Education (Colleges & Universities)
Here's a look at documents from public, private and community colleges in the U.S.
Featured Stories
Therapies That Target Specific Type of Cell Death May Be an Effective Avenue for Cancer Treatment, UTHealth Houston Researchers Find
HOUSTON, Texas, Jan. 14 (TNSjou) -- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston issued the following news:
* * *
Therapies that target specific type of cell death may be an effective avenue for cancer treatment, UTHealth Houston researchers find
By Catherine Marfin
Therapies that target the utilization of fat by tumors and activate a type of cell death dependent on fat molecules may be a promising avenue to treat cancer, according to new research by UTHealth Houston.
The findings were published today in Trends in Cancer and were co-led by Daniel E. Frigo, PhD, professor at The
... Show Full Article
HOUSTON, Texas, Jan. 14 (TNSjou) -- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston issued the following news:
* * *
Therapies that target specific type of cell death may be an effective avenue for cancer treatment, UTHealth Houston researchers find
By Catherine Marfin
Therapies that target the utilization of fat by tumors and activate a type of cell death dependent on fat molecules may be a promising avenue to treat cancer, according to new research by UTHealth Houston.
The findings were published today in Trends in Cancer and were co-led by Daniel E. Frigo, PhD, professor at TheUniversity of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and a faculty member at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
Researchers came to the conclusion through a review of 121 outside studies that examined the relationship between lipid metabolism and progression of various types of carcinoma, a cancer that starts in the tissue lining of the skin.
"Lipids can make cancers more aggressive," said co-principal investigator Mikhail Kolonin, PhD, director of the Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases in The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. "However, there is a lipid-dependent mechanism that can be activated to fight cancer."
Lipids are the various types of fat molecules integral to a person's health. As cancer cells and fat tissue, which temporarily store lipids, communicate with each other, tumors can use lipids to grow or spread. But while body fat can support cancer progression, it can also cause a type of cell death known as ferroptosis.
Ferroptosis occurs when lipid peroxides build up on cell membranes. Lipid peroxides are made through the body's normal activities, but when too many accumulate, they can become toxic.
Common cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation kill cancer cells by forcing the cells to undergo a different type of cell death. However, certain types of cancers can become resistant to common treatments.
Understanding the interaction between lipids and tumors can pave the way for cancer therapies that target ferroptosis-inducing chemicals and suppress a tumor's utilization of lipids, Kolonin said.
"The implication is that there are certain therapeutic approaches that could be potentially developed to target specific mechanisms responsible for lipid processing by the tumors," said Kolonin, who is also the Harry E. Bovay, Jr. Distinguished University Chair in Metabolic Disease Research at McGovern Medical School.
Kolonin said the review also highlights the importance of work at the Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases that seeks to determine the role of cell aging on cancer progression and cachexia, or unintentional weight loss that is induced by some types of tumors.
Additional authors with UTHealth Houston include Hong Anh Cao and Joseph Rupert, PhD. Kolonin is a faculty member at MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
The study was in part supported by the Bovay Foundation and the Levy-Longenbaugh Fund.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.uth.edu/news/story/therapies-that-target-specific-type-of-cell-death-may-be-an-effective-avenue-for-cancer-treatment-uthealth-houston-researchers-find
More YES to Community Engagement: UA Earns Prestigious Carnegie Reclassification
AKRON, Ohio, Jan. 14 -- The University of Akron issued the following news:
* * *
More YES to community engagement: UA earns prestigious Carnegie reclassification
The University of Akron (UA)'s excellence in community engagement efforts on campus, in the city of Akron and around Northeast Ohio has been recognized nationally with the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement (CE) Classification, an elective designation awarded by the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
CE Classification highlights commitments that higher education institutions
... Show Full Article
AKRON, Ohio, Jan. 14 -- The University of Akron issued the following news:
* * *
More YES to community engagement: UA earns prestigious Carnegie reclassification
The University of Akron (UA)'s excellence in community engagement efforts on campus, in the city of Akron and around Northeast Ohio has been recognized nationally with the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement (CE) Classification, an elective designation awarded by the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
CE Classification highlights commitments that higher education institutionssuch as UA make to building prosperity in their communities, fostering civic engagement, building usable knowledge and catalyzing real-world learning experiences for students. The University was among the first institutions in the country to achieve CE Classification in 2008.
