Featured Stories
University of Michigan Professional Nurse Council Ratifies Contract With University of Michigan Health
ANN ARBOR, Michigan, July 25 -- Michigan Medicine, the academic medical center of the University of Michigan, issued the following news release:
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University of Michigan Professional Nurse Council ratifies contract with University of Michigan Health
UMPNC, U-M Health jointly announce 3-year deal
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Nurses represented by the University of Michigan Professional Nurse Council (UMPNC) ratified a tentative, three-year agreement today with the University of Michigan Health.
"The ratification represents our shared goal and partnership in providing the highest quality care for the patients
... Show Full Article
ANN ARBOR, Michigan, July 25 -- Michigan Medicine, the academic medical center of the University of Michigan, issued the following news release:
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University of Michigan Professional Nurse Council ratifies contract with University of Michigan Health
UMPNC, U-M Health jointly announce 3-year deal
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Nurses represented by the University of Michigan Professional Nurse Council (UMPNC) ratified a tentative, three-year agreement today with the University of Michigan Health.
"The ratification represents our shared goal and partnership in providing the highest quality care for the patientsand families we serve," said Julie Ishak, D.N.P., R.N., Chief Nurse and Operations Executive for Michigan Medicine's academic medical center.
"This contract will support our nurses who are crucial to the success of U-M Health. I am deeply grateful to the dedicated bargaining teams who worked tirelessly to collaborate on a fair agreement that allows us to keep moving forward together to serve our community."
UMPNC represents more than 7,200 registered nurses, certified nurse midwives, certified registered nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners, flight nurses, clinical care coordinators and education nurses who work for U-M Health, the clinical organization of Michigan Medicine.
"This ratification signifies a year of hard work and dedication for our bargaining team and MNA-UMPNC members. I am incredibly proud of the agreement that we have achieved. This contract is a shared commitment to collaboration and partnership for nurses and patients for years to come," said Kara Ayotte, B.S.N, R.N., MNA-UMPNC President.
U-M Health is the clinical division of Michigan Medicine, the academic medical center of the University of Michigan.
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Original text here: https://www.uofmhealth.org/news-release/university-michigan-professional-nurse-council-ratifies-contract-university-michigan-health
University of Cincinnati Experts Say Proper Produce Washing is Key Defense Against Cyclospora
CINCINNATI, Ohio, July 25 -- The University of Cincinnati posted the following news:
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UC experts say proper produce washing is key defense against Cyclospora
Hamilton County reports confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis as doctors outline steps to reduce risk
By Megan Burgasser, burgasma@ucmail.uc.edu
Hamilton County Public Health reports confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis as concerns persist. Cyclospora is a parasite that can cause a stomach illness lasting days -- sometimes even weeks. University of Cincinnati medical experts say it is usually linked to contaminated water or food, often
... Show Full Article
CINCINNATI, Ohio, July 25 -- The University of Cincinnati posted the following news:
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UC experts say proper produce washing is key defense against Cyclospora
Hamilton County reports confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis as doctors outline steps to reduce risk
By Megan Burgasser, burgasma@ucmail.uc.edu
Hamilton County Public Health reports confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis as concerns persist. Cyclospora is a parasite that can cause a stomach illness lasting days -- sometimes even weeks. University of Cincinnati medical experts say it is usually linked to contaminated water or food, oftenfresh produce.
Carl Fichtenbaum, MD, a UC professor of internal medicine and an infectious diseases researcher, recently told Fox 19 Now that a quick rinse may not be enough to remove cyclospora from food. The parasite can latch onto produce, making it resistant to a simple wash with water alone.
Fichtenbaum said that using a small amount of dish soap -- followed by a thorough rinse -- can help dislodge anything clinging to the surface.
"It's got antibacterial properties, and it is also very good for dislodging parasites from things," said Fichtenbaum.
"People should be cleaning their fresh produce very carefully," Fichtenbaum told Spectrum News 1 Ohio. "Take a little scrub brush, some dish soap and some water and wash it for anywhere between five to 15 seconds."
Past outbreaks have centered on produce that many families buy regularly, Fichtenbaum said.
