Education (Colleges & Universities)
Here's a look at documents from public, private and community colleges in the U.S.
Featured Stories
UConn Startup Revolutionizes Food Preservation... Through Kelp
STORRS, Connecticut, Nov. 11 -- The University of Connecticut issued the following news:
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UConn Startup Revolutionizes Food Preservation... Through Kelp
By Loretta Waldman
Seed funding from a USDA Small Business Innovation Research Grant will help Atlantic Sea Solutions, Inc. (DBA Atlas) develop a prototype of its edible food coating - a groundbreaking technology that could create new opportunities for Connecticut sugar kelp farmers
A start-up built on groundbreaking UConn technology capable of creating new opportunities for Connecticut sugar kelp farmers has been awarded a coveted Phase
... Show Full Article
STORRS, Connecticut, Nov. 11 -- The University of Connecticut issued the following news:
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UConn Startup Revolutionizes Food Preservation... Through Kelp
By Loretta Waldman
Seed funding from a USDA Small Business Innovation Research Grant will help Atlantic Sea Solutions, Inc. (DBA Atlas) develop a prototype of its edible food coating - a groundbreaking technology that could create new opportunities for Connecticut sugar kelp farmers
A start-up built on groundbreaking UConn technology capable of creating new opportunities for Connecticut sugar kelp farmers has been awarded a coveted PhaseI Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The $175,000 in seed funding will help Atlantic Sea Solutions, Inc. (DBA Atlas) - a green technology company based at UConn's Technology Incubation Program (TIP) - develop a prototype of an edible food coating made from seaweed extract that extends the shelf-life of fresh produce.
Atlas is the only company in Connecticut to receive one of the 60 grants awarded in the latest round of SBIR funding from the USDA. That's a coup for Mingyu Qiao, an assistant professor of innovation and entrepreneurship with the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) Department of Nutritional Sciences, who is co-founder and president of the company. The position - jointly funded by CAHNR and the Office of Vice President for Research (OVPR) - was created as part of a broader initiative launched by President Radenka Maric in 2022 to foster the hiring of "Innovation Faculty" to bolster entrepreneurship and grow the state's economy. The SBIR award is a major realization of that goal.
"I feel really lucky," says Anuj Purohit, a research associate, and food scientist with CAHNR's Department of Nutritional Sciences, and co-founding CEO of the company with Qiao. "Given the extremely competitive nature of the grant, we were absolutely delighted."
Qiao is excited but not surprised.
"This is by design," he says of winning the grant. "It's a repeatable model and a programmable effort."
Qiao brings valuable prior experience in tech commercialization to his role. Before joining UConn, he co-founded another company built on university technology while doing post-doctoral work at Cornell University. During his tenure, the company raised close to $14 million in less than four years. Qiao's charge at UConn is to pursue research projects that align with state industries and promote economic growth. Seaweed struck him as a good place to start.
Purohit built the lab from scratch and worked for two and half years to develop the all-natural coating before filing for a patent with the assistance of the OVPR's Technology Commercialization Services (TCS). Under Qiao's guidance, Atlas qualified for UConn and federal NSF I-Corps grants.
Last year, the company earned an invitation to the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CCEI) Summer Fellowship, which provided the funding and assistance needed to refine its business model, develop a go-to-market strategy, and connect with mentors in the business community.
The Phase I SBIR funding will help Atlas develop crude pilot concept for its edible coating technology. That prototype will in turn help secure prospective customers and position the company for other grants and additional SBIR funding.
Connecticut's emerging kelp farming industry produces sugar kelp primarily for food. Finding a place to sell the kelp has been a challenge for state seaweed farmers and a bottleneck to growth.
"There's been growing interest among state farmers in cultivating seaweed in Long Island Sound for its environmental benefits, but they don't know how or where they can sell it," Qiao explained.
Other commercial uses of seaweed include pharmaceutical products such as sunscreen and moisturizers and food products such as yogurt and sauces. Using seaweed extract to preserve food is an entirely new application with the potential to revolutionize the food industry, Qiao says.
"This is a new niche; a pioneering use," he says.