"As a public urban institution, community engagement is a fundamental part of our mission," said Dr. Christin Seher, the director of UA's Office of Community Impact and lead writer on the reclassification application effort.
"When students choose to come to The University of Akron, they are saying 'YES' to learning alongside our community partners through real-world, hands-on, impact-focused experiences," she added. "It is an honor to have a prestigious organization like the Carnegie Foundation peer-review our academic and co-curricular programs, the scholarship of our faculty and staff, our policies and practices, and our campus outreach efforts and confirm they continue to align with national best practices."
The CE Classification, which has been the leading framework for institutional assessment and recognition of community engagement in U.S. higher education for the past 19 years, is awarded following a process of self-study by each institution. Since 2022, when UA started the reclassification effort, more than 100 individuals at the University contributed to the self-study process.
"Being recognized as a Carnegie Community Engaged campus is an incredible accomplishment," said Dr. Gwen Price, UA senior vice president and provost. "I am proud of the tremendous effort put forth by our faculty, staff and administration in earning this designation. It was earned not just through collecting data and submitting a report, but through true dedication to ensuring UA's presence is felt positively throughout our community. It is a testament to UA's commitment to our mission, our students, our city, and our region. I thank every individual, both on campus and off, who had a hand in this success."
Sixty-three different UA faculty and staff members were named in the report with a description of their community-engaged work, along with 22 academic departments and nine campus units. The report also named 112 different community partners with which UA is connected.
"This reclassification is the result of the work of hundreds of faculty members, staff and students who strive every day to enact our value of Social Impact," Seher said. "We are proud to work so closely with industry, government, and non-profit partners in the City of Akron, our region and beyond to provide exceptional student opportunities, scholarship that matters and service to the public good."
Many of UA's academic-related community engagement efforts are centered in the EX[L] Center for Community Engaged Learning, of which Seher is the director. The Center's mission is to support campus and community partners in co-creating mutually impactful applied, transdisciplinary learning experiences that build civic consciousness and make a tangible difference in the Akron community.
The Center offers an academic initiative known as [Un]classes, which are unscripted, transdisciplinary, community-engaged courses that provide a uniquely Akron way to investigate topics of local relevance, generate meaningful solutions and learn alongside community experts. Faculty and students work closely together to craft each class, and students have a voice in the course design, topics of study and projects.
UA is one of 237 institutions that earned the CE Classification in the 2026 cycle, joining the 40 institutions classified in 2024 for a total of 277 institutions - six of which are in Ohio - that currently hold the designation. Of the institutions recognized in 2026, 48 are receiving the classification for the first time, while 189 have previously held it. The 2026 cohort includes a range of institutions, including 157 public institutions.
Visit the Carnegie CE Classification website (https://carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/elective-classifications/community-engagement/) for more information.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.uakron.edu/im/online-newsroom/news_details.dot?newsId=f9177014863b0272dce384124bbd032e
Marine sediments provide clues for future impact of climate change
BRISBANE, Australia, Jan. 14 -- The University of Queensland posted the following news:
* * *
Marine sediments provide clues for future impact of climate change
*
An international team of scientists has uncovered evidence glaciers in the Southern and Northern hemispheres were synchronous during the last ice age.
The finding challenges prevailing theories and provides critical information to help model how today's ice sheets will respond to a changing climate.
Researchers from The University of Queensland, Ifremer, NIWA, the University of New South Wales, the Alfred Wegener Institute and
... Show Full Article
BRISBANE, Australia, Jan. 14 -- The University of Queensland posted the following news:
* * *
Marine sediments provide clues for future impact of climate change
*
An international team of scientists has uncovered evidence glaciers in the Southern and Northern hemispheres were synchronous during the last ice age.
The finding challenges prevailing theories and provides critical information to help model how today's ice sheets will respond to a changing climate.
Researchers from The University of Queensland, Ifremer, NIWA, the University of New South Wales, the Alfred Wegener Institute andCNRS, constructed the first complete record of glacial fluctuations in the Southern Alps of New Zealand by analysing a marine sediment core.
Professor Helen Bostock from UQ's School of the Environment said when the evolution of the New Zealand glaciers was compared to their European and North American counterparts, they were found to retreat simultaneously.
