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UD physicists track one of the most powerful solar flares in nearly two decades
A massive solar flare – possibly the strongest recorded in nearly 20 years – has unleashed a wave of charged particles toward Earth, sparking radio blackouts across parts of Africa and Europe and triggering measurable increases in radiation levels worldwide. At the University of Delaware, physicists Pierre-Simon Mangeard and John Clem are closely monitoring the event through UD’s neutron monitor network, a global system that tracks cosmic radiation from observatories in Newark, Greenland, Canada, Antarctica and Hawaii. “This is a significant event, still in progress,” said Mangeard. The physicists are seeing a roughly 65% increase in ground-level radiation, which is possibly the largest since 2006. These elevated readings are known as a Ground Level Enhancement (GLE) – a rare occurrence caused by high-energy particles accelerated by solar flares that penetrate Earth’s magnetic field and reach the surface. The data being collected now will help researchers better understand how such bursts of solar activity impact Earth’s atmosphere, communications systems and even aviation safety. Clem and Mangeard’s work at UD’s Bartol Research Institute and Department of Physics and Astronomy contributes to global efforts to monitor and predict space weather events, including solar storms and coronal mass ejections. The team’s continuous, real-time data help scientists worldwide assess potential disruptions to satellites, power grids and high-altitude flights. As analysis of this flare continues, UD’s neutron monitor network will remain a key resource for understanding how space weather events ripple through our planet’s systems. Experts available for interviews: • Pierre-Simon Mangeard, research associate, Department of Physics and Astronomy • John Clem, associate professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy To contact Mangeard or Clem, email mediarelations@udel.edu.
Do the math: We’re awake roughly 16 hours a day. We spend 10 of those hours staring at screens – phones, tablets, computers, TV, gaming devices. That’s 63% of our waking life. The first platform dedicated entirely to digital balance launching today reveals something even more startling: It's not that we lack willpower to change our behavior. It's that we lack confidence. New proprietary research from Offline.now shows that 8 in 10 people are ready to change their relationship with technology, but more than half are so overwhelmed with their digital habits, they don’t know where to start. “If you don’t learn how to manage the screens in your life, they will manage you,” says Eli Singer, Founder of Offline.now and author of Offline.now: A Practical Guide to Healthy Digital Balance. “When people tell us they feel overwhelmed, it’s not laziness. It’s a crisis of confidence. And confidence is something that can be built.” Digital Wellness Experts Address the Struggles No One Else Will These insights come from digital wellness experts in the Offline.now Digital Wellness Directory – a growing community of licensed professionals across North America specializing in ADHD, relationships, family dynamics, high-achievers, and sustainable behavior change. They’re not offering generic advice. They’re addressing specific digital struggles that define contemporary life. Psychotherapist Harshi Sritharan, who specializes in modern anxiety and ADHD, explains: “The biggest mistake people make is reaching for their phone or turning on their computer first thing in the morning. It injects your dopamine full of uncertainty. You’ve essentially told your brain the most important thing you have to do today is put out fires. I tell clients to delay that first scroll as long as possible and never hit ‘snooze’. You’re fragmenting your REM sleep and making yourself more exhausted. These aren’t willpower issues; they’re about understanding how blue light disrupts your circadian rhythm, especially for those with ADHD who already struggle with sleep regulation.” According to Sritharan, the breakthrough happens when people understand the dopamine cycles driving their dependence and “reframe how they connect with all their screens, whether it’s their phone, gaming console, or streaming TV.” High Achievers Can’t Unplug. The ‘Always-On’ Trap is Killing Productivity, Not Boosting It “A lot of high performers think they need better time management,” says Executive Function Coach, Craig Selinger. “But what they actually need are boundaries. They’ve built empires by being available 24/7, and their phones have become permission slips to say yes to everything.” The difference between old and new technology matters,” he explains. “Back in the day with TV, there was a clear demarcation of beginning and end, right? The episode ends and you move on. Now it’s like Minecraft or TikTok – there’s no ending. And mobility makes it sticky, because you’re physically carrying the drug with you, versus a TV that stayed in one room.” The breakthrough happens when they realize being unavailable on purpose isn’t a weakness. “Things like turning off notifications during deep work, or setting ‘do not disturb’ windows? Those aren’t luxuries. They’re the competitive advantages they’ve been missing.” Digital Dependency