Education (Colleges & Universities)
Here's a look at documents from public, private and community colleges in the U.S.
Featured Stories
University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine: 3D Imaging System Could Address Limitations of MRI, CT and Ultrasound
LOS ANGELES, California, Jan. 17 (TNSjou) -- The University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine issued the following news release:
* * *
New 3D imaging system could address limitations of MRI, CT and ultrasound
Keck School of Medicine of USC researchers, working with a team of engineers from Caltech, developed an innovative medical imaging technique that maps both blood vessels and tissue.
*
In a proof-of-concept study funded by the National Institutes of Health, researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have shown that
... Show Full Article
LOS ANGELES, California, Jan. 17 (TNSjou) -- The University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine issued the following news release:
* * *
New 3D imaging system could address limitations of MRI, CT and ultrasound
Keck School of Medicine of USC researchers, working with a team of engineers from Caltech, developed an innovative medical imaging technique that maps both blood vessels and tissue.
*
In a proof-of-concept study funded by the National Institutes of Health, researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have shown thatan innovative, noninvasive technique can be used to quickly collect 3D images of the human body, from head to foot. The technology combines ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging, which detects sound waves generated by light, to simultaneously collect images of both tissue and blood vessels. The findings, just published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering, have the potential to address current gaps in medical imaging.
Imaging is a critical part of modern medicine, informing care across injury, infection, cancer, chronic disease and more. But today's gold standard techniques--ultrasound, X-ray, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) -- each have their limitations. These include cost and time required for each scan, as well as what the images can capture -- how much of the body can be seen at once, how deep images can reach and how much detail they provide.
"You cannot understate the importance of medical imaging for clinical practice. Our team has identified key limitations of existing techniques and developed a novel approach to address them," said Charles Liu, MD, PhD, professor of clinical neurological surgery, urology and surgery at the Keck School of Medicine, director of the USC Neurorestoration Center and co-senior author of the new research.
To show how broadly the technology can be applied, the researchers used the system to image multiple regions of the human body: the brain, breast, hand and foot. Brain imaging was done in patients with traumatic brain injury undergoing surgery, who had portions of their skull temporarily removed. The results show that the technology can capture both tissue structure and blood vessels across a region up to 10 centimeters wide, all in about 10 seconds.
"We've devised a novel method that changes how ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging systems work together, which allows us to achieve far more comprehensive imaging at meaningful depths. It's an exciting step forward in noninvasive diagnostics that doesn't use ionizing radiation or strong magnets," said co-senior author Lihong Wang, PhD, the Bren Professor of Medical Engineering and Electrical Engineering and Andrew and Peggy Cherng Medical Engineering Leadership Chair at Caltech.
A new imaging platform
For the first time in humans, the research team combined two imaging methods, rotational ultrasound tomography (RUST) and photoacoustic tomography (PAT), to create what they call RUS-PAT.
Similar to a standard ultrasound, RUST directs sound waves at an area being imaged. But instead of using a single detector to create a 2D image, it uses an arc of detectors to recreate a 3D volumetric image of the body's tissues. PAT directs a beam of laser light at the same area, which is absorbed by hemoglobin molecules in the blood. These molecules vibrate and give off ultrasonic frequencies, which are measured by the same detectors to create 3D images of blood vessels.
The RUS-PAT system builds on earlier work by the USC-Caltech team, which showed that PAT can also be used to collect images of brain activity.
RUS-PAT offers several potential benefits over existing medical imaging tools. It is less expensive to build than an MRI scanner, avoids the radiation needed for X-ray and CT scans and provides more sophisticated images than conventional ultrasound.
"When we think about the critical limitations of current medical imaging, including expense, field of view, spatial resolution and time to scan, this platform addresses many of them," Liu said.
Broad clinical potential
By imaging the brain, breast, hand and foot, the researchers have shown RUS-PAT's potential across a wide range of health care applications. Brain imaging plays a central role in the diagnosis and treatment of stroke, traumatic brain injury and neurological disease, while breast imaging supports care for one of the most common cancers worldwide.
"Photoacoustics opens up a new frontier of human study, and we believe this technology will be critical for the development of new diagnostics and patient-specific therapies," said Jonathan Russin, MD, co-first author of the study and professor and chief of neurosurgery at the University of Vermont.
