Education (Colleges & Universities)
Here's a look at documents from public, private and community colleges in the U.S.
Featured Stories
Upstate's Clark Burn Center Uses Virtual Reality to Reduce Pain and Anxiety
SYRACUSE, New York, Jan. 25 -- The State University of New York Upstate Medical University campus issued the following news:
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Upstate's Clark Burn Center uses virtual reality to reduce pain and anxiety
By Jean Albanese
Upstate University Hospital's Clark Burn Center is using lizing virtual reality to help patients in their pain management and physical therapy.
Using a $15,000 grant, the center purchased five VR headsets to use for pain management and one set that includes attachments for physical and occupational therapy.
The use of VR in the Burn Center was highlighted in the Nursing
... Show Full Article
SYRACUSE, New York, Jan. 25 -- The State University of New York Upstate Medical University campus issued the following news:
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Upstate's Clark Burn Center uses virtual reality to reduce pain and anxiety
By Jean Albanese
Upstate University Hospital's Clark Burn Center is using lizing virtual reality to help patients in their pain management and physical therapy.
Using a $15,000 grant, the center purchased five VR headsets to use for pain management and one set that includes attachments for physical and occupational therapy.
The use of VR in the Burn Center was highlighted in the NursingMagnet Executive Summary Report as an example of an innovation benefitting patient care that was implemented with the support of nursing.
Burn Program Manager Tamara Roberts, MSN, CBRN, said the VR headsets are one of several pain relief modalities the center offers to decrease the use og narcotics and that the opportunity for the patient to lose themselves in a virtual reality experience helps relieve pain, stress and anxiety.
"Burn injuries are one of the most painful injuries a person can endure," she said. "The headsets have really helped to assist in decreasing pain in patients with burn injuries because they're immersed in alternatives to think about, versus just sitting in a bed and thinking about pain. They go off into a virtual reality where they're in the mountains or at the beach or feeding squirrels. They get engaged into that and then they're not thinking about that pain as much."
The VR headsets are part of an overall effort to reduce narcotic use for burn patients. The Burn Center also offers modalities, including essential oils, journaling, music therapy, meditation, guided imagery and Reiki. Roberts said each patient is educated at the bed side on the different options. The unit also uses a new functional pain scale, that focuses on what the patient can do, rather than just how much pain they are in.
"The reality is with a burn injury is that you can't take away all that pain," Roberts said. "The goal is to get the patient to a point where they can function. They may still have pain, but it's tolerable and they can do their activities of daily living."
According to the Burn Center, the VR helps distract the brain from painful sensations during procedures like dressing changes or therapy. When focused on a virtual world, the brain processes fewer pain signals. Research shows that burn patients using the VR report lower pain scores compared to traditional distraction or medication alone.
The headsets also provide a calming, immersive experience that reduces stress and fear before and during procedures. Patients often feel more relaxed, less anxious, and more in control when using VR sets reduce anxiety, lowering heart rate and stress hormones naturally, according to the Burn Center.
Burn Center Medical Director Joan Dolinak, MD, said she had read about the use of VR with Vietnam vets and its use in treatment of their PTSD. She said there are loose similarities with burn patients in that they often experience PTSD from the traumatic event that caused their injury.
"There were early studies from the University of Washington using a VR system that had them walking through a snowscape to help with dressing changes in burn patients with good results," Dolinak said. "Our current system can be used for pain distraction, relaxation, and gamification of physical therapy- and most programs do not involve snow."
Roberts agreed that a goal of the unit is to decrease amnxity and the patients' risk of PTSD.
"Especially during burn dressings and things like that, it can be really painful, stressful and traumatic for patients, and if, they have that virtual reality, it allows them to do something else while they're getting their burn dressings done and we're hoping that we'll see a decrease in PTSD from, it," Roberts said.
Dolinak wanted to bringVR to Upstate and an anonymous donation to the Upstate Towsley Pro-Am, an annual charity golf tournament made it possible.
The center uses a separate headset with attachments for occupational and physical therapy. The PT headset comes with attachments for the arms, legs and chest and is operated with an iPad for the therapist to program an activity that's associated with the patient's needs. For example, the activity could be playing racquetball or kickball, and the therapist can get the movement measurements off the iPad to assess the patient's progress.