The company team also includes Chief Business Officer Matt Cleaver, who has extensive experience in the produce industry and raising capital for agriculture startups. The team believes its coating can double the shelf-life of perishable foods by reducing shrinkage and spoilage. Another selling point is that it does not change the flavor of the food.
Qiao hopes to secure additional SBIR grants to scale company operations and produce bigger models to test the product. Long term, he envisions building a seaweed biorefinery in Connecticut that would enable the company to ramp up production of the coating sufficiently to sell it nationally and even internationally.
Building companies like Atlas is a major element of his job, says Qiao. That work includes attracting postdoctoral and graduate students with industry experience to UConn, fostering the development of new inventions and patents, and providing entrepreneurship training supported by the UConn ecosystem.
"The objective is to launch more deep-tech startups from UConn that can ultimately attract SBIR and private funding, creating a cycle that feeds into the UConn research enterprise," he says. "This grant demonstrates that the original plan is working and that we might be able to successfully replicate this model at UConn to launch more startups either from my lab or those of other UConn faculty members."
"This award is exciting news for Dr. Qiao and for UConn," adds Kumar Venkitanarayanan, interim dean of CAHNR. "It highlights the significant economic value of this innovative technology and its potential to enhance the health and well-being of people in Connecticut and far beyond."
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Original text here: https://today.uconn.edu/2025/11/uconn-startup-revolutionizes-food-preservation-through-kelp/
Troy University Secures $2.8 Million in Federal Grants to Expand Rehabilitation Counseling Programs
TROY, Alabama, Nov. 11 -- Troy University issued the following news:
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Troy University Secures $2.8 Million in Federal Grants to Expand Rehabilitation Counseling Programs
Troy University has been awarded three federal grants totaling $2,875,000 from the U.S. Department of Education's Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) to strengthen and expand its Rehabilitation Counseling and Rehabilitation and Disability Studies programs. The funding will provide full tuition scholarships and stipends for approximately 100 students over the next five years, preparing a new generation of professionals
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TROY, Alabama, Nov. 11 -- Troy University issued the following news:
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Troy University Secures $2.8 Million in Federal Grants to Expand Rehabilitation Counseling Programs
Troy University has been awarded three federal grants totaling $2,875,000 from the U.S. Department of Education's Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) to strengthen and expand its Rehabilitation Counseling and Rehabilitation and Disability Studies programs. The funding will provide full tuition scholarships and stipends for approximately 100 students over the next five years, preparing a new generation of professionalsto serve individuals with disabilities and mental illness across the United States.
The grants were secured by Dr. Rodney J. Maiden and Dr. Joshua D. Southwick, both associate professors in Troy University's Department of Counseling, Rehabilitation and Interpreter Training, housed in the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences. The programs will directly address a nationwide shortage of qualified rehabilitation professionals and counselors in state and community vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies.
"These awards allow Troy University to invest directly in students who are passionate about serving others," said Dr. Rodney J. Maiden, CRC, LPC. "Our goal is to prepare highly skilled professionals who will help individuals with disabilities achieve independence, employment and inclusion in their communities."
Two of the three grants, totaling $2,000,000, support Troy University's Rehabilitation Counseling Education (RCE) Program, which offers a master's degree in Rehabilitation Counseling. Troy University's RCE Program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Over the five-year grant period, at least 30 graduate trainees will receive full tuition scholarships per grant. The program provides academic and practical training to prepare rehabilitation counselors for public service and encourages collaboration across related disciplines. In addition to its core curriculum, the RCE Program offers five academic concentrations: Clinical Rehabilitation, Public and Community Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation and Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing Services, Counseling Military Populations and Addictions Counseling.
One of these projects, Training Rehabilitation Counselors for Public Service to Individuals with Mental Illness, led by Dr. Maiden with Dr. Paola Premuda-Conti serving as assistant project director, focuses on preparing counselors to specialize in serving individuals living with mental illness. The coursework is offered fully online, allowing students from across the country to participate while balancing personal and professional responsibilities.
"This program gives us the ability to recruit students from any state," said Maiden. "It's an incredible opportunity to expand access to quality rehabilitation education and to reach those who want to make a difference."