Rapid, low-cost imaging of the foot could also aid millions of people living with diabetic foot complications and venous disease.
"This approach clearly has the potential to help clinicians identify at-risk limbs and inform interventions to preserve function in diabetic foot disease and other vascular conditions," said Tze-Woei Tan, MD, coauthor and associate professor of clinical surgery and director of the Limb Salvage Research Program at the Keck School of Medicine.
More work is needed before RUS-PAT is ready for clinical use. One major challenge for brain application remains that the human skull distorts the system's signals, making it hard to collect clear images of the brain. The Caltech team is exploring novel approaches to solve this problem, including adjustments to ultrasound frequency. Further improvements are also needed to ensure consistent image quality across scans.
"This is an early but important proof-of-concept study, showing that RUS-PAT can create medically meaningful images across multiple parts of the body. We're now continuing to refine the system as we move toward future clinical use," Liu said.
* * *
About this study
In addition to Liu, Wang, Russin and Tan, the study's other authors are Yang Zhang, Shuai Na, Karteekeya Sastry, Li Lin, Junfu Zheng, Yilin Luo, Xin Tong, Yujin An, Peng Hu and Konstantin Maslov from Caltech Optical Imaging Laboratory, Andrew and Peggy Cherng Department of Medical Engineering, California Institute of Technology.
This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health [R01 CA282505, U01 EB029823 (BRAIN Initiative) and R35 CA220436 (Outstanding Investigator Award)].
* * *
Original text here: https://keck.usc.edu/news/new-3d-imaging-system-could-address-limitations-of-mri-ct-and-ultrasound/
USU Advances Allied Health Education for Special Operations Medics
BETHESDA, Maryland, Jan. 17 -- The Uniformed Services University issued the following news:
* * *
USU Advances Allied Health Education for Special Operations Medics
New Bachelor of Science program embeds academic rigor directly into the Army's Special Operations Civil Affairs Medical Sergeants course.
By Sharon Holland
Modern military operations demand medical professionals who can operate far beyond traditional clinical roles. Civil Affairs and Special Operations medics are increasingly called upon to deliver care in austere environments, advise partner forces, and engage with civilian populations--all
... Show Full Article
BETHESDA, Maryland, Jan. 17 -- The Uniformed Services University issued the following news:
* * *
USU Advances Allied Health Education for Special Operations Medics
New Bachelor of Science program embeds academic rigor directly into the Army's Special Operations Civil Affairs Medical Sergeants course.
By Sharon Holland
Modern military operations demand medical professionals who can operate far beyond traditional clinical roles. Civil Affairs and Special Operations medics are increasingly called upon to deliver care in austere environments, advise partner forces, and engage with civilian populations--allwhile maintaining the highest levels of medical proficiency. To meet those demands, the Uniformed Services University's (USU) College of Allied Health Sciences (CAHS) has developed a degree pathway that embeds higher education directly into special operations medical training.
Developed in partnership with the Army's Special Operations medical community, the program allows Soldiers enrolled in the Special Operations Civil Affairs Medical Sergeants (SOCAMS) course to earn a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences (BSHS) in Global Community Health from USU. Rather than treating education as a separate or post-service pursuit, the pathway integrates accredited academic coursework into an operational training pipeline already recognized for its rigor.
The degree pathway was initiated at the request of the Special Operations Center of Excellence and tailored specifically to the needs of the SOCAMS military occupational specialty. Under this model, Soldiers build on the medical expertise gained through the Special Operations Combat Medic course, earning an Associate of Science in Health Sciences in Emergency Medical Services-Paramedic before progressing toward the bachelor's degree as they complete the full training sequence. The approach formally recognizes the academic depth of military medical training while expanding it with university-level instruction.
Approval of the Global Community Health BSHS program by the USU President in August 2023 marked a key step in translating this concept into practice. The first cohort began later that month and completed the program in December 2024, demonstrating that degree attainment and operational training can coexist without compromising either.
The curriculum reflects the wide-ranging responsibilities Civil Affairs medical personnel face in real-world missions. In addition to trauma care and emergency medicine, coursework addresses public and environmental health, preventive medicine, civil-military medical operations, and medical information management. Students also examine how health intersects with governance, infrastructure, and humanitarian response--critical considerations in regions affected by conflict or instability.
