Featured Stories
Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management: Master of Management or MBA?
NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Oct. 10 -- Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management issued the following news:
* * *
Master of Management or MBA?
Whether launching a career or kicking one up to the next level, the business school path you choose can make all the difference.
Jacob Chabowski
Oct 8, 2026
Master of Management or MBA? A great question, but not the one Ethan was immediately worried about.
At that moment, he had 17 minutes to get home, change his shirt, move the pile of laundry currently visible behind his desk, and log on to what felt like his 100th Zoom interview. He knew
... Show Full Article
NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Oct. 10 -- Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management issued the following news:
* * *
Master of Management or MBA?
Whether launching a career or kicking one up to the next level, the business school path you choose can make all the difference.
Jacob Chabowski
Oct 8, 2026
Master of Management or MBA? A great question, but not the one Ethan was immediately worried about.
At that moment, he had 17 minutes to get home, change his shirt, move the pile of laundry currently visible behind his desk, and log on to what felt like his 100th Zoom interview. He knewthe routine by heart. Check camera. Check resume. Check camera again. Smile. Tell me about yourself. Why are you interested in this position? Tell me about a time you demonstrated leadership.
Ethan is a college senior. Last summer, he landed an internship he hoped would turn into a full-time offer, but it didn't. Now graduation is breathing down his neck, his friends are starting to announce jobs on LinkedIn, and he's staring down the prospect of another recruiting cycle. So, he closes his bedroom door, opens Zoom, and wonders if maybe he needs something more.
Across town, Maya is staring blankly at a freshly arrived email. She works in operations at a manufacturing company, where she's spent the past six years solving problems, managing projects, and gradually taking on more responsibility. Recently, a management position opened up. Maya wanted it. She applied and didn't get it. Someone else did.
Tomorrow, Maya will go back to work. She has a good job and years of valuable experience. But getting passed over made her ask the question: What would it take to get to the next level?
Ethan and Maya are fictional. Their career dilemmas aren't. At two different points in a professional arc, business school can be the difference between a stalled career and a professional leap forward. But graduate business education isn't reserved for one particular age, resume, or career stage. There are programs designed for someone trying to break into the workforce and programs built for experienced professionals trying to accelerate, pivot, or advance. The trick is knowing which one offers the best fit.
At Vanderbilt Business, that could mean a Master of Management for someone near the beginning of their career, or an MBA for someone with a few years of professional experience. And with full-time and evening MBA options, the decision to pursue an MBA no longer means having to put a career on hold.
So, let's get Ethan past those entry-level doldrums--and Maya to that next promotion.
Ethan Needs a Launchpad.
Give Ethan some credit. Four years of college weren't spent exclusively discovering which dining hall made the best grilled cheese. There were classes, internships, group projects, and maybe a leadership position or two. He has interests. And he has the stirrings of a professional network. But what he doesn't have is years of full-time business experience. Or a job lined up after graduation.
That's where the Vanderbilt Master of Management comes in. Designed for students at the beginning of their careers, the full-time program takes just nine months to complete and builds a broad foundation across accounting, finance, leadership and organizations, marketing, operations, and strategy. Students deepen that foundation through a concentration in consulting, entrepreneurship, general management, healthcare, or operations and analytics. For Ethan, that's important.
Knowing you're interested in business and knowing what you can actually do in business are two different things. The Master of Management helps connect those dots. "I think consulting sounds interesting" can become coursework focused on consulting. An interest in healthcare can become a concentration. "I'm pretty good with numbers" can turn into an operations and analytics credential.
The Master of Management degree can turn "I'm kind of interested in that" into "I know exactly what I want to do and how to do it."
Maya Already Has a Career. Now What?
Maya doesn't need help figuring out how to get her career going. Six years in, she has accumulated something Ethan can't replicate in a classroom: experience. There are stories behind the bullet points on her resume. Projects that worked. Projects that absolutely did not. Difficult problems. Tight deadlines. Good bosses. Bad bosses.
And that experience changes what Maya needs from business school. She isn't trying to land a first job. She already has a career. What she's looking for is the thing that will propel that career to the next level. Maybe it's that management role the next time it opens. Maybe it's a move from operations into strategy. Maybe it's a leadership role on a larger team. Either way, getting passed over helped her realize that there are gaps in her business knowledge, and she needs a way to fill them.
