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How to Make Your Experts “AI-Ready"
AI is changing how people discover expertise. Today, journalists, event organizers, researchers, and the public increasingly turn to tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google Search’s AI summaries powered by Gemini. Instead of clicking through pages of links, they expect clear, credible answers—often delivered instantly, with citations. That shift has major implications for organizations. It’s no longer enough for your experts to “rank well.” They need to be understood, trusted, and accurately represented by AI systems. So the real question becomes: When AI talks about your experts, does it get it right? This is where LLMs.txt plays an important role—especially when paired with an ExpertFile-powered Expert Center. What is LLMs.txt (In Plain English)? ...and why is it essential for expert content LLMs.txt is a small, machine-readable file placed on your organization’s website—in the case of your expert content alongside your main Expert Center. Its purpose is simple: to explain your expertise to AI systems clearly and unambiguously. “AI systems don’t just scan for keywords; they look for clear meaning, consistent context, and clean formatting — precise, structured language makes it easier for AI to classify your content as relevant.” Microsoft: Optimizing Your Content for Inclusion in AI Search Answers Rather than forcing AI to infer meaning from scattered pages, LLMs.txt explicitly tells systems: Who your experts are Which pages represent official, curated content How expert profiles differ from articles, Q&A, or research content How your organization’s expertise should be interpreted as a whole Think of it as a table of contents and usage guide for AI —helping large language models understand your site the way a communications professional would. Why This Matters for Visibility and Trust It Establishes Your Organization as the Source of Truth AI systems routinely synthesize information from multiple places. Without guidance, they may rely on outdated bios, scraped content, or secondary references. LLMs.txt provides a clear signal: This is our official expert content. This is what represents us. For ExpertFile clients, this matters because the platform already centralizes and curates expert content—from profiles and directories to Spotlights and Expert Q&A—ensuring that what AI sees is current, governed, and institutionally endorsed. The result: Greater accuracy, stronger attribution, and reduced risk of misrepresentation when your experts appear in the ever growing AI-generated overviews and answer. ahrefs: AI Overviews Have Doubled How It Improves Discovery Across AI Platforms It Makes Structured Expertise Easier for AI to Use ExpertFile is purpose-built to publish structured expert content at scale—content that goes well beyond static bios. LLMs.txt simply helps AI recognize and use that structure correctly. It clarifies the role of key ExpertFile content types, including: Expert Profiles → Canonical identity, credentials, and areas of expertise Spotlight Posts → Timely commentary, thought leadership, and research insights Expert Q&A → Authoritative answers to real-world questions Directories, Research Bureaus, and Speakers Bureaus → Curated collections of expertise by topic or audience This makes it easier for AI systems to: Match your experts to breaking news and trending topics Pull accurate summaries for AI-generated responses Identify the right expert for journalists, event organizers, and researchers Combined with ExpertFile’s extended distribution through expertfile.com and the ExpertFile Mobile App, your expertise is not only published—but actively discoverable across channels used by key audiences . How It Builds Organizational Authority It Connects Individual Experts to Institutional Credibility Without context, AI may treat expert pages as isolated profiles. LLMs.txt helps connect the dots. It tells AI that: Your experts are curated and endorsed by the organization Their insights are part of a broader expertise ecosystem Your institution has depth across priority subject areas This aligns closely with how ExpertFile structures content to support E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust)—not just at the individual level, but across the organization . The outcome: Your organization is recognized not just as a collection of experts, but as an authoritative source of knowledge. How It Works with Google, Gemini, and AI Search Supports AI Summaries, Citations, and Knowledge Panels LLMs.txt helps ensure that when Google’s AI: Summarizes your organization Cites expert commentary Builds “about this topic” panels …it draws from your official, structured ExpertFile content, rather than fragmented third-party sources. This complements ExpertFile’s existing SEO and AI-discoverability foundation, which includes clean code, proper meta data, schema markup, and frequent crawling by both search engines and AI bots. How LLMS.txt Fits with SEO, Meta Tags, and Schema LLMS.txt doesn’t replace SEO—it builds on it. Traditional SEO elements such as page titles, meta descriptions, schema.org markup, and internal linking remain essential for helping