who ultimately became “a giant in the field,” had no idea what engineering was when he graduated high school and the anticipation was that you’re going to be a physician or a teacher or maybe an attorney,” he said in an interview for NASA’s Oral History Project in 2014 Ostrach had set his sights on pre-med—until he worked at a summer camp after graduation with his high school guidance counselor ‘Why don’t you become an engineer?’ He kept hammering away,” he recalled in the interview “and about three weeks before we broke camp he wrote a letter to the University (of Rhode Island changing me from pre-medicine to engineering.” That letter launched Ostrach on a career of extraordinary achievement including membership in the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences The former director of the National Center for Space Exploration Research and a longtime engineering faculty member died of congestive heart failure Monday He is survived by four children: Stefan Ostrach (Marion Malcolm) David Ostrach and Judith Hirsch (John); five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild His son Louis Ostrach (SanDee) preceded him in death Ostrach’s work contributed to the development of crystals for semiconductors and life-support systems in space as well as for ground-based materials processing “He was a giant in his field,” said Joe Prahl a Case Western Reserve mechanical and aerospace engineering professor friend and sailing companion whom Ostrach hired in 1968 Ostrach began his professional engineering career at the NACA Aircraft Engines Research Laboratory (predecessor to NASA Glenn) in Cleveland He later came to the Case Institute of Technology ultimately becoming chair of what was then the Fluid His main research focus was the effect of weightlessness on the behavior of fluids and how flows—which occur in nature and various technologies—are induced and affected by various forces NASA named Ostrach one of 12 “Super Stars of Modern Aeronautics,” selected for their significant contributions to the agency’s aeronautics programs over the previous 50 years he was recognized for his work in buoyancy-driven flows and microgravity science “Si was maniacally driven to achieve,” Prahl said Ostrach retired in 2005 and became the Wilbert J Austin Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Engineering In addition to bachelor’s and master’s in engineering from the University of Rhode Island Ostrach received master’s and PhD degrees in applied mathematics from Brown University He also received honorary doctorates from University of Rhode Island Technion Israel Institute of Technology and Brown University Ostrach’s other driving passion was wrestling spent 25 years as one of the most respected NCAA wrestling officials in the nation He was an avid supporter of Case Western Reserve’s wrestling program serving as its faculty liaison for the last 20 years and as a mentor to countless Spartan wrestlers Si Ostrach Meet is held annually in January in his honor Ostrach will be among six inductees into the Spartan Club Hall of Fame on Saturday as part of Homecoming festivities “It is well known the soaring intellect of Si Ostrach,” said Amy Backus director of athletics and chair of physical education “What may not be known is his love for the sport of wrestling and his support of our wrestling program at CWRU He shared his knowledge and his stories with generations of Spartan wrestlers He was one of a kind and he will truly be missed.” Interested in participating in a research study Looking for an upcoming event in your department Subscribe to The Daily Items that appear in the Community Postings section are submitted by visitors Posts are reviewed to ensure they are appropriate for our audience but typically are not edited by University Marketing and Communications Case Western Reserve University is committed to academic freedom and promoting diversity of thought The views of those who speak on our campus do not necessarily reflect the views of the university administration or any other segment of the university community .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Grant Segall, The Plain DealerCLEVELAND, Ohio -- Simon Ostrach was a "Superstar" at NASA and the founding director of a space research institute at Case Western Reserve University He was also the oldest person ever to fly in reduced gravity and his son and granddaughter made similar flights Ostrach died Monday at home in Pepper Pike at age 93 "He made great strides by reducing complicated problems to their essence," recalled Joe Prahl thermal and aerospace sciences at Case Western Reserve University but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater,'" Ostrach grew up in Providence, R.I., and earned a bachelor's degree, two master's and a doctoral degree there from Rhode Island State College and Brown University. He worked at what's today NASA Glenn Research Center from 1944 to 1947 and 1950 to 1960 He studied warplanes and turbojet and turboprop engines He helped develop an early supersonic wind tunnel He also researched heat transfer and fluids in low gravity developing important techniques for nuclear propulsion microelectromechanical devices and the crystals in semiconductors NASA named him one of 12 superstars of modern aeronautics he was one of three "giants of heat transfer" in the first class of NASA Glenn's Hall of Fame Ostrach was a professor from 1960 to 2005 at what became Case Western meanwhile He developed interactive experiments that flew on Space Shuttle Challenger in 1992 and 1995 "The experiments were both pioneering and very successful," a NASA article quoted him as saying Ostrach flew several times on the future Glenn's notorious "Vomit Comet," which plunges 40 to 60 times in 2 1/2 hours producing about 25 seconds of weightlessness each time four years older than John Glenn at the time of the astronaut's last trip to space Ostrach founded an intercollegiate institute at Case Western that became the National Center for Space Exploration Research He earned four honorary doctorates and served as home secretary for the National Academy of Engineering The University of Rhode Island and Florida State University named professorships for him Ostrach wrestled successfully in high school and refereed the sport at colleges for 25 years He also won sailing races at Edgewater Yacht Club and cruised Lake Erie for a week in many Augusts with Prahl his late son Louis spent many years with NASA Berkowitz Kumin Bookatz is handling his arrangements Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices \n m_gallery = \"simon_ostrach_was_leading_scie\";\n m_gallery_id = \"23538660\";\n m_gallery_title = \"Simon Ostrach was a leading scientist at Case Western and future NASA Glenn\";\n m_gallery_blog_id = \"4501\";\n m_gallery_creation_date = \"Wednesday 4:04 PM\";\n m_gallery_permalink = \"http://photos.cleveland.com/4501/gallery/simon_ostrach_was_leading_scie/index.html\";\n m_gallery_json = \"https://blog.cleveland.com/photogallery/4501/23538660.json\";\n m_gallery_pagetype = \"embed\";\n m_gallery_type = \"photo\";\n <\/script>\n Gallery: Simon Ostrach was a leading scientist at Case Western and future NASA Glenn — Providence native Simon Ostrach might not be as well-known as astronauts Neil Armstrong and John Glenn who died Monday at his Ohio home at the age of 93 was once recognized by NASA as one of 12 Super Stars of Modern Aeronautics With a bachelor's degree from Rhode Island State College (which later became URI) and a doctorate from Brown University Ostrach served as director of the National Center for Space Exploration Research and he spent 45 years as an engineering professor at Case Western Reserve University but the son of immigrants from the Ukraine couldn't afford an education in medicine I think he was joking" that he thought he'd learn to conduct trains He designed major experiments that flew aboard the space shuttle in 1992 and 1995 according to a biography on Case Western's website "These provided significant insight for developing life-support systems in space as well as for ground-based materials processing," the website said "He was a pioneer in space science," said Stefan Ostrach Much of Ostrach's work focused on microgravity and its effect on such things as chemical reactions While Ostrach didn't fly in space (astronauts carried out his experiments) he did fly twice in NASA's so-called "Vomit Comet," a specially fitted aircraft that makes sharp dips to simulate the feeling of weightlessness the Ostrach family earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records with three generations of family — Simon's late son "We're the only family that has had three members experience microgravity," Stefan Ostrach said And all three claim to have held on to their breakfasts Ostrach was elected to the National Academy of Engineering the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences "It's an honor to be elected to one," Stefan said "Very few people have attained all three." Ostrach is in the URI Engineering Hall of Fame and received an honorary doctorate of science degree from the university He has endowed the Simon Ostrach Professor of Mechanical Engineering at URI Ostrach married his high school sweetheart from Providence Ostrach also leaves four surviving children five grandchildren and one great-grandchild but Stefan Ostrach says he still has cousins in Providence Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Striped bass in the San Francisco Estuary are contaminated before birth with a toxic mix of pesticides industrial chemicals and flame retardants that their mothers acquire from estuary waters and food sources and pass on to their eggs the researchers found that offspring of estuary fish had underdeveloped brains inadequate energy supplies and dysfunctional livers They grew slower and were smaller than offspring of hatchery fish raised in clean water "This is one of the first studies examining the effects of real-world contaminant mixtures on growth and development in wildlife," said study lead author David Ostrach a research scientist at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences He said the findings have implications far beyond fish because the estuary is the water source for two-thirds of the people and most of the farms in California "If the fish living in this water are not healthy and are passing on contaminants to their young what is happening to the people who use the water are exposed to the same chemicals or eat the fish?" Ostrach said "We should be asking hard questions about the nature and source of these contaminants as well as acting to stop the ongoing pollution and mitigate these current problems." 24 by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences is one of a series of reports by Ostrach and UC Davis colleagues on investigations they began in 1988 Their goal is to better understand the reasons for plummeting fish populations in the estuary an enormous California region that includes the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and San Francisco Bay The estuary is one of the world's most important water supplies for urban use and agriculture and is also one of the most contaminated aquatic ecosystems The ominous decline in estuary populations of striped bass named the "pelagic organism decline," or POD was first reported at the turn of the century and has continued to worsen through 2007 Ostrach's lab at UC Davis is part of the multi-agency POD research team and charged with understanding contaminant effects and other environmental stressors on the entire life cycle of striped bass Studies of striped bass are useful because they are a key indicator of San Francisco Estuary ecosystem health and because contaminant levels and effects in the fish could predict the same in people one of the contaminants found in the fish in this study have been found in Bay Area women's breast milk at levels 100 times those measured in women elsewhere in the world The new study details how Ostrach and his team caught gravid female striped bass in the Upper Sacramento River then compared the river fishes' eggs and hatchlings (larvae) to offspring of identical but uncontaminated fish raised in a hatchery the UC Davis researchers found harmful amounts of PBDEs PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) are widely used flame retardants; PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) are chemicals once used in making a range of products from paper goods to electric transformers; and the pesticides detected include some currently widely used in agriculture These compounds are known to cause myriad problems in both young and adult organisms including skeletal and organ deformities and dysfunction; changes in hormone function (endocrine disruption); and changes in behavior the effects can be increased by several orders of magnitude Ostrach's co-authors Janine Low-Marchelli and Shaleah Whiteman are former UC Davis undergraduate students Co-author Kai Eder was Ostrach's postdoctoral scholar in Joseph Zinkl's laboratory in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine the Ostrach laboratory has received more than $1.5 million in funding from agencies working on Bay-Delta ecosystem problems and expects to conduct an additional $1.5 million worth of studies in the next few years Key funders include the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine; California's Department of Water Resources State Water Resources Control Board and Department of Fish and Game; San Francisco Estuary Institute; Professional Aquaculture Services of Chico research and public service that matter to California and transform the world an annual research budget that exceeds $500 million a comprehensive health system and 13 specialized research centers The university offers interdisciplinary graduate study and more than 100 undergraduate majors in four colleges -- Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and Letters