VCUarts alum and muralist Emily Herr has brought a burst of visual flair to the Shafer Court Dining Center at Virginia Commonwealth University. The colorful addition to Richmond's mural scene, spanning two stories, is a celebration of campus life and the shared experiences of those who dine at Shafer.Herr, who designed the mural, aimed to create something universal yet deeply personal, stating, "Food is universal, but it’s also deeply personal. It brings us together, connects us and creates memories." The mural showcases colorful food and dining elements with the message...

Irvine, Calif., March 21, 2024 – A University of California, Irvine-led study has revealed groundbreaking insights into the origins of birth defects, offering new possibilities for early detection and prevention strategies.Published in the journal Science Advances, the study identified key genetic interactions during early embryonic development that shed light on birth defects like Cornelia de Lange syndrome. Co-author Stephenson Chea highlighted the significance of the findings, stating, “Our data suggest that Nipbl and Nanog are more than just necessary players in early...

Morgan Stanley Private Credit (“MSPC”) announced today that several of its investment funds have led a $220 million recapitalization for Grass Valley, a leading media technology company. The recapitalization aims to strengthen Grass Valley's balance sheet and expedite investments in software and integrated hardware solutions, enhancing its cloud-native media platform.Peter Ma, Managing Director at Morgan Stanley Private Credit, expressed the firm's support for Grass Valley's growth, stating, “We are pleased to be Grass Valley’s financing partner and support the company in...

The University of Rochester has named Andrea Tompkins Wright as the inaugural associate vice president for real estate, portfolio management, and planning. Wright, an attorney and leader with over 15 years of experience in real estate, will lead the real estate strategy for the university's on- and off-campus spaces starting March 25.According to Elizabeth Milavec, the EVP for administration and finance, CFO, and treasurer at the University of Rochester, "Real estate strategy has always played a vital role at the University and its Medical Center, but it is particularly...

An optics professor explains how eclipse glasses protect your eyes from the sun’s light during an eclipse. Properly protecting your eyes during a solar eclipse is crucial for avoiding long-term damage to your vision. In anticipation of the total solar eclipse happening in Rochester, New York, on April 8, 2024, James Zavislan, a professor of optics and of biomedical engineering and an associate professor of ophthalmology at the University of Rochester, wants everyone to understand the risks involved and how to have a safe, enjoyable eclipse experience.Zavislan, an expert...

Eckart Frahm, a renowned expert on the Assyrian Empire, has been appointed as the John M. Musser Professor of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Yale University. Frahm's expertise and contributions to the field have been recognized through this prestigious appointment.Frahm's extensive knowledge and dedication to ancient Mesopotamian history and culture are evident in his body of work. His most recent book, "Assyria: The Rise and Fall of the World’s First Empire," has garnered attention and praise, being reviewed in publications like the Wall Street Journal and...

A family of Pteranodon sternbergi, winged reptiles from the Late Cretaceous, has taken up permanent residence in the entrance lobby of the newly renovated Yale Peabody Museum. David Skelly, the Peabody Director, highlighted the historical significance of the Pteranodon fossils, stating, "Given that famed Yale paleontologist and Peabody founder O.C. Marsh discovered the first Pteranodon fossils, we thought it fitting to have them welcoming people into the museum."The life-sized models of the Pteranodon family, including a male, female, and their two babies, will greet...

MIT researchers have developed a groundbreaking system known as "FeatUp" that revolutionizes the capabilities of computer vision algorithms. According to Mark Hamilton, a co-lead author on the project, the traditional challenge faced by modern algorithms is losing fine-grained details while processing information. He explains, "The big challenge of modern algorithms is that they reduce large images to very small grids of 'smart' features, gaining intelligent insights but losing the finer details."FeatUp addresses this challenge by allowing algorithms to capture both high-...

Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced a groundbreaking memorandum of understanding with the Michigan Department of State (MDOS) to promote civic engagement and voter registration in Michigan. The agreement, running through Jan. 1, 2036, marks the SBA's first-ever collaboration of this kind.In a statement, Administrator Guzman emphasized the importance of democracy in economic success, stating, “Protecting and strengthening our democracy is critical to our economic success and a core goal of the Biden-Harris...

Psychology PhD student Courtney Jimenez and her colleagues conducted a study to explore how the brain processes social information when at rest. The researchers used the documentary film Samsara to investigate how study subjects' brains reacted to scenes featuring people and how they remembered the film after watching it.In an interview with Columbia News, Jimenez explained the goals of the study, stating, "What we’re interested in is whether there are brain mechanisms that specifically prioritize our ability to learn social information when we are resting and the default...