search engines index and rank your content. ExpertFile already delivers these fundamentals out of the box, continually testing and evolving SEO and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) standards as search changes . “Semantic SEO helps search engines understand context... it now helps bridge a critical gap between traditional SEO and newer generative engine optimization (GEO) and AI optimization (AIO) efforts.” Search Engine Land: Semantic SEO: How to optimize for meaning over keywords LLMS.txt adds a layer designed specifically for AI systems: Schema explains individual pages LLMs.txt explains your entire expertise ecosystem In simple terms: SEO helps your content get found LLMs.txt helps AI understand, summarize, and cite it correctly Together, they ensure your experts are not only visible—but accurately represented wherever AI is shaping discovery. Why This Is Especially Powerful on ExpertFile ExpertFile was designed to future-proof expert visibility—offering structured publishing, governance, distribution, inquiry management, analytics, and professional services as part of a continuously evolving SaaS platform . LLMS.txt acts as a multiplier on that foundation: Turning your Expert Center into a machine-readable expertise hub Strengthening AI discovery without adding operational burden Supporting emerging use cases like automated expert matching and AI-assisted research It’s not about chasing new technology. It’s about ensuring your expertise is clearly defined, properly attributed, and trusted—now and in the future. The Takeaway An LLMs.txt file on your ExpertFile organization page helps ensure that: Your experts are found by AI tools, not overlooked Your content is interpreted correctly, not flattened or misrepresented Your organization earns authority and trust in AI summaries, citations, and search results “AI search isn’t eliminating organic traffic. But it is reducing visits to source websites… Measure presence (citations, mentions) alongside traffic to see real impact.” Semrush: AI Search Trends for 2026 & How You Can Adapt As AI becomes the front door to information, LLMs.txt helps make sure that when people ask for expertise, your organization is the answer they get.
Researchers warn of rise in AI-created non-consensual explicit images
A team of researchers, including Kevin Butler, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Computer and Information Science and Engineering at the University of Florida, is sounding the alarm on a disturbing trend in artificial intelligence: the rapid rise of AI-generated sexually explicit images created without the subject’s consent. With funding from the National Science Foundation, Butler and colleagues from UF, Georgetown University and the University of Washington investigated a growing class of tools that allow users to generate realistic nude images from uploaded photos — tools that require little skill, cost virtually nothing and are largely unregulated. “Anybody can do this,” said Butler, director of the Florida Institute for Cybersecurity Research. “It’s done on the web, often anonymously, and there’s no meaningful enforcement of age or consent.” The team has coined the term SNEACI, short for synthetic non-consensual explicit AI-created imagery, to define this new category of abuse. The acronym, pronounced “sneaky,” highlights the secretive and deceptive nature of the practice. “SNEACI really typifies the fact that a lot of these are made without the knowledge of the potential victim and often in very sneaky ways,” said Patrick Traynor, a professor and associate chair of research in UF's Department of Computer and Information Science and Engineering and co-author of the paper. In their study, which will be presented at the upcoming USENIX Security Symposium this summer, the researchers conducted a systematic analysis of 20 AI “nudification” websites. These platforms allow users to upload an image, manipulate clothing, body shape and pose, and generate a sexually explicit photo — usually in seconds. Unlike traditional tools like Photoshop, these AI services remove nearly all barriers to entry, Butler said. “Photoshop requires skill, time and money,” he said. “These AI application websites are fast, cheap — from free to as little as six cents per image — and don’t require any expertise.” According to the team’s review, women are disproportionately targeted, but the technology can be used on anyone, including children. While the researchers did not test tools with images of minors due to legal and ethical constraints, they found “no technical safeguards preventing someone from doing so.” Only seven of the 20 sites they examined included terms of service that require image subjects to be over 18, and even fewer enforced any kind of user age verification. “Even when sites asked users to confirm they were over 18, there was no real validation,” Butler said. “It’s an unregulated environment.” The platforms operate with little transparency, using cryptocurrency for payments and hosting on mainstream cloud providers. Seven of the sites studied used Amazon Web Services, and 12 were supported by Cloudflare — legitimate services that inadvertently support these operations. “There’s a misconception