Education (Colleges & Universities)
Here's a look at documents from public, private and community colleges in the U.S.
Featured Stories
Scholarship, support systems cement college choice
BALTIMORE, Maryland, March 23 -- The University of Baltimore posted the following news:
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Scholarship, support systems cement college choice
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Transfer Student Finds Welcoming Community at UBalt
Nes Agopome was only a few weeks into her program at The University of Baltimore when she lost her job in a sweep of federal cuts in 2025.
The sudden loss of her job left Nes wavering. She didn't want to leave the B.A. in Psychology program she loved without the degree she wanted.
The University that once surprised her with a full scholarship gave her more incentive to stay: a campus job.
... Show Full Article
BALTIMORE, Maryland, March 23 -- The University of Baltimore posted the following news:
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Scholarship, support systems cement college choice
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Transfer Student Finds Welcoming Community at UBalt
Nes Agopome was only a few weeks into her program at The University of Baltimore when she lost her job in a sweep of federal cuts in 2025.
The sudden loss of her job left Nes wavering. She didn't want to leave the B.A. in Psychology program she loved without the degree she wanted.
The University that once surprised her with a full scholarship gave her more incentive to stay: a campus job.Shortly after she decided to stay at UBalt, she found a federal work study position through one of her professors with the Helen P. Denit Honors Program.
"I feel like I wouldn't have even had that opportunity if I hadn't continued with school," Nes said.
When Nes initially tried college right out of high school, she went to Montgomery College and focused on international business. As an international student from West Africa who spoke three languages, she considered it the logical path.
Then personal life intervened with her academic studies and she had to stop her pursuit. By the time Nes was ready to go back to school, she decided psychology was the better path for her and her young daughter.
"I realized, in order to be a better parent for her, I had to understand what I was going through personally, and how to shape my life to where I could be there to answer certain questions," Nes said. "I just wanted to be a better example, not only for her, but for other people coming from African backgrounds."
When Nes started again at Frederick Community College, she enrolled in counseling psychology classes. That was when she first heard about UBalt. Chris Ceary, M.S. '17, a counseling psychology alum, UBalt adjunct professor and FCC professor, convinced Nes to consider her alma mater in Baltimore.
"I'm applying to other places anyways, and then UBalt returned their decision to me, and they gave me a full ride academically," Nes recalled. "I thought other places are cool, too, but if we're going to get the same degree for free, I might as well."
UBalt proved to be more than a free ride for Nes.
"I was working full time, I had my kid full time, and I was adding school full time. I felt like I was trying to just come here, do class, work and then go home. And there's a big community here that I didn't realize was here before I started," she said. "With Dr. [Josh] Davis and the honors program, some of the people I've met in my classes, people here care more than I anticipated them to. And I feel like when I walk down the street, I recognize people, people recognize me, and it's been easier to network."
After losing her federal job, Nes also found help reworking her resume with her career coach in the Career and Internship Center.
It's one thing for a school to want you to excel academically, Nes said, but UBalt cares about the whole person.
"I didn't realize that UBalt took the time to worry about those things, too," she said.
Nes has already decided to stay at UBalt to pursue the new M.S. in Social and Organizational Psychology program. Because of the accelerated bachelor's-to-master's pathway, she could start taking graduate-level classes before finishing her bachelor's degree.
Her professors at UBalt cemented Nes' choice to come and stay here.
"The faculty have been really great," she said. "The ones that I've had the pleasure of either taking their classes or just having conversations with, I think not only are they very knowledgeable, but they also go above and beyond to be reachable."
That's particularly important to Nes as she balances multiple things with her classes.
"It's nice to know that if I'm away from my kid, I'm around people who care about the things that are going on in my life and who do want me to succeed," she said.
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Original text here: https://www.ubalt.edu/about/newsroom/student-stories-nes-agopome.cfm
University of Dayton Issues UD in the News Wrap Up for March 14-20
DAYTON, Ohio, March 21 -- The University of Dayton posted the following UD in the News wrap up for March 14-20, 2026:
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UD in the News March 14-20
Inside Higher Ed and radio stations in Los Angeles and Ohio, plus the Dayton Daily News tapped faculty expertise. Political scientist Dan Birdsong wrote an editorial for The Columbus Dispatch about the SAVE Act, which also was published by USA TODAY.
