Featured Stories
WCU Professor Examines Impact of Crypto Ownership on Financial Literacy, Preparedness
CULLOWHEE, North Carolina, Sept. 9 -- Western Carolina University issued the following news:
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WCU Professor Examines Impact of Crypto Ownership on Financial Literacy, Preparedness
A new study by a faculty member in the College of Business at Western Carolina University examines the impact of ownership of cryptocurrency on a household's financial literacy and its perception of how prepared the family may be for coping with a budgetary crisis.
Gary Curnutt, assistant professor of finance at WCU, conducted the study titled "Heterogeneous Effects of Financial Literacy: The Moderating Role
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CULLOWHEE, North Carolina, Sept. 9 -- Western Carolina University issued the following news:
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WCU Professor Examines Impact of Crypto Ownership on Financial Literacy, Preparedness
A new study by a faculty member in the College of Business at Western Carolina University examines the impact of ownership of cryptocurrency on a household's financial literacy and its perception of how prepared the family may be for coping with a budgetary crisis.
Gary Curnutt, assistant professor of finance at WCU, conducted the study titled "Heterogeneous Effects of Financial Literacy: The Moderating Roleof Cryptocurrency Ownership in Financial Resilience" over the summer through a grant awarded by A.J. Grube, dean of the College of Business.
"The Summer Research Grants Program awards funding to up to four faculty members from the College of Business," Grube said. "Faculty submit proposals in February and March, and a committee of faculty, usually composed of past grant recipients, selects the winning proposals for the summer.
Grant recipients are awarded $5,000 each to support their research and are expected to submit a proposal for conference presentation and then submit a written product of the research upon completion, she said.
For his research project, Curnutt investigated whether financial literacy - the ability to understand and use personal finance skills such as budgeting, saving, investing and managing debt - relates to emergency preparedness differently for households with cryptocurrency and those without it.
Curnutt's central finding is that cryptocurrency ownership is a statistically significant negative moderator of the relationship between financial literacy and perceived emergency capability.
"Put more simply, greater financial literacy was associated with greater emergency preparedness among households that did not own cryptocurrency, but that positive relationship was absent among cryptocurrency-owning households. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant," he said.
In households that did not own cryptocurrency, higher financial literacy was associated with a greater likelihood of reporting that the family could obtain $2,000 within one month if an emergency situation arose, he said.
"Cryptocurrency ownership significantly moderated that relationship. The positive connection between financial literacy and emergency capability was substantially weaker among households reporting cryptocurrency ownership," Curnutt said.
"The findings do not mean that cryptocurrency causes greater or lower financial preparedness. Instead, they suggest that conventional financial literacy measures may not provide the same information about preparedness across the two groups," he said.
Because of that fact, financial planners may need to ask their clients more directly where their emergency money would come from, how quickly it could be accessed and how reliable it would be during a crisis, he said.
The finding about the impact of crypto ownership remained similar across several additional robustness and measurement checks, although the study also identified important limitations and does not establish why the relationship differs between the groups, he said.
For his study, Curnutt used data from the 2024 National Financial Capability Study State-by-State Survey, a triennial research project by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority's Investor Education Foundation with nearly 25,000 respondents from across the United States. With that data, he conducted a statistical analysis of how financial literacy is related to self-reported ownership of cryptocurrencies.
His results indicate that financial literacy significantly increases emergency capability among non-crypto households, with predicted preparedness rates rising based on financial literacy levels. In contrast, crypto owners exhibit a higher and relatively stable baseline probability of emergency readiness, with a slope of financial literacy that is significantly flatter, he said.
"These findings suggest that crypto owners represent a distinct financial segment whose resilience is less dependent on traditional literacy measures, whereas literacy remains a strong predictor for non-owners," Curnutt said. "The study highlights the need for planners and educators to adapt client assessments and risk diagnostics as emerging financial technologies reshape household financial behaviors."
