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U.S. Public and Private Higher Education

News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from public, private and community colleges in the U.S.

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Georgia Institute of Technology: Healthy Minds Survey Assessing Student Wellness With Mental Health

ATLANTA, Georgia, Jan. 19 -- Georgia Institute of Technology issued the following news:

Georgia Tech's Division Student Life has partnered with the Office of Academic Effectiveness and Stamps Health Services to administer the annual Healthy Minds Study (HMS) this month.

Approximately 8,000 students have been invited to participate in this web-based survey study examining mental health, service utilization, and related issues among undergraduate and graduate students. The Institute is administering this survey, which was last administered in Spring of 2018, to get a better understanding of the ... Show Full Article ATLANTA, Georgia, Jan. 19 -- Georgia Institute of Technology issued the following news: Georgia Tech's Division Student Life has partnered with the Office of Academic Effectiveness and Stamps Health Services to administer the annual Healthy Minds Study (HMS) this month. Approximately 8,000 students have been invited to participate in this web-based survey study examining mental health, service utilization, and related issues among undergraduate and graduate students. The Institute is administering this survey, which was last administered in Spring of 2018, to get a better understanding of themental health of the Georgia Tech population to address the specific needs of all students.

Nationally, the survey was first launched in 2007 and has since been fielded at about 300 colleges and universities, with over 300,000 survey respondents. From past surveys conducted at Georgia Tech, it has been found that about 30% of students are experiencing at least one significant mental health problem, such as depression, anxiety disorders, suicidal thoughts, self-injury, or symptoms of eating disorders. Having updated results from HMS will increase awareness of student mental health at our institute and provide an opportunity to expand and add programs and services.

Students are encouraged to complete the survey to help maintain an accurate view of health and well-being on campus. Check out the link below for a 1-minute HMS video:

HMS Video: https://youtu.be/AgAzInWHURg

Students can also look forward to the release of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) in late February which will examine the student experience inside and outside the classroom. All surveys administered to our students have the goal of identifying areas of improvement in Georgia Tech's practices and policies.

Students who received the invitation for participation in the Health Minds Survey have until February 7 to complete it. For more information on this survey, please contact the study's Pricipal Investigator, Dr. Brenda "B" Woods at brenda.woods@studentlife.gatech.edu.

University of California: Doubling Down on Cancer-Causing Genes

RIVERSIDE, California, Jan. 18 [TNSgrants] -- The University of California Riverside campus issued the following news:

NIH grant of $2.2 million could help researchers target two oncogenes, potentially leading to therapies for melanoma, lung cancer, and other tumors

One way to tackle cancer, the second-leading cause of death in the United States, is to target oncogenes -- genes that have the potential to cause cancer.

The University of California, Riverside, has received a $2.2 million grant from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health that will help researchers target ... Show Full Article RIVERSIDE, California, Jan. 18 [TNSgrants] -- The University of California Riverside campus issued the following news: NIH grant of $2.2 million could help researchers target two oncogenes, potentially leading to therapies for melanoma, lung cancer, and other tumors One way to tackle cancer, the second-leading cause of death in the United States, is to target oncogenes -- genes that have the potential to cause cancer. The University of California, Riverside, has received a $2.2 million grant from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health that will help researchers targetcritical oncogenes of the B-cell lymphoma 2, or Bcl-2, family of proteins that regulate all major mechanisms of cell death, or "apoptosis."

The Bcl-2 family of proteins, which either promote or inhibit apoptosis, provide useful targets for drug discovery because they contribute to cancers when their expression and function are altered.

"We plan to explore new avenues to target the oncogenes Mcl-1 and Bfl-1 in this family," said Maurizio Pellecchia, a professor of biomedical sciences in the UCR School of Medicine and the principal investigator of the five-year grant. "These genes are expressed in most solid tumors, including those linked to melanoma and lung cancers. These genes render these cancers resistant to chemotherapy, radiation, or even immunotherapy."

While no viable pharmacological agents or drugs have been able to target Bfl-1 to date, a few have emerged to target only Mcl-1.

Pellecchia is optimistic the research project will present several innovative drug discovery approaches that are necessary to tackle challenging drug targets such as Mcl-1 and Bfl-1.

"Our studies suggest that Bfl-1 antagonists and/or dual action Mcl-1/Bfl-1 antagonists would hold great promise for novel apoptosis-based therapies in melanoma, lung cancer, and potentially other tumors," he said. "Therapeutic options for chemotherapy resistant cancers are limited. Our studies aim at addressing this critical unmet medical need."

