Education (Colleges & Universities)
Here's a look at documents from public, private and community colleges in the U.S.
Featured Stories
University of Texas Dallas: Shared Brain Network Aging Patterns Identified in Humans, Mice
RICHARDSON, Texas, March 26 (TNSjou) -- The University of Texas Dallas campus issued the following news:
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Shared Brain Network Aging Patterns Identified in Humans, Mice
By: Stephen Fontenot
Researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas' Center for Vital Longevity (CVL) and Columbia University's Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute have identified shared patterns of brain network organization and age-related change between mice and humans.
The finding that brain system segregation, a measure of how strongly brain regions cluster into functionally specialized networks, decreases with
... Show Full Article
RICHARDSON, Texas, March 26 (TNSjou) -- The University of Texas Dallas campus issued the following news:
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Shared Brain Network Aging Patterns Identified in Humans, Mice
By: Stephen Fontenot
Researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas' Center for Vital Longevity (CVL) and Columbia University's Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute have identified shared patterns of brain network organization and age-related change between mice and humans.
The finding that brain system segregation, a measure of how strongly brain regions cluster into functionally specialized networks, decreases withage in mice provides a new framework for probing the mechanisms of cognitive aging and informing strategies to improve brain health in aging humans.
Dr. Gagan Wig, associate professor of psychology in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, is corresponding author of an article published online the week of March 23 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that demonstrates that mice share key features of human brain network aging, establishing a platform for cross-species investigation.
In humans, large-scale functional brain networks support coordinated brain function while remaining distinct in their roles. Over time, however, this distinctiveness declines, and the networks become less differentiated.
"The process of network dedifferentiation is linked to declining memory function in older adults and is prognostic of Alzheimer's disease dementia," Wig said. "We also know that environmental exposures -- including chronic stress, diet and exercise -- modulate dementia risk, and we have begun to see their impacts on human brain network changes. Experiments with humans are limited in their ability to isolate the specific factors and mechanisms driving brain changes across the lifespan -- it's difficult to control for all potential sources of individual differences that may lead to accelerated aging."
Cross-species models of brain network decline offer a powerful platform to study its underlying drivers and isolate the most significant factors shaping these changes, Wig said.
"With the animal model we can now test what might make us more vulnerable or more resilient to aging and examine how disease processes and potential treatments, including those relevant to Alzheimer's disease, affect brain networks in ways that can be directly compared to observations in humans," he said.
Ezra Winter-Nelson, a cognition and neuroscience doctoral student and lead author of the study, said that while mice have often been useful models to understand molecular and cellular changes in the brain, the new findings show that they also can be used to examine how complex brain networks change with age.
"The mouse model serves as a bridge not only between humans and animals, but also across spatial scales," Winter-Nelson said. "What's more, you can document an entire mouse lifespan in two to three years, which allows us to get valuable longitudinal data, and ask questions about environments, genetic influences, diet and stress."
In the study, researchers performed resting-state functional MRIs at various points in the lives of awake mice ages 3 to 20 months. The study was distinctive because the imaging scans were performed on awake mice as opposed to imaging the animals under anesthesia, Wig said. Just as in humans, brain activity in mice differs under anesthesia compared to awake rest.
The finding that mice, like humans, exhibit declining brain network organization as they age lays the foundation for cross-species comparative analysis to identify the causes and consequences of brain network decline, according to study co-senior author Dr. Itamar Kahn, a principal investigator at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute and an associate professor of neuroscience at Columbia University.
"Over the past 15 years, we've worked to establish the mouse as a model that we can compare directly to humans," Kahn said. "We know now that system segregation exists in mice, and it decreases with age as in humans, though in humans it decreases faster."
The discovery that, when accounting for lifespan, functional brain network organization declines more rapidly in humans than in mice was a surprise and highlight of the work, Wig said.
"Our findings indicate that mice exhibit more modular network organization compared to humans in young adulthood, and that, when scaled to their lifespan, humans show more rapid age-related decline in this organization," he said. "These differences are important to consider in understanding the limitations of animal models and in identifying what makes human aging unique."
