U.S. Public and Private Higher Education
News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from public, private and community colleges in the U.S.
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York University and UNECE to Mark Global Homelessness Partnership
TORONTO, Ontario, June 15 (TNSPar) -- York University issued the following news:
York University will sign a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) on Wednesday, June 16, marking a global partnership to support cities and national governments in fighting homelessness.
Media are invited to join York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton for a virtual memorandum signing event, along with, in order of speaking:
* Paola Deda, Director, Forests, Land and Housing Division, UNECE
* Hon. Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children
... Show Full Article
TORONTO, Ontario, June 15 (TNSPar) -- York University issued the following news:
York University will sign a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) on Wednesday, June 16, marking a global partnership to support cities and national governments in fighting homelessness.
Media are invited to join York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton for a virtual memorandum signing event, along with, in order of speaking:
* Paola Deda, Director, Forests, Land and Housing Division, UNECE
* Hon. Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Childrenand Social Development
* Stephen Gaetz, York University Professor and President, Canadian Observatory on Homelessness
* Melanie Redman, President, A Way Home Canada
* Hon. Judy Sgro, Member of Parliament, Humber River-Black Creek
* Adam Vaughan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
When: Wednesday, June 16, 2021 from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/UB7a7KvqjM0
Photos: Photos and video will be available following the event
RSVP: Media who wish to attend are requested to RSVP to Kayla Lewis
Yale Medicine School: Ko Is Appointed Nooyi Professor of Public Health
NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, June 15 (TNSPer) -- Yale School of Medicine issued the following news:
Albert I. Ko, MD, an infectious disease physician and epidemiologist whose research has yielded critical insights into the health consequences of rapid urbanization and social inequity, has been appointed the Raj and Indra Nooyi Professor of Public Health, effective July 1.
Ko is a professor and chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Microbial Diseases at the School of Public Health, and professor of medicine (infectious diseases) at Yale School of Medicine. He also is an attending physician at
... Show Full Article
NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, June 15 (TNSPer) -- Yale School of Medicine issued the following news:
Albert I. Ko, MD, an infectious disease physician and epidemiologist whose research has yielded critical insights into the health consequences of rapid urbanization and social inequity, has been appointed the Raj and Indra Nooyi Professor of Public Health, effective July 1.
Ko is a professor and chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Microbial Diseases at the School of Public Health, and professor of medicine (infectious diseases) at Yale School of Medicine. He also is an attending physician atYale New Haven Hospital.
Before arriving at Yale in 2010, Ko lived in the city of Salvador, Brazil for 15 years and was stationed at the Brazilian Ministry of Health as a professor at Cornell, where he led a research and training program on urban health.
In his work, Ko is focused on expanding our understanding of how infectious diseases have emerged due to the expansion of urban slum settlements in Brazil and elsewhere. These efforts are exemplified by his research on leptospirosis, work that revealed the rat-borne disease as the cause of urban epidemics. He was the first to genetically manipulate the Leptospira pathogen and identify virulence factors, work that has led to licensed rapid diagnostic tests and vaccine and therapeutic candidates. He developed novel approaches that combine epidemiology, ecology, and modeling to delineate the interactions among climate, poor environment, and social marginalization that drive urban transmission. This research has translated into interventions that have led to significant reductions of disease in Brazil.
He has used the same paradigm to respond to a range of urban health threats--such as vaccine preventable diseases, Zika, and dengue--that have emerged as consequences of rapid urbanization and social inequity. Ko and his research team, who were working at the epicenter of the Zika pandemic, provided some of the key initial insights on the emergence of congenital Zika syndrome. His long-term prospective studies yielded a detailed examination of the transmission dynamics of Zika virus and seminal insights into the role that cross flavivirus species immune protection and enhancement play in host susceptibility.