The third award, Training Entry-Level Rehabilitation Professionals to Serve Consumers of Public VR, totaling $875,000, is led by Dr. Joshua D. Southwick with Dr. Sharon Weaver serving as assistant project director. This initiative will support the undergraduate Rehabilitation and Disability Studies Program by providing full tuition scholarships for at least 30 students earning bachelor's degrees in the field. The program prepares students for entry-level roles in both public and private rehabilitation settings and offers options for minors in applied behavior analysis, case management, criminal justice, interpreter (ASL) training, medical aspects and military operations.
"These programs work together to create a pipeline of well-trained professionals ready to meet the needs of vocational rehabilitation agencies," said Southwick. "We're developing both undergraduate and graduate pathways that ensure our students are prepared to serve effectively in Alabama and beyond."
Together, the three federally funded initiatives mark a significant investment in Troy University's mission to serve through education and workforce development.
"This work reflects the best of Troy University's values, service, leadership and commitment to others," said Maiden. "Through these programs, we're not only transforming our students' futures but also strengthening the communities they will serve."
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Original text here: https://today.troy.edu/news/troy-university-secures-2-8-million-in-federal-grants-to-expand-rehabilitation-counseling-programs/
S.D. State University: Chemical Biology Consortium Will Accelerate Cancer Research
BROOKINGS, South Dakota, Nov. 11 -- South Dakota State University issued the following news:
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New chemical biology consortium will accelerate cancer research
By Addison DeHaven
At South Dakota State University, students learn about the "Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction" early on during their organic chemistry courses. The reaction, which describes a common synthetic method in natural product synthesis, was first described by Leopold Horner in 1958 and then refined by both William Emmons and a man by the name of William "Bill" Wadsworth, who served as a professor of chemistry at SDState
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BROOKINGS, South Dakota, Nov. 11 -- South Dakota State University issued the following news:
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New chemical biology consortium will accelerate cancer research
By Addison DeHaven
At South Dakota State University, students learn about the "Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction" early on during their organic chemistry courses. The reaction, which describes a common synthetic method in natural product synthesis, was first described by Leopold Horner in 1958 and then refined by both William Emmons and a man by the name of William "Bill" Wadsworth, who served as a professor of chemistry at SDStatefrom 1963 until his retirement.
This fall, Wadsworth, and his late wife Nancy, started an endowment to support chemistry research at SDState. It was only fitting that Rachel Willand-Charnley, an associate professor in the College of Natural Sciences who teaches her students about the Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction, was named the university's first Bill and Nancy Wadsworth Research Faculty Scholar in Chemistry.
"I am honored to receive this endowment from the Wadsworth family," Willand-Charnley said. "To have a reaction named after you is an incredible achievement as an Organic Chemist and I am truly excited to carry on Bill's legacy of impactful chemistry research here at South Dakota State."
Willand-Charnley recognized the university was missing an interdisciplinary chemical-biology research cluster in its research portfolio. Chemical biology is an interdisciplinary field that uses expertise and tools of chemistry to study and manipulate biological processes and develops new diagnostic tools and therapeutics. It is a rapidly developing cornerstone of biomedical research.
As a chemical biologist by training who specializes in interdisciplinary-applied organic chemistry and glyco-cancer immunology research, Willand-Charnley's work aims to identify chronic biological problems facing society and to generate sustainable solutions using chemical biology. With funding from the Wadsworth endowment, Willand-Charnley will lead a chemical biology research cluster aimed at providing sustainable solutions to combat cancer's exploitation of simple sugars to evade immune detection.
"We are so grateful to the Wadsworths for helping us realize our vision to grow new areas of research. This endowment will have a long-lasting impact by stimulating team science in chemistry," said Sen Subramanian, dean of SDState's College of Natural Sciences. "Rachel had proposed an exciting chemical biology cluster which was highly appreciated by the review committee. We are looking forward to the team's accomplishments and growth."
Currently, Willand-Charnley's lab is working to understand how cancers use sugars to survive. This research is leading to the development of novel synthetic methods, which are directly used for therapeutics.
