Education (Colleges & Universities)
Here's a look at documents from public, private and community colleges in the U.S.
Featured Stories
Year of Impact at UC's 1819 Learning Lab
CINCINNATI, Ohio, March 10 -- The University of Cincinnati posted the following news:
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A year of impact at UC's 1819 Learning Lab
Where learning becomes leverage
By Diana Lara, laradm@ucmail.uc.edu
At the University of Cincinnati's 1819 Innovation Hub, the Learning Lab serves as a hands-on innovation and workforce development resource for business partners, helping teams learn faster, work smarter and deliver results sooner.
Led by director Nicholas Partridge along with team members Rebecca Rudolph and Kurt Myers, the Learning Lab partners with companies to embed learning directly into
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CINCINNATI, Ohio, March 10 -- The University of Cincinnati posted the following news:
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A year of impact at UC's 1819 Learning Lab
Where learning becomes leverage
By Diana Lara, laradm@ucmail.uc.edu
At the University of Cincinnati's 1819 Innovation Hub, the Learning Lab serves as a hands-on innovation and workforce development resource for business partners, helping teams learn faster, work smarter and deliver results sooner.
Led by director Nicholas Partridge along with team members Rebecca Rudolph and Kurt Myers, the Learning Lab partners with companies to embed learning directly intoreal business challenges, strengthening efficiency, alignment and execution.
"We design everything around accelerating our partners' highest priorities," Partridge says. "If teams leave with clarity, ownership and momentum, we've done our job."
Innovation, applied
Unlike traditional training programs, the Learning Lab is built for action. Corporate teams don't just consider hypothetical case studies; they tackle their own challenges using organizational data, constraints and priorities.
Examples of immersive workshops include:
Systematic inventive thinking (SIT): Explore and apply SIT, a structured method for generating novel ideas
Strategic thinking: Master the habits and skills that foster strategic thinking and decision-making
Scenario planning: Understand how to see around corners and anticipate your industry's future
Innovation 101: An introduction to the creative process and innovation methods
Interested parties can watch the Learning Lab's proactive approach in action as facilitators help teams strengthen core innovation capabilities, including strategic thinking, experimentation and collaboration.
That approach has made the Learning Lab a trusted partner for organizations across the region.
"The Learning Lab at 1819 has been an invaluable partner for our team," says Shannon Lewandowski of Great American Insurance Group. She noted that the Lab's ability to deliver creative, customized experiences, whether for interns or departmentwide sessions, has driven real impact. "It's a resource we're fortunate to have access to."
Actionable solutions
The Learning Lab's applied model delivers measurable results across industries.
A three-day "Reconciliation Innovation Sprint" with U.S. Bank aligned a cross-functional team around user needs and produced a focused MVP and pilot road map to reduce errors and simplify reconciliation. Global project managers at Kao used a Learning Lab sprint to cut through complexity, align across regions and leave with clear owners, quick wins and a more transparent way of working.
Teams from Great American Insurance Group, Fifth Third Bank and Western & Southern have all used Learning Lab sessions to untangle complex processes, challenge assumptions and move from discussion to action, often within days.
Katie Oehler of Western & Southern Financial Group sees extraordinary value in partnering with the 1819 Learning Lab. "They design experiences that feel effortless, fun and deeply engaging while still advancing leadership development in meaningful ways," she says.
Every Learning Lab session is intentionally designed to be engaging, practical and fast-paced. Teams work in rapid cycles of doing, reflecting and deciding, guided by expert facilitation.
For many participants, the experience stands out not just for what's accomplished but also for how it feels. Oehler credits the entire Learning Lab team with bringing exceptional creativity and energy to each session.
"We always end with decisions, owners and next steps," Partridge says. "That's how momentum carries forward."
Adapting to a shifting workforce
Over the past year, Partridge has seen companies shift their focus. Innovation is no longer just about new products; it's about improving processes, increasing efficiency and helping teams do more with less.