Pellecchia's team will focus on deriving novel, potent, and irreversible agents that target Bfl-1, and other agents that simultaneously target both Bfl-1 and Mcl-1.

"These are challenging goals, but our preliminary data give us hope and confidence that we may succeed due, in part, to innovative drug targeting approaches we have employed," he said.

John Jefferson Perry, an assistant professor of biochemistry and co-investigator, will receive a portion of the funds to perform crystallography studies on the most promising agents derived by the research team.

"We are excited to use protein crystallography analyses to help study these novel antagonists," Perry said. "Knowledge of the antagonists' interaction with the target can be immensely helpful in these cancer-focused structure-based drug design studies."

The project will support two project scientists and two graduate students.

University of Arkansas : English Professor Receives Fellowship From National Endowment for the Arts

FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas, Jan. 18 -- The University of Arkansas issued the following news:

Toni Jensen, a professor of fiction in the Program in Creative Writing and Translation at the University of Arkansas, has been awarded a Creative Writing Fellowship of $25,000 for the upcoming fiscal year. The fellowship was awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Jensen is one of 36 writers in the nation who will receive the award and was selected from nearly 1,700 eligible applicants.

"To say that we are proud of Toni's achievements is an understatement," said Davis McCombs, director of the Program ... Show Full Article FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas, Jan. 18 -- The University of Arkansas issued the following news: Toni Jensen, a professor of fiction in the Program in Creative Writing and Translation at the University of Arkansas, has been awarded a Creative Writing Fellowship of $25,000 for the upcoming fiscal year. The fellowship was awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts. Jensen is one of 36 writers in the nation who will receive the award and was selected from nearly 1,700 eligible applicants. "To say that we are proud of Toni's achievements is an understatement," said Davis McCombs, director of the Programin Creative Writing and Translation in the university's Department of English. "We are thrilled that her terrific work is being acknowledged and awarded by the NEA. This award marks the start of what is sure to be a remarkable year for Toni."

These fellowships enable the recipients to set aside time for writing, research, travel and general career advancement. Fellows are selected through a highly competitive, anonymous process and are judged on the artistic excellence of the work sample provided.

"The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support our nation's writers, including Toni Jensen, and the artistry, creativity, and dedication that go into their work," said Mary Anne Carter, chair of the National Endowment for the Arts.

"This highly prestigious award to Toni Jensen is a wonderful achievement and not in the least surprising. She is one of the brightest rising stars of the department," said William Quinn, chair of the Department of English in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.

Toni Jensen is the author of Carry, a memoir-in-essays about gun violence, land and indigenous women's lives, forthcoming from Ballantine in September 2020. She is also the author of a short story collection, From the Hilltop. She is the recipient of the Katherine Anne Porter Prize for Fiction. Her essays and stories have been published in journals such as Orion, Catapult and Ecotone. She teaches in the Program in Creative Writing and Translation at the University of Arkansas and in the low residency M.F.A. Program at the Institute of American Indian Arts. She is Metis.

About the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences: The J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences is the largest and most academically diverse unit on campus with three schools, 16 departments and 43 academic programs and research centers. The college provides the core curriculum for all University of Arkansas students and is named for J. William Fulbright, former university president and longtime U.S. senator.

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About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among fewer than 3 percent of colleges and universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.

Nina Silver '21: Research Grant Allows for Study of Pancreatic Cancer Cells: Westminster College

NEW WILMINGTON, Pennsylvania, Jan. 18 [TNSgrants] -- Westminster College issued the following news release:

With the help of a Drinko Center Research Grant, junior biology major Nina Silver has been able to delve into molecular biology and conduct research on the effects of specific chemotherapy on pancreatic cancer cells.

Under the mentorship of Dr. Karen Resendes, associate professor of biology, Silver is examining the effects of the chemotherapy drugs 5-fluorouracil and gemcitabine on pancreatic cancer cells (cell line PANC1) by themselves and when combined. Silver said she is hoping to find ... Show Full Article

Mt. Hood Community College District Board Votes to Phase Out Seven Programs

GRESHAM, Oregon, Jan. 18 -- Mt. Hood Community College issued the following news release:

* * *

- Next step will be defining teach-out plans for impacted students

* * *

The Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) District Board of Education voted to phase out seven instructional programs at their January 15, 2020 meeting.

The seven programs that will be phased out are:

- Automotive Maintenance and Light Repair (The college will continue to provide its automotive degree programs including FORD ASSET, Chrysler CAP, Subaru U and IMPORT programs.)