"Patients are reaching and stretching like they wouldn't have ever done before because of the pain, and they report that they weren't even thinking about pain," Roberts said. "the therapist knows what the injury is and what movements the patient needs to make, so then they'll pick an appropriate activity to help that patient move in those ways.".
Roberts said next up is a study to further assess the use of VR in this setting.
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Original text here: https://www.upstate.edu/news/articles/2026/2026-01-22-vrburn.php
Upstate Launches Innovative Pathway to Detect Pediatric Stroke Faster
SYRACUSE, New York, Jan. 25 -- The State University of New York Upstate Medical University campus issued the following news:
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Upstate launches innovative pathway to detect pediatric stroke faster
By Jean Albanese
Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital has a new clinical pathway--an evidence-based multidisciplinary roadmap of care--in place to more quickly identify pediatric strokes both inpatient and in the emergency room.
While on the rise, pediatric strokes are not common; however, when they do occur, timely treatment is crucial to minimize or eliminate long-term consequences. Since other
... Show Full Article
SYRACUSE, New York, Jan. 25 -- The State University of New York Upstate Medical University campus issued the following news:
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Upstate launches innovative pathway to detect pediatric stroke faster
By Jean Albanese
Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital has a new clinical pathway--an evidence-based multidisciplinary roadmap of care--in place to more quickly identify pediatric strokes both inpatient and in the emergency room.
While on the rise, pediatric strokes are not common; however, when they do occur, timely treatment is crucial to minimize or eliminate long-term consequences. Since otherconditions, such as migraines, can mimic stroke symptoms, proper diagnosis becomes that much more important, as delayed recognition of stroke leads to 50 to 85 percent of survivors suffering long-term consequences such as seizures and physical limitations, according to Jennifer Murphy, MSN, RN, CCRN, pediatric resuscitation program manager, who leads the stroke team.
The multidisciplinary team comprises representatives from pediatric neurology, PICU nurses and providers, neurosurgery, pediatric hematology/oncology, neuro interventional radiology, pediatric pharmacy, pediatric SWAT, pediatric inpatient nursing, pediatric cardiology, pediatric anesthesiology, radiology, adult stroke program leadership, and the call center.
The creation of this clinical pathway was cited in the Executive Summary Report by the Commission on Magnet as an outstanding example of nursing's involvement in an innovation to benefit patient care. Upstate received Magnet recertification last month
Since the program began last February, the pathway has been activated 30 times, and eight patients were positive for stroke.
"If you miss a pediatric stroke, if it's outside the treatment window, the children are going to have deficits for the rest of their life," Murphy said. "We didn't want that to happen."
The clinical pathway puts out an alert to all the departments that would need to be involved in the quick assessment and treatment of a pediatric stroke. Murphy said the best treatment window is 4 and a half hours, and some symptoms don't present until well into that window, which makes every minute critical.
Here's the protocol for patients ages two through 17: If a potential stroke is suspected, the system is activated via iPad, which sends a pediatric neurology resident to the bedside immediately for a neurological assessment. If concern for a stroke remains after the exam, MRI imaging is set up within an hour, with sedation support from anesthesia, if needed.
If stroke is confirmed and it is determined to be treatable, patients are either treated with a thrombolytic, a weight-based medication brought to the bedside, or a thrombectomy, a surgery to remove the clots. In either case, specialty pharmacy and surgical teams are put on alert through the pathway.
"It all has to start with rapid recognition of these inclusion criteria by our frontline providers," she said. "All of our work is directed at restoring and protecting brain function."
Last March, a 5-year-old patient was airlifted to Upstate's Pediatric Emergency Department from Binghamton because first responders suspected a stroke. The pediatric ED activated a pediatric stroke code prior to the patient arriving, so neurologists were already at the bedside waiting for him. The patient had an exam immediately, was administered clot-busting medications and admitted to the pediatric ICU. The patient went home five days later with no deficits.
"We used the pathway on this patient, and it was great to see the system worked just as planned" Murphy said. "The patient had rapid recognition of stroke symptoms, leading to rapid imaging and care, which allowed them to get the treatment needed. This is our goal for rapid recognition and treatment because we want these kids go home with no long-term deficits."
