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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Western Illinois University's School of Law Enforcement & Justice to Host Crime, Counterterrorism Seminars Oct. 21, Oct. 30
MACOMB, Illinois, Oct. 18 -- Western Illinois University issued the following news release:
Professors from the Western Illinois University School of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration (LEJA) will host several seminars on traditional crime and counterterrorism Monday, Oct. 21 and Wednesday, Oct. 30.
"Violent Crimes Against Women," from noon-1 p.m. Monday, Oct. 21 in Stipes Hall, room 121, will include presentations from Jonathan Butts (Domestic Homicide), Christopher Bitner (Violence Against Women) and Dean Alexander, who is also the director of the WIU Homeland Security Research Program
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MACOMB, Illinois, Oct. 18 -- Western Illinois University issued the following news release:
Professors from the Western Illinois University School of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration (LEJA) will host several seminars on traditional crime and counterterrorism Monday, Oct. 21 and Wednesday, Oct. 30.
"Violent Crimes Against Women," from noon-1 p.m. Monday, Oct. 21 in Stipes Hall, room 121, will include presentations from Jonathan Butts (Domestic Homicide), Christopher Bitner (Violence Against Women) and Dean Alexander, who is also the director of the WIU Homeland Security Research Program(The Violent Fringe on the Incel Movement).
"The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force: Risks and Responses" presentation will be from 1-2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30 in Morgan Hall, room 109 and will be given by two Illinois-based representatives of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force.
LEJA's undergraduate and graduate degree programs are specifically developed in collaboration with law enforcement, corrections, security, legal, emergency management and fire industry leaders. The curriculum is taught exclusively by professionals who have worked in the specified field. In addition to majors in law enforcement and justice administration, fire protection services and emergency management, LEJA offers minors in corrections, criminalistics, homeland security, legal studies, security management, emergency management, fire administration and fire science.
All events are open free to the public. For more information, contact Alexander at (309) 298-2120 or DC-Alexander@wiu.edu. For more information on the School of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration, visit wiu.edu/leja.
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire: Rare Opportunity to Study Genetic Disorders - Mayo Clinic Graduate Research
EAU CLAIRE, Wisconsin, Oct. 18 -- The University of Wisconsin Eau Claire Campus issued the following news release:
Allie Welter, a 2018 Blugold alumna, has had a solid idea of what she wants to do with her life since she was 12 years old, and she hasn't strayed from it. That's pretty rare.
But not many people have had the lifetime of inspiration growing up alongside them that Welter has had -- her younger brother, Andy. Andy Welter, a high school senior in Farmington, Minnesota, has a rare genetic disorder called myotubular myopathy (MTM), which impacts muscle development and leaves him dependent
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EAU CLAIRE, Wisconsin, Oct. 18 -- The University of Wisconsin Eau Claire Campus issued the following news release:
Allie Welter, a 2018 Blugold alumna, has had a solid idea of what she wants to do with her life since she was 12 years old, and she hasn't strayed from it. That's pretty rare.
But not many people have had the lifetime of inspiration growing up alongside them that Welter has had -- her younger brother, Andy. Andy Welter, a high school senior in Farmington, Minnesota, has a rare genetic disorder called myotubular myopathy (MTM), which impacts muscle development and leaves him dependentupon a wheelchair and ventilator. Since her preteen years, Allie has known that she wants to find more than just ways to help her brother live his best life. She wants to discover drugs and therapies to treat or cure diseases like her brother's.
"When I was around 12, I went to my first MTM family conference where families dealing with MTM come together to learn from each other and find support," said the UW-Eau Claire biochemistry/molecular biology graduate. "Researchers attend every year and update families about the newest studies into developing a cure. That was my first introduction to the possibility of medical research as a career. I found these people very inspiring, and learning about their work played a huge role in my decision to pursue a Ph.D."
Welter began her graduate studies this past July at the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. The program is new for Welter, but not the place. She worked at Mayo as a biomedical researcher for five months after completing her Blugold degree last December.
