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Lynne McLandsborough has been named director of the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (CAFE) and will also serve as assistant vice chancellor for research and engagement. She brings to her new roles 30 years of experience at UMass Amherst, where she bridged the academic and applied sciences and gained deep expertise in working with the commonwealth’s UMass Extension program, which reaches into every corner of agricultural life in Massachusetts. “CAFE has a presence across the entire commonwealth, from the UMass Cranberry Station in East Wareham near the Cape to the Cold Spring Orchard in Belchertown and UMass Equine and Livestock Research and Education Farm here in Hadley,” says McLandsborough. “We have extension specialists across the state who deliver educational seminars to support farmers and the horticultural industry, oversee the state’s 4-H program, support clean energy solutions, publish tipsheets on everything from dandelions to invasive jumping worms, offer soil testing and plant diagnostics…and we do this all using sound science to support the people of the commonwealth.” A member of the UMass Amherst faculty since 1995, McLandsborough is a food microbiologist who has made significant contributions to the field. Her research has focused on food safety, including biofilm formation of pathogenic and spoilage organisms in the food processing environment and how to remove them. One of her major accomplishments is the development of antimicrobial delivery systems, and she is currently working to develop non-water-based cleaning and sanitation systems for use in the food industry. She recently published highly acclaimed work that describes a novel, water-free method of cleaning machinery for processing peanut butter and chocolate, reducing the high risk for Salmonella contamination, for which she received the UMass Amherst 2024 Mahoney Life Sciences Prize. Michael Fox, dean of the College of Natural Sciences at UMass Amherst, says, “I am delighted that McLandsborough has agreed to serve as the director of the Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment. As the former department head of Food Science and having served as the interim CAFE director for two years, she brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to this role. Moreover, her temperament and skill as a compassionate leader will be critical to the success of bringing together the diverse group of constituents under CAFE. I very much look forward to working with McLandsborough to advance research and outreach education in agriculture, food systems and the environment for the common good.” The UMass Amherst Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment (CAFE) Extension wordmark “Extension is essential for the commonwealth,” says McLandsborough. “It’s a mechanism to translate modern science-backed information to support our constituents in areas such as environmental conservation, nutrition education, fruits and vegetables production or turf management. Our educators build relationships with our constituents, identify needs and we determine how we can meet them, both through Extension education and funding applied research on campus.” It’s the funding angle that McLandsborough will be addressing as assistant vice chancellor for research and engagement. “CAFE provides grant support to over 75 laboratories at UMass Amherst in the areas of agriculture, food and nutrition, and forestry,” she says. “CAFE is an important organization working to advance agriculture, natural resources and youth development in the commonwealth,” says Karen Heymann, chair of the UMass Extension Board of Public Overseers. “McLandsborough brings a unique understanding of the populations served by the Center, along with firsthand knowledge of what is possible when extension professionals and researchers work together for the public good.” “I’m thrilled to be taking on these two roles,” says McLandsborough, “especially as public funding is getting tighter. I have deep experience with all the players, and I’m going to fight because the state needs Extension.”
Accelerating the Future of Clean Energy
By the year 2050, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a national leader in climate policy, has committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions to combat climate change and protect vulnerable communities. Its strategy to achieve this goal centers around electrification—with transportation and heating as the main focal areas—and generating electricity needed from renewable sources. “The good news is we see renewable energy technologies and markets are available to make that vision possible,” said Dwayne Breger, UMass Amherst extension professor of environmental conservation and director of the UMass Clean Energy Extension (CEE). Yet, he added, challenges remain in carrying out such a massive transition. These include the present shortage of trained workers in booming areas of clean energy, and the needs of under-resourced municipalities in advancing energy efficiency and electrification, and equitably addressing solar siting challenges and opportunities. CEE was created to help the Commonwealth achieve its goals and accelerate the adoption of clean energy. Established in 2014 with support from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, it provides expertise, academic rigor, innovation, and responsiveness to the needs of local communities in building a resilient, equitable, and flourishing Massachusetts clean energy economy. Image Map of Massachusetts towns that have engaged with Clean Energy Extension A map of Massachusetts communities that have been served by the Clean Energy Extension. As part of a broader clean energy and sustainability research and teaching ecosystem at UMass Amherst, CEE closely collaborates with other campus groups doing related work, including the Wind Energy Center, Energy Transition Institute, School of Earth and Sustainability, and others. CEE builds on the extension model that is integral to the university’s land-grant heritage of research and outreach to improve the Massachusetts economy. According to River Strong, CEE associate director, CEE’s core work falls into three main areas: technical assistance and outreach services to communities and other underserved entities across the Commonwealth; collaborative applied research to advance clean energy markets and policies; and workforce development to fill the growing need for skilled workers in a range of clean energy-related industries. Since its founding, CEE has served thousands of stakeholders in municipalities around Massachusetts, developed outreach and educational materials, seeded UMass faculty research efforts and collaborations, and engaged scores of students in research and internship projects. CEE is also supporting UMass Amherst’s own ambitious goals through its Carbon Zero initiative to power the 1,500-acre flagship campus with 100 percent renewable energy by approximately 2032. CEE's Impact, 2015–2021 96 Massachusetts communities engaged 384 Businesses engaged $3.45M External funding secured CEE’s applied research, training, and extension activities often work in tandem. For example, beginning in 2019, CEE partnered with three Massachusetts towns—Blandford, Wendell, and Easthampton—on research to develop and pilot a new “Community Planning for Solar” toolkit. “Planning for solar is complex, and there’s a concern that solar development may be depressed without well thought-out, proactive planning,” explained Strong. “Working with the pilot towns, we used GIS to map out their potential solar resources. We then collaborated on focus groups and town-wide surveys to gain a nuanced understanding of the preferences and perspectives of constituents. We also considered the town’s goals with regard to solar development; the financing and potential benefits associated with solar; and different ownership models to optimize economic benefits to the town. Ultimately, we put it all together in a planning document.” Image Dual use solarvoltaic A dual-use agrivoltaic