Education (Colleges & Universities)
Here's a look at documents from public, private and community colleges in the U.S.
Featured Stories
The Future, Decoded - UC Scholars Reveal What's Next
CINCINNATI, Ohio, May 22 -- The University of Cincinnati posted the following news:
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The future, decoded. UC scholars reveal what's next
Gen Z's values and buying power are rising. Is your company ready?
By Stephen Kenney, kenneysn@ucmail.uc.edu
Business leaders worldwide are working to understand what comes next. And more urgently, what today's shifts mean for Gen Z as future change-makers.
Local businesses and company executives turned to the next generation for answers to these questions during the NEXT Innovation Scholars Futures Forum 2026, held at the University of Cincinnati's
... Show Full Article
CINCINNATI, Ohio, May 22 -- The University of Cincinnati posted the following news:
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The future, decoded. UC scholars reveal what's next
Gen Z's values and buying power are rising. Is your company ready?
By Stephen Kenney, kenneysn@ucmail.uc.edu
Business leaders worldwide are working to understand what comes next. And more urgently, what today's shifts mean for Gen Z as future change-makers.
Local businesses and company executives turned to the next generation for answers to these questions during the NEXT Innovation Scholars Futures Forum 2026, held at the University of Cincinnati's1819 Innovation Hub in late April. Searching for a clearer read on what's ahead for Gen Z as rising leaders and customers, they were guided by a group of extraordinary students studying the future from the inside out.
Foresights from standout scholars
NEXT Innovation Scholars brings together high-achieving Bearcat undergraduates for a transdisciplinary educational experience rooted in design thinking and future-focused innovation. These scholars apply their expertise across industries and disciplines, working beyond traditional academic boundaries. Fortune 500 companies from Cincinnati to New York City and Silicon Valley have recruited the NEXT Innovation Scholars to solve real-world challenges, taking their insights seriously and implementing their recommendations.
As leaders of the Futures Forum 2026, the NEXT Innovation Scholars offered businesses a window into how the next generation sees the world changing - particularly how Gen Z will think, live and consume. To identify trends, the NIS Foresight Lab, a section of the program focused on futures research and design innovation, reviewed nearly 400 timely articles and media pieces, built 63 speculative future scenarios and identified 21 research-backed drivers of change.
NIS identified the following four macrotrends that could shape what's next:
* The new American Dream
* The techno-social tug of war
* The noninvasive age
* Lifemaxxing
Aaron Bradley, founding director of UC's NEXT Innovation Scholars program, understands the Foresight Lab's unique value for Bearcats and businesses alike.
"Our current educational system includes classes to learn about history and study the past, but what about studying the future?" he says. "That's where strategic foresight comes in, and we've built one of the only undergraduate foresight programs in the country here at UC. Our approach is unique because we're not only identifying trends and signals of change that we read about, we're able to add the layer of lived experience and perspective from the rising Gen Z leaders who will directly shape the future we'll all live in."
To learn more about the NIS Foresight Lab's work, discover insights from Volume 3 of the Horizon Shift Creators Report. The next edition of Horizon Shift is set to be released later this year.
Volume 4 will be packed with rich, impactful foresights from today's Gen Z innovators, as seen during Futures Forum 2026. Looking for an overview while you wait? Read on.
Future trends from tomorrow's leaders
Corporate decision-makers and community leaders return to UC's 1819 Innovation Hub each year for the NIS Futures Forum because they know there is value in hearing from the next generation.
The NEXT Innovation Scholars Foresight Lab produces visionary work that far surpasses higher education norms. Strategic foresight and future studies programs at universities typically exist only at the graduate level, and even then there are only a small handful of these programs nationwide. Meanwhile, extraordinary undergraduate students at UC are producing thoughtful, timely research and reporting on the future, attracting attention from Silicon Valley, New York City and beyond.
Since launching in 2021, NEXT Innovation Scholars has completed 44 innovation projects for 33 partner companies across 12 industries. The program's clients range from Fortune 500 firms in the Cincinnati Innovation District to startups growing with help from UC's best and brightest scholars.
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Original text here: https://www.uc.edu/news/articles/2026/05/the-future-decoded-uc-scholars-reveal-whats-next.html
SFA's JacksTeach Program Names Second Science Teacher Fellow
NACOGDOCHES, Texas, May 22 -- Stephen F. Austin State University issued the following news:
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SFA's JacksTeach program names second science teacher fellow
Following the successful launch of its educator support initiative last year, Stephen F. Austin State University's JacksTeach program has named alumna Amy Calhoun, chemistry teacher at Sabine High School in Gladewater, as the recipient of the second annual JacksTeach Science Teacher Fellowship.