Curnutt's recent study builds upon his previous study titled "Financial Vulnerability and Cryptocurrency Use: Evidence on the Limits of Financial Inclusion Abstract," which examined whether cryptocurrency functions as an alternative financial tool for financially excluded consumers or whether its use remains constrained by the same vulnerabilities that limit participation in traditional financial systems.
Other WCU College of Business faculty members who received $5,000 in summer research money are Dan Bradbury, assistant professor of marketing; Aaron Heinrich, assistant professor of operations management; and Christine Kirkland, assistant professor of management.
Findings from those studies will be the subject of upcoming stories from the College of Business.
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Original text here: https://www.wcu.edu/stories/posts/impact-of-crypto-ownership-on-financial-literacy.aspx
Virginia Tech: One of Contemporary Literature's Most Influential Voices, Two-time Pulitzer Winner Colson Whitehead, Comes to Blacksburg
BLACKSBURG, Virginia, Sept. 9 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news:
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One of contemporary literature's most influential voices, two-time Pulitzer winner Colson Whitehead, comes to Blacksburg
By Susan Bland
The first writer to win back-to-back Pulitzer Prizes for consecutive works of fiction, acclaimed American author Colson Whitehead comes to the Center for the Arts on Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 7:30 p.m.
From the ground-shifting "The Underground Railroad" and "The Nickel Boys" to the razor-sharp "Harlem Shuffle," "Crook Manifesto," and "Cool Machine," Whitehead has established himself
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BLACKSBURG, Virginia, Sept. 9 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news:
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One of contemporary literature's most influential voices, two-time Pulitzer winner Colson Whitehead, comes to Blacksburg
By Susan Bland
The first writer to win back-to-back Pulitzer Prizes for consecutive works of fiction, acclaimed American author Colson Whitehead comes to the Center for the Arts on Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 7:30 p.m.
From the ground-shifting "The Underground Railroad" and "The Nickel Boys" to the razor-sharp "Harlem Shuffle," "Crook Manifesto," and "Cool Machine," Whitehead has established himselfas one of the most innovative voices in contemporary literature. His books are drenched in character, culture, and incisive reflections on American life.
Warm, candid, and often very funny, Whitehead brings honesty and wit to conversations about writing, history, and the power of storytelling to deepen understanding of the human experience. He shares anecdotes about his diverse bibliography, irreverent "Rules for Writing," and unique approach to every novel.
A New York Times bestselling author of 11 works of fiction and nonfiction, Whitehead won the 2016 National Book Award and 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for "The Underground Railroad," which was also an Oprah's Book Club selection. The work chronicles a young enslaved woman's journey during a desperate bid for freedom in the antebellum South. The novel offers a shattering meditation on the United States' complicated political and racial history.
Winfrey said, "From the first page of Colson Whitehead's extraordinary novel 'The Underground Railroad,' I knew I was reading something ground-shifting."
Whitehead's "The Nickel Boys" won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, making him only the fourth writer to win two Pulitzers in the fiction category. The book also won the 2019 Kirkus Prize for Fiction and the 2020 Orwell Prize for Political Fiction.
Published in 2019, "The Nickel Boys" explores life under Jim Crow from the perspective of two boys in one of the country's most notorious real-life juvenile correction institutions, the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in the Florida panhandle. The meticulously researched novel was an instant New York Times bestseller and was longlisted for the 2019 National Book Award, nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award, and adapted into a critically acclaimed film.
Whitehead's latest bestselling novels, "Harlem Shuffle," "Crook Manifesto," and the just-released "Cool Machine," form a trilogy set on the streets of New York City in the 1960s and 1970s. The stories offer hilarious morality plays, incisive commentary on race and power, and ultimately read as a love letter to Harlem.
Several of Whitehead's other novels have been adapted for television and film, including producer Barry Jenkins' "The Underground Railroad" limited series on Amazon and the HBO Max series based on "Sag Harbor."
"Time" magazine named Whitehead one of the "100 Most Influential People" in 2017. He was named New York's 11th State Author in 2018, received the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction in 2020, and received the National Humanities Medal from President Biden in 2021.
