Featured Stories
University of New England Researchers Install Wave Radar to Track Spur Jetty's Impact on Saco's Camp Ellis
BIDDEFORD, Maine, Aug. 29 -- The University of New England issued the following news:
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UNE researchers install wave radar to track spur jetty's impact on Saco's Camp Ellis
Story by Deirdre Fleming Stires
University of New England researchers installed a wave radar system on Ram Island near the Saco jetty on Friday, adding a new layer of data collection to an ongoing effort to measure how a spur jetty project will affect wave energy and shoreline conditions near Camp Ellis.
The install, led by Will Kochtitzky, Ph.D., assistant professor in UNE's School of Marine and Environmental Programs,
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BIDDEFORD, Maine, Aug. 29 -- The University of New England issued the following news:
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UNE researchers install wave radar to track spur jetty's impact on Saco's Camp Ellis
Story by Deirdre Fleming Stires
University of New England researchers installed a wave radar system on Ram Island near the Saco jetty on Friday, adding a new layer of data collection to an ongoing effort to measure how a spur jetty project will affect wave energy and shoreline conditions near Camp Ellis.
The install, led by Will Kochtitzky, Ph.D., assistant professor in UNE's School of Marine and Environmental Programs,builds on wave gauges the team deployed in March to establish baseline conditions ahead of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' construction of a spur jetty extension.
The newest piece of that weather detection system -- the wave radar -- will help researchers measure how effectively the jetty reduces wave energy and reflects that energy back into the bay.
Together, the instruments -- buoy, gauges, and radar -- give researchers a multi-layered dataset spanning before, during, and after construction of the spur jetty, which is expected to continue through summer 2027.
The Army Corps has forecast that the spur jetty will reduce wave height in the area by roughly 20%.
Kochtitzky said the new radar data will let the team verify whether that proves true in practice.
"We hope this information will help Camp Ellis keep sand on their beaches for longer and increase the effectiveness of sand nourishment projects," Kochtitzky said.
Visible across the Saco River from UNE's campus in Biddeford, the coastal community of Camp Ellis has for decades been marred by increasingly intensifying storms, with waves decimating beaches and causing millions of dollars in damages to homes, businesses, and roadways.
The radar install was aided by a UNE graduate and current student with assistance from two outside partners: Coastal Measures, based in Kittery, Maine, which provided coastal risk analytics and monitoring-network software, and Michigan-based Sea Signal Tech, which manufactures the wave radar units used in the project.
Coastal Measures will help the UNE team integrate, visualize, and analyze the wave datasets. Sea Signal Tech has deployed similar systems at sites around the country. Both had engineers on the UNE research vessel that deployed the radar system on Friday.
In addition, Nicolette Stamos (Marine Science, '27), a UNE Shaw Innovation Fellow, and Katie DeWater, B.S. '25 (Marine Sciences), a Goldwater Scholar pursuing a master's at UNE in marine sciences, helped install the radar system and will be using the data it provides to track wave activity in Saco Bay around Camp Ellis.
As part of her Shaws Innovation Fellowship, Stamos will work with Save Our Shores Maine this fall to combine data from the wave buoy, wave gauges, and wave radar into a fuller picture of wave dynamics in Saco Bay to help SOS in its mission to educate the public about coastal erosion in Maine.
"The best part of being here at UNE is getting this kind of hands-on experience, working with people outside of the university, too, and getting to see the behind-the-scenes of where our data comes from," Stamos said. "We're getting real-time data, too. This isn't something that happened 10 years ago that we're studying now. This is what's happening right now."
DeWater -- who received a $159,000 Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation to study vulnerable sections of the Maine coastline -- is integrating the data from the radar system for her master's thesis research on Camp Ellis, examining both the community's history and its currently shifting shoreline conditions.
"With this data, we get the wave spectra of Saco Bay, and from that we can measure wave period, wave frequency, and wavelengths, and better understand how these waves are interacting with the jetty and the coastline," DeWater said. "It's the most incredible experience -- it's really a great learning experience working with folks in the industry, learning how equipment gets set up and installed, and then working with those data sets to understand the science part."