Murphy credits the entire interdisciplinary team for the success of the program. The team includes:
Ai Sakonju, MD, Pediatric Neurology
Adam Blanden, MD/PhD, Neurology
Josh Onyan, MSN, RN, SCRN Adult Stroke program manager
Gene Latorre, MD, MPH, Neurology
Tyler Greenfield, DO, FAAP Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Chris Dongilli, BSN, RN, CCRN- Pediatric ED nurse manager
Angela Wratney, MD, MHSc, CHSE, FAAP, pediatric ICU chief
Lauren Bonilla, BSN, RN, C-NPT, CNML - Pediatric ICU and Pediatric SWAT nurse manager
Kalliopi Petropoulou, MD, FASFNR- Radiology
Dan Gwilt- Radiology
Joseph Resti, MD, Pediatric Anesthesiology
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Original text here: https://www.upstate.edu/news/articles/2026/2026-01-22-pediatricstroke.php
M.B.A. Student Explores Data Center Opportunities With UToledo Business Incubator
TOLEDO, Ohio, Jan. 25 -- The University of Toledo issued the following news:
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M.B.A. Student Explores Data Center Opportunities with UToledo Business Incubator
By Nicki Gorny
Alex Li is familiar with the common criticisms of data centers -- that they use up too many resources and that they create too few jobs.
Li worked in the industry for years, most recently scouting sites for centers in northern Ohio, before beginning a master of business administration degree in information systems at The University of Toledo's John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation.
His professional
... Show Full Article
TOLEDO, Ohio, Jan. 25 -- The University of Toledo issued the following news:
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M.B.A. Student Explores Data Center Opportunities with UToledo Business Incubator
By Nicki Gorny
Alex Li is familiar with the common criticisms of data centers -- that they use up too many resources and that they create too few jobs.
Li worked in the industry for years, most recently scouting sites for centers in northern Ohio, before beginning a master of business administration degree in information systems at The University of Toledo's John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation.
His professionalexperience is what inspired the business plan he's developing with the support of the UToledo Business Incubator. He wants to improve the sustainability of data centers by using the heat their cooling systems produce to support greenhouses.
"A lot of data centers use water to cool their equipment," Li said, referring to the servers, routers and other technology that hum throughout the typical data center. "When that water comes out of the cooling system, it's hot.
"So why not recover that heat? Why not use it to heat a greenhouse?"
Li brings a wealth of real-world experience to his master's program. After he graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics from Binghamton University, part of the state university system of New York, in 2014, he established himself as an entrepreneur with a study-abroad agency that he founded and ran from 2016 to 2019. Then he found his niche in the emerging cryptocurrency industry in 2019, ultimately following industry currents from his native China back to the United States -- specifically, Ohio -- in 2022.
He enrolled at UToledo in 2025 to advance his career in the States.
"I want to learn how to do business in the United States," Li said. "There are a lot of cultural differences in how people think, in how people do things in China and the United States. The M.B.A. program is helping me to learn about these differences, and hopefully it's setting me up for a stronger professional future."
Entrepreneurial inspiration struck during his first semester on campus, with his fledgling business plan drawing a connection between two major industries in Ohio.
The first is data centers, with Ohio ranking fifth nationally in its number of centers, according to Data Center Map, and hosting major players like Amazon, Google and Meta. The second is greenhouses, with the Buckeye State among the top ten states for the floriculture industry as of 2023 per the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"We have long winters in Ohio, so greenhouses need to be heated," Li said. "We can save energy by drawing that heat from the data centers."
Li first brought his idea to Dr. Robert Yonker, an associate professor of management, who suggested he connect with the UToledo Business Incubator. The incubator aims to foster innovation and regional economic growth by providing support, resources and development opportunities to local businesses and entrepreneurs, including undergraduate and graduate students at UToledo.
Incubator staff have since been helping Li to navigate next steps for his idea, including his search for a site to host a data center-greenhouse facility to demonstrate the viability of his idea, and to connect with resources like the Lightship Bootcamp.