that this kind of content lives on the dark web,” Butler said. “In reality, many of these tools are hosted on reputable platforms.” Butler’s team also found little to no information about how the sites store or use the generated images. “We couldn’t find out what the generators are doing with the images once they’re created” he said. “It doesn’t appear that any of this information is deleted.” High-profile cases have already brought attention to the issue. Celebrities such as Taylor Swift and Melania Trump have reportedly been victims of AI-generated non-consensual explicit images. Earlier this year, Trump voiced support for the Take It Down Act, which targets these types of abuses and was signed into law this week by President Donald Trump. But the impact extends beyond the famous. Butler cited a case in South Florida where a city councilwoman stepped down after fake explicit images of her — created using AI — were circulated online. “These images aren’t just created for amusement,” Butler said. “They’re used to embarrass, humiliate and even extort victims. The mental health toll can be devastating.” The researchers emphasized that the technology enabling these abuses was originally developed for beneficial purposes — such as enhancing computer vision or supporting academic research — and is often shared openly in the AI community. “There’s an emerging conversation in the machine learning community about whether some of these tools should be restricted,” Butler said. “We need to rethink how open-source technologies are shared and used.” Butler said the published paper — authored by student Cassidy Gibson, who was advised by Butler and Traynor and received her doctorate degree this month — is just the first step in their deeper investigation into the world of AI-powered nudification tools and an extension of the work they are doing at the Center for Privacy and Security for Marginalized Populations, or PRISM, an NSF-funded center housed at the UF Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. Butler and Gibson recently met with U.S. Congresswoman Kat Cammack for a roundtable discussion on the growing spread of non-consensual imagery online. In a newsletter to constituents, Cammack, who serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, called the issue a major priority. She emphasized the need to understand how these images are created and their impact on the mental health of children, teens and adults, calling it “paramount to putting an end to this dangerous trend.” "As lawmakers take a closer look at these technologies, we want to give them technical insights that can help shape smarter regulation and push for more accountability from those involved," said Butler. “Our goal is to use our skills as cybersecurity researchers to address real-world problems and help people.”
Department of Energy awards $928,000 to Lane Carasik, Ph.D., for fusion energy systems research
The Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced $128 million of funding for seven Fusion Innovation Research Engine (FIRE) Collaboratives. Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) College of Engineering researchers will support the project titled “Advancing the maturity of liquid metal (LM) plasma facing materials and first wall concept” led by the Department of Energy’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL). This includes $928,000 to support research led by Lane Carasik, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, as part of a multi-institution effort for fusion energy systems. The FIRE Collaborative seeks to advance the maturity of liquid metal plasma-facing materials and wall concepts. High operating temperatures within fusion energy systems pose a significant material design challenge. Research will help solve technical problems with liquid metal plasma-facing materials and first wall concepts, including four main challenges: testing protective materials, understanding material properties, studying how liquid metals behave in magnetic fields and developing new liquid metal alloys. The goal is to make liquid metals viable for fusion pilot plant designs. “The work done by VCU as part of the FIRE Collaborative will help raise the technology readiness of Liquid Metal based fusion energy concepts. Over the next four years, we will train undergraduate and graduate students on how to extract electricity from these fusion concepts,” Carasik said. Rajesh Maingi, Ph.D., is the lead primary investigator at PPPL. Institutional investigators for the group include Sergey Smolentsev, Ph.D., Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Vsevolod Soukhanovskii, Ph.D., Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL); Daniel Andruczyk, Ph.D., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Bruce Koel, Ph.D., Princeton University; Michael Kotschrenreuther, Ph.D., ExoFusion; Xing Wang, Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University; Kevin Woller, Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and Carasik from VCU. Up to $220 million is expected to fund the FIRE Collaboratives over four years, with $31 million allocated for the 2025 fiscal year. Future distributions are dependent on congressional appropriations.