and Science -- and advanced degrees from five professional schools: Education The UC Davis School of Medicine and UC Davis Medical Center are located on the Sacramento campus near downtown University of California, Davis Copyright © The Regents of the University of California In the 40 years Arun Shukla has been an engineering professor at the University of Rhode Island he’s secured more than 100 research grants totaling over $14 million earned many prestigious awards and has been published in the most prominent journals in his field The success of URI’s Simon Ostrach Professor of Mechanical Engineering is also reflected in the impressive achievements of the 105 graduate students he has mentored in his Dynamic Photomechanics Laboratory “I’ve always had a close relationship with my students I stay in touch with almost 99 percent of them,” said Shukla “That’s what I love about my job Conducting research is professionally satisfying but mentoring students and making sure they are successful is very rewarding.” Shukla’s former students have flourished in private industry the experience they gained in his lab not only prepared them as engineers I make sure their technical skills are very strong but I also improve upon their soft skills,” said Shukla I have had my students present their research projects to a group of students and faculty members every Friday. When they make presentations for the first time That’s why many of them have done so well professionally.” As an engineering fellow on the mechanical products team for Raytheon Missiles and Defense Anthony Rafanelli draws upon the engineering background and soft skills he learned under Shukla’s tutelage Shukla was excellent in helping me address several personal challenges while fulfilling my academic commitments,” said Rafanelli “He exhibited a phenomenal combination of patience advice and understanding in helping me reach my academic goals which has led to a fulfilling career at Raytheon.” is responsible for engaging in project leadership and leading engineering review teams to ensure that the design of products and systems comply with customer requirements Shukla’s students have gone on to leadership positions at companies such as General Electric Twelve alumni of Shukla’s lab are faculty members at universities in the United States or abroad the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur and New Delhi Vijaya Chalivendra who is a professor of solid mechanics at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth will take a sabbatical next year so that he can return to URI to work closely with Shukla “Professor Shukla’s lab is one of the best experimental mechanics labs in the world,” said Chalivendra “The sabbatical will enable me to gain knowledge of new tools in his lab and learn how to use these devices to understand the damage sensing and mechanics of novel composite materials under extreme mechanical loads.” The Indian Institute of Technology is one of many schools from which Shukla has attracted graduate students over the years.  “As the reputation of our research has grown we’ve attracted students from some very good universities,” said Shukla we have students from the University of Minnesota the University of Washington and the University of Connecticut We’ve also attracted international students from the top universities in their countries.” two or three of the dozen graduate students who work in the Dynamic Photomechanics Laboratory attended URI as undergraduates.  “We always have a couple of undergraduates who work in the lab alongside the grad students,” said Shukla “It’s a great way for them to get exposed to high-level research as juniors and seniors and it’s a way for us to attract some of the top students in the mechanical engineering department.” Shukla modestly attributes the reputation of his lab to the accomplishments of his students The professor estimates that his graduate students have published more than 400 papers including 250 articles in highly-rated journals who completed her master’s degree in mechanical engineering and applied mechanics from URI in May 2021 won first place for best paper in an international competition conducted by the Society for Experimental Mechanics.  The Westerly native is now pursuing her doctorate at the California Institute of Technology, where she will continue to conduct research in solid mechanics and material science Shukla’s lab after taking a course in experimental mechanics as an undergraduate at URI,” said Fox “His lab is a great combination of experimental work and theoretical work Caltech and Stanford are a couple of the prestigious universities that have collaborated with Shukla on research over the years making professors at those schools aware of the caliber of students who work under Shukla “Several of my students have gone to Caltech for doctorates or for post-doctorate studies and then pursued careers as college professors,” said Shukla.  While Shukla is quick to tout the accomplishments of his students the professor has compiled an extensive list of awards and honors over his distinguished career Each honor has elevated Shukla’s reputation in the mechanical engineering community establish relationships with peers and secure research grants One reason Shukla is considered one of the top people in his field is because he has changed his research focus over the years to reflect current trends in engineering “I realized early in my career that if you want to maintain a good stream of funding for your research which is important because you need the funding to support graduate students it is important to keep your eyes open and look for areas of research that are emerging,” said Shukla “I have changed my focus areas five or six times during my career.” Shukla started his career at URI by working on fracture mechanics and his current focus is underwater shock response of structures.  “Underwater shock loading is difficult to do,” said Shukla “We are one of the very few universities in the country that study the dynamic response of structures to underwater shock loads and we use optical methods to study them.” the professor’s research has been well-received with continuous funding coming from the National Science Foundation for 35 years and from the U.S While the Navy has provided a large portion of the funding for Shukla’s lab in recent years the relationship has been mutually beneficial we’re working on several research projects for the Navy,” said Shukla “We’re looking at how structures that are deep under water respond to explosive loading or shock loading,” said Shukla “We’re examining how the coating of materials change in salt water over a period of time we’re studying how soft materials respond under water and we’re measuring how 3D-printed structures respond to shock loading.” A new machine in Shukla’s lab is used to study how materials perform under extremely cold conditions The device can simulate temperatures as low as 40 degrees below zero “The Navy is interested in how materials behave in Arctic conditions,” said Shukla Jason Gomez started working at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in the early 1990s After taking a few graduate classes at URI he knew exactly when and how to provide the guidance I needed on research projects,” said Gomez Gomez still works closely with Shukla in his role as a chief technology officer at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport “I continue to have the pleasure of working with Dr Shukla in my role at NUWC to advance needed research and continue the flow of talented students into our workforce,” said Gomez “URI is by far the leading source of NUWC engineers and scientists and I would bet a large percentage were influenced by Dr NUWC in Newport and General Dynamics Electric Boat in North Kingstown and Groton are the largest employers of URI engineering graduates In 2018, Shukla became the co-director of the newly-formed National Institute for Undersea Vehicle Technologies The institute prepares students for successful careers in the defense sector by having them conduct research using innovative technology Shukla’s research has been featured by the national media including the Today Show and the Discovery Channel His success has elicited job offers over the years from other universities “Most universities are looking for people who are active when it comes to research funding,” said Shukla “But the University of Rhode Island has treated me very well a healthy place to raise a family and my research has been appreciated here.” This video on Arun Shukla was produced in 2011 to recognize the 30 years the professor had contributed to the University of Rhode Island Copyright © 2025 University of Rhode Island | University of Rhode Island URI is an equal opportunity employer committed to the principles of affirmative action Panelists at Legalweek explained that cyber-threats may be more complex than ever but tackling them begins with some common organizational mantras: awareness and communication NEW YORK — The cybersecurity landscape is seemingly changing by the day everywhere from the United States and the European Union to Chile and Australia New cyber-threats and increasingly sophisticated attacks put pressure on businesses and firms to beef up their cyber capabilities and all of this occurs against the backdrop of a global business landscape that promises both economic and political challenges How can lawyers and IT personnel keep up with the cyber-threat onslaught It starts with a simple mantra: Nail the basics At the Navigating the Cyber Threat Terrain: Cybersecurity, Privacy and Legal Sector Focus panel during the Legalweek conference this week in New York City cyber-attorneys and experts from companies and law firms assembled to give their advice and experience on how to keep up with emerging threats is simply staying aware of the mass of cybersecurity and privacy rules and regulations particularly for organizations that operate on a global scale Regulatory Risk & Compliance at Microsoft noted that while everyone may have focused on rules coming out of the EU and US recently Chile updated its security regulations for the first time since 1999 It’s a lot to follow but also next to impossible to predict “One of the hardest things for us to do is anticipate the way that regulators are thinking — but we can’t run our business based on yesterday’s regulation,” he explained just following the regulation “is the bare minimum Global Vice President and Assistant General Counsel of Commercial at Lightspeed Commerce gave the example of one recent privacy regulation: Quebec’s Law25 which is more similar to the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) than other Canadian privacy laws her team turned to the privacy resources they did have: “We do as much rinse and repeat as we can.” They looked at areas such as training in which they already had pre-established guidance then updated rather than reinventing the wheel Even once the legal and IT teams are able to understand the situation there remains the issue of getting others in the organization to care Director for Information Security & Compliance at law firm Arnold & Porter said that his most effective method is simple: “Bombard people over and over and over.” Constant reminders and messaging from multiple sources such as town halls helps people realize that cybersecurity is not a set-it-and-forget-it proposition also noted that legal has an opportunity to work with engineering to make sure privacy and security is evident in everything they do Messing noted that every development ticket or feature request at the company has a mandatory security and privacy analysis That analysis is “not just a check box,” he said but forces tech teams to think through potential impacts and why they occur “That really does force a focus in the culture of How are we focusing on privacy in everything that we do that’s how you find yourself on the front page of The New York Times.” and other security and privacy-related teams to execute those teams might have all been separate entities Messing said he and his co-founders did not have the ability for a formal chief information security officer (CISO) or privacy team they picked outside counsel based explicitly on the firm’s ability to support the company around security and then work with the company’s engineers “Working together there is the only way that a company is going to be able to succeed,” Messing explained “If the two sides are feuding with one another… you’re never going to be able to survive in today’s world.” noting that the role of the corporate lawyer has changed She says her legal team’s mantra last year was “We’re building GCs,” noting that for many corporate attorneys implicit in that is that “none of us can call ourselves an excellent tech lawyer if we don’t understand privacy.” As a result her team created knowledge-sharing exercises with continuous updates which created some ownership and accountability for the legal department to work with the whole enterprise “Legal counsel can’t just be doing contracts anymore,” she said One way to make sure the organization comes together is through tabletop exercise Lee admitted that “the tabletop exercise may seem like a corporate Dungeons & Dragons sort of thing,” but added that it’s really important to go through potential risky scenarios I make an analogy like it’s a kids’ soccer game everybody is just going towards the ball,” he explained Tabletop exercise helps answer some basic questions: Who’s doing negotiations Ceccarelli suggested making a formal playbook to make the process memorable and repeatable The playbook should include engineering and IT but it also gives the legal team a seat at the table to help guard against risk and potential worst-case scenarios you can proceed rather quickly but also mitigating any possible damages from the incident that has occurred,” she added the panel cautioned to make sure that not only is everybody speaking to one another — especially the lawyers — but they are speaking the same language when making these plans Microsoft’s Ostrach gave the example of a three-page legal memo that might give all of the relevant information on a new regulation but would never be read by engineers “so it’s worthless.” In addition to being a lawyer today’s counsel need to be “an old-timey phone connector,” making sure that everybody is communicating with one another “If you’re in IT and you’re not regularly talking to your general counsel you should.” Perhaps the best thing that all parties can do when it comes to privacy and security is a simple trick he added: “Be proactive in terms of having those conversations.” Conveniently situated an hour north of San Francisco International Airport (SFO) Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa is the ideal … Event details EMERYVILLE, Calif., Jan. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dynavax Technologies Corporation (Nasdaq: DVAX) a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing vaccines today announced that Kelly MacDonald has been appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer MacDonald will join the company effective March 1 Chief Financial Officer Michael Ostrach is retiring Ostrach has agreed to remain available as an advisor to the Company thereafter "Michael's contributions and unwavering commitment to Dynavax have been critical to the success of our company. We are extremely fortunate to have had his guidance over the years and now as a strategic advisor to ensure a seamless transition to his successor," commented Ryan Spencer "Kelly is an accomplished financial leader with a deep understanding of corporate and commercial finance and will be an asset as we grow our business of developing vaccines to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases On behalf of the board and the other members of the executive team it is a pleasure to welcome Kelly to Dynavax." "This is an exciting time to join Dynavax as it continues to build a leading vaccine company addressing urgent global health needs," commented Kelly MacDonald "I share the long-term commitment to Dynavax' vision of collaboration innovation and growth and look forward to leading the finance and accounting team in executing the company's strategic and financial objectives." MacDonald joins Dynavax from Ironwood Pharmaceuticals where she held roles of increasing responsibility MacDonald served as Chief Accounting Officer and Vice President Finance where she led the Company's corporate accounting and finance processes treasury and capital allocation strategy. While at Ironwood she also held various other managerial roles providing finance and accounting support for the company's strategic planning Kelly was a Manager in the Health Industries Assurance Practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers primarily serving clients in life sciences and technology sectors MacDonald is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and holds a Master of Business Administration from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Fairfield University Nicole Arndt, Senior Manager, Investor Relations [email protected] 510-665-7264 Derek Cole, PresidentInvestor Relations Advisory Solutions[email protected] http://www.dynavax.com Dynavax Technologies Corporation (Nasdaq: DVAX) a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing innovative vaccines,.. Dynavax Technologies Corporation (Nasdaq: DVAX) ("Dynavax" or the "Company") a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company developing and.. Health Care & Hospitals Biotechnology Medical Pharmaceuticals Personnel Announcements Do not sell or share my personal information: The largest estuary on the United States’ west coast isn’t safe for baby salmon Chinook salmon once thrived in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers in Northern California with spawning runs that nearly clogged the rivers as the juveniles born in the rivers’ upper reaches migrate toward the ocean the finger-sized fish face high odds of being eaten by bigger fish has recently become the subject of a heated debate Some people—especially Northern California’s agriculturalists—are calling for population control of the popular game fish say farmers have played a larger role in the salmon’s decline than striped bass These nearly opposite ways of interpreting the same information mark a political division between two camps On one side are scientists and fishery proponents and at stake in their disagreement is primarily one thing: water the rate at which California’s farmers were diverting water from the estuary began to exceed biologically sustainable levels a biologist at the University of California the populations of several native fish species began to slip Moyle and other scientists say the conversion of riverside acreage into farmland has eliminated much of the floodplain habitat that is so important for small salmon once extremely productive and rich in aquatic life fast-moving channels constrained between levee walls California’s San Joaquin River has been highly modified and channelized Photo by Design Pics Inc/Alamy Stock Photo the state and US federal governments have passed laws restricting how much water farmers could pump during certain months Despite two decades of curtailed water access fish numbers—especially those of winter-run chinook salmon and delta smelt—remain critically low the regulations aren’t doing any good while causing them economic grief.    “There’s been no identifiable benefit for native species in the delta from the restrictions on pumping,” says Gayle Holman a spokeswoman for Westlands Water District a local government entity that supplies water to farmers Farm lobbyists have suggested fishery and water management agencies—like the California Department of Fish and Wildlife the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the US Bureau of Reclamation—take alternative approaches to reviving salmon runs Members of the US Congress have also come forward with proposals aimed at culling predators executive director of the California Farm Water Coalition an organization representing farmers statewide says correlations between fish declines and increased water diversions do not prove one was caused by the other He says many adverse conditions in rivers and at sea Many biologists recognize that reduced marine upwelling and poor ocean productivity were at play in the years just prior to a massive salmon population crash from 2007 to 2010 when chinook numbers plunged so far that the ocean fishery was shut down Predators are also a problem in the salmon’s inland habitat that Wade says has not received enough attention Scientists agree with some of the farmers’ points “We all know striped bass eat salmon,” Moyle says But Moyle feels the agriculture industry is taking an unscientific reverse approach to addressing the decline of salmon and other native species He says that from the start their objective has been to prove water diversions are not affecting fish “If you can prove the decline is being caused by striped bass then you can argue that the delta doesn’t need more water,” Moyle says Moyle says that when the delta estuary was less developed striped bass and native species lived in balance striped bass are among the many delta fish species in decline “They coexisted with salmon for decades and were never a problem until they started ramping up the water diversions [in the early 1970s],” says Bill Jennings executive director of California Sportfishing Protection Alliance As many as four million adult striped bass lived in the San Francisco Bay and delta in the 1970s according to striped bass expert David Ostrach an independent researcher formerly with the University of California with as few as a quarter million remaining today Jennings says natural salmon runs (those not supported by hatcheries) have simultaneously crashed by more than 90 percent a biologist with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has conducted research on baby salmon in the San Joaquin River virtually all of his test subjects were eaten by striped bass But Hayes’s conclusion is not that striped bass are overwhelming the salmon he says that unnatural modifications to the river’s topography have created ambush points where striped bass and other predatory fish may easily hide and pick off young salmon carried past by the currents Salmon mortality is exceptionally high at these so-called “predation hotspots,” Hayes says He says restoring floodplain habitat would give young salmon better odds of survival by allowing them to sneak past such danger zones the estuary must be left with adequate flows of water “Removing the bass from the ecosystem isn’t a fix,” Hayes says Part of the Tula Foundation and Hakai Institute family JP. O'Hagan Courtesy Case Sports Information Perhaps it was a case of home court advantage More likely it was the hard work of the Spartans finally coming to long overdue fruition The Case Western Reserve University wrestling team notched their first head-to-head win of the season as they bested Muskingum University at the Si Ostrach Meet hosted on campus Jan The win boosted the Spartans to 1-5 on the year The Si Ostrach Meet was originally scheduled to be a tri-meet between the Spartans Muskingum Fighting Muskies and the Presidents of Washington and Jefferson University However the Presidents were unable to make it to Cleveland due to weather conditions The meet kicked off with two Spartan losses as the Fighting Muskies picked up victories in the early weight classes The CWRU squad rallied back from the 9-0 hole starting after Muskingum forfeited the 141-lb bout and the six points that came with it The Fighting Muskies followed up with a pair of victories at the 157-lb and 165-lb classes and seemed poised for the victory However the Spartans rebounded and rattled off four straight victories Fourth-year student Nick Lees kicked off the rally with a crushing 22-2 victory by technical fall also garnered Lees’ his second UAA Wrestler of the Week honor this season First-year student Garrett Ruderman won the 184 also by a technical fall Muskingum forfeited the 197 round to CWRU’s first-year student Gavin Dersh-Fisher Finally first-year student Brian McNamara beat Muskingum’s Antonio Zapata by a 5-2 decision to seal the meet and the victory The Spartans will look to build on the victory as they head to Wheaton Illinois to compete in the Pete Willson Invitational this weekend The tournament is hosted by Wheaton College and kicks off this evening Friday as they take on a loaded field of 29 other squads The field includes nationally ranked University of Wisconsin-La Crosse second overall Alma College and Elmhurst College who rank at seventh and eighth and finally 14th overall University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Other teams of note will be the University of Chicago and crosstown rival John Carroll University The trip will be a chance for the Spartans to scout out UChicago before the University Athletic Association tournament at the end of the year The action and the Spartans’ shot at strong forward progress kicks off Friday O’Hagan is powering through his third year as Biomedical Engineering major and Spanish minor while serving The Observer as Sports Editor URI Professor Arun Shukla helps military create bomb-resistant materials 2016—How much force does it take to shatter a Humvee In his cavernous laboratory at the University of Rhode Island Arun Shukla—the Simon Ostrach Professor of Mechanical Engineering at URI—is finding answers to those questions and more as he studies how and why things break apart His research is taking on greater importance and relevance during these turbulent times A world leader in fracture and experimental mechanics Shukla has been working with the American government since the early 1980s to create stronger materials that can withstand damage from explosions and other catastrophic events Department of Homeland Security and the U.S “Our objective is to find better ways to protect soldiers and civilians—and make our infrastructure stronger and more durable,’’ says Shukla this type of research is crucial to make us safer.’’ In his laboratory in the Kirk Center for Advanced Technology on the Kingston campus he and his students—undergraduates and graduates—simulate bomb blasts and other explosions in two devices: a huge pressurized steel water capsule and a 33-foot aluminum shock tube With that equipment he creates a controlled explosive environment so he can test how materials stand up to blasts—and also ensure that his students are doing safe experiments The shock tube simulates the rush of high-pressure gases from an exploding bomb to test materials Helium is pumped into the tube to break a covering then the gases race down the tube at three to four times the speed of sound and hit the material at the end 1,800-gallon water capsule simulates the pressure deep in the ocean to measure how underwater shock waves and explosions affect materials and structures at that depth Both devices evaluate different materials and structures Shukla examined how blasts damage glass windows and buildings he is looking at how structures in submarines collapse from water pressure and blasts Shukla built the shock tube with Carl-Ernst Rousseau which was built in Virginia and shipped to URI three years ago Both devices loom large in Shukla’s Dynamic Photomechanics Laboratory where the equipment hums steadily as it readies for the experiments “This research equipment is unique and highly suited for studying catastrophic events,’’ says Shukla “URI’s engineering college is doing cutting-edge research that is highly valuable for the state His students agree: “I feel lucky to be studying under Dr a doctoral student in mechanical engineering whose dissertation involves experiments he’s done with the water capsule “There is no better place in the world to do the kind of research we do The research is far-reaching and rewarding.’’ The tests often last less than one millisecond so three high-speed cameras that can take photos ranging from 30,000 to 200 million frames per second record the action His team examines the photos to understand how damage happens and how it can be prevented Sensors on the shock tube and tank also pick up high pressures generated by the blast His list of sponsors is long—and impressive the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation he examined how energy from explosions travels through the ground in a quest to figure out how a blast affects underground silos he’s been studying how metals in supersonic jet planes fare under extreme temperatures and pressures “We’re trying to create a metal that will allow planes to fly extremely fast,’’ says Shukla “The challenge is that metals get very hot and melt under extremely high velocities.’’ Shukla enjoyed tinkering with mechanical toys as a child an interest that took him to the Indian Institute of Technology the top engineering school in the country at the time After graduating in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering he travelled to the United States to study at the University of Maryland in College Park He joined URI in 1981 as an assistant professor and became a full professor in 1988 authored more than 350 papers and won numerous awards Millikan Visiting Professor at the California Institute of Technology He was elected to the Russian Academy of Engineering in 2015 and the European Academy of Sciences and Arts in 2011 “I feel privileged to be at URI,’’ Shukla says “I thank the state and the University for all the support they’ve given me over the years I plan to continue my important research to make the world a better place.’’ When the National Institute for Undersea Vehicle Technology (NIUVT) was formed in 2017 as a partnership of the University of Rhode Island the University of Connecticut and General Dynamics Electric Boat it created collaborative opportunities in applied research technology transition and workforce development “NIUVT educates individuals for the shipbuilding industry, transitioning not only technologies, but a solid knowledge-base to further advance the next generation and next platforms of undersea vehicles,” said Arun Shukla the institute’s co-director and URI Simon Ostrach Professor of Mechanical NIUVT has had a profound impact on the local economy by preparing students for defense-related careers providing further education for those working in the defense industry and partnering with governmental agencies and companies that have defense contracts More than $16 million has been awarded to URI for NIUVT research projects and workforce development including $5.5 million for 20 projects this year Funding for this year’s projects was approved on April 12 When NIUVT was created, 12 technical areas were identified as having strategic importance to the Navy with regard to undersea vehicle technologies URI and UConn have a rich history of research and collaboration with the Navy in these areas All five of URI’s engineering departments – chemical; civil and environmental; electrical industrial and systems; and ocean engineering – are represented on NIUVT research projects or multiple researchers from the same university along with collaborators from Navy-related companies, work on a project assistant professor of mechanical engineering at URI will work with UConn engineering professors Ali Bazzi and Rainer Hebert to determine the properties of 3D-printed materials for underwater vehicles “I’ve met some of the UConn faculty through NIUVT-sponsored events,” said Matos “We share many of the same goals and visions for the future regarding smart materials and manufacturing and our areas of expertise complement each other.” URI ocean engineering professors Brennan Phillips and Stephen Licht will use the funding to further their research on soft robotics used at great depths in the ocean “Stephen and I have been collaborating in innovative ways to achieve delicate manipulation of soft robotics in the deep ocean for over seven years,” said Phillips “NIUVT has provided a new pathway to explore these topics much further.” Other research projects underway involving URI and UConn researchers cover topics such as signal detection and identification “The Navy’s continued financial support of collaborative research and workforce development enables us to develop cutting-edge technologies prepare the next generation for high-tech careers in the defense industry and provide opportunities for engineers to obtain advanced degrees related to their work,” said Shukla An official website of the United States government Latest Earthquakes women from the Astrogeology Science Center share stories of their work and achievements to inspire women and girls everywhere who might be considering STEM-related fields.  Women's Day is internationally celebrated on March 8 This is an important day to remember how far women have come in traditionally male-dominated fields  you don’t need to be a rocket scientist or to be able to train astronauts to contribute to the exploration of the Solar System We are proud of all the work we undertake together in this Science Here are a few words some of the women here  have said about working at Astrogeology Lauren Edgar (Left): "I am grateful to work with a fantastic team of scientists at the Astrogeology Science Center I’m particularly thankful for the women in Astro and the diversity of perspectives and experiences that they bring.  It has been very fun and rewarding to work together on various projects Planetary science has come a long way towards a more diverse and supportive work environment and I’m grateful to be part of this new era of space exploration!" Amber Gullikson: “You can always tell who the strong women are They are the ones you see building one another up instead of tearing each other down.” –Unknown When I look back on all the amazing women I have worked alongside the support and encouragement that I have felt has always given me strength through times of uncertainty I am proud to be both a woman working in the planetary science community as well as part of such an incredible group of women working at Astro Lillian Ostrach: I came to Astrogeology following my first postdoc at NASA Goddard and one of the things I looked forward to at Astrogeology was the positive attitude toward teamwork to achieve our goals our work efforts are collaborative and promote an atmosphere of excitement and opportunity particularly when we are tasked with supporting NASA goals for space and planetary exploration Our focus on creating products and data for the scientific community is also something I like about Astrogeology While many of the researchers have their own scientific interests and projects including my own personal interests in impact cratering and volcanism on the Moon and Mercury many of us are also involved in efforts to improve community access to a variety of data sets and data products Lori Pigue: I've worked with Astrogeology for nearly 7 years and in a few different positions from student through full-time scientist I'm thankful to have a compassionate and hard-working team surrounding me The work that we do is strengthen by the commitment that we have to each other and the collaborative atmosphere we foster at Astrogeology One of the things that I'm grateful for (outside of my research) is outreach and communications through which I get to share the work that I and others at Astro do I get to learn more about what my colleagues are involved with and help more people explore the Solar System with us Janet Richie: I am the first Black woman to work at Astrogeology Science Center, for which I am likely to be remembered as such in our notable history, but particularly in reference to some of the great works that we do for the planetary science community.  I would describe Astrogeology as little America, the place where I found opportunity far greater than I ever expected A few highlights are IT support, optronics and working as a Payload Downlink Lead on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover mission for about 13 years Opportunities still abound. I have had to pinch myself!  I attribute my achievements first to God and then to many wonderful scientists at Astrogeology and NASA and especially to the women of the past who have and will continue to pioneer our contributions to science.  Tenielle Gaither: I started working for Astrogeology as a graduate student in 2010 under the STEP/SCEP program Today I work with the Planetary Geologic Mapping group and lead the Planetary Nomenclature project As a teenager I’d hoped to become either an astronaut or a crew member of the Starship Enterprise and working for Astrogeology is as close to those dreams as I could wish for I would not have this career today without the women’s suffrage and equal rights movements of the 19th and 20th centuries I am grateful for the progress that has been made toward equality in the U.S. and recognize that this struggle continues across the globe Sonya Bogle: I’ve been at Astrogeology for around 4 years and I am so thankful to have landed in such a fulfilling who taught me to navigate on a paper map from the age of around 6 and when I wasn’t getting my hands on a map and taking in the vast landscapes of mountains and deserts around me in the day I had never even considered going into a STEM field until I got to college and took an introductory geology course but now I am so touched by the fact that I get to work with planetary maps for a living and help others with their planetary research One of my favorite parts of working at Astrogeology is participating in our outreach efforts so that more folks can experience the joy of science in the same way that we do I know that little girl looking up at the moon with a map in her hand would be super proud USGS also has a variety of resource groups to support employees: These items are in the RSS feed format (Really Simple Syndication) based on categories such as topics You can install and RSS reader browser extension or use a third-party service to receive immediate news updates depending on the feed that you have added they may look strange because they are simply XML code An RSS reader can easily read this code and push out a notification to you when something new is posted to our site Astrogeology Science Center News Our websites may use cookies to personalize and enhance your experience. By continuing without changing your cookie settings, you agree to this collection. For more information, please see our University Websites Privacy Notice A graduate student discusses events now unfolding in Spain and their global significance there were women’s rights demonstrations in Spain where the government has announced a plan to outlaw nearly all abortions has researched access to abortion in that nation She discussed with Christine Buckley of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences the unfolding events and their global significance Despite a 2010 policy expanding access to abortion in Spain an upcoming Parliament vote could ban nearly all abortions there The 2010 reforms to the abortion laws in Spain were enacted by a then-Socialist government that was subsequently voted out a year later when the current very conservative ruling party Since the early days of its electoral campaign the PP has stated its intention to overturn legal abortion which could be approved by the PP-led Spanish Congress any day would outlaw all pregnancy terminations for fetal malformation and would only allow abortion in cases of rape – with a police report predating the pregnancy confirmation – or if the woman’s life is threatened and only in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy in either case This would make it one of the most restrictive laws in the world Your research focuses on access to abortion care in Spain and specifically in the community of Catalunya What are the challenges that face women trying to access abortions in this region Women decide whether or not to seek an abortion within multiple layers of economic and political realities Those who navigated the public health system in Catalunya to obtain legal abortion in the wake of the 2010 policy changes encountered delays and obstacles related to misinformation and structural problems within the health system Women also reported difficulties with a lack of social support and logistical problems such as arranging travel What did your research show that women have done across Spain and Catalunya to overcome the difficulties they encounter when seeking abortions Many women talked about “doing whatever they had to do” to seek and obtain care – they saw themselves as “superwomen” who could do whatever it took to get the medical care they felt they needed Women sought abortion after evaluating the economic and social resources they had in their lives “I’d rather have one child and care for him/her well than have two that go hungry,” and related this idea to the crisis and to the constant threats to the abortion reforms What would the restriction on abortion access proposed by the Partido Popular mean for Spain’s women Any restriction on legal abortion measurably increases the likelihood that women will die or be seriously injured by illegal and clandestine abortion are in fact higher in countries where the procedure is illegal women in Spain and Catalunya who need an abortion may try to raise funds to travel to England or the U.S potentially creating a multi-tiered system in which women with financial resources will scramble to get care outside of their own countries and women without money will be left at the mercy of clandestine providers We also know that denying women a wanted abortion increases the likelihood that these women and their resulting children will end up in poverty The