges representing 90 organizations, 112 teams comprised of 490 students across
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COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Jan. 28 -- The Texas A&M University College of Engineering issued the following news:
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Senior capstone projects excel in Virtual Project Showcase
With ample sponsor support, the showcase awarded over $20,000 in prizes to students in the College of Engineering for their senior capstone projects.
By David Cook
At the end of the 2025 fall semester, Texas A&M University engineering students presented their senior capstone projects in the annual Virtual Project Showcase (VPS). Judged by 131 judges representing 90 organizations, 112 teams comprised of 490 students acrossnine majors participated in the event and competed for over $20,000 in prizes.
VPS provides a digital canvas for students to exhibit their projects through short, compelling videos lasting between 8 to 10 minutes. These presentations delve into problems identified by industry, national labs, nonprofit organizations and faculty, propose solutions backed by analysis and test data, and address the expected impact of their innovations. The platform showcases the students' technical skills and demonstrates their ability to communicate complex ideas effectively.
"The Virtual Project Showcase strengthens the connection between the College of Engineering and industry by highlighting work shaped through real partnerships and real-world need," said Magda Lagoudas, executive director of Industry and Nonprofit Partnerships. "This delivers technical value to our industry partners while helping our students grow into more capable, well-prepared engineers."
Platinum sponsors Baker Hughes, Bray International, Caterpillar, Samsung, and TSMC, along with gold sponsors Amazon Robotics, NobleReach, and Megger, played crucial roles in enabling VPS to feature a tiered award structure and recognize teams with innovative solutions.
With a $2,500 prize, the Overall Showcase Award was open to all 112 teams, and ultimately went to Golf Swing Machine, a project from the manufacturing and mechanical engineering technology program. The students involved included Katie Calderon, Hunter Bull, Gabrien Deutsch, Gabe Kant, Nhi Tran and Michael McCulloch. They were mentored by faculty member Chris Smith.
In-Major Awards, ranging from $500 to $1,000, encouraged friendly competition within specific majors with a minimum number of 10 teams. Awards were given to teams in chemical engineering, computer science and engineering, electrical and computer engineering, industrial and systems engineering, manufacturing and mechanical engineering technology, and mechanical engineering.
Click here to learn more (https://engineering.tamu.edu/partner-with-us/industry-nonprofit-partnerships/project-showcase/index.html) about the 2026 Engineering Project Showcase and how to get involved.
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Original text here: https://engineering.tamu.edu/news/2026/01/senior-capstone-projects-excel-in-virtual-project-showcase.html
Montana State Assistant Professor's 'Good Boy' Makes History in Horror Film Genre
BOZEMAN, Montana, Jan. 28 -- Montana State University issued the following news:
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Montana State assistant professor's 'Good Boy' makes history in horror film genre
By Frankie Beer, MSU News Service
Few actors win an award for their debut film and make history doing so. Even fewer are oblivious to their success -- like Indy.
The breakout star of the horror film "Good Boy" and beloved pet dog of Ben Leonberg, assistant professor in the School of Film and Photography at Montana State University, is the first animal to win a major Hollywood acting award. The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
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BOZEMAN, Montana, Jan. 28 -- Montana State University issued the following news:
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Montana State assistant professor's 'Good Boy' makes history in horror film genre
By Frankie Beer, MSU News Service
Few actors win an award for their debut film and make history doing so. Even fewer are oblivious to their success -- like Indy.
The breakout star of the horror film "Good Boy" and beloved pet dog of Ben Leonberg, assistant professor in the School of Film and Photography at Montana State University, is the first animal to win a major Hollywood acting award. The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrieverreceived an Astra Film Award on Jan. 9 for the best performance in a horror or thriller, yet another accolade for Leonberg's award-winning film. Indy earned recognition among nominees Ethan Hawke, Alison Brie, Alfie Williams, Sally Hawkins and Sophie Thatcher.