That's where an MBA makes perfect sense. Unlike the Master of Management, a Vanderbilt MBA is built around professional experience. Students aren't just learning concepts in finance, strategy, leadership, marketing, and operations; they're connecting those concepts to situations they've already encountered at work. A conversation about managing teams means something different when you've actually managed one. A strategy case looks different when you've watched a strategy fail. And a class discussion about organizational politics? Maya has stories.
An MBA can help experienced professionals build on what they already know, plus develop new skills, expand their networks, and prepare for a career pivot or the next level of leadership. But a full-time MBA is a big lift. A two-year break from your career, possibly even a move to another city. Fortunately, there's a third path that's every bit as effective as a full-time MBA, but without the necessary career pause.
An MBA Doesn't Have to Look Just One Way.
For some professionals, the answer is to make business school the full-time job. Vanderbilt's MBA is a two-year, immersive experience that allows students to focus intensively on their education, pursue an internship, recruit for new opportunities, and potentially make a significant career pivot. That could make sense for Maya. Maybe getting passed over wasn't just disappointing. Maybe it helped her realize she's ready for a bigger change--another function, another industry, maybe even another city.
But perhaps Maya likes her company. She likes operations. She likes living in Nashville. She doesn't necessarily want to blow up a career she's spent six years building. She just wants to keep moving forward. Plus, she's gotten used to that paycheck. It pays for things like bills and the mortgage. Fortunately, an MBA doesn't have to mean putting life on pause.
The Vanderbilt Evening MBA is designed specifically for the working professional in the Nashville area who wants to continue working full time while earning the degree. Students should have at least two years of full-time work experience, with the program primarily designed for mid-career professionals. Classes are built around the work week, with each course meeting one evening per week from 6 to 9:15 p.m., Monday through Wednesday. Most students take two courses at a time and can complete the degree in as little as 33 months.
That means Maya's Tuesday could look something like this:
* 8:30 a.m. -- Arrive at work.
* 10:17 a.m. -- Meeting that could have been an email.
* 1 p.m. -- More work.
* 5:15 p.m. -- Head to Vanderbilt.
* 6 p.m. -- Sit in Managerial Finance.
* 9:15 p.m. -- Head home with considerably more informed opinions about that 10:17 meeting.
More importantly, Maya doesn't have to wait until graduation to start using what she's learning. A lesson about leading teams on Tuesday night could look very different by Wednesday morning when she's back at work actually leading one. For MBA candidates, the question isn't simply whether an MBA fits their career. It's also how an MBA fits their life.
So, Which One Are You?
Let's check back in with Ethan. He's finishing college. He has internship experience but little full-time professional experience. He's interested in business but still narrowing down exactly where he fits. He wants to build a stronger business foundation and get his career moving. Check. Check. Check. Ethan looks a lot like a Master of Management candidate.
Maya, on the other hand, has six years of professional experience. She understands her industry and function. She's managed projects and people. She's thinking about advancement and wants to add broader business knowledge to everything she's already learned on the job. Check. Check. Check. Maya looks a lot like an MBA candidate.
Her next question is one Ethan doesn't have to answer yet: What kind of MBA experience fits what I want to do? If Maya wants an immersive experience that gives her room to step away, complete an internship, and potentially make a major career change, the MBA may make sense. If she wants to keep the career she's already built while developing the skills to take it further, the Evening MBA gives her another path.
That's why choosing between a Master of Management and an MBA isn't really about which degree is better. It's about where you are--and where you want to go next. Maybe you're finishing college and looking for the skills to turn your first job into the start of a career. Maybe you're years into that career and ready to move up, move over, or move in an entirely new direction. Wherever you are, Vanderbilt Business has a program designed to help you keep moving forward--toward the career you want, not simply the job you need.
* * *
Original text here: https://business.vanderbilt.edu/news/2026/10/08/master-of-management-or-mba/
University of Arkansas: Author Jocelyn Cullity to Read in Eureka Springs
FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas, Oct. 10 -- The University of Arkansas issued the following news:
* * *
Author Jocelyn Cullity to Read in Eureka Springs
Oct. 09, 2026
The U of A Program in Creative Writing and Translation in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, alongside The Writers' Colony at Dairy Hollow, is proud to co-sponsor a reading and signing event celebrating the release of author Jocelyn Cullity's new book, The Nurse at Baker Hospital.