"Our work shows a period of global warming, likely caused by an increase in the global energy imbalance, preceded glacial retreats in both hemispheres at the same time," Professor Bostock said.
"The finding challenges previous theories of an inter-hemispheric 'bipolar seesaw'."
Until now, it was thought the Northern and Southern Hemispheres changed in opposite ways during the Heinrich Stadials, a period when a large influx of melt water to the North Atlantic slowed the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) which caused heat to accumulate in Southern Hemisphere' oceans enhancing glacial retreat in New Zealand.
Previously, past glacier movements were reconstructed by dating boulders in debris left by glaciers, but they are an incomplete record because they are disturbed by subsequent glacier advances.
"Marine sediment cores provide a time capsule, a continuous, well-dated history of the glacial expansion and retreat, unlike dating boulders," Professor Bostock said.
"The record of glacial sediments can also be directly compared with past changes in ocean temperatures recorded by microfossils preserved in the sediment.
"The record shows a tight connection between warming oceans and glacial retreat."
Dr Samuel Toucanne, lead author and Ifremer researcher said the study demonstrated the complex, sensitive and interconnected nature of the Earth's climate system.
"A better understanding of these past climate mechanisms is essential for refining current prediction models and anticipating the impact of global climate change linked to human activities."
The research was published in Nature Geoscience.
***
Original text here: https://news.uq.edu.au/2026-01-marine-sediments-provide-clues-future-impact-climate-change
Eight Journalists Win Investigative Reporting Grants From Newmark J-School
NEW YORK, Jan. 14 -- The City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism issued the following news:
* * *
Eight Journalists Win Investigative Reporting Grants from Newmark J-School
-- McGraw Fellowships for Business Journalism awarded to support in-depth stories that "Follow the Money"
*
Eight veteran journalists have been named the latest recipients of the McGraw Fellowship for Business Journalism. Each of the winning projects will receive a grant of up to $15,000.
The new McGraw Fellows will explore subjects ranging from the development of ocean-based carbon capture and the impact
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, Jan. 14 -- The City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism issued the following news:
* * *
Eight Journalists Win Investigative Reporting Grants from Newmark J-School
-- McGraw Fellowships for Business Journalism awarded to support in-depth stories that "Follow the Money"
*
Eight veteran journalists have been named the latest recipients of the McGraw Fellowship for Business Journalism. Each of the winning projects will receive a grant of up to $15,000.
The new McGraw Fellows will explore subjects ranging from the development of ocean-based carbon capture and the impactof increased private equity ownership of hospitals, to the politicization of international students and its effect on the future of higher education.
The McGraw Fellowships, an initiative of the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Center for Business Journalism at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, were created in 2014 to support in-depth stories that "Follow the Money." The Fellowships enable experienced journalists to produce ambitious investigative or enterprise stories on critical issues related to the global economy, finance and business. Nearly 100 journalists have since won McGraw Fellowships.
The new McGraw Fellows are:
* Jason Buch: A freelance journalist based in Texas, Buch will report on infrastructure projects related to trade with Mexico, one of the U.S.'s top economic partners, during the Fellowship.
Buch has more than 15 years' experience converging the U.S./Mexico border. He spent much of his career with Hearst newspapers, where he was the immigration and border affairs reporter for the San Antonio Express-News until 2018. His work has been recognized by Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, the Conferencia Latinoamericana de Periodismo de Investigacion and Investigative Reporters and Editors.
* Lauren Caggiano and Wedly Cazy: Caggiano is a contributing reporter for Hub Springfield. Cazy covers Haitian communities in Ohio for The Haitian Times. Together, they will examine the economic impact of federal deportation actions on the town of Springfield, Ohio.
Caggiano is a freelance practitioner of solutions journalism. She previously served as News Editor for Input Fort Wayne. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and French from the University of Dayton.
Cazy travels around Haitian communities to produce in-depth stories about immigration policy, fashion, and culture that humanize immigrants. A graduate of Ohio State University and Georgetown University, he is a recipient of several scholarships and grants, including from OSU's Center for International Business Education and Park National Bank Next Generation Challenge.