Recognizing that community health often extends beyond human medicine, the program incorporates instruction in veterinary and agricultural health. These elements prepare graduates to assess food security risks, animal health concerns, and broader environmental factors that influence population health in deployed settings.
Courses are delivered through a mix of classroom instruction, virtual learning, and applied training. Faculty from USU and the Joint Special Operations Medical Training Center (JSOMTC) combine academic expertise with operational experience, ensuring students can immediately connect academic concepts to mission realities. As a satellite campus of USU, JSOMTC operates within an accredited academic framework that meets nationally recognized standards for both military and civilian healthcare education.
USU's role also includes evaluating prior military training and academic experience for transfer credit, allowing Soldiers to build efficiently toward degree completion. With up to five years to fulfill all requirements, the program provides flexibility for medics balancing demanding operational assignments.
For the Army, the Global Community Health BSHS pathway strengthens readiness by developing medics who can navigate complex medical, humanitarian, and interagency environments with greater confidence and credibility. For individual Soldiers, it offers a nationally recognized degree that supports continued service and future transitions into civilian healthcare roles.
By embedding higher education into one of the military's most demanding medical pipelines, USU's College of Allied Health Sciences is redefining how allied health professionals are developed. The program demonstrates that operational excellence and academic achievement are not competing priorities, but complementary ones--preparing special operations medics to meet the evolving demands of military medicine today and in the years ahead.
* * *
Original text here: https://news.usuhs.edu/2026/01/usu-advances-allied-health-education.html
T-bird Helps Raise Over $150,000 for Hearing Safety Startup Paxauris
GLENDALE, Arizona, Jan. 17 -- Arizona State University Thunderbird School of Global Management issued the following news:
* * *
T-bird helps raise over $150,000 for hearing safety startup Paxauris
Aayushi Patel describes the communication, analysis and aptitude that brought a small startup's product viral attention
By Mitchell Halsema
Even before joining the Master of Global Management program at the Thunderbird School of Global Management, Aayushi Patel learned the importance of strong listening skills.
Originally from Gujarat, India, Patel started her career journey in sales and marketing.
... Show Full Article
GLENDALE, Arizona, Jan. 17 -- Arizona State University Thunderbird School of Global Management issued the following news:
* * *
T-bird helps raise over $150,000 for hearing safety startup Paxauris
Aayushi Patel describes the communication, analysis and aptitude that brought a small startup's product viral attention
By Mitchell Halsema
Even before joining the Master of Global Management program at the Thunderbird School of Global Management, Aayushi Patel learned the importance of strong listening skills.
Originally from Gujarat, India, Patel started her career journey in sales and marketing.She had already completed a first master's degree in management in India and worked with international clients.
"I was working in sales and marketing for customers in my region, and then I started getting exposure to international clients," she said. "That's when I understood that I need cultural context if I'm going to be effective. I need to know the tone, messaging style, and what the tagline should sound like in different markets."
In that work, she realized a gap.
"People have so many different perspectives," Patel said, "and you need to understand them first. You need to get in their shoes, understand what they're saying, and then you can respond and build on ideas together.
"I was working in sales and marketing for customers in my region, and then I started getting exposure to international clients," she said. "That's when I understood that I need cultural context if I'm going to be effective. I need to know the tone, the messaging style, what the tagline should sound like in different markets."
Learning to market across cultures
Marketing language, she said, is not universal.
"In a lot of Asian markets, you often lead with the benefit and promise gain. In Western markets, messaging is more direct. You don't bundle the message. You just say what it is."
That insight led her to look for a graduate program that combined analytics, digital marketing and global exposure.
She chose Thunderbird for its expertise in global digital transformation, its network, and its hands-on requirement to work with real companies across the world through the Global Challenge Lab, Thunderbird's capstone course for applied consulting experiences.
"I don't think any other school gives this level of global exposure," she said. "You work with people from all over the world from day one, and you also get to work with companies in the U.S. so you learn the work culture here."
From classroom to startup reality
That approach shaped her academic experience -- and when she joined a small startup as a marketing intern, it was put to the test.
Patel got in touch with the company through Blackstone LaunchPad at Arizona State University, which connects students with venture and startup opportunities. She said she applied to multiple internships through that channel, but she went a little further for this specific opportunity.
"I reached out to the founder on LinkedIn," she said. "He comes to Venture Cafe regularly, so I went to meet him in person and introduced myself. I told him my background, and he called me for an interview."