"Alex has taken meaningful ownership of the entrepreneurial process," said Kristen Shinaver, a brand development advisor who works with Li at the UToledo Business Incubator. "His willingness to learn from feedback, adapt his approach and take advantage of introductions to resources throughout our Ohio partnership network has helped him develop a stronger understanding of what it takes to build a scalable, sustainable business. He's working with our team to build a sturdy foundation, but as the venture continues to take shape, Alex will have the confidence to move forward strategically, and that kind of founder-driven growth is exactly what we aim to support."
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Original text here: https://news.utoledo.edu/index.php/01_23_2026/m-b-a-student-explores-data-center-opportunities-with-utoledo-business-incubator
Louisiana Tech University: $200,000 Endowment Honors the Curiosity and Global Impact of Physics Alumnus Dr. Billy Bonner
RUSTON, Louisiana, Jan. 25 -- Louisiana Tech University issued the following news:
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$200,000 endowment honors the curiosity and global impact of Physics alumnus Dr. Billy Bonner
A $200,000 unrestricted physics endowment to the Louisiana Tech University College of Engineering and Science honors the life and legacy of Dr. Billy Edward Bonner, a two-time Louisiana Tech physics alumnus whose career carried him from North Louisiana to the forefront of global scientific discovery.
The endowment was established by Margaret "Margo" Bonner in memory of her late husband, who earned his bachelor's
... Show Full Article
RUSTON, Louisiana, Jan. 25 -- Louisiana Tech University issued the following news:
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$200,000 endowment honors the curiosity and global impact of Physics alumnus Dr. Billy Bonner
A $200,000 unrestricted physics endowment to the Louisiana Tech University College of Engineering and Science honors the life and legacy of Dr. Billy Edward Bonner, a two-time Louisiana Tech physics alumnus whose career carried him from North Louisiana to the forefront of global scientific discovery.
The endowment was established by Margaret "Margo" Bonner in memory of her late husband, who earned his bachelor'sdegree in 1961 and master's degree in 1963 in Physics from Louisiana Tech before completing a Ph.D. in High-Energy Physics at Rice University. The gift will provide flexible, long-term support for the Tech Physics program, strengthening student learning, research, and academic innovation.
Dr. Bonner's path into physics was not a straight line, but it was decisively shaped at Louisiana Tech. He entered the University as an engineering major and was named Freshman Engineer of the Year, receiving a prized engineering textbook with the honor.
"He sold the book," Margo said. "And he changed his major to physics."
Encouraged by Louisiana Tech faculty, including physics professor Dr. George Paul Bonner (no relation), Dr. Bonner's growing curiosity quickly became clear. Dr. George Bonner later recommended him to Dr. T. W. Bonner (also no relation) at Rice University for doctoral study.
Margo still summarizes the referral simply: "Bonner to Bonner, about Bonner."
That recommendation launched a distinguished career. Dr. Billy Bonner conducted postdoctoral research in England and California, spent 13 years at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and held international appointments at the Rutherford High Energy Laboratory and CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, placing him among the world's leading physicists during a transformative era for the field.
"Because of Bill, I've had dinner with eleven Nobel Prize winners," Margo recalled. "Most notably, Dr. Peter Higgs, the physicist responsible for the discovery of the Higgs boson particle."
Despite his global reach, Dr. Bonner remained deeply connected to Louisiana Tech.
"Bill always said he owed Louisiana Tech for launching his career," Margo said. "Everything started there."
In 1985, Dr. Bonner joined the faculty at Rice University, where he served as a professor, department chair, and longtime director of the T. W. Bonner Nuclear Laboratory. He was widely respected as a researcher and beloved as a teacher, known for mentoring advanced physics students while also teaching "physics for poets," a course designed to make science accessible across disciplines.
The unrestricted nature of the Bonner endowment reflects both his intellectual breadth and his understanding of academic needs.
"This level of unrestricted funding allows us to update laboratory equipment and strengthen student recruitment efforts," said Dr. Lee Sawyer, Academic Director of Physics and Chemistry. "Dr. Bonner understood the importance of flexible resources that support students, teaching, and research. This endowment reflects his professional insight and his lasting commitment to physics education."