"I kind of had a 'gap semester' between graduating and starting a Ph.D. program, so I came to Mayo Clinic to find out if there was a lab where I could work on the types of genetics projects that interest me, those connected to genetic disease and finding therapies for them," Welter said. "I met Dr. Tim Olson who had a position for a grad student in this lab, and he hired me as part of the Mayo Clinic Graduate Research Employment Program. His lab is studying the genetics of hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a severe congenital heart defect in which the left side of the heart is underdeveloped. The lab is seeking genetic clues into this very complicated disease, and potential treatments."
Olson saw on Welter's resume that she graduated from UW-Eau Claire with a wide array of research experiences under her belt, all of which had helped her decision to pursue a Ph.D. Those experiences enabled her to hone her lab and analytical skills and build a network of contacts in the field of biomedical research.
Welter earned a freshman scholarship known at the Blugold Fellowship, a program designed to carve out undergraduate research opportunities for students as soon as they enroll. Welter spent more than three years studying plant genome sequencing in Dr. Derek Gingerich's lab.
In addition, Welter secured a summer internship at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where she assisted in a lab that studies MTM, the same genetic illness affecting her brother.
"Doing undergraduate research at UW-Eau Claire helped prepare me to be more independent working here at Mayo Clinic," she said. "I felt more comfortable being an independent scientist after doing research for so long, and the time in Boston allowed me to network with the amazing Harvard faculty. It was a really great experience."
Becoming more adept and independent as a laboratory researcher is something that benefits not only the research students, but Mayo Clinic as well, according to Dr. Jeanne Theis, Mayo Clinic research scientist and participating supervisor in the GREP program.
"Allie brought with her some tools that we weren't familiar with, programming she had learned in one of her courses," Theis explained. "These students are very bright, they're very motivated, and they bring a lot to the table. The other thing they offer is that they force us to think outside the box a little more, asking things like 'Why aren't you doing it this way?' or saying 'Maybe we should try this.' Ultimately, they're not afraid to ask those questions and to challenge us in the labs, which is great."
Now that Welter has moved on from GREP to her Ph.D. studies in molecular pharmacology and experimental therapeutics, she is very grateful for the chance to have worked with Dr. Olson and the rest of the teams seeking a treatment for HLHS.
Another Blugold graduate, Casey Huxtable, happens to work in the Rochester, Minnesota, area for a biotech company on the other end of research to treat HLHS, the growth of stem cells taken at birth to use in later surgeries to repair the valve defect. His firm, Regen Theranostics, is part of the network of biomedical professionals Welter and the lab team met with regularly in the course of her research.
This emphasis on teamwork is critical to scientific discovery, and is a lesson Welter plans to carry from the experience into her future as a biomedical scientist.
"The part of the project I worked on is the discovery part of the process, finding new genes involved in the disorder; Regen and other organizations are involved as well, at other stages of the process. We met often to collaborate and look at all sides of the spectrum to see what we could all do better. The work of Dr. Nelson's lab is a mere part of the big picture and it can give insight into understanding this very complex disease."
* See related story about Allie Welter's internship at Boston Children's Hospital (https://www.uwec.edu/news/news/internship-fuels-interest-in-genetics-research-2560/).
* See related story featuring similar research into hypoplastic left heart syndrome featuring 2015 Blugold graduate Casey Huxtable (https://www.uwec.edu/news/biology/microbiology-alumnus-does-life-saving-work-for-babies-with-heart-defects-3378/).
* See related story from KARE 11 news in Minneapolis, featuring Allie Welter's brother, Andy Welter (https://www.kare11.com/video/news/local/breaking-the-news/celebrating-andy-farmington-hs-football-team-lifts-up-classmate/89-60705498-e08e-427b-981f-4e67521c9d86).
University of Oklahoma-College of Medicine Nursing Professionals Honored For Excellence
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, Oct. 18 -- The University of Oklahoma's College of Medicine issued the following news:
The Children's Hospital at OU Medicine and several nurses were honored recently by the Oklahoma Nurses Association.
The hospital received the Excellence in the Workplace Award for developing positive work environments and demonstrating innovative and effective programs and approaches that support nurses and promote excellent nursing care.