Winter-Nelson said the researchers took care not to base analyses on potential human-animal similarities that may not exist.
"Some brain systems in humans underlie things like language, planning or complex cognitive processes that we don't intend to imply are present in mice," he said. "Instead, we focus on quantifying the network as a whole. We're confident in the similarities we have identified in terms of overall organization of brain networks."
Other UT Dallas-affiliated authors include CVL research scientist Micaela Chan MS'12, PhD'16, postdoctoral researcher Ziwei Zhang PhD'24 and Liang Han PhD'22.
In addition to Columbia University, other contributors are from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and the Allen Institute for Brain Science.
The work was supported by a grant (R24AG065172) from the National Institutes of Health's Animal Models for the Social Dimensions of Health and Aging Research Network, the National Institute on Aging (R01AG063930, R01AG092219), the James S. McDonnell Foundation, and The Carol and Gene Ludwig Center for Research on Neurodegeneration at Columbia.
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Original text here: https://news.utdallas.edu/health-medicine/shared-brain-network-aging-patterns-2026/
University of Missouri: What NASA's Artemis Program Means for Humanity's Return to the Moon
COLUMBIA, Missouri, March 26 -- The University of Missouri issued the following news release:
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What NASA's Artemis program means for humanity's return to the moon
Linda Godwin, a retired NASA astronaut and professor emeritus of astronomy at the University of Missouri, shares insights on modern space exploration.
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When the first American rocketed into space in 1961, an 8-year-old girl in Jackson, Missouri, looked up at the stars with wonder. At the time, little did Linda Godwin know that she'd one day join that exclusive club of space explorers.
After earning her master's and doctorate
... Show Full Article
COLUMBIA, Missouri, March 26 -- The University of Missouri issued the following news release:
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What NASA's Artemis program means for humanity's return to the moon
Linda Godwin, a retired NASA astronaut and professor emeritus of astronomy at the University of Missouri, shares insights on modern space exploration.
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When the first American rocketed into space in 1961, an 8-year-old girl in Jackson, Missouri, looked up at the stars with wonder. At the time, little did Linda Godwin know that she'd one day join that exclusive club of space explorers.
After earning her master's and doctoratefrom Mizzou, Godwin was selected as a NASA astronaut candidate in 1985. Her remarkable career includes over 915 hours in space across four shuttle missions and two historic spacewalks, including a six-hour spacewalk at the Mir Space Station.
Following her retirement in 2010 from NASA, she became a professor of astronomy in Mizzou's College of Arts and Science, inspiring the next generation of space enthusiasts. Now, as NASA aims to return humans to the moon with the Artemis program, Godwin, a professor emerita, reflects on a new chapter of space exploration.
Why is it still challenging to go to the moon more than 50 years after the Apollo missions?
Godwin: Traveling to the moon costs more money and is more dangerous than flying to low Earth orbit, where the International Space Station is located. Missions to the moon require larger rockets, more fuel and a special spacecraft called a lunar lander. The lander carries astronauts to the moon's surface, then lifts off again and returns to lunar orbit so the astronauts can rejoin the spacecraft that will take them back to Earth.
How will future missions to the moon be different than those during the Apollo era?
Godwin: Artemis missions will carry a crew of four astronauts, and, beginning with Artemis IV, all of them will land on the moon. This is different from the Apollo era, when one astronaut remained in orbit.
Also, instead of launching the lunar lander with the astronauts, it will go into space first and wait in a special gravity-balanced orbit near the moon until the crew arrives. This reduces the rocket's weight and could allow the lander to be reused, an ability that does not exist today.
Additionally, the Artemis missions will land near the moon's south pole, which adds extra challenges due to lighting conditions that alternate between near-total darkness and the harsh glare from low-angle sunlight. Because of this, future missions to the moon may find water ice and other frozen materials hidden inside craters that have never been touched by sunlight.
What are some of the hardest challenges to predict in space?