That first impression mattered.
She said that in early-stage companies, technical skills can get you in the door, but soft skills keep you in the room.
"He told me right away that what impressed him were my soft skills, the way I approach people and frame things, and knowing what to say, when to say it, how much to say. Your resume and cover letter show the technical side," she said. "Networking shows the soft side. You need both."
When Patel joined the company, she walked into a team of five people. There was no dedicated marketing lead.
Although her title was marketing intern, her work relied on her setting the company's marketing strategy from scratch alongside one other intern. From May through August, she worked directly with the founding team as the company prepared to launch a new piece of protective hearing technology. Anthony Dietz, the founder and president of Paxauris, was adamant about her contributing to the company beyond the traditional expectations of an internship.
"In my previous job, there were rules and approval structures. You knew who to ask for what," she said. "In the startup, there were five of us, and everyone was doing everything."
"In startups, everyone has strong opinions. In our team, all five of us were from different cultures. We were told to put our opinions forward -- but defend it, bring a reason. Don't just say something because you want to participate."
Empirical reasoning is important, she said. While marketing often gets reduced to creative ideation and aesthetics, rigorous research, analysis and logical reasoning was what made her strategies so effective and served as the foundation when advocating for her plans to get approved by John Dietz, the CEO of Paxauris.
That expectation to defend ideas, she said, matched what she was learning in Global Negotiation and Global Communication from professors Susan Harmeling and Denis Leclerc. Those cultural lessons proved useful in other aspects as well.
Despite operating out of a home office space in Paradise Valley, Arizona, the team culture at the company was formal and established
"Everything was documented. Every meeting was scheduled with time stamps and follow-ups," Patel said. "Even if I needed approval from Anthony or John, I had to book time. Nothing was casual."
That formality, she said, reinforced a habit she plans to keep in other aspects of her communication.
"Even if you're sending an email 10 times in one day, you still introduce yourself and explain the context. You never just start typing because you're comfortable. You're representing a brand," she said.
Building trust -- not just a brand
Representing that brand internally was important for what she would accomplish later in representing the brand externally. At first, the company's Instagram account had around 200 followers, and the content was mostly hand-drawn, magazine-style illustrations.
"Anthony is very experienced, and his style was shaped by print, sketch work, and doodle-style ads," she said. "We respected that, but we also had to make the brand look consistent and modern across platforms."
Her first task, during week one, was to help build a formal brand kit. That included color, tone, fonts, packaging language, visuals and how to talk about the product. From that process, the team rebuilt the website and relaunched social media with a consistent look.
Then came the first breakthrough moment.
The team produced short-form video built around a single visual hook, showing the company's earplug being inflated. The inflation creates a visible "bulb," a visual that the audience thought was "cool" according to Patel: "It made people stop scrolling."
That first video hit 100,000 views and produced nearly 200 new followers on Instagram within a day. A second video focused on the product's earlier prototypes, including a version that used magnetic material. That transparency into the development process, she said, built trust.
"For a startup, behind-the-scenes content is essential. When people see your failures and what you learned from them, they start to trust you."
The product itself is a fluid-filled, inflatable earplug designed for hearing protection. The company positions it as a daily-use item for swimming, loud workplaces, concerts and everyday noise exposure. The product is also intended to help prevent ear infections and long-term hearing loss.
The design, she said, is the result of over 10 years of engineering work by the founders Dietz and his brother, John, who supports the business functions at the company.
"They tested every pain point themselves," she said. "Comfort, seal, fit while swimming, infection risk from water; they wore foam plugs for a year just to map the problems."
The company cycled through multiple iterations, including what she described as a "music-style" version and an early fluid version that raised concerns about safety if it leaked, which led the company to fill the piece with glycerin instead, an option much safer than the alternatives.
By the time of the Kickstarter launch, Patel said, "we were already on something like the fifth series of the fluid earplug, and we had around 250 beta users across different industries giving feedback."
Marketing the product meant walking a line. The team wanted to present a lifestyle product, something you might carry the way you carry sunscreen, but they also did not want to hide the medical purpose, which includes hearing protection and infection prevention.
"We couldn't just sell it as a cool item. If you sell the cool part and hide the medical part, people buy it with the wrong expectations," she said. "But if you only say 'medical,' people get scared off. So we built a mixed message: 20-30% of what we were putting forward was medical, and the rest was lifestyle."