Utah could allow conscientious objection to class assignments (https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/state-policy/2026/03/16/utah-could-allow-conscientious-objection-class-assignments)
Inside
... Show Full Article
DAYTON, Ohio, March 21 -- The University of Dayton posted the following UD in the News wrap up for March 14-20, 2026:
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UD in the News March 14-20
Inside Higher Ed and radio stations in Los Angeles and Ohio, plus the Dayton Daily News tapped faculty expertise. Political scientist Dan Birdsong wrote an editorial for The Columbus Dispatch about the SAVE Act, which also was published by USA TODAY.
Utah could allow conscientious objection to class assignments (https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/state-policy/2026/03/16/utah-could-allow-conscientious-objection-class-assignments)
InsideHigher Ed
Charles Russo, School of Law and School of Education and Health Sciences
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What would a cyberattack by Iran look like and how would we protect ourselves? (http://mms.tveyes.com/MediaCenterPlayer.aspx?u=aHR0cDovL21lZGlhY2VudGVyLnR2ZXllcy5jb20vZG93bmxvYWRnYXRld2F5LmFzcHg%2FVXNlcklEPTE4MDg3NyZNRElEPTI1Mzk2NjI1Jk1EU2VlZD01MTIwJlR5cGU9TWVkaWE%3D)
KNX-AM (Los Angeles)
Grant Neeley, Center for Cybersecurity and Data Intelligence
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Ohio law bans cell phones during the school day. Teachers and students have mixed feelings (https://www.statenews.org/section/the-ohio-newsroom/2026-03-16/ohio-law-bans-cell-phones-during-the-school-day-teachers-and-students-have-mixed-feelings)
The Statehouse News Bureau
Corinne Brion, educational administration
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Discussing Iran and the possibility of domestic attacks (https://www.diigo.com/user/udnews?query=%23terrorism+%23March_2026)
WLW-AM (Cincinnati)
Mark Ensalaco, political science
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Trump officials have your voting records. Voting security punched in face (https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2026/03/20/ohio-voter-data-frank-larose-save-america-act/89229132007/)
USA TODAY, via The Columbus Dispatch
Dan Birdsong, political science
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Attorney, judge accused of conspiring to influence election: See video from elections board (https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/attorney-judge-accused-of-conspiring-to-influence-election-see-video-from-elections-board/EFQTS347BNFYDBD2PXAV5ELHME/)
Dayton Daily News
Denise Platfoot Lacey, School of Law
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Haiti TPS: Supreme Court to hear case impacting program in April as local advocates highlight impact (https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/haiti-tps-springfield-advocates-ask-supreme-court-to-consider-local-impacts-of-ending-program/VLOW4J7ORZGOBBUUWO7FUWUJ4Y/)
Dayton Daily News
Ericka Curran, School of Law
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Original text here: https://udayton.edu/news/articles/2026/03/ud-news-march-14-20.php
University of Cincinnati: Blue Ash Expert Examines a Link Between Sports Betting and Binge Drinking Behavior
CINCINNATI, Ohio, March 21 (TNSjou) -- The University of Cincinnati posted the following news:
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UC Blue Ash expert examines a link between sports betting and binge drinking behavior
Local 12 spoke with Keshar Ghimire, PhD, about his research
By Cedric Ricks
Keshar Ghimire, PhD, an associate professor of economics at UC Blue Ash, has co-authored a new study in the journal Health Economics that examines a possible link between gambling and substance use.
Ghimire and researcher Kabir Dasgupta, a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Board, used data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance
... Show Full Article
CINCINNATI, Ohio, March 21 (TNSjou) -- The University of Cincinnati posted the following news:
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UC Blue Ash expert examines a link between sports betting and binge drinking behavior
Local 12 spoke with Keshar Ghimire, PhD, about his research
By Cedric Ricks
Keshar Ghimire, PhD, an associate professor of economics at UC Blue Ash, has co-authored a new study in the journal Health Economics that examines a possible link between gambling and substance use.
