Featured Stories
UTHealth Houston Researchers Redefine How to Assess Reflux Disease
HOUSTON, Texas, July 14 -- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston issued the following news:
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UTHealth Houston researchers redefine how to assess reflux disease
By Roman Petrowski
Researchers from UTHealth Houston have helped develop a new classification system designed to bring greater consistency and precision to how physicians evaluate one of the body's most important barriers against acid reflux.
The work, led by Nirav Thosani, MD, MHA, professor of gastroenterology and Atilla Ertan, MD, Endowed Chair in Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at McGovern Medical
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HOUSTON, Texas, July 14 -- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston issued the following news:
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UTHealth Houston researchers redefine how to assess reflux disease
By Roman Petrowski
Researchers from UTHealth Houston have helped develop a new classification system designed to bring greater consistency and precision to how physicians evaluate one of the body's most important barriers against acid reflux.
The work, led by Nirav Thosani, MD, MHA, professor of gastroenterology and Atilla Ertan, MD, Endowed Chair in Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at McGovern MedicalSchool at UTHealth Houston, focuses on the esophagogastric junction, the area where the esophagus meets the stomach and functions as a valve to prevent stomach contents from flowing backward. When the junction becomes disrupted, patients can develop gastroesophageal reflux disease, one of the most common digestive conditions worldwide.
For 30 years, physicians have relied on the Hill grade to assess the junction during endoscopy. While widely used, the system depends heavily on subjective interpretation and evaluates only one component of the anatomy. As a result, gastroenterologists and surgeons could examine the same patient and assign different grades, creating challenges for treatment planning and communication across specialties.
"The fundamental reason we undertook this work was simple: gastroenterologists and surgeons who treat reflux were describing the same anatomy in different ways, and we wanted one shared, standardized language to improve patient care," Thosani said.
To address that gap, the American Foregut Society assembled a multidisciplinary working group to create a more objective and reproducible classification system.
Unlike traditional clinical studies, this project was built through expert consensus rather than patient data collection. The group convened a 13-member panel comprised of seven gastroenterologists and six gastrointestinal surgeons and used a modified Delphi process to develop the framework.
Panel members first evaluated limitations of the existing Hill grading system through structured surveys, then proposed and refined improvements over multiple rounds of discussion until consensus was reached. Bringing both specialties together was intentional and central to the effort's goal of creating a common vocabulary for reflux care.
The resulting system introduces a standardized way to characterize the esophagogastric junction using three measurable components: length, diameter, and flap valve presence or absence.
Using centimeter-based measurements, the classification evaluates how much the opening in the diaphragm has widened and how far the stomach has shifted upward. The system categorizes the junction into four grades ranging from intact anatomy (grade 1) to complete disruption (grade 4), while also standardizing endoscopic technique and terminology.
"This classification replaces subjective impressions with objective measurements, allowing everyone caring for a patient to speak the same language," Thosani said.
Thosani said the approach could become increasingly important as new endoscopic therapies for reflux continue to emerge and selecting the right patients becomes more critical.
"It ultimately comes back to patients," he said. "When clinicians describe the junction consistently, treatment decisions become more informed and more reliable."
The team emphasized that accurate grading still depends on proper endoscopic technique, including sustained insufflation and gentle provocative maneuvers to avoid missing subtle hernias. They also noted that the framework builds on the foundational flap-valve work established by Dr. Lucius Hill.
Moving forward, the team will validate whether the classification predicts the presence and severity of gastroesophageal reflux disease and explore how it can be adapted for patients who have previously undergone anti-reflux procedures.
Contributing authors
Thosani and Erik B Wilson, MD, professor in the Department of Surgery and Lynn and Oscar Wyatt Chair in Metabolic Research at McGovern Medical School. Additional authors from the American Foregut Society include Ninh T. Nguyen, MD; Marcia Irene Canto, MD, MHS; Kenneth Chang, MD; John Lipham, MD; Barham Abu Dayyeh, MD, MPH; V. Raman Muthusamy, MD, MAS; John Clarke, MD; Reginald Bell, MD; Peter Janu, MD; Lee Swanstrom, MD; Ava Runge, MD; and Peter J. Kahrilas, MD.