Whitehead is also the author of "The Intuitionist," "John Henry Days," "The Colossus of New York," "Apex Hides the Hurt," "Sag Harbor," "Zone One," and "The Noble Hustle." His reviews, essays, and fiction have appeared in the New York Times, "The New Yorker," "New York Magazine," "Harper's," and "Granta," among other publications.
His honors include a MacArthur Fellowship, Guggenheim Fellowship, Whiting Writers Award, Dos Passos Prize, Carnegie Medal for Fiction, Kirkus Prize, and Orwell Prize for Political Fiction.
He has taught at the University of Houston, Columbia University, Brooklyn College, Hunter College, New York University, Princeton University, and Wesleyan University, and has been a writer-in-residence at Vassar College, the University of Richmond, and the University of Wyoming.
The event is co-sponsored by the Academy of Transdisciplinary Studies, Africana Studies, Black Cultural Center, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, Department of English Visiting Writers Series, Department of Sociology, and University Libraries.
Related activities
Following the talk, Whitehead will sign books in the Center for the Arts' Grand Lobby. Books will be available for purchase, and attendees may also bring their own copies to have signed.
During his visit to Blacksburg, the author will meet with Virginia Tech English and Africana Studies students to discuss his powerful approach to storytelling.
Tickets
Tickets are $25 for general audience and $10 for students and youth 18 and under. Tickets can be purchased online; at the Center for the Arts box office, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; or by calling 540-231-5300 during box office hours.
Venue and parking information
The performance will be held in the center's Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, located within the Street and Davis Performance Hall at 190 Alumni Mall. Convenient parking is available in the North End Parking Garage on Turner Street and in downtown Blacksburg. Find more parking details online.
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Jonathan Boulter at least 10 days prior to the event at 540-231-5300 or email jboulter@vt.edu during regular business hours.
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Original text here: https://news.vt.edu/articles/2026/09/cfa-colson-whitehead.html
UMass Chan Medical School: Six Distinguished Faculty Named to Endowed Chairs
WORCESTER, Massachusetts, Sept. 9 -- The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School issued the following news:
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Six distinguished faculty named to endowed chairs
At a glance
* The University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees voted to approve the appointment of highly accomplished faculty to six chairs, including the establishment of four new endowed chairs, on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
* UMass Chan Medical School now has 86 endowed chairs and professorships.
* The six new appointments will be celebrated at Convocation and Investiture: A Celebration of Faculty on Thursday, Sept. 17.
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The
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WORCESTER, Massachusetts, Sept. 9 -- The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School issued the following news:
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Six distinguished faculty named to endowed chairs
At a glance
* The University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees voted to approve the appointment of highly accomplished faculty to six chairs, including the establishment of four new endowed chairs, on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
* UMass Chan Medical School now has 86 endowed chairs and professorships.
* The six new appointments will be celebrated at Convocation and Investiture: A Celebration of Faculty on Thursday, Sept. 17.
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TheUniversity of Massachusetts Board of Trustees voted to approve the establishment of four new endowed chairs and the appointment of highly accomplished faculty to six chairs on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
These endowments were made possible by the generosity of Betty Brudnick of Needham; the estate of Herman G. Berkman, PhD; the Meyers Primary Care Institute; John P. Mordes, MD, professor emeritus of medicine, and Regina M. Yando, PhD; the estates of Eileen L. Berman, EdD, and Stanley I. Berman; and UMass Memorial President and CEO Eric Dickson, MD'95, and Catherine E. Dickson, MD'93.
The Medical School now has 86 endowed chairs and professorships, thanks to its generous benefactors. The six new appointments will be celebrated at Convocation and Investiture: A Celebration of Faculty on Thursday, Sept. 17 in the Albert Sherman Center Auditorium on the campus of UMass Chan Medical School.
Andrew R. Tapper, PhD, professor of neurobiology, was appointed to the Brudnick Family Chair in Neuropsychiatry, established to support the research efforts of the director of the Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute.