There's also growing demand for alignment, trust and experimentation as teams navigate uncertainty. In response, the Learning Lab has expanded its two- and three-day working sprints, partnered more closely with corporate learning and development teams and integrated AI-enabled tools to accelerate session design and customization.
More than a workshop
For Learning Lab partners, value extends far beyond individual sessions. Companies gain access to UC's broader innovation ecosystem, connecting them with faculty, researchers, students and resources such as the 1819 Ground Floor Makerspace. There are daily opportunities to gain cross-industry perspectives from corporate partners at the 1819 Innovation Hub, which can help spark new ideas and accelerate problem-solving.
Impact shows up in clear priorities, pilot programs, implementation efforts and, in many cases, new offerings that began inside a Learning Lab workshop.
A hub for the Cincinnati Innovation District
What excites Partridge most is the momentum stimulated by the Learning Lab. As part of the broader Cincinnati Innovation District, 1819 operates as a catalyst launching startups while helping long-standing companies rethink how they work, innovate and grow. The Learning Lab plays an essential role in that process.
"With more than 100 workshops a year, the Learning Lab is becoming a place where learning turns into action," Partridge says. "It's where people come to solve problems, not just talk about them."
Throughout 2025, the Learning Lab held 129 sessions with more than 2,500 learners.
In a rapidly changing world, the Learning Lab helps teams build innovation skills, strengthen trust and resilience and deliver breakthrough solutions. Companies interested in developing their teams through the Learning Lab can email Partridge to learn more at nicholas.partridge@uc.edu.
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Original text here: https://www.uc.edu/news/articles/2026/03/a-year-of-impact-at-ucs-1819-learning-lab.html
Westmont College: Pulitzer Prize Winner Examines Antisemitism, Foreign Policy
SANTA BARBARA, California, March 10 -- Westmont College issued the following news:
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Pulitzer Prize Winner Examines Antisemitism, Foreign Policy
By Scott Craig
World-renowned journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Bret Stephens emphasized the importance of global stability for economic prosperity, criticized the decline in civics education and stressed the irreplaceable value of a liberal arts education at the 21st annual Westmont President's Breakfast on Feb. 27.
Hours before the U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran began, Stephens commented on the imminence of war.
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SANTA BARBARA, California, March 10 -- Westmont College issued the following news:
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Pulitzer Prize Winner Examines Antisemitism, Foreign Policy
By Scott Craig
World-renowned journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Bret Stephens emphasized the importance of global stability for economic prosperity, criticized the decline in civics education and stressed the irreplaceable value of a liberal arts education at the 21st annual Westmont President's Breakfast on Feb. 27.
Hours before the U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran began, Stephens commented on the imminence of war.With the Iranian regime at a historically weak position, he thought it worth the risk -- and he identified it as a risk -- to "kick the regime in the legs."
A descendent of Jewish immigrants on both side of his family, Stephens spoke about his great-grandfather born in what is now Vilna, Lithuania. Moving to Russia, away from his rabbinic roots, he became a successful publisher but was arrested twice: the first time by the Czarist regime and later by the KGB, the former Russian secret police and intelligence agency. Then he vanished. His widow moved to Latvia and later Berlin, where his grandmother and her two sisters grew up.
"In 1933, Adolph Hitler came to power, and my great-grandmother, who had a well-developed instinct for danger, had the very good sense, unlike many other Jews in Germany at the time, to get out as soon as she could," he said. Eventually, she settled in northern Italy, but the Nazis later took over the region. "Thanks to a family of righteous Gentiles, my great-grandmother and her three daughters acquired fake names and survived the war."
Stephens wears a signet ring from that benevolent family, which his father gave to him. In 1950, Stephens' mother and grandmother arrived in the U.S. with $7 between them, courtesy of President Harry Truman's Displaced Persons Act.