Amber Bradford, MSN, R.N., received the Oklahoma Nurses Association award for Excellence in Nursing-Administration, and Sheila K. St. Cyr, M.S.,
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OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, Oct. 18 -- The University of Oklahoma's College of Medicine issued the following news:
The Children's Hospital at OU Medicine and several nurses were honored recently by the Oklahoma Nurses Association.
The hospital received the Excellence in the Workplace Award for developing positive work environments and demonstrating innovative and effective programs and approaches that support nurses and promote excellent nursing care.
Amber Bradford, MSN, R.N., received the Oklahoma Nurses Association award for Excellence in Nursing-Administration, and Sheila K. St. Cyr, M.S.,R.N.-B.C., received the Excellence in Nursing-Education award. These awards honor nursing professionals for development of innovative, unique and creative approaches that use nursing theory, knowledge and skills in any practice setting.
Helen Farrar, Ph.D., R.N., B.C.-CNE, assistant professor at the OU College of Nursing, and Donald W. Reynolds Nurse Scholar in Geriatrics, received the Nightingale Award of Excellence. The Nightingale Award is presented to an Oklahoma Nurses Association member who has provided service and dedication to the association, exemplifies the characteristics of a professional nurse, implemented unique strategies to fulfill professional and community role responsibilities, as well as engaging in a variety of roles that enhance the image of the nursing profession.
"The awards presented to The Children's Hospital and to these exceptional individuals further establish
OU Medicine as a leader in healthcare," said Cathy Pierce, M.S., RNC, CENP, chief nurse executive, OU Medicine. "We take great pride in the dedication shown by these nursing professional as they serve and care for our patients at OU Medicine. They are to be commended for making excellence the benchmark of their work."
Oklahoma Nurses Association works as a community of professional nurses across all specialties and practice settings. The association focuses on supporting and engaging nurses to address issues that impact the work they perform on a daily basis.
University of North Carolina-Wilmington: CHHS Dean Charles Hardy Wins 'Health Care Heroes' Lifetime Achievement Award
WILMINGTON, North Carolina, Oct. 18 -- The University of North Carolina Wilmington campus issued the following news release:
Charles "Charlie" Hardy, founding dean of the UNCW College of Health and Human Services, will be the recipient of the 2019 Greater Wilmington Business Journal's "Health Care Heroes" Lifetime Achievement Award. An awards ceremony is scheduled for Nov. 15.
Each year, the Greater Wilmington Business Journal recognizes individuals and organizations making a significant impact on the quality of health care in southeastern North Carolina. The Lifetime Achievement Award honors
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WILMINGTON, North Carolina, Oct. 18 -- The University of North Carolina Wilmington campus issued the following news release:
Charles "Charlie" Hardy, founding dean of the UNCW College of Health and Human Services, will be the recipient of the 2019 Greater Wilmington Business Journal's "Health Care Heroes" Lifetime Achievement Award. An awards ceremony is scheduled for Nov. 15.
Each year, the Greater Wilmington Business Journal recognizes individuals and organizations making a significant impact on the quality of health care in southeastern North Carolina. The Lifetime Achievement Award honorsan individual for achievements throughout his or her career. Judges consider the individual's professional accomplishments, impact on the community and assistance they gave to others. Hardy was a finalist for the award in 2013, the first year Health Care Heroes was launched.
"A health care hero, to me, is someone who understands that they exist to make this a better world and to enhance the health and quality of life for individuals, families and communities," Hardy said. "To be in the company of other Lifetime Achievement Award winners is overwhelming to me. I don't believe I am deserving of this award, but I am grateful for the opportunity to represent our university, our college and the entire spectrum of health and human services."
The award is a tribute to the students, faculty and staff he has worked with over the years at UNCW, Georgia Southern University and UNC Chapel Hill, he added.
"I am blessed to be able to do what I believe I was put on this earth to do - to teach and to work in a field that is helping others achieve their dreams," Hardy said. "For me, it's about being able to help each student change their life by focusing on enhancing health and quality of life for others. I don't think it gets any better than that."