As the institute's director since 2012, Dr. Tapper is a leading investigator on the neurological basis of addiction, reward and anxiety. Using modern basic neuroscience approaches, his research has helped uncover novel molecular mechanisms underlying the rewarding properties of nicotine and alcohol; elucidated brain areas, circuits and molecular components critical for nicotine withdrawal symptoms; and identified sub-populations of neurons in the brain that drive stress coping behaviors that reduce anxiety.
Tapper joined UMass Chan and the Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute in 2006 as assistant professor of psychiatry. In 2012, he became an associate professor and interim director of the institute. Promoted to full professor in 2016, he joined the Department of Neurobiology and was named permanent director of the Brudnick Institute in 2017.
Jennifer Wang, MD, professor of medicine, has been appointed to the Herman G. Berkman Chair in Diabetes Care Innovation, which was established to support and sustain an academically distinguished member of the faculty whose ongoing contributions to diabetes research and scholarship reflect the academic excellence of UMass Chan and enhance its reputation across the world of academia.
Dr. Wang joined UMass Chan in 2003. She specializes in innate immunology and its role in human disease. Her laboratory investigates how viral infections shape immune responses and contribute to the development of type 1 diabetes and other inflammatory conditions. Her current research studies how innate immune responses contribute to autoimmune disease processes, in particular how activation of inflammatory pathways can lead to type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease that destroys the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. Similarly, enteroviruses such as Coxsackie B virus have been implicated in type 1 diabetes, suggesting links between innate and adaptive immunity in the development of diabetes.
At UMass Memorial Health, Wang leads a clinical research team focused on prevention and treatment of respiratory viruses and other infections.
Samir Malkani, MD, professor of medicine, has been appointed the inaugural holder of the John P. Mordes, MD, and Regina M. Yando, PhD, Chair in Medicine, which was established to support and sustain an academically distinguished member of the faculty whose ongoing contributions to innovation in patient care and medical education reflect the academic excellence of UMass Chan and enhance its reputation across the world of academic medicine.
Dr. Malkani joined the UMass Chan faculty in 2001 and was appointed as clinical chief of the diabetes and endocrinology division in 2020. Early in his career, Malkani was mentored by Dr. Mordes in experimental analysis and scientific publication in the lab of Aldo Rossini, MD, professor of medicine.
His clinical and academic work focuses on evaluating and implementing tools such as continuous glucose monitoring and insulin delivery systems; and investigating the impact of social determinants of health on diabetes-related outcomes and addressing psychosocial barriers to effective care.
Johanna M. Seddon, MD, ScM, FARVO, FASRS, professor of ophthalmology & visual sciences, director of the Macular Degeneration Center of Excellence and director of the Retina Service at UMass Memorial Eye Center, has been appointed the inaugural holder of the Dr. Eileen L. Berman and Stanley I. Berman Foundation Chair in Biomedical Research II, which supports an academically distinguished member of the faculty whose ongoing contributions to research and scholarship drive pioneering therapeutic advances.
Dr. Seddon's research has advanced the evaluation and treatment of patients with retinal dystrophies and degenerations, including macular degeneration and other macular disorders. She pioneered studies of the causes and prevention of macular degeneration and is widely recognized for groundbreaking research on how lifestyle and nutrition can modify the risk and progression of retinal disease.
Seddon and her research team have discovered many genetic variants related to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), as well as the first rare variants that confer the strongest genetic risk factors for AMD. These variants can lead to high risk of disease in families and are now targets for new treatments.
Edwin D. Boudreaux, PhD, professor of emergency medicine, psychiatry & behavioral sciences, and population & quantitative health sciences; has been appointed the inaugural holder of the Dickson Family Chair in Emergency Medicine, which provides support for initiatives that advance the field of emergency medicine.
Dr. Boudreaux is director of the Center for Accelerating Practices to End Suicide through Technology Translation, or CAPES, at UMass Chan, resulting in significant contributions to transforming suicide-related care in healthcare settings and a profound impact on the science of suicide prevention. The center is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, one of only seven practice-based suicide prevention research centers nationwide.