She said the company tested two ad versions, one strictly clinical and one that combined protection messaging with lifestyle positioning, with the latter performing better.
"That result set the tone for everything after," she said.
The campaign reached its initial funding target of $10,000 in the first 26 minutes after it went live on Aug. 5. By the end of the campaign's first stretch, she said, the team had passed $80,000 in pledges and continued to climb to its current amount, opening the month of December at over $150,000.
"It was overwhelming, and it also became a responsibility," Patel said. "The moment we hit the goal, all eyes were on us. We had to speed up production, packaging, communication, everything. We thought we could post twice a week on social media, and suddenly it became two posts a day."
As the campaign took off, Patel said her role shifted again. In addition to daily content across TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and the company website, she began direct outreach to reporters.
She said she contacted 78 journalists over two weeks, sending initial background information before launch, then updates at milestones at the first funding goal, $50,000, and then upon reaching $80,000.
"At first, nobody replied," she said. "Then, on my last day, I finally got five responses and interview interest. That felt like a gift."
The early success, however, created two challenges.
"When we crossed our goal in minutes, production and supply chain had to scale immediately," she said. "Everything tripled."
Second, counterfeits.
"By the time we raised about $100,000, we started getting scammers," Patel said. She said companies, including some based overseas, began scraping Paxauris' ads and posting similar products for sale on large marketplaces, including listings under the company name.
"If you search Paxauris on Amazon right now, you'll see a lot of products," she said. "None of those are us. The real product is only on Kickstarter at this stage."
That experience also changed how the company thought about its target audience.
"At first, we focused on people over 30, because that's when most people start to care about hearing loss," she said. "But scammers were marketing to younger people. We realized we should be talking to younger swimmers and to parents since ear infections from swimming are so common in children in the U.S."
Patel said much of her success in and outside the role came by treating every interaction as meaningful, advice she gives other T-birds as well.
"From the first day, give importance to small conversations," she said. "Talk to the cafe staff, talk to your classmates, talk to someone you meet on the Tempe light-rail; you never know what you'll learn from that person."
She also urged new students to pay very close attention to developing their soft skills.
"Your technical skills are going to be tested in technical rounds," she said. "In the first interaction, what matters is how you listen, how you talk to people, and how you work in a team."
That mindset, she said, helped her step into an early-stage company and contribute to its culture.
"You celebrate your teammate's win like it's your own win," she said. "That's something I learned here."
As she prepares to graduate in May with a master's degree in global management and a concentration in global digital transformation, Patel sees her time at Thunderbird and at Paxauris as part of the same lesson. The technical skills, global exposure and cultural frameworks mattered -- but it was learning how to listen, adapt and communicate with intention that allowed her to make an impact.
* * *
Original text here: https://news.asu.edu/b/20260115-tbird-helps-raise-over-150000-hearing-safety-startup-paxauris
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology: Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer Achieves 'First Fringes'
SOCORRO, New Mexico, Jan. 17 -- New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology issued the following news:
* * *
Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer Achieves "First Fringes"
Infrared project hits benchmark for proof of concept
*
The Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer (MROI) is an ambitious astronomy installation developed by New Mexico Tech (NMT) in partnership with the University of Cambridge, UK, and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory. On Saturday, July 12, the interferometer successfully achieved "first fringes." This long-awaited proof-of-concept marks a critical step
... Show Full Article
SOCORRO, New Mexico, Jan. 17 -- New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology issued the following news:
* * *
Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer Achieves "First Fringes"
Infrared project hits benchmark for proof of concept
*
The Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer (MROI) is an ambitious astronomy installation developed by New Mexico Tech (NMT) in partnership with the University of Cambridge, UK, and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory. On Saturday, July 12, the interferometer successfully achieved "first fringes." This long-awaited proof-of-concept marks a critical stepin a project more than two decades in the making and signals the dawn of a new era in high-resolution imaging of the cosmos.
The milestone measurement was recorded shortly before 3 a.m. local time (Mountain Daylight Time), when MROI combined the light from two of its telescopes for the first time.