Ko's most significant contribution is the training model he established to provide slum residents the capacity to mount effective research and implement solutions for the health threats in their communities.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, he has helped to mobilize a team at Yale to implement clinical and translational research, develop new diagnostics, and prepare cohorts for intervention trials. In April 2020, Ko was asked by Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont to serve with former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi '80 as co-chair of the Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group and he continues to advise the state on its COVID-19 prevention and control plan.
Ko is also program director at Yale for the Fogarty Global Health Equity Scholars Program, which provides research training opportunities for low- and middle-income post- and pre-doctoral fellows at collaborating international sites.
He completed his SB degree in chemistry and life sciences at MIT and his MD at Harvard Medical School.
University of Washington: Communication Technology, Study of Collective Behavior Must Be 'Crisis Discipline,' Researchers Argue
SEATTLE, Washington, June 15 (TNSJou) -- The University of Washington issued the following news release:
Our ability to confront global crises, from pandemics to climate change, depends on how we interact and share information.
Social media and other forms of communication technology restructure these interactions in ways that have consequences. Unfortunately, we have little insight into whether these changes will bring about a healthy, sustainable and equitable world. As a result, researchers now say that the study of collective behavior must rise to a "crisis discipline," just like medicine,
... Show Full Article
SEATTLE, Washington, June 15 (TNSJou) -- The University of Washington issued the following news release:
Our ability to confront global crises, from pandemics to climate change, depends on how we interact and share information.
Social media and other forms of communication technology restructure these interactions in ways that have consequences. Unfortunately, we have little insight into whether these changes will bring about a healthy, sustainable and equitable world. As a result, researchers now say that the study of collective behavior must rise to a "crisis discipline," just like medicine,conservation and climate science have done, according to a new paper published the week of June 14 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"We have built and adopted technology that alters behavior at global scales without a theory of what will happen or a coherent strategy for reducing harm," said Joseph B. Bak-Coleman, the lead author and a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Washington's Center for an Informed Public.
Social media and other technological developments have radically reshaped the way that information flows on a global scale. These platforms are driven to maximize engagement and profitability, not to ensure sustainability or accurate information -- and the vulnerability of these systems to misinformation and disinformation poses a dire threat to health, peace, global climate and more.
No one, not even the platform creators themselves, have much understanding of how their design decisions impact human collective behavior, the authors argue.
"We urgently need to understand this and move forward with focus on developing social systems that promote well-being instead of creating shareholder value by commandeering our collective attention," said co-author Carl T. Bergstrom, a UW professor of biology and faculty at the Center for an Informed Public.
Collective behavior and other complex systems are fragile. "When perturbed, complex systems tend to exhibit finite resilience followed by catastrophic, sudden, and often irreversible changes," the authors write.
While there are studies and disciplines that focus on complex systems in the natural world, "we have a far poorer understanding of the functional consequences of recent large-scale changes to human collective behavior and decision making," the authors write.
Averting catastrophe in the medium term (e.g., coronavirus) and long term (e.g., climate change, food security) will require rapid and effective collective behavioral responses -- yet it remains unknown whether human social dynamics will yield such responses.
"We have seen individual studies about how climate-change disinformation gets over-represented even in the mainstream media, and studies show that in digital media that problem only gets worse," said co-author Jennifer Jacquet, an associate professor of environmental studies at New York University.
Lacking a developed framework, tech companies have also fumbled their way through the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, unable to stem the "infodemic" of misinformation that impedes public acceptance of pandemic control measures such as wearing masks, widespread testing for the virus and vaccinations.
The situation parallels challenges faced in conservation biology and climate science, where insufficiently regulated industries optimize profits while undermining the stability of ecological and Earth systems.
"If we have a decade or so to act on climate change, we have far less time to sort out our social systems," Bak-Coleman said.
Historically collective behavior has best been understood as when animals or people exhibit coordinated action without an obvious leader. This includes how fish school to evade predators or when a crowd spontaneously breaks into applause or becomes silent.
That thinking has evolved over the past decade, the authors write, from a phenomena to a contemporary view of collective action as a framework that reveals how interaction among individuals gives rise to collective action.
