Mediaboss Marketing

(iStockphoto)

Kelsea Best, a Ph.D. student in Earth and Environmental Sciences, has been awarded a graduate student pursuit grant from the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center to study the human impacts of climate change. Best is leading a team of graduate students fromseveral universities across the U.S. to study connections between climate change and displacement of people in coastal areas of the United States, with financial support for travel, high-performance computational resources and stipends provided by SESYNC.

David Curie, a third-year physics Ph.D. student, has received anOffice of Science Graduate Student Research Fellowshipto conduct part of his dissertation research in a Department of Energy laboratory. Curies work focuses on single-photon sources, which can be used inquantum communicationsand possibly quantum computing.

E. Bronson Ingram College was named the Best Higher Education/Research project for 2019 by Engineering News-Record magazine.

Brandt Eichman, William R. Kenan, Jr. Chair in Biological Sciences and professor of biochemistry, will receive the 2021 International Award from the Biochemical Society, the United Kingdoms leading organization of biochemists. The award, whichrecognizes outstanding and independent research that demonstrates the importance of the molecular biosciences, is given annually to an early- to mid-career scientist who has conducted research outside the U.K. and Ireland.

Mary Jo Gilmer, professor of nursing, has been selected for induction into the International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame by Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. The honor, which recognizes significant, sustained international achievement, is considered one of the highest honors in nursing research.

Kathryn Humphreys, assistant professor of psychology and human development, has received a 2020 Janet Taylor Spence Award from the Association for Psychological Science. The award recognizes early-career researchers who have made transformative contributions to the field of psychological science, such as establishing new paradigms within a subject area or advancing research that cuts across fields of study.

Karan Jani, a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, has been recognized as an All-Star Alumnus by Forbes for his research on black holes. Jani was named to Forbes30 Under 30Science list in 2017.

Jonathan Metzl, Frederick B. Rentschler II Professor of Sociology and Medicine, Health and Society, has received the 2020 Benjamin Rush Award from the American Psychiatric Association. The award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to the literature on the history of psychiatry.

Dawool (Lauren) Nam, a senior majoring in chemistry, has received the 2019-20 Girls in STEM Scholarship Award from Girls Who STEM, the mission of which is to increase access and participation of girls in STEM fields and to promote and support girls and women in STEM projects, areas of study and professions.

Roberta Nelson, assistant director of the Office of LGBTQI Life, has received the Promising New Professional Award from the Consortium of LGBT Resource Professionals. The award recognizes a professional with less than five years of experience for outstanding service, innovative or creative effort within the profession, and demonstration of significant promise for leadership in the field.

Laura Nichols, a first-year physics Ph.D. student, has received a Computational Science Graduate Fellowship in overall support of her dissertation research in computational physics. TheCSGF fellowship, awarded to only about 30 individuals nationally per year, supports Ph.D. candidates in the computational sciencesthose who use computer programming to solve problems in scientific disciplines such as physics, biology and chemistry.

Sokrates Pantelides, William A. and Nancy F. McMinn Professor of Physics and professor of electrical engineering, was one of three international scientists honored with the 2019 Award for International Scientific Cooperation by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. A pioneer in the field of semiconductor physics, Pantelides has carried out substantive cooperation with the CAS in developing new low-dimensional materials over the past two decades. In addition, Pantelides was named an honorary professor by Galgotias University in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India, in conjunction with a talk he gave at an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers conference in nearby Lucknow.

Cleo Rucker, director of human resources consulting, employee and labor relations, has been appointed to the Metro Nashville Employee Benefits Study and Formulating Committee by Mayor John Cooper. The committees charge is to study and formulate a plan for employee benefits, including disability and retirement benefits, for Metro Nashville employees.

Keivan Stassun, Stevenson Chair in Physics and professor of astronomy and computer science, has been named an inaugural fellow of the American Astronomical Society, the major organization of professional astronomers in North America. The designation recognizes AAS members for extraordinary achievement and service, such as original research and publication, innovative contributions to astronomical techniques or instrumentation, significant contributions to education and public outreach, and noteworthy service to astronomy and to the society itself.

Steven Townsend, assistant professor of chemistry, has been named a Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar for 2020. These faculty are within the first five years of their academic careers, have created an outstanding independent body of scholarship, and are deeply committed to education.

Kip Viscusi, University Distinguished Professor of Law, Economics and Management, has received the American Risk and Insurance Associations 2020 Kulp-Wright Book Award for Pricing Lives: Guideposts for a Safer Society. The award recognizes a risk management and insurance book or monograph that advances the body of knowledge toward new frontiers.

See the article here:
Kudos: Read about faculty, staff and student awards, appointments and achievements - Vanderbilt University News

The CBI has called on the government to take a strategic, ambitious and expeditious approach to its policy decisions and long-term strategies to support the innovation economy.

In its Building a world-class innovation and digital economy report, the CBI warned that innovation will not realise its full potential without widespread adoption. Research highlighted in the report points to a lack of adoption of tried and tested innovation.