"Most of the outbreaks we've seen have been on sort of leafy kinds of vegetables, snap peas, cilantro, lettuce, things like that," he said.
After handling produce, Fichtenbaum said hand-washing is a critical final step.
"Then you really want to wash your hands with soap and water for 30 seconds. Sing the 'Happy Birthday' song. That way you know you've done it long enough," he said.
Fichtenbaum told Medical News Today that if you suspect you or a family member has been infected with cyclospora, you should contact your doctor.
"Testing requires specific tests to look for cyclospora in a fecal sample. Some people with immunocompromised conditions can have more severe cases resulting in the need for hospitalization, largely due to dehydration and low blood pressure," said Fichtenbaum.
Read the full Medical News Today story (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/cyclospora-explained-7-medical-experts-how-spreads-how-to-protect-yourself#Tips-for-protecting-yourself-from-cyclospora).
Read the full Fox 19 Now story (https://www.fox19.com/2026/07/16/health-officials-say-proper-produce-washing-is-key-defense-against-cyclospora/).
Read the full Spectrum News 1 Ohio story (https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/columbus/news/2026/07/17/local-growers-cyclosporiasis).
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Original text here: https://www.uc.edu/news/articles/2026/07/uc-experts-say-proper-produce-washing-is-key-defense-against-cyclospora.html
TAMIU Nursing Faculty and Graduate Student Present Research at Prestigious Nursing Conference in Canada
LAREDO, Texas, July 25 -- Texas A&M International University, a member of the Texas A&M University System, issued the following news release:
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TAMIU Nursing Faculty and Graduate Student Present Research at Prestigious Nursing Conference in Canada
Dr. Marivic Torregosa, TAMIU associate professor, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and Karrie Youngs, a TAMIU graduate student in the Master of Science in Nursing Administration program, were selected to present their scholarly work at the prestigious, peer-reviewed 37th International Nursing Research Congress, held in Toronto, Canada, this
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LAREDO, Texas, July 25 -- Texas A&M International University, a member of the Texas A&M University System, issued the following news release:
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TAMIU Nursing Faculty and Graduate Student Present Research at Prestigious Nursing Conference in Canada
Dr. Marivic Torregosa, TAMIU associate professor, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and Karrie Youngs, a TAMIU graduate student in the Master of Science in Nursing Administration program, were selected to present their scholarly work at the prestigious, peer-reviewed 37th International Nursing Research Congress, held in Toronto, Canada, thissummer.
Torregosa presented findings from her ongoing research agenda focused on student success. Her presentation examined the role of resilience in higher education and demonstrated how resilience can be intentionally cultivated to enhance academic achievement, persistence, and overall student success.
Youngs presented her PICOT study, "Impact of Simulation-Based Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) Training on Outcomes and Confidence in Newly Licensed Nurses." The project was developed in Dr. Torregosa's graduate Research Methods course and exemplifies the program's emphasis on producing scholarship that extends beyond the classroom. Although initially completed as a course assignment, the study was designed to meet the rigorous standards required for acceptance at a competitive international, peer-reviewed conference.
Torregosa said she intentionally structures graduate coursework to prepare students for scholarly dissemination and professional engagement.
"I believe course assignments should be more than academic exercises," she said, "They should be rigorous enough to contribute to the nursing profession through dissemination to broader audiences. By designing assignments with publication and presentation in mind, students engage in meaningful scholarship while developing the skills necessary to advance evidence-based practice. Presenting at international conferences not only strengthens their confidence and self-efficacy but also provides transformative professional and personal experiences."
The selection of both presentations reflects the high caliber of scholarship being produced within the Master of Science in Nursing Administration program and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. It also underscores the program's commitment to preparing nurse leaders who generate evidence, advance evidence-based practice, and contribute to improving health care and nursing education on a global stage, Torregosa said.
Participation in the International Nursing Research Congress provided both Torregosa and Youngs the opportunity to share their work with an international audience of nurse researchers, educators, clinicians, and healthcare leaders while representing TAMIU's commitment to academic excellence, innovation, and global scholarly engagement.
Dr. Torregosa said she is grateful to TAMIU's Graduate School and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences for their support in this scholarly endeavor.