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Original text here: https://www.uth.edu/news/story/uthealth-houston-researchers-redefine-how-to-assess-reflux-disease
Texas A&M Researchers to Examine Big Thicket National Preserve Economic Value
AUSTIN, Texas, July 14 -- Texas A&M University, a component of the public university system in Texas, posted the following news from its agriculture program:
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Texas A&M researchers to examine Big Thicket National Preserve economic value
Grant will fund study of Big Thicket's economic footprint in Southeast Texas
By Karn Dhingra
The National Parks Conservation Association has awarded researchers in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences a grant to study the economic opportunities associated with Big Thicket National Preserve in Southeast Texas.
The six-month study aims
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AUSTIN, Texas, July 14 -- Texas A&M University, a component of the public university system in Texas, posted the following news from its agriculture program:
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Texas A&M researchers to examine Big Thicket National Preserve economic value
Grant will fund study of Big Thicket's economic footprint in Southeast Texas
By Karn Dhingra
The National Parks Conservation Association has awarded researchers in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences a grant to study the economic opportunities associated with Big Thicket National Preserve in Southeast Texas.
The six-month study aimsto help policymakers, conservation organizations, community leaders and regional planners better understand the preserve's role as both a natural resource and an economic asset.
A collaboration rooted in relationships
Connor Clark, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Arch H. Aplin III '80 Department of Hospitality, Hotel Management and Tourism, co-leads the project in collaboration with the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management.
The grant, awarded by the National Parks Conservation Association and facilitated through a longstanding relationship between Texas A&M University and the National Park Service, connected Clark with the nonprofit that supports America's national parks.
"It shows the importance of our relationships with these agencies, especially those focused on conservation and public lands," Clark said.
Quantifying the value of a natural treasure
Only about 3% of Texas land is publicly owned, making Big Thicket, one of just 16 National Park Service sites in the state, a particularly significant ecological and economic resource.
The two-department collaboration divides the work by discipline. Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management researchers led by Roel Lopez, Ph.D., director of the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute and department head, will map land use changes around the preserve and assess implications for its future. Clark's team will analyze visitor numbers, spending patterns and the economic ripple effects on surrounding communities, from hotels and restaurants to fuel stations and retail shops.
The project will also identify opportunities to link Big Thicket into a broader regional tourism network, potentially connecting the preserve with attractions in the Houston area and on Galveston Island.
Clark and a graduate student will travel to the Big Thicket area this fall to interview park officials, local business owners and community members. A visitor survey will run simultaneously to capture spending data for the economic analysis.
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Original text here: https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2026/07/13/texas-am-researchers-to-examine-big-thicket-national-preserve-economic-value/
Scottsdale Community College Launches Workplace Communication Certificate to Meet Workforce Needs
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona, July 14 -- Scottsdale Community College issued the following news:
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SCC Launches New Workplace Communication Certificate to Meet Workforce Needs
Career-focused program combines communication skills and experiential learning to prepare students for workplace success
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Scottsdale Community College (SCC) is launching its new Communication Competence in the Workplace Academic Certificate for the Fall 2026 semester. This new workforce-focused program is designed to help students develop the communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and leadership competencies that
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SCOTTSDALE, Arizona, July 14 -- Scottsdale Community College issued the following news:
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SCC Launches New Workplace Communication Certificate to Meet Workforce Needs
Career-focused program combines communication skills and experiential learning to prepare students for workplace success
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Scottsdale Community College (SCC) is launching its new Communication Competence in the Workplace Academic Certificate for the Fall 2026 semester. This new workforce-focused program is designed to help students develop the communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and leadership competencies thatemployers consistently identify as essential for workplace success across industries.
The certificate prepares students to thrive in today's dynamic workplace through applied learning experiences that mirror real-world professional challenges. Rather than focusing solely on communication theory, the program emphasizes practical skill development in interpersonal communication, team collaboration, public speaking, problem-solving, conflict resolution, leadership, and professional relationship-building.