same studies have found that women who are denied a wanted abortion are more likely to be in a situation of intimate partner violence years later What impact do you think outlawing abortion in Spain may have on the abortion debate in other countries around the world Threats to abortion access in Spain should be seen as part of growing global threats to women’s health worldwide The proposal in Spain is part of a trend of increasing reproductive governance seen everywhere from the U.S. where successful right-wing efforts led to the exclusion of abortion from Affordable Care Act coverage to international cases of women dying or nearly dying after being denied abortion With more than 200 abortion restrictions enacted in the U.S in 2013; 56 percent of women living in a state with at least four types of abortion restrictions; and only 16 states guaranteeing public funding for abortion women here should view the move to overturn the right to legal abortion in Spain as a dramatic cautionary tale After decades of studying and writing about linguistics Elaine Ostrach Chaika has put her pen to a new topic: dogs A professor emerita in English at Providence College Chaika recently published her first non-academic title Dogs and Civilization." The book weaves together personal stories about the dogs she's had in her life and cutting-edge research on the nature of man's best friend I’ve always had dogs and I’ve always noticed the things they did that supposedly dogs can’t or don’t do I’ve been reading academic articles and books on them I decided to write about dogs and my experiences with them But I didn’t want to write another scholarly book He died saving my life from another dog when I was 3 years old I asked questions about why do they do things My theory is that dogs domesticated themselves to humans My big thing is that the dog is not a wolf They partnered with humans and it all stemmed from their desire to help humans in the hunt There were dogs around long before there were humans whereas dogs have been around for about 5 million years We’ve lost about ten percent of our brain size since we’ve partnered with dogs But that freed up the brain so that humans could develop more sophisticated language and abstract thinking What are some things you've learned about dogs that might surprise people I am not a fan of [dog trainer] Cesar Millan and his theories Nowhere do I find evidence that a dog is going to be like an alpha wolf dogs are the only domesticated animal that I know of that don’t ever go feral By feral I mean wild or not taking food from humans Dogs are the only non-human animals who can understand speech in conversation ready to learn the language that is spoken around them Other animals can learn a single word or command but dogs can listen and pick out words from a stream of speech My dogs’ ears perk right up if we say "dogs" in a conversation or even "the boys" or "the guys." They know we’re talking about them And some will even imitate speech if they really want something They can also talk to each other by using their eyes Do you have any suggestions of ways we can communicate more effectively with our dogs Use some of the same phrases over and over with them in conversation For more information, including how to purchase the book and upcoming readings, go to elainechaika.com jpelletier@providencejournal.com On Twitter: @jennampelletier This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Rejecting the recommendations of the top three scientific experts on striped bass and Delta fisheries in the state the California Fish and Game Commission voted unanimously on Friday to adopt its first Delta Fisheries Management Policy and an amended Striped Bass Policy that has no numerical goal for the restoration of the species the Commission threw all of the science presented by striped bass experts Dr Cynthia LeDoux Bloom in Commission meetings into the trash can and sided with powerful corporate agribusiness interests including the Coalition for a Sustainable Delta that see the striped bass and other fish as a hindrance in their decades long to pump even more water out of the Sacramento San Joaquin River Delta “I’m proud of the work of our stakeholders recognizing that this is just the beginning of a long effort to effect the changes in the policies to restore the health of the Delta,” said President Sklar a spokesman for the Coalition for a Sustainable Delta the Astroturf group created by Stewart and Lynda Resnick urged the Commission to approve the gutted striped bass policy "It's not fish versus farmers - We need to move ahead We encourage the Commission to adopt the policy." The California Striped Bass Association (CSBA) Nor-Cal Guides and Sportsmen's Association and NCGASA Delta Anglers Coalition had mobilized hundreds of conservationists to attend the previous meetings where this issue was discussed but only a relatively small group of anglers and several representatives of corporate agribusiness interests showed up to this meeting because it was clear that the Commissioners had already made up their minds in their alliance with the water contractors a former North Bay winery owner who currently owns a cannabis cultivation and delivery business called Fumé requested that the Commission add language to the Striped Bass Policy to support the “vitality” of the fishery "The newly adopted Delta Fisheries Management Policy calls out explicit 'support' for all gamefish fisheries committing to the striped bass fishery as well as recovery of native species," according to the Commission scientists and fishermen don’t see it that way “I’m disappointed that the Commission ignored all of the scientific evidence and the testimony of the overwhelming of stakeholders who insisted on a strong striped policy based on objectives and goals," said Dr a leading scientific expert on striped bass and Delta fish species "The Commission continues to violate the public trust by doing so.” have claimed that "predation" by striped bass has decimated salmon and Delta smelt populations “There is no credible evidence that the striped bass predation has led to the decline of other Delta species and striped bass and largemouth bass are the only species vilified in this manner.” the scientists have stated in their testimony and articles that the reduction of numbers in striped bass would likely harm the ecosystem because striped bass eat Sacramento pike-minnows a major predator of salmon and striped bass in addition to keeping down the numbers of Mississippi silverside minnows that prey upon juvenile Delta smelt Ostrach and fishermen called for updated science on the current status of the species since there is no accurate data regarding the numbers of striped bass in the San Francisco Bay-Delta The species has declined from an estimated 3 to 5 million in the 1960s to around 300,000 right now but nobody really knows many striped bass are out there “They are putting the cart before the horse Their own regulations state that they are supposed to make the decisions on the best available science — and they ignored it," said Ostrach after the meeting President Sklar said that there was no money for a study and that the legislature would have to be approached to fund the study Ostrach countered that this was also "putting the cart before the horse The Commission has to set strong policy so they can acquire the funding for studies." The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has not done a population estimate of adult striped bass in 10 years as the water contractors have waged a campaign to remove protections on striped bass so they can get more even more water from the state and federal pumping facilities in the Delta The record water exports in recent years have already driven spring and winter-run Chinook salmon Central Valley steelhead and other fish species closer and closer to extinction is a victim of the pumping of water to grow export crops on toxic drainage impaired land on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley The Commission threw out the striped bass policy that sets a numerical goal of 3 million fish Members of fishing groups and the scientific community were willing to compromise by setting a numerical goal of 1 million refused to compromise and the input of the scientists and fishermen was disregarded “The reason the sporting groups are adamant about a number goal in this policy is that there is no management plan for striped bass,” said Jim Cox president of the California Striped Bass Association in his testimony before the Commission “Goals are usually outlined in management plans Without a management plan the goal for striped bass must be included in the policy.” “I was one of the stakeholders in this so called negotiation,” added Cox “I would say negotiating is a miss-nomer for this process The sporting groups and the Coalition both negotiated in earnest giving up points that were important to both but not the representatives of the dept or the commission Not a single point was conceded by your representatives It became very clear in the last two sessions that this was an indoctrination not a negotiation Your commission representatives made it clear there was only one solution to this and that was no number goal.” The rejection of the numerical goal for striped bass comes at a time when the angling public and scientific experts have little or no confidence in the Department of Fish and Wildlife and Fish and Game Commission This latest decision is just one more example of how having political appointees rather than scientific and policy experts on the Commission has led to disaster for fish and wildlife in the state over the decades The Commission reelected Commissioner Eric Sklar as President and elected Commissioner Samantha Murray as Vice President Current co-chair assignments were retained for the three committees: commissioners Peter Silva and Murray for the Marine Resources Committee commissioners Jacque Hostler-Carmesin and Silva for the Tribal Committee and commissioners Sklar and Russell Burns for the Wildlife Resources Committee Vice President Hostler-Carmesin and Commissioners Burns and Silva were present at the meeting The full Commission agenda for this meeting along with supporting information is available at www.fgc.ca.gov An archived video will also be available in coming days The next meeting of the full Commission is scheduled for April 15 and 16 in Sacramento The Commission's decision takes place at a critical time for Delta and long fin smelt green sturgeon and other imperiled West Coast fish species once the most abundant species on the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta continues its long slide towards extinction the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in its annual fall midwater trawl survey in 2019 found zero Delta smelt during the months of September Found only in the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary, the smelt is an indicator species that shows the health of the ecosystem. Decades of water exports and environmental degradation under the state and federal governments have brought the smelt to the edge of extinction. For more information, read: www.dailykos.com/… Not signed up for Daily Kos yet? Create a free account A 47-year-old Taunton man was killed in a high-speed boat crash on Sunday and his cousin is facing a charge of homicide by vessel while under the influence alcohol was pronounced dead at Morton Hospital after the crash was reported on the Taunton River in Taunton near the border Berkley shortly before 6 p.m Investigators said the 17 ½-foot motorboat was being operated at a “high rate of speed,” before it hit a tree in the water Pinheiro’s suffered severe head injuries during the crash which took place about 100 yards south from the Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant’s Cleary generation station off of Somerset Avenue was arrested by the Environmental Police without incident after failing several sobriety tests He was charged with operating under the influence of liquor Police initially received a 911 call from other boaters at about 5:45 p.m. Rose brought the boat further upriver and took it ashore near his 119 East Water St where he and his passengers were met by the Massachusetts Environmental Police Taunton Police and members of the city’s emergency services Police also said they received phone calls from several anglers along the river whose fishing poles were ripped away from them into the water by a boat motoring up the river at high speeds A Taunton Police source said Pinheiro was a cousin of Rose There was also one other passenger in the boat Rose was arraigned in Taunton District Court around 11:30 a.m Judge Stephen Ostrach ordered him held on $10,000 cash bail In his reasons for setting bail at $10,000 Ostrach noted that instead of finding the closest dock and getting help for Pinheiro he continued on to his East Water Street home and winched the boat up on a trailer before the police found the body Ostrach also mentioned the severity of the alleged crime and said that Rose admitted to police that he drank four or five beers Court documents showed that Rose was released on bail on Monday An OUI boat homicide charge carries a maximum punishment of 15 years in a state prison or a maximum of 2 ½ years in a jail or house of correction and a $5,000 fine Rose is due back in court on June 5 for a pretrial hearing he is being charged negligent operation of a boat A Taunton Police underwater rescue team was at the scene of the boat crash on Monday morning placing floating markers at different points on the water Police said the incident remains under investigation by the Environmental Police Taunton Police and State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office Assistant District Attorney Daniel Hourihan is coordinating the investigation a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office said who is investigating for the Taunton Police