Education (Colleges & Universities)
Here's a look at documents from public, private and community colleges in the U.S.
Education (Colleges & Universities)
Featured Stories
Graduate Center Books to Enhance Your Summer
NEW YORK, June 22 -- The City University of New York Graduate Center posted the following news:
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Graduate Center Books to Enhance Your Summer
*
From the history behind America's political fault lines to the latest developments in Mexican television to the cultural forces shaping censorship, migration, music, and mental health, the books we've covered recently by Graduate Center faculty, students, and alumni illuminate both the promise and the complexity of our moment.
Consider adding these new books to your reading list as you head out of town or enjoy downtime closer to home.
As the ... Show Full Article NEW YORK, June 22 -- The City University of New York Graduate Center posted the following news: * * * Graduate Center Books to Enhance Your Summer * From the history behind America's political fault lines to the latest developments in Mexican television to the cultural forces shaping censorship, migration, music, and mental health, the books we've covered recently by Graduate Center faculty, students, and alumni illuminate both the promise and the complexity of our moment. Consider adding these new books to your reading list as you head out of town or enjoy downtime closer to home. As theU.S. turns 250, Distinguished Professor David S. Reynolds ( English, Comparative Literature, History, Biography and Memoir, Liberal Studies, American Studies ) explores how the Mayflower and the slave ship the White Lion helped shape the nation's enduring divisions in Two Ships: Jamestown 1619, Plymouth 1620, and the Struggle for the Soul of America.
In Black History Is for Everyone, Brian Jones (Ph.D. '18, Urban Education ), senior director for reading and engagement at the New York Public Library and a member of the Graduate Center Foundation Board, argues that Black history remains indispensable to understanding the challenges and opportunities of the present day.
Professor Jean Beaman ( Sociology, Black, Race, and Ethnic Studies, International Migration Studies, Africana Studies ) is a co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of Intersectional Approaches to Migration, Gender, and Sexuality, in which scholars from around the world examine how migration is shaped by gender, sexuality, race, class, citizenship, and other forms of inequality.
In Immigration: How the Past Shapes the Present, Distinguished Professor Emerita Nancy Foner (GC/Hunter College, Sociology, International Migration Studies ) examines the history behind immigration patterns and politics in the U.S. today.
The Sage Encyclopedia of Education and Gender, edited by Professor Sherry Deckman (GC/Lehman College, Social Welfare, Urban Education, Women's and Gender Studies ) features many contributors from the Graduate Center, including Professor Wendy Luttrell (GC/Urban Education, Sociology, Psychology, Women's and Gender Studies), who contributed one of six anchoring essays, and Ph.D. student Michelle Coleman-Peros (Urban Education), who served as assistant editor.
In the first biography of abstract expressionist Alice Baber, Alice Baber: An Artist's Triumph Over Tragedy, Distinguished Professor Gail Levin (GC/Baruch, Art History, Women's and Gender Studies, American Studies) explores how Baber built a celebrated career despite the bias women faced in the art world of the 1950s and why she later faded from view.
The Madness Pill: One Doctor's Quest to Understand Schizophrenia, by Professor Justin Garson (GC/Hunter College, Philosophy ), explores the career of neuroscientist Solomon Snyder, who in 1975 discovered the brain's dopamine receptor and forever changed understandings and treatments of mental illness.
In Brooklyn Odyssey: My Journey out of Hasidism, Professor Schneur Zalman Newfield (GC/Hunter College, Sociology) recounts his childhood in the Lubavitch Hasidic community in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and his journey of faith, family, education, and self-discovery as he gradually broke from the world that shaped him.
Samuel Cohen (Ph.D. '03, English), a professor of English at the University of Missouri, is the editor of Banning Books in America: Not a How-To, a new collection that gathers writers, educators, and scholars to examine the recent surge in censorship efforts and the political and cultural forces driving them.
In The Composer's Black Box: Making Music in Cybernetic America, Professor Theodore Gordon (GC/Baruch, Music ) examines how thinking machines reshaped not only modern music but also how we understand creativity itself.
Distinguished Professor Paul Julian Smith (Comparative Literature, Latin American, Iberian, and Latino Cultures, Film and Media Cultures ) wrote Television Drama in Mexico: From Broadcast to Streaming to explore the ways high-quality Mexican TV shows are shifting perceptions of the genre.
***
Original text here: https://www.gc.cuny.edu/news/graduate-center-books-enhance-your-summer
* * *
Graduate Center Books to Enhance Your Summer
*
From the history behind America's political fault lines to the latest developments in Mexican television to the cultural forces shaping censorship, migration, music, and mental health, the books we've covered recently by Graduate Center faculty, students, and alumni illuminate both the promise and the complexity of our moment.
Consider adding these new books to your reading list as you head out of town or enjoy downtime closer to home.
As the ... Show Full Article NEW YORK, June 22 -- The City University of New York Graduate Center posted the following news: * * * Graduate Center Books to Enhance Your Summer * From the history behind America's political fault lines to the latest developments in Mexican television to the cultural forces shaping censorship, migration, music, and mental health, the books we've covered recently by Graduate Center faculty, students, and alumni illuminate both the promise and the complexity of our moment. Consider adding these new books to your reading list as you head out of town or enjoy downtime closer to home. As theU.S. turns 250, Distinguished Professor David S. Reynolds ( English, Comparative Literature, History, Biography and Memoir, Liberal Studies, American Studies ) explores how the Mayflower and the slave ship the White Lion helped shape the nation's enduring divisions in Two Ships: Jamestown 1619, Plymouth 1620, and the Struggle for the Soul of America.
In Black History Is for Everyone, Brian Jones (Ph.D. '18, Urban Education ), senior director for reading and engagement at the New York Public Library and a member of the Graduate Center Foundation Board, argues that Black history remains indispensable to understanding the challenges and opportunities of the present day.
Professor Jean Beaman ( Sociology, Black, Race, and Ethnic Studies, International Migration Studies, Africana Studies ) is a co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of Intersectional Approaches to Migration, Gender, and Sexuality, in which scholars from around the world examine how migration is shaped by gender, sexuality, race, class, citizenship, and other forms of inequality.
In Immigration: How the Past Shapes the Present, Distinguished Professor Emerita Nancy Foner (GC/Hunter College, Sociology, International Migration Studies ) examines the history behind immigration patterns and politics in the U.S. today.
The Sage Encyclopedia of Education and Gender, edited by Professor Sherry Deckman (GC/Lehman College, Social Welfare, Urban Education, Women's and Gender Studies ) features many contributors from the Graduate Center, including Professor Wendy Luttrell (GC/Urban Education, Sociology, Psychology, Women's and Gender Studies), who contributed one of six anchoring essays, and Ph.D. student Michelle Coleman-Peros (Urban Education), who served as assistant editor.
In the first biography of abstract expressionist Alice Baber, Alice Baber: An Artist's Triumph Over Tragedy, Distinguished Professor Gail Levin (GC/Baruch, Art History, Women's and Gender Studies, American Studies) explores how Baber built a celebrated career despite the bias women faced in the art world of the 1950s and why she later faded from view.
The Madness Pill: One Doctor's Quest to Understand Schizophrenia, by Professor Justin Garson (GC/Hunter College, Philosophy ), explores the career of neuroscientist Solomon Snyder, who in 1975 discovered the brain's dopamine receptor and forever changed understandings and treatments of mental illness.
In Brooklyn Odyssey: My Journey out of Hasidism, Professor Schneur Zalman Newfield (GC/Hunter College, Sociology) recounts his childhood in the Lubavitch Hasidic community in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and his journey of faith, family, education, and self-discovery as he gradually broke from the world that shaped him.
Samuel Cohen (Ph.D. '03, English), a professor of English at the University of Missouri, is the editor of Banning Books in America: Not a How-To, a new collection that gathers writers, educators, and scholars to examine the recent surge in censorship efforts and the political and cultural forces driving them.
In The Composer's Black Box: Making Music in Cybernetic America, Professor Theodore Gordon (GC/Baruch, Music ) examines how thinking machines reshaped not only modern music but also how we understand creativity itself.
Distinguished Professor Paul Julian Smith (Comparative Literature, Latin American, Iberian, and Latino Cultures, Film and Media Cultures ) wrote Television Drama in Mexico: From Broadcast to Streaming to explore the ways high-quality Mexican TV shows are shifting perceptions of the genre.
***
Original text here: https://www.gc.cuny.edu/news/graduate-center-books-enhance-your-summer
Western Research Could Expand Remote Access to Care for Thumb Arthritis
LONDON, Canada, June 20 -- Western University issued the following news:
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Western research could expand remote access to care for thumb arthritis
Professor Joy MacDermid leading project funded by Ignite Innovation Grant to provide more equitable care
By Colleen MacDonald
The burning, grinding pain of thumb arthritis disrupts daily life for one in four older adults in Canada. Thumb splints can reduce pain and improve hand function, and now, a Western University researcher in London, Ont. is working to bring custom 3D-printed splints to patients who can't access specialist clinics.