On an overcast Friday afternoon, 140 medical students at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons celebrated Match Day, discovering where they will begin their residency training this summer. The event at VP&S featured remarks from various faculty members, including Katrina Armstrong, MD, dean of VP&S.Addressing the unique challenges faced by the class of 2024, Jean-Marie Alves-Bradford, MD, associate dean for student affairs, support, and services, acknowledged their resilience, stating, “Regardless of what the envelopes say—you have made it,...

The A'Lelia Bundles Community Scholars program at Columbia University has announced a new partnership with Incite Institute to offer enhanced funding, mentorship, skill-building, and networking opportunities for program participants. This collaboration aims to provide additional resources for scholars to make meaningful contributions to their communities and beyond.Interim Provost Dennis Mitchell expressed his excitement about the partnership, stating, "The new partnership with Incite will allow the program to grow and reflects the university’s commitment to bringing...

Nine doctoral students recently showcased their research in under three minutes during the championship round of Carnegie Mellon University's Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. Benjamin Glaser, a doctoral student in Materials Science & Engineering, emerged victorious and shared his excitement about the challenge of distilling complex research into a concise presentation. Glaser's research focuses on creating new aluminum alloys with high temperature strength and stability, and low cost and emissions.Sampada Acharya, studying mechanical engineering, claimed second...

Mia Liadis, the assistant director for health promotion at Recreation and Well-Being in the Division of Student Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University, has seamlessly integrated her student experiences into a fulfilling career dedicated to student well-being.Reflecting on her time at VCU, Liadis, a first-generation college student, expressed her gratitude for the opportunities the university has provided her. She holds three degrees from VCU and was recently honored with the VCU Staff Senate’s 2024 Professional Integrity Award. Liadis stated, “I feel like VCU has...

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury has released new data showing the success of the Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) in keeping over 500,000 families in their homes through the distribution of $6.6 billion to homeowners at risk of foreclosure. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo highlighted the impact, stating, “The Biden-Harris Administration helped to prevent foreclosures and increased housing stability nationwide by keeping half a million families in their homes.”The Treasury Department's efforts have been focused on reaching homeowners most in...

U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo highlighted the significance of the Inflation Reduction Act in providing easier access to tax incentives for clean energy projects, stating, “Before the Inflation Reduction Act, it was more challenging for companies to access tax incentives to finance projects and deploy new clean power."The IRS introduced the Energy Credits Online (ECO) portal to facilitate taxpayers in receiving elective payments, transferring clean energy credits, or claiming a CHIPS credit. According to the announcement, as of March 8, 2024, around...

Yale School of Management Professor X. Frank Zhang, along with Chenchen Li of Nanjing University and Ningzhong Li of the University of Texas at Dallas, have introduced a unique approach to detecting revenue fraud at supplier firms. By analyzing customer information provided by supplier firms and disclosed in customer firms’ accounting data, the researchers aim to predict two types of revenue fraud: "cooking the books" and "channel stuffing."Zhang explains the significance of their work, stating, "This paper is unique because it uses information from the supplier-customer...

As Prepared for DeliveryThank you all for coming together today for this important discussion. These were the opening remarks of Brian Nelson, the U.S. Treasury’s Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, at a Banking Roundtable in San Juan, Puerto Rico.Nelson emphasized the importance of combatting financial crimes, stating, "You are on the front lines of combatting financial crimes, so I hope this will be a frank and open discussion and exchange of perspectives on how we can collectively mitigate these threats."During the roundtable, Nelson...

WASHINGTON – On Friday, U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo met with Nigerian Minister of Finance Wale Edun on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring meetings. During the meeting, Deputy Secretary Adeyemo commended Minister Edun for Nigeria’s important reforms to advance market-oriented economic policies and address inflation.In addition, the Deputy Secretary welcomed Nigeria’s engagement with the World Bank, including support for social safety nets and fiscal reforms. Adeyemo also sought an update from Minister Edun on Nigeria’s efforts to combat...

WASHINGTON - Today, Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen met with Italy’s Minister of Economy and Finance Giancarlo Giorgetti on the sidelines of the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.During their meeting, Secretary Yellen and Minister Giorgetti exchanged views on shared G7 priorities amid Italy's presidency. Secretary Yellen also discussed ways to unlock the value of immobilized Russian sovereign assets to support Ukraine’s continued resistance and long-term reconstruction, and ways to constrain Russia’s access to the goods it needs...