Registration for the Fall 2026 semester at TAMIU is now underway. Visit our dedicated Registration Hub at https://go.tamiu.edu/registration to learn more and register.
The first day of classes for the Fall 2026 semester is Monday, Aug. 24, 2026.
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Original text here: https://www.tamiu.edu/newsinfo/2026/07/nursingconferencecanada72326.shtml
Syracuse University Whitman School of Management: Ryan Schram Named Inaugural Executive Director of the Center for the Creator Economy
SYRACUSE, New York, July 25 -- The Syracuse University Whitman School of Management issued the following news:
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Ryan Schram Named Inaugural Executive Director of the Center for the Creator Economy
Genaro Armas
Ryan Schram, a veteran industry leader and strategic advisor at the intersection of content, commerce and creativity, has been named the inaugural executive director of Syracuse University's Center for the Creator Economy.
A first-of-its-kind academic center on a U.S. college campus, the Center for the Creator Economy aligns strengths at Syracuse University in entrepreneurship,
... Show Full Article
SYRACUSE, New York, July 25 -- The Syracuse University Whitman School of Management issued the following news:
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Ryan Schram Named Inaugural Executive Director of the Center for the Creator Economy
Genaro Armas
Ryan Schram, a veteran industry leader and strategic advisor at the intersection of content, commerce and creativity, has been named the inaugural executive director of Syracuse University's Center for the Creator Economy.
A first-of-its-kind academic center on a U.S. college campus, the Center for the Creator Economy aligns strengths at Syracuse University in entrepreneurship,media, communications, athletics and digital infrastructure, charting how higher education can prepare students for the 21st-century economy. Launched last fall, the center is led jointly by the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and the Martin J. Whitman School of Management--two of the top schools in their respective fields.
Schram, who will start Aug. 3, will guide the center's growth as it expands its academic programs, research and industry partnerships. His appointment brings a practitioner's perspective to the University's trailblazing initiative.
Schram thanked Chancellor J. Michael Haynie for his vision that created the center.
"Syracuse has done what no other university has: build the first academic center for the creator economy with the ambition of becoming the global authority on curriculum, research and rankings in this space," Schram says. "As someone who has spent the last decade and a half building businesses in this industry, I see real value in leading it from a practitioner's vantage point. I am excited for what we will build together in the years to come."
Schram's 25-plus year career includes extensive experience across public and private companies. He was recognized as a Top 10 Global Chief Operating Officer at the 2023 OnCon Icon Awards and as a Top 101 COO by Boardroom Media in 2022.
Most recently, Schram worked at Particle Wave, where he was managing partner for the boutique advisory firm that counsels leading companies on navigating the rapidly evolving creator economy. He also spent 13 years, including 12 as president and COO, at IZEA, a global leader in professional services, technology and talent representation.
Before IZEA, he was group vice president at Merkle (formerly HelloWorld/ePrize) and held roles of increasing responsibility at Westwood One and iHeartMedia.
"Ryan brings the vision, industry experience and entrepreneurial mindset needed to lead the Center for the Creator Economy at this pivotal moment," says Mark J. Lodato, dean of the Newhouse School. "He understands how storytelling, audience development, technology and business come together in today's media landscape. We are looking forward to working with Ryan to build a vibrant hub at the University that leads across the evolving creative economy."
"The creator economy represents one of the fastest-evolving sectors of the global economy, and Ryan has spent his career helping organizations navigate that change," says Alex McKelvie, interim dean of the Whitman School of Management. "His practitioner perspective, combined with his commitment to innovation and collaboration, will help ensure the Center for the Creator Economy continues to shape how we prepare future business and creative leaders."
Poised to Flourish
The Center for the Creator Economy enters its second year with expanding programming and positive momentum. The University is launching a creator economy minor this fall, providing a new path for students to build careers in content creation, digital entrepreneurship and the practitioner ecosystem reshaping how ideas, audiences and businesses are built online.
Besides courses from Whitman and Newhouse, the minor includes electives offered by other schools and colleges, including a Name, Image and Likeness class offered from the David B. Falk College of Sport, and Music Industry Marketing and Media from the College of Visual and Performing Arts.