* Hannah Levintova and Ashley Cleek: Levintova is the special projects editor at Mother Jones and Cleek is an investigative reporter and producer at Reveal -- both publications of the Center for Investigative Reporting. They will use the Fellowship to report on the growth of for-profit healthcare, and its impact on both patient care and the financial viability of hospitals.
Levintova's investigative reporting focuses on uncovering financial wrongdoing in areas that impact daily life, from housing to healthcare, with a particular emphasis on private equity and Wall Street. Her magazine features have received honors from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, the Society for Features Journalism and others. She holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, where she was also a Knight-Bagehot Fellow in Business Journalism. Prior to Mother Jones, she worked on the news desk at NPR, at the Washington Monthly and did a stint as a FOIA officer at a federal agency. She is based in Providence, RI.
Cleek has worked with This American Life, VICE, NPR and Latino USA. Prior to joining Reveal, she helped develop and launch Vice News' flagship podcast, Vice News Reports. Her work has won a national Edward R. Murrow Award, a Gracie Award, an International Documentary Association Award and a Third Coast award, and she was a 2020 Livingston Award finalist. She has reported stories across the American South, Turkey, Russia and India. She's based in New York.
* Erika Hayasaki: An independent journalist based in Southern California, Hayasaki will examine American universities' dependence on international tuition dollars, how this has reshaped local economies and racial divides, and what the politicization of international students means for the future of higher education.
Hayasaki's reporting has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, WIRED, The Atlantic, National Geographic, The Guardian, The Cut & New York Magazine and others. She is the author of two narrative nonfiction books: "The Death Class" and "Somewhere Sisters." Formerly a national writer for the Los Angeles Times, she teaches in the Literary Journalism Program at the University of California, Irvine.
* Tracie McMillan: McMillan is a freelance journalist based between Detroit, MI and Brooklyn, NY. She will report on how recent changes in U.S. health care affect patients and providers.
McMillan is an investigative reporter and author covering America's multiracial working class and the author of two books, "The White Bonus" and the New York Times bestseller, "The American Way of Eating," which won the Sidney Hillman Book Prize. She has reported on junk fees for The Guardian, written about hunger for The New York Times and National Geographic, and won a James Beard Foundation Journalism award for her reporting on farm labor in The American Prospect. A 2013 Knight-Wallace Fellow at the University of Michigan, her work has been recognized by the James Aronson Award for Social Justice Journalism, the Casey Medals, World Hunger Year and Investigative Reporters and Editors.
* Alexandra Talty: A freelance journalist based in Asia, Talty will report on ocean carbon removal technologies and their economic, regulatory and environmental implications.
With a focus on investigating stories where business meets the sea, Taltry's work appears in The New York Times, The Guardian and WIRED, among others. She has been awarded past fellowships and support by the Pulitzer Center Ocean Reporting Network, Journalismfund Europe, Knight-Wallace and the National Press Foundation for Food and Agriculture. Her 2023 investigation into the American seaweed industry received a SABEW honorable mention and an ASJA honorable mention. In 2018, her Playboy investigation into LGBTQ+ rights in Lebanon won an LA Press Club award, and in 2015 she was the founding editor-in-chief of StepFeed in the Middle East.
More than 140 journalists working across a wide array of subjects applied for the latest round of the Fellowships. Each winning project receives funding up to $15,000. In addition to financial backing, the McGraw Center provides Fellows with editorial guidance and assistance in placing stories with media outlets.
The winners were selected through a competitive process. The McGraw Center would like to thank Ziva Branstetter (ProPublica), Arlyn Gajilan (Reuters), Diana Henriques (freelance book author), Andrew Lehren (Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism), Alex Lescaze (Sidney Hillman Foundation), Ryan Nave (Reckon Media), Ricardo Sandoval-Palos (PBS) and Judy Watson (Newmark J-School) for their assistance with evaluating the Fellowship proposals.
Applications for McGraw Fellowships are considered twice a year. The next deadline for proposals will be April 13, 2026; Fall 2026 applications will be due Oct. 12, 2026. For more information and the online application, please go to www.mcgrawcenter.org.