He used his first speaking opportunity at a Christian college event to share his perspective as a Jew, describing a recurring nightmare cycle where Jews face persecution in various communities and manage to prosper before being targeted by a powerful regime. The American Jewish community has flourished, he said, due to the American spirit and the country's conception of itself as a New Jerusalem. "Individual and group success was not met with envy as it was elsewhere in the world," he said. "It was met with admiration. To do well in the United States, to achieve the American dream, was a reason for people of all faiths to admire you, no matter where you came from, no matter what faith you practiced."
But something changed in the last 25 years. "The word privilege has increasingly replaced what we used to call success, which was earned and therefore admired," Stephens said. "With privilege, the presumption is it's unearned and therefore despised and envied. When we redefine the concept of success in this country and think that what some have, they don't deserve, we've put people who have succeeded in life into jeopardy. And that tends to fall on groups that have economic power or success, but not political power: minorities, including the Jews."
In a time rife with conspiracy theories in the United States, Stephens said that when people will believe anything about anything, they'll eventually believe anything about Jews. "Antisemitism isn't just bigotry, a prejudice, it's also a conspiracy theory," he said.
The Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, has made it more difficult and challenging to be Jewish, he said. "Something has gone deeply wrong in the fabric of much of American life that is suddenly making the United States less hospitable to its Jewish neighbors and fellow citizens, and it should be worrying to every single person in this room," he said. "Antisemitism is always the symptom of a deeper rot, a deeper cancer in the rest of society."
During a question-and-answer session with President Gayle D. Beebe, Stephens noted the United States now spends less on defense as a percentage of GDP than in the past. "Having a more secure world, ensuring the strength and resilience of our allies, having robust trading partners in Korea, Japan, Israel, Europe and elsewhere around the world is good for us," he said. "Global disorder tends to lead to economic disorder here."
He said the nation's biggest mistake in the last 40 years was dropping civics education. "It's terrifying for American life that the country is raising a generation of people who have no idea what the United States is all about except the vague notion that it's imperialistic and bad," he said. "No sense that this country has been a greater benefactor for the world bar none."
When asked about U.S. involvement in the war in Ukraine, Stephens argued that Ukraine is fighting for the freedom of the entire western world. "Russia will not stop with Ukraine," he said. "If they're victorious there, their appetite will then move to Moldova and move to Latvia or Estonia, or the more vulnerable NATO states, and in doing so, it's going to embolden the Chinese as well."
Stephens quoted President Bill Clinton's statement that there's nothing wrong with America that can't be fixed by what's right in America, noting that historically, what's right with us has overcome what's wrong. "I'm confident that will happen again," he said.
Noting that while AI is massively disruptive and will replace jobs that require effort and skill, he thinks it won't replicate human excellence or the unique human experience.
"AI won't replace human beings trained in the liberal arts, following, creating and inventing a unique human experience," he said. "AI is made in the image of man, but man is made in the image of God. Good, thoughtful, serious colleges like Westmont, which train 1,200 students to be mature, unique spiritual beings developing capacities for genuine independent thought and ethical action, are irreplaceable. That's what you guys are doing, and that's why you should be optimistic."
On campus at convocation, Stephens answered questions from professor Alastair Su and four history majors: Lucas De Dora, Kisa Mosley, Liam Walsh and Emily Lindblad. "This is an incredible privilege to be on what must be the most beautiful campus in America," Stephens said.
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Original text here: https://www.westmont.edu/westmont-news/pulitzer-prize-winner-examines-antisemitism-foreign-policy
UToledo Herpetologists Analyze Population Decline in Regional Turtle Populations
TOLEDO, Ohio, March 10 (TNSjou) -- The University of Toledo issued the following news:
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UToledo Herpetologists Analyze Population Decline in Regional Turtle Populations
By Nicki Gorny
Are box turtles in worse shape than herpetologists thought?