A clinical psychologist, Boudreaux has led more than 20 federally funded studies on suicide screening, risk stratification, clinical decision-making and brief interventions across diverse settings--from emergency departments and inpatient units to primary care and specialty clinics.
Boudreaux joined the faculty at UMass Chan in 2009. He has secured more than $35 million in research funding and has led the Department of Emergency Medicine to top 10 NIH-rankings in funding for 14 of the last 15 years.
David Michael Dosa, MD, MPH, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Geriatric Medicine, was appointed the inaugural holder of the Meyers Chair in Geriatric Medicine, which supports a nationally recognized and board-certified physician-scholar in geriatrics who will work collaboratively to expand research and educational efforts that translate into improvements in age-friendly care locally, regionally and nationally.
The Meyers Primary Care Institute, of which UMass Chan was a co-founder, made many contributions to chronic disease epidemiology, medication safety and geriatric care over 25 years, honoring the memory of respected physician-leader John Meyers, MD.
Dr. Dosa joined UMass Chan in 2024. He is a board-certified geriatrician and internist and health services researcher with more than two decades of experience in the field of geriatrics. His research has investigated the role of climate change-related disasters on older adults, particularly vulnerable populations in nursing homes and assisted living. His current research includes studies in pharmacoepidemiology, inappropriate prescribing, antibiotic stewardship and food insecurity in older populations.
The Tapper and Dosa appointments were voted on and approved by the Board of Trustees on Dec. 16, 2025.
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Original text here: https://www.umassmed.edu/news/articles/2026/09/six-distinguished-faculty-named-to-endowed-chairs/
Syracuse University: ISchool Grad Gets Hands-On Experience Restoring Papers in Library Archives
SYRACUSE, New York, Sept. 9 -- Syracuse University issued the following news:
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iSchool Grad Gets Hands-On Experience Restoring Papers in Library Archives
Anna Shuff G'26 spent the summer processing a major addition to the University's Bishop Jesse Truesdale Peck papers.
Dialynn Dwyer
Anna Shuff G'26 has been contriving ways to spend more time in libraries since she was a kid.
"When I was very young I regularly attempted to extend visits to the public library indefinitely by running away from my mother to go hide in the stacks," Shuff says.
In that way, she says graduating with a master's
... Show Full Article
SYRACUSE, New York, Sept. 9 -- Syracuse University issued the following news:
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iSchool Grad Gets Hands-On Experience Restoring Papers in Library Archives
Anna Shuff G'26 spent the summer processing a major addition to the University's Bishop Jesse Truesdale Peck papers.
Dialynn Dwyer
Anna Shuff G'26 has been contriving ways to spend more time in libraries since she was a kid.
"When I was very young I regularly attempted to extend visits to the public library indefinitely by running away from my mother to go hide in the stacks," Shuff says.
In that way, she says graduating with a master'sdegree in library and information science from Syracuse University's School of Information Studies to pursue a career in librarianship is just a culmination of her yearslong quest to never leave a library.
"I was drawn to a career in libraries because I love to learn--I love finding information, expanding my knowledge of the world and helping others to do the same," Shuff says. "My choice to pursue archival work in particular emerged from my longstanding interest in history. I've always been fascinated by historical objects, whether they take the form of books, personal writings, textile or other materials."
Pursuing that passion for preserving and caring for the historical record, Shuff spent the summer working in the University Archives, where her biggest project was processing a major addition to the collection's Bishop Truesdell Peck Papers. The task offered her the "incredible experience" to put into practice the skills she'd learned working in the Archives and from her time at the iSchool.
"The practical experience I obtained in the Archives will serve me for the rest of my career, and I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work in such an incredible place," she says.
Putting Classroom Learning to Work
With her interest in history, Shuff focused her studies at the iSchool on archives, special collections, museums and the preservation of cultural heritage.
Shuff says pursuing a master's degree is an extension of the work she's been doing for years, since she started volunteering for her local science museum as a teen and has found ways to work in libraries and museums ever since (during her undergraduate years at Bryn Mawr, she minored in museum studies).
She began working as a student archivist assistant at the University Archives in January 2025, but her work with the Peck papers offered some unique challenges.