as a Third Party in a Relationship Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Gaea Woods says digital devices are killing interpersonal relationships, not because tech is evil, but because “we use it unconsciously at the moments when connection matters most. When you’re scrolling at dinner, you’re telling your partner ‘my phone is more interesting and important than you’.” The breakthrough happens when couples set explicit agreements: response times, when devices go off-limits – and even what’s it’s OK with AI companions. “We’ve exited the era of meaningful communication without realizing it, and now we must deliberately rebuild it. Nature isn’t ‘Nice to Have’. It’s the Antidote to Screen Fatigue No One is Talking About After running a tech-free camp for 25 years, Personal Development Coach Mark Diamond says he’s seen what happens when kids get genuine face-to-face time interaction outdoors. “Their brains reset. The beauty and physical activity provide perspective that screens can never replicate. Digital dependency has eroded our ability to develop real human connections across all ages, not just teenagers. Screens should not replace the moments that define our wellbeing.” Why This Matters Now The stakes extend beyond personal frustration. Unchecked screen dependency is linked to rising rates of anxiety, deteriorating sleep quality, relationship breakdown, and what mental health experts call “continuous partial attention”, a state where we’re always connected, but never fully present. The Data Reveals When Change is Possible Beyond the confidence divide, Offline.now’s research uncovers the precise moments when users are most open to shifting their digital habits: Evenings from 6 pm-11:59 pm emerge as the “Go Time” window. 40% of self-assessment responders peak readiness to act. Sunday is “Reset Day, when 43% want to set boundaries for the week ahead. Saturdays offer natural opportunities for self-compassion and rest. Afternoons become the “Overwhelm Window”, with 57% feeling consumed by their screens. Critically, Fridays – despite having the highest overwhelm factor – are the worst time for interventions. Users are depleted and change rarely sticks. The Framework That Powers the Platform At the platform’s core is the Offline.now Matrix, a behavioral framework that maps the confidence and motivation levels of users to reveal their starting point: Overwhelmed, Ready, Stuck, or Unconcerned. Based on Singer’s book, Offline.now: A Practical Guide to Healthy Digital Balance, the approach replaces willpower-based advice with microlearning strategies – each taking 20 minutes or less – that track emotional triggers rather than just screen time totals. It offers 100 real-world alternatives to scrolling, from reorganizing a drawer to visiting a thrift shop, and reframes slip-ups as data, not disasters. “The books shows that lasting change doesn’t require deleting Instagram or TikTok tomorrow,” says Singer. “You need to win one personal victory today, and then another tomorrow. That’s how confidence rebuilds.” Propelled by University of Toronto’s Innovation Ecosystem Offline.now is a University of Toronto-affiliated startup, leveraging one of the world’s most powerful innovation networks. U of T is ranked among the top five university-managed business incubators globally and has helped create more than 1,500 venture-backed companies and secured more than CAD$14 billion in investment over the past decade. How Offline.now Works For individuals and families: Take the free self-assessment quiz using the Offline.now Matrix to map your motivation and confidence levels in under three minutes. Receive instant access to practical strategies, curated resources, and a searchable directory of digital wellness experts organized by specialty, location, and insurance coverage. For digital wellness professionals: Join a growing community of licensed mental health practitioners, certified behaviorial coaches, and registered social workers by creating your profile at Offline.now. The platform provides new client leads, professional development opportunities, and visibility in a rapidly expanding market. About Offline.now Offline.now is the first global platform dedicated entirely to achieving digital balance. Founder and author Eli Singer built one of North America’s first social media agencies before seeing technology shift from community-building to attention-harvesting. As a parent, he experienced firsthand the struggle to maintain digital balance. The platform combines proprietary behavioral research, expert guidance and counselling from licensed professionals, and science-backed strategies to help individuals and families build healthier relationships with their screens. Visit Offline.now at https://offline.now Expert Interview Availability Offline.now can arrange interviews with: Eli Singer, Founder – Vision for digital wellness; behavioral data insights Harshi Sritharan, Psychotherapist – Dopamine cycles, ADHD, anxiety and intentional tech use Craig Selinger, Executive Function Coach – Digital distraction in high achievers, family dynamics, ADHD Mark Diamond, Personal Development Coach – Outdoor wellness, sustainable behavior change, happiness, connection Gaea Woods, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist – Communication, digital third-party relationships, phubbing Additional Resources Free self-assessment quiz - The Offline.now Matrix: https://offline.now/quiz Expert directory and booking: https://offline.now/experts/ Join the directory: https://offline.now/join/ Order Offline.now: A Practical Guide to Healthy Digital Balance: https://offline.now/book/