Additional co-authors on the paper include Rachel Moran at the UW; Mark Alfano at Delft University of Technology and Australian Catholic University; Wolfram Barfuss at University of Tubingen; Miguel A. Centeno, Andrew S. Gersick, Daniel I. Rubenstein and Elke U. Weber at Princeton University; Iain D. Cousin at University of Konstanz; Jonathan F. Donges at Stockholm University; Mirta Galesic and Albert B. Kao at Santa Fe Institute; Pawel Romanczuk at Humboldt Universitat zu Berlin; Kaia J. Tombak at Hunter College of the City University of New York; and Jay J. Van Bavel at New York University.
Funding came from the UW eScience Institute, the Knight Foundation, the UW for an Informed Public, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, the National Science Foundation, The Max Planck Society, The Baird Society, The Emmy Noether Program, The Santa Fe Institute and the U.S. Navy's Office of Naval Research.
* * *
JOURNAL: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
University of Tennessee Health Science: Mansour A. Parsi, MD, Named Chief of Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
MEMPHIS, Tennessee, June 15 (TNSPer) -- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center issued the following news:
One of the most accomplished and talented pancreato-biliary investigators and interventional endoscopists in the field of gastroenterology and hepatology, Mansour A. Parsi, MD, MPH, MBA, has been named as the Hyman Professor of Medicine and the chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in the College of Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
Dr. Parsi, who was recruited from Tulane University after a national search, will begin his position
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MEMPHIS, Tennessee, June 15 (TNSPer) -- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center issued the following news:
One of the most accomplished and talented pancreato-biliary investigators and interventional endoscopists in the field of gastroenterology and hepatology, Mansour A. Parsi, MD, MPH, MBA, has been named as the Hyman Professor of Medicine and the chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in the College of Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
Dr. Parsi, who was recruited from Tulane University after a national search, will begin his positionat UTHSC on July 1. He will also serve as the vice chair for Clinical Affairs in the Department of Medicine, and the medical director of the Gastroenterology Service Line at Regional One Health.
Dr. Parsi has most recently served as the chief of the Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Tulane University's School of Medicine. Previously, he had served as director for the Center for Endoscopy and Pancreatic Disorders at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. His research interests include both benign and malignant pancreatic disease, cholangiocarcinoma, biliary strictures, and primary sclerosing cholangitis.
"We are very fortunate to recruit one of the national leaders in the field of pancreato-biliary disease to UTHSC," said Nicholas Verne, MD, chair of the Department of Medicine. "Dr. Parsi will signal a new and exciting era for the Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology."
Dr. Parsi is a fellow of the American Gastroenterological Association and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. He received his medical degree with distinction from the University of Oslo in Oslo, Norway, before completing a residency in Internal Medicine and his Gastroenterology Fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Parsi then completed an Advanced Fellowship in Endoscopy and Pancreatobiliary Disease at the University of Virginia. He also received his Master of Public Health degree with a dual major in Population Health Research and Health Promotion/Disease Prevention in 2012.
"I am very excited to join UTHSC and am looking forward to joining forces with the many talented people in the Department of Mecine," Dr. Parsi said. "The Department of Medicine has a bright future under Dr. Nicholas Verne's leadership."
Dr. Parsi has also been recognized as a prominent researcher and innovator in his fields. He has received numerous awards during his career, including the Research Excellence in Gastroenterology and Liver Award, which is given to the top 20 most promising investigators in United States in the field, the American College of Gastroenterology Governors Award for Excellence in Clinical Research, and the Research Outcomes and Effectiveness Award from the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.
Dr. Parsi has pioneered and developed several advanced endoscopic techniques for pancreatobiliary disease, which have earned him several Innovator Awards, as well as extramural funding from the National Institutes of Health, the American College of Gastroenterology, and the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. He is also a well-published author, having over 125 original publications in top biomedical journals, including six papers in the world's top gastrointestinal journal, Gastroenterology.