Department McCaffrey said some investigators involved have figured that the boat may have been going about 32 miles per hour at the time of the crash “The passenger side got the brunt of it,” he said His head was just in the line of fire of the big log there The tree busted the windshield and hit him right in the face The tree fell in the river there years ago but “it’s not really a navigational hazard,” McCaffrey said McCaffrey said the boat — currently being held at a storage facility on West Water Street – is wrecked and covered in blood “There was a lot of blood on the boat,” said McCaffrey adding that a dive team located the windshield of the boat on Monday Contact Marc Larocque at mlarocque@tauntongazette.com professors will support winners of Materials Innovation Challenge KINGSTON, R.I. – Dec. 15, 2020 – Three Rhode Island companies will soon benefit from faculty expertise at the University of Rhode Island College of Engineering as part of the 401 Tech Bridge Materials Innovation Challenge Canapitsit Customs and TxV Aerospace Composites were selected as challenge winners from applicants across the country enabling them to leverage the University’s academic resources and to work with three preeminent advanced materials researchers testing and validation assistance and support to accelerate the development of advanced materials and technologies “With the collaboration between our laboratories synergistic application of experiments and computational modeling in these projects will accelerate the design and development of transformative high-performance composite materials for multifunctional applications,” said Professor Shukla URI engineering students also stand to benefit as part of the Challenge Working under the guidance of Professors Shukla students will gain valuable hands-on experience in their chosen fields on real-world projects The projects will allow students to interact with industry professionals as they attempt to solve the challenges presented by the Challenge-winning companies “This also provides an excellent opportunity for faculty and students at URI to get involved with applied research projects and help the local industry,” Shukla added 401 Tech Bridge is an economic development organization that connects manufacturers trade organizations and state and defense agencies to collaborate in the development of new advanced materials The Materials Innovation Challenge was formed to help give smaller companies a leg up realizing that while large companies have internal research and development labs smaller organizations in the advanced materials sector do not “401 Tech Bridge is excited to further the innovative work of Canapitsit Customs LLC Nautilus Defense and TxV Aerospace Composites by connecting them to URI which is known nationally for its advanced materials research,” said Mary Johnson “The Materials Innovation Challenge helps these companies enhance their internal R&D capabilities with support from the University creating new solutions and business opportunities.” Canapitsit Customs LLC is a woman-owned small business specializing in composites design and manufacturing Support from the Materials Innovation Challenge will enable the company to work with both labs to develop simulate and validate the company’s design and manufacturing processes for a deep sea pressure vessel that has significant potential in the defense Nautilus Defense is focused on the development and production of textile-integrated systems for monitoring high-value assets and their environments Funding from the challenge will enable Nautilus to work with the labs to perform electromechanical testing of novel textile-integrated systems which will help to strengthen the company’s offerings to the defense and commercial markets TxV Aerospace Composites is a manufacturer of composite parts and assemblies for the aerospace industry With its Materials Innovation Challenge funding TxV will work with URI’s Multiscale & Multiphysics Mechanics of Materials Research Laboratory to characterize the strength and behavior of material bond line and correlate that data to the performance of hybrid composite structures 401 Tech Bridge will provide $35,000 per project to the University of Rhode Island to support this collaboration with work slated to begin in early 2021 The Challenge is supported by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and its Manufacturing Extension Partnership National Network the URI College of Engineering and the URI Research Foundation SUBSCRIBE Oregon faculty organized into one bargaining unit covering both tenure-track and contingent positions Teachers at the University of Oregon approved by 99 percent a first contract yesterday, the fruits of solidarity between tenure-track and contingent faculty that began in 2007 The deal covers more than 1,800 professors “We’re excited here,” cheered political science associate professor Jane Cramer which is affiliated with both the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) won a representation election in April 2012 A strong contract campaign helped win the agreement Moving up the job ladder from assistant professor to associate to full university professors have been accustomed to following a path to tenure the lifetime right to keep their position unless terminated for just cause But today universities rely more and more on much cheaper “adjunct” or “contingent” faculty members Non-tenure-track positions now account for 68 percent of all faculty appointments in U.S More than half of U of O faculty members are not on the track At Oregon, faculty decided to organize themselves into one bargaining unit covering both tenure-track and contingent positions. At most other places adjunct faculty have been organizing separately, either university by university or citywide U of O academics decided early on that their common interests as faculty were more important than their different economic situations “The tenure-track faculty and non-tenure-track faculty were very united,” said Ron Bramhall a non-tenure-track senior instructor in the college of business The union insisted that negotiations be conducted in public and its Contract Action Team packed the room with members wanting to observe As many as 130 members turned out for an August meeting when bargaining team members met among themselves as did the few “sidebar” off-the-record meetings between spokespersons of both sides.) So many faculty members turned out that the meeting had to be moved to a larger room An economics professor blogged live accounts from his laptop but we could roll our eyes,” said Nancy Bray The administration’s negotiators apparently got the message They withdrew proposals to enforce “civility” (used on other campuses to punish unpopular views) and to monitor faculty emails Faculty will get raises averaging 12 percent between now and June 2015 Salaries at U of O rank near the bottom when compared to those at other research universities “We’re not trying to compare with Stanford and Yale,” Cramer said “We’re behind the universities of Washington Give $10 a month or more and get our "Fight the Boss, Build the Union" T-shirt. Raises have been “hit or miss,” according to Cramer who has gone five years without an increase even though she was promoted In the meantime she has had to pay much more for health insurance faculty will receive 8 percent increases when promoted and the contract sets aside pools of money to be used for equity and merit increases Putting all faculty members on a tenure track was not a goal the goal for non-tenure-track teachers was to stabilize employment conditions and make them predictable The contract defines classifications and ranks within each classification Two kinds of non-tenure-track positions are allowed “Adjunct” positions will have to be truly “intermittent or of limited duration.” “Career” non-tenure-track positions such as instructor an adjunct may petition to be reclassified as career “The career concept has been around in policy since 2008,” Bramhall said—but with no enforcement mechanism The new contract says teachers hired into career non-tenure-track positions can be offered one-year appointments for only their first three years their appointments will have to be for a minimum of two years (or three years if the teacher is promoted) Management will have to notify career employees whether their appointments will be renewed by May 1 specific reasons will have to be provided in writing These latter two provisions have little teeth but Bramhall called them “planted language” that can be used to gather information to build on in future negotiations Current employees with more than three years of service will have their positions reviewed for reclassification as career Some 400 non-tenure-track faculty (some of whom have been working on a year-to-year basis for 15 or 20 years) will be able to gain career status and multi-year appointments as a result Unfair compensation for the non-tenure-track was addressed as well Some full-timers have been paid as little as $20,000 per year Now their floor salary will be about $36,000 Keeping positions below half-time to avoid paying benefits will be prohibited Faculty committees in each department will define full-time equivalents; non-tenure-track employees will participate in these committees The university will continue to pay 95 percent of family health insurance premiums for all who work at least half-time Stefan Ostrach is a retired AFSCME and Teamsters rep who writes on labor and economic issues Labor Notes has been the voice of union activists who want to put the movement back in the labor movement Get Email Updates » Subscribe now » Mailing Address: 55 Washington St, Suite 522, Brooklyn, NY 11201; (718) 284-4144.Labor Education and Research Project © 2005-2023 Metrics details Psychological safety and accountability are frameworks to describe relationships in the workplace Psychological safety is a shared belief by members of a team that it is safe to take interpersonal risks Accountability refers to being challenged and expected to meet expectations and goals Psychological safety and accountability are supported by relational trust Relational continuity is the educational construct underpinning longitudinal integrated clerkships The workplace constructs of psychological safety and accountability may offer lenses to understand students’ educational experiences in longitudinal integrated clerkships We performed a qualitative study of 9 years of longitudinal integrated clerkship graduates from two regionally diverse programs—at Harvard Medical School and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine We used deductive content analysis to characterize psychological safety and accountability from semi-structured interviews of longitudinal integrated clerkship graduates Analysis of 20 graduates’ interview transcripts reached saturation We identified 109 discrete excerpts describing psychological safety Excerpts with high psychological safety described trusting relationships and safe learning spaces Low psychological safety included fear and frustration and perceptions of stressful learning environments Excerpts characterizing high accountability involved increased learning and responsibility toward patients Low accountability included students not feeling challenged Graduates’ descriptions with both high psychological safety and high accountability characterized optimized learning and performance This study used the workplace-based frameworks of psychological safety and accountability to explore qualitatively longitudinal integrated clerkship graduates’ experiences as students Graduates described high and low psychological safety and accountability Graduates’ descriptions of high psychological safety and accountability involved positive learning experiences and responsibility toward patients The relational lenses of psychological safety and accountability may inform faculty development and future educational research in clinical medical education Edmondson’s Taxonomy of Archetypal Zones PS and accountability may offer lenses through which to understand LICs we qualitatively investigated LIC graduates’ reflections upon being students during their LIC year; we aimed to determine whether or how they experienced PS and accountability as they engaged longitudinally with their preceptors and patients Our overarching goal was to characterize features of effective longitudinal clinical placements The framework of PS and accountability may further characterize relational medical education and its effect on students and offer implications for faculty development and Cambridge Health Alliance waived the need of ethical approval for this research protocol “What factors about your experiences in your third year longitudinal integrated curriculum do you think contributed most to your success?” This current study of PS and accountability has a different focus and uses a different method to analyze responses to questions one Question two is “Tell me about one of your best learning experiences during the third year and what made it so great?” Question three is “What was your worst experience and why?” Question four asks “Is there anything else you would like to add?” A trained research assistant with no involvement with any LIC program conducted and recorded semi-structured interviews using the aforementioned four questions The research assistant was overseen and involved in iterative training in interviewing by an established professional mixed methods researcher (SLG) with 25 years of experience The research assistant did several practice interviews that were critiqued and debriefed by SLG to refine the processes before commencing the interviews There were no explicit probes included in the interview guide but the interviewer was trained to ask probing questions to elicit details from respondents The length of the interviews varied between 14 and 40 min (median of 25.5 min) All 20 