Godwin: Equipment failures are unavoidable, and no one can plan for every possibility. Crew health is another concern, so astronauts and flight controllers train extensively to handle emergencies, and at least one crew member is trained in medical care. Future missions may also use technologies like 3D printing to make replacement parts in space.
What do scientists still need to learn about the human body in space?
Godwin: Living in microgravity, or any free-fall orbit, can cause bone loss, weaker muscles and changes in body fluids. Thanks to more than 25 years spent on the International Space Station, we now know ways to reduce some of these problems. Researchers have also found other issues, like vision changes and a higher risk of blood clots, but they don't have solutions yet. The moon's partial gravity might help, though we don't know for sure.
How do moon missions help prepare for future missions to Mars?
Godwin: The moon serves as a testing ground for living and working far from Earth. Engineers can try out different habitat designs, power systems and spacesuits that could later be used on Mars. Also, the moon has about one-sixth of Earth's gravity, while Mars has about one-third. By studying astronauts on the moon, we can understand how the human body reacts to lower gravity compared to both Earth and the weightlessness of space.
How can NASA's Artemis program inspire future generations?
Godwin: Just as Apollo era inspired earlier generations, the Artemis program can excite people about space today. Watching humans return to the moon shows young people that ambitious goals are still possible.
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Original text here: https://showme.missouri.edu/2026/what-nasas-artemis-program-means-for-humanitys-return-to-the-moon/
University of Georgia: Frequent Social Media Use Could Impact Child Development
ATHENS, Georgia, March 26 (TNSjou) -- The University of Georgia issued the following news:
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Frequent social media use could impact child development
Adolescents who use social media may have weaker reading skills but higher processing speed
By Sydney Barrilleaux
Regular social media use across early adolescence is related to worse reading and vocabulary development over time, according to new research from the University of Georgia.
The study found that adolescents who used social media more often each day tend to struggle with recognizing and pronouncing words.
The new findings come
... Show Full Article
ATHENS, Georgia, March 26 (TNSjou) -- The University of Georgia issued the following news:
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Frequent social media use could impact child development
Adolescents who use social media may have weaker reading skills but higher processing speed
By Sydney Barrilleaux
Regular social media use across early adolescence is related to worse reading and vocabulary development over time, according to new research from the University of Georgia.
The study found that adolescents who used social media more often each day tend to struggle with recognizing and pronouncing words.
The new findings comejust as Australia became the first country to ban children under 16 from using social media. As other countries consider similar measures, and social media platforms roll out age verification to restrict adolescents' online activity, the study raises additional concerns on the impact of social media and screen use on childhood development, the researchers said.
"The brain is like a muscle. The more you use it, the more it changes according to however you're using it," said Cory Carvalho, lead author of the study who received his doctorate from the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences. "If you think of the Olympics, the figure skaters are really good at figure skating because they spend eight hours a day doing it. Their muscles are wired to be figure skating machines.
"If kids spend over eight hours a day using social media, that's what their brains are going to adapt to and be wired for."
Spending excessive time on social media linked to weaker reading skills, vocabulary
The study relied on longitudinal data from the ongoing Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, which follows more than 10,000 adolescents over six years starting around age 10.
The researchers found that frequent social media use was linked to struggles with reading and vocabulary across four years.
"There's a time cost to social media use. If you're spending time doing one thing, that means you're not spending time doing another thing," Carvalho said. "Other studies found that the more kids are using social media, the less they're reading, so reading development lags behind. We also found this with their vocabulary."
Weaker reading and vocabulary skills could impact a child's school performance.
Children who used social media more often also struggled with attentional control across the same period. This could be because juggling multiple tasks and frequent notifications disrupt kids' attention, but it's also possible that adolescents who already struggle with focusing are more likely to use social media, the researchers said.
Kids who use social media more tend to process information faster
Not all the impacts of social media use were negative, though, the researchers said. Children who were on social media frequently processed information faster and had shorter reaction times. However, the researchers cautioned that these observed benefits may be limited to screen-based assessments of processing speed, like the one used in the study.