You Can’t Reconnect with Family Through a Screen You Won’t Put Down
When families say, “We never really talk anymore,” the holidays are supposed to be the fix, the one time of year everyone gets under the same roof, sits around the same table, and finally catches up. But in 2025, most people arrive at those gatherings with a second guest in tow: their phone. New behavioral data from Offline.now, a digital wellness platform founded by author and CEO Eli Singer, shows 8 in 10 people want a healthier relationship with technology, yet more than half feel too overwhelmed to know where to start. That makes the holidays a natural “reset” moment; if parents and other adults are willing to change their own habits first. Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist Gaea Woods says phones have quietly become the “third party” in many households: “Phones are killing interpersonal relationships - not because tech is evil, but because we use it unconsciously at the moments connection matters most. When you’re scrolling at dinner, you’re sending the message, ‘My phone is more interesting and important than you.’” Research on “phubbing” aka phone snubbing backs this up, linking partner and family phone use during conversations with lower relationship satisfaction and more conflict. Offline.now’s experts see the same pattern: when screens show up at the table, intimacy and meaningful conversation drop. Executive Function Coach Craig Selinger argues that the real leverage point isn’t screen-time rules for kids; it’s modelling by adults: “If you want behavior change in kids, start with the parent model. A 12-year-old will not put their phone away at dinner if their parents won’t. Kids copy what you do, not what you say.” When kids see parents physically turn phones face-down and set them aside, it creates permission, even relief. Over a few days of holiday visits, those small moments can add up to something families say they miss most: unhurried conversations, shared jokes, and the feeling that the people in front of you are more important than the feed on your screen. For journalists covering holiday family dynamics, tech and relationships, or digital wellness, Offline.now can offer expert interviews on: How to design realistic, family-wide phone rules for gatherings Why parental modelling matters more than any app setting Simple scripts parents can use to set expectations without shaming kids Featured Experts Gaea Woods, MA, LMFT – Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist specializing in digital dependency, intimacy, and communication in modern relationships. Craig Selinger, M.S., CCC-SLP – Executive Function Coach and child development specialist focused on how tech impacts learning, attention, and family systems. Expert availability can be arranged through Offline.now’s media team.
The year was 2003, and John Speich, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Mechanical & Nuclear Engineering, felt like he had a clear sense of the direction his burgeoning career was heading in. Speich had recently completed his doctorate in mechanical engineering from Vanderbilt University, where he concentrated on robotics. Following Vanderbilt, Speich went on to become an associate professor at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) College of Engineering, working with students in the Department of Mechanical & Nuclear Engineering. Leveraging his robotics expertise, Speich planned to continue his work developing robotics for medical surgery and rehabilitation. Then Speich got a call from Paul Ratz, Ph.D., a professor at the VCU School of Medicine, asking for assistance that would change the entire focus of Speich’s career. Ratz used a small robotic lever that moved up and down just a few millimeters to stretch tiny strips of bladder muscle and rings of artery, trying to determine how different chemical compounds changed the mechanical properties of the muscle. Speich was intrigued—this was a form of mechanical engineering. “In mechanical engineering, we pull on things to determine the mechanical properties,” says Speich. “Here, Dr. Ratz was pulling on pieces of bladder instead of the typical substances mechanical engineers are known to work with, like steel, aluminum or plastic.” Speich and Ratz began working together in 2003, and now, because of that unique partnership, nearly all of the research Speich does is about the bladder. “Before I started working with Dr. Ratz, I had never even heard the words neurourology or urodynamics,” says Speich. “Now, Neurourology and Urodynamics is the name of the journal I publish in the most.” Today, Speich collaborates on bladder biomechanics with two doctors at VCU Health. Adam Klausner, MD is a urologist and the interim chair of the new Department of Urology at VCU. Linda Burkett, MD is a urogynecologist from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; prior to medical school, Burkett completed her bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from the VCU College of Engineering. Together, Speich, Klausner and Burkett aim to find non-invasive methods to characterize and diagnose overactive bladder, with the goal of allowing doctors to precisely match patients with the most effective treatments. A number of students across the VCU College of Engineering and VCU School of Medicine have aided in their research, including recent Biomedical Engineering graduate Mariam William. Speich’s primary methods of research involve Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS)—a non-invasive technology that uses light to measure tissue oxygenation and brain activity—and ultrasound imaging. By using NIRS to study the brain activity associated with the sudden urge to urinate, Speich and his team are working to pinpoint the brain’s role and determine whether it or the bladder is the primary cause of an individual’s condition. “There are a lot of potential causes of overactive bladder,” says Speich. “Some people may have more than one cause. Individual responses to these treatments vary; what works well for one patient may not work at all for the next. We want to give doctors better tools for quantifying information about their patients so they can make better decisions and more optimized treatments.” Thanks to research grants, including a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant from 2015-2025, Speich has been able to make a number of important findings in his bladder research. His team has closely examined the bladder’s dynamic elasticity, investigating the biomechanical mechanisms that allow the bladder muscle to fill and expand. Another recent focus asks, “Bladder or Brain. Which is it?” Speich and his team developed a tool called a sensation meter that they use to help determine what an individual is feeling as their bladder is filling over time. All this groundbreaking research and medical school collaboration, and to think—Speich nearly missed the opportunity to enter this field entirely. “When I tell students about how I came to be involved in bladder biomechanics, I tell them, you will always keep learning throughout your entire career,” says Speich. “You never know where you’re going to end up. If you’re an engineer, you’re a problem solver, and there are all kinds of problems in areas like business and medicine—beyond the traditional areas people think of when they think of mechanical engineering.”