Ghimire and researcher Kabir Dasgupta, a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Board, used data from the Behavioral Risk Factor SurveillanceSystem and a difference-in-difference (DID) estimation strategy to assess the impact of legalizing sports betting on smoking and drinking behavior among adults.
Local 12 News spoke with Ghimire for a segment on sports betting and March Madness. Ghimire's primary appointment is at UC Blue Ash, but he also teaches a course at the Lindner College of Business.
Ghimire and his co-researcher found that the introduction of online sports betting led to a significant uptick in alcohol misuse among a specific demographic. In particular, the legalization of online sports wagering caused approximately a 10% increase in the frequency of binge drinking among young males who already engage in binge drinking. There were no meaningful changes in tobacco consumption.
Taken together, these findings suggest that the public health impact of sports betting laws may manifest in targeted ways -- notably through elevated alcohol consumption in young males who already are heavy drinkers -- rather than as broad-based increases in all forms of substance use.
Read the full study on the journal Health Economics' website (https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.70088).
Watch the news segment with Dr. Keshar Ghimire on the Local 12 News website (https://local12.com/health/health-updates/study-finds-online-sports-betting-tied-to-increase-in-binge-drinking-other-bad-habits-cincinnati-wagering-tobacco).
Ghimire was also interviewed by Scientific American about his research on sports betting and binge drinking. That article is available on Scientific American's website (https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/sports-gambling-could-be-boosting-binge-drinking-in-young-men/).
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About UC Blue Ash
UC Blue Ash College is a regional college of the University of Cincinnati. It combines the resources and academic excellence of UC with low tuition, personal attention and a welcoming campus community that is nationally recognized for advancing student success. The college is located on a scenic 135-acre wooded campus in the heart of Blue Ash, Ohio.
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Original text here: https://www.uc.edu/news/articles/2026/03/uc-blue-ash-expert-keshar-ghimire-examines-a-link-between-sports-betting-and-binge-drinking-behavior.html
Pomona College: New Dialogue Series Encourages Civil Discussions
CLAREMONT, California, March 21 -- Pomona College issued the following news on March 20, 2026:
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New Dialogue Series Encourages Civil Discussions
"How can we speak our minds and still carry on civil discussions?" This is the question the new Upstander Dialogue Series is asking Pomona College faculty, staff and students to consider.
Drawing from the social psychological theory of the bystander effect, where people are less likely to act if others are present, "upstander" behavior encourages people to speak up, even when there are risks involved.
The first speaker in the series, Stephen
... Show Full Article
CLAREMONT, California, March 21 -- Pomona College issued the following news on March 20, 2026:
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New Dialogue Series Encourages Civil Discussions
"How can we speak our minds and still carry on civil discussions?" This is the question the new Upstander Dialogue Series is asking Pomona College faculty, staff and students to consider.
Drawing from the social psychological theory of the bystander effect, where people are less likely to act if others are present, "upstander" behavior encourages people to speak up, even when there are risks involved.
The first speaker in the series, StephenD. Solomon, professor of journalism at New York University, spoke to an audience inside Frank Dining Hall's Blue Room on First Amendment freedoms and how the nation's founders navigated their own political passions as they created a new government.
In the presentation on March 11, Solomon traced the United States' political culture to its founding generation.
He pointed out that the Declaration of Independence was "mostly a list of grievances against King George III." The document helped ingrain a culture of protest and free speech in the U.S. from its earliest days as a nation. He also noted the First Amendment's expediency: "In 45 words five rights were protected," including the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press and the freedom to assemble.
"Protest and freedom are all part of the grand design," said Solomon.
Despite vast ideological differences between the founders, they completed a significant amount of work fairly quickly. In just a few years, they drafted the Constitution, ratified it state by state, built a federal government from scratch in the First Federal Congress, drafted the Bill of Rights and ratified it state by state.
"How did the country's founders accomplish so much in four years?" Solomon asked.
The answer lay in their ability to keep an open mind and have intellectual humility, he said. Solomon pointed to the example of Benjamin Franklin, who said, "For having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged by better information or fuller consideration, to change opinions even on important subjects which I one thought right, but found to be otherwise."