As sustainability moves from niche topic to boardroom central, companies face an increasingly complex global environment of regulatory divergence, disclosure demands and reputational risk. A recent article by J.S. Held's John Peiserich examines how multinational firms can respond effectively to the “crosscurrents” of ESG compliance, litigation exposure and evolving definitions of corporate responsibility. John Peiserich specializes in environmental risk and compliance. With over 30 years of experience, John provides consulting and expert services for heavy industry and law firms throughout the country with a focus on Oil & Gas, Energy, and Public Utilities, including serving as an expert witness in arbitration proceedings and in state and federal courts. View his profile here Key Insights: Sustainability now touches every major business function — environmental, social, and governance — and must be embedded in strategy rather than treated as an add-on. Regulatory landscapes are diverging: while the U.S. federal approach remains fragmented, individual states like California are moving ahead with mandatory climate and emissions-related corporate disclosures. In contrast, the European Union’s Green Deal and related frameworks promote a more unified regulatory model, creating operational tension for multinational corporations. Litigation and disclosure risk are increasing, with “greenwashing” (overstating sustainability achievements) and “greenhushing” (avoiding or under-reporting ESG performance) emerging as major board-level concerns. Effective risk management now requires scalable data systems, transparent communication, strong governance, and agility to adapt across multiple regulatory regimes. Why this matters: The widening divide between jurisdictions — and intensifying scrutiny of corporate sustainability claims — means ESG compliance can no longer be treated as a checkbox exercise. Organizations that fail to anticipate regulatory expectations or align ESG strategy with business goals risk legal exposure, reputational harm, and missed opportunities for value creation. Strategic Insights for Corporate Leadership on Sustainability Boards and executives must adjust their mindset, seeing sustainability not as a burden but as a catalyst for growth and differentiation. Proactive investment in research, development, and stakeholder engagement will help organizations seize new opportunities and maintain credibility in a fast-changing world. Documentation and transparency are vital defenses against legal challenges, while ongoing monitoring of policy and market trends ensures adaptability. Ultimately, the most successful companies will treat sustainability as an essential tenet of strategy—aligning profit, purpose, and governance to secure their position in the global marketplace. Navigating the crosscurrents of sustainability requires courage, judgment, and a commitment to continuous learning. By embracing these principles, corporations can build a future that is not only profitable but also just, resilient, and worthy of the trust placed in them by shareholders and society alike. Looking to know more or connect with John Peiserich about this important topic? Simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
Aston University’s approach to a global challenge Across industries, companies face mounting pressure to cut carbon, improve resource efficiency, and contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet many firms still struggle to move from vision statements to measurable action. At Aston Business School, Dr Breno Nunes, reader in sustainable operations management, is developing practical frameworks that help organisations embed sustainability at their core. His concept of 'sustainability fitness' captures how firms can build the capabilities they need to adapt, compete, and thrive in the transition to a net zero economy. “Many organisations want to be sustainable but struggle to operationalise what that means. My work is about bridging that gap — helping businesses translate strategies into practice.” — Dr Breno Nunes The sustainability fitness concept involves both meeting human needs and respecting environmental limits. While it can also be applied at the societal and individual level, Dr Nunes focuses on organisations, where capability building delivers the fastest, measurable change. Corporate sustainability fitness examines how a firm is able to survive and meet its own needs, while aligning itself to wider essential needs of society and operating within limits imposed by its surrounding natural environment. From research to real-world action Dr Nunes’ research examines how organisations design, implement, and monitor sustainability strategies across operations, supply chains, facilities, and product development. He is the main author of the book Sustainable Operations Management: Key practices and cases, which applies the issues of sustainability to all strategic decisions of operations. His work is already making a tangible