site. Now, CEE is working to disseminate the resulting toolkit in other Massachusetts communities and states around the country. In the 2022-23 academic year, CEE and the UMass Integrated Concentration in Science (iCons) Program are offering a new course, the Clean Energy Living Lab: Community Solar Planning Teams (part of the Carbon Zero initiative) through which students are trained to support municipalities in deploying the toolkit. “Students are applying their smarts and getting real-world, hands-on, practical experience that they can bring into the workforce when they graduate,” said Strong. In another example of student training coupled with assistance to municipalities, CEE team member Ben Weil teaches a Clean Energy Corps service-learning course through which undergraduate and graduate students learn diagnostic tools and energy auditing techniques. Each spring semester, students in the course work with several Massachusetts towns and cities to identify municipal facilities that use the most energy, and provide a detailed report with recommendations for cutting energy use and transitioning to renewable sources. This free service allows the municipalities to then apply for grants to implement the recommendations. Students trained through the Clean Energy Corps have gone on to work for energy and building consulting firms or as municipal sustainability directors; to manage utility energy efficiency programs; and to implement clean energy projects in the state with private sector construction firms. Below, Clean Energy Corps students discuss potential space for a buffer tank that would enable their proposal to replace the boiler with an air to water heat pump at Colrain Elementary School. Ben Weil and students in Clean Energy Corps Certifiable Skills In the training realm, CEE is also focused on workforce development for the offshore wind industry that is “exploding” right now in Massachusetts and the greater region, said Breger. “The industry is trying to get its footing. It requires a workforce that’s familiar with how offshore wind projects are developed, which currently doesn’t exist in the United States,” he said. “We’ve created an Offshore Wind Professional Certificate designed to give a broad overview of major topics related to offshore wind, including engineering, environmental permitting, supply chain, etc.” Approximately 75 percent of students in the certificate program are professionals coming from industry, Breger noted, while the rest are matriculated UMass graduate students. Each course in the program features several guest speakers from the wind power industry. “It’s a program that’s very engaged in the industry, and one that the industry recognizes as really valuable to them. They hire our students as quickly as we can produce them,” said Breger. Melanie Schultz was a member of the program’s first cohort. She recalled, “The course work was crucial, but the relationships I made with my classmates were essential for people to know who I was and consider hiring me.” Shortly after graduating, she was hired as program manager for the National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium. Student Training and Professional Development, To Date 57 Students enrolled in Offshore Wind Professional Certificate 85 Students trained through Clean Energy Corps 50 Students engaged in CEE research and/or service internships In addition to workforce training, CEE partners with industry on research and information sharing. “We really value the industry perspective,” said Strong. “Part of supporting the Commonwealth’s goals around clean energy and climate change is working with and supporting industry.” For example, he pointed to a mutually beneficial research partnership between CEE and solar developers that are developing dual-use agrivoltaic sites around Massachusetts. Looking to the Future In the coming years, CEE aims to grow its impact and build on state and university commitments to support progress on climate, energy, and environmental sustainability. CEE also hopes to continue to add value to the university and its students, advance its services to the Commonwealth and its clean energy and climate goals, and expand the clean energy extension model more broadly across the region.
Unlocking Our Personal Health Through Smart(er) Wearables
Since the introduction of the Apple Watch in 2015, the world has seen an explosion in smart watches—tiny wrist-adorning computers with the ability to track and report information on a variety of health and fitness metrics, from running speed and heart rate to blood oxygen level and sleep patterns. Consumers spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on these wearable electronics and rely on them for myriad personal health data. But despite how far smart wearables have come in a few short years, many limitations remain. For one, the accuracy of the health data they capture is questionable. Truly continuous monitoring also isn’t possible due to the need to regularly recharge devices. Seeing the great potential in wearable electronics, UMass Amherst researchers are working to address these shortcomings and imagine a future in which smart devices could revolutionize health and health care. The Accuracy-Comfort Trade-off Consumers may take for granted the data they read off their smart watches, but its accuracy is hardly unimpeachable. When it comes to electronics that monitor the body, Trisha L. Andrew, associate professor of chemistry and chemical engineering in the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s College of Natural Sciences, described an unavoidable tension between comfort and accuracy. In a clinic setting, devices such as constricting blood pressure cuffs or EKGs with five to 10 leads placed around the body, provide the most accurate readings, yet they’re not practical for people to wear around on a daily basis. On the other hand, consumer devices, like smart watches or chest straps, can report only estimates of metrics like heart rate or blood oxygen level, based on extrapolations from a single measurement point on the body. Trisha Andrew Trisha L. Andrew, associate professor of chemistry and chemical engineering To bridge this accuracy-comfort divide, Andrew is exploring a novel solution: smart garments, for which the entire surface area of an item of clothing could serve as the sensing element. In her Wearable Electronics Lab, Andrew has developed a technique called chemical vapor deposition to coat a thin, durable film onto fabrics. This technique can be used to give fabrics conducive, waterproof, heating, or antimicrobial properties, and even turn them into smart garments with sewn-in sensors. Using sophisticated imaging of textiles treated with this technique, Andrew’s lab has shown that the special coating wraps around each individual fiber. They have also determined that the coating is robust—able to withstand over 150 wash cycles without deteriorating—and doesn’t change the feel of the fabric. In 2019, Andrew founded Soliyarn, a company that aims to “revolutionize the way next generation smart clothing feels and performs.” To date, Soliyarn’s primary client has been the U.S. Department of Defense, which has a particular interest in outfitting members of Special Operation Forces—who tend to operate in the most extreme climates and conditions—in smart garments. In theory, said Andrew, such garments would allow the military to monitor these individuals and react when they have reached their physiological limits. Professional sports teams have also expressed interest over the years in smart garments to monitor the physiological performance of players during games or practices. Charging Forward Beyond concerns over accuracy, the usefulness of today’s wearable health monitors is constrained by the need to periodically recharge their batteries. For example, said Sunghoon Ivan Lee, assistant professor in the College of Information and Computer Sciences, many people remove their smart watches at bedtime to charge overnight, rendering the devices’ sleep tracking functions useless. Moreover, in any electronic, batteries tend to take up