The McGraw Center for Business Journalism was established at CUNY's Newmark Graduate School of Journalism in early 2014 by the family of the late Harold W. McGraw, Jr., former chairman and CEO of McGraw-Hill and long-time publisher of BusinessWeek magazine. The Center is dedicated to enhancing the depth and quality of business news coverage through training, student scholarships, and support for veteran journalists
* * *
Original text here: https://www.journalism.cuny.edu/2026/01/investigative-reporting-grants-mcgraw-2026/
[Category: BizMedia]
Eastern Michigan University Team Wins Top Prize at Michigan DevFest 2025 AI Hackathon
YPSILANTI, Michigan, Jan. 14 -- Eastern Michigan University issued the following news:
* * *
Eastern Michigan University team wins top prize at Michigan DevFest 2025 AI Hackathon
By Rachel Wenzlaff
At the intensely competitive Michigan DevFest 2025 AI Hackathon, a team representing Eastern Michigan University took home the top prize. One of the largest and most influential technology competitions in Michigan, the event, which was hosted at Wayne State University in 2025, draws seasoned industry professionals and startup founders from across the Midwest.
"It's one of our greatest accomplishments,
... Show Full Article
YPSILANTI, Michigan, Jan. 14 -- Eastern Michigan University issued the following news:
* * *
Eastern Michigan University team wins top prize at Michigan DevFest 2025 AI Hackathon
By Rachel Wenzlaff
At the intensely competitive Michigan DevFest 2025 AI Hackathon, a team representing Eastern Michigan University took home the top prize. One of the largest and most influential technology competitions in Michigan, the event, which was hosted at Wayne State University in 2025, draws seasoned industry professionals and startup founders from across the Midwest.
"It's one of our greatest accomplishments,actually," said junior computer science major and Honors student Chanuth Jayatissa. "We were very honored to represent EMU."
The Michigan DevFest 2025 AI Hackathon, which was powered by IBM watsonx, took place on November 21-22. The competition challenged participants to address Michigan's most pressing economic challenges - brain drain, manufacturing modernization, and small business innovation - using cutting-edge IBM watsonx AI technologies.
The powerhouse team of EMU students and recent alumni, led by Jayatissa, not only topped other student competitors, but also beat out senior software developers and professional engineers.
With team members hailing from Sri Lanka, Yemen, and beyond, the five-person group included Chanuth Jayatissa, Ahmad Hashmi, Ziad Sabri, Karthikeya Thota, and Mohammad Arjamand Ali. Hashmi is a sophomore computer science major and international student, and Thota is a junior cybersecurity major. Sabri and Arjamand Ali are winter 2025 EMU graduates. Sabri, who came to EMU from Yemen, majored in computer science and now works as a software developer at Henry Ford Hospital. Arjamand Ali pursued a double major in computer science and math and now works as a software engineer at the tech startup Truss.
"Because we connected so well, I think that's the reason we were able to win," said Jayatissa. "It was an amazing team. We really divided the tasks well and that really helped us to build in the short amount of time."
Further adding to the competitive landscape was a unique, and arduous, time constraint. Unlike most hackathons, which typically run for a full day or more, this competition was an intense six-hour sprint, demanding rapid development, focused problem-solving, and seamless teamwork.
"It was one of the hardest hackathons because of the time constraint," Jayatissa said. "We had never used the IBM products, so we had to create our product and also learn how to use the IMB products in just six hours."
Whittled down from the event maximum 200 registrations, the judges considered 35 submissions before ranking EMU's product the highest and awarding the team the $1,000 grand prize.
"The progression from 200 registrations to 35 final submissions reflects the rigor of the competition. Some registered participants ultimately didn't complete submissions, making the teams that finished, and especially those that placed, particularly notable," said judge Jenna Ritten, IBM InnerSource Ecosystem Leader and Corporate Technology Leader for IBM worldwide. Ritten is also one of the founders of Michigan DevFest.
The judges, comprised of tech industry leaders with expertise across AI/machine learning engineering, user experience design, accessibility, innovation, and practical technology implementation, awarded EMU's team a perfect 5/5 score in every category: Completeness and Feasibility, Effectiveness and Efficiency, Design and Usability, and Creativity and Innovation.
"A first-place win at the Michigan DevFest AI Hackathon is highly significant," said Ritten. "What makes this win particularly meaningful is the real-world applicability of the challenge. Teams weren't building theoretical solutions; they were developing practical tools to keep Michigan talent and investment in-state. First place represents not just technical excellence, but the ability to identify genuine market needs and create solutions that could immediately impact Michigan's economy."