difference, including international partnerships in Brazil, Canada, and the US, bringing cross-cultural insights into organisational transformation, as well as for various companies and organisations. In an Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with automotive supplier Metal Assemblies, Dr Nunes and Professor Alexeis Garcia Perez, professor of digital business and society at Aston University, are working to calculate and report the carbon cost of metal components used in car production, tackling one of the industry’s biggest sustainability challenges. The digitalisation of processes will allow Metal Assemblies to meet customers' requirements and position itself as a trusted and transparent supplier of low-carbon components. In another KTP with Brockhouse Group, a forging manufacturer in the West Midlands, Dr Nunes worked with Aston colleague Dr Muhammad Imran, reader in mechanical, biomedical and design engineering. Together they developed a sustainable manufacturing strategy centred on carbon reduction and process improvement. The work involved the development of an energy dashboard, allowing analysis of data on gas and electricity consumption. The project also included analysis of alternatives for energy recovery systems, and development of routines and procedures to improve the manufacturing process. As a result, Brockhouse group is more competitive to supply in non-captive markets. Dr Nunes has also been involved with a collaboration with Birmingham Botanical Gardens to integrate sustainability into policy and practice, expanding the use of business sustainability theories to nonprofit sectors. Sustainability can be embedded across different areas of organisations while seeking financial stability. As an environmental education charity, it is important to for Birmingham Botanical Gardens to 'practise what it preaches'. It was recently awarded almost £20m from various grants (including Heritage Lottery) in a capital project, thanks to having sustainability at the core of renovation plans. These projects highlight Aston University’s role in bridging academia, industry, and policy — ensuring research findings reach the boardroom as well as the factory floor. Key insights from the research Dr Nunes’ studies highlight several critical factors for turning sustainability from intention into measurable results: • Organisational capabilities are central to embedding sustainability. These include empowering sustainability “champions” (institutional entrepreneurs), supportive structures, superior technologies, and the ability to learn and balance economic, environmental, and social performance. • The tensions in implementing sustainability vary not just by function (supply chains, governance, innovation) but also by an organisation’s maturity level. • Start with the low-hanging fruit: tools like self-assessments, capability diagnostics, and learning games allow firms to act at lower cost before committing to full environmental impact assessments or formal reporting. • Collaboration between academia, industry, and policymakers accelerates real-world impact. Why this matters The stakes are high. Businesses worldwide are expected to reduce carbon emissions, demonstrate social responsibility, and remain competitive in a rapidly changing global economy. Aston University’s research shows that strengthening sustainability capabilities not only improves environmental outcomes but also boosts resilience and cost savings. In pilot projects, teams working with Dr Nunes have achieved up to 30% reductions in both cost and carbon emissions — proof that sustainability can drive operational performance as well as compliance. Looking ahead: expanding the Sustainable Growth Hub The next phase of Dr Nunes’ work centres on Aston’s Sustainable Growth Hub, which is being developed as a reference point for SMEs seeking sustainability solutions. In 2025, the Hub will: • Launch its first industry club cohort and expand its team. • Roll out new self-assessment tools to size sustainability needs and decarbonisation goals. • Introduce new learning formats and follow-up courses to Aston’s Green Advantage programme, alongside sessions to play a new corporate sustainability game. • Host events to bring together businesses, policymakers, and the wider sustainability management community. • Attract new research grants and publish results to share knowledge across both academic and practitioner circles. These initiatives aim to equip organisations not only to meet today’s challenges, but to anticipate tomorrow’s. Get involved Follow Dr Nunes via his profile below, and soon through the Sustainability Fitness website. Businesses can also attend Aston Business School events to explore workshops, tools, and courses first-hand. About Dr Breno Nunes Dr Breno Nunes is reader in sustainable operations management at Aston Business School and president of the International Association for Management of Technology (IAMOT). He serves as associate editor of the IEEE Engineering Management Review and has published widely on sustainability strategy execution and innovation. Aston University’s work in sustainable operations — shaped by researchers like Dr Nunes — is helping organisations worldwide move from ambition to action, building the 'sustainability fitness' needed for a net zero future.
