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...

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-...

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...

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...

Researchers at the University of Rochester are making strides in developing new methods to monitor brain physiology and prevent neurological complications in patients undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy. The therapy, which involves circulating a patient's blood through a machine to support heart and lung function, is crucial for individuals with acute heart or lung failure but carries risks, including brain injury.Regine Choe, an associate professor of biomedical engineering, and Imad Khan, an assistant professor of neurology and neurosurgery,...

In a groundbreaking effort to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates in Sierra Leone, a team of economists and public health researchers led by Mushfiq Mobarak embarked on a journey to rural communities facing significant challenges in accessing vaccines.Mobarak, a professor of economics at Yale, highlighted the geographical obstacles faced by Sierra Leoneans, stating, "You can drive for three or four hours without encountering a town." He emphasized the impact of these conditions on vaccination uptake, saying, "If you and I were under those conditions, we wouldn’t get a...

Yale College has announced a new partnership with the nonprofit organization Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA) to host summer programs for talented rising high school seniors from underserved communities. The collaboration will see the final week of LEDA’s Aspects of Leadership Summer Institute, a program focused on leadership training, academic writing, standardized test preparation, and college guidance, taking place at Yale University for the first time this summer.Yale College Dean Pericles Lewis expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, highlighting...

Three emerging leaders have been selected as recipients of the 2024-25 Luce Scholars Program, with three Yale students among the 18 individuals chosen for this prestigious opportunity.Awa Cisse, Adriana Golden, and Anna Lenaker have been named as the recipients of the Luce Scholarships, offering them a 13-month fellowship that includes stipends, language training, and immersive professional placements in Asia tailored to their interests and career aspirations.Awa Cisse, currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in molecular biology and a Bachelor of Arts in French...

Experimental computer memories and processors built from magnetic materials have shown promise in using significantly less energy compared to traditional silicon-based devices. Researchers at MIT have made a significant breakthrough in this area by demonstrating precise control of a van der Waals magnet at room temperature.Deblina Sarkar, the AT&T Career Development Assistant Professor in the MIT Media Lab and Center for Neurobiological Engineering, explained, "The heterostructure device we have developed requires an order of magnitude lower electrical current to switch...

Pollsters and physicists are now turning to a new optimization technique that speeds up Bayesian inference without requiring additional work from scientists. This new method, called deterministic ADVI (DADVI), offers faster and more accurate results compared to traditional approaches."When you actually dig into what people are doing in the social sciences, physics, chemistry, or biology, they are often using a lot of the same tools under the hood. There are so many Bayesian analyses out there. If we can build a really great tool that makes these researchers lives easier,...

Last year, a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center showed that only 37 percent of Americans considered addressing climate change a top priority for the president and Congress. Climate change ranked 17th out of 21 national issues in the survey. However, according to renowned climate scientist and communicator MIT Professor Katharine Hayhoe, it's not that Americans don't care about climate change, but rather that they don't realize they already do.During the Connecting with Americans on Climate Change webinar last fall, Hayhoe emphasized the importance of guiding...

Yale researchers have made a breakthrough in understanding how pit vipers are able to detect prey in the dark using their infrared sensors. In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, physicists Isabella Graf and Benjamin Machta created a mathematical model to explain the snakes' remarkable thermosensitivity.Pit vipers, found in a range of habitats from jungles to deserts, use their infrared sensors to detect even the smallest changes in temperature. These sensors are only as sensitive as those of humans, so the question arises: how are...

VCUarts sophomore Sirena Pearl has been named the winner of The Science Coalition's Fund It Forward Student Video Challenge. In her video, Pearl focused on the urban heat island effect, a pressing environmental issue that highlights the acceleration of climate change. She explained, "Asphalt in urban areas increases temperatures locally creating a much hotter environment than suburban and rural areas that hold more vegetation."Pearl's winning video impressed the judges with its creativity and innovation. As a result, she received funding from VCU's Undergraduate Research...

Martin Luther King III, a renowned civil rights activist and global humanitarian, will be delivering the keynote address at the University of Chicago's 2024 MLK Commemoration Celebration. The event, which will take place on January 30 at the Rockefeller Memorial Chapel, will be open to the public and will also be webcasted.King III, the eldest son of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, has dedicated his life to continuing the important work of his parents in the fight for civil rights and social justice. He has been instrumental in promoting human rights,...