"My lab is focused on understanding how cancers utilize sugar to participate in tumorigenic processes, metastasis, immune evasion and multidrug resistance, Willand-Charnley explained. "The lab has identified a specific sugar that allows colon and lung cancers to survive."
With funding from the Wadsworth endowment, Willand-Charnley will lead a new research cluster, composed of other SDState faculty members, external colleagues and graduate students, aimed at developing a glycan therapeutic.
"A team with strong scientific expertise in computational analysis, biochemistry, glyco-cancer immunology and organic chemistry has been assembled to address this critical biological problem facing society, including therapeutic development ," Willand-Charnley said.
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Original text here: https://www.sdstate.edu/news/2025/11/new-chemical-biology-consortium-will-accelerate-cancer-research
Georgetown Law Welcomes Record-Breaking Number of Military Students in Fall 2025 1L Class
WASHINGTON, Nov. 11 -- Georgetown University Law Center issued the following news:
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Georgetown Law Welcomes Record-Breaking Number of Military Students in Fall 2025 1L Class
For Belle Minter Noralez, L'28, military service and legal advocacy share a common aim: serving others.
"It's not like your service stops, it just changes," says Noralez of the transition to a legal career from the U.S. Army, where she served as a Signal Corps platoon leader and later oversaw state recruitment and retention efforts as a company commander. "It fills me up that I can still serve people in a different
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 11 -- Georgetown University Law Center issued the following news:
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Georgetown Law Welcomes Record-Breaking Number of Military Students in Fall 2025 1L Class
For Belle Minter Noralez, L'28, military service and legal advocacy share a common aim: serving others.
"It's not like your service stops, it just changes," says Noralez of the transition to a legal career from the U.S. Army, where she served as a Signal Corps platoon leader and later oversaw state recruitment and retention efforts as a company commander. "It fills me up that I can still serve people in a differentprofession."
Noralez is one of 39 military service members and veterans in Georgetown Law's Fall 2025 entering class -- nearly double last year's total and the largest cohort since at least 2018. A 2019 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Noralez is also one of 18 military academy graduates in this year's entering J.D. class, an increase from 10 graduates last year.
"As we approach Veterans Day, we are so proud to have these students in our community," says Georgetown Law Dean of Admissions Andy Cornblatt. "They have served our country in ways that many of us can't possibly imagine. Their dedication, discipline, leadership, collaboration and teamwork are all things that law firms -- and law schools -- are looking for."
Among the service members and veterans in this year's entering class are full-time and evening program students whose service in the U.S. Army, Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force spans a range of ranks and roles, from intelligence analysts and senior officers to physicians and submariners.
"We hope that people will come to see Georgetown Law as a place that will welcome you if you served in the military," Cornblatt says, noting that his office will continue in-person and virtual outreach to U.S. service academies in the year ahead and underscoring how student ambassadors and alumni help strengthen ties to the next generation of military-connected law students.
Building community in the nation's capital
On campus, organizations such as the student-run Military Law Society and the Center on National Security provide academic and career support and programs of interest for students -- and help foster a tight-knit military community.
"The Military Law Society has been so crucial to introducing us to the law school and getting us set up with connections and resources," says Simon Hernandez, L'28, who served in the National Guard as a combat engineer and volunteer wildland firefighter before applying to law school. One of two 2025 Tillman Scholars (a prestigious fellowship for armed forces members, veterans and military spouses) in this year's entering class, Hernandez hopes to build a legal career focused on expanding access to affordable housing.
"I have so much liberty to study what I've always wanted to study in an environment where the the professors are so encouraging [and] the students are really cooperative," he says, also crediting the Office of Public Interest and Community Service (OPICS) for helping connect him with clinic and internship opportunities as well as alumni working in his chosen field.
Other university-wide resources for service members and veterans include the Military and Veterans' Resource Center and the Georgetown University Student Veterans Association. Georgetown Law also participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program to cover all or part of tuition and fees not covered by the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill for qualifying students.
Taking 'the leap' to law school
Beyond campus resources, Georgetown Law students have unparalleled access to military institutions and a robust network of service members and veterans in the nation's capital. "D.C. is a military-heavy area," Noralez says. "Not only is it where laws are made, interpreted and challenged, but it's home to so many veterans."