Dr. Michelle Creech-Eakman, professor of physics and MROI Project Scientist at NMT, said, "We targeted Epsilon Cygni. For proof of concept, the team needed to look at a very bright, nearby, familiar celestial body. This bright star in the Swan constellation was perfect. The resulting interference pattern, known as 'fringes,' confirms that the instrument's complex systems--from its telescopes and vacuum-sealed delay lines to its cryogenically cooled detectors--can work in precise, real-time coordination."
The MROI is designed to be exceptionally sensitive, requiring its light-guiding delay lines to be held in vacuum tubes and aligned with precision finer than the width of a human hair.
"Every component, down to the concrete piers and the half-dozen mirrors in the light path, had to perform perfectly. Achieving first fringes is the equivalent of successfully flying the glider you've built from a kit; it proves the fundamental design is sound. This success is a testament to the incredible dedication of our international team over the last 20 years."
Cambridge University Professors Chris Haniff and David Buscher said, "This is a fantastic achievement for the whole project team and a long-awaited validation of a design that was first put on paper years ago." Haniff and Buscher, along with colleagues at the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge, have led much of the design of the MROI. "Getting these results so soon after we set up the first instrument augurs well for our next steps, which are to push the robustness and sensitivity of the telescopes even further, so we can study much dimmer stars and objects in space with a level of detail that has never been before possible for astrophysics here on Earth."
This initial success, achieved with an 8-meter separation between telescopes, sets the stage for the facility's future. When complete, the MROI will feature 10 telescopes with separations of up to 340 meters. It will produce images with unprecedented detail and is designed to observe astronomical targets more than 100 times fainter than what is possible with similar instruments today, as Dr. Creech-Eakman said, "providing a resolution equivalent to measuring the height of a small child standing on the Moon."
(Update November 19, 2025) Since obtaining first fringes, the project now captures fringes on multiple targets during a single observing night on objects that range down to magnitude 8.9 at H-band. All indications are the instrument will be able to capture fringes on much fainter targets.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.nmt.edu/news/2026/magdalena-ridge-observatory-interferometer-achieves-first-fringes.php
Harvard: Paula A. Johnson to Deliver Fifth Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, Jan. 17 -- Harvard University issued the following news:
* * *
Paula A. Johnson to deliver fifth annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture
Paula A. Johnson '80, M.D. '84, M.P.H. '85 has been named Harvard's 2026 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture speaker. Johnson is an eminent physician-scientist and educator who has been recognized internationally for her contributions to medicine, public health and science. Currently serving as the 14th president of Wellesley College, Johnson has focused her tenure on improving opportunities for scientific
... Show Full Article
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, Jan. 17 -- Harvard University issued the following news:
* * *
Paula A. Johnson to deliver fifth annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture
Paula A. Johnson '80, M.D. '84, M.P.H. '85 has been named Harvard's 2026 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture speaker. Johnson is an eminent physician-scientist and educator who has been recognized internationally for her contributions to medicine, public health and science. Currently serving as the 14th president of Wellesley College, Johnson has focused her tenure on improving opportunities for scientificresearch and promoting understanding of and engagement with the global world. Throughout her multi-faceted career, she has held leadership roles in higher education, the public health sector and the medical field.
The annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture was established in 2022 with the Harvard community invited each year to submit nominations for a speaker "who, through activism, advocacy, scholarship, or service, has helped to advance the work that inspired Dr. King to act and lead."
"Paula Johnson is an extraordinarily distinguished member of the Harvard community. At Wellesley and elsewhere, she has been a champion of excellence and opportunity, advocating tirelessly for women as she has celebrated their achievements and worked to expand their opportunities," said Harvard President Alan M. Garber. "I look forward to welcoming Paula, a colleague, friend and alumna, back to campus later this year."
Since becoming president of Wellesley in 2016, Johnson has propelled the institution forward as a leader in STEM education at the all-women's college. During her tenure, Wellesley's science center was transformed into a Science Complex, a cutting-edge center for scientific research and discovery, reinforcing the college's commitment "to educating the next generation of inclusive STEM leaders." In addition, Johnson led the establishment of the Wagner Centers for Wellesley in the World, a collaboration of three centers -- the Madeleine Korbel Albright Institute, the Wellesley Centers for Women and the Hillary Rodham Clinton Center for Citizenship, Leadership, and Democracy -- that are designed to prepare students to tackle the most complex challenges around the world and provide them with the skills to lead and engage through civic participation.
