More a veteran athletes from Līvāni participated in at least two football tournaments organized in Belarus The local municipality says it did not know about the plans of the local veterans' group of football players and said that traveling to Belarus is not prohibited – which is perfectly true when competing against both Belarusian and Russian teams the veteran football players used sports kit provided by the municipality.  Belarusian media wrote about the visiting players covering a football tournament in December last year the footballers participated in another tournament The Līvāni team is dressed in white football shirts with the word 'Namejs' written on them but next to the inscription is the Līvāni coat of arms the footballers posed next to the flags of Latvia The municipality says it only learned about the tournament participation after the incident Līvāni County Council Chairman Andris Vaivods (For the Development of Latvia) pointed out: "They themselves the Belarusians could have arrested them for that." Both tournaments took place in the city of Glubokoye Līvāni and Glubokoye were previously twin towns The mayor of Līvāni district claimed that the twinning agreement was terminated after Russia started its war against Ukraine with the help of Belarus The mayor also said that the football players were traveling to visit relatives not just for the tournaments.  2–3 athletes have been identified who play on a veterans' team funded by the Līvāni municipality.  The specific football players who went to Belarus will no longer be able to represent the Līvāni name in official competitions Sports life for adults in Līvāni municipality is organized by council member Mārīte Vilcāne who was elected from the same political party as the mayor She declined to comment on the situation at all.  The municipality instead delegated the head of the city council to explain what happened all the clubs that participate and use the Līvāni symbols are currently all warned about such action as unacceptable."  The Latvian Football Federation also heard for the first time that a football team had gone to Belarus The team in question do not participate in the federation's veteran championship Professional club football players – along with proessionals in other sports – are prohibited from participating in official competitions in Russia and Belarus if they want to continue playing in Latvia Latvian Football Federation representative Renārs Krīgers stated: "It is known that these were amateurs we have no way of tracking such groups traveling to these countries." The Ministry of Education and Science (MES) said that they regularly receive questions regarding their desire to play sports or The law was not violated in the case of the Līvāni football players but this behavior might be regarded as unethical director of the Sports Department of the Ministry of Education and Science people went there not to represent Latvia or the municipality the Ministry of Education and Science wants to more clearly define the issues of athlete responsibility The municipality of Līvāni has discussed the trips of football players to Belarus with the State Security Service Ever since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine the official advice of the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been that Latvian residents should not visit Russia and Belarus at all though it remains legal to do so.   Select text and press Ctrl+Enter to send a suggested correction to the editor Select text and press Report a mistake to send a suggested correction to the editor The concert program is dubbed “LATin” and kicks off on March 19 at 7:00 PM at the Valmiera Culture Center the venue is the Līvāni Culture Center on March 26 at 7:00 PM it is the Ventspils Concert Hall “Latvija” and on April 2 at 7:00 PM the orchestra will play the Riga Latvian Society House "The concert program “LATin” is dedicated to spring and it invites listeners to experience various musical rhythms together with the orchestra and conductors Major Andis Karelis and Captain Aleksandrs Kreišmanis," says advance material The selected repertoire includes music by foreign composers well-known in the world The authors of the music included in the concert program are Morton Gould, Guido Rennert, Astor Piazzolla, Raimonds Pauls and others.  we feel a kind of awakening from “winter sleep” We have searched for the repertoire for this concert program in warm countries We have chosen those compositions that are based on sharp We hope that the orchestra's playing and the rapid movement of the music will captivate the audience entice them to the dance floor and allow them to be in an elevated mood,” says Captain Aleksandrs Kreišmanis conductor of the National Armed Forces Headquarters Orchestra The National Armed Forces Headquarters Orchestra was founded on February 3 the orchestra is most often associated with important national holidays and events The orchestra's activities combine several functions – ceremonies Continuing the tradition of the National Armed Forces Orchestra admission to all the concerts is free of charge Talajeh Livani is a Social Development Specialist at the World Bank Group where she leads research and programs and supports operations in the areas of gender and social inclusion the UN Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Talajeh has a doctorate