Previously, the collection related to Peck, a Methodist minister who helped found Syracuse University and later served as Dickinson College's tenth president, was small and consisted mostly of his diaries.
The new materials Shuff worked to process, which were donated by Peck family descendants, included correspondence, writings, printed material and ephemera, which took time to inventory.
Also, some of the papers had survived a fire, and as a result, many had smoke and soot damage.
Shuff says the challenge allowed her to apply lessons she learned from a conservation and preservation course with David Stokoe, the University's conservation librarian. She used a vulcanized rubber sponge to clean a portion of the papers impacted by the smoke and soot. The remaining papers affected by the fire will be tackled by the next student working in the Archives.
The Peck collection is about six or seven times larger with the addition of the new materials.
"There turned out to be quite a bit of material related to Syracuse University, including a copy of his agreement with the school to donate $25,000 after his death, as well as early drafts of the bylaws for the Board of Trustees and correspondence with other important individuals in Syracuse University's history," Shuff says.
A Model of Experiential Learning
Shuff, who received a Libraries' Student Employee Award, says her experience working in the University Archives was one of the "most valuable aspects" of her time at Syracuse.
"I worked up from processing very small collections, some as small as a single folder or item, to those as large as the Peck papers," she says. "I learned how to author finding aids, how to accession collections and even got the opportunity to work with a campus publication, Salt Hill Magazine, to acquire their collections for the Archive."
University Archivist Meg Mason said in her nomination for Shuff's employee award that the iSchool graduate student was always committed, not just to the mission of the archives, which are part of the Special Collections Research Center in the University Libraries, but also to learning as much as she could during her time with the department.
"While doing research for patrons, arranging and describing archival materials, writing social media posts and reaching out to other students about donating records to the University Archives, she not only serves SCRC but also the Libraries and the University as a whole," Mason wrote.
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Original text here: https://news.syr.edu/2026/09/08/ischool-grad-gets-hands-on-experience-restoring-papers-in-library-archives/
Penn College President Delivers Congressional Testimony
WILLIAMSPORT, Pennsylvania, Sept. 9 -- The Pennsylvania College of Technology issued the following news:
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Penn College president delivers congressional testimony
Pennsylvania College of Technology President Michael J. Reed provided testimony on workforce development for skilled trades during a Sept. 4 field hearing of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.
Reed was invited to represent the perspective of U.S. institutions of higher education during the hearing, which was held at the College of the Canyons Performing Arts Center in Santa Clarita, Calif. The proceeding examined
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WILLIAMSPORT, Pennsylvania, Sept. 9 -- The Pennsylvania College of Technology issued the following news:
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Penn College president delivers congressional testimony
Pennsylvania College of Technology President Michael J. Reed provided testimony on workforce development for skilled trades during a Sept. 4 field hearing of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.
Reed was invited to represent the perspective of U.S. institutions of higher education during the hearing, which was held at the College of the Canyons Performing Arts Center in Santa Clarita, Calif. The proceeding examinedissues critical to the nation's military, economy and the future of warfare, including strengthening America's defense industrial base, developing the skilled workforce needed to sustain it, and securing access to critical minerals and resources. The hearing included participation from Department of War and defense industry representatives.
"I was honored to represent the nation's academic institutions to address the critical importance of workforce development and skilled trades education to America's defense industrial base at the degree level as well as through industry training programs," Reed said.
Reed urged the subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Ken Calvert of California's 41st congressional district, to recognize education, particularly investments in skilled trades, as a strategic imperative for national defense.
"America has the most advanced military systems in the world, and those systems ultimately depend on skilled workers who can build them, maintain them, troubleshoot them and deploy them," Reed said. "Aircraft, submarines, armored vehicles and weapons systems cannot exist without welders; machinists; electricians; electronics technicians; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning technicians; automation specialists; diesel and automotive mechanics; and countless other highly trained technicians."
However, he told the committee, workforce demand continues to outpace supply.