The fellowship, which recognizes exceptional public school science teachers, is designed to support continued professional growth, foster regional
... Show Full Article
NACOGDOCHES, Texas, May 22 -- Stephen F. Austin State University issued the following news:
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SFA's JacksTeach program names second science teacher fellow
Following the successful launch of its educator support initiative last year, Stephen F. Austin State University's JacksTeach program has named alumna Amy Calhoun, chemistry teacher at Sabine High School in Gladewater, as the recipient of the second annual JacksTeach Science Teacher Fellowship.
The fellowship, which recognizes exceptional public school science teachers, is designed to support continued professional growth, foster regionalcollaboration and enhance STEM education. As part of the fellowship, Calhoun will receive a $5,000 stipend and gain hands-on experience in lab instruction and curriculum development. She will work alongside Mindy Wurtz, clinical instructor and JacksTeach master science teacher, to design and deliver high-impact professional development workshops for educators.
Calhoun, who earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in chemistry from SFA in 2000 and 2009, respectively, views the opportunity as a meaningful homecoming.
"At SFA, I studied chemistry and learned effective science teaching skills from outstanding educators," Calhoun said. "I am deeply honored to return to my alma mater and work with the JacksTeach program to develop and present engaging ways for students to experience chemistry. I am grateful for the investment SFA's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry made in me, and I am excited for the opportunity to give back through my work with current and future educators."
Wurtz said she is looking forward to working with Calhoun.
"We are thrilled to welcome Amy back to SFA as our second fellow," she said. "Her deep understanding of chemistry and her dedication to student engagement will be incredibly valuable as we collaborate to build new, inquiry-based resources for regional science teachers this summer."
JacksTeach professional development workshops focus on hands-on, inquiry-based science activities in high school chemistry and biology classrooms. They also include a workshop on safe, ethical and effective lab practices for middle and high school teachers. Educators interested in participating can register at sfasu.edu/pace or contact jacksteach@sfasu.edu.
The JacksTeach Science Teacher Fellowship is currently funded through the support of SFA's College of Sciences and Mathematics.
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Original text here: https://www.sfasu.edu/about-sfa/newsroom/2026/sfas-jacksteach-program-names-second-science-teacher-fellow
Michigan Medicine: Study Sheds Light on How Early Pancreas Lesions Become Cancerous
ANN ARBOR, Michigan, May 22 (TNSjou) -- Michigan Medicine, the academic medical center of the University of Michigan, issued the following news release:
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Study sheds light on how early pancreas lesions become cancerous
Findings help explain why many precursor lesions never develop into pancreatic cancer
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In an unexpected finding, a new study flips on its head researchers' understanding of how precancerous pancreas lesions evolve into pancreatic cancer.
The paradigm-changing discovery has tremendous implications for identifying people at higher risk of cancer or even, potentially stopping
... Show Full Article
ANN ARBOR, Michigan, May 22 (TNSjou) -- Michigan Medicine, the academic medical center of the University of Michigan, issued the following news release:
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Study sheds light on how early pancreas lesions become cancerous
Findings help explain why many precursor lesions never develop into pancreatic cancer
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In an unexpected finding, a new study flips on its head researchers' understanding of how precancerous pancreas lesions evolve into pancreatic cancer.
The paradigm-changing discovery has tremendous implications for identifying people at higher risk of cancer or even, potentially stoppingmalignant transformation.
In tumors, cancer cells induce surrounding non-malignant cells to become "helpers" and promote tumor growth.
This is called the microenvironment.
Precursor lesions called pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia, or PanIN, similarly are surrounded by a collective of other cells.
The precursor lesions express a similar set of genes as cancer cells but less strongly.
So when researchers looked at the cells in the environment surrounding the lesions, they expected to see the same "tumor light" features.
Surprisingly, the microenvironment of the precursor lesions was entirely different.
"It turns out, the microenvironment of these precursor lesions is the same as the microenvironment of the normal pancreas. The lesions have not convinced any of the cells around them to change. That's not what we were expecting. We were expecting the two components, the cells and the microenvironment, to evolve in lockstep. They did not," said co-senior study author Marina Pasca di Magliano, Ph.D., Maud T. Lane Professor of Surgical Immunology and Co-director of the Rogel and Blondy Center for Pancreatic Cancer at the University of Michigan.
The study is published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
This discovery likely explains earlier research from the team that showed precursor lesions are common, including in younger people, while pancreatic cancer remains relatively rare.
The transformation of normal pancreas cells into pancreatic cancer has been challenging to study in humans.