Solomon ended by imploring the audience to keep an open mind, to respect opinions held by others and to be willing to compromise. "Progress requires compromise," he said.
After Solomon's presentation, faculty, staff and students participated in small group discussions to reflect on what they heard.
"The event was enlightening," said Bridget Brodie '27. "It's always good to hear a professional speak their piece and then talk with the people you go to school with about what that means in the context of the environment in which you live and learn."
Rascal Kemble-Curry '29 concurred.
"It was interesting putting our current problems in context," he said. "It's easy to, in the moment, feel like the problems we're facing today are new and uniquely terrible. It's inspiring to hear how these problems have played out in the past, and it makes me more excited to be involved in what happens next."
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Original text here: https://www.pomona.edu/news/2026/03/20-new-dialogue-series-encourages-civil-discussions
East Texas A&M University: Robotics Team Builds Success Through Skill and Teamwork
COMMERCE, Texas, March 21 -- East Texas A&M University (formerly the Texas A&M University Commerce campus) issued the following news release:
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East Texas A&M Robotics Team Builds Success Through Skill and Teamwork
Top-ranked robotics team showcases how hands-on competition builds STEM skills, teamwork and real-world experience.
By Patrick C. Harrison III, Marketing and Communications
The East Texas A&M University robotics team, known as Lion Pride Robotics, is quickly establishing itself as one of the top programs in the state, and beyond.
Currently ranked number one in Texas, the team
... Show Full Article
COMMERCE, Texas, March 21 -- East Texas A&M University (formerly the Texas A&M University Commerce campus) issued the following news release:
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East Texas A&M Robotics Team Builds Success Through Skill and Teamwork
Top-ranked robotics team showcases how hands-on competition builds STEM skills, teamwork and real-world experience.
By Patrick C. Harrison III, Marketing and Communications
The East Texas A&M University robotics team, known as Lion Pride Robotics, is quickly establishing itself as one of the top programs in the state, and beyond.
Currently ranked number one in Texas, the teamhas compiled an impressive record over the past two seasons, earning a place among the top competitors nationally and globally. Most recently, the team secured a tournament championship at the VEX Robotics competition in Houston. Now, they are headed for the World Championship in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 21 through 30, to take on the highest level of collegiate competition in the VEX U division.
From Classroom to Competition
The four-member team is led by co-captains Zach Pittman and Bradyn Hamm andincludes Dharsan Raviselvam and Vaden Wood. The team is under the direction of Dr. Perry Moler, associate professor in the Department of Engineering and Technology and director of the university's Makerspace.
Moler credits the team's success to a strong pipeline of students with prior experience from high school robotics and a collaborative environment that allows them to thrive.
"We have a great bunch of students coming in, and like athletics, we're developing from high-quality high school teams and carrying that success forward," Moler said.
That pipeline has translated into a program where students take ownership of their work. Rather than directing every step, Moler takes a mentorship approach.
"My role is more of, 'What resources do you need?' and then I get out of the way," he said.
That balance allows students to apply classroom knowledge in a competitive, high-pressure environment.
What Is VEX U?
ET's robotics team competes in VEX U, the collegiate level of VEX Robotics. VEX U is widely regarded as one of the premier collegiate robotics competitions in the world, bringing together top university teams to compete at the highest level of design, programming and engineering.
Each season introduces a new game with unique rules and objectives. Teams must analyze the game, develop a strategy and build a robot capable of completing tasks within strict time limits--often just 90 seconds--with driver-controlled action. In addition to match play, teams are evaluated on engineering notebooks, design processes and interviews.
The process requires far more than technical knowledge. It demands planning, adaptability and continuous improvement.
Learning Through Building--and Failing
For Pittman, a computer science student and co-captain, robotics offers a unique learning environment grounded in collaboration and problem-solving.
"Being able to work together with my teammates and build something as a group rather than on my own is what sells it for me," Pittman said.
That collaborative environment extends into every phase of the design process, where mistakes become growth opportunities.
"Learning is facilitated through making mistakes. The ones we don't get quite right are what we overcome and adapt from," Pittman said.
Through iteration and testing, students develop both technical expertise and resilience, skills essential to engineering and technology fields.