the most space, and they are very difficult to make flexible. The need for batteries thus stands in the way of creating smaller sensors that could be worn comfortably on the human body. Sunghoon Ivan Lee Sunghoon Ivan Lee, assistant professor in the College of Information and Computer Sciences In his Advanced Human Health Analytics (AHHA) Laboratory, Lee—who has expertise in computer science, electrical engineering, and biomedical informatics—and his colleagues are working to develop solutions to these problems. Lee received the 2019 Armstrong Award to advance research on battery-less wearable sensors powered through human skin. And in June 2021, Lee, Jeremy Gummeson, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Noor Mohammed, a PhD student in Lee’s lab, published a paper in the Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies that laid out the technical groundwork for a battery-less wearable device. Called Shazam, the device uses human skin as a wire to transfer energy from an electrified daily object, such as an office desk or car steering wheel, to a sensor or network of sensors on the body. The same month their paper was published, the researchers received a grant of nearly $600,000 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to advance development of hardware and software for this technology, including boosting its power harvesting capabilities. At present, the device is able to extract 1 milliwatt of power or less—enough to support a small, simple fitness tracker like a Fitbit without a screen, but not a more sophisticated device like a smart watch. In the future, Lee imagines this technology would enable people to wear multiple extremely small battery-less sensors—even those that are permanently implanted like tattoos—in different spots on their bodies. These would all be charged by a single battery patch, which could take the form of a watch. Having sensors in different locations would address existing accuracy challenges and allow for collection of clinically useful data. How far away is this imagined future? It’s difficult to predict, but given the rapid progress in wearables to date, Lee thinks it could be only 10 or 20 years from now. “I think it may be sooner than we’d expect,” he said. Lee envisions that the technology would first be used by people with acute or chronic health conditions, who could benefit most from precise, real-time monitoring—such as tracking blood sugar in a diabetic, body movements in stroke patients, or heart activity in a person at risk of heart failure. Further down the road, the technology could provide early warning signs to people with a family history or increased risk of certain diseases, alerting them to seek medical attention. For example, Lee thinks it could detect cancerous tumors or conditions like Parkinson’s disease (such as through a device that could alert the user to tiny tremors in their body) in very early stages, leading to quicker treatment and better results. Phyjama smart wearable garment “Phyjama," designed by Andrew's lab and supported by the NSF Computer Systems Research program, is a loose-fitting pajama shirt decorated on the inner face with pressure sensing patches the reveal heart rate, heart rate variability, and respiration as the wearer sleeps, in addition to body posture, for portable biomechanical monitoring. “This could help physicians create more personalized and patient-centered treatment programs,” Lee said. “Since the vast majority of health conditions are preventable, early detection could help people live healthier lives while relieving the economic burden on our healthcare system. Transforming health care from being reactive to proactive—therein lies the greatest potential for these devices.” From the Lab to the Real World As wearable technologies advance and generate enormous volumes of personal health data, they introduce a host of new questions and challenges in areas ranging from data processing to health policy to ethics. “What do we do with all this information? Who covers the cost of monitoring? How will the information collected be tied into our healthcare system so it can be used to advance medical treatment of patients?” Lee pondered. Andrew points out that a company like Apple, which has sold hundreds of millions of smart watches, is collecting enough data to—when combined with surveys on health conditions—eventually be useful in identifying clusters and potentially making health predictions for individuals. Andrew’s lab is currently exploring the feasibility of making such predictions, but future work would be needed to determine the accuracy of predictions and explore the ethics involved in informing consumers. “I think the legal community will need to begin grappling with how to handle the emerging cluster of personal and medical ethics violations that are possible with this volume of data,” Andrew said.
Ushering in a New Generation of Green Electronics
When Jun Yao was applying for a junior faculty position in the UMass Amherst Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering around 2017, he hoped to continue his research on silicon nanowires at the university. So, he was puzzled when, during the interview process, he was scheduled to meet with Derek Lovley, research professor in the UMass Department of Microbiology. Lovley is a microbial ecologist who studies microbes with environmental or biotechnological applications. In the 1980s, while working in the mud of the Potomac River, he discovered Geobacter, a microbe with many unique properties and interesting environmental applications. Lovley’s research group studied Geobacter for decades and discovered among its special properties that it has the ability to produce tiny electrically conducive nanowires. When Lovley described these protein nanowires to Yao during the interview, Yao practically began “jumping up and down in his seat,” Lovley recalled. “He had never heard of protein nanowires before and was very enthusiastic about studying their use in electrical engineering. Meanwhile, we had always studied them for their biological function, but their application in electrical engineering was a wide-open field. Jun was doing sophisticated things with silicon nanowires, and was the perfect person to take this to the next level.” The microbe Geobacter, shown with nanowires. Their mutual excitement during that fateful meeting turned out to be justified. Yao and Lovley’s collaboration researching protein nanowires has yielded several groundbreaking discoveries—from developing a device that literally creates electricity out of thin air to the basis for highly sensitive biomedical sensors—and is at the leading edge of a paradigm shift in electrical engineering: producing truly green electronics. Yao and Lovley both have faculty appointments in the UMass Amherst Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS), which fosters interdisciplinary research and its translation to innovative product candidates, technologies, and services that benefit human health and well-being. “This kind of interdisciplinary research is often where really bold innovation occurs,” said Lovley. “Without the connection and support offered by IALS, this collaboration likely wouldn’t have happened.” Stuck in the Mud In 1987, Lovely reported in Nature about his discovery of the microbe Geobacter, which could grow on iron in sediments and make unique iron minerals. His continued research into Geobacter revealed other unusual properties, including its ability to clean up uranium contamination and to convert organic matter into electricity. “During the course of that research is when we discovered the protein nanowires, which we called microbial nanowires at the time,” Lovley said. While many scientists are pursuing development of more sustainable electronics, Lovley and Yao are rare in trying to produce them biologically—an approach requiring low energy and renewable biological inputs. It is also non-toxic and produces no e-waste, in contrast to both today’s silicon nanowires and to alternative approaches that attempt to manually construct protein nanowires from their