Microscopic precursor lesions are extremely difficult to isolate in the pancreas and have typically been recovered during surgery when a nearby tumor is removed.
At this point, the PanIN microenvironment is likely influenced by the nearby tumor.
The team benefited from a unique collaboration between the U-M Rogel Cancer Center and Gift of Life Michigan, which allows U-M researchers to procure healthy donor pancreases for research.
From this partnership, researchers have isolated PanIN lesions from more than 150 donated pancreases from individuals ages 20-70.
For this study, they used multiple cutting edge research technologies, including single cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics, to isolate single cells, examine them in two dimensions and map the gene expression of specific tissue sections.
"These lesions are like needles in a haystack. The prior way of looking at this was to look at the entire haystack. You get a lot of information about hay and very little information about the needle. These new techniques allow us to just focus in on the needle so we can look at multiple needles using the same amount of computing power and resources," said co-senior author Timothy Frankel, M.D., Maud T. Lane Professor of Surgical Oncology and co-director of the Rogel and Blondy Center for Pancreatic Cancer at U-M.
Pancreatic cancer has an extensive tumor microenvironment, which includes fibroblasts and immune cells that play complex roles in the biology of the tumor.
If precursor lesions are not surrounded by that same microenvironment, it suggests that something else needs to happen to trigger cancer growth - inflammation, pancreatitis, smoking, age, obesity or other stressors linked to pancreatic cancer.
Future studies will seek to understand what factors are involved.
The hope is that if researchers can understand how those stressors impact the microenvironment and allow precancerous lesions to turn into cancer, they can target cells involved in that process, intercept them and potentially stop the conversion.
The study reflects the critical role of multidisciplinary team science in pancreatic cancer research.
In this case, the robust team at U-M's Rogel and Blondy Center for Pancreatic Cancer leveraged its unique relationship with Gift of Life and their expertise in pancreatic cancer and its microenvironment, then partnered with additional experts in bioinformatics and pathology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and New York University.
"It is incredible to see how we can uncover the fundamental cellular mechanisms of disease etiology by blending new computational methods and cutting-edge spatial transcriptomics technologies. Through careful study design, we can use the spatial information to start delving into the unknown dynamics of pancreatic tumor evolution," said co-corresponding author Elana J. Fertig, Ph.D., Director of the Institute for Genome Sciences at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Associate Director of Quantitative Sciences at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center.
To foster further discovery, the authors have created an open access website and interactive tool to allow other researchers to query the data.
Additional authors: Ahmed M. Elhossiny, Padma Kadiyala, Jude Ogechukwu Okoye, Harrison L. Hiraki, Megan C. Procario, Thejaswini Giridharan, Hannah R. Watkoske, Mariana Tannus Ruckert, Jiayue Wang, Brian D. Griffith, Alexander Bray, Jamie N. Mills, Carlos E. Espinoza, Jorg Zeller, Nicole Peterson, Filip Bednar, Yaqing Zhang, Arvind Rao, Costas A. Lyssiotis, Juliane M. Szczepanski, Jiaqi Shi, Atul Deshpande, Anirban Maitra, Eileen S. Carpenter
Funding: National Cancer Institute grants P30CA046592, R01CA271510, R01CA275182, R01CA268426, U01CA274154, U54CA274371, U24CA284156, R01CA290780, R50CA232985, U24CA274272, R37CA262209, T32CA009676; Veterans Affairs grants 5101BX005777, IK2BX0058; National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases grant 5R01DK128102; Rackham International Student Fellowship and Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship; Rogel and Blondy Center for Pancreatic Cancer
Disclosure: Maitra is listed as an inventor on a patent licensed by Johns Hopkins University to Exact Sciences Ltd. Fertig was on the scientific advisory board of Resistance Bio and a consultant for Mestag Therapeutics.
Paper cited: "Asynchronous evolution of epithelium and stroma differentiates precursor lesions from pancreatic cancer," Cancer Discovery.
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Original text here: https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-lab/study-sheds-light-how-early-pancreas-lesions-become-cancerous
Kent State Board of Trustees Celebrates Another Successful Graduating Class, Hears Details of University's Positive Embrace of AI
KENT, Ohio, May 22 -- Kent State University issued the following news:
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Kent State Board of Trustees Celebrates Another Successful Graduating Class, Hears Details of University's Positive Embrace of AI
The Kent State University Board of Trustees celebrated student success following spring 2026 commencement ceremonies during its regular quarterly meeting held May 20 at The John Elliot Center for Architecture and Environmental Design on the Kent Campus. Kent State welcomed nearly 5,000 new graduates into its alumni family this spring alone - larger than some universities graduate all year.