Motor vehicle crashes remain one of the leading causes of death among teenagers. For the youngest drivers, getting behind the wheel marks freedom but also comes with measurable risk. At the University of California, Irvine, Dr. Federico Vaca, professor and executive vice chair of emergency medicine, is determined to change that trajectory. “Driving licensure among our youngest drivers remains a major life milestone, and it allows for newfound freedom and opportunity for not only youth but their parents as well. At the same time, learning to drive and licensure come at a time when youth are rapidly moving through life with new transitions in school, with friends, and likely exposure to alcohol and drugs,” he says. “Our priority … is to examine the complexities of young driver behavior and to thoroughly understand crash injury risk and crash prevention among this special group of drivers.” Vaca’s work is at the intersection of health, transportation science and policy. A fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine and a researcher at UC Irvine’s Institute of Transportation Studies, he previously served as a medical fellow at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in Washington, D.C. His long-standing goal is to prevent the injuries he has seen and treated in emergency departments and trauma centers through rigorous research, using the findings to inform and advance evidence-based programs and policies that save lives on the road. Innovating safety science UC Irvine is home to a new hub for understanding and preventing crash injuries among young drivers, the Brain, Body & Behavior Driving Simulation Lab, founded by Vaca and his interdisciplinary team. At the heart of the B3DrivSim Lab is a high-fidelity, half-cab driving simulator capable of replicating real-world conditions with precision. It uses advanced software to design customized driving scenarios – from complex roadway environments to the inclusion of such human elements as distraction and fatigue – all while capturing real-time video and driving behavior as well as vehicle control metrics. This integration of medicine, behavioral science and engineering enables researchers to measure how developmental and socioecological factors shape driver decisions in unique and consequential ways. The B3DrivSim Lab also represents a growing mentorship ecosystem at UC Irvine. In mid-June, the facility welcomed Siwei Hu, a postdoctoral scholar who earned a Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering, with a focus on transportation studies, at UC Irvine. Hu works closely with Vaca to combine engineering and modeling analytics with behavioral and crash risk insights. The half-cab driving simulator uses advanced software to replicate real-world conditions and design customized driving scenarios – from complex roadway environments to the inclusion of such human elements as distraction and fatigue – all while capturing real-time video and driving behavior as well as vehicle control metrics. Steve Zylius / UC Irvine From the lab to policy Beyond simulation, Vaca’s latest National Institutes of Health-funded study, separate from his lab’s work, takes this philosophy to the national level. His project, “Modeling a National Graduated-BAC Policy for 21- to 24-Year-Old Drivers,” explores whether lowering the legal blood alcohol limit for young adults could reduce alcohol-related crashes and deaths. “When you turn 21, at that very moment, the application of several alcohol-related prevention laws changes in the blink of an eye,” Vaca says. “Before that, the minimum legal drinking age and zero-tolerance laws are in place to protect young drivers from alcohol-impaired driving. Effectively, the second you turn 21, those prevention policies don’t apply, and you’re suddenly allowed to have a much higher blood alcohol concentration in your body that’s intimately tied to serious and fatal crash risk. It’s a very dangerous disconnect.” The study will use national crash data, behavioral surveys and system dynamics modeling to examine how a “graduated BAC policy” might bridge that gap, giving young adult drivers a safer transition into full legal responsibility and saving many more lives. Bridging science, education and prevention Earlier this year, Vaca and his B3DrivSim team joined prevention program educators, policymakers, engineers and law enforcement professionals in Anaheim at a Ford Driving Skills for Life event, part of a Ford Philanthropy-sponsored national effort teaching teens hands-on safe driving techniques – from hazard recognition to impaired-driving awareness. Speaking to more than 130 high school students and their parents from local and distant communities, Vaca emphasized the connection among driving, independence, opportunity and responsibility. That message aligns with his broader initiative, Youth Thriving in Life Transitions with Transportation, which introduces high school students to traffic safety and transportation science and their role in promoting health, education and employment in early adulthood. By linking research and real-world experience, the project empowers youth to see mobility as a foundation for opportunity with safety as its cornerstone. With overall young driver crash fatalities rising 25 percent nationally over the last decade and a 46 percent increase in fatal crashes where a young driver had a BAC of ≥ .01/dL, Vaca’s work represents a crucial step toward reversing that trend. Through a combination of clinical insight and prevention, transportation and data science underscored by community collaboration, he and his team are redefining how researchers and policymakers think about youth driver safety.