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Original text here: https://www.une.edu/UNE-researchers-install-wave-radar-to-track-spur-jetty-impact-on-Camp-Ellis-in-Saco
Hofstra University: Mitch Kase Receives Grant to Study Impact of Faculty Microgrant Programs
HEMPSTEAD, New York, Aug. 29 -- Hofstra University issued the following news:
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Mitch Kase Receives Grant to Study Impact of Faculty Microgrant Programs
Ginny Greenberg
Mitch Kase, EdD, executive director of Hofstra University's Center for Excellence in Learning, Teaching and Assessment (CELTA), has received a $2,000 POD Network Early Researcher Grant for his study, "From Funded Project to Published Scholarship: A Mixed-Methods Study of Faculty Microgrant Programs and SoTL Productivity."
The study will explore whether faculty members who receive grants for teaching and learning projects
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HEMPSTEAD, New York, Aug. 29 -- Hofstra University issued the following news:
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Mitch Kase Receives Grant to Study Impact of Faculty Microgrant Programs
Ginny Greenberg
Mitch Kase, EdD, executive director of Hofstra University's Center for Excellence in Learning, Teaching and Assessment (CELTA), has received a $2,000 POD Network Early Researcher Grant for his study, "From Funded Project to Published Scholarship: A Mixed-Methods Study of Faculty Microgrant Programs and SoTL Productivity."
The study will explore whether faculty members who receive grants for teaching and learning projectsgo on to present or publish scholarship based on their work. It will focus on recipients of four Hofstra microgrant programs supporting scholarly teaching, inclusive teaching, open educational resources, and first-generation student learning.
Over 12 months, CELTA will track participants' presentations and publications, examine the support and barriers they encounter, and assess a research workshop designed to help grant recipients strengthen their research plans and identify appropriate publication opportunities.
Kase's goal is to create a practical, reproducible model that centers for teaching and learning can use to help faculty turn grant-funded teaching innovations into published scholarship.
He plans to share the findings at the POD Network Conference, through peer-reviewed publications, and in an open-access toolkit.
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Original text here: https://news.hofstra.edu/2026/08/28/mitch-kase-receives-grant-to-study-impact-of-faculty-microgrant-programs/
Georgia State University: Biomedical Sciences Undergraduate Research Program Offers Valuable Lab Experience
ATLANTA, Georgia, Aug. 29 -- Georgia State University issued the following news:
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New Biomedical Sciences Undergraduate Research Program Offers Valuable Lab Experience
A new student research program, the Undergraduate Program for Research Immersion & Scholarly Mentorship (UPRISM), will enable undergraduate students in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences (IBMS) at Georgia State University to gain meaningful research experiences in the institute's labs.
This new initiative is designed to expand research opportunities for undergraduate students and equip them with the skills, networks and
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ATLANTA, Georgia, Aug. 29 -- Georgia State University issued the following news:
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New Biomedical Sciences Undergraduate Research Program Offers Valuable Lab Experience
A new student research program, the Undergraduate Program for Research Immersion & Scholarly Mentorship (UPRISM), will enable undergraduate students in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences (IBMS) at Georgia State University to gain meaningful research experiences in the institute's labs.
This new initiative is designed to expand research opportunities for undergraduate students and equip them with the skills, networks andconfidence to thrive as emerging biomedical scientists.
The program has selected eight UPRISM Scholars to start their research experiences in five IBMS labs this fall. IBMS students applied for the program in May, and selected students attended a welcome event Aug. 21. The event included a briefing on professional standards, specifically focusing on lab culture, proactive communication and technical diligence in the laboratory.
Students selected for UPRISM's inaugural cohort include Mencia Maruri Abaigar (senior), Kwadwo Asante (junior), Lauren Ezenne (senior), Shwethaa Karthikeyan (senior), Jisun Lim (senior), Gavin Maxwell (senior), Fareeha Zahid (senior) and Lucy "Huixuan" Zhou (senior).
These scholars will spend the full academic year embedded in an active research environment, gaining real-world scientific experience that culminates in a formal presentation of their work at the end of the year. The inaugural cohort will conduct research across a diverse range of IBMS faculty laboratories, reflecting the breadth of biomedical science research at Georgia State University.
The lab appointments of UPRISM Scholars are as follows: Cynthia Nau Cornelissen/Julie Stoudenmire-Saylor's lab (Zahid and Zhou), Lanying Du's lab: (Asante and Karthikeyan), Richard Plemper's lab (Lim), Liang Qiao's lab (Maxwell and Ezenne) and Chong Shin's lab (Abaigar).