... Show Full Article
KENT, Ohio, May 22 -- Kent State University issued the following news:
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Kent State Board of Trustees Celebrates Another Successful Graduating Class, Hears Details of University's Positive Embrace of AI
The Kent State University Board of Trustees celebrated student success following spring 2026 commencement ceremonies during its regular quarterly meeting held May 20 at The John Elliot Center for Architecture and Environmental Design on the Kent Campus. Kent State welcomed nearly 5,000 new graduates into its alumni family this spring alone - larger than some universities graduate all year.The successful spring graduating class was honored during commencement ceremonies held across Kent State campuses.
During the Committee of the Whole session, the Board heard overviews of artificial intelligence adoption across four university divisions: Academic Affairs, Enrollment Management, Information Technology, and University Communications and Marketing. The briefing focused on the movement toward wider operationalization of AI, particularly in administrative work, and recommendations for next steps in AI governance, application and access.
Board Authorizes Lease Extension for Kent State's New York City Fashion Program
The Board approved Kent State's lease extension for the university's New York City Fashion program. The program is a semester-long education-away experience that immerses Kent State students in real-world fashion education alongside working industry professionals in New York City. Kent State has leased commercial studio space in New York City's Garment District since October 2005 and hosted its first group of students in the program in spring 2006. Kent State's New York City Fashion program celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, marking the milestone with special events in June 2026 in New York City.
The university will extend the lease for studios 401/402 located at 315 W. 39th St. In New York City through June 30, 2032, to take advantage of a rent credit offer through the Handro Management Group LLC.
Board Approves Fall Tuition, Room and Meal Plan Rates
Tuition, room and meal plan rates for 75% of Kent State students will remain the same for the coming year. Tuition for incoming first-year, in-state undergraduate students entering fall 2026 will be 3% higher compared to last year's incoming class, as approved by the Board. The double room rate will increase 3.83%, and the most popular Blue meal plan will increase 2.15% only for first-year undergraduate students entering fall 2026. The costs will be frozen for four years for continuing in-state students.
Graduate tuition rates and the non-Ohio resident surcharge, for both undergraduate and graduate students, for fall 2026 will increase by 3%.
Board Approves New University Budget for Fiscal Year 2027
The Board approved a $711.6 million balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2027, which runs from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027. The new balanced budget - which does not use reserves - recognizes the importance of affordability and encouraging student success, addresses critical commitments and strategic investments and reflects the keen emphasis the Board and the university community have placed on effectiveness, efficiency and resource optimization. Critical commitments include significant resources to fund financial aid, with particular focus on students with the greatest financial need, and the budget for employee compensation includes increases in accordance with collective bargaining agreements as well as a 2% salary pool for non-represented employees.
The balanced university budget, which is 1.6% lower than the prior year budget, is the result of dedicated leadership and strategic focus by all of Kent State's stakeholders and reflects total revenues and expenditures of $711.6 million systemwide.
Board Approves Three Naming Actions
The Board approved the naming of the Swagelok Bot Bunker within the Aeronautics and Engineering Building to recognize the Swagelok Company and its commitment of $750,000 from the Swagelok Foundation to the College of Aeronautics and Engineering. Headquartered in Solon, Ohio, Swagelok is a leading developer of fluid system products, assemblies and services serving oil and gas, chemical and petrochemical, semiconductors and transportation industries. This significant contribution will support the college's foundation for automation by enhancing the Bot Bunker and related spaces, including the Robotics and Mechatronics Research Lab, Industrial Robotics Lab, additional research facilities and interactive classroom environments that foster hands-on learning.
The Board approved naming the atrium of the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center as the Robert P. Milliken Atrium in recognition of the generosity of the Estate of Robert P. Milliken and its commitment of $500,000 to the Men's Basketball Excellence Fund. Milliken, an alumnus of Kent State, was a dedicated and passionate supporter of the Golden Flashes. This significant contribution will help ensure the continued success and excellence of Kent State Men's Basketball for years to come.
The Board also approved naming the study lounge at Kent State University at Geauga as the Preston Superstore Student Study Lounge in recognition of the Preston family's generosity in providing new philanthropic commitments totaling $100,000 to support Kent State Geauga. Preston Superstore is a family-owned, community-focused business headquartered in Burton, Ohio. The family's support will help ensure the Geauga Campus remains a student-centered environment that fosters collaboration and continues to serve as an integral resource for the community.