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Original text here: https://www.latech.edu/news/200000-endowment-honors-the-curiosity-and-global-impact-of-physics-alumnus-dr-billy-bonner.php
FSU: Murphy Forum Namesake Urges Students to 'Chase Possible'
TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Jan. 25 -- The Florida State University's College of Business issued the following news:
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Murphy Forum namesake urges students to 'chase possible'
Alumnus Brian Murphy encouraged students in the Florida State University Herbert Wertheim College of Business to stay flexible about their futures, take chances, seize opportunities and "chase possible" - a motto that has driven him to build one of the world's leading cybersecurity tech companies.
"When I say 'chase possible,' I go back to the playground and those monkey bars when you were a kid," Murphy, the CEO and founder
... Show Full Article
TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Jan. 25 -- The Florida State University's College of Business issued the following news:
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Murphy Forum namesake urges students to 'chase possible'
Alumnus Brian Murphy encouraged students in the Florida State University Herbert Wertheim College of Business to stay flexible about their futures, take chances, seize opportunities and "chase possible" - a motto that has driven him to build one of the world's leading cybersecurity tech companies.
"When I say 'chase possible,' I go back to the playground and those monkey bars when you were a kid," Murphy, the CEO and founderof ReliaQuest, a global cybersecurity company headquartered in Tampa, told students. "You can't get to the last rung until you grab the first one. Then you've got to grab the second one. That's kind of how opportunity is, especially in business."
Speaking in the marquee space that bears his and his wife's names, the Brian and Renee Murphy Forum, Murphy spoke on the second day of spring classes this month as the featured guest in the Charles A. Bruning Distinguished Speaker Series. A standing-room-only crowd included Murphy's wife, Renee, and their daughter, Devin, a sophomore who plans to major in finance at FSU. The couple's son, Parker, attends Jesuit High School in Tampa.
Kathleen McCullough, the college's senior associate dean for academic affairs and the Kathryn Magee Kip Professor of Risk Management and Insurance, introduced Murphy, noting the event marked the first significant academic engagement in the new Herbert Wertheim Center for Business Excellence. And fittingly, she said, the event took place in the Murphy Forum, "now lovingly known as 'The Murph,'" McCullough said.
Two days earlier, the Murphy Forum served as the location of a private dinner and celebration to mark Dr. Herbert Wertheim's $65 million philanthropic investment and naming of the college and the Wertheim Center, formerly Legacy Hall. That event also celebrated the grand opening of the world-class facility.
Murphy, a member of the FSU Board of Trustees and a 2022 inductee into the Wertheim College of Business Alumni Hall of Fame, congratulated students on the new building and Dr. Wertheim's investment, which includes $10 million in a student-support endowment. He also congratulated them on "being students at Florida State."
"There's no better institution," Murphy said.
And few cybersecurity tech companies are as successful as his. Murphy has grown ReliaQuest - a top employer of FSU graduates -- from a boot-strapped startup that he launched on the cusp of the Great Recession in 2007 to a high-growth, AI-powered technology company with a valuation of more than $3.4 billion, more than 1,200 team members and more than 1,000 customers around the world.
A previous article, about Murphy's speaking appearance during the college's Finance Day in 2023, provides details about his and Renee's support of the college and university and how he built his company.
"I was told I was an idiot to keep growing a tech company in Florida -- couldn't do it, got to go to Boston, California, somewhere else," Murphy said during this month's talk. "They told me you've got to hire out of this school, hire out of that school. We hire out of Florida State. And we beat those other companies every day, because there's a culture at Florida State. There's an attitude here, and there's a tenacity here."
Murphy encouraged students to do what he did as an accounting and finance major at FSU: Join student organizations, seek challenges, take risks and get noticed.
Above all, he urged students to "chase possible," words that adorn the wall outside the Murphy Forum and attributed to him.
You can't simply hang on those monkey bars and wait for something to happen, he told students.
"You've just got to go," he said. "And you've got to jump with reckless abandon and grab the first rung and have enough confidence that you're going to swing and grab the next one. That's a lot of my career."
Takeaways and tips from his talk included:
Stay flexible: "Don't be so beholden to a career path," Murphy said. "I was 30 years old when I started ReliaQuest, so my recommendation is to keep your mind open, keep your peripheral vision open."
Keep the emphasis on you and your organization: "I never think about competition at ReliaQuest," Murphy said. "I don't care about my competitors. I think about 'better.' I think about us executing, becoming dynamic, being willing to do the things that other people aren't willing to do for the customer. We drive innovation. We don't follow trends; we create our own - and keep a maniacal focus on the problem that we're solving."