"We are so pleased to have Dr. Parsi, a world leader in the field of gastroenterology, coming to UTHSC to lead our team of specialists in the care of patients with both routine and complex disorders of the GI tract," said Scott Strome, MD, executive dean of the College of Medicine. "His position as both a clinician and internationally recognized thought leader, will provide patients with access to world-class, cutting-edge care, and will serve as a cornerstone in our efforts to develop an academic tertiary/quaternary care medical center in partnership with Regional One Health."
Sheridan's EDGE Entrepreneurship Hub Receives Prestigious Rising Star Award
BRAMPTON, Ontario, June 15 (TNSAwa) -- Sheridan College issued the following news release:
Sheridan's EDGE Entrepreneurship Hub is the recipient of the prestigious Rising Star Award for Excellence in Student Engagement in Entrepreneurship at the Deshpande Symposium on Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Higher Education. Sheridan is the first Canadian institution to receive this honour.
With this award, the Deshpande Symposium Awards Committee have recognized EDGE for best exemplifying the spirit of commitment to develop innovative extra- and co-curricular activities and programs that encourage
... Show Full Article
BRAMPTON, Ontario, June 15 (TNSAwa) -- Sheridan College issued the following news release:
Sheridan's EDGE Entrepreneurship Hub is the recipient of the prestigious Rising Star Award for Excellence in Student Engagement in Entrepreneurship at the Deshpande Symposium on Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Higher Education. Sheridan is the first Canadian institution to receive this honour.
With this award, the Deshpande Symposium Awards Committee have recognized EDGE for best exemplifying the spirit of commitment to develop innovative extra- and co-curricular activities and programs that encouragestudent leadership and engagement in entrepreneurship across an institution. Renee Devereaux, EDGE's Director, and Besma Soltan, EDGE's VenturED Program Lead, accepted the award virtually on Sheridan's behalf.
"This award is a reflection of growing momentum from students and faculty who bring forward creative ideas for both impact ventures and curricular collaborations that develop entrepreneurial skills," says Devereaux. We're very grateful for the recognition as well as the opportunity to continue to grow our impact at Sheridan and in the community."
Since opening its doors in March 2018, EDGE has provided a wide array of programs and services that continue to foster an innovation ecosystem among Sheridan students, alumni, faculty and staff, as well as with aspiring impact entrepreneurs from the community. Ideas are fueled by services that include mentorship, training and co-working space.
"EDGE continues to be recognized for their dedicated and passionate efforts in creating vital mentorship and training supports for Sheridan students, says John Helliker, Dean of Innovation at Sheridan. "What an incredible achievement that further solidifies their role as leaders both nationally and internationally in impact entrepreneurship and innovation."
"We honored Sheridan College's EDGE Incubator with this year's Rising Star award for their exemplary efforts to involve students and the significant impact their programming has made in a short period of time. The Deshpande Symposium Rising Star Award highlights programs that show potential and innovation, which Sheridan College so strongly exemplifies," said Deshpande Foundation Executive Director Raj Melville. "We're excited to see the program grow and look forward to their continued participation in the Deshpande Symposium."
Co-founded by the Deshpande Foundation and the University of Massachusetts Lowell in 2012, the Deshpande Symposium on Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Higher Education brings together academics, policy planners and practitioners to discuss best practices in integrating entrepreneurship throughout their college and university communities. Previous winners of the Rising Star Award have included Kent State University and Abilene Christian University.
Multi-Year John Deere Grant to Support Award-Winning University of Northern Iowa Community Partnership
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa, June 15 (TNSGra) -- The University of Northern Iowa issued the following news release:
A thriving community partnership is even stronger thanks to a renewed investment from one of the Cedar Valley's corporate leaders.
UNI Classic Upward Bound, a college preparatory program serving low-income and future first-generation college students in Waterloo, was recently awarded a $437,000 grant, to be awarded over the next three years, from the John Deere Foundation.