The Power of Teamwork
While robotics is often associated with coding and mechanical design, students say teamwork is just as important as technical ability.
"We each take responsibility for different parts of the project," said Wood, an industrial engineering sophomore. "We take advantage of our diverse skills, experience and knowledge to perform multiple tasks at once."
That collaboration creates an environment where ideas are constantly refined and improved.
Bradyn Hamm, who contributes heavily to design and documentation, said working as a team allows Lion Pride Robotics to approach challenges from multiple perspectives.
"By having multiple people working on one project, everybody sees a different side of it," Hamm said.
The result is a system where communication, trust and shared responsibility drive success.
Building Real-World Skills
Participation in robotics competitions provides students with a wide range of practical, career-ready skills that extend beyond the lab.
Students gain experience in programming, computer-aided design (CAD), mechanical systems and technical documentation. They also develop soft skills such as communication, conflict resolution and presentation, skills that are highly valued by employers.
"We can train hard skills, but the soft skills like conflict resolution, communication, presentation, is what really sets students apart," Moler said.
Competitions simulate real-world engineering challenges, where time constraints, resource limitations and unexpected problems require quick thinking and adaptability. For example, competitions have previously tasked teams with stacking rings on stakes to accrue points, while trying to prevent their opponent from doing the same. At the end of each game, the team with the most points is named winner.
For many students, robotics becomes a bridge between theory and real-world application.
Open to All Majors
While robotics is closely tied to STEM disciplines, participation is not limited to engineering or computer science students.
Moler emphasized that students from any academic background can contribute to the team and benefit from the experience.
"You don't have to just be in STEM; you can be in business or nursing or ag," he said.
The university also offers a robotics club as an entry point for students with little or no prior experience, creating opportunities for broader involvement across campus.
Looking Ahead
As Lion Pride Robotics prepares for the VEX Robotics World Championship, the team is focused on refining its designs and building on its success.
For Wood, the team's confidence is rooted in preparation and continuous improvement.
"We will win the world championship through practice and iterative refinement," Wood said. "I have great confidence in my teammates, and I will do everything I can to support our efforts."
That confidence reflects a program that not only competes at a high level but also develops the next generation of innovators.
Through teamwork, hands-on learning and a drive to improve, the East Texas A&M robotics team is proving that success in competition begins with collaboration--and extends far beyond it.
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Patrick C. Harrison III
Patrick C. Harrison III is a Communications Specialist in the Office of Marketing and Communications, where he writes press releases, news articles and marketing materials primarily for the colleges of Education and Human Services, Science and Engineering, and Innovation and Design, as well as East Texas A&M's extended universities in Dallas, Frisco, Mesquite, Corsicana and Bryan.
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Original text here: https://www.etamu.edu/news/east-texas-am-robotics-team-builds-success-through-skill-and-teamwork/
AI sheds light on an ancient gaming mystery
BEDFORD PARK, Australia, March 21 -- Flinders University posted the following news:
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AI sheds light on an ancient gaming mystery
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For the first time, an international research team has harnessed artificial intelligence (AI) to decode the rules of an ancient board game, pioneering a new way to reveal long-lost historical secrets.
By analysing an engraved limestone object from the Roman Netherlands, the team was able to determine likely game rules, based on its distinctive markings
The new research published in Antiquity journal was led by Maastricht University (The Netherlands) and
... Show Full Article
BEDFORD PARK, Australia, March 21 -- Flinders University posted the following news:
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AI sheds light on an ancient gaming mystery
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For the first time, an international research team has harnessed artificial intelligence (AI) to decode the rules of an ancient board game, pioneering a new way to reveal long-lost historical secrets.
By analysing an engraved limestone object from the Roman Netherlands, the team was able to determine likely game rules, based on its distinctive markings
The new research published in Antiquity journal was led by Maastricht University (The Netherlands) andLeiden University (The Netherlands) with input from Flinders University (South Australia), the Universite Catholique de Louvain (Belgium) and The Roman Museum and restoration studio Restaura in Heerlen.
The object, found in what is now Heerlen in the Netherlands, features a pattern of unusual intersecting lines that had puzzled archaeologists for decades.