- Broadcasting

- Business Technology

- Cosmetology

- ... Show Full Article GRESHAM, Oregon, Jan. 18 -- Mt. Hood Community College issued the following news release: * * * - Next step will be defining teach-out plans for impacted students * * * The Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) District Board of Education voted to phase out seven instructional programs at their January 15, 2020 meeting. The seven programs that will be phased out are: - Automotive Maintenance and Light Repair (The college will continue to provide its automotive degree programs including FORD ASSET, Chrysler CAP, Subaru U and IMPORT programs.) - Broadcasting - Business Technology - Cosmetology -Environmental Health and Safety

- Practical Nursing (The college will continue to provide its RN and CNA programs.)

- Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education

"Phasing out programs is never an easy decision to make, but we as a board know that it is necessary for the college to continue to review its operations and respond adeptly to the challenges that directly affect our ability to address the educational needs of our students," said Diane McKeel, Chairwoman of the MHCC District Board of Education.

The college will continue to work with current students within the impacted programs and provide them assistance toward achieving their academic goals. In a statement to the board, MHCC's Associated Student Government (ASG) also recommended phasing out the programs in order to protect the general student body from another round of tuition increases.

"While it is unfortunate to cut programs, if we were to keep these there would be a dramatic increase in tuition. With rising costs of living, another tuition increase would put even more of the financial burden on all of the students who attend Mt. Hood Community College. The Associated Student Government supports keeping our college as accessible and open as possible and substantial tuition increases would create a barrier to student success," part of the ASG statement read.

The phasing out of these programs stems from MHCC's Academic Revitalization process, which was a review of 61 disciplines and programs across the college that began last year following a directive from the board. A team of full-time and part-time faculty, classified staff and instructional deans developed the process and four categories in which disciplines could be placed, which were Maintain, Grow, Modify and Phase Out. The remaining programs that were not placed in the "Phase Out" category were placed in "Modify," meaning they will be improved in order to increase course fill rates, retention and cost effectiveness for the college moving forward. No programs were classified as "Maintain" or "Grow".

Along with the academic program revitalizations process, all MHCC non-instructional programs and services are undergoing a similar process to identify areas of improvement and budget adjustments as well. The college also maintains its commitment to fulfilling the workforce needs of local employers by supporting and improving its remaining academic programs.

The college is facing a $2.8-million deficit and while the phasing out of the programs will eventually assist in dealing with funding challenges, no savings will be seen until the programs have ended.

"Our community looks to us to keep education affordable, relevant and accessible. That means we have to make these tough decisions now and develop a funding model that withstands the ebbs and flows of enrollment and employment, economic booms and economic recessions so we can continue to serve our students as their needs change," said MHCC President Dr. Lisa Skari.

In Death of Dinosaurs, It Was All About the Asteroid -- Not Volcanoes: Yale University

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, Jan. 18 -- Yale University issued the following news release:

Volcanic activity did not play a direct role in the mass extinction event that killed the dinosaurs, according to an international, Yale-led team of researchers. It was all about the asteroid.

In a break from a number of other recent studies, Yale assistant professor of geology & geophysics Pincelli Hull and her colleagues argue in a new research paper in Science that environmental impacts from massive volcanic eruptions in India in the region known as the Deccan Traps happened well before the Cretaceous-Paleogene ... Show Full Article NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, Jan. 18 -- Yale University issued the following news release: Volcanic activity did not play a direct role in the mass extinction event that killed the dinosaurs, according to an international, Yale-led team of researchers. It was all about the asteroid. In a break from a number of other recent studies, Yale assistant professor of geology & geophysics Pincelli Hull and her colleagues argue in a new research paper in Science that environmental impacts from massive volcanic eruptions in India in the region known as the Deccan Traps happened well before the Cretaceous-Paleogeneextinction event 66 million years ago and therefore did not contribute to the mass extinction.

Most scientists acknowledge that the mass extinction event, also known as K-Pg, occurred after an asteroid slammed into Earth. Some researchers also have focused on the role of volcanoes in K-Pg due to indications that volcanic activity happened around the same time.

"Volcanoes can drive mass extinctions because they release lots of gases, like SO2 and CO2, that can alter the climate and acidify the world," said Hull, lead author of the new study. "But recent work has focused on the timing of lava eruption rather than gas release."

To pinpoint the timing of volcanic gas emission, Hull and her colleagues compared global temperature change and the carbon isotopes (an isotope is an atom with a higher or lower number of neutrons than normal) from marine fossils with models of the climatic effect of CO2 release. They concluded that most of the gas release happened well before the asteroid impact -- and that the asteroid was the sole driver of extinction.