in International Development from the University of Maryland-College Park and a master’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University This week, Ateliers Courbet unveiled two new series of vessels by Greek American ceramicist and artist Peter Speliopoulos, Livani and Chasma which opened on Tuesday and will run until March 5th  will be Speliopoulos' fourth with the Chelsea gallery and offers work that encodes a physical language in the spaces where verbosity fails— Livani and Chasma present tactile vessels that articulate that muted yawning chasm between ancient history and the present; that strange friction between the Earth and the beings that create from it Crafted in the artist's studio in upstate New York The Livani series is inspired by the textures and colors of incense utilizing ancient wood-firing methods in a Japanese Noborigama kiln requiring continuous wood stoking over two days and a five-day cooling period creates surfaces with striking metallic sheens and organic patterns celebrating the unpredictable beauty of fire and clay named after the Greek word for "chasm," delves into themes of mythology Drawing from Speliopoulos' cultural heritage these sculptural vessels evoke ancient Greek caves believed to connect physical and spiritual realms the pieces are adorned with intricate hand-built details and rest on specially designed bases that elevate them symbolizing their role as conduits between worlds The series continues Speliopoulos' exploration of life's cyclical nature and the interplay between the tangible and the metaphysical Peter Speliopoulos has a distinguished background in high fashion and design having contributed to the collections of renowned brands and the creative works of leading choreographers his work reflects a deep connection to organic materials and timeless traditions—Livani and Chasma follow other exhibitions: Archaeos all of which reflect the artist's ongoing fascination with mythology and the ancient Greek modalities of spiritualism a gallery dedicated to preserving masterful craftsmanship from around the world this exhibition solidifies Speliopoulos' role as a modern translator and story and speaks with the perceptive language of ancient craftsmanship More about Ateliers Courbet here Stay up-to-date with exclusive events and content Irrigation is essential to ensuring a stable food supply especially as climate change increasingly disrupts planting and harvest cycles The sector is also an important source of job creation The answer lies partly in investing in women.  This not only improves human capital development but also helps lift families out of poverty.  Their involvement leads to better enforcement of rules Globally, only 20 percent of landholders are women and in some regions like North Africa and West Asia Ownership or control over land is essential for women to access resources and participate in decision-making about irrigation but many face legal and social barriers.  Women also have less say in decision making about irrigation infrastructures and service provision than men, and they are underrepresented as employees and managers in high level public irrigation institutions, and as members and decision-makers in community level WUAs. In Ecuador, observations during WUA meetings found that male members spoke on average 28 minutes compared to female members who only spoke 3.5 minutes.  The recently launched World Bank Gender Strategy 2024-2030 stresses elevating human capital expanding economic opportunities for women and engaging women as leaders as pivotal elements for gender equality and development.   Based on a World Bank review of the gender and irrigation literature and experiences from the World Bank’s work with governments across the world addressing gender inequalities in irrigation requires action in five key areas:  some countries are making substantial efforts to promote gender equality in irrigation: For more insights on how to promote gender equality in climate-resilient irrigation stay tuned for the upcoming World Bank report “Nourish and Flourish: How to Improve Agricultural Water Management to Feed 10 Billion People on a Livable Planet.”  Thank you for choosing to be part of the The Water Blog community The latest blog posts and blog-related announcements will be delivered directly to your email inbox Hanif Livani is an associate professor at the University of Nevada Reno with affiliation in the Department of Electrical and Biomedical Engineering degree in electrical engineering from the Virginia Polytechnic and State University (Virginia Tech) He joined the faculty of the University of Nevada Learn more about our graduate programs As usual, both clean-up and improvement works will take place during this annual event. So far, 306 waste collection and 159 landscaping clean-ups have been registered in more than 360 locations in Latvia - the offer of clean-up locations is quite wide and diverse and people often choose to clean up in a place they have not visited before in order to get to know Latvia the young people of the municipality are taking special care of the clean-up when Līvāni is the Youth Capital of Latvia we would like to make the clean-up a bit different - a thematic youth clean-up It is an activity based on the ideas of young people during which not only the city of Līvāni will be cleaned but also the shore of