"It's not necessarily that social media is having only these negative effects or only these positive effects," said Niyantri Ravindran, co-author of the study and an assistant professor in the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences. "The negative effects on vocabulary and reading are more expected because social media is potentially depriving kids of opportunities to engage in some of those higher-level cognitive skills."
Social media can also help children stay connected with others, especially if they're in an environment where making friends is difficult, the researchers said.
Limiting screen time, waiting to get kids a smartphone could build better habits
To help combat those negative effects, the researchers suggest limiting screen time for adolescents, especially before bed. They also recommend waiting until kids are older to purchase a smartphone.
If parents do need to stay in touch with their kids, a "dumb phone" that can't access social media could also be an option, the researchers said.
"Social media is new, so everybody's trying to figure out what we do with this new paradigm," Carvalho said. "Kids like it. Adults like it. And everybody uses it.
"What you're going to see is that a lot of different states, countries and organizations are going to try different things. Hopefully, we settle on some norms that work for kids and not for profits."
The study was published in the Journal of Research on Adolescence.
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Original text here: https://news.uga.edu/social-media-impacts-kids/?_gl=1*txbbym*_ga*NDYwMzI4OTUxLjE3NjE3MjkzODM.*_ga_6H213MG7X1*czE3NzQ1MTI0OTEkbzgwJGcwJHQxNzc0NTEyNDkxJGo2MCRsMCRoMA..
SUNY University at Albany: Study Identifies Pollutant Exposure as Gap in Human Biology Research
ALBANY, New York, March 26 (TNSjou) -- SUNY University at Albany issued the following news:
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Study Identifies Pollutant Exposure as Gap in Human Biology Research
By Michael Parker
Pollutants can harm human health and enter the body through the air people breathe, the water they drink and the food they eat. Yet even as evidence of widespread exposure has been found in populations around the world, researchers have not consistently accounted for these exposures in studies of human biology.
Now, new research led by UAlbany's Center for the Elimination of Health Disparities is tackling that
... Show Full Article
ALBANY, New York, March 26 (TNSjou) -- SUNY University at Albany issued the following news:
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Study Identifies Pollutant Exposure as Gap in Human Biology Research
By Michael Parker
Pollutants can harm human health and enter the body through the air people breathe, the water they drink and the food they eat. Yet even as evidence of widespread exposure has been found in populations around the world, researchers have not consistently accounted for these exposures in studies of human biology.
Now, new research led by UAlbany's Center for the Elimination of Health Disparities is tackling thatgap. Publishing in the American Journal of Human Biology, scientists Lawrence M. Schell and Mia V. Gallo outline why measuring pollutant exposure should be a central component of research on growth, development, reproduction and chronic disease.
"Pollutants are part of the environments people live in every day, and they influence the body in ways we are still working to fully understand," said Schell, a distinguished professor of anthropology and epidemiology & biostatistics. "If we don't measure those exposures, we risk missing an important piece of how health is shaped."
Measuring what the body carries
Rather than presenting new experimental findings, the paper serves as a practical guide for researchers looking to incorporate pollutant exposure into their work. It outlines how different contaminants -- including heavy metals, industrial chemicals and airborne pollutants -- can be detected in the body using samples such as blood, urine, hair and nails.
The authors note that many large-scale studies still rely on indirect estimates of exposure, such as proximity to pollution sources or regional environmental data. While those approaches can identify broad patterns, they often fail to capture how individuals encounter pollutants in their daily lives.
That gap matters because different substances behave differently once inside the body. Some reflect recent exposure, while others build up over time and remain for years. Without understanding those differences, researchers may underestimate or misinterpret how environmental factors affect biological outcomes.
"There's no single way to measure exposure that works across the board," Schell said. "You have to match the method to the pollutant and understand what that measurement represents if you want to connect it to health."
The paper also emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary collaboration, bringing together human biologists, toxicologists and laboratory specialists to ensure that exposure data is accurate and meaningful.