It's the largest private grant in the UNI Center for Urban Education program's 53-year history, and an extension of
... Show Full Article
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa, June 15 (TNSGra) -- The University of Northern Iowa issued the following news release:
A thriving community partnership is even stronger thanks to a renewed investment from one of the Cedar Valley's corporate leaders.
UNI Classic Upward Bound, a college preparatory program serving low-income and future first-generation college students in Waterloo, was recently awarded a $437,000 grant, to be awarded over the next three years, from the John Deere Foundation.
It's the largest private grant in the UNI Center for Urban Education program's 53-year history, and an extension offinancial and employee volunteer support John Deere has provided UNI Classic Upward Bound since 2010.
"Our partnership with John Deere is crucial to ensuring students graduate high school, eventually earn their college degree, and become future leaders in their communities," said Yolanda Williams, director of UNI Classic Upward Bound program.
"John Deere and their staff live up to their commitment of community building, and it is an honor to work with them," Williams said. "The renewal of this grant means we can plan for a more comprehensive and intentional experience for our first-generation and low-income participants."
The contribution is part of the John Deere Foundation's previously announced $200 million commitment to communities over the next 10 years. "Youth require equitable access to education in order for their lives to leap forward," said Pat Barnes, senior global program education & equity officer for John Deere. "Classic Upward Bound is an impactful program that provides equity to underserved populations and opportunity for students to succeed well after graduation.
In addition to tutoring and academic advising offered to high school student participants throughout the academic year, Classic Upward Bound students, aptly referred to as "scholars," participate in an intensive six-week summer curriculum covering math, science, technology, foreign language and financial literacy, among other courses. Several of these courses are taught by John Deere employees.
John Deere's investment, which supplements U.S. Department of Education and UNI funding, provides support for Classic Upward Bound's summer curriculum, robotics team and Bridge Program, in which graduating high school seniors can enroll in UNI courses on campus over the summer as they transition to their first year in college.
The current grant continues John Deere's commitment to providing resources to meet the growing number of student applicants for Classic Upward Bound. With the added support, the program is able to serve 10 additional students beyond the 85 typically enrolled and covered by federal funding.
A portion of the grant will also be used for a robust John Deere mentoring program in which company employees are paired with Upward Bound students for year-round support. Entering its fifth year, the mentoring program has grown to include more than 45 John Deere employees and 45 mentees.
Williams, who took over leadership of the program in 2020, said financial and human resources from John Deere have been instrumental in keeping students and their families engaged and supported over the past year as programming pivoted to a virtual format.
This summer's programming will be a hybrid model, providing academic components virtually and offering in-person activities weekly to ease the transition back to in-person programming this fall, Williams said.
Bringing New Life, Dining Concepts to Purdue's Historic Memorial Union Building
WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana, June 15 (TNSEco) -- Purdue University issued the following news release:
The grand Purdue Memorial Union on Purdue University's West Lafayette campus is undergoing a transformative renovation to the 67,000-square-foot ground floor, which will be complete later this year. The space is on schedule to open in January.
The investment in the adjoining Union Club Hotel and its subsequent renovation served as catalysts for the $47 million ground floor renovation, which began last August. Demolition work is complete, and construction activities are underway, including framing
... Show Full Article
WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana, June 15 (TNSEco) -- Purdue University issued the following news release:
The grand Purdue Memorial Union on Purdue University's West Lafayette campus is undergoing a transformative renovation to the 67,000-square-foot ground floor, which will be complete later this year. The space is on schedule to open in January.
The investment in the adjoining Union Club Hotel and its subsequent renovation served as catalysts for the $47 million ground floor renovation, which began last August. Demolition work is complete, and construction activities are underway, including framingout the areas for new venues and mechanical, electrical and plumbing work.