Among other Board actions:
* The Board approved the establishment of the Applied Organizational Leadership major within the Accelerated Bachelor of Applied Studies degree, effective fall 2026, pending final approval of the Ohio Department of Higher Education and the Higher Learning Commission. The degree responds to employer demand for leadership talent across nonprofit, government, healthcare and business sectors. It is designed to expand access for adult learners, working professionals and students with prior college credit. The 90-credit-hour program will be offered in a fully online and mostly online format through Kent State's Regional Campuses.
* Under Transformation 2028, the Division of Academic Affairs' initiative to improve efficiency, eliminate redundancy, stabilize functions, foster interdisciplinary collaboration and promote fiscal sustainability and academic innovation at Kent State, the Board approved the following actions:
* * The Nutrition Outreach Center will relocate from the current College of Education, Health and Human Services to what will be the College of Public Health and Health Sciences, effective fall 2026. All faculty and support associated with the Nutrition Outreach Center are moving to the new College of Public Health and Health Sciences, therefore, the center is best aligned with that college.
* * The College of Communication and Information and the College of the Arts will merge to establish the College of Design, Media and the Arts, effective fall 2027. The new college will unite seven nationally accredited schools across art, fashion, music, theatre, media and emerging technology into a single interdisciplinary hub serving more than 3,000 undergraduate and 250 graduate students. The new college positions Kent State as a regional and global leader in the creative economy while preparing graduates for rapidly evolving careers where technology, storytelling and artistic expression increasingly intersect. Additionally, the integration of the Kent State University Museum will further enhance the collaborative environment within the college.
* In compliance with Ohio Senate Bill 1, the law that requires Ohio public institutions of higher education to "eliminate any undergraduate degree program it offers if the institution confers an average of fewer than five degrees in that program annually over any three-year period," the Board approved the inactivation of four degrees, effective fall 2026.
- The Insurance Studies major within the Bachelor of Science degree will be inactivated. The Board previously approved the establishment of an Accelerated Bachelor of Applied Studies degree in Insurance Studies, which is pending approval by the Ohio Department of Higher Education and the Higher Learning Commission.
- The Music major within the Bachelor of Arts degree will be inactivated. The university will continue to offer the Music major under the Bachelor of Music degree, in addition to undergraduate minors.
- The Philosophy major within the Bachelor of Arts degree will be inactivated. The university will continue to offer an undergraduate minor.
- The Plant Biology major within the Bachelor of Science degree will be inactivated. The university will maintain other bachelor's degree options.
* The Board approved the inactivation of the Human Development Center within the College of Education, Health and Human Services, effective fall 2026. The inactivation will have no impact on students, faculty, staff or other academic programs.
* The Board acknowledged completion of its review of the university's current general education curriculum in keeping with the requirement of Ohio House Bill 96. The board of trustees at each state institution of higher education is required to review, evaluate and adopt changes to the institution's general education curriculum to enhance content that furthers the state's postsecondary educational attainment and workforce goals. In 2023, Kent State began a comprehensive review of its general education curriculum, known as the Kent Core, positioning the university to complete this step and move its evaluation process forward ahead of the legislated deadline. This timeline will ensure that Kent State's revised general education curriculum is fully in place for the class of first-year students entering in fall 2027. This includes the implementation of the American civic literacy course requirement approved pursuant to Ohio Senate Bill 1.
* The Board provided authorization to refinance the Series 2016 general receipts bonds when market conditions are favorable. Under the current market conditions, refinancing the bonds could result in a net present value savings in excess of $1.5 million.
* The Board approved the fire safety sprinkler system replacement for Centennial Court residence halls, which were constructed in the early 2000s with fully sprinklered fire suppression systems. The university will use $1.8 million in University Housing renewal and replacement funding for the project, which will be completed by spring 2028. Construction will be limited to attic spaces to minimize disruption to residents.
* The Board approved the contract renewal for the learning management system and related services that the university requires to ensure a robust framework through which learning content is managed by faculty and delivered to students. Following a formal bidding process in 2020, the university selected Instructure/Canvas as the provider for its learning management system and now desires to renew this enterprise agreement to ensure continuity of these critical academic services. The renewal contract with Instructure will provide for a four-year term beginning July 1, 2026, and ending on June 30, 2030, in the amount of $2,555,907.
* The Board approved the M. Conley Company to provide janitorial chemicals and cleaning products for the Kent Campus, following a competitive process. The contract will be for an initial term of three years at approximately $500,000 per year, with a university option to renew up to two additional one-year periods. By consolidating both janitorial chemicals and cleaning products under one vendor, the new contract will deliver $200,000 in annual savings to the university.