Reed cited a 2026 report by Lightcast that indicates 20 million U.S. jobs, representing 9% of the nation's workforce, fall within 135 skilled trades occupations, but just 800,000 individuals a year complete skilled trades programs - including all apprenticeships, certifications and two-year degrees.
"Across manufacturing and technical occupations, employers are competing for a limited talent pool while simultaneously confronting workforce retirements and increasing production demands," Reed said. "At Penn College, we see this demand firsthand. Employers regularly recruit our students before graduation, and industry partners consistently tell us they would hire significantly more graduates if they were available. The challenge is not job availability. The challenge is talent availability."
Reed emphasized that education and industry partnerships are essential.
Penn College boasts partnerships with more than 4,000 employers.
"Effective workforce development occurs when employers actively invest in the educational pipeline through scholarships, equipment donations, curriculum input, work-based learning opportunities, apprenticeships and internships," Reed said. "These partnerships ensure students develop skills aligned with current workforce requirements while providing employers with direct access to future talent."
Such initiatives will become more critical as the pool of traditional college-age students shrinks, Reed explained.
"As fewer students graduate from high school, talent competition will intensify," he said. "The defense sector and other critical sectors will increasingly compete for the same limited population of skilled workers. To meet this challenge, we must expand pathways into technical careers, strengthen career and technical education programs, invest in apprenticeships, strengthen workforce development initiatives and increase awareness among students and families about the tremendous opportunities available in skilled trades."
Reed urged Congress to support institutions and programs with demonstrated success and capacity for growth. Penn College traditionally maintains waitlists for programs that align most closely with defense industry workforce needs.
"By investing in and enabling expansion of proven, existing programs, the country can more rapidly address workforce shortages by providing the hands-on education necessary to develop the skilled talent needed to bolster our manufacturing and defense industrial base," he said.
Penn College and its predecessor institutions have been providing hands-on applied technology education since 1914. Its graduates achieve a 98% placement rate and enter careers in fields essential to the nation's economy and national security. According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, the median earnings of Penn College graduates who received federal aid are 36% higher than those of federal aid recipients graduating from colleges nationwide.
For information about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, email Admissions or call toll-free 800-367-9222.
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Original text here: https://www.pct.edu/news/articles/2026/09/08/penn-college-president-delivers-congressional-testimony
Moraine Valley Holding Committee of the Whole, Board Meetings In-person, Online
PALOS HILLS, Illinois, Sept. 9 -- Moraine Valley Community College issued the following news:
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Moraine Valley holding Committee of the Whole, Board meetings in-person, online
Moraine Valley Community College's Board of Trustees will hold a Committee of the Whole meeting at 5 p.m. and its September Board of Trustees meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8, in the Board Room, Building D, Room D219, on campus, 9000 W. College Parkway, Palos Hills.
The Committee of the Whole meeting also will be accessible by the public via teleconference at morainevalley.edu/BOTCOWSep8 or by phone 1-945-468-5504
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PALOS HILLS, Illinois, Sept. 9 -- Moraine Valley Community College issued the following news:
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Moraine Valley holding Committee of the Whole, Board meetings in-person, online
Moraine Valley Community College's Board of Trustees will hold a Committee of the Whole meeting at 5 p.m. and its September Board of Trustees meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8, in the Board Room, Building D, Room D219, on campus, 9000 W. College Parkway, Palos Hills.
The Committee of the Whole meeting also will be accessible by the public via teleconference at morainevalley.edu/BOTCOWSep8 or by phone 1-945-468-5504with Phone Conference ID 645 871 50#.
The Board of Trustees meeting will be accessible by the public via teleconference at morainevalley.edu/BOTSep8 or by phone 1-945-468-5504 with Phone Conference ID 502 315 084#.
Agendas for the Committee of the Whole and the Board of Trustees meetings are below.