The College of Health and Human Services has made significant contributions to improving health care through education, workforce development, research and community engagement. CHHS and regional public health care partners established the Southeastern North Carolina Regional Health Collaborative to improve individual and community health through programs and interventions. The collaboration involves health department directors and staff from nine counties. The group is currently working together to address the opioid epidemic.
"We are putting our heads together to facilitate a community effort toward dealing with the crisis," Hardy said. "We weren't the lead; we were a member of a collective impact model that was really powerful to see."
Hardy said he believes health care is a basic human right. "If we could not only adopt that, but put that philosophy in our daily activities, I believe it would change the United States and the world."
University of Mississippi: Alumnus Chosen for Knowles Teaching Fellowship
OXFORD, Mississippi, Oct. 18 -- The University of Mississippi issued the following news release:
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- Justin Ragland to receive benefits valued at $150,000 for STEM teaching award
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University of Mississippi alumnus Justin Ragland has been chosen as one of 37 high school mathematics and science teachers nationwide to receive a Knowles Teaching Fellowship valued at $150,000.
The Knowles Teaching Fellowship is a five-year program that supports early-career high school mathematics and science teachers in their efforts to develop teaching expertise and lead from the classroom. Through
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OXFORD, Mississippi, Oct. 18 -- The University of Mississippi issued the following news release:
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- Justin Ragland to receive benefits valued at $150,000 for STEM teaching award
* * *
University of Mississippi alumnus Justin Ragland has been chosen as one of 37 high school mathematics and science teachers nationwide to receive a Knowles Teaching Fellowship valued at $150,000.
The Knowles Teaching Fellowship is a five-year program that supports early-career high school mathematics and science teachers in their efforts to develop teaching expertise and lead from the classroom. Throughthe program, fellows have access to grants for purchasing classroom materials, stipends, mentoring from experienced teachers and membership in a nationwide community of more than 400 teachers.
Fellows also have opportunities to engage in professional development and spearhead leadership activities that have an impact beyond their own classrooms. As of 2018, Knowles Teaching Initiative included 379 teaching fellows in 41 states.
Ragland is the second Ole Miss graduate to receive the fellowship, after Jessica Peralta received it in 2014.
"As I learned more about the fellowship, it was obvious that it would be a great opportunity for me," said Ragland, a St. Louis native. "What most excited me was the prospect of joining a nationwide network of young educators passionate about teaching and having a community of math and science teachers that I could connect with."
Ragland received a bachelor's degree in science education and a master's degree in curriculum and instruction from UM. He is a physics teacher at Patrick F. Taylor Science and Technology Academy in Avondale, Louisiana, where he began teaching after graduation in 2018.
"My favorite part about being a teacher, in particular a physics teacher, is that I get to provide opportunities for my students to learn more about the world around them," Ragland said. "Those 'light bulb' moments that pertain to their own experiences are awesome."
During his time at Ole Miss, Ragland worked as a Writing Center consultant for two years and as a laboratory teaching assistant for one semester. As a graduate research fellow with the UM Center for Mathematics and Science Education, he worked as a portable planetarium facilitator, traveling to facilitate a planetarium experience for K-12 students across Mississippi, and developed and led professional development for K-12 teachers.
"To be selected as a Knowles Teaching Fellow, Justin has demonstrated the potential to develop exceptional content knowledge and an eagerness to deepen that knowledge to become a reflective educator," said Susan McClelland, chair of teacher education. "He has also shown that he has outstanding leadership qualities that will enable him to work collaboratively with colleagues in his field, learning from them and with them."
Founded in 2002, the five-year teaching fellowships are designed to attract and retain high school STEM teachers who demonstrate a high level of content knowledge, effective teaching methods and show potential to become an influential teacher leader who will make a career of teaching.
Ragland is the first teacher in Louisiana to receive the award.
"I am proud to be the first Knowles fellow in the state," Ragland said. "It's encouraging to me that a nationwide program such as this is beginning to make inroads in the South because I believe it has the capacity to positively impact a region that is often overlooked when it comes to education."