Casey Doss, L'28, agrees. "Being here in D.C. gives a relevancy to a lot of what Georgetown does," says the two-time Bronze Star Medal recipient, who most recently worked as a projects specialist on behalf of military veterans for Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.). Prior to retiring in 2020, Doss's 21-year military career included multiple post-9/11 deployments, overseeing 46 Army museums as deputy director of the Army Museum Enterprise and serving as an assistant professor of history at West Point.
Doss notes that his experience differs in some ways from the 1L norm: He is older than many of his classmates (some of whom -- including Noralez -- were West Point cadets while he was an instructor) and commutes to campus each week from New Jersey, where his wife and 12-year-old twin daughters live.
But his prior career experience and graduate studies in history have only enriched his appreciation of his first-year classes. "It was a no-brainer," Doss says of the choice to take part in Georgetown Law's alternative 1L "Curriculum B" (Section 3), noting that he has appreciated the section's "Foundations of American Legal Thought" course in particular for the historical and philosophical framework it provides.
"Having studied a lot of the same history from different perspectives, it has been really interesting for me to now examine it from a legal perspective," he says.
Noralez similarly emphasizes that the discipline and time management skills she developed during her military career prepared her for the rigors of law school, including balancing her studies with caring for her 2-year-old daughter.
Her advice for other members of the military considering the transition to law school? "Take the leap," she says. "The military will always be there. Your friends, they're not going anywhere. But if you have something that you're really passionate about, you should go after it."
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Original text here: https://www.law.georgetown.edu/news/georgetown-law-welcomes-record-breaking-military-student-cohort-in-fall-2025-1l-class/
CUNY: Novel Climate Biostress Model and Sentinel System Seeks to Track Global Climate Impacts
NEW YORK, Nov. 11 (TNSjou) -- The City University of New York's Graduate Center issued the following news:
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A Novel Climate Biostress Model and Sentinel System Seeks to Track Global Climate Impacts
Graduate Center scientists present an interdisciplinary framework for detecting and responding to the biological signatures of climate change in a journal cover story.
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An interdisciplinary team of scientists at the Advanced Science Research Center at the CUNY Graduate Center (CUNY ASRC) has unveiled a groundbreaking conceptual model and integrative monitoring framework designed to reveal
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, Nov. 11 (TNSjou) -- The City University of New York's Graduate Center issued the following news:
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A Novel Climate Biostress Model and Sentinel System Seeks to Track Global Climate Impacts
Graduate Center scientists present an interdisciplinary framework for detecting and responding to the biological signatures of climate change in a journal cover story.
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An interdisciplinary team of scientists at the Advanced Science Research Center at the CUNY Graduate Center (CUNY ASRC) has unveiled a groundbreaking conceptual model and integrative monitoring framework designed to revealhow climate change is stressing life across the planet. Their study, published this week in Cell Reports Sustainability, introduces the concept of the Climate BioStress model and proposes the adoption of an integrative Climate BioStress Sentinel System (CBS3), which could transform how researchers, policymakers, and communities detect, understand, and respond to climate threats.
The research starts from simple but urgent questions: What is the impact of climate change across the living kingdoms of Earth, and can these effects be systematically detected? The team's answer is that climate biostress manifests as detectable biological signatures -- ranging from genetic shifts to changes in individual organisms and entire ecosystems -- that can serve as early warning signals of climate-driven change.
"Life has always carried the imprint of stress in its biochemistry, physiology, and behaviors," said the study's lead author Charles J. Vorosmarty, founding director of the CUNY ASRC Environmental Science Initiative, Einstein Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the CUNY Graduate Center, and of Geography at Hunter College. "By systematically identifying these stress signatures across species and ecosystems, we can better understand the cascading effects of climate change and provide real-time insights for mitigation. This includes humans and our social and built infrastructures."
A Sentinel System for a Stressed Biosphere
CBS3 is envisioned as a global, multi-scale network for detecting and integrating climate stress indicators across biological, built, and social infrastructures -- making it particularly well-suited for deployment in dense urban environments. The system draws on cutting-edge tools such as genomic sequencing, biochemical analysis, advanced sensing technologies, artificial intelligence, and socio-environmental data to benchmark current conditions and track changes over time.