"Employers across every industry tell us they need professionals who can communicate effectively, collaborate with diverse teams, solve problems, and lead with confidence," said Dr. Eric Leshinskie, President of Scottsdale Community College. "This certificate gives students the opportunity to develop those essential workplace competencies through hands-on, experiential learning. By combining classroom instruction with real-world application, we're helping students build the skills that lead to career success and strengthen Arizona's workforce."
The interdisciplinary certificate combines coursework in written and oral communication with experiential learning opportunities that allow students to practice and refine their skills in authentic settings. Students learn to communicate effectively in one-on-one conversations, small-group environments, presentations, and team-based projects while developing the adaptability and professionalism required in today's workplace.
A distinguishing feature of the program is its service-learning field experience, which enables students to apply classroom concepts through work with private and public agencies, educational institutions, and community organizations. Carole Redden, a Communication professor at SCC says, "This experiential component provides valuable opportunities for students to navigate real workplace communication challenges, gain professional experience, and build meaningful connections within the community."
Upon completion of the certificate, students will be able to:
* Communicate effectively in professional and organizational settings
* Collaborate productively as members and leaders of teams
* Deliver clear and persuasive presentations
* Navigate interpersonal and workplace communication challenges
* Apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to real-world situations
* Build professional relationships that support career growth and organizational success
The certificate reflects SCC's commitment to preparing students not only with academic knowledge, but also with the durable, transferable skills that employers value most. Because effective communication is essential across industries - from business and healthcare to education, technology, nonprofit organizations, and public service - the program provides students with competencies that can enhance career opportunities in virtually any field.
For more information about the certificate, visit Communication Competence in the Workplace (https://www.scottsdalecc.edu/degrees-certificates/culture-and-society/communication-competence-workplace-6219n-ac).
Learn (https://www.scottsdalecc.edu/news/2026/skill-employers-across-industries-agree-communication) from local executives about the importance of having solid communication skills in the workplace.
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Original text here: https://www.scottsdalecc.edu/news/2026/scc-launches-new-workplace-communication-certificate-meet-workforce-needs
New Jersey Institute of Technology: Accelerated Program Propelled Krish Poudel Toward Medicine and Innovation
NEWARK, New Jersey, July 14 -- The New Jersey Institute of Technology issued the following news:
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Accelerated Program Propelled Krish Poudel Toward Medicine and Innovation
Written by: Mindy Weisberger
Good things may come to those who wait, but Krish Poudel '26 isn't waiting to pursue his lifelong dream of a medical career. It took him just three years to earn a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering as part of New Jersey Institute of Technology's accelerated B.S./M.D. program, and he now continues his M.D. studies at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.
A graduate of Newark College
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NEWARK, New Jersey, July 14 -- The New Jersey Institute of Technology issued the following news:
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Accelerated Program Propelled Krish Poudel Toward Medicine and Innovation
Written by: Mindy Weisberger
Good things may come to those who wait, but Krish Poudel '26 isn't waiting to pursue his lifelong dream of a medical career. It took him just three years to earn a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering as part of New Jersey Institute of Technology's accelerated B.S./M.D. program, and he now continues his M.D. studies at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.
A graduate of Newark Collegeof Engineering (NCE) and an Albert Dorman Honors College (ADHC) Scholar, Poudel grew up in Massachusetts and traces his interest in medicine to high school. His studies support a longstanding determination to connect medical research, engineering and patient care. After the death of his grandmother in a rural area of Nepal where she lacked access to lifesaving treatments, Poudel recognized the value of working directly with people, "taking all the things I would innovate and research and actually delivering them to patients," he says.
During his senior year of high school and the two summer breaks before college, Poudel completed the National Institute of Health's Summer Research Program and the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center Summer Program, learning from the lab's principal investigator (PI), graduate students, and physicians at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. In the program, he designed software for identifying tumors in lung tissue; the algorithm detected white blood cells and necrotic tissue, calculated the number of tumors and determined what percentage of the total lung tissue was cancerous.