Pollutant exposure and health disparities
A central focus of the research is how uneven exposure to pollutants contributes to differences in health across communities. Decades of work by Schell, Gallo and their collaborators have shown that environmental burdens are not distributed equally, with disadvantaged and Indigenous populations often facing higher exposure to multiple pollutants at once.
Those patterns can have real biological consequences. Previous studies have linked pollutants to changes in growth and development, reproductive health and chronic disease risk -- effects that may be compounded when exposures overlap.
Gallo said understanding those exposures is essential for addressing broader questions about health equity.
"If we want to understand why some communities experience different health outcomes, we have to look at the environments people are living in," she said. "Pollutant exposure is part of that picture, and it needs to be measured, not assumed."
The work builds on long-standing partnerships with communities, including research conducted with the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation, where residents have raised concerns about how industrial contaminants may be affecting health across generations.
The paper also highlights the importance of working with communities as partners in research, including sharing findings in ways that are clear and useful to participants.
As new chemicals continue to enter the environment and existing pollutants persist, the authors argue that incorporating exposure into human biology research is no longer optional. Doing so, they say, will lead to a more complete understanding of how health is shaped -- and help ensure that efforts to reduce disparities are grounded in the realities people face every day.
"If we leave exposure out of the equation," Schell said, "we're leaving out a key part of the story."
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Original text here: https://www.albany.edu/news-center/news/2026-study-identifies-pollutant-exposure-gap-human-biology-research
Rutgers: How Shift Workers' Internal Clock Affects Their Health
NEW BRUNSWICK, New Jersey, March 26 (TNSjou) -- Rutgers University issued the following news:
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How Shift Workers' Internal Clock Affects Their Health
A Rutgers Health nurse-scientist explains how biological predispositions toward morning or evening alertness determine how well a health care professional adapts to shift schedules
By Patti Zielinski
Health care workers who take on extended or overnight shifts, particularly during periods of operational strain, may face heightened fatigue that can affect their own well-being. This fatigue arises not from individual effort or commitment,
... Show Full Article
NEW BRUNSWICK, New Jersey, March 26 (TNSjou) -- Rutgers University issued the following news:
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How Shift Workers' Internal Clock Affects Their Health
A Rutgers Health nurse-scientist explains how biological predispositions toward morning or evening alertness determine how well a health care professional adapts to shift schedules
By Patti Zielinski
Health care workers who take on extended or overnight shifts, particularly during periods of operational strain, may face heightened fatigue that can affect their own well-being. This fatigue arises not from individual effort or commitment,but from the physiological challenges created when work demands intersect with the body's internal clock.
"In our prior published study (https://doi.org/10.1097/NNR.0000000000000696) of frontline night-shift nursing professionals, nurses with five or more years of shift work exposure and high levels of acute fatigue missed more high-priority nursing care. However, our current study findings, which have yet to be published, show us that fatigue isn't just about being tired," said Suzanne Crincoli, an assistant professor in the division of nursing science at the Rutgers School of Nursing. "It's about biology."
Crincoli, who researches the effects of acute and chronic fatigue among health care providers and shift workers, discusses the challenges of health care shift work and evidence-based strategies to reduce fatigue-related risk.
What are the dangers of acute and chronic fatigue in health care settings?
Acute fatigue, such as working long shifts or consecutive nights, can immediately impair attention, reaction time and decision-making, especially after extended hours. Chronic fatigue is more insidious. It represents a cumulative physiological burden that affects emotional regulation and physical health over time.
Our current study findings found that chronic fatigue emerged as the strongest predictor of burnout, accounting for more than 50% of the variability in burnout scores and outweighing the impact of staffing levels or workload alone. These early findings also indicate associations between chronic fatigue, circadian disruption and increased cardiometabolic risk, including obesity and hypertension.
How could night shifts affect workers?
Night shifts place workers in direct opposition to their biological clocks, leading to reduced vigilance and slower reaction times, especially during the early morning hours when the circadian drive for sleep is strongest. While our study found that operational factors, such as workload and patient volume, were stronger predictors of missed nursing care than fatigue alone, night work still significantly increases safety risks, particularly outside the clinical setting.