Jocelyn Cullity will give a public reading of her work at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23, at The Writers' Colony at Dairy Hollow.
A book signing will
... Show Full Article
FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas, Oct. 10 -- The University of Arkansas issued the following news:
* * *
Author Jocelyn Cullity to Read in Eureka Springs
Oct. 09, 2026
The U of A Program in Creative Writing and Translation in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, alongside The Writers' Colony at Dairy Hollow, is proud to co-sponsor a reading and signing event celebrating the release of author Jocelyn Cullity's new book, The Nurse at Baker Hospital.
Jocelyn Cullity will give a public reading of her work at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23, at The Writers' Colony at Dairy Hollow.
A book signing willfollow.
This event is free, but tickets are required. Get your ticket now.
Cullity is the director of creative writing and director of the Stokes Center for Creative Writing at the University of South Alabama. Cullity is a longtime alum of Dairy Hollow, and her work remains deeply tied to the history and community of Eureka Springs. For over a decade, Dairy Hollow has been a home away from home for Cullity, who has written three books during her stays here. Her newest novel draws on the true story of Norman Baker, shaped by years of research in Eureka Springs and insights from local historians. Set at the historic Crescent Hotel -- which Baker operated as a fraudulent cancer hospital in the late 1930s -- the book brings her back to WCDH for a special homecoming launch.
For over 60 years, the U of A Program in Creative Writing and Translation has served as a preeminent training ground for some of the nation's best writers. Established in 1966, ours is one of the oldest M.F.A. programs in the nation and one of the most innovative, offering degree tracks in poetry, fiction and literary translation.
* * *
Original text here: https://news.uark.edu/articles/82904/author-jocelyn-cullity-to-read-in-eureka-springs
The Fraud Triangle: Binghamton Grad and Podcaster Breaks Down White-collar Crimes
BINGHAMTON, New York, Oct. 10 -- Binghamton University issued the following news:
* * *
The fraud triangle: Binghamton grad and podcaster breaks down white-collar crimes
Rebecca Platsky '12, MS '13, creator and host of the 'Corporate Gossip' podcast, presents to students at 37th annual Briloff lecture
By Shawn Ammann '24
October 09, 2026
In today's corporate world, fraud is everywhere.
For Rebecca Platsky '12, MS '13, creator and host of the "Corporate Gossip" podcast, which has over 200,000 total followers across social media, she found it at her job.
While working as a certified public
... Show Full Article
BINGHAMTON, New York, Oct. 10 -- Binghamton University issued the following news:
* * *
The fraud triangle: Binghamton grad and podcaster breaks down white-collar crimes
Rebecca Platsky '12, MS '13, creator and host of the 'Corporate Gossip' podcast, presents to students at 37th annual Briloff lecture
By Shawn Ammann '24
October 09, 2026
In today's corporate world, fraud is everywhere.
For Rebecca Platsky '12, MS '13, creator and host of the "Corporate Gossip" podcast, which has over 200,000 total followers across social media, she found it at her job.
While working as a certified publicaccountant, Platsky discovered that one of the executives at her company had been named as a defendant in a high-profile trial investigating fraud. She sent a message on Slack -- an internal communications platform -- to her team at the time, calling this out with a link to an article with the executive's name in the headline.
Platsky shared a screenshot of this message with a crowd of School of Management (SOM) students in the Anderson Center's Osterhout Concert Theater on Oct. 7, to kick off the 37th annual Abraham J. Briloff Lecture Series on Accountability and Society. She was joined by her co-host, comedian Robby Slowik, turning the event into a live podcast atmosphere, covering some shocking content.
"One thing that fascinates me about fraud is that it's accessible," Platsky explained. "Anybody can do it, even if you think you're a really good person."
Her lecture covered famous instances of fraud, some of which led to hefty prison sentences, while others escaped culpability. Platsky noted that many experts have said we are in the "golden age of fraud" and delved into recent high-profile scams devised by Sam Bankman-Fried, Phoebe Gates, and Charlie Javice, among others.