component amino acids. “These biologically produced protein nanowires sit at a sweet spot of being sustainably produced, extremely small, and environmentally stable enough for real applications,” said Yao. Moreover, through gene editing, the specific properties of the nanowires can be carefully tailored for different applications. For example, they can be made dramatically more electrically conductive or turned into highly sensitive sensors. “It’s a unique material because of the fine scale on which we can make these modifications,” said Lovley. “I think we’ve only scratched the surface there.” Putting Protein Nanowires to Work When he first began working with protein nanowires, Yao had some general ideas of what they might be able to do from an electrical engineering perspective, but he kept an open mind. Initially, the two labs sought to use protein nanowires to create a sensor that could detect humidity. But one day, Xiaomeng Liu, a PhD student working in the lab, forgot to plug in power for the device, and the researchers realized that the device still gave an electrical signal. A thin-layer (about the fifth of hair thickness) of Air-gen giving out ~500 mV voltage A thin layer (about one-fifth as thick as a human hair) of Air-gen can give out about 500 mV in voltage, enough to power small electronics. “We looked at the data and realized it’s a true signal, which means the device itself was generating power,” Yao recalled. That serendipitous discovery led to the creation of the “Air-gen,” an air-powered generator that connects protein nanowires produced by Geobacter to electrodes in order to harvest electricity from water vapor naturally present in the air. Yao and Lovley first reported on this discovery in Nature in February 2020 and, in the same year, won the Armstrong Fund for Science award, a two-year, $40,000 grant to support scaling up their invention for practical applications. “We are literally making electricity out of thin air,” Yao said. Unlike other forms of renewable energy, Air-gen requires neither sunlight nor wind to operate, and can work in very low-humidity environments or indoors. The original Air-gen produced enough electricity to power small electronics. If we can scale up the Air-gen—which I think is fundamentally feasible—I envision this technology could really be deployed anywhere. […] I dream that one day, this really could revolutionize society. - Jun Yao, Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering A series of discoveries based on protein nanowires followed the invention of the original Air-gen, with the research receiving funding from sources including IALS, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory. In 2022, Yao and Lovley announced in Nature Communications that they had engineered a biofilm (a layer of cells about the thickness of a sheet of paper, produced naturally by an engineered version of Geobacter) capable of producing long-term, continuous electricity from sweat. The biofilm could “plug in” to the moisture always present on the surface of our skin and convert the energy locked in evaporation into enough energy to power small devices. The researchers imagined an application in which it could be worn, like a Band-Aid, as a patch applied directly to the skin. Biofilm A sensor, worn on the neck, powered by a biofilm that can "plug in" to sweat on the skin's surface. Yao and Lovley have also harnessed Geobacter’s potential in creating sensors. In February 2023, in the journal Biosensors and Bioelectronics, they announced the invention of an “electronic nose.” Through gene editing of Geobacter, they trained it to produce nanowires that could “sniff out” a vast array of chemical tracers. This technology could one day be used to detect a wide range of medical conditions like asthma and kidney disease. “Genetically modifying the nanowires made them 100 times more responsive to ammonia than they were originally,” says Yassir Lekbach, the paper’s co-lead author and a postdoctoral researcher in microbiology at UMass Amherst. “The microbe-produced nanowires function much better as sensors than previously described sensors fabricated with traditional silicon or metal nanowires.” The researchers have also made exciting discoveries about protein nanowires’ capacities to create intelligent systems. In 2020, Yao, Lovley, and PhD candidate Tianda Fu reported in Nature Communications that they had created a neuromorphic memristor, or “memory resistor,” device with protein nanowires. It runs extremely efficiently on very low power, as brains do, to carry signals between neurons. The following year, the team also reported in Nature Communications on developing with protein nanowires a “self-intelligent” electronic microsystem that can respond to information inputs without any external energy input, much like a self-autonomous living organism. Image Overall research themes schematic Yao and Lovley's collaborative research leverages the natural capabilities of protein nanowires for applications including energy harvesting, computing, and biosensing. With their latest research, published in May 2023 in the journal Advanced Materials, Yao and Lovley broadened the “Air-gen” effect initially discovered in protein nanowires and demonstrated that nearly any material could be turned into a device that continuously harvests electricity from humidity in the air. This is accomplished through creating in the material very tiny nanopores—holes smaller than 100 nanometers, or less than a thousandth of the width of a human hair. As water molecules pass through the pores in the thin layer of material and bump into the pores’ edges, a charge imbalance is created between the upper and lower parts of the material—much like what occurs in a cloud when it produces a lightning bolt. This would effectually create a battery that runs off humidity in the air. This discovery offers broad choices for cost-effective and environment-adaptable fabrications. Because it’s so thin, it could be dramatically scaled up by stacking multiple layers while barely increasing the footprint of a device. Though their research showed that this technology worked in a range of different materials, said Yao, the protein nanowires produced by microbes still appear to be, by far, the most efficient in producing electricity. The Future of Sustainable Electronics According to Lovley, scaling up this technology for broad application will require overcoming a limitation in the supply of Geobacter, which is slow-growing and anaerobic—meaning it only grows in environments devoid of oxygen. Lovely’s lab has shown that E. coli, a microbe that grows rapidly in air, can be genetically engineered to produce a diversity of different protein nanowires, just like Geobacter. Yao is currently planning a collaboration with a former post-doc from Lovley’s lab, now at the University of California, Berkeley, to explore large-scale production of nanowires. Image E coli Lovley's lab has shown that E. coli, a microbe that grows rapidly in air, can be genetically engineered to produce a diversity of different protein nanowires, similar to Geobacter. Going forward, Yao and Lovley are continuing to explore other applications of protein nanowires, such as creating sensors that work in liquid (for example, to detect certain molecules in blood). With their combined sensing, memory storage, and electricity generation capabilities, protein nanowires seem primed to create “a very holistic package for making wearable biomedical sensors,” said Lovley. Yao is also interested in scaling up the technology’s electricity generation capabilities to make a major contribution to sustainable energy production. “If we can scale up the Air-gen—which I think is fundamentally feasible—I envision this technology could really be deployed anywhere,” he said. “It could be painted on the walls of your home or underneath your desk. It could even be in forests, where current renewable energy technologies like solar panels don’t work because the sun is blocked. I dream that one day, this really could revolutionize society.” This story was originally published in July 2023.