"On behalf of Indy, we are so grateful and thrilled to be recognized for his work in a movie he does not totally understand he was in," Leonberg said in an announcement. "This award and incredible group of nominees reflect the freedom that horror gives performers and, in our case, trainers, to play, experimentand to push the boundaries."
"Good Boy," released in 2025, explores owners' uneasiness when their pets bark at an invisible presence or stare at what appears to be an empty corner. Throughout the film, cameras follow Indy at eye level as he observes ghostly figures threatening his owner in their remote cabin.
Leonberg and Kari Fischer, his co-producer and wife, developed the project over the course of three years in their former New Jersey home. They didn't intend for their pet to become the star, but they realized there was something special about Indy's piercing stare after receiving awards for short films submitted as proofs of concept for "Good Boy," Leonberg said. He wrote the script around Indy's natural mannerisms rather than training him to act as a human director believed he should, adding to the authenticity of the character.
The film made its world premiere at the SXSW Film and TV Festival last year, where Indy earned a Howl of Fame award for his chilling performance. Since then, "Good Boy" has swept the nation, earning recognition as one of the National Board Review's top 10 independent films of 2025 and a nominee for a Best Editing award from the Independent Spirit Awards, among dozens of other accolades.
"At MSU, we are no stranger to breaking barriers," said Dean Adams, dean of the College of Arts and Architecture. "We're proud to have faculty who are making waves in their field and showing our students what is possible."
"It's incredible that 'Good Boy' resonates with audiences around the world. Ben's storytelling ability is not only inspiring for horror fans, but also a source of encouragement for filmmakers attending MSU," added Jim Zimpel, interim director of the School of Film and Photography and associate dean of the College of Arts and Architecture.
"Good Boy" is available to stream on services such as Shudder, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Philo.
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Original text here: https://www.montana.edu/news/25072/montana-state-assistant-professor-s-good-boy-makes-history-in-horror-film-genre
Midas touch tech moves ahead
BEDFORD PARK, Australia, Jan. 28 -- Flinders University posted the following news:
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Midas touch tech moves ahead
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New gold recovery technology developed at Flinders University has received a major boost towards its commercialisation this year, with an Australia's Economic Accelerator Ignite grant.
Collaborating with Adelaide Control Engineering, the $500,000 Federal Government AEA grant will be used to fast track and scale-up the gold extraction and recovery technology which uses a low-cost polymer sorbent to remove gold from ore or electronic waste.
The method has been shown to be
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BEDFORD PARK, Australia, Jan. 28 -- Flinders University posted the following news:
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Midas touch tech moves ahead
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New gold recovery technology developed at Flinders University has received a major boost towards its commercialisation this year, with an Australia's Economic Accelerator Ignite grant.
Collaborating with Adelaide Control Engineering, the $500,000 Federal Government AEA grant will be used to fast track and scale-up the gold extraction and recovery technology which uses a low-cost polymer sorbent to remove gold from ore or electronic waste.
The method has been shown to besafe, sustainable and more cost effective than traditional methods, according to Matthew Flinders Professor of Chemistry Professor Justin Chalker, from Flinders University.
"Our invention features a low-cost and recyclable method for extracting gold, and a novel and selective polymer sorbent to remove the gold from complex mixtures," says Professor Chalker, an Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellow.
"The team plans to trial their gold recovery technology in collaboration with new partners in the gold mining, e-waste recycling, and jewellery industries. These collaborations will support safer and cleaner gold recovery in Australia and abroad."
A global study published by high-profile journal Nature Sustainability last year illustrated the success of the technology, both in eliminating the need for toxic chemicals such as mercury and cyanide regularly used in gold mining - and in recovering substantial amounts of high-quality gold contained in e-waste streams including mobile phones and computers.
"The timing of this grant investment couldn't be better," says Professor Chalker, "We have validated our gold recovery method for ore and e-waste on a pre-pilot scale. We are now in a position to deploy our solution on a larger scale and ensure impact across the mining and e-waste sectors."