Programs and academic offerings from the center are available to students from all schools and colleges at the University, and the minor's interdisciplinary design reflects the scope of the creator economy itself. According to Goldman Sachs Research, nearly 50 million people globally work as full- or part-time creators, and the sector could be worth $480 billion by 2027.
The center's physical home at the Newhouse School, which opened this past spring, features areas for collaboration and programming, and new podcast production booths are slated to open in the fall.
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Original text here: https://whitman.syracuse.edu/about/newsroom/whitman-news/news-detail/2026/07/23/ryan-schram-named-inaugural-executive-director-of-the-center-for-the-creator-economy
Michigan Medicine: Mindful Gift Supports Patient Well-being
ANN ARBOR, Michigan, July 25 -- Michigan Medicine, the academic medical center of the University of Michigan, issued the following news release:
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Mindful gift supports patient well-being
Inspired by their own experiences with mindfulness-based stress reduction, Bob and Debbie Merion help share the practice with others.
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For alumni Bob Merion (M.D. 1979, Residency 1986) and Debbie Merion (M.S.W. 1978), mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is an important part of daily life and central to well-being.
Now they are helping to share the practice with others. Their gift to Michigan Medicine's
... Show Full Article
ANN ARBOR, Michigan, July 25 -- Michigan Medicine, the academic medical center of the University of Michigan, issued the following news release:
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Mindful gift supports patient well-being
Inspired by their own experiences with mindfulness-based stress reduction, Bob and Debbie Merion help share the practice with others.
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For alumni Bob Merion (M.D. 1979, Residency 1986) and Debbie Merion (M.S.W. 1978), mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is an important part of daily life and central to well-being.
Now they are helping to share the practice with others. Their gift to Michigan Medicine'sIntegrative Family Medicine Program will give patients opportunities to learn evidence-based mindfulness practices that can improve mental, physical, and spiritual health.
A professor emeritus of surgery at the University of Michigan Medical School, Bob is former Chief of Michigan Medicine's Section of Transplant Surgery and former Director of the Transplant Center. He began to practice meditation during the Covid-19 pandemic and found it greatly improved his ability to cope with stress and anxiety.
Debbie is an award-winning author, writing coach, educator, and longtime meditation practitioner. She first learned transcendental meditation during her college years and uses it as part of her toolbox to be calm and aware. Since 2003, Debbie has been mentored by writer Natalie Goldberg to combine writing and meditation and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative non-fiction from Pine Manor College in 2014. Debbie uses these ideas to help herself and others feel the healthy fulfillment that comes from expressing yourself clearly.
Finding whole-person care
Having long enjoyed exploring healthy living options, Debbie transitioned her health care to Michigan Medicine's Integrative Family Medicine program several years ago. She appreciates how the program embraces complementary therapies.
"I've been delighted to see how they will support non-medical methods, including discussing vitamins or other supplements as an alternative to taking medication," she says. "And something which is so wonderful in the world of medicine these days -- I don't feel rushed."
Bob became a patient in Integrative Family Medicine more recently. As someone who spent his career practicing highly specialized medicine, the patient-centered, evidence-based approach is important to him.
"I always feel like I'm the most important person in the world at that moment for whichever caregiver I'm seeing in Integrative and Family Medicine," he says, "and that means a lot, because it's not something you can just write a script for and say, 'Okay, go to CVS, get this filled, and hopefully it will be better.' It takes conversation and discussion. And I also love that they really focus on the level of evidence to support various things."
A practice becomes part of daily life
Like many during the Covid-19 pandemic, Bob was feeling more stressed than usual. He asked his integrative medicine provider for ideas on how to address it, and MBSR came up as an option. Bob had some exposure to MBSR through Debbie's practice, but hadn't pursued it in a dedicated way. He decided to give it a try, and it quickly became part of his daily life.
"I just fell in love with it, and I found that it really helped me," he says. "I feel like it has really helped me emotionally and psychologically, in terms of stress reduction and anxiety reduction, and I think I'm a better person as a result of that. There isn't a day when I don't set aside time to meditate. It's become that important in my life."