Uncovering Human Stories Behind Online Disinformation
In 2016, a series of surprising electoral outcomes around the world—from the election of Donald Trump in the United States and Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines to the vote for Brexit in the United Kingdom—signaled a “tectonic shift” in the political landscape. “These were rejections of globalist values and foundational principles of liberal democracy,” said Jonathan Corpus Ong, UMass Amherst associate professor of global digital media. "This kind of war on liberal democratic values played out in social media spaces, where posts and comments provide clear evidence about people’s changing sentiments.” Ong joined the UMass Amherst Department of Communication in 2017 and has since become known as one of the country’s leading scholars on issues of online disinformation, global media ethics, digital politics, and the anthropology of humanitarianism. He brings a global perspective and a unique approach to his work, having grown up in the Philippines, earned his master’s and PhD in the UK, taught in Hong Kong and the UK, and conducted comparative research on disinformation industries in countries such as the Philippines, Thailand, and Brazil. Ong is the author of three books, including Trolls for Sale (2022), and more than 25 journal articles based on his research. His scholarship has received funding from the National Science Foundation, the Luminate Group, and the Gates Foundation, and in 2022 he was awarded a prestigious Andrew Carnegie Fellowship, among other honors. In a survey of fact-checkers conducted by Poynter in spring 2023, Ong was named among the top 15 most noted researchers in the disinformation field, while his study was cited as one of the top five most useful. “Professor Ong is a phenom. He is one of the most exciting voices in the rapidly globalizing field of digital media, culture, and communication,” said Jennifer Lundquist, professor of sociology and associate dean of research and faculty development in the UMass Amherst College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. “His field-based ethnographic approach sets him apart from many other public intellectuals who study disinformation.” If we are to have a future living together, then we need to understand where people are coming from—however strange their beliefs may first seem.- Jonathan Corpus Ong Ong’s native Philippines is a country with a young population that is quick to jump on new digital trends and is extremely active on social media. It is central to both the spread of disinformation and to social media platforms’ efforts to reign it in. Many of the “digital janitors” employed by social media companies to perform content moderation live in the Philippines and other countries in the global south. Yet when Ong set out to interview these workers about their jobs, he found they had all signed non-disclosure agreements. Instead, he turned his attention to the actors responsible for spreading disinformation. Most scholarship on disinformation focuses on monitoring and calling out falsehoods online, Ong explained, but “rather than going to knee-jerk judgements, I’ve spent a lot of time with paid trolls and disinformers to learn about their different personal, political, and entrepreneurial motivations. Who are these people? What are their official job titles? Do they pay taxes? What makes them tick? My work is very sensitive to people’s fears, aspirations, and anxieties. Through my writing, I try to capture their voices while critiquing their shady unethical practices.” Ong has learned that many paid trolls do this work on the side, while holding day jobs in the corporate world with titles like “PR strategist” or “social media manager.” He also found digital industries to be largely unregulated, allowing disinformation to flourish. Ong has observed the evolution of misinformation and disinformation online, from the early imposter websites to today’s diverse ecosystem of propaganda across multiple platforms. “Because of attacks on traditional gatekeepers of knowledge, there are flourishing ecosystems that serve to affirm people’s political beliefs and ideologies. People are really microtargeted in terms of the information they consume and this is exacerbated by social media platforms’ algorithms,” he said. “For example, some were surprised by the number of Asian Americans who supported Trump and other local Republican leaders. But there are Asian American influencers and social media accounts that have targeted these communities with fearmongering narratives that only hard-on-crime politicians like them can protect their communities against the ‘crime wave.’” With funding from the Digital Good Network, Ong is also studying online health, wellness, and spirituality communities. Such communities increasingly cater to marginalized populations and seek to provide members with healing and an escape from the stresses of contemporary life. Ong has interviewed tarot and astrology readers of color, who view themselves as providing alternative health solutions to clients whose communities are underserved by the healthcare establishment. “I see it as empowering and filling in important gaps, but they’re also very proximal to conspiratorial beliefs and anti-science propaganda,” he said. Together with colleagues from the Department of Communication, in 2023 Ong received a UMass Large-Scale Integrative Research Award (LIRA) to launch a new Global Technology for Social Justice (GloTech) Lab. This initiative invites faculty, graduate students, and civil society partners to collaborate on new solutions that promote values of social justice, equity, and care in technological systems and practices. An engaged researcher, Ong finds his work most meaningful when it shapes policy and advances advocacy efforts to address societal problems. He works closely with human rights organizations, and his research has informed their strategies and support for human rights workers. Ong also has testified before the Filipino legislature and advised social media platforms like Meta on their content moderation policies, particularly around anti-Asian racist speech. Ong is also developing educational materials on disinformation for elementary and secondary school students. Ong’s scholarship is frequently cited by major media outlets, including The Guardian, Al Jazeera, Reuters, and the Los Angeles Times. He co-hosts a popular podcast, Catch Me If You Can, now in its third season, which popularizes his academic research for the public by sharing the voices of paid trolls while exposing the corrupt systems that enable their work. Ong acknowledges that he has been the subject of criticism for giving trolls a platform on his podcast and through his other engaged scholarship. Yet, he said, “We’re not here to normalize or apologize for their actions; we help listeners understand them as unreliable narrators. We want listeners to realize, ‘They sound like they could be my colleague or my classmate or my uncle. This could be happening right here in my community.’” “If we are to have a future living together, then we need to understand where people are coming from—however strange their beliefs may first seem.”