According to Platsky, each case was derived from three elements, which she calls "the fraud triangle." Pressure, opportunity, and rationalization contributed to each one of these schemes. By the end of the presentation, the audience was able to identify which of the factors were which when quizzed by Platsky on a specific case.
"What I hope we've done today is given you a tool that you can have in your back pocket," Platsky said. "Use the fraud triangle to stay out of trouble."
Kimberly Jaussi, an associate professor for SOM, taught Platsky as a student, and over a decade later, introduced her to the stage to give the Briloff lecture. The two have stayed in communication since Platsky graduated.
"At this point, she's like family," Jaussi said. "She's a great example of exactly why we teach, and the kind of Bearcats we want to be putting out into the world."
After the lecture, Assistant Dean of SOM Jerah Reeves moderated a Q&A between students and the co-hosts. They asked questions about fraud, experiencing failure, and carving out a career in the entertainment industry.
When answering a question about how to build an audience on social media, Slowik shared admiration for how Platsky has built her online brand.
"She got on TikTok, which is an available platform," Slowik said, "and accessibly broke down some complicated things with passion behind it, and it resonated with people."
To end the night, SOM Dean Shelley Dionne presented Platsky with a recognition award. She praised Platsky and Slowik for the unique, interactive nature of their talk.
"Ethics matters," Dionne said, reflecting on the presentation. "It's a personal choice that can't be passive. It has to be more active going forward. You have to question yourself, and that's okay."
* * *
Original text here: https://www.binghamton.edu/news/story/6527/the-fraud-triangle-binghamton-grad-and-famous-podcaster-breaks-down-white-collar-crimes
Old Dominion University: How Virtual Reality is Reshaping Counselor Education
NORFOLK, Virginia, Oct. 10 -- Old Dominion University issued the following news:
* * *
How Virtual Reality is Reshaping Counselor Education
October 9, 2026 By Mindy Ayala-Diaz
A headset settles over counseling graduate student Lindsey Rodil's eyes. In a moment, she will find herself across from a client named Santiago, an anxious-looking man sitting on a couch in a brightly lit counseling office. The conversation begins with introductions, small talk and tentative, cautious questions -- the kind of exchange that happens every day in counseling offices around the world.
But, this encounter
... Show Full Article
NORFOLK, Virginia, Oct. 10 -- Old Dominion University issued the following news:
* * *
How Virtual Reality is Reshaping Counselor Education
October 9, 2026 By Mindy Ayala-Diaz
A headset settles over counseling graduate student Lindsey Rodil's eyes. In a moment, she will find herself across from a client named Santiago, an anxious-looking man sitting on a couch in a brightly lit counseling office. The conversation begins with introductions, small talk and tentative, cautious questions -- the kind of exchange that happens every day in counseling offices around the world.
But, this encounteris different. Lindsey isn't sitting in a room with Santiago. In fact, he isn't even real. Santiago is a Bodyswaps avatar, and exists only in a virtual world, where every question, pause and moment of connection shapes what happens next. If Lindsey earns his trust, he will reveal more of his story. If she doesn't, the conversation will stall.
Just like it would in real life.
Inside Old Dominion University's XR Lab in Albert Brooks Gornto, Jr. Hall, that simple interaction is driving a larger question. Can future counselors learn one of the profession's most difficult skills -- not simply diagnosing problems, but understanding another person's lived experience -- before they ever meet a real client?
For Lauren Robins, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies' Department of Counseling and Human Services, the answer may lie at the intersection of counseling, technology and something decidedly human: rapport.
"Cultural competence isn't a checklist," she said. "It's learning to see the whole person and approaching them with empathy."
That philosophy has become the foundation of a research project Dr. Robins is leading, alongside doctoral student in counseling Chukwuebuka Onyia. The project didn't begin with a grant proposal or a new piece of technology. It began with a challenge Chukwuebuka experienced himself.
When he arrived at the University to pursue his doctorate, he quickly realized that, while he had spent years studying counseling, clinical experience was something else entirely. There were techniques to learn, conversations to navigate and, perhaps most daunting of all, the quiet fear shared by many beginning counselors: saying the wrong thing when another person is counting on you.
"I wasn't that strong clinically," Chukwuebuka said. "How do I give other students like me an opportunity to practice and catch up?"