He presented the research at the 2022 National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) Research Symposium, and it was incorporated into a peer-reviewed study on tumor ablation -- treatments that destroy cancerous cells in tumors by rupturing, freezing or burning them. Poudel is a co-author of the paper, published in 2023 in the journal Frontiers in Immunology.
Motivation and Innovation
Poudel also contributed to building a device for electrically stripping chlorophyll from spinach leaves, enabling modification of the plant's cellulose into scaffolding for use in organ transplants. Later, when he met and spoke with people who were waiting for organ donations and who could potentially benefit from the device, he was deeply affected by their stories.
"Seeing that human reaction was really motivating to me," he says.
Poudel returned to the NIDDK program in 2024, this time joining a cardiovascular research lab at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (NJMS). He studied how heart tissue responds to cardiac stress and engineered a Raspberry Pi-based system to monitor laboratory freezer temperatures.
Working under the mentorship of the lab's PI and graduate students, Poudel learned techniques such as whole-mount immunohistochemistry -- a process for staining and visualizing three-dimensional tissue structures -- and confocal microscopy, a type of optical imaging. He credits these skills with sharpening his approach to hands-on research in "wet labs," where scientists handle chemical solutions, biological samples and other liquids.
He presented both projects at the 2024 NIDDK Research Symposium -- his second time sharing research there.
Pursuing Patents
Soon after his arrival at NJIT, Poudel joined the Clinical Neuromuscular Adaptation Laboratory (CNAlab) under Jongsang Son, an assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. There, Poudel designed an app and wearable device to monitor posture, balance and motion in elderly people who are high-risk for falls -- work for which he is now pursuing a patent.
"Seven seconds before they're likely to fall, I use a predictive algorithm to catch that and then alert the user," he explains. "The device will start vibrating, and so they can quickly grab a seat and prevent that acute risk of falling."
In that lab, Poudel also led a four-person team on a year-long senior capstone project: a wearable rehabilitative exosuit that uses motor-driven elastic bands to nudge its wearer toward a healthier posture, designed to help patients with spinal deformities, muscular imbalances or chronic poor posture.
The exosuit took third place at NJIT's 2026 Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Showcase, and the team is pursuing a patent for the design. Poudel's progress across both projects was supported by two master's-level courses he completed as an undergraduate.
His work in a biomedical engineering class then caught the attention of the course's professor, Xiaobo Li, who invited Poudel to join the Computational Neuroanatomy and Neuroinformatics (CNN) Lab, a neurology-based environment integrating statistics with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning for analysis of cognitive and behavioral disorders. In the CNN Lab, Poudel used computer modeling to trace how environmental variables -- family conflict, screen time and parental monitoring, for example -- interacted with the developmental trajectories of children who had experienced traumatic brain injuries (TBI), to produce psychopathology over time.
He is now extending his work by conducting neuroimaging studies of brain regions and neural activity "so we can find and implicate neural structures and design interventions to help these kids," he says. To prepare for that neuroimaging work, he completed a doctoral-level course.
As the only undergraduate student in 2026 to successfully defend an honors thesis, Poudel received a plaque from Bryan Pfister, chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering.
As Poudel advanced through the accelerated program, another instrumental figure emerged: ADHC advisor Paul Hoyt-O'Connor, supervisor of all B.S./M.D. majors. "He's been there every step of the way," Poudel says. "He helped me find communities on campus. He helped me find my niche here and realize my research potential."
One of Poudel's campus communities was the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, an academic honor society that accepts eligible individuals from all engineering disciplines. He joined in the spring of 2025, and later was elected as vice president of alumni affairs, a role that he held for three semesters.
"Communication is something I pride myself on, and I wanted to be the interface and the bridge between the alumni of the club and the current students," he says. "Organizing things like an intern panel or alumni tabling events -- where alumni would come back and support people in our organization to help them find jobs or sharpen their interviewing skills -- that was really meaningful to me."