University of Toledo researchers raise the question in new research published in the peer-reviewed journal Ecology and Evolution. Analyzing years of field data collected on populations of two turtle species in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan, the article points to evidence of concerning rates of inbreeding among eastern box turtles compared
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TOLEDO, Ohio, March 10 (TNSjou) -- The University of Toledo issued the following news:
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UToledo Herpetologists Analyze Population Decline in Regional Turtle Populations
By Nicki Gorny
Are box turtles in worse shape than herpetologists thought?
University of Toledo researchers raise the question in new research published in the peer-reviewed journal Ecology and Evolution. Analyzing years of field data collected on populations of two turtle species in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan, the article points to evidence of concerning rates of inbreeding among eastern box turtles comparedto spotted turtles -- a surprise in part given that it's the latter, not that former, that's currently under review for protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Dr. Jeanine Refsnider led the research as an associate professor in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics' Department of Environmental Sciences.
"We were expecting to see inbreeding effects in our spotted turtle populations because of a few factors that you would think would predispose them to it. They generally have smaller and more isolated populations compared to box turtles, and individuals tend to stick closer to home," Refsnider said. "Instead we found no evidence of inbreeding in spotted turtles and concerningly high levels of inbreeding in all three of our box turtle populations."
Refsnider speaks with expertise borne out of years of experience using radio telemetry to track turtles through the regional forests and wetlands of the Oak Openings Region. Her Ecology and Evolution research reflects field data on the reproductive success of three populations of spotted turtles and three populations of box turtles that a team of undergraduate and graduate students and field technicians collected beginning in 2018.
The work was supported by the Ohio and Michigan Departments of Natural Resources.
Researchers tagged and then tracked the turtles in addition to obtaining blood samples -- challenging work, according to Paige Madden, who assisted as a field technician after she completed a bachelor's degree in environmental sciences in 2018. In addition to unmanaged terrain, unpredictable weather and the inevitable equipment malfunctions, the team had to contend with the cryptic nature of the subjects.
"In some cases, you could be standing directly on top of a turtle hidden in the leaves and have no idea," Madden recalled.
But the work was also rewarding.
When Madden later graduated with a master's degree in ecology and organismal biology in 2023, she drew on the data she helped to collect and analyze for a master's thesis evaluating nesting, behavioral and reproductive success trends of regional box and spotted turtle populations. She's also a co-author on the article in Ecology and Evolution, joining Sarah Carter and Austin Hulbert, who have also since graduated with master's degrees.
"Processing years of raw data feels like putting together a complicated puzzle that in the end leaves you feeling fulfilled and inspired," said Madden, who went on to work as an environmental specialist for the city of Toledo and now in environmental emergency response and administration in Colorado.
The field data the team collected has yielded several publications in academic journals, most prominently an analysis of factors that predict clutch and hatchling survival in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. By focusing on inbreeding, the most recent analysis explores a phenomenon of concern to ecologists for its link to population decline.
"When individuals mate with close relatives, the population starts to lose genetic diversity. That can lead to an inbreeding depression, which is when we see reduced overall fitness of a population's offspring," Refsnider said. "Over time each generation becomes less likely to reproduce, and you end up with an even smaller population that's even more closely related. It's a spiral that we call an extinction vortex."
When researchers genetically analyzed the blood samples and considered their results alongside reproductive success data for each population of box and spotted turtles, they found that local box turtle populations had considerably lower egg-hatching and hatchling survival rates than spotted turtles and may be experiencing an inbreeding depression.
One explanation reflects the role of habitat loss and fragmentation, which researchers hypothesize is more impactful for box turtles than spotted turtles because it obstructs the ability of males to leave home and mate outside their gene pool.
Male-biased dispersal patterns are characteristic of box but not spotted turtles.
Refsnider said the research also underscores the importance of leaving turtles in the wild.
"We see that people take them from their habitats because they think they're good pets," she said. "But the problem is that they're wild animals from relatively small populations. So taking one turtle out of the wild could be something like 5% of an entire population."