Before her appointment at Wellesley, Johnson was the Grayce A. Young Family Professor of Medicine in Women's Health at Harvard Medical School and Professor of Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She was the chief of the Division of Women's Health and founded and served as the inaugural executive director of the Mary Horrigan Connors Center for Women's Health Research at Brigham and Women's Hospital. While at the helm of both, Johnson advanced understanding about women's health through new research and transformation of training for the next generation of medical providers.
"Paula Johnson embodies the visionary leadership and moral clarity that this lecture series was designed to amplify," said Sherri Ann Charleston, Harvard's Chief Community and Campus Life Officer. "By working to close critical gaps in women's health and empowering the next generation of students to become agents of global change, she brings a vital, scientific dimension to our collective pursuit of equal opportunity for all. We are honored to welcome back an alumna who so profoundly bridges the gap between clinical excellence and the urgent moral imperative of justice."
Johnson has received numerous honors, including the 2021 National Medical Fellowships Champions of Health Academic Excellence Award, the 2017 Stephen Smith Medal for Distinguished Contributions in Public Health and the 2018 Wainwright Social Justice Award. She is a recipient of two Harvard awards -- the 2021 Alumni Award of Merit from the Harvard Chan School and a Harvard Medal in 2023, which recognizes extraordinary service to the university. She was also inducted into the International Women's Forum Hall of Fame in 2015.
Johnson is a member of the National Academy of Medicine where she serves on its Commission on Investment Imperatives for a Healthy Nation and is also a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Additionally, she is on the board of directors for Johnson & Johnson and a member of the board of trustees for the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Previously, she chaired the Boston Public Health Commission.
Johnson received her A.B. from Harvard Radcliffe Colleges, M.D. from Harvard Medical School and M.P.H. from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She trained in internal medicine and cardiovascular medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital. She was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Princeton University in 2024.
The lecture is hosted by the Office of the President and administered by Community and Campus Life. For more information on the event, visit https://ccl.harvard.edu/across-harvard/mlk-lecture.
* * *
Original text here: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/newsplus/paula-a-johnson-to-deliver-fifth-annual-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-commemorative-lecture/
Fordham Law School: Three Upcoming Faculty-Authored Books to Check Out In 2026
BRONX, New York, Jan. 17 -- Fordham University School of Law issued the following news:
* * *
Three Upcoming Faculty-Authored Books to Check Out In 2026
By Sejla Rizvic
Three Fordham Law professors--Atinuke Adideran, Youngjae Lee, and Olivier Sylvain--have or will be publishing new books in 2026 on topics including corporate racial equity, criminal law, and the laws governing Big Tech.
Fordham Law Professors are leaders in the field, and their innovative legal scholarship contributes significant research and analysis to a range of legal topics.
"Tinu, Jae, and Olivier, are all amazing scholars,
... Show Full Article
BRONX, New York, Jan. 17 -- Fordham University School of Law issued the following news:
* * *
Three Upcoming Faculty-Authored Books to Check Out In 2026
By Sejla Rizvic
Three Fordham Law professors--Atinuke Adideran, Youngjae Lee, and Olivier Sylvain--have or will be publishing new books in 2026 on topics including corporate racial equity, criminal law, and the laws governing Big Tech.
Fordham Law Professors are leaders in the field, and their innovative legal scholarship contributes significant research and analysis to a range of legal topics.
"Tinu, Jae, and Olivier, are all amazing scholars,and that shows in these books," said Associate Dean of Research Bennett Capers. "They are well-researched, and really challenge us to think differently about things we too often take for granted."
* * *
Read more about the upcoming releases below.
Disclosureland: How Corporate Words Constrain Racial Progress
Cambridge University Press
Atinuke Adediran, Associate Professor of Law
In 2020, when it was economically beneficial, companies around the country proclaimed the importance of equity and diversity. However, five years later and with Trump back in office, those recent promises have significantly softened or been eliminated altogether. Adediran--who wrote the book during fellowships at the Center for Racial Justice at the University of Michigan Ford School, and the Russell Sage Foundation, examines why this type of lip service surged, why the commitments crumbled, and what their unraveling means for shareholders, employees, customers--and for the future of "real racial progress" in America's corporate world and beyond.