Norton Healthcare, University of Louisville Physicians - Pediatrics, UofL School of Medicine Combine Forces to Strengthen Care for Children
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky, Oct. 18 -- The University of Louisville issued the following news release:
Norton Healthcare, UofL Physicians - Pediatrics and the University of Louisville School of Medicine today announced they have officially signed a definitive agreement for an affiliation that will combine resources to strengthen and enhance medical care for children, including:
* Improved access to care. A primary goal is to provide excellent care close to home without the worry of waiting for an appointment. Access will be improved through scheduling enhancements and recruitment of additional providers.
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LOUISVILLE, Kentucky, Oct. 18 -- The University of Louisville issued the following news release:
Norton Healthcare, UofL Physicians - Pediatrics and the University of Louisville School of Medicine today announced they have officially signed a definitive agreement for an affiliation that will combine resources to strengthen and enhance medical care for children, including:
* Improved access to care. A primary goal is to provide excellent care close to home without the worry of waiting for an appointment. Access will be improved through scheduling enhancements and recruitment of additional providers.
*Commitment to innovation and education. With this new initiative, Norton Healthcare's support of UofL's clinical research and the school of medicine's academic mission will continue. These entities collectively recognize the importance of teaching the next generation of pediatric providers, as well as the importance of UofL's research mission, in growing a regionally and nationally recognized pediatric program. Working together, the groups can recruit, train and retain key talent for pediatric programs.
* One integrated electronic medical record for each patient's health records, which will improve care coordination, including provider communication.
* Additional multidisciplinary clinics, where patients with serious and chronic medical conditions can see multiple specialists on the same day, will be added to allow more children to receive the coordinated care they need.
- Examples of current multidisciplinary clinics include neuro-oncology, heart transplant, spina bifida and congenital diaphragmatic hernia.
- More than 20 clinics are planned over the next two years. These include breathing and digestion conditions, preserving reproductive potential in children who have cancer and managing the ongoing health issues of premature babies.
Norton Healthcare will assume operations for pediatric and pediatric subspecialist offices currently managed under UofL Physicians - Pediatrics. Approximately 600 employees with 21 different practices will transition with the affiliation. UofL doctors will remain on the faculty of the school of medicine and will work clinically within a Norton Healthcare pediatric practice plan.
This new model will allow the practices to enhance their focus on providing highly skilled care that is integrated with world-class medical education and research. It also will help streamline patients' access to outpatient care with the practices and to inpatient care provided by Norton Children's Hospital.
"Norton Healthcare and Norton Children's Hospital have worked closely with the University of Louisville since 1930 as part of our academic affiliation," said Russell F. Cox, president and chief executive officer, Norton Healthcare. "Our long history of collaboration has resulted in expansion of pediatric care and research, especially in the areas of heart, diabetes and cancer care, and the growth of multidisciplinary clinics.
"By linking together the best pediatric providers who are committed to providing safe, high-quality care, we will make it easier for families to access comprehensive medical care for their children."
"UofL is committed to helping nurture healthy children and communities while maintaining our strong academic training programs and research, which ultimately translates into even better care for children," said Neeli Bendapudi, Ph.D., president, UofL. "We'll do that by capitalizing on the strengths of each organization."
"Working together will help us attract additional specialists to Louisville to care for children with the most complex medical issues," said Steven T. Hester, M.D., MBA, division president, provider operations, and system chief medical officer, Norton Healthcare. "Patients can expect a seamless transition and will now have the added convenience of one integrated medical record, rather than working across two electronic medical record systems. This will provide ease in accessing test results and communicating with providers."
"Ultimately, the goal is to develop and deliver the best possible programs, services and patient experience for the children of Kentucky and beyond," said Kimberly A. Boland, M.D., interim chair, UofL School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics and UofL Physicians - Pediatrics. "We look forward to seeing what great things we can accomplish together, not only in clinical care but in educating future pediatricians and making new discoveries in the field of child and adolescent health care."
The affiliation is slated to take effect on Feb. 1, 2020.
Northeastern University: To Build Better Drone, Look to Bat
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Oct. 18 -- Northeastern University issued the following news:
Their world is flipped upside down.
Bats eat, sleep, poop--even make babies--while hanging upside down. It's how they spend most of their lives.