The study highlights a range of sentinel organisms and species that can serve as measurable indicators, including:
* Microbes and phytoplankton, which regulate greenhouse gases and oxygen production
* Amphibians, long recognized as highly sensitive to environmental change
* Sessile organisms like corals and trees, whose growth patterns record long-term climate stress
* Lichens and other symbionts sensitive to heat and pollution
CBS3 would also incorporate human-centered data -- from government records to social media -- to capture how climate stress reverberates through societies and economies. The study team also imagines the extensive use of citizen science-collected environmental data using advanced microsensors that can be installed in homes or businesses or as wearable clothing by millions of people. These data can then be uploaded through cell phones to give a near-real time, integrated picture of biostress, which the researchers liken to a weather report for climate stress.
A Pan-Scientific Grand Challenge
Developing and deploying CBS3 represents what the authors call a "pan-scientific grand challenge" that spans at least 12 orders of magnitude in space and time -- from molecular chemistry to planetary-scale dynamics. While technical challenges remain, the study argues that science is ready for an initial rollout of sentinel-based systems.
"By providing operational tracking of climate effects on multiple systems, our study aligns with the One Health concept integrating data from humans, animals, and ecosystems," said study co-author Patrizia Casaccia, founding director of the CUNY ASRC Neuroscience Initiative and Einstein Professor of Biology and Biochemistry at the CUNY Graduate Center. "We suggest that the implementation of sentinel systems, inclusive of data on plants, microbes, animals, people, water, and soil would provide an important tool for monitoring the impact of climate stressors and test the effectiveness of any global commitments built around such a sentinel system. Overall, these approaches would inform policy decisions and guide investments in climate response."
"While climate adaptation is geared toward protecting humans and social and economic systems, our work shows that adaptation alone will be insufficient," added co-author Kevin Gardner, founding director of the CUNY ASRC Structural Biology Initiative and Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at The City College of New York and of Biochemistry, Biology, and Chemistry at the CUNY Graduate Center. "CBS3 offers a way to detect climate stress early and mobilize more effective, data-driven responses that could guide mitigation strategies to minimize the impact on the biosphere."
DOI: 10.1016/j.crsus.2025.100558
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Original text here: https://www.gc.cuny.edu/news/novel-climate-biostress-model-and-sentinel-system-seeks-track-global-climate-impacts
CUNY: David Nasaw Uncovers the Silent Suffering of World War II Veterans
NEW YORK, Nov. 11 -- The City University of New York's Graduate Center issued the following news:
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David Nasaw Uncovers the Silent Suffering of World War II Veterans
The Graduate Center distinguished professor emeritus and acclaimed historian reveals the emotional and social tolls of winning a brutal war.
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Growing up on Long Island in the 1950s and '60s, Graduate Center historian David Nasaw knew all too well the psychic wounds World War II inflicted on veterans, or at least on one veteran -- his father.
Joseph J. Nasaw served in the war as a medical officer in Eritrea and returned
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, Nov. 11 -- The City University of New York's Graduate Center issued the following news:
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David Nasaw Uncovers the Silent Suffering of World War II Veterans
The Graduate Center distinguished professor emeritus and acclaimed historian reveals the emotional and social tolls of winning a brutal war.
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Growing up on Long Island in the 1950s and '60s, Graduate Center historian David Nasaw knew all too well the psychic wounds World War II inflicted on veterans, or at least on one veteran -- his father.
Joseph J. Nasaw served in the war as a medical officer in Eritrea and returnedto his family after a medical discharge with habits of heavy drinking, which he eventually kicked, and smoking, which he didn't. While he had a successful career as a lawyer, he needed pills to fall asleep and to wake up. He died from a heart attack -- his second since the war -- at age 61.
"As a child, teen, and young man, I tried to find out what had happened to him in Eritrea, but with no success," Nasaw told the Graduate Center. "So, to find out more about him and pierce the silence, I had to study his generation of veterans."