Lake Līvāņi will be landscaped to create a place of recreation for young people and residents of Līvāni," said Marija Driksna Head of the MJIC "Kvartāls" of Livani Municipality it is planned to not only clean up the park of the Ārciems Manor but also to improve the area of the dairy of the Ārciems Manor Those who will be cleaning up in the immediate vicinity are welcome to attend a charity concert by the band "Klaidonis" in the center of Ārciems at 15 the Zemīte Lutheran Church congregation and the Zemīte Parish Advisory Council invite you to join in a clean-up of the church and its surroundings The Lapmežciems Parish Council is focusing this year's clean-up on the coast by organizing a coastal clean-up from Bigauņciems to Klapkalnciems cleaners will have the opportunity to take part in the annual wake-up and garden clean-up of the Gricgale building for the new tourist season a lunch and stories of tavern life will be provided. All interested volunteers and storytellers are welcome a tool for outdoor work or a bucket for window cleaning company and organization to assess the suitability of the cellars in their property for a potential bomb shelter and on the day of the Big Clean-up on April 27 to participate in the practical work of adapting the cellars by removing the excess and cleaning the cellars Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) and Founder and CEO of Kalimat Group underscored the undeniable impact of children’s literature in cultivating young readers’ awareness of global literary hubs In the panel discussion titled “Unlocking Worlds: Children’s Literature and World Book Capitals” Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi was joined by Giota Livani Publisher of Livani Publishing Organization; Anna Routsi and moderated by Greek journalist Lamprini Kouzeli Inspiration behind the book “World Book Capital” Sheikha Bodour shared the inspiration behind her children's book “World Book Capital,” published in both Arabic and English by Kalimat Group She emphasised how UNESCO's World Book Capital Network has fostered a valuable exchange of experiences and expertise after Sharjah proudly showcased its rich literary heritage on a global stage as World Book Capital in 2019 Reflecting on Sharjah’s decade-long endeavour to attain the prestigious title she acknowledged the collaborative dedication of various institutions and individuals that contributed to its achievement By documenting this journey in her book it served as both a keepsake and a wellspring of motivation for aspiring leaders and by revisiting key milestones in Sharjah’s evolution she encapsulated the essence of its cultural narrative “Leading the International Publishers Association and Kalimat Group allowed me to witness the profound impact of books The moment we were handed the proverbial baton from Athens is etched in our memory signifying a profound responsibility towards this grand legacy we tirelessly continued to uphold our status as a World Book Capital beyond the official year most notably through our community and library at Sharjah’s ‘House of Wisdom.’ This commitment was echoed when we then handed over the title to Kuala Lumpur,” Al Qasimi stated Referencing the translation of her book into 11 languages Sheikha Bodour highlighted the essential role books play in bridging cultures and civilisations “Books make us feel part of a vast global family and illustrations play a key role in engaging with young readers featuring children from various cultures and countries promotes values of tolerance and love from a young age.” where online platforms compete for children's attention our task is to create engaging content that nurtures their love for reading,” Sheikha Bodour added Al Qasimi emphasised the importance of stories in children's development: “If you want your children to be intelligent read them more fairy tales,” underscoring the vital role of imaginative stories in stimulating creativity and enhancing intelligence in young minds Sheikha Bodour concluded by stressing the power of translation in disseminating knowledge and literature fostering dialogue and communication among people She underscored her belief in translation as a bridge that connects cultures and broadens mutual understanding Bringing people and cultures closer through books Giota Livani shared first impressions of Sheikha Bodour’s book during the session “When I first saw the ‘World Book Capital’ book at the Cairo International Book Fair I was particularly captivated by the harmonious colours on the book cover symbolising the earth that has seen countless generations Livani highlighted the importance of the World Book Capital network and the cooperation among various capitals describing it as an effective means of bringing peoples and cultures closer through books Livani unveiled the Greek edition of Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi's book expressing her admiration and appreciation for the efforts in translating and publishing the book Making books available to all segments of society Sharing her experience and insights and highlighting the impact the title of World Book Capital had on Athens “There was a tremendous collective effort in Athens to obtain this prestigious title and bookstore owners and cultural institutions worked together under the slogan ‘Books Everywhere’ to ensure books were accessible to all segments