According to the CBI, in 2017, the proportion of UK businesses with basic digital capabilities including websites, internet trading capabilities, customer relationship management and enterprise resource planning systems were lower than the proportion of Danish businesses that had adopted them eight years earlier, in 2009.

The CBI said that this failure to adopt and diffuse innovation throughout the economy has contributed to the UKs relatively low productivity levels and has made it more challenging for some firms to adapt to changes brought about by the coronavirus.

The CBI reported that compared to other European countries, the UK ranked 16th out of 36 in terms of the adoption of product or process innovation in small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs).

As the UK leaves Europe, the government has proposed a Shared Prosperity Fund to replace the 2.1bn funding structural funding it receives from the EU, which is used to boost economic development, including support for businesses, employment and agriculture.

The CBI recommended thatthe department for business energy and industrial strategy (BEIS) and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government urgently deliver the UK Shared Prosperity Fund over the next year to support SME innovation adoption, fully replacing European funding and simplifying access.

It also recommended that BEIS deliver a bold end-to-end research and innovation strategy, including expanding Innovate UKs remit to support businesses to adopt innovation. This will help to create a systematic approach to innovation support, ensuring the UK can convert its world-leadingresearch and development (R&D) capabilities into commercial success.

Building on the need for a joined-up R&D policy, the CBI called on the government to set out a bold and systematic approach on key emerging technologies. It suggested that distributed ledger technology (DLT) should top the list as the cutting-edge innovation most set to make an impact in the next five years, along with quantum computing and augmented/virtual reality (AR /VR).

It urged policymakers to draw on the evidence and expertise of UK Research & Innovation, the Office for Science, and departmental chief scientific advisers to scan the horizon and identify the most important emerging technologies to target.

When reforming policies, the CBI suggested that the government learn from international good practice, trial new approaches and be prepared to take risks with innovation funding.

It also said policymakers should also prioritise measures that maximise private sector R&D activity and investment in the UK.

The reports authors wrote: Improving the environment for business R&D must be the central focus for government action. There are also real opportunities to redress regional economic inequality through strategic R&D investment. Investment is currently highly concentrated in certain parts of the UK with three regions accounting for 52% of gross spend.

More:
CBI: Government must take steps to drive SME business innovation - ComputerWeekly.com

The June 11 offer by Dan Braswell for a reasonable review of his writings is typical of the party-affiliated vortex of distraction from the issue Thats what I said but I didnt say that which is echoed from Washington too often.

The issue is citizens right to free speech. Braswell and Del. John McGuire need to review two things: The First Amendment right to free speech and the Supreme Courts decision about public officials blocking citizens from posting to their social media accounts.

The First Amendment provides the public with a venue to petition the government for redress of grievances. Since McGuire is the peoples government representative, his blocking access to and deleting comments on his Facebook account is unconstitutional and prevents us from voicing our concerns.

So where should we go if McGuire is emotionally incapable of dealing with opposition? He ignores the concerns of constituents, which is the point. We have the right to express our views to him regardless of his immature attitude. All citizens of the 56th district should be concerned about delegates who are unwilling to communicate with the public they serve.

This should be disturbing to everyone, even Braswell who actively and passively advocates McGuires abuse of First Amendment rights instead of performing an intervention to overcome those feelings of inadequacy.

More important is McGuires intimidation and bullying to prevent the publics right of access to his office. Supposedly, he took another oath to uphold the Constitution when he became delegate, but probably had his fingers crossed. If he cant perform his service to the public, why is he in office?

Why shouldnt he answer questions? Why shouldnt he be held accountable? Whenever the people of the 56th district want answers, his approach seems to be to bunker down. He cant even set up a venue where everyone is comfortable the cause for that discomfort shows itself with his Facebook rants. All his ranting seems to be the overall political strategy of his party. If we could get a coherent post from McGuire, it would help.

Right now, with all his campaigning and overall lack of communication skills, he only displays limited ability to grasp complex and comprehensive issues that are necessary for public safety. His narrow scope belies the broader perspective he cant cope with.

The United States Supreme Court decided that Trumps attempts to block citizens from his Twitter account because they didnt praise him enough, or at all, are unconstitutional. It decided that a public officials social media account cannot be used as a propaganda tool and only allow access to the party faithful for comments. This decision also applies to McGuires Facebook page.

It must be that McGuire has that same sensitivity to criticism as too many of his colleagues.

For all the glorification of military service as justification for public service, Braswell made me think of a military phrase that can be applied to McGuire. As paraphrased: Cowardice in the face of constituents!

Read more:
Read the First Amendment | Letters To The Editor - The Central Virginian

At the coronavirus task force briefing Friday, Vice President Mike Pence was asked a question about why the Trump campaign held a rally in Tulsa, Okla., against the advice of local health officials. He responded by citing the First Amendment.