* The Board passed a resolution of appreciation to Robert Frost, who was appointed to the Board on March 15, 2018, serving with distinction through his term that expired May 16, 2026. During his tenure as chair of the Board's Academic Excellence and Student Success, he has been a powerful voice for advancing student success, elevating the student experience, and ensuring the long-term sustainability and quality of the university's academic programs.
* The Board passed a resolution of appreciation to Abygail Deemer. Appointed to the Board on Sept. 24, 2024, also with a term expiring May 16, 2026, Deemer served with distinction as Undergraduate Student Trustee. She excelled as an honors biology student, graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and delivered the Trustee Welcome at her commencement ceremony on May 8, 2026.
* The Board passed a resolution of appreciation to Peggy Shadduck, Ph.D., who joined Kent State in April 2021 as vice president for Regional Campuses and dean of the College of Applied and Technical Studies. She has worked with deans, faculty and staff to enhance the system's operational efficiency and long-term sustainability, stabilize enrollment, boost student retention, and expand educational pathways for adult learners, including micro-credentials and accelerated degrees. Shadduck will transition from her administrative leadership to the faculty on July 1, 2026.
* The Board elected the following officers for 2026-2027, effective July 1, 2026: Donald Mason, chair; Pamela Bobst, vice chair; and Larry Macon Jr., secretary.
* In a routine action required by the Kent State Constitution, the Board formally approved the annual election of President Todd A. Diacon, effective July 1, 2026. Diacon was elected as the 13th president of Kent State effective July 1, 2019. The Board recognizes his leadership and contributions to the well-being and advancement of the university. At its March 2026 meeting, the Board extended Diacon's employment agreement through June 30, 2029.
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Original text here: https://www.kent.edu/today/news/kent-state-board-trustees-celebrates-another-successful-graduating-class-hears-details
How Teaching Led to the Tenure Track
NEW YORK, May 22 -- The City University of New York Graduate Center posted the following news:
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How Teaching Led to the Tenure Track
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Growing up the son of Turkish immigrants in Midwood, Brooklyn, Onur Ayaz (Ph.D. '26, English ) heard the same words again and again: "School is work," his father would say. "It's your job." Now, as a tenure-track English professor at Mercer County Community College, Ayaz has made school his life's work.
The first in his family to graduate from high school, Ayaz entered Brooklyn College planning to pursue a career in medicine. Then, in a Shakespeare class
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, May 22 -- The City University of New York Graduate Center posted the following news:
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How Teaching Led to the Tenure Track
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Growing up the son of Turkish immigrants in Midwood, Brooklyn, Onur Ayaz (Ph.D. '26, English ) heard the same words again and again: "School is work," his father would say. "It's your job." Now, as a tenure-track English professor at Mercer County Community College, Ayaz has made school his life's work.
The first in his family to graduate from high school, Ayaz entered Brooklyn College planning to pursue a career in medicine. Then, in a Shakespeare classwith Professor Tanya Pollard, he found himself increasingly intrigued by the reading and discussion. "I was the person always raising my hand," he said, "trying to think on an analytic level about literature; that was one of the most engaging semesters for me."
Learn more about the Ph.D. program in English
Soon after he joined the Graduate Center's Ph.D. program in English, Ayaz's research interests settled on 20th-century American poetry, with a focus on the poet Charles Olson. Ayaz's work was shaped by his studies with Professor Ammiel Alcalay (GC/Queens College, English, Comparative Literature, American Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, Medieval Studies, Africana Studies ), Distinguished Professor Wayne Koestenbaum (English, Comparative Literature, French, Biography and Memoir, American Studies, Film and Media Cultures ), and Professor Karen Miller (GC/Laguardia Community College, History, Black, Race, and Ethnic Studies, Liberal Studies ) whose support and insight he said was immensely helpful in developing his own teaching practice.
"With Karen I did constant workshopping on pedagogy and course materials and teaching materials," Ayaz said. "Until then, I was just teaching, developing my own materials. Karen does curriculum, and she does pedagogy, and she was able to offer the perspective of a historian, which was important for me in my dissertation but also in my thinking."
Ayaz also worked with Lost & Found: The CUNY Poetics Document Initiative, housed at the Graduate Center's Center for the Humanities, where he conducted archival research and participated in projects focused on recovering and contextualizing overlooked writers. His studies led him to collections at the New York Public Library and the University of Connecticut and informed both his dissertation and his teaching.
As his research progressed, Ayaz began to understand teaching as central to his academic life. "I realized my values are all around students and teaching," he said.