That study became Nasaw's latest book, The Wounded Generation: Coming Home After World War II, a detailed account of the largely silent suffering of the millions of servicemen and women who fought in an unprecedented war and came home changed to a society not fully equipped to handle their needs, even as it lauded their deeds.
Nasaw, the emeritus Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. Distinguished Professor of History at the Graduate Center and a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and bestselling author, drew on veterans' memoirs, oral histories, and government documents to uncover a story of World War II's aftermath that is far darker than the one commonly known.
He recently spoke to the Graduate Center about his book, the notions it dispels, and why he writes for a broad audience.
Learn more about the Ph.D. Program in History (https://www.gc.cuny.edu/history)
Your book discredits many of the Greatest Generation myths associated with World War II veterans. Why did these myths persist, and how do you think that affected veterans and our country?
Nasaw: The dominant World War II narrative has focused almost exclusively on the heroism of the veterans and was fashioned in large part by media figures, politicians, and some historians in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, which was anything but a victory. American servicemen and women won the war against Nazism and Fascism. But when we focus only on their heroism and ignore the pain and suffering they endured on returning to civilian life, we do them a great disservice.
Why was World War II so detrimental to mental health, and how did PTSD affect this generation?
Nasaw: Millions of men and women returned from the war plagued by anxiety, depression, sudden uncontrollable rages, nightmares, flashbacks, and survivors' guilt. They were told that they suffered from battle fatigue which would disappear with rest and time. Only 40 years after their return, too late for too many of them, was the source of their problems given a name, post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
How did the experiences of Black World War II veterans, including Medgar Evers, influence the Civil Rights Movement?
Nasaw: Black veterans, more than three-quarters of whom served overseas, had lived in nations, among peoples, for whom Jim Crow and white supremacy were not inbred and inviolable. Many, like Medgar Evers, returned home hoping that their service for their nation would entitle them and their families to the respect and citizenship rights they deserved. They were met with violence and retreated from activism for a decade, only to re-emerge in the mid-1950s as leaders of the Civil Rights Movement.
You make the case that the GI Bill, which has been hailed as an equalizer, in fact reinforced and even prolonged racial inequality. Can you say more about that?
Nasaw: To win the votes of Southern Democrats and Midwestern Republicans, the GI Bill was designed to give local and state officials decision-making power over who would receive benefits. To get free tuition and living allowances for college and vocational schools, one had to be first be admitted. The two-thirds of Black veterans who lived in the South and sought to get a college degree were restricted to historically Black colleges and universities which were too small in size to accommodate them. Black veterans were also discriminated against in using their GI Bill mortgage guarantee benefits to buy homes. To get a mortgage guarantee, the veteran first had to have been approved for a mortgage by a local bank. Black veterans, North and South, who applied for mortgages were routinely turned away.
How do you think the wounds and hardships of World War II, both for the veterans and their wives and children, affected the generation that came after -- the Baby Boomers?
Nasaw: My generation, especially those who were raised while their fathers were away at war, had a difficult time connecting with the World War II veterans whose lives had been changed by the war, but who did not want to talk about it. The veterans' wives had a difficult, if not impossible time, helping their husbands readjust to family and civilian life. The divorce rate in 1946 was higher than it had ever been.
How has your experience at the Graduate Center influenced you as a scholar or writer or both?
Nasaw: As a historian at a public university, I felt the responsibility of making my research -- and that of my students -- accessible to the largest possible audience. I agree with and have always taken pride in the GC motto: "Knowledge is a public good."
What advice do you have for scholars on transforming academic research into books that have popular appeal?
Nasaw: It is possible to write for a well-educated, but non-academic audience without condescending to them or reducing the complex to the simple. There is an audience for serious history out there, but only if it's well-written and accessible.
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Original text here: https://www.gc.cuny.edu/news/david-nasaw-uncovers-silent-suffering-world-war-ii-veterans
Agricultural Economics Conference at Montana State Focused on Cattle Prices, Global Trade
BOZEMAN, Montana, Nov. 11 -- Montana State University issued the following news:
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Agricultural economics conference at Montana State focused on cattle prices, global trade
By Isabel Hicks, MSU News Service
Scores of Montana agricultural producers and representatives from industry trade groups gained insight into critical economic trends at the 2025 Agricultural Economics Conference, held in Bozeman on Nov. 7.