Kamran Kardel, Ph.D., associate professor of manufacturing engineering in the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing, is leading a multidisciplinary research team to help regional logistics companies increase efficiency. Funded through the college’s Remotely Operated Warehouse Services (ROWS) Laboratory, with seed money from Crider Foods Inc., the team is composed of Kardel, Ryan Florin, Ph.D, assistant professor of computer science and students. Kardel and his team are using the software to build simulations, known as “digital twins,” that replicate warehouse operations like picking, packing and shipping. The ROWS Laboratory will serve as a development site, allowing the simulations to be thoroughly tested and validated before being presented to third parties. The ultimate goal is to provide industry partners with simulation capabilities using AnyLogic Software and Internet of Things (IoT) integration. The IoT refers to a network of physical devices located within and around the warehouse, such as mobile robots, sensors and cameras, that collect and share real-time data over the internet. That ensures optimal accuracy and responsiveness. The ultimate goal is to provide industry partners with simulation capabilities using AnyLogic Software and Internet of Things (IoT) integration. This industry collaboration also provides important professional development for the students working on the project. “I have a few students, both undergraduate and graduate, who are going to be involved in this project from beginning to end,” said Kardel. “Several of them have mentioned to me that this is their first time with direct access to the industry and potential employers.” Continuing the theme of collaboration, the project could result in shared postdoctoral positions with Ireland’s South East Technological University in its Lean Industry 4.0 Lab. While still in its early stages, Kardel hopes this partnership will give this research an even larger scope. “The Lean Industry 4.0 Lab has a lot of experience in IoT,” Kardel explained. “By joining Ph.D. programs, hopefully we can work together and improve logistics here in our region and in Ireland.” Ultimately, Kardel says this research can give companies a leg up in an increasingly digitized world. “As far as automation, for companies in southeast Georgia and South Carolina, I would say it’s becoming more common,” he said. “It’s still a mixed bag, though some warehouses are fully automated, some are not. The work we are doing can help companies remain competitive.” Looking to know more about Georgia Southern University or connect with Kamran Kardel? Simply contact Georgia Southern's Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.
Pioneering systems to aid the visually impaired, Dianne Pawluk, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, recently received two grants totaling $4.5 million in support of her research. Real-time Conversion and Display of Visual Diagrams in Accessible Forms for Blind-Visually Impaired (BVI) is a five-year project to develop real-time assistive technology for BVI individuals. It received a $3.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Eye Institute to fund a low-cost system that will automatically convert and render visual diagrams in effective accessible formats on a multimodal display, including a refreshable tactile display and an enhanced, visual magnification program. Diagram exploration support will be provided by an automated haptic assistant. Pawluk is collaborating with Tomasz Arodz, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Computer Science, on the project. Including Blind and Visually Impaired Students in Computer Programming Education Through a Tangible Interface for Scratch is a four-year project to develop a nonvisual interface for the Scratch programming platform. Receiving a $1.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation, the project aims to make computer science education more accessible to BVI students. The interface will allow these students to learn programming alongside their sighted peers in classrooms, camps and clubs, supporting both BVI and other kinesthetic learners with a haptic-based tangible interface. High contrast visual information will also be provided for those with low vision and collaboration with sighted peers. This project is a collaboration with the Science Museum of Virginia, Arizona Science Center and Liberty Science Center. “Equal access to information is important for individuals who are blind or visually impaired to have autonomy and control over their decision-making processes and other tasks, which will allow them to live productive and fulfilling lives,” Pawluk said. “These projects go beyond creating an equivalent experience. They enable full collaboration between visually impaired and sighted people, ensuring equal opportunity.”