Sevki Cesmeci, Ph.D., associate professor of mechanical engineering in the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing at Georgia Southern University, has been selected to take part in the 2025-2026 Governor’s Teaching Fellows (GTF) Academic Year Program in Georgia. This program is designed to provide Georgia’s higher education faculty with expanded opportunities for developing teaching skills and innovative pedagogies. “I am grateful to have been nominated by Provost Reiber as Georgia Southern University’s sole nominee,” Cesmeci said. “I have been deeply passionate about both research and teaching during my time at Georgia Southern, and I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to both.” GTF chose only 16 faculty members from across Georgia’s higher education institutions. Cesmeci’s innovative teaching strategies and methods were integral to his nomination. His work with leading textbook publisher McGraw Hill was one project that garnered recognition, as he worked with professors across the country to create an online, application-based activity (ABA) for fluid mechanics problems. “ABA is a next-generation learning method based on a storytelling-teaching strategy,” Cesmeci said. “Students are challenged with questions and guided through detailed feedback at each step of the solution.” In addition to research accolades, Cesmeci has been recognized for his teaching excellence at Georgia Southern with the 2022-2023 Georgia Southern University Award of Excellence in Student Success and the 2023-2024 Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing Faculty Award for Teaching. Through his participation in GTF, Cesmeci plans to integrate artificial intelligence tools into the mechanical engineering curriculum. “Unlike disciplines such as computer science and electrical engineering, mechanical engineering curricula have been slower to adopt contemporary and innovative tools,” Cesmeci said. “I hope to leverage this experience in the GTF program to enhance curriculum development at Georgia Southern, sharing insights and best practices to advance mechanical engineering education.” Hosted at the University of Georgia, GTF brings together faculty from accredited private and public institutions across the state for a series of interactive seminars focused on teaching practices, faculty development and course design. Throughout the program, fellows will work on a course design or instructional improvement project aimed at enhancing student learning. “I look forward to engaging with fellow educators, refining my teaching strategies and bringing new insights back to Georgia Southern students,” Cesmeci said. If you're interested in learning more and want to book time to talk or interview with Sevki Cesmeci then let us help - simply contact Georgia Southern's Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.
Brent Feske, Ph.D., has been named associate vice president for Research in the Office of Research and Economic Development, effective March 1. Feske has served as the interim associate vice president for Research since Sept. 1, 2024. In this short time, he has already significantly impacted the University’s research enterprise. As interim associate vice president for Research, Feske prioritized engaging with the people in his office and the colleges conducting research. “I’ve settled in and moved past the introductory phase,” he said. “I feel I’ve gained a strong understanding of each college’s needs, wants, and aspirations. Together, we’ve laid a solid foundation, and I’m excited to see how our scholarship enterprise can grow and how the Office of Research and Economic Development can help each college reach its full potential.” With nearly twenty years of experience as a dedicated faculty member, Feske brought valuable leadership to the Office of Research and Economic Development. Under his guidance, the office increased internal funding mechanisms to support research, doctoral students and external grant writing. He has also led improvements in how research expenditures are captured and properly coded, providing a clearer picture of the Georgia Southern research landscape. Additionally, he has played a key role in expanding the pre-award team, ensuring better support for faculty and staff throughout the grant submission and award process. “I’m thrilled to have Dr. Feske permanently join the team,” said Vice President for Research and Economic Development David C. Weindorf, Ph.D. “His experience as an administrator and a faculty member really does give him a 360-degree view of the research enterprise and makes him uniquely qualified to lead and help us grow in every aspect. We’ve already accomplished so much, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.” If you want to book time to talk or interview with Brent Feske about his new role, then let us help - simply click on his icon now or contact Georgia Southern's Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.
Will AI undermine or support writing and critical thinking?
As artificial intelligence reshapes the way we write and think, a central question emerges: Is AI helping or hindering our ability to engage in independent, critical thought? Joshua Wilson, professor of education at the University of Delaware, investigates this topic in a new paper that examines the risks of AI dependency and discusses the need for AI literacy in education. Wilson explores how AI impacts cognitive development through writing — highlighting both the promise and peril of AI-powered tools like ChatGPT. His expertise centers on how these tools interact with foundational models of writing and learning and what that means for education, workforce readiness and civic engagement. In his new paper, Wilson warns that while AI can support higher-order thinking by automating basic writing mechanics, it also risks eroding critical thinking if students and professionals come to rely on it uncritically. He is a leading advocate for AI literacy in education – training individuals not just to use AI, but to think with it. Wilson is available for interviews with reporters, particularly those covering the intersection of AI, education and society and investigating the risks of cognitive offloading in an AI-saturated world. To reach Wilson directly, visit his profile and click on the contact button.