From classrooms to communities: Rethinking civic engagement in K–12 education
When national headlines focus on school board battles and political polarization, James Bridgeforth, assistant professor of educational leadership at the University of Delaware, is focused on what’s possible instead: building a more inclusive, participatory model of democracy through public education. His research in UD's College of Education and Human Development explores how community voice, equity and local leadership intersect to shape education policy – and how school boards can serve as vital engines for rebuilding public trust in government. "Despite the often sensationalized stories of chaotic school board meetings and the influence of more national "culture war" issues, I still believe that it's possible for people from different backgrounds, experiences, and points of view to come together to figure out how to best serve the needs of all of our children." – Bridgeforth Bridgeforth’s work centers on education governance, policy and leadership, with particular attention to how racism and anti-Blackness manifest in schools and policymaking spaces. His scholarship highlights the importance of inclusive decision-making, arguing that effective education policy must be representative of the diverse communities it serves. He recently published the report "Navigating Democracy in Divided Times" with co-authors on this topic. As part of his work with the Getting Down to Facts III project at Stanford University, Bridgeforth collaborates with researchers studying how to improve California’s TK–12 system and inform the next governor’s education policy agenda. His work documents the complex realities faced by local school board members – often minimally paid community leaders navigating contentious public discourse, social media pressure and limited resources. He notes that this research can be applied to school boards around the country. The next frontier: Youth civic engagement Over the next several years, Bridgeforth aims to deepen understanding of how schools can nurture young people’s civic skills and leadership capacity through participation in governance. One proposed project – "Strengthening Opportunities for Youth Civic Engagement and Student Voice in Educational Governance" – uses participatory action research to explore how student board member policies and engagement practices foster civic agency and democratic mindsets. This collaborative work brings together youth-led community organizations and education researchers to study how these experiences shape long-term civic behavior – from voting to public service. Why it matters Bridgeforth’s research arrives at a pivotal time for American democracy. As trust in public institutions erodes, local school boards remain one of the spaces where citizens can directly shape policy. His work points to a hopeful truth: democracy’s renewal may begin in classrooms, communities and the local school board meetings shaping them. For journalists covering education, race or civic engagement, Bridgeforth offers data-driven insight, lived experience and policy expertise – helping make sense of one of the most pressing questions of our time: How can we build systems that truly serve all students and communities? This work collectively demonstrates a number of promising opportunities to foster more inclusive, community-connected forms of governance, particularly in a time of eroding trust in government institutions." – Bridgeforth ABOUT JAMES BRIDGEFORTH Assistant Professor, College of Education and Human Development James Bridgeforth is an educator, researcher and policy advocate whose work focuses on community voice in education policy and the politics of educational leadership. His scholarship has appeared in top journals including Journal of School Leadership, Education Policy Analysis Archives, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis and Educational Administration Quarterly, and he has contributed to Education Week and The Washington Post. A recipient of the National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowship, Bridgeforth holds a Ph.D. in Urban Education Policy from the University of Southern California, an M.Ed. in Educational Administration and Policy from the University of Georgia, and a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology from Georgia College & State University. Expert available for: Interviews on K–12 school governance, education policy and democracy Commentary on community voice and equity in education decision-making Analysis of youth civic engagement and participatory leadership To contact Bridgeforth, email mediarelations@udel.edu.
The missing AI revolution: Smarter leadership, not smarter machines, says workforce expert
Artificial intelligence has transformed industries, but its most overlooked potential lies in helping leaders themselves think more clearly and decide more effectively, according to Saleem Mistry, Associate Professor of Management at the University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business & Economics. Mistry focuses on enabling leaders to be more productive, think clearly and make better decisions. Focusing on the leader, not just the organization Mistry’s work examines how leaders at every level can use AI to enhance productivity and decision-making. While most organizational conversations about AI focus on operational efficiency or customer service, he argues that the true frontier is leadership productivity. “Leadership productivity directly shapes organizational performance. AI can be transformative when it helps leaders think faster, decide better and regain the time they’ve lost to administration.” – Mistry As a professor of management and leadership, Mistry is often asked how AI will change the workplace. Those conversations usually revolve around automating workflows, not empowering leaders. Yet, as he notes, an MIT report found that 95 percent of generative AI pilots are failing — largely due to the absence of clear business use cases. That insight shaped his direction: leadership itself may be the missing use case. Having spent much of his earlier career in high technology, Mistry saw firsthand that innovation succeeds or fails based on how effectively leaders model new tools. Demonstrating practical applications Mistry recently analyzed the 2024-2025 U.S. Office of Inspector General reports on leadership challenges based. He analyzed each leadership challenge using three guiding questions: 1) Do the problems stem from leaders struggling with time, decisions or task management? 2) How might AI help? 3) Where could AI have the greatest impact? The results included: Executive Example (Amtrak): AI could power a real-time RACI dashboard to clarify accountability, track decisions and eliminate bottlenecks. Mid-Level Example (EPA): “Agentic AI” could cross-check allegations against verified data before termination decisions, preventing ethical and legal missteps. Supervisor Example (CISA): AI could scan incentive data for waste and anomalies, saving hours of manual review. Why it matters By automating repetitive, data-heavy tasks, AI gives leaders something they desperately need: time. Time to think strategically, coach teams and make better decisions. Mistry’s findings link AI adoption directly to mental well-being, arguing that improved decision productivity leads to improved organizational health. “Decision productivity is business productivity. Organizations that make faster, fairer and more informed decisions outperform those that don’t.” – Mistry Next steps: Building the framework for responsible AI leadership Mistry’s next milestone is to develop a set of leadership use cases that can be used by business leaders at all levels where AI can deliver the greatest impact. He is also developing frameworks for responsible AI adoption that help leaders determine when and how to deploy these tools ethically — across decision-making, communication, planning and task management. “AI won’t replace leaders,” Mistry concludes, “but leaders who learn to use AI effectively will outperform those who don’t.” ABOUT SALEEM MISTRY Associate Professor of Management Alfred Lerner College of Business & Economics Mistry’s research focuses on the future of work, with a particular emphasis on how individuals navigate workplace transitions. His research explores how people adjust to both minor and major changes in their careers, such as shifts in jobs, responsibilities, teams or entire organizations. A growing area of his expertise is the strategic use of artificial intelligence to enhance productivity for leaders, teams and human resource professionals. His research connects academic insights with practical applications, helping to shape how people and organizations adapt to an evolving professional landscape. Reporters who would like to speak to Mistry can click on his profile.