interviews were transcribed and de-identified between December 5 as was the nature of our study of PS and accountability in clinical education Two investigators (SLG and JO) independently coded three interview transcripts to probe for the themes of PS and accountability SLG is an academic researcher at UNC with experience in qualitative research and no connection to LIC programs JO was then a medical student in UNC’s LIC who received basic training in qualitative research for this study revisited the literature for construct clarification SLG and JO then joined another investigator (RAL) RAL is an academic researcher with experience in qualitative research SLG and JO then independently coded five more interview transcripts and met to discuss and reach consensus the two researchers discussed and clarified the coding of these additional five transcripts with RAL and JO then independently finished coding all remaining interview transcripts JO and SLG compared their coding of these ten transcripts and reconciled differences to reach consensus to determine the nature of descriptions of PS and accountability we identified subsections of interviewees’ responses to a question We refer to these elements as “excerpts” and delineated each excerpt when an interviewee’s idea had a natural break before another idea began (i.e. a switch from describing one interaction or one preceptor to different example) We included excerpts describing PS and accountability when the narrative was based on interviewees’ descriptions of a personal clinical experience involving a patient or both and excluded responses describing perceptions of other people’s experiences we determined that data remained stable over time using logs We describe the status of participants and describe the educational context to offer considerations for transferability we upheld standard audit trails of notes and processes and undertook recurring peer reviews we provide illustrative quotes from a range of participants about core concepts Interviewees included 20 participants: 10 graduates of HMS’s LIC and 10 graduates of UNC’s LIC we present results of our deductive content analysis Excerpts include graduates’ descriptions of behaviors or conditions associated with PS (high or low PS) with accountability (high or low accountability) Interviewees described behaviors essential to PS These excerpts included descriptions of high-quality relationships that developed over time and enhanced trust in the student Interviewees suggested that supportive longitudinal relationships created a context for learning from challenge and taking learning risks without fear of consequences I felt that my preceptors really got to know me as a person and a student and so were better able to set goals for me and push me to be successful I think I also felt more comfortable with them and felt more that it was safer to make mistakes And I think that helped me kind of work or push myself beyond my comfort zone and…make a plan for a patient or…say what I thought was going on even if I wasn’t sure I was right Interviewees focused on preceptors arranging safe opportunities for medical students to practice medicine within the scope of their training Interviewees described experiences that involved preceptor-facilitated PS and focused on longitudinal relationships with preceptors Interviewees suggested that supportive longitudinal relationships created possibilities for increased independence which generated learning benefits I would say there were some preceptors with whom my relationship grew throughout the year and that really allowed for some tremendous education I think about my medicine preceptor who…treated me with a high degree of autonomy and intellectual respect that…allowed me to be challenged Excerpts that encapsulated low PS described interactions that felt personal rather than focused on educational topics These longitudinal relationships featured communication that prompted students’ fearfulness in asking for help Some interviewees described their relationships getting off to a bad start or described times when they were not given the benefit of the doubt I had a difficult time with…a significant personality clash with a preceptor It was early in my third year… I had a difficult time learning from that person because the focus seemed to be on me and what I was good or not good at as opposed to the material and learning and growth So it was…‘you do this well and this not well’ Some interviewees reported interpersonal struggles with other members of the healthcare team and difficult communication related to hierarchy—stressors related to low PS in workplaces In commenting on their clinical encounters interviewees distinguished challenges that built resilience and challenges that undermined resilience; whereas productive challenge could be energizing The longitudinal structure afforded the benefit of time to resolve relational issues or created difficulty when disempowered students felt unable to change circumstances with low PS Interviewees’ excerpts that suggested low PS in these longitudinal clinical workplaces And everything I did…was wrong…There was one time when the nurses were chatting with me…and she cut me off and said “You are not good enough to talk while you are doing something!” And so that was challenging because it felt like I couldn’t do anything right There is a point that tough love makes you work harder to know the answers to the tough questions and there is a point where it is pointless and so no matter what you do you are going to be wrong and that is just discouraging And I don’t think I learned very much because you get so frustrated that it is hard to glean anything from the experience Interviewees characterized high accountability in terms of tailored learning experiences with high expectations Some interviewees named the importance of recurring assignments/readings to be completed over time Other interviewees described the importance of longitudinal clinical oversight and iterative feedback to increase accountability over time which creates possibilities for students to see patients across venues of care supported students’ sense of accountability Interviewees described how over the longitudinal year they were continually accountable to their preceptor which translated into being accountable to their patients They described a sense of duty and commitment and connected a sense of duty to enhancing learning and responsibility I would have a learning issue that I would be accountable for the next week I saw those patients in succession during the course of the year and I followed several into the hospital and into referral appointments And that was helpful in having a sense of ownership…and accountability to the patient That was more learning–that taught me more about how to be a doctor for a patient–the person who is in charge of someone’s healthcare Reflecting on their longitudinal clinical experiences interviewees also connected accountability In addition to the aforementioned affordances arising from an increased sense of duty and commitment independence allowed opportunities for learning and to enhance the student’s role in patients’ care Interviewees referred to longitudinal care and learning and also to longitudinal relationships with preceptors Accountability could arise from their longitudinal teacher-student interactions Sometimes when a longitudinal preceptor was perceived as a hard preceptor interviewees mentioned accountability in negative terms and other times in positive terms; learning and role responsibility over time appeared connected to positive framings I worked with a very notoriously intense preceptor he gave students a lot of responsibility and independence and that fit well with my learning style…I got to feel like the actual primary care provider for these patients I had the appropriate support from my preceptor but at the same time I had enough space…[to] learn a ton Longitudinal design of education could also be frustrating if interviewees were not held to high standards Interviewees described the value of being appropriately challenged and that learning could be undermined if they were not sufficiently challenged by their yearlong preceptors Interviewees noted that positive longitudinal relationships needed to include adequate accountability to ensure that learning was robust Low accountability can be demotivating; these interviewees described circumstances that led to students’ disengagement and diminished effort They reported “missed opportunities” for learning as they sought more responsibility over time I would say that sometimes throughout the year I did feel that sometimes the preceptors let me off a little too easily didn’t push me hard enough to make sure that I really understood exactly all of my diagnoses We analyze transcripts that fit into each zone and provide one representative quotation from each zone below: Interviewees in the Learning Zone emphasized trust that developed longitudinally over the course of the year working with particular clinical preceptors Interviewees reported that when trust developed longitudinal clinical teachers developed a willingness to grant responsibility to the student an affordance for rapid learning and growth in their emerging role My best learning experience was…[resident saying] You are going to be helping me out as if you were a resident.’ Which of course was terrifying at that moment but I think it was the most incredible experience I ever had…she really trusted me It helped that I had worked with her multiple times over the course of the year She trusted me and knew that I did a good job… Having that responsibility very quickly—they gave me that responsibility Interviewees in the Comfort Zone emphasized barriers arising from low accountability Low accountability included passive learning without interactive engagement or challenge Interviewees repeatedly mentioned that they appreciate support but they distinguish the value of support from the value of challenge Interviewees sought challenge which they recognized was helpful to their learning Interviewees found that low accountability undermined learning and was inefficient “Well what do you think you need to learn about?” And I said “Well my last person had [a certain diagnosis] and I think it would be helpful to learn some about that.” He proceeded to talk for an hour and a half straight… He was a very nice guy and he took so much time so I appreciate that so much but I couldn’t learn by sitting in front of him for an hour and a half while he talked I would have benefited from just reading or him asking me questions or going through things together rather than that Interviewees in the Anxiety Zone emphasized that the preceptor challenged them but did not make them feel safe or comfortable to make mistakes This feeling of reduced PS was more difficult given the longitudinal structure wherein students would be attending clinics recurrently for most of the year with their preceptor interviewees reflected that despite their negative emotional responses to the preceptor they recognized legitimate challenges accrued from those experiences It was not always clear how decreased PS coexisting with legitimate challenge ultimately affected longitudinal learning My preceptor was just really tough on me…we went a whole year and I got engaged like the week before I started my rotation… Every single week I really dreaded going to that rotation and having to work under her But I also think that in the back of my mind the thing that I dreaded the most about it was probably the fact that she did call me out on things I needed to work on…looking back it probably was not a negative experience but gosh she made that 10 months kind of go by pretty slowly… [Interviewee #11] Interviewees in the Apathy Zone emphasized that they developed neither the trust nor the challenge necessary for learning and growth This combination of low PS and low accountability could affect students’ experience such that they had less independence and could negatively affect their interest Although interviewee transcripts rarely reported this circumstance these events prompted program intervention including providing students different longitudinal preceptors I initially worked with a preceptor who I really didn’t click with I was not given much autonomy… I wasn’t feeling challenged or interested Our findings suggest it is important for LIC faculty—and perhaps preceptors in other clinical education models—to be trained in fostering PS and accountability we believe this framework creates opportunities for faculty development Although we did not study structures other than LICs our results also highlight the connection between relationships and PS suggesting that regardless of model Applications of PS and accountability beyond the student-preceptor dyad are areas for future study We examined past perceptions of PS and accountability among LIC graduates interviewees who graduated more recently would have fresher memories of their LIC experience; potentially interviewees whose experiences were a long time previously could be recalling experiences that actually occurred after their LICs We did not evaluate the perspectives of current students or patients and did not triangulate our data The dichotomization of best and worst educational experiences during the interviews may encourage extreme examples of high and low PS and accountability and may not represent the actual range of experiences among interviewees This study investigated PS and accountability in longitudinal relationships during the clinical year of medical school LIC graduates described their experiences as students working with preceptors over time and their descriptions depicted PS and accountability This study in a medical education context aligns with findings from the business and scholastic literatures PS and accountability offer medical education a framework for faculty development and for