In 2026, Poudel was named an NCE Outstanding Senior for the Department of Biomechanical Engineering, at NJIT's 28th Annual Salute to Engineering Excellence, and he was chosen as NCE's Gonfalon Carrier, an honor reserved for a distinguished graduate who leads their college in the commencement procession. During the April 16 Outstanding Senior ceremony, he received the Gilbert W. Glass Leadership Scholarship for his work in peer mentoring and NJIT community leadership, commemorating the hundreds of hours he spent tutoring fellow students in math, science, and engineering at the University's Norma J. Clayton Learning Center.
Those recognitions cap a long list of NJIT distinctions. Poudel earned the American Council of Engineering Companies of New Jersey (ACECNJ) Scholarship for Engineering Excellence; took top honors at the NJIT Honors Interdisciplinary Research Forum for his holistic analysis on health disparities; and was the only NJIT student invited to a panel otherwise composed of alumni, spotlighting Asian American and Pacific Islander trailblazers in STEM. He also competed nationally through HOSA-Future Health Professionals, placing first at the New Jersey state conference and third at the international level.
To close out his time at NJIT, Poudel wrote a 90-page honors thesis titled "Longitudinal Bidirectional Associations Between Psychosocial Risk Factors and Youth Psychopathology Induced by Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury," defending it to a faculty group that included Li and Hoyt-O'Connor. Building on that research, he is now conducting neuroimaging studies for a paper for which he will be the lead author.
"By doing the thesis, I grew in my ability to conceptualize new research questions and address them with innovative study designs," he says. The experience helped him practice writing for audiences that include people who are familiar with his research topic, and people who are not.
"The biggest professional takeaway that I got from NJIT was the desire to pursue an M.D. with research integrated into my career," he explains. "I realized that I like research, and I want research to be involved in my career, to the point that I would like to split my attention between pursuing translational research and providing clinical care."
Poudel says that he has always tackled problem-solving by analyzing how large-scale problems break down into smaller, interconnected elements. In the coming years, he hopes to apply this type of systems-level thinking to his medical studies, research and future career.
"That mindset can be really successful when you're able to conceptualize a problem in a very big scope, and then narrow down to specific things that you want to do."
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Original text here: https://news.njit.edu/accelerated-program-propelled-krish-poudel-toward-medicine-and-innovation
John Keigher Has Impacted Kankakee Community College & Beyond
KANKAKEE, Illinois, July 14 -- Kankakee Community College issued the following news:
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John Keigher has impacted KCC & beyond
Following a career defined by executive leadership, entrepreneurial success, and unwavering commitment to servant leadership, John Keigher has been named the 2026 John M. Fulton Distinguished Alumni Award recipient by the KCC Foundation.
A graduate of KCC with an Associate in Applied Science degree in Computer Information Systems, Keigher's career has been in transportation, manufacturing, financial services, and consumer products.
Keigher served as director and
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KANKAKEE, Illinois, July 14 -- Kankakee Community College issued the following news:
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John Keigher has impacted KCC & beyond
Following a career defined by executive leadership, entrepreneurial success, and unwavering commitment to servant leadership, John Keigher has been named the 2026 John M. Fulton Distinguished Alumni Award recipient by the KCC Foundation.
A graduate of KCC with an Associate in Applied Science degree in Computer Information Systems, Keigher's career has been in transportation, manufacturing, financial services, and consumer products.
Keigher served as director andpartner of Midwest Transit Equipment, Inc., then as CEO of Urban Farmer. Keigher remains active as a fractional executive, strategic advisor, and consultant to emerging and growth-stage companies.
"Across every aspect of his career and service, John exemplifies the values of leadership, innovation, integrity, and lifelong commitment to education," said Nancy Schunke, director of alumni engagement at KCC. "His impact on Kankakee County and the surrounding region has been significant and enduring, making him a truly deserving recipient of this honor."
Keigher currently serves in numerous leadership roles, including:
* Village trustee and finance chairman, Village of Roanoke, Illinois
* Board member and governance committee chair, KCC Foundation Board
* Board member, Midland Institute for Entrepreneurship
* Board chair, Kankakee County CEO Program; he helped establish in Kankakee County
* Founding board member, Heart of Illinois CEO
* Board member, Roanoke-Benson Hope Center
Among many other civic and nonprofit leadership roles, Keigher has also served as president of the Kankakee County Chamber of Commerce and was a longtime board member of United Way of Kankakee and Iroquois Counties.