Joy ... Show Full Article LONDON, Canada, June 20 -- Western University issued the following news: * * * Western research could expand remote access to care for thumb arthritis Professor Joy MacDermid leading project funded by Ignite Innovation Grant to provide more equitable care By Colleen MacDonald The burning, grinding pain of thumb arthritis disrupts daily life for one in four older adults in Canada. Thumb splints can reduce pain and improve hand function, and now, a Western University researcher in London, Ont. is working to bring custom 3D-printed splints to patients who can't access specialist clinics. JoyMacDermid, a physiotherapy professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences and a member of Western's Bone and Joint Institute, received an Ignite Innovation Grant from the Arthritis Society of Canada to fund the second phase of her study. It will improve care for people with thumb arthritis, a condition that occurs when cartilage breaks down in the carpometacarpal joint at the base of the thumb, causing pain, stiffness and weakened grip.
"We see a lot of women over 50 with thumb arthritis, especially those doing physical work," MacDermid said. "They struggle with daily activities like turning a key or caring for grandchildren."
The current standard of care requires a hand therapist to see the patient in person, assess their hand and mold a thermoplastic splint directly onto it. Though a proven process, it depends on physical proximity to a specialist clinic. MacDermid and her team are devising a new solution that doesn't require in-person visits.
Splints improve joint alignment in thumb arthritis
As co-director of the clinical research lab at Roth | McFarlane Hand & Upper Limb Centre (Roth | McFarlane) and a scientist at Lawson Research Institute (Lawson) of St. Joseph's Health Care London, MacDermid leads researchers studying how to measure, predict and reduce upper extremity disability.
Marjan Saeedi, a physical therapy PhD candidate, is part of the team at Roth | McFarlane.
"Over time, the CMC joint becomes unstable and misaligned due to cartilage degeneration, affecting the ligaments and muscles as well. Because we use our thumbs constantly, the misalignment and pain worsens," she said. "A splint helps support joint alignment. It's even helpful following joint replacement surgery."
Western engineering professor and Lawson scientist Louis Ferreira led an earlier Mitacs-funded study with MacDermid and Belgian industry partner Orfit to develop a remote splint-making process using new materials and new 3D hand-scanning technology: an iPhone scanning app or a custom scanner developed in Ferreira's bioengineering lab. Without the patient being present, the scans captured the precise measurements needed to fabricate 3D-printed custom splints.
MacDermid's team also developed a clinical app to remotely assess a patient's pain levels, hand function and splint requirements, replicating the intake process normally done in person. The prototypes made with the new process showed promise.
"The question now is whether people can use the new methods in routine clinical practice," MacDermid said.
Implementing, testing the innovative thumb splint
MacDermid is leading an Arthritis Society Ignite Grant evaluating how hand therapists use the new process and how patients respond to the 3D-printed splints compared to conventional ones. Her team hopes to scale up the new process by running workshops to train hand therapists at Roth | McFarlane and in community-based clinics across London, Ont. They're also evaluating scanners that offer more precision than iPhone apps, without the cost of their custom device.
In the trial of the 3D-printed solution, patients receive both a traditionally fabricated splint and a digitally produced one, wearing each for six weeks while researchers assess hand strength, pain levels and patient preference.
"Most were really eager to try the 3D-printed version," said Saeedi. "The perforations from the printing process improve air circulation, and female patients liked its smaller size and the option to choose the colour, making it like an accessory on their hand."
Saeedi is writing her dissertation on what makes patients adhere to consistent use of their splints. Pain relief and comfort top the list, though she has also documented a motivator outside of its main clinical use.
"Patients say, 'I can wear it when my grandchildren are around or on public transit, without worrying about pain or further injury if it gets bumped or jostled'," Saeedi said. "That sense of protection helps keep them using it."
Addressing access barriers in thumb arthritis treatment
The remotely designed, 3D-printed splint is not intended to replace traditional care, but to remove barriers to accessing care.
"Some of our clients are driving from Owen Sound or Sarnia or Windsor, in the middle of winter," MacDermid said. "In the future, if their splint gets damaged or their hand changes, we would be able to reprint it from the pattern in our system and mail it to them - no return trip needed."
The Ignite Grant includes funding for MacDermid's team to adapt their process to make splints for patients recovering from surgery or injections to treat Dupuytren's contracture, a separate hand condition that causes fingers to permanently bend inward due to thickening and shortening of connective tissue in the palm.
MacDermid attributes the project's success from the beginning to contributions from many grad students and postdoctoral scholars across faculties, including those Ferreira supervised.
"This project is genuinely interdisciplinary. We simply can't do the clinical work without the engineering, and vice versa," she said.
MacDermid says the future of the project could reach communities with some clinical infrastructure but no hand specialist. Going further still, with the help of AI-assisted remote scanning, the process would enable people in remote locations like the Arctic, with no local clinical support at all, to access custom splints.
For now, the project is already attracting interest from therapists in other provinces who want to attend the workshops.
"That would be a substantial accomplishment to spread a working clinical process across Canada," MacDermid said. "This technology could make a real difference for people who currently aren't getting care at all due to distance, disability or the absence of specialist care."
* * *
Original text here: https://news.westernu.ca/2026/06/western-research-3d-printed-splints-thumb-arthritis/
* * *
Western research could expand remote access to care for thumb arthritis
Professor Joy MacDermid leading project funded by Ignite Innovation Grant to provide more equitable care
By Colleen MacDonald
The burning, grinding pain of thumb arthritis disrupts daily life for one in four older adults in Canada. Thumb splints can reduce pain and improve hand function, and now, a Western University researcher in London, Ont. is working to bring custom 3D-printed splints to patients who can't access specialist clinics.
Joy ... Show Full Article LONDON, Canada, June 20 -- Western University issued the following news: * * * Western research could expand remote access to care for thumb arthritis Professor Joy MacDermid leading project funded by Ignite Innovation Grant to provide more equitable care By Colleen MacDonald The burning, grinding pain of thumb arthritis disrupts daily life for one in four older adults in Canada. Thumb splints can reduce pain and improve hand function, and now, a Western University researcher in London, Ont. is working to bring custom 3D-printed splints to patients who can't access specialist clinics. JoyMacDermid, a physiotherapy professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences and a member of Western's Bone and Joint Institute, received an Ignite Innovation Grant from the Arthritis Society of Canada to fund the second phase of her study. It will improve care for people with thumb arthritis, a condition that occurs when cartilage breaks down in the carpometacarpal joint at the base of the thumb, causing pain, stiffness and weakened grip.
"We see a lot of women over 50 with thumb arthritis, especially those doing physical work," MacDermid said. "They struggle with daily activities like turning a key or caring for grandchildren."
The current standard of care requires a hand therapist to see the patient in person, assess their hand and mold a thermoplastic splint directly onto it. Though a proven process, it depends on physical proximity to a specialist clinic. MacDermid and her team are devising a new solution that doesn't require in-person visits.
Splints improve joint alignment in thumb arthritis
As co-director of the clinical research lab at Roth | McFarlane Hand & Upper Limb Centre (Roth | McFarlane) and a scientist at Lawson Research Institute (Lawson) of St. Joseph's Health Care London, MacDermid leads researchers studying how to measure, predict and reduce upper extremity disability.
Marjan Saeedi, a physical therapy PhD candidate, is part of the team at Roth | McFarlane.
"Over time, the CMC joint becomes unstable and misaligned due to cartilage degeneration, affecting the ligaments and muscles as well. Because we use our thumbs constantly, the misalignment and pain worsens," she said. "A splint helps support joint alignment. It's even helpful following joint replacement surgery."
Western engineering professor and Lawson scientist Louis Ferreira led an earlier Mitacs-funded study with MacDermid and Belgian industry partner Orfit to develop a remote splint-making process using new materials and new 3D hand-scanning technology: an iPhone scanning app or a custom scanner developed in Ferreira's bioengineering lab. Without the patient being present, the scans captured the precise measurements needed to fabricate 3D-printed custom splints.
MacDermid's team also developed a clinical app to remotely assess a patient's pain levels, hand function and splint requirements, replicating the intake process normally done in person. The prototypes made with the new process showed promise.
"The question now is whether people can use the new methods in routine clinical practice," MacDermid said.
Implementing, testing the innovative thumb splint
MacDermid is leading an Arthritis Society Ignite Grant evaluating how hand therapists use the new process and how patients respond to the 3D-printed splints compared to conventional ones. Her team hopes to scale up the new process by running workshops to train hand therapists at Roth | McFarlane and in community-based clinics across London, Ont. They're also evaluating scanners that offer more precision than iPhone apps, without the cost of their custom device.