The team's winning product, "MIStartup Navigator," is an AI-powered tool that helps Michigan-based entrepreneurs navigate the fragmented startup ecosystem, discover grants, investors, and personalized startup roadmaps to streamline their funding search.
"The platform addresses a critical problem: founders waste valuable time searching across disconnected resources for grants, funding, investors, and guidance, often giving up and leaving Michigan for more established tech hubs," Ritten said.
The victory reflects both the team's technical skill and the depth of preparation they received at EMU. Drawing on coursework and mentorship across the College of Arts and Sciences, the GameAbove College of Engineering and Technology, and The Honors College, the students applied their training to a real-world challenge at the forefront of artificial intelligence.
By outpacing industry teams and senior developers, this success demonstrates that EMU students are not just equipped to compete, but to lead.
"For their careers, this win serves as a portfolio piece demonstrating all of these capabilities. It's evidence they can deliver under pressure, work with enterprise-grade AI platforms, and create
solutions that matter. Technology companies, particularly those building AI products or serving the startup ecosystem, will recognize this as a significant achievement." said Ritten.
For Jayatissa and the team, the award is validation of their late nights, their diverse backgrounds, and their belief that innovation knows no bounds.
"At the end of the day we want to graduate and have a successful career and this really helps us be recognized, especially being from a smaller university like EMU. We want to make a name for EMU in this space."
* * *
About Eastern Michigan University
Founded in 1849, Eastern Michigan University is the second-oldest public university in Michigan. It currently serves more than 12,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral, and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences, and professions. More than 300 majors, minors, and concentrations are offered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Engineering and Technology; Health and Human Services; and its Graduate School. EMU is nationally recognized for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. With a strong focus on career readiness, the University equips students with the skills, experiences, and professional networks needed to thrive in today's workforce. Through hands-on learning, industry partnerships, and personalized support, EMU prepares graduates to launch meaningful careers and make an impact in their communities.
* * *
Original text here: https://today.emich.edu/story/story/13179
Conservation planning 'good for biodiversity and business'
DARWIN, Australia, Jan. 14 -- Charles Darwin University issued the following news:
* * *
Conservation planning 'good for biodiversity and business'
*
The Northern Territory's investment in solar and wind energy production needs to benefit people and the planet, but new research highlights critical pitfalls in planning.
Research conducted by Charles Darwin University (CDU) reviewed the NT's existing formal conservation planning against the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia, a framework used to identify gaps in protected areas and track national conservation goals.
The purpose
... Show Full Article
DARWIN, Australia, Jan. 14 -- Charles Darwin University issued the following news:
* * *
Conservation planning 'good for biodiversity and business'
*
The Northern Territory's investment in solar and wind energy production needs to benefit people and the planet, but new research highlights critical pitfalls in planning.
Research conducted by Charles Darwin University (CDU) reviewed the NT's existing formal conservation planning against the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia, a framework used to identify gaps in protected areas and track national conservation goals.
The purposeof conservation planning is to identify areas for protecting natural resources, while balancing human needs for development.
An example of successful application of conservation planning is the Renewable Energy Zones approach used in parts of New South Wales and Victoria.
The paper's results show two thirds of the NT's bioregions - geographical areas defined by characteristics such as plant and animal species - fall short of the minimum area-based protection goals of 30 per cent protected.
Most of these bioregions reside on pastoral leasehold land, which covers 44 per cent of the Northern Territory.
The paper identified bioregions in central parts of the NT, particularly in the Barkly region and south of Tennant Creek, needing urgent conservation planning to avoid cumulative impacts from the development of solar and wind, and increased land clearing for cotton and onshore gas fields.
Lead author and CDU PhD candidate Billee McGinley, who is with CDU's Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods,said with so many ecologically valuable areas outside of formal protection, the findings underscore the need for adequate conservation planning.
"Conservation planning identifies and connects important habitats across landscapes beyond isolated protected areas, Ms McGinley said.
"It captures critical habitats for threatened and endemic species, considering persistence of animal species requiring movement across large ranges and areas of refuge during climatic extremes.