To get to that hanging point, bats pull some of the most incredible aerial stunts of the animal world. After a swift turn midair, a bat can perch for hours. That natural ability to just hang inverted makes them experts at saving energy, and when it is time to fly away, they only need to let go and flap their wings.
Now, Alireza Ramezani, an assistant professor of electrical
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BOSTON, Massachusetts, Oct. 18 -- Northeastern University issued the following news:
Their world is flipped upside down.
Bats eat, sleep, poop--even make babies--while hanging upside down. It's how they spend most of their lives.
To get to that hanging point, bats pull some of the most incredible aerial stunts of the animal world. After a swift turn midair, a bat can perch for hours. That natural ability to just hang inverted makes them experts at saving energy, and when it is time to fly away, they only need to let go and flap their wings.
Now, Alireza Ramezani, an assistant professor of electricaland computer engineering at Northeastern, has come up with a way to design drones that mimic these complex aerobatics and save energy.
"If you want to stand on something, you have to consume energy," Ramezani says. "That makes perching the way bats do interesting because you can think of aerial drones that can passively hang from structures in a dormant kind of state, without consuming energy, and instead harvest energy to continue their operations."
As a bat approaches a landing point, it pulls one of its wings in, catapulting its weight upwards with enough precision to flip belly up. It's a quick maneuver similar to a flip turn in freestyle swimming.
After months of studying footage of bat locomotion and even stepping inside a cage full of bats (for science), Ramezani designed a robotic mechanism that can reorient an airborne robot a la bat to prepare for landing. Once the robot is facing a structure, it shoots out a projectile that attaches itself to the structure to hang from it.
The system, aptly named Harpoon, could give aerial drones an advantage over the hovering drones most people know, which are known for consuming too much energy to sustain long flights. These drones, Ramezani says, often work poorly in conditions involving strong winds and tight spaces--something bats figured out ages ago.
"Bats use very natural aerodynamics to manage these acrobatics, so we don't always appreciate how agile and elegant they are," says Ramezani, who focuses his research on bio-inspired robotics. "A quadcopter can be very robotic when it approaches new structures to hang on to them, basically surpassing all of these natural dynamics, and that is a very energy-hungry process."
At first, it may seem bizarre that an animal (or a robot, or anything, really) would just hang upside down all the time. But as the only mammals that can truly fly (flying squirrels merely glide), bats have a pretty good reason for that. Bats developed bodies too heavy for liftoff. So, unlike birds and insects that fly by simply jumping up and fighting gravity, bats drop from above using gravity. Once they start flapping their wings, they can be better fliers than birds.
Using that drop assist to become airborne, bats might have the most energy-efficient takeoff in the animal kingdom. That's what Ramezani is after.
"Currently, we are tracking the motion mechanism of flying objects with cameras in the lab and using our algorithms to help them reorient towards a landing spot," Ramezani says. "But bats don't have that, so eventually we will replace our cameras with sensors onboard the robot that will turn the system into a fully self-sustained platform."
Copying that grand landing maneuver is another piece in the puzzle of making a robot (or, robat) that mimics the sophisticated biomechanics of bats. Ramezani started working on this puzzle as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and later at the California Institute of Technology. In 2017, he and his collaborators unveiled a Bat Bot.
He is now working on an improved drone with advanced flying characteristics that are more similar to a bat's shape and movements. The new system will be packed with soft, but durable materials, such as silicon and carbon fiber. That kind of robot can take a hit, but would pose little harm if it accidentally strikes a person, which isn't always the case with standard drones using rotating blades, Ramezani says.
"Think about quadcopters, which you cannot really operate in the proximity of humans," he says. "That's because their rotary beam systems are not really safe."
The idea is to use biomimicry to make a drone that handles itself adroitly in the air, Ramezani says. That involves making sharp turns, flying through tight and cluttered spaces, and managing to perch upside down the way bats do.
"We want this system to be able to negotiate its environment," he says.
Ramezani, who initially started making bat robots with the idea of flying them in construction zones to prevent incidents like fires, says checking all of those marks will bring aerial drones a step (or, flap) closer to flying safely in residential areas.