In the trial of the 3D-printed solution, patients receive both a traditionally fabricated splint and a digitally produced one, wearing each for six weeks while researchers assess hand strength, pain levels and patient preference.
"Most were really eager to try the 3D-printed version," said Saeedi. "The perforations from the printing process improve air circulation, and female patients liked its smaller size and the option to choose the colour, making it like an accessory on their hand."
Saeedi is writing her dissertation on what makes patients adhere to consistent use of their splints. Pain relief and comfort top the list, though she has also documented a motivator outside of its main clinical use.
"Patients say, 'I can wear it when my grandchildren are around or on public transit, without worrying about pain or further injury if it gets bumped or jostled'," Saeedi said. "That sense of protection helps keep them using it."
Addressing access barriers in thumb arthritis treatment
The remotely designed, 3D-printed splint is not intended to replace traditional care, but to remove barriers to accessing care.
"Some of our clients are driving from Owen Sound or Sarnia or Windsor, in the middle of winter," MacDermid said. "In the future, if their splint gets damaged or their hand changes, we would be able to reprint it from the pattern in our system and mail it to them - no return trip needed."
The Ignite Grant includes funding for MacDermid's team to adapt their process to make splints for patients recovering from surgery or injections to treat Dupuytren's contracture, a separate hand condition that causes fingers to permanently bend inward due to thickening and shortening of connective tissue in the palm.
MacDermid attributes the project's success from the beginning to contributions from many grad students and postdoctoral scholars across faculties, including those Ferreira supervised.
"This project is genuinely interdisciplinary. We simply can't do the clinical work without the engineering, and vice versa," she said.
MacDermid says the future of the project could reach communities with some clinical infrastructure but no hand specialist. Going further still, with the help of AI-assisted remote scanning, the process would enable people in remote locations like the Arctic, with no local clinical support at all, to access custom splints.
For now, the project is already attracting interest from therapists in other provinces who want to attend the workshops.
"That would be a substantial accomplishment to spread a working clinical process across Canada," MacDermid said. "This technology could make a real difference for people who currently aren't getting care at all due to distance, disability or the absence of specialist care."
* * *
Original text here: https://news.westernu.ca/2026/06/western-research-3d-printed-splints-thumb-arthritis/
Western Advances in Global Rankings, Placing in Top 10 Per Cent
LONDON, Canada, June 20 -- Western University issued the following news:
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Western advances in global rankings, placing in top 10 per cent
Ranked sixth in Canada, the university sits 142nd among 1,500 institutions worldwide in QS World University Rankings
By Keri Ferguson
Western has been named one of the top universities globally, according to the latest edition of the QS World University Rankings.
The 2027 report, released June 17 by higher education analyst QS Quacquarelli Symonds, places Western sixth in Canada and 142nd among 1,500 universities worldwide.
Western moved up nine spots ... Show Full Article LONDON, Canada, June 20 -- Western University issued the following news: * * * Western advances in global rankings, placing in top 10 per cent Ranked sixth in Canada, the university sits 142nd among 1,500 institutions worldwide in QS World University Rankings By Keri Ferguson Western has been named one of the top universities globally, according to the latest edition of the QS World University Rankings. The 2027 report, released June 17 by higher education analyst QS Quacquarelli Symonds, places Western sixth in Canada and 142nd among 1,500 universities worldwide. Western moved up nine spotssince the 2026 QS World University Rankings, gaining ground across multiple categories, including academic reputation, employer reputation, international research network and sustainability.
"Rankings are one of the tools we use to measure progress on building Western's reputation as a global university," said Western President Alan Shepard. "Being among the top institutions in the world, scored highly for research citations, international network and sustainability, among other key categories, means we are gaining momentum and enabling Western to continue growing our impact in Canada and around the world."
Benchmarking academic excellence
The QS rankings are a measure to benchmark academic excellence, helping guide students, scholars and institutions in their decisions.
The assessment evaluates university performance using five broad performance metrics, comprised of nine weighted indicators: research and discovery (academic reputation and citations), employability and outcomes (employer reputation and outcomes), global engagement (international faculty, international research network and international students), learning experience (faculty-student radio) and sustainability.
Western's global rankings by the numbers
Western stood out globally in the following areas:
* Sustainability, ranking 24th in the world, and fourth in Canada, with a score of 95.3. This latest ranking - among the top five per cent globally - shows Western remains committed to sustainability, a key pillar in its strategic plan, Towards Western 150. Earlier this year, the university launched its new Climate and Sustainability Strategy, which reflects the campus community's commitment to a regenerative future. In April, Western was named one of Canada's Greenest Employers in an annual assessment of organizations across the country.
* Global engagement, specifically through the international research network indicator. It measures an institution's success "in creating and sustaining research partnerships in other locations, the number of different countries represented in those collaborations and whether these relationships are renewed and repeated."
Building and strengthening global partnerships is one of the priorities of Western in the World, the university's global engagement plan and Mobilize for Impact, Western Research's strategic plan.
Western also rose over last year in academic reputation, placing in the top 25 per cent, and remains first in Canada for citations per faculty. Earlier this year, the university ranked among the world's top 400 universities in 40 subjects according to the 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject, tying for second in Canada for philosophy.
The university also is positioned among the top 25 per cent globally for employer reputation. In April, Western was named one of Southwestern Ontario's top employers for the third consecutive year.
Learn more about how Western is preparing future leaders and global citizens (https://allin.westernu.ca/preparing-future-leaders-and-global-citizens).
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Original text here: https://news.westernu.ca/2026/06/western-qs-world-rankings/
* * *
Western advances in global rankings, placing in top 10 per cent
Ranked sixth in Canada, the university sits 142nd among 1,500 institutions worldwide in QS World University Rankings
By Keri Ferguson
Western has been named one of the top universities globally, according to the latest edition of the QS World University Rankings.
The 2027 report, released June 17 by higher education analyst QS Quacquarelli Symonds, places Western sixth in Canada and 142nd among 1,500 universities worldwide.
Western moved up nine spots ... Show Full Article LONDON, Canada, June 20 -- Western University issued the following news: * * * Western advances in global rankings, placing in top 10 per cent Ranked sixth in Canada, the university sits 142nd among 1,500 institutions worldwide in QS World University Rankings By Keri Ferguson Western has been named one of the top universities globally, according to the latest edition of the QS World University Rankings. The 2027 report, released June 17 by higher education analyst QS Quacquarelli Symonds, places Western sixth in Canada and 142nd among 1,500 universities worldwide. Western moved up nine spotssince the 2026 QS World University Rankings, gaining ground across multiple categories, including academic reputation, employer reputation, international research network and sustainability.
"Rankings are one of the tools we use to measure progress on building Western's reputation as a global university," said Western President Alan Shepard. "Being among the top institutions in the world, scored highly for research citations, international network and sustainability, among other key categories, means we are gaining momentum and enabling Western to continue growing our impact in Canada and around the world."
Benchmarking academic excellence
The QS rankings are a measure to benchmark academic excellence, helping guide students, scholars and institutions in their decisions.
The assessment evaluates university performance using five broad performance metrics, comprised of nine weighted indicators: research and discovery (academic reputation and citations), employability and outcomes (employer reputation and outcomes), global engagement (international faculty, international research network and international students), learning experience (faculty-student radio) and sustainability.
Western's global rankings by the numbers
Western stood out globally in the following areas:
* Sustainability, ranking 24th in the world, and fourth in Canada, with a score of 95.3. This latest ranking - among the top five per cent globally - shows Western remains committed to sustainability, a key pillar in its strategic plan, Towards Western 150. Earlier this year, the university launched its new Climate and Sustainability Strategy, which reflects the campus community's commitment to a regenerative future. In April, Western was named one of Canada's Greenest Employers in an annual assessment of organizations across the country.
* Global engagement, specifically through the international research network indicator. It measures an institution's success "in creating and sustaining research partnerships in other locations, the number of different countries represented in those collaborations and whether these relationships are renewed and repeated."
Building and strengthening global partnerships is one of the priorities of Western in the World, the university's global engagement plan and Mobilize for Impact, Western Research's strategic plan.
Western also rose over last year in academic reputation, placing in the top 25 per cent, and remains first in Canada for citations per faculty. Earlier this year, the university ranked among the world's top 400 universities in 40 subjects according to the 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject, tying for second in Canada for philosophy.
The university also is positioned among the top 25 per cent globally for employer reputation. In April, Western was named one of Southwestern Ontario's top employers for the third consecutive year.
Learn more about how Western is preparing future leaders and global citizens (https://allin.westernu.ca/preparing-future-leaders-and-global-citizens).