"Through our partnership with Aramark, we have been able to bring exciting new food options to campus, and we are already seeing success with the concepts in Griffin Residence Hall North and Meredith Residence Hall South," said Rob Wynkoop, associate vice president of auxiliary services. "When the ground floor of the Union reopens, even more new options will be readily accessible to students, faculty and staff and located near the parking garage and the Union Club Hotel for visitors."
Formerly, the ground floor of the PMU housed nine restaurants and a pub. When complete, the renovated space will house the following 12 dining venues including four restaurants developed by Chicago's acclaimed Cornerstone Restaurant Group and a sports bar and grill that is co-owned by Drew Brees, former Purdue quarterback:
* Aatish - Halal Contemporary Kitchen.
* BBQ District - Slow-cooked meats, regional sauces and savory sides.
* Boilermaker Market @ PMU - Convenience retailing with fresh, quality foods and beverages.
* Chef Bill Kim's - Asian dumplings and bowls using authentic ingredients.
* Fresh Fare - Fresh flavors with an emphasis on dairy-free and gluten-free options.
* Latin Inspired by Chef John Manion - South American flavors and Latin fare from Brazil and Argentina.
* Main Street Poke - Build-your-own sushi in a bowl, salad bar and boba teas.
* Pizza & Parm Shop - Detroit-style pizza with a caramelized cheese crust and creative parm sandwiches.
* Sol Toro - Mexican flavors with a modern flair.
* Starbucks(R) - Premium specialty coffee.
* Sushi Boss - Fresh custom sushi.
* Walk On's Sports Bistreaux - Scratch-made, Louisiana-inspired cuisine with a game-day flair: Burgers, wraps, salads, seafood specialties.
Indoor seating capacity will grow from approximately 700 to 900 seats, and nearly 150 additional seats will be created within two outdoor terraces, each of which feature a fire pit. The terraces will add more than 11,000 square feet of dining and collaboration space.
"The new terraces along the south side of the building will enhance the connectivity between the south lawn area and the lower level of the Union. They will also increase the vibrancy and draw of the eastern edge of campus, recently transformed through the State Street Redevelopment Project and the construction of the new gateway at State and Grant streets," said Jay Wasson, associate vice president of Physical Facilities. "The terraces are a significant aspect of the renovation because they will improve the visibility, accessibility, seating capacity, daylighting and overall aesthetic of the Union's ground floor."
The ground floor will also feature four performance stages, a fireplace lounge that brings in natural light, multiple collaboration areas with an increased number of outlets and better technology, diverse furniture options, enhanced wayfinding, greater accessibility and circulation, and gender neutral restrooms.
"When it reopens, the ground floor will be a destination, not only for the campus, but for the community as well," Wynkoop said. "It will be an inviting place to bring your family before a football game or to visit on a weekend."
Although the ground floor will have a fresh look, care is being taken to preserve the rich history of the facility, which was originally constructed in the 1920s with several additions built in subsequent years.
"The Union has a strong tradition, both as a physical cornerstone of campus and a social centerpiece of the student experience," said Zane Reif, director of Purdue Memorial Union. "The renovated ground floor preserves and celebrates key architectural elements of the building while creating a modernized space that enhances opportunities for students."
During the demolition phase of this project, original exterior walls were uncovered and will remain exposed as a feature of the complete renovation. Existing iconic plaster arches and wooden windows that were original to the 1924 construction of the facility will remain in the renovated space, accentuated by the new design.
"Students have always been at the forefront of what makes PMU such an important gathering space on campus," said Beth McCuskey, vice provost for student life. "The renovation continues the Union's tradition as a hub of student activity and provides opportunities for generations of Boilermakers to connect and create new memories as part of their Purdue experience."
Fundraising efforts have begun by the Purdue for Life Foundation with an overall goal of raising $5 million. Naming opportunities range from $50,000 to $2.5 million. More information on the Union ground floor renovation can be found online: https://www.union.purdue.edu/pmu-renovation/renovation-updates.html?_ga=2.53210795.2041481990.1623729901-844971201.1612595497