"Everybody has feelings," says Debbie. "We all have fear, we all have anxiety -- we can't exist without them. So we all have to figure out how to manage that."
MBSR was developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in the late 1970s. It includes meditation, yoga, discussion, and body awareness exercises as ways to manage stress and anxiety and improve health.
"The way he took his scientific background and combined it with a Buddhist meditation background -- while taking out all of the religion and making it into a secular practice that everybody can benefit from -- is very clever and interesting," says Debbie.
Increasing access through philanthropy
With their long history of involvement and dedication to U-M, the Merions were looking for ways to give back. They asked Jill Schneiderhan, M.D., Clinical Associate Professor of Family Medicine, if there was anything they could do to support Integrative Family Medicine, and she connected them with Amy St. Amour, Associate Director of Development in Michigan Medicine's Office of Development.
"We had some discussions, and one thing led to another," says Bob. "And I think the real push over the goal line was Debbie, because I think she was enthralled with the idea of having a fund that could help integrative medicine and make mindfulness-based stress reduction available to more people and give it more visibility."
"It was extremely exciting for me to learn about Bob and Debbie's interest in mindfulness, as expanding access to MBSR has been one of our strategic initiatives for several years now," says Schneiderhan. "The support from this gift has allowed us to make this a reality."
The Debbie and Bob Merion Family Mindfulness Fund will support two six- to eight-week MBSR class cohorts for patients in 2026. They hope the classes will build momentum for a more extensive program that includes additional MBSR sessions, introductory classes, and more access for patients and community members.
"My hope is not only that this program will grow and that people will individually improve from it," says Debbie, "but that the improvements will ripple out into the community, the Ann Arbor community, and the world."
The Merions hope that their gift will help people manage stress and anxiety and experience more peace and meaning in their lives. Their story highlights how thoughtful philanthropy can transform personal experiences into positive change and opportunities for others.
If you would like to help share mindfulness practices with patients at Michigan Medicine, please make a gift to the Debbie and Bob Merion Family Mindfulness Fund. You can also support patient programming and learner and faculty training through the Integrative Family Medicine Enrichment Fund. Thank you for your generosity. To learn more about how you can make a difference in the Department of Family Medicine contact Amy St. Amour, Associate Director of Development, at astamour@umich.edu or 734-764-6777.
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About the Look to Michigan campaign
This gift is part of Michigan Medicine's Look to Michigan fundraising campaign, which aims to create transformative answers to health care's biggest challenges for the benefit of people in our state and beyond. Building on 175 years of leadership in medicine and as part of the University of Michigan's Look to Michigan strategic framework for impact, we are breaking new ground in patient care, research, medical and graduate education, health care facilities, and health advancement and community engagement. Together, we can improve and save lives. For more information, visit michiganmedicine.org/giving/look-to-michigan.
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Original text here: https://www.uofmhealth.org/philanthropy-news/mindful-gift-supports-patient-well-being
Meet Franklin & Marshall's Alumni Association Board
LANCASTER, Pennsylvania, July 25 -- Franklin and Marshall College issued the following news:
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Meet F&M's Alumni Association Board
The Franklin & Marshall College Alumni Association Board represents 30,000 Diplomats from around the world. The newest members of the Alumni Board began their terms July 1.
Alumni Board Executive Committee
* Karla Avelino '01 serves as president of the Franklin & Marshall College Alumni Association Board of Directors and is an ex officio member of the College's Board of Trustees. She is a partner at the Encino, California, law firm Rogen and Avelino and previously
... Show Full Article
LANCASTER, Pennsylvania, July 25 -- Franklin and Marshall College issued the following news:
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Meet F&M's Alumni Association Board
The Franklin & Marshall College Alumni Association Board represents 30,000 Diplomats from around the world. The newest members of the Alumni Board began their terms July 1.
Alumni Board Executive Committee
* Karla Avelino '01 serves as president of the Franklin & Marshall College Alumni Association Board of Directors and is an ex officio member of the College's Board of Trustees. She is a partner at the Encino, California, law firm Rogen and Avelino and previouslypracticed at Kaplan, Klein & Rogen. Avelino graduated from F&M with a major in anthropology and a minor in psychology, and she earned her J.D. from Southwestern University School of Law. Avelino is co-founder of Asociacion Latino para Movimiento Alumnal (ALMA) and has served F&M as a Day of Giving ambassador. She is a member of the College's 1787 Society.