His idea was simple. What if students could practice difficult counseling conversations in a realistic environment before stepping into practicum? What if they could make mistakes, receive feedback and try again without the risk of harming a real client?
That question followed him to a conference presentation where he shared an early vision for using virtual reality in counselor education.
Among those listening was Dr. Robins.
"This is brilliant," she remembers thinking. "Let's do this."
The project also reflects ODU's growing approach to learning innovation: pairing faculty expertise and student ideas with emerging technologies, instructional innovation and spaces designed for experimentation. Through this approach and with support from the XR Lab, the research team was able to move the concept from an idea into an experience students could actually use.
Soon, Dr. Robins and Chukwuebuka began building the experience from the ground up -- brainstorming case studies, writing grant proposals, developing virtual client profiles and deciding what they wanted students to learn from each interaction. With support from the University's Division of Enrollment, Transformation and Technology, the idea expanded beyond the counseling classroom, giving Dr. Robins and Chukwuebuka the resources and technical expertise to bring their virtual clients to life.
The project is now part of the learning experience for graduate students in the University's counseling program. Through virtual simulations, students step into counseling sessions with AI-powered virtual clients before they begin working with real ones.
The research team developed a growing cast of virtual clients, each with their own background, personality and concerns.
Santiago is an engineering student struggling with anxiety, panic attacks and the pressure to succeed. Maya, another avatar, is navigating burnout, physical exhaustion and institutional mistrust, which requires students to practice cultural humility, while building rapport.
The technology gives students something difficult to replicate in a traditional classroom: the opportunity to experience how their choices can change the direction of a counseling session and then learn from those choices before the stakes become real.
For Chukwuebuka, the project has become a defining part of his doctoral journey.
"I had an idea, and my professors and the University helped me shape it," he said.
That idea is now giving other counseling students something Chukwuebuka once wished he had himself: a place to practice difficult conversations, make mistakes and build confidence before a real client is counting on them.
It also demonstrates what can happen when students are given opportunities to help shape their own education. By bringing together Chukwuebuka's experience, Dr. Robins' expertise and emerging technology, the project is creating a new way for future counselors to prepare for the deeply human work ahead of them.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.odu.edu/education/article/how-virtual-reality-reshaping-counselor-education
Enrollment Growth Continues at Penn College
WILLIAMSPORT, Pennsylvania, Oct. 10 -- The Pennsylvania College of Technology issued the following news:
* * *
Enrollment growth continues at Penn College
October 9, 2026
Enrollment at Pennsylvania College of Technology for Fall 2026 is 4,741 students - a 12.3% increase from Fall 2022 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
New student enrollment for Fall 2026 - which includes undergraduate, graduate and nondegree students (new, transfer and re-enroll) is 1,806, a 1.4% increase over a similarly strong incoming class in Fall 2025.
"There are many challenges facing higher education today,
... Show Full Article
WILLIAMSPORT, Pennsylvania, Oct. 10 -- The Pennsylvania College of Technology issued the following news:
* * *
Enrollment growth continues at Penn College
October 9, 2026
Enrollment at Pennsylvania College of Technology for Fall 2026 is 4,741 students - a 12.3% increase from Fall 2022 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
New student enrollment for Fall 2026 - which includes undergraduate, graduate and nondegree students (new, transfer and re-enroll) is 1,806, a 1.4% increase over a similarly strong incoming class in Fall 2025.
"There are many challenges facing higher education today,but consistent enrollment growth makes it clear that our distinctive approach in preparing tomorrow's workforce is very appealing to students," said Penn College President Michael J. Reed. "Our dedication to applied technology education - guided by the needs of industry - puts students in the most competitive position for long-term success by providing them with real-world, durable skills. That's why there is tremendous demand for Penn College graduates in high-earning and high-growth fields."
The college has a 98% overall placement rate, and Penn College alumni have median annual earnings 36% higher than graduates of all U.S. colleges, according to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard. (The College Scorecard is derived from tax-filing data from individuals who received federal financial aid while in college.)
National rankings offer further evidence of the college's distinctiveness. Penn College has been named the top innovative school for four consecutive years in the Regional Colleges (North) classification by U.S. News & World Report. In the publication's 2027 rankings, the college was also No. 2 for veteran students, the No. 5 top public school and No. 10 when all public and private colleges and universities are considered.