He began teaching at Queens College and later taught through the CUNY Writing Across the Curriculum program at LaGuardia Community College. He continued teaching beyond his fellowship years to build additional experience across composition and literature courses.
"I kept teaching because it was important to me personally," Ayaz said. "I realized I didn't feel drained when I taught; I felt more energized. I got five years of teaching experience, and that's partly how I got my job."
At Mercer, where faculty roles emphasize teaching and service, Ayaz has been teaching first-year writing courses, including developmental and gateway English classes. One goal, he says, is to continue to connect student writing to broader contexts. In one course, he asked students to write policy-oriented research papers addressing transportation issues around unregulated electric vehicles such as scooters and bicycles, framing the assignment as a way academic writing might influence public conversations.
"I wanted them to see that something like an English 101 paper can actually connect to real-world genres," he said.
Ayaz began his new role while completing his dissertation, which he defended in March. The overlap required careful time management, he said, as well as support from colleagues. Reflecting on his time at the Graduate Center, he pointed to the combination of mentorship, teaching experience, and institutional support as central to supporting his journey. "There's no such thing as doing this on your own," he said.
His advice to current students: "Remember why you're in a Ph.D. program," he said. "Are you there for a job, or are you there for a transformation?"
Published by the Office of Communications and Marketing
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Original text here: https://www.gc.cuny.edu/news/how-teaching-led-tenure-track
Charting Yale's Impact on American Life, One State at a Time
NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, May 22 -- Yale University issued the following news:
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Charting Yale's impact on American life, one state at a time
In Montana, Georgia, Maine -- and in every state in the country -- people from Yale are committing themselves to a better future for all.
By Jim Shelton
Yale's home will always be New Haven, but its backyard is as big as America.
Look closely and you'll see the ideas and hard work of Yale's people and their local partners taking root in Missoula, Montana, Hearne, Texas, and Milledgeville, Georgia. You'll find Yale people collaborating with local
... Show Full Article
NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, May 22 -- Yale University issued the following news:
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Charting Yale's impact on American life, one state at a time
In Montana, Georgia, Maine -- and in every state in the country -- people from Yale are committing themselves to a better future for all.
By Jim Shelton
Yale's home will always be New Haven, but its backyard is as big as America.
Look closely and you'll see the ideas and hard work of Yale's people and their local partners taking root in Missoula, Montana, Hearne, Texas, and Milledgeville, Georgia. You'll find Yale people collaborating with localschool districts to organize STEM education bootcamps in the Mississippi Delta and responding to a community need by delivering medicine to doorsteps in Las Vegas, Nevada.
On farms and in factories, at hospitals and across neighborhoods, the work of Yale is traveling far and wide and fast.
But what does that look like, exactly? How does Yale, with its centuries-long history of advancing life-saving medical treatments, developing cutting-edge technology, and expanding educational opportunities, meaningfully affect the lives of people today? And how is that impact manifesting nationwide?
A look at the contributions of alumni, faculty, and students throughout the country turns up powerful results.
Take the startup company Pills2Me, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. The company delivers medications to vulnerable populations, from the immunocompromised to seniors, who might not otherwise pick up their prescriptions.
The app was created by Leslie Asanga '20 M.P.H. and inspired by his experiences working part-time as a pharmacist in New Haven while taking classes at the Yale School of Public Health. The company now employs thousands of independent contractors (including more than 500 in Nevada alone) to coordinate fast, life-saving deliveries.
Like so many Yale-inflected stories of change, Pills2Me continues to grow: It's now making deliveries in 18 cities across seven states, including Illinois and Texas.
Elsewhere in Texas, more than 700 public school students in the small, rural town of Hearne have benefited from their teachers' participation in the Yale National Initiative, which connects public school educators from high-need districts with extra resources and training.
Teachers from Hearne have been involved in the Yale initiative since 2019 and say the experience has sharpened their skills as educators. "We truly believe that we have what it takes to change the world," Hearne Independent School District teacher Debra Jenkins told a local TV news station.
Researchers led by the Yale School of the Environment worked with families in Detroit, Michigan, to study just how much urban settings can influence teens' engagement with environmental issues; in Mississippi, Yale alum Matt Dolan '82 leads an effort to bring Advanced Placement science courses to some of the state's most underserved communities, at no charge.
But impact doesn't come through research or teaching only. Sometimes it's about building something new for a community. In Missoula, Montana, alum Sean Patrick Higgins '16 M.F.A. is changing the way the film and TV industry views the Mountain West. Higgins is co-founder and CEO of Story House Montana, a 400,000-square-foot film studio that is projected to create more than 400 jobs.