* * *
Original text here: https://news.westernu.ca/2026/06/western-qs-world-rankings/
University of New South Wales: Helium is More Than Party Balloons - Why Australia Needs to Take This Invisible Gas Seriously
SYDNEY, Australia, June 20 -- The University of New South Wales posted the following news:
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Helium is more than party balloons. Why Australia needs to take this invisible gas seriously
Neil Martin
Helium quietly keeps MRI scanners, semiconductor factories and quantum computers running. But even though global supply is scarce, Australia may be venting a resource that could help secure its technological future.
For many people, helium means party balloons, squeaky voices and birthday decorations.
But if helium supply runs short, the impact is likely to be felt somewhere much more serious: ... Show Full Article SYDNEY, Australia, June 20 -- The University of New South Wales posted the following news: * * * Helium is more than party balloons. Why Australia needs to take this invisible gas seriously Neil Martin Helium quietly keeps MRI scanners, semiconductor factories and quantum computers running. But even though global supply is scarce, Australia may be venting a resource that could help secure its technological future. For many people, helium means party balloons, squeaky voices and birthday decorations. But if helium supply runs short, the impact is likely to be felt somewhere much more serious:in hospitals, research laboratories, semiconductor factories and the emerging quantum computing industry.
"Helium's use in non-essential party balloons is obvious, but its role in essential data and computing is not," says Dr Arup George, opens in a new window, a researcher in the School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications, opens in a new window at UNSW.
That role is becoming more important as the world builds more MRI machines, more advanced computer chips, more fibre-optic cables, more AI data centres and more quantum computers.
The problem is that helium is not like many other industrial gases. It cannot be made at scale when needed. It is produced naturally underground over immense periods of time, usually recovered as a by-product of natural gas, and once released into the atmosphere it can escape Earth altogether.
That makes helium a small but strategically important resource -- and one Australia may be able to do much more with.
Why does helium matter?
Helium has unusual properties that make it useful in places where other gases do not work as well.
One of its most important uses is in MRI scanners. These machines create very powerful magnetic fields to produce detailed images of the inside of the human body. To do that, they rely on superconducting magnets -- coils of wire that can carry electricity with zero resistance, but only when kept extremely cold.
That is where helium comes in. Liquid helium boils at around minus 269 C, making it cold enough to keep MRI magnets superconducting. Many existing scanners hold well over a thousand litres of liquid helium, although newer sealed designs can use much less.
If the helium runs out, a large number of scanners stop working.
"Hospitals around the world ration scans when helium supply gets disrupted. And that might be when people encounter helium most directly -- when it isn't there," says Dr George.
Helium is also important to the digital technologies people use every day. Advanced semiconductor chips -- including those used in phones, laptops and AI systems -- rely on helium at several points in manufacturing, including to cool silicon wafers, flush manufacturing chambers and detect tiny leaks in vacuum systems.
The gas is also used in the production of fibre-optic cables, which carry internet traffic, video streaming and cloud computing services around the world.
"So even if most people never see helium being used this way, they rely on it constantly," says Dr George.
Why future technologies need it
Two of the technologies expected to shape the next few decades -- artificial intelligence and quantum computing -- already depend on helium.
AI depends on advanced semiconductor chips. The more advanced the chip, the more complex the manufacturing process becomes, and the more precisely temperatures, gases and vacuum conditions need to be controlled.
Quantum computing is even more dependent on extreme cooling. Many quantum processors must operate at temperatures just a fraction of a degree above absolute zero. That is colder than deep space and far colder than an MRI magnet.
The large golden, chandelier-like structures often shown in photos of quantum computers are not the computer itself. They are helium-based cooling systems. The actual quantum processor may be a tiny chip near the bottom of the structure.
This is why helium supply is not just a scientific curiosity. It is part of the infrastructure behind the future economy.
Can't we just make more helium?
Not in any practical sense.
Helium forms underground through the slow radioactive decay of elements such as uranium and thorium. Some of that helium becomes trapped beneath the same kinds of rock formations that trap natural gas.
That is why helium is usually extracted as a by-product of natural gas and liquefied natural gas production, rather than mined on its own.
But helium has another unusual feature: it is so light that, once it escapes into the atmosphere, it can drift upward and be lost into space.
That means helium is not just scarce. It is also easy to waste permanently.
"Helium is a non-renewable resource because once its released it leaves the planet entirely," says Dr George. "Every cubic metre vented from a gas plant is gone for good."
A fragile global supply chain
Helium is produced by only a small number of countries.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey's 2026 Mineral Commodity Summaries, estimated 2025 helium production was around 190 million cubic metres globally. The United States produced about 81 million cubic metres and Qatar about 63 million cubic metres, meaning those two countries together accounted for roughly three-quarters of global production.
That concentration creates risk. If one major source is disrupted, there are few easy alternatives.
Recent events have shown how quickly that can matter. In March, Iranian strikes on Qatar's Ras Laffan gas complex knocked out roughly a third of the world's helium supply - triggering a global helium shortage that has rippled through hospitals and research labs.
Russian helium supply has also been affected by international sanctions on the country, and because helium has no practical substitute in some of its most important ultra-cold applications, shortages cannot simply be solved by switching gases.
In a shortage, critical users such as hospitals and semiconductor manufacturers are likely to be prioritised. But that still leaves countries without domestic supply exposed to price shocks, delays and rationing.
What happened to Australia's helium supply?
Australia used to produce helium.
The country's only helium production facility was at Darwin, as a by-product of liquefied natural gas. But production stopped in late 2023 after the gas field was depleted.
That means Australia now imports every cubic metre of helium it uses.
For a gas that supports medical imaging, advanced manufacturing and quantum research, that dependence matters.
"It means Australia is at the end of a long and fragile supply chain for something that underpins the technologies we say we want to build," says Dr George.
Australia may already be venting a valuable resource
The striking part is that Australia may already be bringing helium to the surface - and letting it go.
Research by the Future Energy Exports Cooperative Research Centre, led by Professor Eric May from the University of Western Australia, has identified significant helium resources in Australian natural gas.
Its report on helium development in Australia says helium can be efficiently produced from natural gas and that some Australian LNG plants are likely venting gas with comparable or higher helium concentrations than the feed used by Australia's former helium producer.
Another FEnEx CRC case study says recovery of helium as a by-product of LNG production is attractive because helium can become enriched during LNG processing, particularly in nitrogen rejection units. It also identifies opportunities for further helium recovery studies at several Australian gas projects.
In plain terms, Australia may not need to discover an entirely new industry from scratch. Some of the infrastructure already exists. The helium is being concentrated through gas processing. The question is whether it is captured or vented.
"Capturing it would turn a waste stream into a strategic supply," says Dr George.
The policy gap
Helium was previously on Australia's Critical Minerals List. But in December 2023, the Australian government updated the list and removed helium, saying the change more closely aligned Australia's list with those of international strategic partners.
Dr George says that decision should be revisited in light of recent global supply disruptions and rising demand from advanced technologies.
Policy options could include restoring helium to the Critical Minerals List, requiring helium recovery assessments for new gas projects, and supporting feasibility studies for capturing helium from existing LNG operations.
The point is not simply to produce another export commodity. It is to avoid permanently losing a finite resource that Australia may need for its own hospitals, laboratories and future industries.
Why sovereign capability matters
Sovereign capability means being able to secure access to something important without relying entirely on overseas supply.
For helium, that could mean more secure access for MRI scanners, universities, research facilities and high-tech manufacturing. It could also support Australia's ambitions in quantum computing, which cannot advance without reliable access to extreme cooling.
There is also a broader strategic issue.
Australia depends heavily on the global semiconductor supply chain. But helium could give Australia something valuable to offer that same supply chain in return. Chipmakers in places such as Taiwan, South Korea and Japan need stable helium supplies. Australia has natural gas infrastructure and potential helium resources.
"There is more to be done before Australian helium can supply the chip manufacturers. But starting production is a first step," says Dr George.
The bigger picture
Helium is easy to overlook because it is invisible, odourless and most familiar in a playful setting.
But its most important uses are not playful. They are essential to modern medicine, advanced computing, research and manufacturing.
The challenge for Australia is that helium sits at the intersection of several national priorities: health care, critical minerals, energy exports, advanced manufacturing, quantum technology and strategic supply chains.
It is also a resource that, if wasted, cannot be recovered later.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2026/06/helium-supply-chains
* * *
Helium is more than party balloons. Why Australia needs to take this invisible gas seriously
Neil Martin
Helium quietly keeps MRI scanners, semiconductor factories and quantum computers running. But even though global supply is scarce, Australia may be venting a resource that could help secure its technological future.
For many people, helium means party balloons, squeaky voices and birthday decorations.