"Conservation planning offers a safeguarding approach in regional planning to fosters resilient landscapes and helps manage cumulative effects of development to avoid biodiversity loss through what is described as 'death by a thousand cuts'."
Ms McGinley said improved conservation planning would allow businesses, particularly developers in wind and solar energy, to more strategically develop these projects while safeguarding the land.
"Conservation planning is good for biodiversity and business," Ms McGinley said.
"With clear conservation plans, knowing where your most important natural assets need to be avoided, can save time and money reassuring communities and investors - avoiding pushback from the community and conservation groups once a proposal is underway."
An example of a species which could be protected by conservation planning in the Barkly and Central Desert regions earmarked for largescale solar farm is the Greater Bilby, Macrotis lagotis.
The Greater Bilby is listed as Vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, threatened by degradation, fragmentation and loss of habitat.
"Without a conservation plan in these bioregions that severely lack in provision of protected areas, the Greater Bilby is under threat from cumulative impacts of large scale solar in these regions," Ms McGinley said.
Gaps in conservation planning in the Northern Territory of Australia: preparing for the energy transition was published in the Australasian Journal of Environmental Management.
***
Original text here: https://www.cdu.edu.au/news/conservation-planning-good-biodiversity-business
Carnegie Foundation Selects ASU for 2026 Community Engagement Classification
TEMPE, Arizona, Jan. 14 -- Arizona State University issued the following news:
* * *
Carnegie Foundation selects ASU for 2026 community engagement classification
This is 3rd time university has earned the distinction, reflecting its status as a socially embedded institution
By Emma Greguska
In an announcement that bolsters Arizona State University's reputation as a socially embedded institution, the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching have selected the university for the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement (CE) Classification.
The classification
... Show Full Article
TEMPE, Arizona, Jan. 14 -- Arizona State University issued the following news:
* * *
Carnegie Foundation selects ASU for 2026 community engagement classification
This is 3rd time university has earned the distinction, reflecting its status as a socially embedded institution
By Emma Greguska
In an announcement that bolsters Arizona State University's reputation as a socially embedded institution, the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching have selected the university for the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement (CE) Classification.
The classificationis bestowed upon institutions that have demonstrated a deep engagement with local, regional, national and global communities. ASU previously earned the distinction in 2006 and 2015.
"Higher education is a vital economic engine for us all. Our colleges and universities not only fuel science and innovation, they build prosperity in rural, urban and suburban communities nationwide," said Timothy F.C. Knowles, president of the Carnegie Foundation. "We celebrate each of these institutions, particularly their dedication to partnering with their neighbors -- fostering civic engagement, building usable knowledge and catalyzing real-world learning experiences for students."
The CE Classification is awarded following a voluntary process of self-study by each institution wherein they submit materials describing the nature and extent of their engagement in the community.
ASU offers thousands of outreach programs throughout the state, making a difference in the lives of Arizonans by providing needed educational, cultural, legal and health care services. Through these programs, faculty members across all four ASU campuses and other locations take their research and teaching into the community, leading to more relevant research, a vibrant educational experience for students and rich benefits for the people of Arizona.
In a letter of recognition, the Carnegie Foundation applauded ASU's "excellent alignment among campus mission, culture, leadership, resources and practices that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement."
The CE Classification has been the leading framework for institutional assessment and recognition of community engagement in U.S. higher education for the past 19 years, with classification cycles in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2015, 2020, 2024 and, now, 2026.
In the 2026 cycle, 237 institutions -- 157 public, 80 private -- earned the CE Classification, joining the 40 institutions classified in 2024 for a total of 277 institutions that hold the designation. Of the institutions recognized in 2026, 48 are receiving the classification for the first time, while 189 have previously held it.
In a press release, the American Council on Education praised applicants for "deepening partnerships, leveraging community assets and addressing urgent societal challenges."
"The institutions receiving the 2026 Community Engagement Classification exemplify American higher education's commitment to the greater good," said Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education. "The beneficiaries of this unflagging dedication to public-purpose missions are their students, their teaching and research enterprises, and their wider communities."
More information and the list of recognized institutions can be found in the American Council on Education's formal press release.
* * *
Original text here: https://news.asu.edu/20260113-university-news-carnegie-foundation-selects-asu-2026-community-engagement-classification