The studio is on the 47-acre site of a former lumber mill. "We are listening to what this community of Missoula needs and integrating the community into the vision of the stories that we're telling," Higgins told Forbes magazine.
In southern New England, there are parents who can envision healthier lives for their children, thanks to the Pediatric Heart Transplant Program at Yale New Haven Children's Hospital (YNHCH), the only accredited program of its kind in Connecticut or Rhode Island.
Since 2019, the children's hospital has performed six pediatric heart transplants, including for children as young as one year old. "In these cases, we are taking a family who may have felt they were out of options, at their wits' end, and giving them back the gift of life. It is an honor to take part in these procedures," said cardiologist E. Kevin Hall, director of the transplant program, an associate professor of pediatrics, and the medical director of the Pediatric Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathy Program at Yale School of Medicine (YSM).
The future of medical care is on the mind of Yale student Jayson Wright '26, '27 M.P.H. He already knows how he'll be using his skills to benefit his community after graduation: He plans to work at a rural hospital like the one his grandmother worked at in Milledgeville, Georgia.
"There is a serious shortage of healthcare professionals in places like my hometown, and rural healthcare systems are under stress," said Wright, who works in a lab at YSM studying bacteria strains found in hospitals. "In these communities, people are underinsured, yet rates of chronic diseases tend to be higher, and the population of elderly residents tends to be larger. There is a real demand for healthcare access and innovation. I want to be part of the solution."
That's the point, really -- Yale's students, faculty, alumni, and staff want to be part of solutions.
It's why a pharmacist in Nevada is inventing new ways to support his neighbors; why teachers in Texas are learning more to give more; why a student from Georgia is following in his grandmother's footsteps to offer care where it's needed most.
You'll find people like them in all 50 states, including yours.
See for yourself (https://www.yale.edu/about-yale/yales-impact-america/impact-state).
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Original text here: https://news.yale.edu/2026/05/21/charting-yales-impact-american-life-one-state-time
Case Western Reserve: Cleveland Researchers Discover Nitric Oxide Rewires Gene Expression in the Brain, Offering Insight Into Alzheimer's Disease
CLEVELAND, Ohio, May 22 (TNSjou) -- Case Western Reserve University issued the following news:
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Cleveland researchers discover nitric oxide rewires gene expression in the brain, offering new insight into Alzheimer's disease
New study from Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals shows loss of nitric oxide in Alzheimer's brains; Published in 'Molecular Cell'
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Genes undergo extensive editing through a process called alternative splicing, which greatly increases the size of the functional genome--the working portion of our DNA that helps make each person unique. Put simply,
... Show Full Article
CLEVELAND, Ohio, May 22 (TNSjou) -- Case Western Reserve University issued the following news:
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Cleveland researchers discover nitric oxide rewires gene expression in the brain, offering new insight into Alzheimer's disease
New study from Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals shows loss of nitric oxide in Alzheimer's brains; Published in 'Molecular Cell'
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Genes undergo extensive editing through a process called alternative splicing, which greatly increases the size of the functional genome--the working portion of our DNA that helps make each person unique. Put simply,a single gene can be edited in different ways to produce multiple sets of instructions. This helps explain why humans differ so significantly from fruit flies and mice, despite having a similar number of genes.
In a new study, published May 21 in Molecular Cell, researchers from Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals and found that nitric oxide--a gas naturally produced in the body--can broadly regulate alternative splicing, dramatically altering how genes function.
"We further showed that nitric oxide levels are decreased in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease, and that this loss of control over gene splicing correlates with worse clinical outcomes," said lead author Jonathan Stamler, president and co founder of Harrington Discovery Institute at UH and Distinguished University Professor and the Robert S. and Sylvia K. Reitman Family Foundation Chair of Cardiovascular Innovation at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine. "In other words, lower nitric oxide levels lead to reduced gene-splicing activity, which is associated with increased plaque buildup and more rapid memory loss."
The research team also found that specific enzymes remove nitric oxide from brain proteins that regulate splicing, creating a nitric oxide-deficient state. The findings suggest that targeting these enzymes could represent a new therapeutic strategy to restore nitric oxide levels in the brain and potentially treat Alzheimer's disease.
"Interestingly, the Alzheimer's field has long believed that nitric oxide levels were too high and contributed to the disease," Stamler added. "This new discovery changes that paradigm."
Next steps in this research will include studies in animals with new classes of enzyme inhibitors, which should restore nitric oxide in the brain and drive healthy splicing of genes.
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Original text here: https://case.edu/news/cleveland-researchers-discover-nitric-oxide-rewires-gene-expression-brain-offering-new-insight-alzheimers-disease