But if helium supply runs short, the impact is likely to be felt somewhere much more serious: ... Show Full Article SYDNEY, Australia, June 20 -- The University of New South Wales posted the following news: * * * Helium is more than party balloons. Why Australia needs to take this invisible gas seriously Neil Martin Helium quietly keeps MRI scanners, semiconductor factories and quantum computers running. But even though global supply is scarce, Australia may be venting a resource that could help secure its technological future. For many people, helium means party balloons, squeaky voices and birthday decorations. But if helium supply runs short, the impact is likely to be felt somewhere much more serious:in hospitals, research laboratories, semiconductor factories and the emerging quantum computing industry.
"Helium's use in non-essential party balloons is obvious, but its role in essential data and computing is not," says Dr Arup George, opens in a new window, a researcher in the School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications, opens in a new window at UNSW.
That role is becoming more important as the world builds more MRI machines, more advanced computer chips, more fibre-optic cables, more AI data centres and more quantum computers.
The problem is that helium is not like many other industrial gases. It cannot be made at scale when needed. It is produced naturally underground over immense periods of time, usually recovered as a by-product of natural gas, and once released into the atmosphere it can escape Earth altogether.
That makes helium a small but strategically important resource -- and one Australia may be able to do much more with.
Why does helium matter?
Helium has unusual properties that make it useful in places where other gases do not work as well.
One of its most important uses is in MRI scanners. These machines create very powerful magnetic fields to produce detailed images of the inside of the human body. To do that, they rely on superconducting magnets -- coils of wire that can carry electricity with zero resistance, but only when kept extremely cold.
That is where helium comes in. Liquid helium boils at around minus 269 C, making it cold enough to keep MRI magnets superconducting. Many existing scanners hold well over a thousand litres of liquid helium, although newer sealed designs can use much less.
If the helium runs out, a large number of scanners stop working.
"Hospitals around the world ration scans when helium supply gets disrupted. And that might be when people encounter helium most directly -- when it isn't there," says Dr George.
Helium is also important to the digital technologies people use every day. Advanced semiconductor chips -- including those used in phones, laptops and AI systems -- rely on helium at several points in manufacturing, including to cool silicon wafers, flush manufacturing chambers and detect tiny leaks in vacuum systems.
The gas is also used in the production of fibre-optic cables, which carry internet traffic, video streaming and cloud computing services around the world.
"So even if most people never see helium being used this way, they rely on it constantly," says Dr George.
Why future technologies need it
Two of the technologies expected to shape the next few decades -- artificial intelligence and quantum computing -- already depend on helium.
AI depends on advanced semiconductor chips. The more advanced the chip, the more complex the manufacturing process becomes, and the more precisely temperatures, gases and vacuum conditions need to be controlled.
Quantum computing is even more dependent on extreme cooling. Many quantum processors must operate at temperatures just a fraction of a degree above absolute zero. That is colder than deep space and far colder than an MRI magnet.
The large golden, chandelier-like structures often shown in photos of quantum computers are not the computer itself. They are helium-based cooling systems. The actual quantum processor may be a tiny chip near the bottom of the structure.
This is why helium supply is not just a scientific curiosity. It is part of the infrastructure behind the future economy.
Can't we just make more helium?
Not in any practical sense.
Helium forms underground through the slow radioactive decay of elements such as uranium and thorium. Some of that helium becomes trapped beneath the same kinds of rock formations that trap natural gas.
That is why helium is usually extracted as a by-product of natural gas and liquefied natural gas production, rather than mined on its own.
But helium has another unusual feature: it is so light that, once it escapes into the atmosphere, it can drift upward and be lost into space.
That means helium is not just scarce. It is also easy to waste permanently.
"Helium is a non-renewable resource because once its released it leaves the planet entirely," says Dr George. "Every cubic metre vented from a gas plant is gone for good."
A fragile global supply chain
Helium is produced by only a small number of countries.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey's 2026 Mineral Commodity Summaries, estimated 2025 helium production was around 190 million cubic metres globally. The United States produced about 81 million cubic metres and Qatar about 63 million cubic metres, meaning those two countries together accounted for roughly three-quarters of global production.
That concentration creates risk. If one major source is disrupted, there are few easy alternatives.
Recent events have shown how quickly that can matter. In March, Iranian strikes on Qatar's Ras Laffan gas complex knocked out roughly a third of the world's helium supply - triggering a global helium shortage that has rippled through hospitals and research labs.
Russian helium supply has also been affected by international sanctions on the country, and because helium has no practical substitute in some of its most important ultra-cold applications, shortages cannot simply be solved by switching gases.
In a shortage, critical users such as hospitals and semiconductor manufacturers are likely to be prioritised. But that still leaves countries without domestic supply exposed to price shocks, delays and rationing.
What happened to Australia's helium supply?
Australia used to produce helium.
The country's only helium production facility was at Darwin, as a by-product of liquefied natural gas. But production stopped in late 2023 after the gas field was depleted.
That means Australia now imports every cubic metre of helium it uses.
For a gas that supports medical imaging, advanced manufacturing and quantum research, that dependence matters.
"It means Australia is at the end of a long and fragile supply chain for something that underpins the technologies we say we want to build," says Dr George.
Australia may already be venting a valuable resource
The striking part is that Australia may already be bringing helium to the surface - and letting it go.
Research by the Future Energy Exports Cooperative Research Centre, led by Professor Eric May from the University of Western Australia, has identified significant helium resources in Australian natural gas.
Its report on helium development in Australia says helium can be efficiently produced from natural gas and that some Australian LNG plants are likely venting gas with comparable or higher helium concentrations than the feed used by Australia's former helium producer.
Another FEnEx CRC case study says recovery of helium as a by-product of LNG production is attractive because helium can become enriched during LNG processing, particularly in nitrogen rejection units. It also identifies opportunities for further helium recovery studies at several Australian gas projects.
In plain terms, Australia may not need to discover an entirely new industry from scratch. Some of the infrastructure already exists. The helium is being concentrated through gas processing. The question is whether it is captured or vented.
"Capturing it would turn a waste stream into a strategic supply," says Dr George.
The policy gap
Helium was previously on Australia's Critical Minerals List. But in December 2023, the Australian government updated the list and removed helium, saying the change more closely aligned Australia's list with those of international strategic partners.
Dr George says that decision should be revisited in light of recent global supply disruptions and rising demand from advanced technologies.
Policy options could include restoring helium to the Critical Minerals List, requiring helium recovery assessments for new gas projects, and supporting feasibility studies for capturing helium from existing LNG operations.
The point is not simply to produce another export commodity. It is to avoid permanently losing a finite resource that Australia may need for its own hospitals, laboratories and future industries.
Why sovereign capability matters
Sovereign capability means being able to secure access to something important without relying entirely on overseas supply.
For helium, that could mean more secure access for MRI scanners, universities, research facilities and high-tech manufacturing. It could also support Australia's ambitions in quantum computing, which cannot advance without reliable access to extreme cooling.
There is also a broader strategic issue.
Australia depends heavily on the global semiconductor supply chain. But helium could give Australia something valuable to offer that same supply chain in return. Chipmakers in places such as Taiwan, South Korea and Japan need stable helium supplies. Australia has natural gas infrastructure and potential helium resources.
"There is more to be done before Australian helium can supply the chip manufacturers. But starting production is a first step," says Dr George.
The bigger picture
Helium is easy to overlook because it is invisible, odourless and most familiar in a playful setting.
But its most important uses are not playful. They are essential to modern medicine, advanced computing, research and manufacturing.
The challenge for Australia is that helium sits at the intersection of several national priorities: health care, critical minerals, energy exports, advanced manufacturing, quantum technology and strategic supply chains.
It is also a resource that, if wasted, cannot be recovered later.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2026/06/helium-supply-chains
Senate Approved the Objectives and Principles for Using AI at the University of Tartu
TARTU, Estonia, June 20 -- The University of Tartu issued the following news:
* * *
Senate approved the objectives and principles for using AI at the University of Tartu
On 19 June, the senate approved the objectives and principles for using artificial intelligence (AI), establishing a comprehensive framework for applying AI in teaching, research and support services at the university. The document defines the role of AI at the university, the objectives pursued through its use, and the principles that university members should observe when using AI.
The adopted principles represent a major ... Show Full Article TARTU, Estonia, June 20 -- The University of Tartu issued the following news: * * * Senate approved the objectives and principles for using AI at the University of Tartu On 19 June, the senate approved the objectives and principles for using artificial intelligence (AI), establishing a comprehensive framework for applying AI in teaching, research and support services at the university. The document defines the role of AI at the university, the objectives pursued through its use, and the principles that university members should observe when using AI. The adopted principles represent a majorstep in the university's strategic development, as the integration of AI into the university's activities has also been included as a key objective in the university's action plan for 2026-2028. The unified framework ensures that the rapidly evolving technology is used at the university in line with international standards, academic ethics and the university's core values. Such an approach helps mitigate risks and provides a clear foundation for developing further guidelines and agreements across different disciplines.