Be an entrepreneur at work: "In my opinion, we have a misguided definition in the U.S. of what an entrepreneur is," Murphy said. "An entrepreneur is not somebody who starts a company. The best entrepreneurs in the world work for other companies. It's a way of thinking. Grab opportunities at whatever company you go to work for. Raise your hand, take that extra work, stay the extra time." Also: "Go to an office. Don't be remote. I wouldn't have learned anything sitting in the side bedroom of my house. You can't learn it over video."
Choose wisely: "When something gets difficult, you're deciding between a 'what if' and an 'if only,'" Murphy said. "What if I apply for this job and I don't get it? What if I do this and look stupid? So, we push ourselves through the 'what ifs,' because if we don't, we get the 'if only - if only I had done this.' I refuse to live in the world of 'if only.' So, I hold myself to that every day."
Choose wisely, Part II: "If you decide to get married, the most important decision you can make is who you marry," Murphy said. He credited Renee Murphy for much of his success and called her "the reason I still do what I do." After 21 years of marriage, he said, "I'm still trying to impress her."
- Pete Reinwald
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Original text here: https://business.fsu.edu/article/murphy-forum-namesake-urges-students-chase-possible
Cal. State-San Bernardino Issues Faculty In the News Wrap Up for Jan. 23, 2026
SAN BERNARDINO, California, Jan. 25 -- California State University San Bernardino campus issued the following Faculty In the News wrap up:
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Faculty in the News, Jan. 23
In recent headlines: Nicole Dabbs (kinesiology) has been appointed president-elect of the Southwest Regional Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine; Brian Levin (criminal justice, emeritus), was quoted in an article about the phenomenon known as "looksmaxxing;" and Fred Jandt (communication studies, emeritus) just published a book on mediation in resolving disputes.
Published January 23, 2026
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Dabbs named
... Show Full Article
SAN BERNARDINO, California, Jan. 25 -- California State University San Bernardino campus issued the following Faculty In the News wrap up:
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Faculty in the News, Jan. 23
In recent headlines: Nicole Dabbs (kinesiology) has been appointed president-elect of the Southwest Regional Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine; Brian Levin (criminal justice, emeritus), was quoted in an article about the phenomenon known as "looksmaxxing;" and Fred Jandt (communication studies, emeritus) just published a book on mediation in resolving disputes.
Published January 23, 2026
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Dabbs namedhead of sports medicine chapter (https://iebusinessdaily.com/dabbs-named-head-of-sports-medicine-chapter/)
IE Business Daily
Jan. 18, 2026
Nicole Dabbs, chair of the kinesiology department at Cal State San Bernardino, has been appointed president-elect of the Southwest Regional Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine. Dabbs, who is also a professor in the department, began a three-year term late last year as president-elect, president and past president.
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Hammers to the face and amphetamines: Hypermasculine looksmaxxing invades the internet (https://english.elpais.com/lifestyle/2026-01-22/hammers-to-the-face-and-amphetamines-hypermasculine-looksmaxxing-invades-the-internet.html)
El Pais USA Edition (Spain)
Jan. 22, 2026
Brian Levin, founding director of CSUSB's Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, was quoted in an article about "looksmaxxing," a phenomenon in which many young men follow the dubious advice of social media influencers who destroy their bodies in the pursuit of looking strong. "It is increasingly becoming the medium of social interaction for angry and alienated young men," he says.
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New book by retired CSUSB professor empowers mediation participants as use of alternative dispute resolution continues to grow (https://www.einpresswire.com/article/884397663/new-book-empowers-mediation-participants-as-use-of-alternative-dispute-resolution-continues-to-grow)
EIN Presswire
Jan. 22, 2026
A new book, "How to Survive a Mediation: A Guide for Participants," by Fred E. Jandt (communication studies, emeritus), offers practical guidance for individuals navigating an increasingly common dispute-resolution process. The book explains how mediation works, how to prepare effectively and how participants can engage in the process in ways that increase the likelihood of a durable, mutually satisfactory agreement.