Health care workers on night shifts reported substantially higher rates of drowsy driving, a major contributor to motor vehicle crashes after shifts. This risk was especially pronounced for workers whose biological timing was mismatched with their assigned shifts.
What are the risks of fatigue among nurses, health care providers and first responders?
Fatigue affects safety, health and long-term career sustainability. In nurses, health care providers and first responders, fatigue due to circadian misalignment has been linked to increased risk of medical errors and injuries, higher rates of burnout and mental health disorders, greater likelihood of cardiometabolic disease, including obesity and diabetes, and impaired immune function and increased infection risk.
Our study shows that these risks are highly variable among individuals. They depend heavily on chronotype, or an individual's biological timing. For example, some workers experienced higher metabolic risk, while others experienced higher safety and mental health risk, even when working the same shift.
What is the role of chronotype and circadian rhythms in shift work adaptation?
Chronotype reflects whether someone is biologically predisposed toward earlier - morning lark - or later - night owl - sleep and alertness patterns. It is genetically anchored, not a matter of preference or motivation.
Our current study findings identified four distinct chronotype-shift profiles, each with different risk patterns. Workers whose chronotype was misaligned with their shifts experienced markedly higher health and safety risks. For example, morning-type individuals working night shifts had the highest rates of drowsy driving and mental health diagnoses, while evening-type individuals working day shifts showed the highest cardiometabolic risk, including obesity and elevated blood sugar.
This demonstrates that circadian mismatch, not simply working nights, is a key driver of harm.
What are some strategies health care workers can take to reduce occupational fatigue?
While there is no one-size fits-all solution, there are evidence-based strategies that can significantly reduce risk. When possible, health care workers can align their shifts with their chronotype to reduce circadian strain and limit consecutive night shifts and allow adequate recovery time between shifts. They can protect their sleep opportunity, especially after night shifts, by using light control and consistent routines.
Strategic napping and caffeine use can improve alertness without disrupting recovery sleep. For example, they can take a "nappucino" by drinking a cup of coffee and taking a 15- to 20-minute nap. The rest plus caffeine will provide a jolt of energy without too much physiologic disruption.
Organizational policies that recognize fatigue as a biological risk, not a performance issue, also are critical.
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Original text here: https://www.rutgers.edu/news/how-shift-workers-internal-clock-affects-their-health
Otterbein Launches Commercial Music Major for Today's Musicians
WESTERVILLE, Ohio, March 26 -- Otterbein University issued the following news:
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Otterbein Launches Commercial Music Major for Today's Musicians
By Kennedy Berry '27
Otterbein University is expanding its music offerings with the launch of a new Commercial Music major within the Bachelor of Arts in Music program. The major is designed for students whose musical interests go beyond traditional ensembles and who want a flexible path that reflects how music careers work today.
The Commercial Music track gives students a clear way to study performance, songwriting, production, and other areas
... Show Full Article
WESTERVILLE, Ohio, March 26 -- Otterbein University issued the following news:
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Otterbein Launches Commercial Music Major for Today's Musicians
By Kennedy Berry '27
Otterbein University is expanding its music offerings with the launch of a new Commercial Music major within the Bachelor of Arts in Music program. The major is designed for students whose musical interests go beyond traditional ensembles and who want a flexible path that reflects how music careers work today.
The Commercial Music track gives students a clear way to study performance, songwriting, production, and other areasof modern music within the existing music program.
Associate Professor Michael Yonchak said the program builds on work the department has been doing for years. Otterbein has long offered rock bands, jazz ensembles, and popular music opportunities, but until now those experiences were spread across different courses without a dedicated major.
"We have always had students doing this kind of music," Yonchak said. "They just did not have a title for it."
This new path grew out of an earlier Music and Business program that combined music study with business-focused courses like accounting and marketing. While the idea was strong, Yonchak said the program functioned like a double major and became difficult for many students to manage.