of society.” Routsi spoke about the network of World Book Capitals explaining that the goal was not just to celebrate the title for one year but to sustain the efforts and overcome the challenges associated with achieving it TEHRAN - Iran won two gold medals and one silver on the opening day of the World Taekwondo Cadet Championships in Sofia Baran Jamal Livani seized a gold medal in the under-29kg courtesy of a win over Yarina Pugantsova of Kazakhstan Nigorakhon Azamjonova of Uzbekistan and Serbian Arijana Ivanovic won bronze medals gold also went to Iran’s Sayna Alipour who defeated Magdalini Klakala of Greece in straight rounds Bronze medals went to Rozalina Talibjanova of Uzbekistan and Yara Hamzeh of Germany Mohammaderfan Zare of Iran lost to South Korean Dongmin Kang in the under-65 kilograms The competition has brought 669 taekwondo practitioners from 90 countries together The project has an expected finish date of April 2023 the Department of Energy is working with NV Energy Las Vegas to optimize excess solar and storage capacity for grid services The project will maximize the potential of distributed energy resources or DERs examples of which include rooftop solar PV units and battery energy storages providing flexible and quicker grid services The research will specifically focus on smart inverter control for use in a defined set of grid services that will be developed as a suite of software applications for aggregating distributed DER learning agents developing a grid-edge energy storage-as-a-service solution and lowering the transaction costs of customer financial settlement for the use of their DER assets by deploying a blockchain and smart contract enabled settlement system "Power systems, renewable energy, and smart grid are areas of research emphasis in our department and developing this area is part of the strategic plan of the department and college," said M. Sami Fadali, chair and professor of the electrical and biomedical engineering department. "Using a donation from NVEnergy and with the support of the College of Engineering the faculty were able to establish a state-of the-art lab for real-time digital simulation of power systems that has allowed our faculty to become more competitive when seeking federal funding This collaborative DOE grant will lead to new technological advances in the area of solar energy with broader regional and national impacts towards more affordable and cleaner electricity infrastructure."  “This DOE-funded project will advance the solutions and technologies for utilizing behind-the-meters clean solar resources to respond to the requirements of our aging electricity infrastructure,” said Hanif Livani associate professor of electrical and biomedical engineering “It will also lead to unlocking additional value streams for residential commercial or industrial customers with PV [photovoltaic] solar panels while reducing costs for all other customers and ratepayers."  As a co-principal investigator on this project Ben-Idris will be responsible for developing and implementing optimum control algorithms for PV systems and energy storage devices to provide frequency regulation at both the transmission level and distribution level He will also contribute to developing hardware-in-the-loop The University’s role in the project is to develop a dynamic DER aggregation model and within the grid services set focus on algorithm development for voltage support and frequency regulation services from the DERs The  Solar Energy Technologies Office Fiscal Year 2019 funding program supports projects that will improve the affordability and performance of solar technologies on the national grid It funds projects that advance early-stage systems integration and concentrating solar-thermal power technologies and reduce the non-hardware costs associated with installing solar energy systems In 2019, the U.S. Department of Energy announced it would provide $128 million in funding for 75 projects in this program Fifteen of these projects will focus on advanced solar systems integration technologies The three subtopics will focus on adaptive distribution protection grid services from behind-the-meter solar and other distributed energy resources and advanced PV controls and cybersecurity The projects will address the technical challenges facing system operators to integrate higher penetration of solar generation resulting in technologies that improve the protection distribution power system enhance the visibility and control of PV inverters and plants along with facilitation of distributed PV to help supplement grid services while improving the security of those devices from cyberattacks Leading with safety: professor of microbiology and immunology recognized for displaying excellence in lab safety and research team voted recipient of 2025 Excellence in Laboratory Safety Award Engineering faculty developing wearable tech that could treat depression Electrical & Biomedical Engineering Assistant Professor Jihwan Yoon’s device would deliver radiofrequency pulses to brain regions involved in mood regulation and cognitive function Honoring faculty through awards and fellowships Doctoral student and professor selected for prestigious International Science Education Institute chosen to participate in the 2025 Abell Institute 2025 Three-Minute Thesis competition finalists announced A peek into