"Those rankings, like the steady increase in enrollment, reflect the tireless work of our talented faculty and staff, who are dedicated to the success of our students and the institution as a whole," Reed said.
Penn College offers nearly 100 academic programs through its schools of Business, Arts & Sciences, Engineering Technologies and Nursing & Health Sciences. The largest program clusters at the college in terms of enrollment are nursing (450), welding (353), electrical (311), accounting and business administration (293), and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (240).
For information about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.pct.edu/news/articles/2026/10/09/enrollment-growth-continues-at-penn-college
Duke University Pratt School of Engineering: Real-Life J.A.R.V.I.S. Needs a Watchdog
DURHAM, North Carolina, Oct. 10 -- Duke University Pratt School of Engineering issued the following news:
* * *
A Real-Life J.A.R.V.I.S. Needs a Watchdog
Maria Gorlatova
10/9/26
In the Duke Engineering Physical AI series, Maria Gorlatova explores how augmented reality could guide people through real-world tasks and how her research aims to catch mistakes before harm.
With the theatrical launch of the movie "Iron Man" in 2008, Marvel Studios didn't only introduce audiences to a "genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist." They also introduced one of the most sophisticated and intelligent
... Show Full Article
DURHAM, North Carolina, Oct. 10 -- Duke University Pratt School of Engineering issued the following news:
* * *
A Real-Life J.A.R.V.I.S. Needs a Watchdog
Maria Gorlatova
10/9/26
In the Duke Engineering Physical AI series, Maria Gorlatova explores how augmented reality could guide people through real-world tasks and how her research aims to catch mistakes before harm.
With the theatrical launch of the movie "Iron Man" in 2008, Marvel Studios didn't only introduce audiences to a "genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist." They also introduced one of the most sophisticated and intelligentexamples of Physical AI embedded into an augmented reality platform.
Just A Rather Very Intelligent System--more commonly called J.A.R.V.I.S.--does more than simply synthesize data from across the internet or guess what the next word should be in a sentence. J.A.R.V.I.S. quickly analyzes its surroundings, develops useful insights and delivers accurate visual recommendations in complex, evolving scenarios like fixing an airborne aircraft carrier or finding weaknesses in flying potato bugs from space.
Almost two decades ago, before the advent of modern generative AI and foundation models, these types of capabilities were relegated to the canon of science fiction. However, with the suite of AI tools rapidly being developed by researchers around the world, systems like J.A.R.V.I.S. do not seem that far away.
The research community's AI systems are already capable of conjuring guidance from text descriptions or existing instructional videos. For example, if an archived manual tells a user to use a screwdriver on a specific bolt in a device, AI can locate those instructions and instruct a 3D model generator to conjure said screwdriver in the correct location in a heads-up display.
In another approach, AI can create augmented reality guidance from experts demonstrating the task in question. One could imagine a new nurse helping to discharge patients by following instructions created by veterans who could do it in their sleep, but who could never program an AR system.
The AI required to achieve both scenarios and more already exists, but it is far from perfect. Current models are slow, not always accurate and struggle where tasks and environments are complex and open-ended. Without a doubt, AI will continue getting better, and I believe many of these issues will be solved in the next five years.
But there are also key challenges that advances in AI alone cannot address. For one, despite everyone's best attempts, sometimes the guidance provided will be wrong. It is impossible to prepare for every scene, every circumstance, every user in every situation. There is also significant potential for the guidance to mismanage a user's attention. Imagine a heads-up display attracting a user's attention to a broken bolt while another unidentified compromised system builds pressure toward critical failure.
These are challenges that my lab is currently working on with support from the U.S. Department of Defense. We are building a set of methods and systems for augmented reality experience oversight that monitors the state of the scene, the state of the guidance and the state of the user. This includes eye tracking to help assess whether the augmented reality experience is not helpful...or even straight up harmful.
The methods we are building are AI-aided themselves. Understanding when guidance is wrong in context of a specific scene is a task best handled by a vision-language model with a superior ability to understand real-world scenes. Understanding user attention requires advanced time-series AI methods that operate over both user gaze metrics and the surrounding environment.