The Australia's Economic Accelerator project will be driven by Dr Thomas Nicholls and Dr Harshal Patel, in collaboration with Professor Chalker.
ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) Fellow Dr Nicholls says the potential of the Flinders University technology is immense.
"The ability to recover pure gold and copper makes recycling electronic waste more attractive, and more financially viable to our industry partners," says Dr Nicholls, from the College of Science and Engineering.
"We can do this in a safe and sustainable way on a lab scale and this AEA Ignite grant will allow us to scale-up to much greater volumes."
Read more at The Conversation, Flinders University News and Nature blog
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Original text here: https://news.flinders.edu.au/blog/2026/01/28/midas-touch-tech-moves-ahead/
Binghamton University: Summer Program to Give Local Teachers a Hands-on Electronics Research Experience
BINGHAMTON, New York, Jan. 28 -- Binghamton University issued the following news:
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Summer program to give local teachers a hands-on electronics research experience
National Science Foundation wants to cultivate technical talent to support the region's microelectronics industry
By Chris Kocher
Starting this summer, Binghamton University will offer local middle and high school teachers a deep dive into microelectronics research so they can take that knowledge back to their students.
The Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) program, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, is meant
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BINGHAMTON, New York, Jan. 28 -- Binghamton University issued the following news:
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Summer program to give local teachers a hands-on electronics research experience
National Science Foundation wants to cultivate technical talent to support the region's microelectronics industry
By Chris Kocher
Starting this summer, Binghamton University will offer local middle and high school teachers a deep dive into microelectronics research so they can take that knowledge back to their students.
The Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) program, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, is meantto cultivate highly skilled technical talent to support the region's growing role in the national microelectronics industry.
As part of the $600,000 grant, eight teachers will participate each summer over the next three years. To oversee their hands-on research, faculty and staff members from the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science are teaming up with colleagues from the College of Community and Public Affairs and the University's Analytical and Diagnostics Lab (ADL).
Associate Professor Loretta "Lucky" Mason-Williams from CCPA's Department of Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership said the idea to apply for the RET grant came from watching school tours at the ADL. As part of the Small-Scale Systems Integration and Packaging (S3IP) Center of Excellence, the lab offers more than 50 high-tech instruments for advanced materials analysis, characterization and device processing.
"My work centers on students with disabilities and the special-education teacher workforce," Mason-Williams said. "So when applying for this NSF grant, I convinced everybody to think about not only the teachers who are working with high-achieving students but also students who may have a disability or are at risk for school failure. How do we help them gain skills to prepare their students for this highly skilled, highly technical workforce?"
Fellow TLEL Associate Professor Amber Simpson added: "We really thought about tapping into the strengths at Binghamton, so that's where we landed on microelectronics. We know there's a push for developing those skills to enter the workforce, and it would make us stand out from other people submitting to the RET program."
With a focus on rural and special education teachers, the program will support the development of curricula and experiential learning opportunities such as cleanroom tours, lab exercises and industry site visits that other educators can adapt.
"This project really captures the impact that NSF projects can have," said Professor Paul Chiarot, chair of Watson College's Department of Mechanical Engineering. "Part of my role is to recruit other faculty from Watson working in microelectronics and craft projects for the RET scholars to work on. Most of the money in the budget supports the teachers so they can spend time here in the summer and then go back to their classrooms with that knowledge."
When the teachers are paired with researchers, they will learn more about the different varieties of microscopy, acoustic imaging, X-ray imaging, spectroscopy, and measuring a sample's thermal, mechanical and optical properties.
"By training the teachers in how these different techniques work, they can translate some of that information for their students and hopefully give people a better idea of what research is," said ADL Chief Technology Officer Matthew Wahila. "A lot of people hear about scientific research, but it's very different actually doing it."
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Original text here: https://www.binghamton.edu/news/story/6028/summer-program-to-give-local-teachers-a-hands-on-electronics-research-experience