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Original text here: https://news.utoledo.edu/index.php/03_09_2026/utoledo-herpetologists-analyze-population-decline-in-regional-turtle-populations
UIS Professors Co-author 'AI for Sustainable Business' Book
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, March 10 -- The University of Illinois Springfield campus issued the following news:
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UIS professors co-author "AI for Sustainable Business" book
Author: Ashley Earnest
Salem L. Boumediene, an associate professor, and Salma Boumediene, an adjunct professor, at the University of Illinois Springfield College of Business and Management, have co-authored a new book titled "AI for Sustainable Business: Leveraging Technology for a Better Future."
Published by Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, "AI for Sustainable Business" offers a strategic roadmap for integrating AI
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SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, March 10 -- The University of Illinois Springfield campus issued the following news:
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UIS professors co-author "AI for Sustainable Business" book
Author: Ashley Earnest
Salem L. Boumediene, an associate professor, and Salma Boumediene, an adjunct professor, at the University of Illinois Springfield College of Business and Management, have co-authored a new book titled "AI for Sustainable Business: Leveraging Technology for a Better Future."
Published by Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, "AI for Sustainable Business" offers a strategic roadmap for integrating AIto foster responsible, long-term, sustainable business practices. The book helps unpack complex theoretical and practical concepts and procedures. As businesses increasingly recognize the importance of sustainability, the challenge is to integrate sustainable practices with advanced technologies. It addresses this challenge by offering practical insights, frameworks and case studies that illustrate successful AI implementation across various business contexts. These examples highlight AI's potential to optimize resource use, reduce environmental impact and improve corporate governance while maintaining a competitive advantage.
"AI for Sustainable Business" enables businesses to make more informed decisions, optimize their operations and promote sustainable practices, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable future by providing practical insights for leaders, managers and policymakers.
Salem L. Boumediene has served on various committees for the American Accounting Association and the Decision Sciences Institute and has organized several academic conferences. He is the guest editor for the Journal of Forensic Accounting Research's special topic on forensic accounting and artificial intelligence.
Salma Boumediene previously served as a faculty research associate in the Department of Defense Management at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. She has over 15 years of experience and specializes in AI and delivering software and hardware solutions.
"AI for Sustainable Business" is available to purchase on the publisher's website (https://www.routledge.com/AI-for-Sustainable-Business-Leveraging-Technology-for-a-Better-Future/Rezaee-Boumediene-Homayoun-Boumediene/p/book/9781032987309).
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Original text here: https://www.uis.edu/news/uis-professors-co-author-ai-sustainable-business-book
N.C. State: Study Finds Correlation Between Public Health, Tax Policies
RALEIGH, North Carolina, March 10 (TNSjou) -- North Carolina State University issued the following news release:
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Study Finds Correlation Between Public Health, Tax Policies
A new study finds that the more a state's budget relied on sales tax revenue, the more likely it was to shorten stay-at-home orders during the early stages of the COVID pandemic. The findings suggest that state public-health decisions may have been influenced by unexpected budgetary constraints imposed by public-health restrictions.
"For this study, we looked at a host of state data - and it is important to note that
... Show Full Article
RALEIGH, North Carolina, March 10 (TNSjou) -- North Carolina State University issued the following news release:
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Study Finds Correlation Between Public Health, Tax Policies
A new study finds that the more a state's budget relied on sales tax revenue, the more likely it was to shorten stay-at-home orders during the early stages of the COVID pandemic. The findings suggest that state public-health decisions may have been influenced by unexpected budgetary constraints imposed by public-health restrictions.
"For this study, we looked at a host of state data - and it is important to note thatobservational studies cannot prove causation," says Nathan Goldman, co-author of the study and an associate professor of accounting in North Carolina State University's Poole College of Management. "However, we did find a very strong correlation between a state's sources of revenue and its public-health policies during the early days of the pandemic."