* Preston Kilgore '14 serves as president-elect of the Alumni Association Board of Directors and is an ex officio member of the College's Board of Trustees. He is deputy chief of staff in the Mayor's Office for the City of Oakland. Kilgore graduated from F&M with a major in sociology, and he earned his master's in urban and public affairs from the University of San Francisco. Kilgore is a member of the African American Alumni Council and has served F&M as a reunion volunteer.
* Al Ingraham '72 is past president of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, having completed a two-year term on June 30, 2026. He recently retired as chief executive officer of the Greater Baltimore Board of Realtors, Inc. Ingraham graduated from F&M with a major in history. Ingraham is the 2009 recipient of the Alumni Medal and the 2016 recipient of the Alumni Development Volunteer Award. He has served F&M as president of the Diplomat Athletic Club since 2010 and is a member of the Tow'r and Bell Society, the William A. Schnader Society, the Benjamin Franklin Society, and the 1787 Society.
* Eileen Ellis '95 is treasurer of the Alumni Association Board of Directors. She is a retail industry sales executive for Oracle. Ellis graduated from F&M with a major in English and a joint studies major in art and women's, gender, and sexuality studies. She has served as one of the earliest members of the Franklin & Marshall Admission Network (FAN) since the program's inception and as a Day of Giving ambassador. Ellis is a member of the Benjamin Franklin Society and 1787 Society.
In Gratitude for Alumni Board Service
Several members of the Alumni Association Board concluded their service on June 30. The College and its alumni extend our deepest thanks to the dedication and enduring commitment of our past members.
* Liz Smith '87 concluded 12 years of service to the Alumni Association, where she served as president from 2023-2025. Smith is the chief people officer at Bridgenext. She graduated from F&M with a major in government. Smith has served F&M as a Day of Giving ambassador, Career Services and phonathon volunteer, and as a member of the True Blue Corps. She is a charter member of F&M Women & Philanthropy and is a member of the Benjamin Franklin Society and the 1787 Society.
* Michael Dohrmann '12 completed a six-year term on the Alumni Association Board. On July 1, Dohrmann joined F&M's Leadership Council, a select group of alumni, parents, and friends who advise President Rich and his Cabinet. He is a Vice President in the Corporate Treasury department at Goldman Sachs. Dohrmann graduated from F&M with a major in Business, Organizations, and Society with a minor in Psychology. Dohrmann has served as a Day of Giving ambassador and reunion volunteer. He is a member of the Benjamin Franklin Society and 1787 Society.
* Victoria Zuckerman '86 concluded her service to the Alumni Association, having served from 2020-2026. Zuckerman is resident psychologist for Independent Educational Evaluators of America, LLC. She graduated from F&M with majors in psychology and Spanish, and she earned her Ph.D. and a master's from Yeshiva University. She is a reunion volunteer and has served F&M as a Day of Giving ambassador and phonathon volunteer. Zuckerman is a member of the John Marshall Society and Benjamin Franklin Society.
Introducing New Alumni Board Members
The newest members of the Franklin & Marshall College Alumni Association Board of Directors began their terms on July 1.
* Tommy Bergstrom '13 is the associate director of leadership annual gifts at the University of Pennsylvania. Bergstrom graduated from F&M with a government major and earned his master's of nonprofit leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. He is the 2023 recipient of the Alumni Development Volunteer Award and has served F&M as a Day of Giving ambassador. Bergstrom is a member of the College's 1787 Society.
* Emma Steffan '22 is the legislative correspondent and communications assistant for U.S. Representative Lizzie Fletcher. Steffan graduated from F&M with a major in government and minor in history, and she completed a Fulbright Fellowship in Slovakia.
* Stephen Tyson '07 is career development and alumni director for City Year. Tyson graduated from F&M with a degree in anthropology, and he earned an Ed.D. and master's of arts from Arcadia University. He is a 2018 recipient of the Sydney N. Bridgett '51 Award and has served F&M as an admission volunteer.