The conference is part of MSU's annual Celebrate Ag week, which brings together producers and supporters of agriculture across Montana for networking, educational and celebratory
... Show Full Article
BOZEMAN, Montana, Nov. 11 -- Montana State University issued the following news:
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Agricultural economics conference at Montana State focused on cattle prices, global trade
By Isabel Hicks, MSU News Service
Scores of Montana agricultural producers and representatives from industry trade groups gained insight into critical economic trends at the 2025 Agricultural Economics Conference, held in Bozeman on Nov. 7.
The conference is part of MSU's annual Celebrate Ag week, which brings together producers and supporters of agriculture across Montana for networking, educational and celebratoryevents, including a panel featuring young farmers and ranchers and a recognition of this year's Outstanding Agricultural Leader awardee, Gordon Stoner.
The conference provides agricultural producers with important updates about the economic landscape of Montana agriculture and how it is shaped by global markets and trends. At the same time, the event affords MSU professors and Extension specialists a chance to inform people about their latest research. The event is free for MSU students to attend each fall.
"Events like this are one of many ways land-grant universities build connections between off-campus stakeholders and the MSU community," said Joel Schumacher, conference organizer and Extension specialist with MSU's Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics. "Every year, this event provides opportunities for information sharing and relationship building."
The keynote lecture, named for M.L. Wilson, the state's first agricultural Extension agent and namesake of MSU's Wilson Hall, focused on the long-term outlook for the U.S. cattle industry. The lecture was delivered by Courtney Cowley, assistant vice president and Oklahoma City Branch Executive for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.
As a financial expert, Cowley outlined indications that cattle markets are faring better than crop markets right now. Those indications include loan repayment rates and higher cash rents for ranchland. It's a good time to be a cow-calf producer, Cowley said, with cattle prices soaring to historic highs not seen since the 1950s after adjusting for inflation.
Cowley discussed a conundrum facing many Montana ranchers right now: the relationship between high cattle prices and challenges with rebuilding herd sizes, with cattle inventories at historic lows. It is often more attractive for a producer to sell their cows when prices are high instead of keeping them to grow the herd, she said, leaving ranchers with a difficult choice.
Schumacher's presentation on the Montana agriculture year in review and outlook complemented Cowley's lecture. He noted strong calf prices and improved drought conditions compared to 2024 and discussed the difficult year for Montana wheat and barley growers resulting, in part, from changing global trade dynamics.
However, Andrew Swanson, assistant professor of agricultural economics, provided some hope for crop farmers with his presentation on the growing biofuels industry and its positive impact on agricultural markets. Biofuels are derived from oilseed crops including soybeans and canola, providing a cleaner alternative to petroleum diesel that can be used to power cars and airplanes. Increased demand for biofuels in the aviation industry, coupled with policy such as fuel standards and subsidies, has created new markets for farmers throughout the U.S., Swanson's research found. Still, there are limitations to its growth as the country currently lacks significant infrastructure to process biofuels domestically.
Additional lectures touched on contemporary challenges for agriculture in Montana and globally. Nick Hagerty, another agricultural economics assistant professor, discussed his research on opportunities for the state's irrigated agriculture and improving irrigation and canal efficiency. Department Head Eric Belasco presented on how risk management strategies in agriculture have adapted to volatile trade conditions in the face of tariffs and changing export and import markets.
Still other presentations featured updates from the Montana departments of agriculture and livestock and research by MSU agricultural economics faculty Kelsey Larson, Greg Gilpin and Justin Gallagher, with topics ranging from conservation easements to property tax legislation to the impact of urban growth on farmland.
Key conference sponsors aside from MSU and MSU Extension included Ag West Farm Credit, Montana Farm Bureau Federation, Montana Farmers Union, Montana Grain Growers Association and Montana Stockgrowers Association. For more information about Celebrate Ag events, visit ag.montana.edu/celebrateag/.
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Original text here: https://www.montana.edu/news/24914/agricultural-economics-conference-at-montana-state-focused-on-cattle-prices-global-trade