"We are excited about this new initiative to give our students more access to research opportunities," said Antoinette Bell-Kareem, a lecturer in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State. "UPRISM is rooted in the belief that meaningful research exposure must be paired with intentional professional development. Beyond the laboratory, scholars will participate in programming designed to help them navigate research environments with confidence and professionalism, explore the full landscape of careers in biomedical research, and actively build their scientific brand and career trajectory.
"UPRISM represents a significant step forward in IBMS' commitment to undergraduate excellence and research access."
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Original text here: https://news.gsu.edu/2026/08/28/new-biomedical-sciences-undergraduate-research-program-offers-valuable-lab-experience/
Dr. Dycus Discusses Eastern Mennonite University's Pathways to Enrollment Growth and Career Development for Royals
HARRISONBURG, Virginia, Aug. 29 -- Eastern Mennonite University issued the following news:
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Dr. Dycus discusses EMU's pathways to enrollment growth and career development for Royals
By Ryan Cornell
At EMU, it's all about experiential learning opportunities.
Eighty-five percent of EMU students graduate with an experience aligned with their major, President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus told a roomful of business and community leaders gathered for the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce's annual Presidential Address on Aug. 20.
"That means that, early in their time with us, students
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HARRISONBURG, Virginia, Aug. 29 -- Eastern Mennonite University issued the following news:
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Dr. Dycus discusses EMU's pathways to enrollment growth and career development for Royals
By Ryan Cornell
At EMU, it's all about experiential learning opportunities.
Eighty-five percent of EMU students graduate with an experience aligned with their major, President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus told a roomful of business and community leaders gathered for the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce's annual Presidential Address on Aug. 20.
"That means that, early in their time with us, studentsare doing clinicals, completing placements in classrooms, and working in internships, where they get exposure to many of your businesses," she said. "For many of them, that translates into jobs. ...It's not just senior year when they're submitting their resumes that they encounter some of your businesses."
Enrollment growth
Seated on stage with the presidents of James Madison University, Bridgewater College, and Blue Ridge Community College, Dycus shared some of the exciting initiatives and updates happening at EMU, including the growth of its incoming first-year class. Building on momentum from its enrollment and marketing efforts, EMU's Class of 2030 is projected to be between 10-15% larger than last year's incoming class.
"This incoming class we are about to welcome is more diverse than we have ever seen before," she said.
Of the class entering EMU this fall, 52% identify as students of color, 55% identify as first-generation college students, and 78% hail from Virginia.
"We are seeing students who are from the region, who are coming to us and are able to see our institution as an access institution, as a way to say, 'I want to advance my career, my family's career, and the opportunities that are available to us,'" Dycus said.
Pathways curriculum
Another exciting development at EMU is the university's new pathways curriculum launching this year. The result of nearly two years of work, the pathways curriculum keeps the same general education courses needed to graduate from EMU but repackages them to meet the evolving needs of the workforce and a new generation of students.
"For this sophomore class, students will not only identify a primary major, such as accounting, but they will also identify a values major they will then pursue in their courses," Dycus said.
Those value majors include environmental sustainability, intercultural understanding, power and equity, and faith and meaning. They will also be listed on students' transcripts and degrees.
"As they enter into their interviews with you, they can say, 'I've had courses that prepare me for communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and ways to understand different cultures,'" Dycus told chamber members.
"That's one of the ways we can help students prepare, not only for the first job they will have, but the many jobs they will have as they go throughout their careers," she added. "We're training and educating students for jobs that we can't yet imagine."
For more information about the pathways curriculum, visit emu.edu/academics/pathways.
Dycus also highlighted the growth in the university's nursing program and credited the community's "wonderful clinical sites," which include hospitals, retirement communities, schools, and hospices. "We've expanded the number of partners we have, and many of you are represented in this room," she said.
Leadership stories
Dycus said that by forming partnerships with the local business community, students can learn they have a home not only on EMU's campus but also across the broader Harrisonburg area. She called on business leaders to go forth and share their stories.
"The ways you have navigated your own careers, your stories of access and accomplishment and even failure, are critical parts of what our students need to hear," she said. "It's not just the content and knowledge but it's also the encouragement, affirmation, and confidence that motivate our students to know they can be sitting in the same places you're sitting and leading the businesses you're leading."
Dycus will be inaugurated as EMU's 10th president on Oct. 10 during Homecoming 2026. She expressed gratitude for the many notes of congratulations and encouragement she has received from chamber members since becoming president on July 1.