The adoption of the principles provides the university with comprehensive support in using AI. In research and development, it enhances the efficiency of various stages of the research process and increases the university's international competitiveness. In teaching, the use of AI supports the development of learners' digital skills, improves the quality of teaching and learning, and helps develop students' critical thinking. In support services, AI can be used to improve the quality, efficiency and accessibility of services. AI is also treated as a research subject, including for the development of Estonian language technologies at the university.
The approved principles emphasise the need to use AI responsibly. AI is regarded as a tool, and the final decision-making authority and responsibility always lie with the person using it. Transparency, compliance with data protection and cybersecurity requirements, and the continuous development of AI competences are also considered essential.
The document also provides a basis for practical development work at the university. More detailed guidelines, action plans, and training opportunities will be developed, and the infrastructure and support services required for AI use will be established based on this document. It also clarifies the distribution of responsibility between the university, its units and each member of the university, helping ensure the systematic management and development of AI use.
In addition to approving the principles for using AI, a new website tehisaru.ut.ee has been launched, bringing together AI-related information relevant to the university. The site gives an overview of the principles and guidelines for using AI, practical guidance for teaching and research, information on tools and support services, and materials for developing AI-related competences. It also provides the latest updates on AI-related learning opportunities, events and news.
* * *
Original text here: https://ut.ee/en/news/senate-approved-objectives-and-principles-using-ai-university-tartu
* * *
Senate approved the objectives and principles for using AI at the University of Tartu
On 19 June, the senate approved the objectives and principles for using artificial intelligence (AI), establishing a comprehensive framework for applying AI in teaching, research and support services at the university. The document defines the role of AI at the university, the objectives pursued through its use, and the principles that university members should observe when using AI.
The adopted principles represent a major ... Show Full Article TARTU, Estonia, June 20 -- The University of Tartu issued the following news: * * * Senate approved the objectives and principles for using AI at the University of Tartu On 19 June, the senate approved the objectives and principles for using artificial intelligence (AI), establishing a comprehensive framework for applying AI in teaching, research and support services at the university. The document defines the role of AI at the university, the objectives pursued through its use, and the principles that university members should observe when using AI. The adopted principles represent a majorstep in the university's strategic development, as the integration of AI into the university's activities has also been included as a key objective in the university's action plan for 2026-2028. The unified framework ensures that the rapidly evolving technology is used at the university in line with international standards, academic ethics and the university's core values. Such an approach helps mitigate risks and provides a clear foundation for developing further guidelines and agreements across different disciplines.
The adoption of the principles provides the university with comprehensive support in using AI. In research and development, it enhances the efficiency of various stages of the research process and increases the university's international competitiveness. In teaching, the use of AI supports the development of learners' digital skills, improves the quality of teaching and learning, and helps develop students' critical thinking. In support services, AI can be used to improve the quality, efficiency and accessibility of services. AI is also treated as a research subject, including for the development of Estonian language technologies at the university.
The approved principles emphasise the need to use AI responsibly. AI is regarded as a tool, and the final decision-making authority and responsibility always lie with the person using it. Transparency, compliance with data protection and cybersecurity requirements, and the continuous development of AI competences are also considered essential.
The document also provides a basis for practical development work at the university. More detailed guidelines, action plans, and training opportunities will be developed, and the infrastructure and support services required for AI use will be established based on this document. It also clarifies the distribution of responsibility between the university, its units and each member of the university, helping ensure the systematic management and development of AI use.
In addition to approving the principles for using AI, a new website tehisaru.ut.ee has been launched, bringing together AI-related information relevant to the university. The site gives an overview of the principles and guidelines for using AI, practical guidance for teaching and research, information on tools and support services, and materials for developing AI-related competences. It also provides the latest updates on AI-related learning opportunities, events and news.
* * *
Original text here: https://ut.ee/en/news/senate-approved-objectives-and-principles-using-ai-university-tartu
MIT researchers' approach captures subtle atomic patterns, improving predictions of material properties
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, June 20 -- The Massachusetts Institute of Technology posted the following news:
* * *
A better way to model the behavior of metal alloys
MIT researchers' approach captures subtle atomic patterns, improving predictions of material properties.
-
Companies working at the frontier of aerospace, energy, and computing are constantly looking for new materials to improve performance. But in order to understand how those materials will actually behave once they're inside rockets or on computer chips, companies first have to make the material and then test it. That's because ... Show Full Article CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, June 20 -- The Massachusetts Institute of Technology posted the following news: * * * A better way to model the behavior of metal alloys MIT researchers' approach captures subtle atomic patterns, improving predictions of material properties. - Companies working at the frontier of aerospace, energy, and computing are constantly looking for new materials to improve performance. But in order to understand how those materials will actually behave once they're inside rockets or on computer chips, companies first have to make the material and then test it. That's becauseeven the most powerful simulation techniques struggle to model the complex chemical arrangements in most of today's solid materials. The problem adds costs and time to materials innovation.
Now a team of MIT researchers has created a way to accurately model the behavior of metals, regardless of the complexity of their chemical arrangement. At the center of the approach are machine-learning models that make simulations of materials faster and more accurate. The researchers improved those models by building training datasets that capture the diversity of atomic environments in chemically disordered materials.
In a new paper in Sciences Advances, the researchers showed their approach could be used to accurately predict material properties for a diverse group of metal alloys under a range of conditions. They also showed how the approach could be used to develop new materials, especially in scenarios where experimentation is expensive.
"The focus of the paper is metallic alloys, which is the field I work in, but this could be adapted to other types of materials, like semiconductors," says senior author Rodrigo Freitas, MIT's TDK Career Development Professor in Materials Science and Engineering. "This is not specific to any one application -you could use this approach to create new sustainable steels, new materials for aerospace, and more. That's what makes this exciting."
Joining Freitas on the paper are first author Killian Sheriff PhD '26; MIT PhD students Daniel Xiao and Yifan Cao; and University of Sheffield Senior Lecturer Lewis R. Owen.
Modeling metals
Material properties are mostly determined by the internal arrangement of their chemical elements. Even if two materials have the same mix of chemical elements, different chemical arrangements can make the difference between a brittle material and one that deforms without breaking.
Capturing that distinction requires simulating materials atom by atom. To do that, researchers rely on models that describe how atoms interact with each other. Over the last two decades, machine learning has become the most accurate way to build those models. Such models work well when the chemical arrangements inside materials follow highly ordered patterns, but that's not the case with most solid materials, whose atomic chemical arrangements are disordered and vary from one region to another.
"The real challenge in our field is modelling these chemically disordered phases," Freitas says. "Chemical disorder means there's a huge variety of local chemical environments, which is hard for the machine-learning model to learn. This is a problem because every single metal we use in practice is chemically disordered."
The problem comes down to a lack of representative training data for those atom-by-atom simulations. The current leading approach for creating such data works by brute force, often requiring more than 100,000 hours of computation to create the training data for a single material. Even then, it does not transfer well when researchers change the material's composition.
In previous work, Freitas' group had developed a way to measure the chemical complexity of solid materials by analyzing the frequency and spacing of tiny groups of atoms. For this study, the researchers used that capability to build better training datasets. They used a mathematical approach known as information theory to generate training datasets that capture a wider variety of local chemical environments inside disordered materials. The method works by swapping out atoms from samples to reduce repetition and expose the model to chemical environments it might otherwise miss.
"We kept optimizing the training set so it captured as many different local environments as possible," Freitas says. "If the same kind of environment showed up many times, we replaced redundant examples with ones the model hadn't seen before. That makes the training set much more informative because each example adds something new."
When trained on the researchers' datasets, the models predicted material properties more accurately than models trained using random sampling or another popular sampling method.
"The starting point for all these atom-by-atom simulations is: Are you able to accurately describe the chemical bond between atoms?" Freitas explains. "If not, it can still teach you about materials in general, but it doesn't tell you what will happen to specific materials in the real world. This approach makes the simulations high fidelity in terms of their chemistry, to better reflect what's happening to materials."
The researchers applied their technique to create machine-learning training datasets for a group of chemically diverse metal alloys. Using a set of machine-learning models, they showed the models trained on their datasets are more accurate than much larger models created by companies like Google and Microsoft.
"We got to a point where we were convinced it worked without using these expensive brute-force methods," Freitas says. "I told Killian, 'This is a good paper. But if you can show that simulations with these models can now accurately predict useful materials properties, then it becomes a very good paper.' Killian took that to heart and tested this as widely as he could."
Sheriff worked with Xiao and Cao to test the approach across different alloys and properties. The team also drew on Owen's experimental data to compare the simulations against real measurements of atomic ordering in alloys.
From the lab to industry
The method works, in part, by capturing hidden patterns in the sample data. The researchers describe the patterns in the paper as "subtle energetic biases toward certain local chemical configurations."