Have you ever dreamed of being an Olympic athlete? Perhaps you have wondered what it would feel like to stand on that podium in front of the world as your national anthem plays. For most Olympic athletes, the journey begins very early in life. But imagine what it would be like if you started training for this event in your 60s? Read on if you want an edge to discover how to win the Retirement Games and still pass the drug test (let’s face it, peeing is not an issue for many at that age)! Here is your chance to get on the podium at the most crucial game of your life. On Your Marks, Get Set, Ready, Go! Retirement was more like a coffee break five decades ago—brief, predictable, and over before your muffin cooled. In 1975, the average Canadian could expect to live about 73.53 years. Fast forward to 2025; we're clocking in at nearly 83.26 years. Even juicier? The lastest research shows half of today's 20-year-olds in Canada are expected to live past 90. That’s why we need to think of retirement these days, not as a sprint; instead, it’s an ultramarathon with hills, potholes, and the occasional pulled hamstring. Most of us never expected to be training for it in our sixties, but here we are—so pull up your compression socks and move. The starter's pistol is about to fire, whether you're ready or not! Surprise! You're Retired While you may dream of selecting your retirement date like a fine wine, many face the reality of a boxed kind instead. Approximately 6 in 10 Americans retire earlier than they planned. Research from the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies shows that many individuals experience unexpected early retirement due to personal health issues, employer discretion, or family-related circumstances. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/retirement-age-in-america-62-claiming-social-security-early/ Sometimes, it's a health scare, a loved one’s illness, or a harsh employer downsizing. Nobody whispers the term "ageism," but when companies replace senior employees with younger, more affordable talent (or AI bots), it’s not subtle—it’s math.As Morgan Housel reminds us in his bestseller, The Psychology of Money, "The most important part of every plan is planning for your plan, not going according to plan." Expect the unexpected. Train as if retirement could sneak up on you—because it just might. Get Fit, Stay Sharp: Health is the First Leg of the Race Physical and mental health are the fuel for your retirement. The rest doesn’t matter without them; we’re not just talking about lifting weights. (Though, yes, lift some weights.) Regular physical activity provides numerous benefits for older adults, including a reduced risk of dementia and enhanced cognitive function. Exercise can help maintain brain health, reduce mental decline, and even reverse some age-related brain shrinkage. Additionally, physical activity can improve mood, reduce anxiety, and enhance balance and coordination, leading to a better quality of life. • Strength training enhances bone density, metabolism, and mental health. (Source: Mayo Clinic) • Flexibility and balance? Try yoga or tai chi. Harvard Health says they reduce pain and stiffness. • Mental fitness? Cue up Wordle, Canuckle (the Canadian cousin), or Sudoku. • Dancing? It's beneficial for your brain and your swagger • Listening to music or playing an instrument can reduce stress and boost memory. Gold Medal Tip: Motivation is overrated; action is everything. Don’t be a couch potato. A new study conducted at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine shows that older adults who spend more time sedentary — such as sitting or lying down — may be at a higher risk for lower cognition and in areas linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease, no matter how much they exercise! So make sure you show up, move, and the motivation will catch up. Wealth Training: Stop Hoping, Start Budgeting Here's a shocker: Retirement doesn't mean your expenses magically disappear. According to Steve Willems' podcast “10 Retirement Myths You May Not Want to Believe,” most retirees don’t spend less. Aside from the mortgage, spending remains surprisingly consistent, especially during the Go-Go years (ages 55-75)”. We like what we like: groceries, entertainment, travel, and stylish or comfortable clothes are still on our shopping lists. That’s why many of us in retirement will need to pay more attention to spending and budgeting. Check Obligation Spending Retirement is the perfect time to reevaluate expenses from obligation rather than genuine need or joy. Here's a thoughtful way to frame that idea: Retirement is the season of freedom, so why are you still paying for things that feel like a burden? Now that you’re no longer earning a regular paycheck, every dollar matters more than ever. This means it’s time to take a closer look at obligatory expenses. These might include: • Helping adult children financially (even when it stretches your budget) • Donating to every fundraiser or cause just because someone asked • Hosting large family gatherings that leave you exhausted and over budget • Maintaining memberships, subscriptions, or traditions that no longer bring you joy. (We talk a lot more about this in a previous post What’s your Retirement Plan B While generosity is admirable, it shouldn’t jeopardize your financial security or peace of mind. Retirement should focus on investing in what truly matters to you now, rather than keeping up appearances or adhering to outdated expectations. Here’s a gentle mantra to adopt: “I’ve earned the right to say no with love and confidence.” Freeing yourself from obligation spending doesn’t mean becoming stingy; it means becoming intentional. Give where your heart feels full, not where your guilt feels heavy. After all, you didn’t work all those years to keep writing checks out of habit. Balance Beam- Budget What’s your plan when overtime isn’t an option and the budget doesn’t balance? Start with a good old-fashioned reality check: • Write down ALL expenses. • Tally up your income. • Look for a surplus (yay, trip!) or a shortfall (boo, time to pivot). Look at Canadian Government Pensions • Here's the math. Old Age Security (OAS): Max is about $713/month or $8,556/year. And don’t forget the dreaded government clawback (formally known as the Old Age Security Pension Recovery Tax which starts at ~$90,997. • Canada Pension Plan (CPP): The average monthly payment is $758, while the maximum is $1,364 per month or $16,368 per year. So with these two programs combined, provided you meet requirements, as a senior, you're looking at somewhere between $17,000–$25,000/year before tax. If your lifestyle needs a bit more jazz hands, here’s how to bridge the gap: DIY Income Builders: • Slash debt. Every dollar you don't spend is one you keep. • Downsize and bank the equity. • Buy or build an ADU and rent it. I have written more about ADU's here. • HELOC or Reverse mortgage (borrow strategically). • Withdraw from investments (4% rule). • Monetize your skills: consulting, tutoring, or writing that novel you started in 1993. Gold Medal Tip: Track your joy per dollar. If you’re going to spend, make it worth it. Rewire, Don’t Retire: Finding Purpose The biggest myth of retirement? That doing nothing feels good forever. (Spoiler alert: it doesn’t.) Passion is your GPS. It guides you towards what fills your heart. Whether you write poetry, walk dogs, or paint birds wearing tiny hats, your joy matters. And legacy? That’s just purpose with staying power. There’s science to support the benefits of this lesson. A study in JAMA Psychiatry found that people with a sense of purpose had a lower risk of mortality and disability Purpose-Driven Paths: • Volunteer: Look for a cause that fires you up. • Get a part-time job: Perhaps you can fill in at a local bookstore, garden center