MCG scientists investigate arthritis drug’s impact on Alzheimer’s disease
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, and one in nine of those people is 65 or older. Although that number is expected to grow, researchers at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University are making progress on studies that could turn into life-saving treatments. Qin Wang, MD, PhD, professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine at MCG and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in neuropharmacology, recently published a study titled “The PKCι‑β‑arrestin2 axis disrupts SORLA retrograde trafficking, driving its degradation and amyloid pathology in Alzheimer’s disease,” in Molecular Degeneration, a leading journal in neurodegeneration. In the study, Wang and her team explored how certain proteins and enzymes interact in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. Key players include the SORL1 gene, the PKCι enzyme and proteins SORLA, β‑arrestin2 and amyloid. SORL1 encodes SORLA, which helps regulate amyloid. Amyloid can form plaque in the brain, contributing to Alzheimer’s. People with the disease often have lower SORLA levels, which amplifies plaque production. “The goal is to increase SORLA levels in patients with AD. If we can boost it up, that would be great,” Wang said. “But if you want to know how to boost it up, you have to know how it is degraded, so that’s what our work is about – we’re trying to understand how its stability is regulated.” Wang’s research team found that PKCι can add a phosphate group to SORLA, which helps SORLA interact with β‑arrestin2. The PKCι‑β‑arrestin2 axis leads to SORLA degradation, reducing its levels and allowing amyloid plaques to grow unchecked, thereby worsening the disease condition. They discovered this by using biochemical methods and a mass spectrometer managed by Wenbo Zhi, PhD, at the Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry core lab at AU. “We conducted biochemical studies and found that SORLA can be phosphorylated. We identified the phosphorylation site and the interacting enzymes,” Wang explained. “Using the mass spectrometer with PKCι, we saw increased phosphorylation of SORLA at certain sites. Preventing that could stop SORLA degradation.” That’s where a rheumatoid arthritis drug called auranofin comes into play. “While it is an arthritis drug, it can also inhibit the PKCι enzyme,” Wang explained. The team conducted tests using Alzheimer’s mouse models and human iPS cells developed into neurons. For the mouse models, they treated the mice with auranofin for eight weeks, resulting in decreased amyloid levels, reduced neuroinflammation and improved cognitive function. Similar results were seen in human cells with increased SORLA levels and decreased amyloid levels. “A good thing about this is, because this is an FDA-approved drug, it’s ready to be tested in Alzheimer’s patients,” Wang said. “People often worry about drug safety because of long-term use in chronic diseases like Alzheimer’s, but, in this case, existing safety data for chronic use gives a good starting point for testing in Alzheimer’s patients. “I hope a drug company can pick that up for a trial with Alzheimer’s patients because we are trying to translate our bench work all the way to the bedside for treatment,” she continued. The study wraps up a five-year National Institute on Aging grant, a collaborative effort between Wang’s lab and the Kai Jiao, MD, PhD, lab in AU’s Center of Biotechnology and Genomic Medicine. Wang’s team is also working on other grant-funded Alzheimer’s-related projects and hopes to continue making advancements toward finding a cure for this debilitating disease. “All of our projects share the goal of finding a better treatment,” Wang said. “Related to this project in particular, we want to know how the SORLA protein works in different types of brain cells, given the brain’s complexity. Then we can determine how to specifically target that protein to develop more effective therapies.” Qin Wang, MD, PhD, researches the neuropharmacology and signaling mechanisms underlying neurological and psychiatric disorders. If you're interested in learning more about her work or booking an interview, simply click on her icon now to arrange a time to talk.