"It's a reminder to me just how connected we are and the interdependence of our institutions and your organizations," she said.
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Original text here: https://emu.edu/now/news/2026/dr-dycus-discusses-emus-pathways-to-enrollment-growth-and-career-development-for-royals/
Dalton State College Respiratory Therapy Program Recognized Nationally for Graduate Success
DALTON, Georgia, Aug. 29 -- Dalton State College issued the following news:
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Dalton State Respiratory Therapy Program recognized nationally for graduate success
Dalton State College's respiratory therapy program has earned the 2026 Distinguished Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) Credentialing Success Award from the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). The honor marks 12th consecutive year the program has been recognized for sustained success in preparing graduates to achieve the profession's highest credential and successfully enter the workforce.
"The Dalton
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DALTON, Georgia, Aug. 29 -- Dalton State College issued the following news:
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Dalton State Respiratory Therapy Program recognized nationally for graduate success
Dalton State College's respiratory therapy program has earned the 2026 Distinguished Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) Credentialing Success Award from the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). The honor marks 12th consecutive year the program has been recognized for sustained success in preparing graduates to achieve the profession's highest credential and successfully enter the workforce.
"The DaltonState College Respiratory Therapy Program is honored to once again receive the CoARC Distinguished Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) Credentialing Success Award," said Stephanie Watkins, respiratory therapy program director at Dalton State. "This recognition reflects the hard work and dedication of our students, faculty, clinical partners and graduates. Our mission is to provide a high-quality educational experience that prepares students to excel in the profession while meeting the respiratory care needs of our community and region."
The award recognizes respiratory therapy programs that consistently produce graduates who earn the RRT credential, achieve strong board examination results, maintain high retention and completion rates, and meet or exceed national accreditation benchmarks.
According to CoARC's 2025 programmatic outcomes data, Dalton State's Respiratory Therapy Program achieved a 97% job placement rate and a 100% employer satisfaction rate.
"These outcomes exceeded national averages and demonstrate the strength of our program and the preparedness of our graduates for professional practice," Watkins said. "We are proud to see our graduates making an immediate impact in hospitals and healthcare facilities throughout the region."
Students develop clinical skills through hands-on training in Dalton State's state-of-the-art simulation lab, where they practice responding to realistic patient scenarios before entering clinical settings.
Respiratory therapy students also complete hundreds of hours of supervised clinical training before graduation, gaining the experience needed to transition confidently into professional practice.
Dalton State's respiratory therapy program launched in 2009 and first earned the award in 2013, the first year it was eligible. Since then, the program has received the honor in 13 of its 14 eligible years.
To learn more about Dalton State's respiratory therapy program, visit www.daltonstate.edu.
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Original text here: https://www.daltonstate.edu/news/dalton-state-respiratory-therapy-program-recognized-nationally-for-graduate-success/
Catholic University of America: Pope Leo Appoints Patrick Kelly to Vatican Dicastery
WASHINGTON, Aug. 29 -- The Catholic University of America issued the following news:
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Pope Leo appoints Patrick Kelly to Vatican Dicastery
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Patrick Kelly, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus and a trustee of The Catholic University of America, as a member of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life. The Vatican announced the appointment on August 25.
As a member of the dicastery, Kelly will support the Church's mission on behalf of the laity, the family, and the sanctity of life.
Undertaking this new role, he draws on both his decades of leadership
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 29 -- The Catholic University of America issued the following news:
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Pope Leo appoints Patrick Kelly to Vatican Dicastery
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Patrick Kelly, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus and a trustee of The Catholic University of America, as a member of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life. The Vatican announced the appointment on August 25.
As a member of the dicastery, Kelly will support the Church's mission on behalf of the laity, the family, and the sanctity of life.
Undertaking this new role, he draws on both his decades of leadershipexperience and his education.
Kelly earned his master's degree in theology on the Catholic University campus, attending the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family.
He served 24 years in the United States Navy and currently leads the Knights of Columbus, the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization, as Supreme Knight and CEO, a role he has held since 2021.
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Original text here: https://www.catholic.edu/all-stories/pope-leo-appoints-patrick-kelly-vatican-dicastery
Allegheny College Alumna Heads to Germany on English Teaching Fulbright Award
MEADVILLE, Pennsylvania, Aug. 29 -- Allegheny College issued the following news:
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Allegheny Alumna Heads to Germany on English Teaching Fulbright Award
By: Roman Hladio
Recent Allegheny College alumna Mckenzie Hughes '26, joined an exclusive shortlist this spring by becoming the 23rd student in College history to receive a Fulbright U.S. Student Program award.