Georgia Southern University’s Institute for Health Logistics & Analytics (IHLA) has launched the Care Station project to address barriers to accessing over-the-counter health products. Care Stations are standalone kiosks open 24/7 that allow users to purchase a range of over-the-counter health products. Items can be paid for using a digital wallet on a mobile phone; cash is not accepted. The first Care Station is located in the alleyway behind Georgia Southern’s City Campus, located at 58 E. Main Street in Statesboro. The project team, led by Jennifer Drey, IHLA community outreach coordinator, and Jill Johns, project manager, prioritized the specific needs of the local population when developing the idea. “By understanding the unique needs of the community, we can offer customized health products and tests in easily accessible locations,” said Drey. Because many of the products are personal in nature, the team designed the kiosks to provide users with privacy. “These kiosks are easy to use, safe and completely confidential,” said Johns. “Whether someone is purchasing pain relievers or sexually transmitted infection tests, their privacy is protected.” To help ensure the Care Stations meet community needs, IHLA encourages Statesboro and Bulloch County residents to share anonymous feedback through an online form at bit.ly/CareStation_Statesboro. To expand access, a second Care Station will open soon in Vidalia, Georgia. Drey said the project serves as a pilot initiative, with the long-term goal of replication statewide. “Rural communities often experience difficulty accessing essential health care supplies and testing compared to their metropolitan counterparts,” she said. “We hope our pilot machines serve as a model for expansion of the program to other rural communities across Georgia.” The Care Station project builds on IHLA’s recently completed Community Health Resource Project (CHRP), which identified key health disparities across rural counties and strengthened partnerships with local stakeholders. A public ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on Jan. 5, 2026. IHLA uses an integrated One Health approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems. Its mission is to transform the health and well-being of communities through applied evidence-based practices and technology integration. Products and tests currently available at the Statesboro Care Station: General Health Allergy medication Bandages Condoms Eyeglass repair kit Hand sanitizer wipes Hygiene kit Pain Relief and Wound Care Ibuprofen Urinary pain relief tablets Rinse-free bath wipes Wound care kit Children’s Health and Wellness Children’s Tylenol Diaper changing kit Menstrual Products Pads Tampons Diabetes Care Glucose tablets Testing Test My Drink sheets Pregnancy tests HIV and syphilis tests Looking to know more about Georgia Southern University's Care Station? Simply contact Georgia Southern's Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.
ENLIGHTENing the Holidays: How Meijer Gardens Turned Art and Nature Into a Year-Round Attraction
With the completion of its second season, ENLIGHTEN at Meijer Gardens has moved beyond the idea of a seasonal attraction to become a defining example of how cultural institutions can transform the off-season into a destination experience. The program’s exceptional year-over-year growth, combined with national recognition in only its second year, signals a turning point in how Meijer Gardens engages audiences year-round. At the center of that evolution is Carol Kendra, whose leadership perspective connects ENLIGHTEN’s creative ambition, production scale, and audience growth to a broader strategy of experiential cultural programming. As Chief Operating Officer at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Carol Kendra provides strategic oversight for daily operations, guest experience, programming and long-term planning across the organization’s 158-acre campus. It washer leadership and strategic vision helped shape ENLIGHTEN from concept to a growing cultural phenomenon. View her profile Meijer Gardens has long been active outside traditional peak seasons, regularly hosting programs such as Fall at Meijer Gardens, Spring at Meijer Gardens, and its longstanding holiday tradition University of Michigan Health-West: Christmas & Holiday Traditions. These initiatives established a foundation for shoulder-season engagement and demonstrated that audiences were willing to experience the Gardens beyond summer months. ENLIGHTEN marked a deliberate step forward, not simply another seasonal offering, but a fully immersive evening experience that invited visitors to experience Meijer Gardens in a new way during the winter months, using light, sound, and landscape to create a sense of wonder and discovery. The annual event has also garnered attention from media across the country: Taking the Experience to the Next Level What distinguishes ENLIGHTEN is its production and experiential ambition. The program was produced in collaboration with Lightswitch and Upstaging, firms recognized internationally for creating world-class immersive environments and technically sophisticated experiences. Their portfolios include large-scale botanical light installations, major theme park productions, and live and recorded projects for globally recognized, award-winning artists. That expertise elevated ENLIGHTEN into a carefully choreographed, multi-sensory journey that integrates light, sound, landscape, and movement in a way that complements — rather than overwhelms — Meijer Gardens’ art and horticulture. This approach reflects a deliberate investment in experience design, audience flow, and emotional impact. The result is an experience that: Extends engagement well beyond traditional daylight hours Encourages repeat visits across a single season Attracts audiences who may be new to Meijer Gardens ENLIGHTEN reflects how cultural institutions are responding to changing audience expectations. Visitors are increasingly seeking experiences that are immersive, emotionally resonant, and worth traveling for — even during traditionally slower seasons. By building on its history of seasonal programming and elevating it through design, technology, and collaboration, Meijer Gardens demonstrates how institutions can grow without losing authenticity. Expert Insight: As a senior leader involved in shaping Meijer Gardens’ visitor experiences and institutional strategy, Carol Kendra brings expert insight into: How ENLIGHTEN was conceived as both an artistic and operational response to seasonality Why immersive seasonal experiences resonate with broad, multigenerational audiences How art and horticulture can be activated together What measurable growth means for long-term institutional planning and cultural relevance Her perspective helps journalists and industry professionals understand ENLIGHTEN not simply as a holiday event, but as a case study in cultural innovation and audience development.