Multi-university AI research may revolutionize wildfire evacuation
As wildfires grow wilder, the University of Florida and two other universities are developing large language models to make evacuations safer and more efficient. Armed with a nearly $1.2 million National Science Foundation grant, UF, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Utah are creating these AI-based models to simulate human behavior during evacuations – information that will help emergency managers shape more effective evacuation plans. “Strengthening wildfire resilience requires accurate modeling and a deep understanding of collective human behavior during evacuations,” said UF project lead Xilei Zhao, Ph.D., an associate professor with the Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment. “There is a critical need for simulation models that can realistically capture how civilians, incident commanders and public safety officials make protective decisions during wildfires.” Xilei Zhao focuses on developing and applying data and computational science methods to tackle problems in transportation and resilience. View her profile here Existing simulation models face limitations, particularly with reliable predictions under various wildfire scenarios. New AI models can simulate how diverse groups of people behave and interact during the hurried scramble to seek safety. Zhao’s team is developing a convergent AI framework for wildfire evacuation simulations powered by psychological theory-informed large language models. The project will produce simulation methods to promote teaching, training and learning, and support wildfire resilience by allowing public safety officials to use open-access tools. “This research seeks to be a transformative step toward improving the behavioral realism, prediction accuracy and decision-support capability of wildfire evacuation simulation models,” Zhao said. Zhao partnered with John Hopkins professor Susu Xu, Ph.D., and University of Utah professors Thomas Cova, Ph.D., and Frank Drews, Ph.D. The preliminary results of the study were recently presented at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics. “In that paper, we started to train the model on the survey data we collected to see how we can accurately predict people's evacuation decisions with LLMs,” Zhao said. Research objectives include extending the Protective Action Decision Model for civilians and public safety officials, developing psychological theory-informed large language model agents for protective modeling and generating a realistic synthetic population as input for the simulation platform. The team also plans to develop learning-based simulations and predict human behavior under scenarios such as fire spread, warning and infrastructure damage. This research comes at a critical time, as the number of wildfires has significantly increased globally. About 43% of the 200 most damaging fires occurred in the last decade leading up to 2023, according to a recent study in Science. The intensity, size and volume of wildfires are threatening more urban areas. “If you go into the urban area, many people do not have cars, or they need additional mobility support,” Zhao said. “For example, the LA fires impacted nursing homes with a lot of elderly people, many of whom are immobile or lack the ability to drive. That's a big problem. This would be very relevant to them.” The large language models will provide important context for evacuation planning as well as real-time decision making. “We envision this tool being used during planning,” Zhao said, “so emergency managers can test different kinds of scenarios to determine how to draw the evacuation zones, where to issue the orders first and how to design the communications messaging.” This is important research and critical as wildfires become more common across North America. If you're a reporter looking to connect and learn more - then let us help. Xilei Zhao is available to speak with media - simply click on her icon now to arrange an interview today.
Adam Frank: New Peer-reviewed Studies Change the Conversation on UFOs
For decades, talk of UFOs has thrived on fuzzy photos and personal anecdotes—never the kind of hard data scientists can actually test. But new peer-reviewed studies have changed the conversation, says Adam Frank, a University of Rochester astrophysicist who studies life in the universe and the nature of scientific discovery. Two recent papers, published in reputable astronomy journals, claim to have found evidence of “non-terrestrial artifacts” in astronomical photographs from the 1950s — objects that appear to be orbiting Earth before the Space Age began. “That’s an extraordinary claim,” Frank says, “and, as Carl Sagan famously said, 'Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof.' “The good news is that, finally, there’s something associated with UFOs that science can work with.” Led by astronomer Beatriz Villarroel and her VASCO project (Vanishing and Appearing Sources during a Century of Observations), the studies passed the first test of scientific credibility: rigorous peer review. Now, Frank says, comes the harder part — the “call-and-response” that defines real science. “Getting a paper published doesn’t make the claim right,” he explains. “It just means the debate can begin. Other scientists will now dig into the data, test the methods, and try to tear the claim apart. That’s how science works.” Frank is a frequent on-air commentator for live interviews and segments in national media outlets and the author of The Little Book of Aliens (Harper Collins, 2023). He also regularly contributes to written publications, including The Washington Post, The Atlantic, The New York Times, and Scientific American. In 2021 he received the Carl Sagan Medal, which recognizes and honors outstanding communication by an active planetary scientist to the general public. It is awarded to scientists whose efforts have significantly contributed to a public understanding of, and enthusiasm for, planetary science. Connect with him by clicking on his profile.