To put it another way, conventional computer systems have a wide range of tools, many of them AI-aided, that run in the background to monitor system behavior. Now that the computer systems are moving into the physical world and are interacting directly with users, we are building the next generation of oversight tools that will handle the largely invisible, perhaps unglamorous, and yet extraordinarily important task of ensuring that these Physical AI systems are operating correctly.
These fundamental systems will be crucial to ever building Physical AI systems to rival the likes of J.A.R.V.I.S. And while we still may be some time away from using them in scenarios such as an alien invasion led by a Norse god, I can imagine them being useful in other high-stakes situations much sooner.
Just a few years ago, I brought my first child home from the hospital and found myself stumbling through the dark nursery trying to shush and ready a bottle at the same time. At that moment, I could easily envision an augmented reality system helping me navigate unfamiliar terrain: working newborn accessories that were not yet familiar while avoiding the many trip hazards with no lights on.
That kind of Physical AI technology, I believe, is just around the corner.
* * *
Original text here:
https://pratt.duke.edu/news/physical-ai-maria-gorlatova/
Bath Astrophysics Hosts UK/Ireland Astrophysics Transients Meeting 2026 and SPINS Meeting
BATH, England, Oct. 10 -- The University of Bath posted the following news:
* * *
Bath Astrophysics hosts UK/Ireland Astrophysics Transients Meeting 2026 and SPINS Meeting.
Bath Astrophysicists have organized a conference on cosmic explosions and other astrophysical transients, followed by a workshop on neutron star physics.
9 October 2026
On September 7-8, the Bath Astrophysics Group hosted the UK / Ireland Astrophysics Transients Meeting 2026 at the Chancellor's Building. The conference is the third iteration of what is now becoming a traditional gathering at a UK university of the UK and
... Show Full Article
BATH, England, Oct. 10 -- The University of Bath posted the following news:
* * *
Bath Astrophysics hosts UK/Ireland Astrophysics Transients Meeting 2026 and SPINS Meeting.
Bath Astrophysicists have organized a conference on cosmic explosions and other astrophysical transients, followed by a workshop on neutron star physics.
9 October 2026
On September 7-8, the Bath Astrophysics Group hosted the UK / Ireland Astrophysics Transients Meeting 2026 at the Chancellor's Building. The conference is the third iteration of what is now becoming a traditional gathering at a UK university of the UK andIreland communities of experts on cosmic explosions from massive stars, colliding stars, stars venturing too close to a black hole and getting disrupted, and other sudden extreme events briefly appearing in the sky. Astrophysical transients such as these can be challenging to catch on time with telescopes, and sometimes even harder to explain.
The meeting hosted over eighty visitors from a broad range of institutes, including the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Leicester, Birmingham and Southampton, Queen's University of Belfast, Liverpool John Moores University and various others. One of the aims of the meeting was to provide a platform with ample time reserved for early career researchers to discuss their work. As astrophysics Research Group Leader and lead organiser of the meeting Dr Hendrik van Eerten says, "it has been very inspiring to learn from so many young researchers about all the collaboration and promising work that is being done by the UK and Ireland community. Whether it is about the next generation of observatories coming on-line and set to generate massive amounts of data, or about the ever-increasing zoo of high-energy phenomena detected in our galaxy and beyond, there is no doubt that we're collectively up to the challenge.''
High-Energy astrophysics of transients has been a strength of the Bath Astrophysics group since it was founded. The meeting has been dedicated to one of the group's key members working in this area, Dr Patricia Schady, who took the initiative with Dr Van Eerten to organise the meeting, but who had passed away unexpectedly early March. Dr Schady's impact in the field and her time at the University of Bath were the subject of the final session on Monday.
The UK / Ireland Astrophysics Transients Meeting was directly followed by another gathering of experts, this time on all aspects of neutron stars. The SPINS-UK meeting ("Science Possibilities Investigating Neutron Stars in the United Kingdom"), was led by Dr David Tsang from the Astrophysics Group. The three-day workshop featured new results from 26 neutron star experts ranging from senior academics to graduate students. Key topics included observational properties of radio pulsars, and gravitational-wave sources, glitch theory and superfluidity in neutron stars, as well as dark matter and exotic dense matter physics that can be probed by measurements of neutron stars.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.bath.ac.uk/announcements/bath-astrophysics-hosts-uk-ireland-astrophysics-transients-meeting-2026-and-spins-meeting/