Come the fall semester, Hughes will join the Albert Schweitzer School in Nienburg, Germany, as an English teaching assistant.
"I love the German language. I think it's beautiful, I love speaking it, I love learning it," Hughes
... Show Full Article
MEADVILLE, Pennsylvania, Aug. 29 -- Allegheny College issued the following news:
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Allegheny Alumna Heads to Germany on English Teaching Fulbright Award
By: Roman Hladio
Recent Allegheny College alumna Mckenzie Hughes '26, joined an exclusive shortlist this spring by becoming the 23rd student in College history to receive a Fulbright U.S. Student Program award.
Come the fall semester, Hughes will join the Albert Schweitzer School in Nienburg, Germany, as an English teaching assistant.
"I love the German language. I think it's beautiful, I love speaking it, I love learning it," Hughessaid. "I don't know if I want to be a teacher or not, but I love helping students and seeing them grow, so I'm taking this year to really explore that as a potential career option."
Stepping Into the Classroom
The Albert Schweitzer School is a "gymnasium," which, Hughes explained, "is like a U.S. high school, but more intense." Gymnasiums are Germany's highest academic track before university, and they culminate in the "Abitur" -- a high school graduation exam that's required to pursue higher education.
"They spend countless hours studying for it," Hughes said. "People often say that the German Abitur is like an associate's degree."
While Hughes is contracted to teach English alongside German instructors for 12 hours per week, she's pursuing opportunities to also assist in other bilingual classrooms within academic areas she's previously studied: history, politics, and other social sciences.
Hughes received her formal acceptance into the program in April 2026 -- less than a month before graduation -- but the application process began last summer ahead of an Oct. 10, 2025, deadline.
Briana Lewis, associate professor of French and faculty liaison to the Center for Career and Professional Development, said the Fulbright program is very competitive, drawing applications from the strongest students across the country and awarding only a small fraction of those applicants.
"Kenzie came to us with a clear focus and sense of purpose, and an application draft that was already well thought-out, so we could provide the most effective support possible," Lewis said. "On average, one Allegheny student earns an award every few years, and it's exciting to add Kenzie to that list!"
Taking Passions Abroad
Hughes holds a bachelor of arts in international studies with minors in political science and German language. Her Senior Comprehensive Project, titled "From Rhetoric to Reform: Far-Right Populism's Impact on Vocational Education and Training Policy in Western Europe," examined welfare policies in Germany and other European nations.
Hughes spent her sophomore year of college studying abroad in Germany, but she says her love for the nation -- and her desire to spend time immersed in its culture after graduation -- stems from a high school classroom in Mt. Lebanon, a suburb south of Pittsburgh.
"When I was in ninth grade, we had someone come and present a program called 'Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange' -- it's a partnership between the U.S. government and the German government that sends high school students, college students and young professionals to Germany and vice versa," Hughes said.
At 14 years old, Hughes' interest was overshadowed by the thought that she was too young to spend a year abroad, but her instructor, Frau Peg Meyers, knew that Hughes was capable of taking the program on.
Hughes applied, was accepted, and spent her sophomore year of high school in Grefrath and Frankfurt -- a gymnasium similar to the one she'll teach at this fall.
While there, Hughes met students from Hong Kong, Shanghai, Russia, and Colombia, and all taught each other about their culture through the German language. That cultural exchange became irresistible.
"During that time abroad, that was like something in my brain clicked," Hughes said. "I was like, 'I want to do this for the rest of my life.'"
Looking Beyond Graduation
While Hughes' Fulbright award only lasts one year, it comes with the potential for an additional year following the completion of a secondary application, which she plans on pursuing.
"Then, I want to get my Master's Degree, and I would love to get it in Germany," Hughes said. "The best way to describe what I'm interested in is political economy, and I've been looking at a couple of different programs that would allow me to keep doing that in Germany."
Students who are interested in applying for Fulbright awards or other similar nationally competitive opportunities should reach out to the Center for Career and Professional Development.
"It's best to reach out early -- junior year isn't too early for an opportunity after graduation," Lewis said. "We can talk through their options, think about strategies, and support them as they put applications together.
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Original text here: https://allegheny.edu/about/news/alumna-germany-fulbright-award/