Nevada Woman Filmmaker of the Year’s newest documentary Reynolds School of Journalism students awarded over $184,000 in scholarships More than 60 students were honored at the annual Savitt Awards Banquet Neighborhood ‘ambassadors’ needed to help prepare communities for wildfire Reno and the Nevada Division of Forestry holding informational meeting May 7 Giving Day: The Wolf Pack Way raises over $750,000 Extension offers Home Horticulture Certificate Program Program provides information for home gardeners and those interested in becoming Master Gardeners College of Education & Human Development hosts first-ever Student Teaching Welcome Celebration Students discover where they will be student teaching in Fall 2025 Sanford Center for Aging impacts older adults in northern Nevada Sanford Center shares data and programs in the community College of Business celebrates student success and research excellence Annual banquet honors outstanding students Reno programs offer locally grown plants to support local horticulture programs Take note – story published 2 years and 3 months ago Folklore researcher Ingus Barovskis told LTV: "What I saw in this video – I'm not sure whether this costume belongs to any layers of mythology Because rituals – whether modernized or postmodernized or traditional – must have their own place I think in this case something's misplaced." The folklore band Ceiruleits is confident they've done all in Latvian tradition "We do mummery in line with local traditions and our masks have been studied for 20 or 25 years –how they've been in Līvāni municipality and the whole Latgale region," said Anna Kārkle Kārkle said that parents' concerns about Soviet symbols are unfounded as "masks are made of clothing that is old and not worn anymore that have been thrown out" and it is a parody of the gone days I think the children were not reminded of anything by the carrot and onions; they were having fun While the parents saw the ambiguous objects Līvāni municipality representative Ginta Kraukle said: "No phallic symbols were demonstrated here the Education Quality State Service (IKVD) representative Maksims Platonovs said that "some attributes are questionable." One is that an event must be appropriate for [..] children's age and perception The head of the institution or a delegated person must react if the event doesn't go as planned it is probably better than to explain afterward," said Platonovs.  The folklore researcher Barovskis confirmed: "We can do the ritual as we please [..] but it has a place and audience other times water from the pond,” says Masuma Begum “We boil it if we can but don’t always have time We are too poor to invest in a well.”  Studies find that women’s participation in water user associations results in better enforcement of rules There is also some evidence that marginalized women find it easier to approach female decision-makers than their male counterparts if they are facing issues related to water To address gender inequalities in the WASH sector, the Government of Bangladesh and the World initiated, the Bangladesh Rural WASH for Human Capital Development The project will empower women and girls like Masuma by providing improved access to water sanitation and hygiene services in 78 rural sub-districts in Bangladesh This will help shift WASH decision-making from men in town markets to women in homes Insights gained from The Rising Tide: A New Look at Water and Gender show that access to vital resources is more critical than ever Thank you for choosing to be part of the End Poverty in South Asia community Police remind the public that neither they nor other law enforcement officers will ever call to ask for money a woman in Līvāni municipality received several calls from fraudsters who presented themselves as representatives of a mobile operator the fraudsters gained the confidence of the victim the woman withdrew funds from her bank account and handed them over to a courier Criminal proceedings have been initiated in connection with the incident presented himself as a State Police officer The fraudster instructed the victim to transfer the funds The victim transferred EUR 7,800 to the bank account indicated by the fraudster and made a further purchase abroad for EUR 925.40 Two criminal proceedings have been initiated in connection with these cases for obtaining other people's property or rights to such property by abuse of trust or by deception (fraud) The offense is punishable by up to three years' imprisonment or temporary deprivation of liberty The police urge people to be vigilant and to drop such suspicious calls immediately Neither the State Police nor any other law enforcement authorities will ever call to ask for money or access codes to bank accounts The State Police urges people to be vigilant and to warn their elderly relatives about such scams When land and other property are lost in conflict The picture in MENA is no different. Women and girls have suffered disproportionately from food shortages and lack of access to schools and health facilities more than 4.5 million children and pregnant or lactating women are acutely malnourished and maternal mortality rates have increased Women and children comprise the majority of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the conflicts have resulted in an unprecedented number of widows and female-headed households