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING AGENDA
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. ROLL CALL
3. AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
4. BOARD POLICY REVIEW
5. TRUSTEE DISCUSSION
6. ADJOURNMENT
BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING AGENDA
1. CALL TO ORDER/PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
2. ROLL CALL
3. MINUTES
4. AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
5. BOARD REPORTS AND/OR REQUESTS
6. REPORTS OF ADMINISTRATION
7. COMMUNICATIONS
8. FINANCIAL STATEMENT
WARRANTS
* CONSENT AGENDA
* REPORT OF PERSONNEL
1. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
2. NEW BUSINESS
3. MISCELLANEOUS
4. ADJOURNMENT
For news media inquiries, contact Madisson Younglove, assistant director of Communications, at (708) 974-5281 or email younglovem2@morainevalley.edu.
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Original text here: https://www.morainevalley.edu/2026/09/08/moraine-valley-holding-committee-of-the-whole-board-meetings-in-person-online/
Bowdoin College: Senior Maren Cooper '27 Receives National Science Honor
BRUNSWICK, Maine, Sept. 9 -- Bowdoin College issued the following news:
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Senior Maren Cooper '27 Receives National Science Honor
By Rebecca Goldfine
Biochemistry major Maren Cooper '27 has been awarded the Beckman Scholarship, a fifteen-month grant to support her independent, faculty-mentored research project.
"A Great New Future for Antibiotics"
Marren Cooper began working in Danielle Dube's lab the spring of her sophomore year, drawn to its investigation of Helicobacter pylori, a common bacteria that lives in the human stomach and can cause ulcers and gastric cancer.
The lab is engaged
... Show Full Article
BRUNSWICK, Maine, Sept. 9 -- Bowdoin College issued the following news:
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Senior Maren Cooper '27 Receives National Science Honor
By Rebecca Goldfine
Biochemistry major Maren Cooper '27 has been awarded the Beckman Scholarship, a fifteen-month grant to support her independent, faculty-mentored research project.
"A Great New Future for Antibiotics"
Marren Cooper began working in Danielle Dube's lab the spring of her sophomore year, drawn to its investigation of Helicobacter pylori, a common bacteria that lives in the human stomach and can cause ulcers and gastric cancer.
The lab is engagedin what Cooper calls "ground-level" research, pursuing knowledge for the sake of greater understanding. But she also appreciates that this basic research can lay the foundation for medical breakthroughs in the future, both for H. pylori and for other bacterial illnesses.
With antibiotic resistance on the rise, H. pylori poses a worldwide health threat. Almost half the world's population is infected with the bacteria, though only a fraction develop a serious illness.
The Dube lab is broadly focused on studying the sugars sprinkled on the surface of H. pylori. "One of the roles of the sugars is they mediate the adhesion of the bacteria to our stomach cells," which is the first step in infection, Cooper explained.
Bacterial sugars are an exciting area of inquiry for scientists because they tend to be unique to each species. "This means we could target H. pylori but not target beneficial bacteria in our microbiome," Cooper said. "We could also target different pathogenic bacteria, or whatever bacteria we want, based on their sugars and the proteins they bind to."
Her specific project in the Dube lab is studying the host cell proteins to which H. pylori's sugars cling. "If we know more about these binding interactions, we're opening up a whole new world of drug targets, a great new future for antibiotics."
Dube said Cooper's love of the research process--the doing, learning, and discovering--is matched by her tenacity, commitment, and creativity in the face of roadblocks.
Cooper's experience has inspired her to apply to PhD programs next year, where she hopes to continue researching host-bacteria interactions and immunology. "If I could get a PhD in Danielle's lab, I would!" she said.
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Supporting scientists
The Beckman Scholarship is awarded to talented undergraduates engaged in lab-based research in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, and the medical sciences. Each scholar receives more than $20,000 to pursue their work over two summers and the academic year between them.
Danielle Dube, Bowdoin's Norma L. and Roland G. Ware Jr. Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said the Beckman Foundation's scholarships not only helps students to realize their potential, but also "benefits research labs, leads to advancements in basic science research, fosters peer-mentoring of other young scientists, and provides examples of what's possible for Bowdoin students in STEM."
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Original text here: https://www.bowdoin.edu/news/2026/09/senior-maren-cooper-27-receives-national-science-honor.html