Keigher has mentored and developed future business leaders through the CEO Program, which connects students to real-world business experiences, mentorship, and entrepreneurial opportunities.
"John's impact extends far beyond his professional achievements," said Dr. Kay Green, Chair of the KCC Foundation Board. "He leads with humility, invests deeply in others, and consistently uses his talents and resources to strengthen our community. His service to the Foundation and commitment to student success reflect the very best of what this award represents."
John and his wife, Shanon, are proud supporters and donors to the KCC Foundation.
"John Keigher represents the very best of Kankakee Community College," said Dr. Michael Boyd, KCC's President. "From his beginnings as a student in our Computer Information Systems program to his success as a CEO, entrepreneur, and respected community leader, John has remained committed to lifting others and creating opportunity. His leadership has left a lasting mark on this region."
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About Kankakee Community College
Kankakee Community College serves more than 3,500 students each year with award-winning, accredited programs that lead to associate degrees, certificates, and transfer opportunities to four-year universities. With guidance from local business and industry, KCC's career programs prepare students for today's workforce. The college also offers continuing education, certification training, job fairs, literacy, ESL, and GED preparation. With over 56 areas of study, KCC is the region's trusted choice for affordable education and career advancement.
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Original text here: https://news.kcc.edu/2026/07/13/alumnus-john-keigher-honored-for-achievements.html
Heidelberg University: Foundation Stone to Be Laid for Research Building
HEIDELBERG, Germany, July 14 -- Heidelberg University issued the following news release:
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Foundation Stone to be Laid for New Research Building
LEMS building creates space for research on engineering of life-inspired molecular systems
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Heidelberg University is getting a new research building to advance the development of innovative engineering science strategies and technologies based on life-inspired molecular systems. The building for "Life-inspired Engineering Molecular Systems" (LEMS) is going up on the Im Neuenheimer Feld Campus and will provide space and infrastructure for an innovative
... Show Full Article
HEIDELBERG, Germany, July 14 -- Heidelberg University issued the following news release:
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Foundation Stone to be Laid for New Research Building
LEMS building creates space for research on engineering of life-inspired molecular systems
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Heidelberg University is getting a new research building to advance the development of innovative engineering science strategies and technologies based on life-inspired molecular systems. The building for "Life-inspired Engineering Molecular Systems" (LEMS) is going up on the Im Neuenheimer Feld Campus and will provide space and infrastructure for an innovativeresearch program at the interface of the engineering sciences, natural sciences and life sciences. The Mannheim and Heidelberg office of the state company Vermogen und Bau is hosting a ceremony to lay the foundation stone on 15 July 2026. Also attending, apart from the First Vice-Rector of Ruperto Carola, will be representatives of the Baden-Wurttemberg Finance Ministry and Science Ministry.
In the context of the Excellence Strategy, Heidelberg University has focused on a new interdisciplinary topic with "engineering molecular systems" - an internationally trailblazing research area - which entails great transfer and translation potential as an innovation driver. This includes, for instance, energy-efficient technologies such as 3D-printed sensors and novel applications in medical diagnosis. The building for "Life-inspired Engineering Molecular Systems", with its approximately 3,600 square meters of usable floor area, will be used as a collaboration center by researchers from materials science, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine and artificial intelligence. The aim is to investigate artificial cell systems that respond autonomously and dynamically, and to develop micro and nanosystems patterned on nature. Such life-inspired systems are not in thermal equilibrium, they change actively, can repair themselves and react to external stimuli. This new type of "engineering" is also to be implemented in technical applications.
The German Science and Humanities Council had recommended the research building to the Joint Science Conference for funding. The project, financed by the German federal government and the Baden-Wurttemberg state government, has a total budget of approximately 70 million euros. Construction costs account for just under 58 million euros, one quarter of which is being covered by the university. Approximately twelve million euros has been allocated to infrastructure, particularly to provide large-scale research equipment. Construction work is scheduled to be completed by July 2028, so that the LEMS building can go into operation in December 2028.