There is tremendous variability between states in the extent to which they rely on consumption taxes versus income taxes. For example, Washington State has no income tax but has a state sales tax of 6.5%. Oregon, on the other hand, has no sales tax, but has a progressive income tax system that tops out at 9.9%.
"The pandemic created a situation where people were staying home and many businesses were closed," Goldman says. "We wanted to see how tax policy, coupled with the pandemic, may have influenced other policy decisions."
For this study, the researchers evaluated data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Specifically, the researchers drew on each state's tax revenue data, as well as three state-level health-related policies that were widespread during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic: stay-at-home orders, restaurant closures and bar closures.
The researchers also controlled for the political party of the state's governor, historical presidential election voting patterns of the state, population, population density, unemployment, poverty rates, minimum wage, tax collections per capita, and geographic region.
"We wanted to account for those variables because they are indicators of conservative political orientation, which could also inform policy decisions on things like stay-at-home orders," Goldman says. "We wanted to see if there was a possible relationship between tax revenue and public-health policy, so we used statistical tools to account for these political proxies."
The researchers found that states without a sales tax were associated with longer stay-at-home orders than states that did have a sales tax. Further, the researchers found that the higher the proportion of a state's total tax revenue came from sales tax, the shorter the state's stay-at-home order duration.
"We conducted similar analyses at the national level for countries in the European Union and found the same correlation," says Goldman. "We also looked at county-by-county data for the states of Virginia and Georgia - and, again, the correlation was there.
"Studies like this one underscore the complex set of issues that inform public-health decisions and could shed light on how tax policies can constrain or influence policy issues seemingly unrelated to state revenue."
The paper, "Is State Tax Policy Associated with State-Level COVID-19 Restrictions?," is published open access in the journal Contemporary Accounting Research. The paper was co-authored by Stephen Lusch, the Deloitte-Touche Professor of Accountancy in the University of Kentucky's Gatton College of Business and Economics and by Luke Watson, an associate professor of accounting and information systems at Villanova University.
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Note to Editors: The study abstract follows.
"Is State Tax Policy Associated with State-Level COVID-19 Restrictions?"
Authors: Nathan C. Goldman, North Carolina State University; Stephen J. Lusch, University of Kentucky; and Luke Watson, Villanova University
Published: March 7, Contemporary Accounting Research
DOI: 10.1111/1911-3846.70039
Abstract: During the COVID-19 pandemic, states imposed restrictions intended to slow the spread of the virus. We investigate whether states' reliance on consumption tax revenue, relative to other tax revenue sources, influenced the duration of COVID-19 mobility restrictions. We find that states more dependent on consumption taxes experienced shorter durations of stay-home orders, restaurant closures, and bar closures. We conduct a series of analyses to mitigate concerns that state-level political preferences and biases may be influencing our findings. Our findings suggest that anticipated shortfalls in consumption tax revenue may have shaped public health responses, consistent with tax system structures unintentionally relating to crisis management decisions.
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Original text here: https://news.ncsu.edu/2026/03/public-health-tax-policies/
Loma Linda University Health: First-of-its-kind, Minimally Invasive Heart Valve Replacement Procedure Offers Hope to Patients
LOMA LINDA, California, March 10 -- Loma Linda University Health issued the following news:
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First-of-its-kind, minimally invasive heart valve replacement procedure offers new hope to patients
By Elena Aguirre
Loma Linda University Health (LLUH) has achieved a major milestone in advanced heart care, becoming the first non-trial hospital on the West Coast to perform a minimally invasive mitral valve replacement on February 24, using the newly FDA-approved transcatheter mitral valve system by Edwards Lifesciences.