"Volcanic activity in the late Cretaceous caused a gradual global warming event of about two degrees, but not mass extinction," said former Yale researcher Michael Henehan, who compiled the temperature records for the study. "A number of species moved toward the North and South poles but moved back well before the asteroid impact."

Added Hull, "A lot of people have speculated that volcanoes mattered to K-Pg, and we're saying, 'No, they didn't.'"

Recent work on the Deccan Traps, in India, has also pointed to massive eruptions in the immediate aftermath of the K-Pg mass extinction. These results have puzzled scientists because there is no warming event to match. The new study suggests an answer to this puzzle, as well.

"The K-Pg extinction was a mass extinction and this profoundly altered the global carbon cycle," said Yale postdoctoral associate Donald Penman, the study's modeler. "Our results show that these changes would allow the ocean to absorb an enormous amount of CO2 on long time scales -- perhaps hiding the warming effects of volcanism in the aftermath of the event."

German researcher Andre Bornemann was co-lead author of the study. Yale researcher Ellen Thomas was a co-author of the study, along with additional researchers from institutions in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Japan, Denmark, and the United States.

The International Ocean Discovery Program, the National Science Foundation, and Yale University helped fund the research.

Harvard Medical School: Hospital Mergers, Quality of Care

BOSTON, Massachusetts, Jan. 18 [TNSmedicalresearch] -- Harvard Medical School issued the following news:

* * *

- A new study looks at the quality of care at hospitals acquired in a recent wave of consolidations

* * *

The quality of care at hospitals acquired during a recent wave of consolidations has gotten worse or stayed the same, according to a study led by Harvard Medical School scientists published Jan. 2 in NEJM.

The findings deal a blow to the often-cited arguments that hospital consolidation would improve care. A flurry of earlier studies showed that mergers increase prices. Now after ... Show Full Article BOSTON, Massachusetts, Jan. 18 [TNSmedicalresearch] -- Harvard Medical School issued the following news: * * * - A new study looks at the quality of care at hospitals acquired in a recent wave of consolidations * * * The quality of care at hospitals acquired during a recent wave of consolidations has gotten worse or stayed the same, according to a study led by Harvard Medical School scientists published Jan. 2 in NEJM. The findings deal a blow to the often-cited arguments that hospital consolidation would improve care. A flurry of earlier studies showed that mergers increase prices. Now afteranalyzing patient outcomes after hundreds of hospital mergers, the new research also dashes the hopes that this more expensive care might be of higher quality.

"Our findings call into question claims that hospital mergers are good for patients--and beg the question of what we are getting from higher hospital prices," said study senior author J. Michael McWilliams, the Warren Alpert Foundation Professor of Health Care Policy in the Blavatnik Institute at HMS and an HMS professor of medicine and a practicing general internist at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

McWilliams noted that rising hospital prices have been one of the leading drivers of unsustainable growth in U.S. health spending.

To examine the impact of hospital mergers on quality of care, researchers from HMS and Harvard Business School examined patient outcomes from nearly 250 hospital mergers that took place between 2009 and 2013. Using data collected by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, they analyzed variables such as 30-day readmission and mortality rates among patients discharged from a hospital, as well as clinical measures such as timely antibiotic treatment of patients with bacterial pneumonia. The researchers also factored in patient experiences, such as whether those who received care at a given hospital would recommend it to others. For their analysis, the team compared trends in these indicators between 246 hospitals acquired in merger transactions and unaffected hospitals.

The verdict? Consolidation did not improve hospital performance, and patient-experience scores deteriorated somewhat after the mergers.

The study was not designed to examine the reasons behind the worsening in patient experience. Weakening of competition due to hospital mergers could have contributed, the researchers said, but deeper exploration suggested other potential mechanisms. Notably, the analysis found the decline in patient-experience scores occurred mainly in hospitals acquired by hospitals that already had a poor patient-experience score--a finding that suggests acquisitions facilitate the spread of low quality care but not of high quality care.

The researchers caution that isolated, individual mergers may have still yielded positive results--something that an aggregate analysis is not powered to capture. And the researchers could only examine measurable aspects of quality. The trend in hospital performance on these standard measures, however, appears to point to a net effect of overall decline, the team said.

"Since our study estimated the average effects of mergers, we can't rule out the possibility that some mergers are good for patient care," said first author Nancy Beaulieu, research associate in health care policy at HMS. "But this evidence should give us pause when considering arguments for hospitals mergers."

The work was supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (grant no. U19HS024072).

Co-investigators included Bruce Landon and Jesse Dalton from HMS, Ifedayo Kuye, from the University of California, San Francisco, and Leemore Dafny from Harvard Business School and the National Bureau of Economic Research.

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