These news clips and others may be viewed at "In the Headlines." (https://www.csusb.edu/inside/news-clips)
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Original text here: https://www.csusb.edu/inside/article/594100/faculty-news-jan-23
Auburn University: Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering Earns $298,000 USDA-NIFA Grant to Study How Plant Roots Redistribute Water
AUBURN, Alabama, Jan. 25 -- Auburn University issued the following news:
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Assistant professor of chemical engineering earns $298,000 USDA-NIFA grant to study how plant roots redistribute water
By Joe McAdory
How do plants survive when water is unevenly distributed in soil? Why do some crops appear to help neighboring plants thrive under extreme conditions? And how can farmers use that knowledge to improve crop performance?
Jean Francois Louf, assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, is addressing those questions with support from a $298,000 grant from the U.S. Department
... Show Full Article
AUBURN, Alabama, Jan. 25 -- Auburn University issued the following news:
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Assistant professor of chemical engineering earns $298,000 USDA-NIFA grant to study how plant roots redistribute water
By Joe McAdory
How do plants survive when water is unevenly distributed in soil? Why do some crops appear to help neighboring plants thrive under extreme conditions? And how can farmers use that knowledge to improve crop performance?
Jean Francois Louf, assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, is addressing those questions with support from a $298,000 grant from the U.S. Departmentof Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA).
Louf's two-year project, "Mechanistic Understanding of Plant Hydraulic Redistribution Using Transparent Substrates for Enhanced Water Use Efficiency in Soy and Peanut Crops," focuses on a little-seen but powerful process called hydraulic redistribution: how plant roots move water through soil to support growth.
"Plants don't just take up water and keep it," Louf said. "They actively move water through their root systems, redistributing it from wetter areas of the soil to drier ones. That process can make a big difference in how plants grow and survive."
Scientists have known about hydraulic redistribution for decades but studying it has been difficult because soil blocks direct observation.
"Soil is opaque," Louf said. "You can't see the roots. You can't see where the water goes, how fast it moves, or how far it travels."
To overcome that challenge, Louf developed a transparent substrate made of hydrogel beads that mimic key physical properties of soil. When hydrated, the beads become clear, allowing researchers to observe root growth and track water movement in real time.
"With this system, we can finally see what's happening underground," Louf said. "We can measure how efficiently roots redistribute water and identify which root traits make that process more effective."
Plants can move water both vertically and laterally through soil, depending on environmental conditions. Deep-rooted plants can access water stored deeper underground and redistribute it upward, while shallow-rooted plants may help move excess water downward under wetter conditions.
"Farmers have observed for generations that crops with different root depths can support one another," Louf said. "If you plant them together, they often perform better -- but until now, that knowledge has been based largely on experience."
Louf's research aims to turn those observations into predictive understanding.
"Knowing that something works is not the same as knowing why it works," he said. "If we want to optimize planting strategies or improve crop performance, we need to be able to model and predict these interactions."
The project focuses on soybeans and peanuts, two economically important, rain-fed crops widely grown in the southeastern United States. Louf is studying different cultivars, varieties within each species, with distinct root architectures.
"The goal is to determine which root traits lead to more effective water redistribution and which combinations of plants work best together," he said. "That information could help farmers make more informed planting decisions."
The USDA-NIFA award builds on Louf's growing national profile. In 2025, he received a National Science Foundation CAREER Award for a separate project exploring how flowers process acoustic signals to increase nectar sugar concentration.
"Whether we're studying roots, flowers, or materials inspired by plants, the common thread is understanding how physical mechanisms drive biological function," Louf said.
Beyond its scientific and agricultural implications, Louf sees the project as an opportunity to train students to think differently.
"You get to teach students how to think as engineers: how to ask questions, build systems and test ideas quantitatively," he said.
Louf said the broader reward comes from creating knowledge that endures.
"When you see that your work could be useful for people, when it can help farmers or improve how we grow food, that's incredibly fulfilling," he said. "That's why we do this job."
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Original text here: https://eng.auburn.edu/news/2026/01/assistant-professor-of-chemical-engineering-earns-usda-nifa-grant-to-study-how-plant-roots-redistribute-water.html?utm_source=auburn-stories&utm_medium=web&aupage=https://ocm.auburn.edu/stories/all/