Alarmingly, violence against women, ranging from domestic violence to the exploitation of girls and women as child brides and sex slaves, has increased in the region The widespread distribution of weapons has intensified militarized masculinities that target women’s mobility radical groups with anti-women’s empowerment stances have gained ground gender inequality concerns have traditionally taken a back seat to the “larger” or “more urgent” issues of civil wars the exclusion of entire segments of the population is a major barrier to social cohesion the World Bank’s MENA region provided a glimpse into groundbreaking research in “Building for Peace: Reconstruction for Security posits that the traditional top-down “state-building” approaches to peacebuilding and reconstruction are no longer sufficient alone – they must be complemented with inclusive “people-centered” approaches convinced militias to camp away from their communities and campaigned for the release of detainees gender-based violence must be addressed head on so that its staggering prevalence during the conflict does not become the new norm Finally, supporting women’s economic empowerment is critical. According to a recent study by the IMF the income gain to MENA by closing gender gaps in employment and entrepreneurship could be as high as 38% Women’s income generating roles during the conflicts have provided them valuable knowledge and skills that can be utilized in the peacebuilding and reconstruction efforts is likely to yield significant returns in poverty reduction and food security As emphasized in the World Bank’s MENA Regional Strategy social inclusion is one of the main building blocks on the path to sustainable peace and development in the region MENA now has a golden opportunity to turn the page and to build a solid foundation for inclusion and gender equality for future generations This opportunity cannot and should not be missed Thank you for choosing to be part of the Arab Voices community Every year billions of dollars are poured into development projects and programs to promote gender equality in economic opportunity Some argue that these investments do not have any long-term effects on women’s employment and entrepreneurship patterns because human behaviors are very difficult to change Behaviors are determined by strong social norms and personal beliefs about the roles that men and women should play in society An important question emerges: How rigid are these gender norms and can behavior change interventions transform them in a significant and sustainable way? There are no simple answers. However, recent research on migrant communities in Sweden can shed some light This study uses World Values Survey questions to analyze the beliefs of migrant communities such as Iranians and Turks on a host of topics such as gender equality The migrants’ beliefs are compared to the dominant beliefs in their countries of origin as well as to the beliefs of the majority population in Sweden 69 percent of Iranians living in Iran agree with the statement “When jobs are scarce men should have more right to a job than women” (see Figure 1) 78 percent of Iraqis living in Iraq agree with the statement compared to only 24 percent of their compatriots in Sweden only 2 percent of the majority population in Sweden agrees with the statement Similar results are found when asked whether men make better business executives than women Sixty-six percent of Turks in Turkey versus only 20 percent of Turks in Sweden agree or strongly agree with this statement (see Figure 2) These large “belief gaps” are also observed between Iraqis and Iranians in Sweden and the populations in their countries of origin when these men learn about other men’s views they become more progressive in their own views and behaviors What does all of this mean for development policies and programming There are two main approaches to addressing social norms while promoting women’s economic empowerment in programs and projects The first is to work within the existing social norms Many development projects are modified with a gender lens to accommodate women’s efforts to balance their productive and reproductive roles This includes supporting flexible work arrangements (for example increasing access to quality and affordable childcare promoting safe work environments free of sexual harassment improving the efficiency and safety of public transportation target social norms to reduce child marriage address sex-preference of children at birth expand women’s access to digital financial services and engage men in supporting women’s economic empowerment What’s important in all of this is to involve men in the conversation to close gender gaps if men are not part of the solution are developing a large-scale testbed for cyber-physical energy systems that will allow expanded research into energy grids Power failures can be annoying at best — anyone remember the string of power outages around New Year’s affecting more than 100,000 energy customers in northern Nevada University researchers working to improve the resilience stability and cybersecurity of power grids soon may have a new tool to protect energy supplies: large-scale digital simulators for cyber-physical energy systems which can test processes and hardware that could fortify the power grid against extreme weather and earthquakes Electrical & Biomedical Engineering Associate Professor Mohammed Ben-Idris and his collaborators recently secured a $993,643 grant from the National Science Foundation to acquire the real-time digital simulator and set up a large-scale testbed in the E-RESILIENCY Lab in the Pennington Engineering Building “As the complexity of modern power grids and the frequency and intensity of natural disasters increase real-time digital simulators become the necessary tools to analyze power grid responses and test new solutions before their implementation on real systems,” Ben-Idris wrote in a brief on the project potentially will benefit from this new testbed which Ben-Idris believes is the only one of its kind in Nevada Four College of Engineering faculty — Poria Fajri Hanif Livani and Hao Xu from the Electrical & Biomedical Engineering Department and Shamik Sengupta from the Computer Science & Engineering Department — are working with Ben-Idris on the three-year project to develop a large-scale testbed for cyber-physical energy systems This will allow faculty and students working on cyber-physical energy systems (intelligent systems that allow for new capabilities to energy systems by integration of communication information and control) to test solutions for power-grid problems in a virtual setting before they are employed in real-world situations “Before a solution can be implemented on a real power grid it must be extensively tested through large (tens of thousands of nodes) real-time simulations tools that can capture dynamic responses of power systems,” Ben-Idris said Hardware-in-the-loop testing — or testing in which real signals from a controller are connected to a test system that simulates reality — also is necessary Researchers will utilize the large-scale digital simulator for a variety of projects such as testing methods to protect power grids in the event of wildfires storms and earthquakes as well as developing components needed for a secure exchange of information Other solutions tested through the simulator could be the use unmanned aerial vehicles to assess post-disaster damage to the power grid and to implement restoration of the grid This work corresponds with a few of the College’s research pillars: equitable infrastructure and mitigating natural hazards; cyber-protected information and communication technology; and unmanned vehicles and the new space frontier Electrical & Biomedical Engineering Department chair the large-scale digital simulator has dramatically advanced the department’s capability to research energy systems  “It has been my dream since becoming department chair to have a nationally competitive power systems research lab,” Fadali said “We started very modestly with the purchase of the first RTDS (real-time digital simulator) unit through a donation from NV Energy with the efforts of the faculty and support from the College the lab gradually grew and started to achieve national recognition,” Fadali continued “This latest grant will finally make my dream come true Ben-Idris and his team for making the dream possible and to Dean Jones and VPRI Gautam for their support.” Ben-Idris estimates that more than 15 University will be able to expand their research using the large-scale simulator and that it will open up training opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students will help UNR faculty recruit outstanding students and post-docs as many faculty involved in this testbed — Ben-Idris included — already have collaboration projects with such companies as NV Energy; EnerNex a Tennessee-based engineering consulting company; Quanta Technology a North Carolina-based technical consulting company serving energy industries; and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado Ben-Idris plans to design a user schedule based on one currently employed by the University’s High Performance Computing (HPC) facility as he sits on the HPC’s Cyberinfrastructure Committee which designed the HPC business model and allowed use-time for the HPC facility Chemical & Materials Engineering Assistant Professor Maryam Raeeszadeh-Sarmazdeh shares a few thoughts about her work and the potential impact of biomolecular engineering ‘a force of nature,’ to be remembered at campus memorial service screenwriter and advocate for Indigenous peoples THE Lautoka lockdown affected Loame Livani in two distinct ways The Lautoka Municipal Market juice seller lost out on much-needed income as she had to undergo home quarantine for 14 days Ms Livani was at the funeral the 53-year-old Nadi quarantine facility maid who contracted COVID-19 had attended in Tavakubu “I am anxious because this is the only business that provides for my family,” the Jinnu Rd resident said “And I was even more worried when I was told to stay home because of the possibility that I could have contracted the virus.” For now her family’s needs were being met by Government and a non-governmental organisation “I am so blessed that the Commissioner Western’s Office and FRIEND Fiji have come to our rescue today (yesterday) and I am so thankful to these individuals working so hard to ensure we are assisted.” Ms Livani said the financial challenges faced during last year’s lockdown were still fresh on her mind and she hoped things would go back to normal soon Powered by PageSuite which benefits Sarasota Memorial Healthcare's women's cancer care programs