research into relationships among preceptors PS and accountability may further the goals of creating and maintaining positive and effective educational relationships The interview data generated and analyzed during this study are not publicly available as our Institutional Review Board submission and determination did not state explicitly that data would be publicly available Within the limits of Institutional Review Board and standard considerations data may potentially be available upon reasonable request directed to the corresponding author Harvard Medical School Cambridge Integrated Clerkship Continuity as an organizing principle for clinical education reform Learning in longitudinal integrated clerkships Outcomes of longitudinal integrated clinical placements for students A typology of longitudinal integrated clerkships continuity and longitudinality in clinical clerkships A review of longitudinal clinical programs in US medical schools Learning through longitudinal patient care-narratives from 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longitudinal integrated clerkship in Taiwan: a qualitative study Graduates’ perceptions of learning Affordances in Longitudinal Integrated Clerkships: a Dual-Institution Student perceptions of assessment and feedback in longitudinal integrated clerkships Trust in schools: a core resource for school reform and learning from failures in work organizations The 4 stages of Psychological Safety: defining the path to inclusion and Innovation Understanding psychological safety in health care and education organizations: a comparative perspective Weathering the storm: Effects of psychological safety and accountability on performance and learning in organizations: a group-level lens Trust and Distrust in Organizations: dilemmas and approaches Understanding trust as an essential element of trainee supervision and learning in the workplace Psychological safety in european medical students’ last supervised patient encounter: a cross-sectional survey Clinician teacher as leader: creating 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in the operating room: how team leaders promote learning in interdisciplinary action teams In pursuit of Educational Integrity: professional identity formation in the Harvard Medical School Cambridge Integrated Clerkship Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. CanMEDS: Better standards, better physicians, better care 2022 [Available from: royalcollege.ca/rcsite/canmeds/canmeds-framework-e Trauma-informed Medical Education (TIME): advancing curricular content and Educational Context leadership and psychological safety on resident event reporting Making it safe: the effects of leader inclusiveness and professional status on psychological safety and improvement efforts in health care teams Psychological safety in feedback: what does it look like and how can educators work with learners to foster it Climbing up and down the hierarchy of accountability: implications for organization design Exploring why we learn from productive failure: insights from the cognitive and learning sciences Productive failure as an instructional approach to promote future learning and team players: descriptions of the ideal medical student in longitudinal integrated and block clerkships Teaching in longitudinal integrated clerkships: the seven ‘C’s Preceptor teaching tips in longitudinal clerkships CENTRE: creating psychological safety in groups Time to trust: longitudinal integrated clerkships and entrustable professional activities Emotions and leadership: the role of emotional intelligence Caring to Care: applying Noddings’ Philosophy to Medical Education Feedback and the educational alliance: examining credibility judgements and their consequences Autonomy-supportive teaching: its malleability and potential to improve educational practice Blackface in White Space: using admissions to address racism in Medical Education Trainee Wellness and Safety in the Context of COVID-19: the experience of one Institution Download references The authors would like to thank Anna Beth Parlier BS for her work on the survey and interview process and Karen Vernon for her critical review of the manuscript University of North Carolina School of Medicine University of North Carolina Health Sciences at Mountain Area Health Education Center Departments of Family Medicine and Medical Anthropology Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy RAL and DAH participated in and co-led all aspects of this study: conception RAS and JO contributed to the study’s conceptualization and initial drafts and revisions of the manuscript BO participated in data analysis and manuscript writing ACE supported RAS in conceptualization of the manuscript and in editing All authors attested to having read and approved the final manuscript for submission Professor Edmondson has published multiple works and teaches widely in the domain of psychological safety The other authors have no competing interests Informed consent was obtained from all study participants involved in the study All methods were carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04622-5 Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article URI has received more than $16 million through partnership KINGSTON, R.I. – May 2, 2022 – When the National Institute for Undersea Vehicle Technology (NIUVT) was formed in 2017 as a partnership of the University of Rhode Island “The institute educates individuals for the shipbuilding industry, transitioning not only technologies, but a solid knowledge-base to further advance the next generation and next platforms of undersea vehicles,” said Arun Shukla the institute’s co-director of NIUVT and URI Simon Ostrach Professor of Mechanical The National Institute for Undersea Vehicle Technology has had a profound impact on the local economy by preparing students for defense-related careers More than $16 million has been awarded to URI for institute research projects and workforce development Funding for this year’s projects was approved on April 12 When the institute was created, 12 technical areas were identified as having strategic importance to the Navy with regard to undersea vehicle technologies All five of URI’s engineering departments – chemical; civil and environmental; electrical industrial and systems; and ocean engineering – are represented in the collaborative’s research projects “I’ve met some of the UConn faculty through NIUVT-sponsored events,” said Matos “We share many of the same goals and visions for the future regarding smart materials and manufacturing and our areas of expertise complement each other.” “Stephen and I have been collaborating in innovative ways to achieve delicate manipulation of soft robotics in the deep ocean for over seven years,” said Phillips “NIUVT has provided a new pathway to explore these topics much further.” Online Robotics Trade Magazine Industrial Automation If you do not have a RoboticsTomorrow partner account, please register - it's free The impetus was that we wanted to get more power out of the machine and wanted to pack the pallets cleaner and more dimensionally stable the know-how and the service convinced us of Piab Case Study from | Piab Sapho was able to significantly increase their cycle times in order to be optimally prepared for the winter business for road salt Germany,  the old bag gripper no longer provided the necessary performance The gripper was particularly convincing because no one had to monitor it directly freeing employees for other tasks To be well prepared for the upcoming winter season they decided to invest in a new gripper.  "The impetus was that we wanted to get more power out of the machine and wanted to pack the pallets cleaner and more dimensionally stable With the combination of robots and grippers from Piab Austria and parts of France are supplied by Sapho with de-icing salt from its up to 50,000 tons of salt warehouse which is partly filled from May to October from mines in the region In the course of the SAS Automation acquisition Piab has been offering robust hybrid bag grippers since November 2017 which are designed precisely for payloads of up to 50 kilograms they are excellently constructed for the handling of 10 kilograms 25 kilograms and 50 kilograms of salt bags from Sapho The hybrid gripper attached to a robotic arm removes the sacks and bags from a roller belt on which they are placed after filling drives the forks on both sides between the rollers of the belt and thus picks up the bag on the underside the bag lies on the massive gripper fingers during movement For the Piab hybrid bag gripper to fit exactly to the existing system and in particular to the roller belt used by Sapho the fork spacing was adapted to the spacing of the rollers "In this way we could deploy a standard product and adapt it to customer needs with just a few changes This has advantages for the customer in terms of delivery time and costs compared to a completely customized solution Team Leader Vacuum Automation & Robotic Gripping Division at Piab the gripper fingers open first and then the integrated cover plates the bags are kept in shape during drop down and stacked firmly and dimensionally stable on the pallets Grundstein explains: "From our loose salt warehouse where we store a literal mountain of salt bags and buckets at more than ten machines This equals more than 800 to 1000 pallets a day Especially the palletizing of the bags had to run with much higher cycle times than before to increase the productivity of the overall process With the new Piab hybrid bag gripper and a minor process optimization we can now palletise 9 bags per minute compared to 6 bags with the old system This corresponds to up to 16 pallets more per day and thus more than half a truck load the process now runs smoothly and without damaging the bag Thanks to the automatic intermediate layer handling integrated in the gripper palletizing of the 10-kilogram sacks eliminates the need to stoop and manually place a cardboard liner on each pallet This protects the back and has the advantage for us that the employee can devote himself to other tasks It also eliminates the need to interfere with the automated process "We used the summer break to retrofit the plant so that it is now ready for winter business The installation was very simple and smooth - basically like plug and play Thanks to the support during the installation and additional advice from Piab employees we were able to further optimize the use of the gripper and thus take full advantage of all its possibilities Piab's robust bag gripper range is ideal for palletizing plastic In addition to the adjustable hybrid bag grippers Both types are designed for payloads of 25 and 50 kg They eliminate the need for expensive custom tools and can usually be set up in under five minutes The cover plates are used for precise and tight placement of the bags on the pallet Both gripper types can be optionally equipped with suction cups for placing intermediate layers or pallet hooks.   The bag gripper from Piab takes sacks off the roller belt The width of the gripper was customized according to the roll spacing During drop-down initially only the gripper fingers open After the gripping fingers open the cover plates So the pallets are packed firmly and dimensionally stable Piab’s grippers can move sacks of up to 50 kg Piab provides smart solutions for the automated world helping thousands of end users and machine producers in e-commerce logistics automotive and other manufacturing industries to improve energy-efficiency By leveraging the ongoing technological development in automation and robotics and targeting high-growth segments and geographies Piab's vision is to become the global leader in gripping and moving solutions You must be logged in before you can post a comment. Login now Automate 2025 Q&A with Zimmer Group Automate 2025 Q&A with igus Will AI Take My Job in Manufacturing? Automate 2025 Q&A with IDS Imaging Automate 2025 Q&A with DESTACO Automate The Manufacturing Technology Series EAST AUVSI XPONENTIAL Energy Drone & Robotics Coalition Sensors Converge Subscribe | Search | Promote Products | Feature Your Company | Publish News | List Event Articles | News | Stories | Products | Companies | Events pleaded not guilty to drunken driving Monday morning in Taunton District Court  in the crash on Route 24 early Saturday that injured a state trooper and another motorist more than double the .08 threshold used by authorities in OUI cases tie and gray trousers and was reserved during the court proceeding was released on personal recognizance with the conditions that he refrain from drinking alcohol or using any controlled substances without a prescription he made no comment upon his arrival at the court   crashed his  1996 Volkswagen Jetta into the  back of state Trooper Corey Rose’s cruiser which  was pulled off into the northbound breakdown lane with its emergency  lights flashing on Route 24 in Taunton The force of the  impact pushed the cruiser into  the rear of a 2006  Chrysler Sebring driven by Fatima Baptista whom Rose had pulled over on a traffic violation authorities said Charette's car flipped over during the crash and he was found hanging upside down from his seat belt The prosecutor said alcohol was found in Charette's car and he allegedly told police at the scene that he had been drinking but did not say how much Charette was represented at the arraignment by attorney Fiore Porreca who told the judge his client had no prior record did not injure the state trooper and was cooperative with police Charette works at Bridgewater State College in a technical position and is also a graduate student there He has a college degree in computer science It was the fourth incident in a month in which a state police officer was struck on the highway died when hit by an alleged drunk driver on Interstate 95 in Mansfield Watch this Web site and Tuesday's Enterprise for updates.