Welcoming Returning Alumni Board Members
* Vassilis Coutifaris '09 is a lecturer in foreign policy at the University of Pennsylvania. He graduated from F&M with a joint major in business, organizations and society, and history of art & architecture. Coutifaris earned a doctoral degree in international affairs and a master's in international public policy from Johns Hopkins University, and a master's in global strategic communication from Georgetown University. He is a regional and reunion volunteer and has served F&M as a class agent and admission volunteer. Coutifaris is a member of the College's 1787 Society.
* Andre Douglas '15 is partnerships program manager at Wharton Academy at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He graduated from F&M as an English major and earned his master's in higher education from the University of Pennsylvania. He has served F&M as a Day of Giving ambassador and as a member of the True Blue Corps. Douglas is a member of the College's 1787 Society.
* Zachary Furnald '10 is counsel in the Investment Management Group at Lowenstein Sandler LLP. He graduated from F&M with majors in government and American studies, and he earned his J.D. from Washington & Lee University. Furnald is a member of the College's 1787 Society.
* Theodore "Ted" Golfinopoulos '88 is the owner of TG & Associates of NJ, LLC. He graduated from F&M as a history major, and he earned a master's degree from New York University. He has served F&M as a Day of Giving ambassador and as a member of the True Blue Corps. Golfinopoulos is a member of the College's Benjamin Franklin Society and 1787 Society.
* Christian Hartranft '12 is chief of staff at the Aspen Institute. He graduated from F&M with a major in government and a minor in French, and he earned a master's degree in education policy and management from Harvard University. Hartranft is the 2020 recipient of the Graduates of the Last Decade Award and has served F&M as a Day of Giving ambassador and True Blue Corps member. He is a member of the College's 1787 Society.
* Dawn James '97 is a global sustainability strategist and energy transition and business leader who supports both the energy and technology sectors. She graduated from F&M with a geosciences major. She earned her master's degree in geoscience from California State University (Northridge) and holds a professional certification in big data and predictive analytics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. James is the 2023 recipient of the Alumni Citation.
* Paul Mowery '71 retired as senior research statistician at Biostatistics, Inc. He graduated from F&M with a major in business administration and earned his master's of science from the Pennsylvania State University. Mowery has served F&M as a Day of Giving ambassador and as a Benjamin Rush Pre-Health Honor Society volunteer. He is a member of the William A. Schnader Society, the Benjamin Franklin Society, and the 1787 Society.
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Original text here: https://www.fandm.edu/stories/2026-alumni-board-members.html
California Institute of Technology: Low-Level Cloud Loss Amplifies Global Warming
PASADENA, California, July 25 (TNSjou) -- The California Institute of Technology issued the following news:
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Low-Level Cloud Loss Amplifies Global Warming
Low-level clouds over the earth's oceans play a prominent role in keeping our planet cool by reflecting sunlight away from the surface. But their response to climate change has been hard to model. Now, researchers at Caltech and Google have uncovered important new insights about how clouds might respond to warming sea-surface temperatures and rising CO2 levels using a large and powerful dataset of simulations developed by the group.
"One
... Show Full Article
PASADENA, California, July 25 (TNSjou) -- The California Institute of Technology issued the following news:
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Low-Level Cloud Loss Amplifies Global Warming
Low-level clouds over the earth's oceans play a prominent role in keeping our planet cool by reflecting sunlight away from the surface. But their response to climate change has been hard to model. Now, researchers at Caltech and Google have uncovered important new insights about how clouds might respond to warming sea-surface temperatures and rising CO2 levels using a large and powerful dataset of simulations developed by the group.
"Oneof the largest open questions in climate prediction is how low clouds will respond to global warming," says Zhaoyi Shen, lead research scientist at Caltech's Ronald and Maxine Linde Center for Global Environmental Science and a co-author on a paper outlining the team's findings published July 24 in Science Advances. "Our results show potentially large rapid adjustments of low clouds to high CO2 concentrations, which suggests the earth's climate might be more sensitive to high CO2 levels than some climate models currently project."