Those small energetic differences matter because they determine which phases form in an alloy, how those phases change with temperature and composition, and ultimately which properties the material will have. As one test, Daniel Xiao led simulations showing that the team's models could predict phase diagrams that closely matched experimental data. Phase diagrams map which phases are stable across different temperatures and chemical compositions, and they are a central tool for designing and processing alloys.
"Phase diagrams are one of the main ways people connect materials modeling to real processing decisions," Freitas says. "If you are welding, casting, or heat-treating an alloy, you need to know which phases are likely to form under different conditions. Our goal is to make these kinds of predictions accurate enough, and accessible enough, that they become part of how people design materials."
The researchers are now using the approach to study how changing an alloy's composition affects mechanical properties and radiation tolerance, with the goal of designing materials that remain strong and damage-tolerant in harsh environments. They are also working to make the method easier to use with the kinds of tools and workflows materials engineers already rely on.
"Industry isn't going to change the way they do things if what you're creating doesn't fit into their existing operating procedures," Freitas says. "The goal is to make these predictions useful in the places where materials decisions are actually made."
The research was supported by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research.
***
Original text here: https://news.mit.edu/2026/better-way-to-model-metal-alloys-behavior-0619
* * *
A better way to model the behavior of metal alloys
MIT researchers' approach captures subtle atomic patterns, improving predictions of material properties.
-
Companies working at the frontier of aerospace, energy, and computing are constantly looking for new materials to improve performance. But in order to understand how those materials will actually behave once they're inside rockets or on computer chips, companies first have to make the material and then test it. That's because ... Show Full Article CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, June 20 -- The Massachusetts Institute of Technology posted the following news: * * * A better way to model the behavior of metal alloys MIT researchers' approach captures subtle atomic patterns, improving predictions of material properties. - Companies working at the frontier of aerospace, energy, and computing are constantly looking for new materials to improve performance. But in order to understand how those materials will actually behave once they're inside rockets or on computer chips, companies first have to make the material and then test it. That's becauseeven the most powerful simulation techniques struggle to model the complex chemical arrangements in most of today's solid materials. The problem adds costs and time to materials innovation.
Now a team of MIT researchers has created a way to accurately model the behavior of metals, regardless of the complexity of their chemical arrangement. At the center of the approach are machine-learning models that make simulations of materials faster and more accurate. The researchers improved those models by building training datasets that capture the diversity of atomic environments in chemically disordered materials.
In a new paper in Sciences Advances, the researchers showed their approach could be used to accurately predict material properties for a diverse group of metal alloys under a range of conditions. They also showed how the approach could be used to develop new materials, especially in scenarios where experimentation is expensive.
"The focus of the paper is metallic alloys, which is the field I work in, but this could be adapted to other types of materials, like semiconductors," says senior author Rodrigo Freitas, MIT's TDK Career Development Professor in Materials Science and Engineering. "This is not specific to any one application -you could use this approach to create new sustainable steels, new materials for aerospace, and more. That's what makes this exciting."
Joining Freitas on the paper are first author Killian Sheriff PhD '26; MIT PhD students Daniel Xiao and Yifan Cao; and University of Sheffield Senior Lecturer Lewis R. Owen.
Modeling metals
Material properties are mostly determined by the internal arrangement of their chemical elements. Even if two materials have the same mix of chemical elements, different chemical arrangements can make the difference between a brittle material and one that deforms without breaking.
Capturing that distinction requires simulating materials atom by atom. To do that, researchers rely on models that describe how atoms interact with each other. Over the last two decades, machine learning has become the most accurate way to build those models. Such models work well when the chemical arrangements inside materials follow highly ordered patterns, but that's not the case with most solid materials, whose atomic chemical arrangements are disordered and vary from one region to another.
"The real challenge in our field is modelling these chemically disordered phases," Freitas says. "Chemical disorder means there's a huge variety of local chemical environments, which is hard for the machine-learning model to learn. This is a problem because every single metal we use in practice is chemically disordered."
The problem comes down to a lack of representative training data for those atom-by-atom simulations. The current leading approach for creating such data works by brute force, often requiring more than 100,000 hours of computation to create the training data for a single material. Even then, it does not transfer well when researchers change the material's composition.
In previous work, Freitas' group had developed a way to measure the chemical complexity of solid materials by analyzing the frequency and spacing of tiny groups of atoms. For this study, the researchers used that capability to build better training datasets. They used a mathematical approach known as information theory to generate training datasets that capture a wider variety of local chemical environments inside disordered materials. The method works by swapping out atoms from samples to reduce repetition and expose the model to chemical environments it might otherwise miss.
"We kept optimizing the training set so it captured as many different local environments as possible," Freitas says. "If the same kind of environment showed up many times, we replaced redundant examples with ones the model hadn't seen before. That makes the training set much more informative because each example adds something new."
When trained on the researchers' datasets, the models predicted material properties more accurately than models trained using random sampling or another popular sampling method.
"The starting point for all these atom-by-atom simulations is: Are you able to accurately describe the chemical bond between atoms?" Freitas explains. "If not, it can still teach you about materials in general, but it doesn't tell you what will happen to specific materials in the real world. This approach makes the simulations high fidelity in terms of their chemistry, to better reflect what's happening to materials."
The researchers applied their technique to create machine-learning training datasets for a group of chemically diverse metal alloys. Using a set of machine-learning models, they showed the models trained on their datasets are more accurate than much larger models created by companies like Google and Microsoft.
"We got to a point where we were convinced it worked without using these expensive brute-force methods," Freitas says. "I told Killian, 'This is a good paper. But if you can show that simulations with these models can now accurately predict useful materials properties, then it becomes a very good paper.' Killian took that to heart and tested this as widely as he could."
Sheriff worked with Xiao and Cao to test the approach across different alloys and properties. The team also drew on Owen's experimental data to compare the simulations against real measurements of atomic ordering in alloys.
From the lab to industry
The method works, in part, by capturing hidden patterns in the sample data. The researchers describe the patterns in the paper as "subtle energetic biases toward certain local chemical configurations."
Those small energetic differences matter because they determine which phases form in an alloy, how those phases change with temperature and composition, and ultimately which properties the material will have. As one test, Daniel Xiao led simulations showing that the team's models could predict phase diagrams that closely matched experimental data. Phase diagrams map which phases are stable across different temperatures and chemical compositions, and they are a central tool for designing and processing alloys.
"Phase diagrams are one of the main ways people connect materials modeling to real processing decisions," Freitas says. "If you are welding, casting, or heat-treating an alloy, you need to know which phases are likely to form under different conditions. Our goal is to make these kinds of predictions accurate enough, and accessible enough, that they become part of how people design materials."
The researchers are now using the approach to study how changing an alloy's composition affects mechanical properties and radiation tolerance, with the goal of designing materials that remain strong and damage-tolerant in harsh environments. They are also working to make the method easier to use with the kinds of tools and workflows materials engineers already rely on.
"Industry isn't going to change the way they do things if what you're creating doesn't fit into their existing operating procedures," Freitas says. "The goal is to make these predictions useful in the places where materials decisions are actually made."
The research was supported by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research.
***
Original text here: https://news.mit.edu/2026/better-way-to-model-metal-alloys-behavior-0619
Eindhoven University of Technology: EIRES and EU Policymakers Discuss the Future of Metal Energy Carriers
EINDHOVEN, The Netherlands, June 20 -- Eindhoven University of Technology issued the following news:
* * *
EIRES and EU policymakers discuss the future of metal energy carriers
How can Europe safely store, transport, and make renewable energy available when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing? This question took centre stage during a roundtable meeting hosted at the European Commission in Brussels on 18 June.
The meeting took place at DG Research & Innovation (DG RTD) and brought together representatives from DG Energy (DG ENER) and EIRES. The aim was to share the latest technological ... Show Full Article EINDHOVEN, The Netherlands, June 20 -- Eindhoven University of Technology issued the following news: * * * EIRES and EU policymakers discuss the future of metal energy carriers How can Europe safely store, transport, and make renewable energy available when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing? This question took centre stage during a roundtable meeting hosted at the European Commission in Brussels on 18 June. The meeting took place at DG Research & Innovation (DG RTD) and brought together representatives from DG Energy (DG ENER) and EIRES. The aim was to share the latest technologicaldevelopments and discuss how European regulatory and funding framework can support the further development and scale-up of this promising technology.
Representing TU/e and EIRES at the roundtable were Prof. Niels Deen, Vice Dean of Mechanical Engineering and Principal Scientist at EIRES, and Dr. Roy Hermanns, Senior Scientist within the Power & Flow group of Mechanical Engineering and EIRES. They were joined by Delia Mitcan, TU/e's EU Representative. The industrial and societal stakeholders are represented by Anthony van de Ven from Brainport Development, bringing the regional perspective, and Jan Hubers, Manager, Funding & Public Affairs, RIFT, shared insights from industry and the market deployment of metal energy carriers.