For decades, patients who needed a mitral valve replacement had only one
... Show Full Article
LOMA LINDA, California, March 10 -- Loma Linda University Health issued the following news:
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First-of-its-kind, minimally invasive heart valve replacement procedure offers new hope to patients
By Elena Aguirre
Loma Linda University Health (LLUH) has achieved a major milestone in advanced heart care, becoming the first non-trial hospital on the West Coast to perform a minimally invasive mitral valve replacement on February 24, using the newly FDA-approved transcatheter mitral valve system by Edwards Lifesciences.
For decades, patients who needed a mitral valve replacement had only oneoption: open-heart surgery. For many older or medically fragile patients, that surgery carried too much risk. If they were not strong enough to withstand it, there were no other alternatives, and their condition often continued to worsen.
Now, there is another path.
Until late 2025, replacing the mitral valve required opening the chest, stopping the heart, and placing the patient on a heart-lung machine. While lifesaving for many, it involves significant recovery time and physical stress.
"Patients who were not surgical candidates essentially had no solution," says Amr Mohsen, MD, a structural interventional cardiologist at LLUH. "They would come into the hospital repeatedly with heart failure symptoms. We could manage them temporarily with medications, but the underlying valve problem remained."
The mitral valve regulates blood flow between the heart's left chambers. When it fails, either by leaking severely or no longer functioning properly, patients can experience extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, fluid buildup, and frequent hospitalizations.
With the new device, physicians can replace the mitral valve through a vein in the leg, avoiding open-heart surgery entirely. The procedure typically takes about 90 minutes or less. Patients are awake shortly afterward, walking the same day, and often go home within 24 to 48 hours.
"It's night and day compared to surgery," says Mohsen. "There is minimal recovery time. We tell patients, 'go home and go back to your life.'"
A new lease on life
Joy Campbell, 76, knows firsthand what it feels like to run out of options. Over the past several months, she was hospitalized multiple times with worsening heart failure caused by her failing mitral valve. She became so weak that she could barely climb the stairs.
"I couldn't even walk," Campbell says. "I love being outside, tending to my plants. I didn't have the energy. I felt older than 76."
Due to her overall health and frailty, open-heart surgery was not considered safe. Before this technology became available, she would have continued cycling in and out of the hospital.
Instead, she became the first patient on the West Coast to receive the new minimally invasive mitral valve replacement at LLUH in a non-clinical trial site after recent FDA approval.
The morning after her procedure, she was walking, eating dinner, and preparing to go home. "It's my new lease on life," says Campbell. "If my journey can help someone else, I'm ready. I'm so grateful."
The complexity of this procedure
Unlike the other heart valves, the mitral valve isn't perfectly round -- it has a more complex shape. That makes it much harder to replace without opening the chest.
The new device solves that problem by using a two-part design: a docking component that stabilizes the valve structure, followed by deployment of a replacement valve inside it.
The entire procedure is performed using advanced imaging guidance.
"I don't directly see the patient's native valve physically in front of me as a surgeon would," Mohsen explains. "I'm working through a vein in the leg, watching detailed heart imaging on a screen. It requires meticulous planning and an experienced imaging team."
At LLUH, the procedure is supported by a multidisciplinary team that includes structural interventional cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, advanced imaging specialists, and heart failure experts. Patients are closely monitored after the procedure and receive coordinated follow-up care.
"This is not something that can be done at every center," Mohsen says. "It requires experience, preparation, and a strong team."
The biggest challenge now is awareness.
"Many physicians and patients don't yet realize this option exists," says Mohsen. "That's why sharing these stories matters. Patients who were previously told there was nothing more that could be done should know there may be a solution."
He emphasizes that patients who have been turned down for surgery elsewhere or who continue to struggle with worsening heart failure should not assume they are out of options.
For Campbell, the breakthrough means returning to the life she thought she was losing. "I'm ready to start walking again," she says. "I'm ready to get back to my plants."
What patients should know
Minimally invasive mitral valve replacement is for those with severe disease who are not candidates for open-heart surgery due to age, frailty, or other medical conditions.
If you or a loved one is at high risk for open-heart surgery or has worsening mitral valve symptoms, consult your cardiologist about seeing a structural heart specialist.