Because most everyday Roman games were drawn in dust or carved into wood (materials unlikely to survive), this carefully shaped limestone piece offered a rare opportunity to investigate ancient gameplay.
"The stone shows a geometric pattern and visible wear that are consistent with sliding game pieces across the surface, which point strongly to repeated play rather than another purpose," says lead author, Dr Walter Crist, an archaeologist at Leiden University who specialises in ancient games.
To determine whether the stone was a game board and how it worked, the research team used AI to simulate hundreds of possible rule sets, to see which produced the same patterns of wear found on the object.
"The uneven wear along the carved lines raises a key question about whether AI-driven simulated play could reproduce that same pattern," says Dr Crist.
Using the AI-driven play system Ludii, the researchers made two AI agents play against each other using the object as a board, utilising rule sets from many ancient board games documented in Europe, such as haretavl from Scandinavia and gioco dell'orso from Italy.
Flinders University computer scientist, Dr Matthew Stephenson, says that using modern AI techniques can bridge the gap between historical and computational studies of games.
"We ran the simulations repeatedly, adjusting rules each time to see which movements would cause the same concentrated friction seen on the original stone," says Dr Stephenson, from Flinders' College of Science and Engineering.
"The simulations pointed strongly to a type of strategy game known as a blocking game. In blocking games, players try to trap their opponent's pieces by preventing movement rather than capturing them."
Because blocking games are scarcely documented before the Middle Ages, the findings suggest such games may have a deeper history than previously documented, whilst the study also demonstrates the transformative potential of AI for archaeology.
"This is the first time that AI-driven simulated play has been used together with archaeological methods to identify a board game," says Dr Crist.
"It offers archaeologists a promising new tool for understanding ancient games that don't resemble those known from surviving texts or artworks."
This work took place at Maastricht University and as part of the Digital Ludeme Project in Europe, which used artificial intelligence to produce more reliable reconstructions of ancient games that are plausible both historically and mathematically.
By blending archaeology, digital modelling and cultural history, the team provided a clearer understanding of an object that once seemed unexplainable.
"The success of this approach suggests that many other mysterious artefacts may hold hidden stories waiting to be uncovered with the help of modern technology," says Dr Stephenson.
"It shows how AI can contribute to our understanding of materials that would otherwise be difficult to interpret."
The paper, Ludus Coriovalli: using artificial intelligence-driven simulations to identify rules for an ancient board game, by Walter Crist (Leiden University), Eric Piette (Universite Catholique de Louvain), Karen Jeneson (Het Romeins Museum), Dennis J.N.J. Soemers (Maastricht University), Matthew Stephenson (Flinders University), Luk van Goor (Restauratieatelier Restaura) and Cameron Browne (Maastricht University), was published in Antiquity. DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2025.10264
Acknowledgements: This research was funded by the European Research Council as part of Consolidator Grant #771292 'Digital Ludeme Project'. Computing resources were provided by the Dutch national e-infrastructure with the support of the SURF co-operative (EINF-3845 'Analysing Traditional Game Properties and Concepts'; EINF-4028 'Evaluation of Trained AIs for General Game Playing'), of the research programme Computing Time on National Computer Facilities (partly financed by the Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek). Further discussion of results and applications were made possible through European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action #CA22145 'Computational Techniques for Tabletop Games Heritage (GameTable)'. Open access funding provided by Leiden University.
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Original text here: https://news.flinders.edu.au/blog/2026/03/21/ai-sheds-light-on-an-ancient-gaming-mystery/
$9.5 Million Grant Launches Global Effort to Reanalyze Freshwater Systems Under Pressure
BLACKSBURG, Virginia, March 21 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news:
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$9.5 million grant launches global effort to reanalyze freshwater systems under pressure
By Courtney Sakry
Freshwater systems worldwide are under increasing pressure. As populations grow and economies expand, water is being extracted faster than nature can replenish it. Pollution and climate change are further degrading water quality.
Together, these forces are intensifying water scarcity and threatening human health, ecosystems, and economic stability. Yet despite the urgency, researchers still lack integrated
... Show Full Article
BLACKSBURG, Virginia, March 21 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news:
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$9.5 million grant launches global effort to reanalyze freshwater systems under pressure
By Courtney Sakry
Freshwater systems worldwide are under increasing pressure. As populations grow and economies expand, water is being extracted faster than nature can replenish it. Pollution and climate change are further degrading water quality.