or be a barista? • Hobbies: Take up painting, pottery, or poetry. • Go Back to School: Many Universities such as The University of Toronto offer free, non-credit courses through programs as part of their community outreach. Seniors (over 60) enrolled at York University may have all or part of their academic fees waived at the domestic fee rate for York University degree credit courses as part of their mature student program. • Spend real time with people you love, maybe your grandkids or elderly parents. • Reconnect with old friends – not just on Facebook, but in person • Get out of your backyard and see the world Gold Medal Tip: You're never too young (or too old) to chase what lights you up. Start a business, get that degree you always wanted, and write that book. Go. For. It. Support: No One Trains Alone Retirement can be lonely. As we age, friends pass, routines fade, and isolation creeps in. That’s why your squad matters more than ever. Find Your Pod: • Family & Friends: Set expectations. Ask for help. Host Sunday dinners. Stay connected. • Fitness & Social Clubs: Join a walking group or participate in a gym class, followed by regular post-sweat coffee. • Faith Communities: Spirituality and structure in one. Sing in the choir. Serve at events. • Third Places: As sociologist Ray Oldenburg says, these are neutral hangouts like libraries, community centers, or your local café. They’re tied to lower loneliness and better mental health. Think of Cheers: “Where everyone knows your name!” Gold Medal Tip: Your local pickleball court or knitting circle might just be your new training ground. Attitude Training: Stop Acting Your Age Here’s a radical thought: Maybe we feel old because we act old. Want to stay young? Stay curious, try new things. Try line dancing, pickleball, bird watching, improv, or learning to code. Yes, code. What was the worst advice our mothers gave us? “Act your age.” Nonsense! Whoever said, “You’re only as old as you feel” was on to something – but let’s take it up a notch: How about you’re only as old as your playlist! The Power of a Youthful Attitude in Retirement A successful retirement isn’t just about savings accounts and spreadsheets — it’s about mindset. A positive, youthful attitude is one of the most powerful (and overlooked) assets you can carry into retirement. Even if you don’t feel youthful or optimistic, “fake it ‘til you make it” is more than just a catchy phrase—it’s a strategy. The goal isn't to accurately describe your aches, fears, or fatigue but to set yourself up for success! Science backs it up: a positive outlook boosts health, sharpens cognition, and increases longevity. From a practical perspective, optimism makes it easier to try new things, adapt to change, and enjoy the present—all essential in retirement. So, if the voice in your head says, “I’m too old for that,” try responding with, “This is my time.” You begin to build because what you tell yourself matters, as does what you believe. Retirement is your reward. Approach it like the vibrant, capable, unstoppable human you are because attitude, not age, sets the tone. Gold Medal Tip: You’re only as old as the last thing you tried for the first time. Try something ridiculous, I double dare you! Final Stretch The Retirement Games are here, and let me be crystal clear: this isn’t amateur hour. This is your Olympic moment, with medals awarded for stamina, strategy, and a solid sense of humour. Whether you're rounding the first turn at 45 or doing your victory lap at 75, now is the time to train. You’ve built strength, stretched your budget, flexed your purpose muscle, assembled your dream team, and rebooted your mindset. Now it’s time to lace up, lean in, and live life to the fullest. This isn’t about perfection; it’s about preparation. You won’t achieve a podium finish through wishful thinking; you’ll attain it through action, adaptation, and a great deal of repetition. So, put on your metaphorical tracksuit (or actual tracksuit if it's laundry day) and begin training with determination. The gold medal retirement isn’t just possible—it’s within reach. Cue the confetti cannon. You’re not just aging—you’re advancing. And champions, as we know, don’t retire… they rewire, recharge, and rewrite the playbook. On Your Marks, Get Set, THRIVE! Don’t Retire … Re-Wire! Sue
When an invitation to sit on the Georgia Governor’s Council of Economic Advisers arrived in an informal email from a colleague, Michael Toma, Ph.D., welcomed the chance to share his ongoing research on the economic health of southeastern Georgia with Gov. Brian Kemp, the Georgia House of Representatives and Senate leadership and their constituents. However, when he joined a small group of colleagues from around the state in a legislative office near the capitol in Atlanta late last year, the opportunity felt far from casual. “It does seem like it’s an honor because I looked around the table and there were only 10 or so of us from the entire state of Georgia,” said Toma, the Fuller E. Callaway professor of economics in Georgia Southern University’s Parker College of Business. “It’s nice to be invited to join this council informing the executive and legislative branches of government about economic conditions in the state of Georgia. I know the southeastern part of the state, so it’s nice to be recognized and be invited to speak about this region to a state-level audience.” The Governor’s Council of Economic Advisers is a select group of mostly higher education economists from various University System of Georgia institutions, in addition to the chief economist from Georgia Power, who meet annually. Toma, who specializes in macroeconomics and regional economics, is well known for his expertise throughout Savannah and the surrounding region. Since 2000, he has written and distributed The Economic Monitor, a quarterly publication housed within Georgia Southern’s Economics Department and Center for Business Analytics and Economic Research. The economic analysis offers a snapshot of the Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area economy, including Bryan, Chatham and Effingham counties, and informs business owners across the Coastal Empire. He also regularly speaks to chambers of commerce and business groups in the region. In the governor’s council meeting, which was televised to state legislators, the economists took turns speaking about their respective areas of expertise to Gov. Kemp as part of an educational process and annual update for the executive and legislative branches. “The academics from the different institutions discussed economic conditions in their regions of the state,” Toma said. “I highlighted the activity here in Savannah, the growing manufacturing base and the wages associated with the Hyundai plant being injected into the regional economy, and the build-out of the supply chain for the Hyundai plant. “I discussed manufacturing development in the context of broader economic growth within the region that’s layered on top of our normal growth pattern, and that the economic development initiative is starting to pay the dividends it was anticipated to pay.” Following each individual presentation, the governor held an open forum for all in attendance to speak more fluidly with the group. “He had questions for the panel in general about small business activity,” stated Toma. “So I was able to characterize the ecosystem for small businesses in Chatham County. “He said that was a great report.” Toma holds a Ph.D. in economics from George Mason University. He joined Georgia Southern on the Armstrong Campus in Savannah in 1997. If you're interested in learning more about this topic and want to book time to talk or interview with Michael Toma then let us help - simply click on his icon now or contact Georgia Southern's Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.