- On the campaign, it really does sound though like you're saying do as we say, not as we do. You're telling people to listen to local officials, but in Tulsa you defied local health officials to have an event that even though you say it didn't result in a spike, dozens of Secret Service agents, dozens of campaign staffers are now quarantined after positive tests. And then in Arizona, one of the hardest-hit states, you packed a church with young people who weren't wearing masks. So how can you say that the campaign is not part of the problem that Dr. Fauci laid out?

MIKE PENCE: Well, I want to remind you again that the freedom of speech and the right to peaceably assemble is enshrined in the Constitution of the United States. And even in a health crisis, the American people don't forfeit our constitutional rights. And working with state officials, as we did in Oklahoma and as we did in Arizona, we're creating settings where people can choose to participate in the political process, and we'll continue to do that.

I think it's I think it's really important that we recognize how important-- how important freedom and personal responsibility are to this entire equation but allowing younger Americans--

- [INAUDIBLE] freedom [INAUDIBLE].

MIKE PENCE: --allowing younger Americans to understand, particularly in the counties that are most impacted. The unique challenges that we're facing in their age group we think is important.

Here is the original post:
Pence says First Amendment is why Trump campaign held Tulsa rally despite local health officials' warnings - Yahoo News

Words matter. Reporting matters. But sometimes, it's a video that matters most.

When a Minneapolis police officer knelt on George Floyd's neck for more than eight minutes while he died, gasping for breath, a cellphone video shot by a teenage girl on her way to get a snack made the horror undeniable.

"The world needed to see what I was seeing," Darnella Frazier told the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Days later, when Buffalo police knocked down 75-year-old protester Martin Gugino and a pool of blood spread under on the sidewalk under his head, a cellphone video enraged people all over the world.

"It just so happens I was in the right place at the right time with exactly the right angle," Mike Desmond of the local public radio station WBFO explained to the Buffalo News.

Video can change the world or at least a few million opinions. But what about the potentially explosive video that can't be shot or never gets seen because law enforcement has confiscated cameras or arrested the people using them?

Video can change the world or at least a few million opinions.

This week, New York University's First Amendment Watch released "A Citizen's Guide to Recording the Police" a primer for amateur videographers on the rights they are entitled to in these encounters. The guide explains why, under most circumstances, the police can neither seize nor demand to view such recordings though some may try and it provides case-law examples to back up its assertions.

It comes along at a crucial time.

"In this new era, we have armies of citizens out on the streets capable of producing evidence that checks the conduct of public officials," said Stephen Solomon, the organization's founding editor. The First Amendment right to record public officials, such as the police performing their official duties in public, is central to our democracy, he said.

Who can forget the bizarre and disturbing arrest of Omar Jimenez and a CNN crew while on live television in Minneapolis on May 29? That incident was roundly denounced by press freedom groups and resulted in an apology from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz: "There is absolutely no reason something like this should have happened."

But less heralded and far less visible offenses have happened throughout the United States, as the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker makes clear.

Sue Brisk, a freelance photographer, told the Tracker that she was photographing demonstrations at 42nd Street in Times Square that same day with her NYPD-issued press pass clearly displayed. "I watched the police beat people with billy clubs and then they threw a woman up against a pole right in front of me," Brisk said. "After that it's a blur."

Brisk said that, before she knew what was happening, her head was slammed to the ground and she found herself pinned under at least three New York City police officers. Weeks later, she was still trying to retrieve her camera.

By the Tracker's count, well over 400 "aggressions against the press" - including dozens of examples of equipment being damaged - have marred recent Black Lives Matter protests.

The NYU guide cites a 2012 U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit decision that drew a direct connection between the creation of a recording and something that's better understood to be constitutionally protected: the publication or dissemination of a recording.

"The right to publish or broadcast an audio or audiovisual recording would be insecure, or largely ineffective," the decision in ACLU v. Alvarez stated, if making the recording were unprotected. "Restricting the use of [a recording] device suppresses speech just as effectively as restricting the dissemination of the resulting recording."

However, the right to record police isn't, well, bulletproof, at this moment.

About three-fifths of the U.S. population lives in states where federal appeals courts have recognized a First Amendment right to record the police in public, the guide says. The U.S. Supreme Court hasn't ruled directly on the issue.

That means legal protections aren't nailed down everywhere. Yet the outlook is good: "Given the resounding support so far for this First Amendment protection, it seems highly likely that the remaining federal appeals courts would reach the same conclusion if the issue appears on their docket."

Of course, the legal right to record is no guarantee of respectful treatment when events are unfolding. And they are small comfort to journalists or members of the public who have been injured or had their equipment seized as they tried to document protests.

Still, Solomon told me, it's helpful to know your rights to confidently assert them when it matters most. After all - like 17-year-old Darnella Frazier who started a movement by pointing her cellphone - almost anyone can capture evidence of what "the world needed to see."

Should that happen, it's good to know the First Amendment has your back.

Read this article:
Check your First Amendment rights in the event police stop you from taking photos - The Guam Daily Post