New research partnership to develop biodegradable gloves from food waste for healthcare sector
Knowledge Transfer Partnership between Aston University and PFE Medical to develop a biodegradable clinical glove from food waste The gloves will provide a low-cost, convenient and sustainable alternative to the 1.4bn disposable gloves used in the NHS each year The innovation will reduce clinical waste and costs and help the NHS reach its net zero goals. Aston University and Midlands-based company PFE Medical are teaming up to create biodegradable gloves made from food waste for use in the NHS. They will offer a low-cost, convenient alternative to disposable gloves without compromising patient safety. More than 1.4bn disposable gloves are used by the NHS each year. They create large volumes of clinical waste which has both an environmental and economic cost. The Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) project will develop a more sustainable alternative made from polymers derived from food waste such as orange peel, able to degrade naturally. The gloves will initially be for use during low-risk tasks such as ultrasound scans, rather than in more critical situations such as operating theatres. The gloves would be designed to not only reduce clinical waste and costs in the NHS, but also carbon emissions, helping the NHS reach its goal to be the world’s first net-zero health service. With most personal protective equipment (PPE) currently sourced from Chinese manufacturers, the goal is to develop a biodegradable glove that can be manufactured using a UK supply chain. The challenging project draws on Aston University’s expertise in sustainable polymer chemistry, centred at Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence (AIME). Aston University has one of the largest research groups of polymer chemists in the UK. The project will be led at the University by Professor Paul Topham, director of AIME, and Dr James Wilson, AIME associate member. The research team have chosen to focus on polymers from food waste in order to ensure that the final product can be manufactured sustainably. Most polymers are currently made from petroleum. Polymers made from food waste, ranging from fruit waste to corn or dairy products, have the potential for antioxidant and antibacterial properties if designed appropriately. The team will manipulate the polymer molecules so that they include the right monomers (the smaller units which make up the molecules) in the right location to achieve the properties they require. Critical to the success of the project will be PFE Medical’s commercial and clinical experience of taking new innovations into medical use. It will be the third KTP between Aston University and PFE, following on from successful projects to develop an automated endoscope cleaner, now in use across University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB). Professor Topham said: “At Aston University, we have a long history of working with industry, of translating fundamental research into solutions for real world problems. This project with PFE Medical provides us with that route, to take our science and engineering and make a difference to peoples’ lives. That’s exactly where, as researchers, we want to be.” Rob Hartley, CEO of PFE Medical, said: “Our previous KTP with Aston University was a phenomenal success, thanks to the brilliant team we had on board. I’m just as excited by this project, which is looking to solve an equally long-standing problem. If we can achieve our goal, then the implications are huge, going far beyond the NHS to all the other situations where people are wearing disposable gloves.” KTPs, funded by Innovate UK, are collaborations between a business, a university and a highly qualified research associate. The UK-wide programme helps businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity through the better use of knowledge, technology and skills. Aston University is a sector-leading KTP provider, ranked first for project quality, and joint first for the volume of active projects. For further details about this KTP, visit the webpage: www.aston.ac.uk/business/collaborate-with-us/knowledge-transfer-partnership/at-work/pfe-medical.