The Commercial Music track streamlines that approach by placing it within the B.A. in Music. Students still complete the core requirements all music majors take, including piano, ear training, music theory, and history, while shaping their coursework around commercial and popular music.
One of the defining features of the program is its focus on starting with what students already know. Rather than asking musicians to fit into a single mold, the program builds on their current skills and interests.
"If a student comes in playing drum set or singing cover songs, that is where we start," Yonchak said. "Then we build from there."
Students can focus on performance, songwriting, sound production, or engineering, with room to adjust their path as their interests develop. Seminar courses rotate based on student needs and may cover topics like songwriting, music marketing, social media, recording, or live sound.
Hands-on learning is a major part of the experience. Students perform in ensembles, take private lessons, and can gain production experience by running sound for campus performances. These opportunities are meant to reflect how musicians learn on the job, often by working alongside experienced professionals.
"You have to be adaptable," Yonchak said. "That is just how the music world works."
Outside the classroom, Otterbein has built relationships with arts organizations across central Ohio, including the Columbus Symphony, Columbus Children's Choir, Jazz Arts Group, and local radio stations and venues. Through internships and professional experiences, students gain real world exposure while building connections in the regional music community.
The Commercial Music track already includes students in guitar, voice, piano, and percussion, with the first official incoming class beginning in fall 2026. Faculty hope the program will appeal to students who love music but may not have seen themselves represented in traditional music degrees.
"We are training musicians," Yonchak said. "We give them the tools, and what they do with them is up to them."
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Original text here: https://www.otterbein.edu/news/otterbein-launches-commercial-music-major-for-todays-musicians/
Northwestern University Scientists Discover Genetic Secrets behind Snow Fly Cold Survival
WASHINGTON, March 26 (TNSjou) -- Northwestern University researchers completed the first genomic sequencing of the snow fly, revealing that these insects survive freezing environments through a unique combination of internal heat generation and antifreeze proteins. The study, led by Marco Gallio, Soretta and Henry Shapiro research professor in molecular biology and a professor of neurobiology at Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, explains how these wingless insects remain active at temperatures as low as -6 degrees Celsius.
Analysis (https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(26)00247-2?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982226002472%3Fshowall%3Dtrue)
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, March 26 (TNSjou) -- Northwestern University researchers completed the first genomic sequencing of the snow fly, revealing that these insects survive freezing environments through a unique combination of internal heat generation and antifreeze proteins. The study, led by Marco Gallio, Soretta and Henry Shapiro research professor in molecular biology and a professor of neurobiology at Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, explains how these wingless insects remain active at temperatures as low as -6 degrees Celsius.
Analysis (https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(26)00247-2?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982226002472%3Fshowall%3Dtrue)of the fly genome and RNA conducted by Alessia Para, research associate professor of neurobiology at Weinberg, and others uncovered genes that produce multiple antifreeze proteins. These proteins bind to ice crystals to prevent growth, protecting cells from damage in a manner similar to Arctic fish. Gallio noted that evolution seemingly reached the same solution for a common problem across different species.
The research team also identified genetic clues tied to mitochondrial thermogenesis. While most insects are cold-blooded and rely on external temperatures, snow flies generate their own body heat at a cellular level without shivering. Lund University biology professor Marcus Stensmyr observed that this process is more similar to heat generation in mammals and certain plants.
To confirm these findings, researchers engineered fruit flies to produce the snow fly proteins, which successfully increased their survival rates in freezing conditions. William Kath, the Margaret B. Fuller Boos professor of engineering sciences and applied mathematics at Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering, and other affiliates of the National Institute for Theory and Mathematics in Biology contributed to the genomic comparisons. The study further found that snow flies have a reduced sensitivity to cold-induced pain, allowing them to function in extreme U.S. winter climates that would overwhelm other species.
-- Kripaa Chhughani, Targeted News Service
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Original text posted on March 24, 2026, here: https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2026/03/some-like-it-cold-snow-flies-create-their-own-heat-to-avoid-freezing