The ceremony to lay the foundation stone will be opened by Marco Grubbel, director of the Mannheim and Heidelberg office of the state company Vermogen und Bau. The next speakers will be Prof. Kai Fischer, head of department in the Finance Ministry, and Dr Hans J. Reiter, ministerial director in the Science Ministry. Greetings will come from Prof. Dr Andreas Dreuw, First Vice-Rector of Heidelberg University, and Stefanie Jansen, Deputy Mayor of the City of Heidelberg.
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Original text here: https://www.uni-heidelberg.de/en/newsroom/foundation-stone-to-be-laid-for-new-research-building
FIU: Student Helps Bring Lost Florida Palm Back From the Brink
MIAMI, Florida, July 14 -- Florida International University, a component of the public university system in Florida, issued the following news:
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Student helps bring lost Florida palm back from the brink
By Michelle Marie Arean
For more than 40 years, scientists believed the Miami palmetto palm had disappeared from the wild -- until FIU Ph.D. candidate Daniel Tucker helped prove it was still there.
Tucker is uncovering the genetic secrets of the Sabal miamiensis to give conservationists new tools to protect it. His research is supported by the Catherine H. Beattie Fellowship in Conservation
... Show Full Article
MIAMI, Florida, July 14 -- Florida International University, a component of the public university system in Florida, issued the following news:
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Student helps bring lost Florida palm back from the brink
By Michelle Marie Arean
For more than 40 years, scientists believed the Miami palmetto palm had disappeared from the wild -- until FIU Ph.D. candidate Daniel Tucker helped prove it was still there.
Tucker is uncovering the genetic secrets of the Sabal miamiensis to give conservationists new tools to protect it. His research is supported by the Catherine H. Beattie Fellowship in ConservationHorticulture, which promotes the preservation endangered plants in the southeastern United States and is funded by the Garden Club of America and the Center for Plant Conservation. This palm species is considered critically endangered in its native habitat due to habitat destruction.
Tucker began by following the evidence alongside Larry Noblick, palm biologist emeritus with Montgomery Botanical Center, and Tim Joyner, preserve manager with Miami-Dade County's Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources. The evidence led them to a small preserve in Miami-Dade surrounded by urban development. There, they discovered about 40 individual wild plants that looked like they could be the lost palm. The team examined the surrounding habit and soil conditions and consulted scientific literature to confirm their findings and a year later discovered another 60 of the palms nearby.
"It was an incredible moment because it's a lot of emotions all at once," Tucker said. "You know that now there's hope. You have something in front of you that you know you can work with."
With support from the fellowship, Tucker is now building a reference genome that will provide a genetic baseline template for scientists. By mapping this DNA, Tucker can identify the most optimal breeding pairs, allowing the team to clone and cryopreserve individuals for the future.
"If we didn't have genomic resources, we'd be flying blind for a lot of these things," he said. "Everything that we do is moving towards conservation."
The Miami palmetto, which once existed in Miami-Dade County's pine rocklands and along the Atlantic Coastal Ridge up to about Boca Raton, lost most of its habitat to rapid urbanization and development.
The rescued palms, along with mature plants collected in the '80s and '90s, are currently being cared for at Montgomery Botanical Center to help conserve the lineage. The team has identified a few suitable locations for reintroduction in partnership with Miami-Dade County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program. They expect to reintroduce about 50 individual plants in the wild by early next year.
As a safeguard, seeds and young plants have also been donated to other botanical gardens for conservation.
"No one garden can do everything," Tucker said. "By joining together, we can do a decent job of conserving that biodiversity."
A species once thought to be extinct in the wild now has a fighting chance in its original Miami home due to a mix of instinct and modern genomics. Tucker plans to continue the conservation program while studying the evolution of theSabal species.
Tucker is Ph.D. candidate in Earth Systems Science at FIU in the Conservation & Sustainable Horticulture Lab and a Montgomery Botanical Graduate Fellow at Montgomery Botanical Center.
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Original text here: https://news.fiu.edu/2026/student-helps-bring-lost-florida-palm-back-from-the-brink