The team also found that the thinning of low clouds--uniform layers or large, lumpy expanses below 6,000 feet that cover massive portions of subtropical seas--amplify global warming through a feedback loop: Rising sea surface temperatures lead to fewer clouds, meaning less reflected sunlight and a warmer planet.
"This supports the growing body of evidence from the last few years," says Tapio Schneider, the Theodore Y. Wu Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering at Caltech and co-author of the paper; Schneider is also a principal scientist at Google. "We can now confidently rule out the idea that this effect is zero or that it somehow dampens global warming."
While virtually all global climate models show that the earth is getting warmer, they differ widely on predictions of the exact long-term temperature rise triggered by sustained increases in atmospheric CO2. A large part of the challenge in reaching a scientific consensus has been the inability to resolve the fine-scale atmospheric turbulence that drives low-level cloud formation and dissipation.
By combining a modeling framework for simulations developed by Shen with the power of Google computing resources, the research team used simulated large-scale weather data from a trusted global climate model developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to drive thousands of high-resolution large-eddy simulations.
The simulations used atmospheric and surface-level conditions from 500 randomly selected locations across the tropical Pacific Ocean, taken during four different months to represent seasonal changes. Each location-season combination was then used to drive large-eddy simulations for four climate change scenarios: a 4 degrees Celsius sea-surface temperature increase from baseline; a quadrupling of atmospheric CO2 alone; a 4 degrees Celsius warming with doubled CO2; and a 4 degrees Celsius warming with quadrupled CO2.
"We found that clouds respond directly to CO2 changes, a fact well understood in physics but perhaps a surprise to many," Schneider says. "Simply altering atmospheric CO2 shifts how infrared radiation moves through the air, directly affecting clouds even if temperatures are artificially held steady. Crucially, this effect is nonlinear; it accelerates as CO2 levels rise."
The team used more than 7,000 simulations in their investigation, which represents a massive increase in sample size compared to earlier work. For example, an earlier study by Shen combined data from 500 simulations, which was itself an increase from the dozens of simulations in previous experiments.
The massive upscaling was made computationally feasible using a large-eddy simulation code that leverages Google's tensor processing unit (TPU) clusters to build a robust collection of cloud states under different conditions. TPUs are specialized computer chips designed to accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning workloads.
"This experiment demonstrates the scale of computation made possible by Google's hardware capabilities," says Yi-Fan Chen, a software engineering director at Google and lead of the Google team that carried out the research. "It's computing at an extraordinary scale, demonstrating how processors originally developed for AI and machine learning can accelerate scientific discovery, enabling simulations that were previously out of reach."
In addition to modeling the future, the dataset can help researchers elucidate the planet's past climates, such as during the Eocene Epoch (which began 56 million years ago and ended 33.9 million years ago), when CO2 levels were up to four times higher than today. Plus, the dataset is public, meaning anyone with a laptop can use it to build their own models.
"This new public dataset has the potential to help the broader scientific community evaluate and train turbulence, convection, and cloud models for global climate models," says Shen. Shen is also part of the Climate Modeling Alliance (CliMA), a Caltech-based coalition of scientists, engineers, and applied mathematicians from Caltech and MIT. "At the Climate Modeling Alliance, we are currently developing a new climate model designed to learn from data using AI and machine learning, and I am using this dataset to calibrate our model's new turbulence and convection schemes."
Schneider, who leads CliMA, says the group is already using the data extensively and that he is excited to see what others can glean from it.
"I hope researchers come up with new and creative ways of representing clouds in climate models and that we finally reduce these massive uncertainties in climate predictions," he says. "It's not going to happen overnight to change all sorts of climate models around the world, but over time, I think this can happen."
The Science Advances paper is titled "High-resolution simulations reveal positive global warming feedback from Pacific low clouds." Additional authors from Google are Sheide Chammas, Qing Wang, Rob Carver, Jeffrey B. Parker, Cenk Gazen, Matthias Ihme, Yi-Fan Chen, and John Anderson. The work was supported by the National Science Foundation and Schmidt Sciences.
-- Written by Katie Neith
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Original text here: https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/low-level-cloud-loss-amplifies-global-warming