Together, these forces are intensifying water scarcity and threatening human health, ecosystems, and economic stability. Yet despite the urgency, researchers still lack integrateddata to fully understand how freshwater systems are changing and how to respond.
A new $9.5 million research effort funded by Schmidt Sciences, known as Re-Analysis of Water for Society (RAWS), takes on that challenge by building a detailed, daily record of the world's freshwater systems spanning 60 years. The project is led in part by Landon Marston, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, whose research examines how people interact with rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and groundwater. He is partnering with researchers at Utrecht University, the University of Oklahoma, Radboud University, Politecnico di Milano, and CMCC Foundation.
A new era of global water modeling
Growing demand for freshwater has reshaped the global water cycle over the last decade. Infrastructure and withdrawals for irrigation, manufacturing, energy production, and household use have supported economic growth and met societal needs. At the same time, they have reduced water in rivers and underground aquifers, lowered water quality, and increased stress on freshwater ecosystems.
"While engineering solutions like dams and irrigation have driven economic growth, they have also altered water availability and quality in ways we don't fully understand yet at the global scale," said Marston. "The problem is that our current view of these changes is too blurry. We lack the high-resolution data to see how local actions add up to global risks. Without that clarity, we are effectively trying to manage a critical resource in the dark."
Tackling these connected challenges means looking at the whole water picture at once. How much water is there? How clean is the water? How is it stored and moved? How do people use it? Marston notes that having these details can support real-world decisions. Right now, most global water data are too broad and updated too infrequently to be truly helpful for water managers and policymakers.
RAWS will change that. Building on Marston's earlier research (https://news.vt.edu/articles/2026/01/eng-cee-water-database.html) that focuses on water use in the United States, RAWS will create the first global map of how water is actually used and moved by people. By combining advanced water modeling with artificial intelligence (AI) and newly integrated global datasets, the project will produce a daily view of the world's freshwater systems. This approach will offer a clearer picture of how water systems have changed over time and how human activity has played a role in shaping those changes, according to the study.
Mapping how the world uses water
Marston said one of the most exciting parts of RAWS is its effort to build the most detailed picture yet of how people use water around the world.
The project will create a global map of land and water use, showing how places and patterns have changed going back decades, at an unprecedented level of spatial detail.
It will show where crops are grown, where cities are expanding, where irrigation water comes from, where wells are drilled, how canals and pipelines carry water, where reservoirs are located, and how water is shared between regions or countries.
Much of this information is currently scattered across local reports and national databases. RAWS uses satellite remote sensing, AI tools, and data provided by various government, research, and nongovernmental organizations to bring together information into one consistent global picture, using machine learning to fill in the gaps where data is missing.
The study brings a much clearer understanding of how water is used by farms, households, industries, and power plants, as well as how reservoirs around the world are operated. While this data fuels the RAWS project itself, it will also be a resource for scientists, policymakers, and organizations working on water issues worldwide.
Turning global science into local action
RAWS is not just about building better models. The study aims to help people make better decisions. Another major part of the project focuses on working directly with regions facing serious or growing water shortages.
RAWS brings water managers, policymakers, and local experts into the process from the very beginning through in-person interviews and workshops accompanied by virtual listening and information-gathering sessions. Together, stakeholders help shape the questions being asked, decide what success looks like, and guide how the research is tested before detailed modeling begins.
"It is an incredible opportunity to join a global project that incorporates local knowledge to reveal how society shapes the water cycle and how water availability impacts us in return," said Paul DeBole, graduate student in civil and environmental engineering. "By collaborating directly with stakeholders we are ensuring this data isn't just accurate in a model, but actionable enough to drive real-world policy and decision making."
Everything RAWS creates, including its models, data, software, and findings, will be openly available. Interactive tools will make it easier for researchers, nonprofits, and decision makers to explore and use the information.
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Original text here: https://news.vt.edu/articles/2026/03/eng-cee-global-freshwater.html