* * *
Criminalizing Disobedience
Oxford University Press
Youngjae Lee, I. Maurice Wormser Professor of Law
Lee explores the concept of "disobedience offenses," which are defined as "crimes characterized not by intrinsic wrongfulness, but by noncompliance with legal directives." Lee, an expert on criminal culpability, criminal procedure, and state punishment, uses a theoretical lens to investigate this concept through a number of examples including obstruction of justice, money laundering, failures to register or report, environmental and other regulatory laws, possession of guns or drugs, and national security laws such as espionage, export controls, and sanctions violations. The book challenges our understanding around what is considered criminal activity, and the moral basis of our assumptions around criminality.
* * *
Reclaiming the Internet: How Big Tech Took Control--And How We Can Take It Back
Columbia Global Reports
Olivier Sylvain, Professor of Law
Sylvain, who was previously a senior advisor at the Federal Trade Commission, writes about the legal frameworks on which the internet was built, how free speech claims are used disingenuously by Big Tech companies, and the sometimes harmful effects of social media design on users. The book also offers solutions on how crucial changes could be made to mitigate the impact of surveillance, misinformation, and exploitation so we can begin to "reclaim the digital public sphere."
* * *
Original text here: https://news.law.fordham.edu/blog/2026/01/16/three-upcoming-faculty-authored-books-to-check-out-in-2026/
FHSU College of Education Presents Olliff Family Educational Symposium: Fields of Stress - The Hidden Mental Health Burden on America's Agricultural Heartland
HAYS, Kansas, Jan. 17 -- Fort Hays State University issued the following news:
* * *
FHSU College of Education presents Olliff Family Educational Symposium: Fields of Stress - The Hidden Mental Health Burden on America's Agricultural Heartland
In its commitment to supporting the mental well-being of students from pre-kindergarten through college, the FHSU Department of Advanced Education Program will present the Olliff Family Educational Symposium on Thursday, Feb. 5. This virtual event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
The symposium will feature a keynote address by Will Stutterheim,
... Show Full Article
HAYS, Kansas, Jan. 17 -- Fort Hays State University issued the following news:
* * *
FHSU College of Education presents Olliff Family Educational Symposium: Fields of Stress - The Hidden Mental Health Burden on America's Agricultural Heartland
In its commitment to supporting the mental well-being of students from pre-kindergarten through college, the FHSU Department of Advanced Education Program will present the Olliff Family Educational Symposium on Thursday, Feb. 5. This virtual event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
The symposium will feature a keynote address by Will Stutterheim,M.S., LCP, from the Department of Psychology at FHSU. Titled "Fields of Stress: The Hidden Mental Health Burden on America's Agricultural Heartland," the presentation will focus on a critical, yet often overlooked challenge - the mental well-being of those within the agricultural community. Given the vital role agriculture plays in western Kansas, this session will provide essential insights for educators and mental health professionals supporting individuals from farming and ranching backgrounds.
Will Stutterheim is an instructor at FHSU with more than 20 years of experience in mental health therapy and education. Having grown up on a multi-generational farm in northwest Kansas, Stutterheim brings a deeply personal perspective to his clinical expertise. After 13 years as a therapist in the rural farming community of Phillipsburg, he specializes in helping families navigate the unique stressors of agricultural life.
His presentation will focus on agriculture, stress, and mental health, as well as skills and strategies to support individuals struggling with their mental health.
Registration is available at https://forms.gle/Qe6p7egzEmfbYtxj7
The Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants two days prior to the symposium.
* * *
About the Olliff Family Educational Symposium: The symposium began in 2017 and was later named after the Olliff Family in honor of the late Darel Olliff and his wife, Shirley. As a third-generation funeral director in Phillipsburg, Darel developed a passion for mental health. His son, Dr. Kenton Olliff - a long-time employee of FHSU - had worked with his dad for several years before going into teaching.
To ensure the symposium would be offered every year, Kenton committed in 2019 to financially support this important event along with his mother; his wife, Carol Solko-Olliff; and the Olliff family. Kenton, a licensed clinical professional and addiction counselor, is an emeritus faculty member in Counseling at FHSU, where Carol is the director of International Student Services.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.fhsu.edu/news/2026/01/fhsu-college-of-education-presents-olliff-family-educational-symposium-fields-of-stress-the-hidden-mental-health-burden-on-americas-agricultural-heartland#gsc.tab=0