For more information or to request an evaluation, call 1-800-INTL-HEART (468-5432) or visit the Structural & Valvular Heart Disease Care website (https://lluh.org/heart-vascular/our-services/adult-cardiology/structural-valvular-heart-disease-care#).
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Original text here: https://news.llu.edu/health-wellness/first-its-kind-minimally-invasive-heart-valve-replacement-procedure-offers-new-hope-patients
Case Western Reserve: Discover the Impact of the 2026 Charity Choice Campaign
CLEVELAND, Ohio, March 10 -- Case Western Reserve University issued the following news:
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Discover the impact of the 2026 Charity Choice campaign
Charity Choice Campaign delivers meaningful impact to CWRU students and community
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Due to the generosity of Case Western Reserve University faculty and staff members, the 2026 Charity Choice campaign--which ran from Nov. 10 through Dec. 12, 2025--raised $49,900.04 to support charitable organizations across campus and Greater Cleveland. This year also marked the first time donors could support the Student Emergency Fund and CWRU Community Pantry--two
... Show Full Article
CLEVELAND, Ohio, March 10 -- Case Western Reserve University issued the following news:
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Discover the impact of the 2026 Charity Choice campaign
Charity Choice Campaign delivers meaningful impact to CWRU students and community
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Due to the generosity of Case Western Reserve University faculty and staff members, the 2026 Charity Choice campaign--which ran from Nov. 10 through Dec. 12, 2025--raised $49,900.04 to support charitable organizations across campus and Greater Cleveland. This year also marked the first time donors could support the Student Emergency Fund and CWRU Community Pantry--twoinitiatives designed to directly assist CWRU students and the surrounding community.
"The Charity Choice campaign reflects the deep sense of care and shared responsibility that defines our Case Western Reserve University community," said Provost and Executive Vice President Joy K. Ward. "By supporting both long-standing charitable partners and campus initiatives like the Student Emergency Fund and the Community Pantry, our faculty and staff are helping ensure that students and local neighbors have access to the resources they need to learn, thrive, and succeed--especially in moments when support matters most."
Together, the Student Emergency Fund and Community Pantry received $10,370 in Charity Choice support. The remaining campaign funds supported a variety of other charitable organizations--including United Way of Greater Cleveland and EarthShare--reflecting the broad range of causes championed by CWRU faculty and staff.
Student Emergency Fund: A critical safety net
With $3,840 raised, the Student Emergency Fund provides short-term financial assistance for unexpected challenges such as essential utility bills, housing needs, transportation and supplies.
Through Charity Choice and other donor support--including the generous contributions of Candace and Vincent Gaudiani--the Student Emergency Fund has been able to provide critical financial assistance to students facing emergent situations.
"These funds help alleviate emergent needs so students can maintain focus on their pursuits at CWRU," said Greg Harris, associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students. "This support allows them to continue progress toward their degrees, research, experiential learning, community engagement and growth as global citizens."
CWRU Community Pantry: Meeting essential needs
The CWRU Community Pantry, supported by $6,530, addresses food insecurity and basic needs for students and community members. During the fall semester, the pantry supported 2,054 individuals, distributing more than 43,000 meals and 22,800 pounds of food and essential goods, while a mobile pantry reached an additional 469 neighbors.
According to Allison Gillis, a licensed social worker and senior assistant dean of students, Charity Choice and other donor support has made it possible to maintain access to nutritious food, hygiene products, and consistent staffing.
"This support allows students to focus on their studies and not where their next meal will come from," she said.
Want to Give?
If you missed this year's Charity Choice campaign, you can still make a difference. Support the Student Emergency Fund and CWRU Community Pantry, which accepts donations year-round. Every gift helps ensure students and community members have access to critical resources when they need them most.
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Original text here: https://case.edu/news/discover-impact-2026-charity-choice-campaign