From research to European impact
At EIRES, researchers work on solutions to some of the key challenges following from the energy transition, including the need for safe and long-duration renewable energy storage. Metal energy carriers are considered a promising technology in this context. Using renewable electricity, metals such as iron can be converted into energy-dense powders that can store energy (seasonal as well as strategic reserve), transport, and later release energy without CO2 and low NOx emissions. Thanks to their safe handling characteristics and compatibility with existing logistics infrastructure, metal energy carriers offer significant opportunities for the transition towards a stable future European energy system.
"According to EIRES, close collaboration between science, industry, and policymakers is essential to further develop and scale this technology."
A strategic moment for Europe
The roundtable took place at a pivotal moment. Over the past years, the Brainport Eindhoven region has made significant progress in advancing metal energy carriers technology. Researchers at TU/e and partners across the ecosystem have contributed to the development of demonstration systems, while companies such as RIFT and Iron+ are already working towards commercial applications.
During the meeting, TU/e and EIRES researchers presented the current state of the technology and outlined opportunities for developing a European metal energy carriers value chain. The participants highlighted the urgency of the technology to ensure a continued development towards a sustainable and stable energy system that is capable of meeting ever increasing demand for sustainable energy sources, coupled with increased self-reliance. Particular attention was given to the collaboration between knowledge institutes, industry, and regional stakeholders required to bring the technology to scale.
Why this dialogue matters
For EIRES, this meeting represented more than a knowledge exchange. The roundtable offered a unique opportunity to provide policymakers with direct insight into both the opportunities and challenges associated with this emerging technology.
The meeting also came at a time that local and European energy system is under duress. Traditional fossil fuel options must be phased out because of climate change concerns and, more urgently, because of dependency risks. The transition towards more sustainable mobility options, towards more sustainable heating and cooling and industrial processes all combine to a massive surge in demand, which cannot be matched by production at the right moment, making (short term and long term) storage a key component in the transition.
New energy technologies require not only technological breakthroughs but also supportive regulations, investment mechanisms, and favourable market conditions. By bringing together researchers, industry leaders, and European policymakers, the meeting created a platform to explore the framework conditions needed to accelerate the path from innovation to societal impact.
The discussion also contributed to creating a level playing field for metal energy carriers within the broader European energy landscape, where considerable attention is currently focused on technologies such as hydrogen and batteries.
As Roy Hermanns, Senior Scientist at EIRES, explains:
"The entire ecosystem has proven that the metal energy carriers concept works. We are now approaching large-scale deployment. To enable this next step, it is crucial that metal energy carriers are included in all relevant policy frameworks and instruments. This will help ensure that their large-scale rollout is not impeded by policy or regulatory obstacles."
Looking ahead
The insights shared during the meeting can contribute to future European research and innovation programmes, foster new collaborations between Member States, and support the scaling of pilot projects into commercial applications.
In the longer term, metal energy carriers have the potential to become an important building block of a sustainable, resilient, and energy-independent European energy system. By connecting science, industry, and policy, EIRES aims to help accelerate that transition.
With this initiative, EIRES takes another important step in its mission to connect groundbreaking energy research with societal impact and European innovation leadership.
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Original text here: https://www.tue.nl/en/news-and-events/news-overview/19-06-2026-eires-and-eu-policymakers-discuss-the-future-of-metal-energy-carriers?_gl=1*134s5f0*_up*MQ..*_ga*MjAwOTI1MjYwLjE3ODE5NTkxNDM.*_ga_JN37M497TT*czE3ODE5NTkxNDIkbzEkZzAkdDE3ODE5NTkxNDIkajYwJGwwJGgw
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EIRES and EU policymakers discuss the future of metal energy carriers
How can Europe safely store, transport, and make renewable energy available when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing? This question took centre stage during a roundtable meeting hosted at the European Commission in Brussels on 18 June.
The meeting took place at DG Research & Innovation (DG RTD) and brought together representatives from DG Energy (DG ENER) and EIRES. The aim was to share the latest technological ... Show Full Article EINDHOVEN, The Netherlands, June 20 -- Eindhoven University of Technology issued the following news: * * * EIRES and EU policymakers discuss the future of metal energy carriers How can Europe safely store, transport, and make renewable energy available when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing? This question took centre stage during a roundtable meeting hosted at the European Commission in Brussels on 18 June. The meeting took place at DG Research & Innovation (DG RTD) and brought together representatives from DG Energy (DG ENER) and EIRES. The aim was to share the latest technologicaldevelopments and discuss how European regulatory and funding framework can support the further development and scale-up of this promising technology.
Representing TU/e and EIRES at the roundtable were Prof. Niels Deen, Vice Dean of Mechanical Engineering and Principal Scientist at EIRES, and Dr. Roy Hermanns, Senior Scientist within the Power & Flow group of Mechanical Engineering and EIRES. They were joined by Delia Mitcan, TU/e's EU Representative. The industrial and societal stakeholders are represented by Anthony van de Ven from Brainport Development, bringing the regional perspective, and Jan Hubers, Manager, Funding & Public Affairs, RIFT, shared insights from industry and the market deployment of metal energy carriers.
From research to European impact
At EIRES, researchers work on solutions to some of the key challenges following from the energy transition, including the need for safe and long-duration renewable energy storage. Metal energy carriers are considered a promising technology in this context. Using renewable electricity, metals such as iron can be converted into energy-dense powders that can store energy (seasonal as well as strategic reserve), transport, and later release energy without CO2 and low NOx emissions. Thanks to their safe handling characteristics and compatibility with existing logistics infrastructure, metal energy carriers offer significant opportunities for the transition towards a stable future European energy system.
"According to EIRES, close collaboration between science, industry, and policymakers is essential to further develop and scale this technology."
A strategic moment for Europe
The roundtable took place at a pivotal moment. Over the past years, the Brainport Eindhoven region has made significant progress in advancing metal energy carriers technology. Researchers at TU/e and partners across the ecosystem have contributed to the development of demonstration systems, while companies such as RIFT and Iron+ are already working towards commercial applications.
During the meeting, TU/e and EIRES researchers presented the current state of the technology and outlined opportunities for developing a European metal energy carriers value chain. The participants highlighted the urgency of the technology to ensure a continued development towards a sustainable and stable energy system that is capable of meeting ever increasing demand for sustainable energy sources, coupled with increased self-reliance. Particular attention was given to the collaboration between knowledge institutes, industry, and regional stakeholders required to bring the technology to scale.
Why this dialogue matters
For EIRES, this meeting represented more than a knowledge exchange. The roundtable offered a unique opportunity to provide policymakers with direct insight into both the opportunities and challenges associated with this emerging technology.
The meeting also came at a time that local and European energy system is under duress. Traditional fossil fuel options must be phased out because of climate change concerns and, more urgently, because of dependency risks. The transition towards more sustainable mobility options, towards more sustainable heating and cooling and industrial processes all combine to a massive surge in demand, which cannot be matched by production at the right moment, making (short term and long term) storage a key component in the transition.
New energy technologies require not only technological breakthroughs but also supportive regulations, investment mechanisms, and favourable market conditions. By bringing together researchers, industry leaders, and European policymakers, the meeting created a platform to explore the framework conditions needed to accelerate the path from innovation to societal impact.
The discussion also contributed to creating a level playing field for metal energy carriers within the broader European energy landscape, where considerable attention is currently focused on technologies such as hydrogen and batteries.
As Roy Hermanns, Senior Scientist at EIRES, explains:
"The entire ecosystem has proven that the metal energy carriers concept works. We are now approaching large-scale deployment. To enable this next step, it is crucial that metal energy carriers are included in all relevant policy frameworks and instruments. This will help ensure that their large-scale rollout is not impeded by policy or regulatory obstacles."
Looking ahead
The insights shared during the meeting can contribute to future European research and innovation programmes, foster new collaborations between Member States, and support the scaling of pilot projects into commercial applications.
In the longer term, metal energy carriers have the potential to become an important building block of a sustainable, resilient, and energy-independent European energy system. By connecting science, industry, and policy, EIRES aims to help accelerate that transition.
With this initiative, EIRES takes another important step in its mission to connect groundbreaking energy research with societal impact and European innovation leadership.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.tue.nl/en/news-and-events/news-overview/19-06-2026-eires-and-eu-policymakers-discuss-the-future-of-metal-energy-carriers?_gl=1*134s5f0*_up*MQ..*_ga*MjAwOTI1MjYwLjE3ODE5NTkxNDM.*_ga_JN37M497TT*czE3ODE5NTkxNDIkbzEkZzAkdDE3ODE5NTkxNDIkajYwJGwwJGgw