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Should I use AI to write my college entrance essay?
With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence tools such as generative pre-trained transformers, or GPTs, high school students may be tempted to use the tools to perfect their college applications, particularly their entrance essay. Robert Alexander, a vice provost and the dean of enrollment management at the University of Rochester, cautions prospective college students from relying too heavily on AI tools in their applications. “The sentiment among college admissions professionals is that while AI tools may be helpful in generating essay topics and refining or editing students’ writing, we discourage their use to compose application essays or short answers because AI stifles an applicant’s authentic voice,” Alexander says. That personal voice becomes paramount when admissions officers are sifting through applications and considering how each student will contribute to the campus community and fit into the incoming class. “No college or university is trying to admit perfectly identical automaton students,” Alexander says. “At the University of Rochester, for instance, we’re not looking for 1,300 perfect students. We’re trying to craft the perfect class of 1,300 very different and highly-imperfect, but great-fit students.” The goal, he says, is to invite great students, inclusive of their imperfections, and guide them on a transformative journey through their next four years. “Colleges want students to come in with a growth mindset and potential,” Alexander says. “So, if students think they can use AI to help make their application ‘perfect,’ I think they’re chasing the wrong brass ring.” Alexander is an expert in undergraduate admissions and enrollment management who speaks on the subjects to national audiences and whose work has been published in national publications. Click his profile to reach him.
5 Reasons Why Experts Should Drive Your Content Marketing Strategy
It’s a fact: buyers today don’t want to be prospected, demoed, or closed. Whether it’s a procurement officer on the other end of the phone, a prospect reviewing a product online, or a journalist assessing the credibility of a potential spokesperson, “buyers” today expect a more authentic, reliable and practical experience when getting to know an organization, product or service. That’s why understanding how your expertise fits into the buyer’s journey to attract attention, drive interactions and earn trust is becoming critical to success. For marketers today the purchase process has increased in complexity. Today, audiences advance through a process known as the buyer’s journey” – the research and decision-making process that customers go through which progresses from awareness to evaluation and ultimately purchase. The Shift to Expertise Marketing In the early days of marketing and sales, organizations practiced a features oriented “buy what I have” approach; however, these traditional product-oriented marketing approaches are failing to yield the benefits they once did. Audiences have become far more sophisticated. Research clearly shows that expert content is setting the bar for relevance, credibility and attractiveness for every stage of the buyer journey. Here’s 5 major trends you need to know plus some helpful tips to help you deal with this reality. #1 – Buyers Have Shifted into Self-Serve Mode When Researching Purchases Approximately 67% of the buyer’s journey is complete prior to contacting a vendor (Source: Sirius Decisions) The research continues to show that many buyers would sooner help themselves to content rather than speak to a salesperson, especially in the early stage of the buyer journey. Audiences are increasingly venturing online to doing more of their own research to validate the buying decision. And they are digging deeper into content and are looking to see the people you have on board to support their decision-making. Tip: Remember that people buy from people. Think about how you can create a more human user experience by giving your experts and their content more profile on your website to drive engagement and build trust. It’s time to go beyond simple headshots and biographies to develop a richer amount of supporting information that feeds your website and search engines. #2- The Buyer Journey is More Collaborative & Non-Linear Than Ever Its clear that the traditional linear sales funnel has disappeared. In B2B markets, buyers now engage with an average of 11.4 pieces of content prior to making a purchase (Source: Forrester Research). They are now more likely to bounce around in a variety of sites. Tip: Evaluate the touchpoints you provide with expert content across your websites and how they interact at various buyer stages, from initial search to content to the connection process. In the end are you making it easy for buyers to engage with the content your experts have to offer? #3 – Experts are a Top Source of Influence in Purchase Behavior Research by the Information Technology Sales and Marketing Association (ITSMA) has consistently ranked subject-matter experts as a top source of information influencing purchase behavior in B2B, higher consideration purchases. In this new model, buyers validate the purchase decision by seeking out reliable information from trusted sources. Decisions such as what lawyer to choose; what IT platform to invest in or where to study for graduate school can be very positively influenced by expert content. Tip: Ensure you have engaging expert content available online to support buyers across all stages of the buyer journey. Remember they may be looking for additional validation as well as education. #4 – The Buying Process is More Inclusive than Ever with Multiple Personas Playing a Part In addition to consulting industry peers on social media channels, buyers work with colleagues inside their organizations when making purchase decisions. Marketers and salespeople cannot be content with focusing on key decision makers. If you aren’t known company-wide this will present challenges. Tip: Marketers must reach the broader buying group in an organization, which means making larger amounts of expert content with messages targeted to specific personas. Weaving experts into the discussion and engaging more departments within a buyer’s organization will help wield influence on the final buying decision. #5 – Feeding the Search Engines The Right Content Matters More Than Ever According to a Google/Millward Brown study, 71% of business purchases begin with a non-branded search. These generic queries, are from people looking for product first, not for a specific brand or organization name. Huge improvements in organic search rank are possible once when your content is optimized to support the customer at all phases of the buyer journey. Expert content, in the form of articles, infographics, or videos, not only strengthens the trust relationship with your buyer, but also reinforces your value and expertise with search engines. you pay a little more attention to the information structure on your website and add assets such as multimedia content to expert profiles. Search engines continue to reward well developed expert content that has personal attribution with higher trust and authority rankings as it views this content as more relevant. Tip: Start with some tests using Google and Bing to assess how your experts are surfacing on key topics. Also do some searches on the names of your experts to see what position they surface at organically. Where possible add videos, photos, audio, books and social content that you can add to their profiles. Also ensure that the information is properly tagged to allow search engines to properly index this content. About ExpertFile ExpertFile is changing the way organizations tap into the power of their experts to drive valuable inquiries, accelerate revenue growth, and enhance their brand reputation. Used by leading corporate, higher education and healthcare clients worldwide, our award-winning platform helps teams structure, manage and promote their expert content while our search engine features experts on over 50,000+ topics. Learn more at: www.expertfile.com/getstarted.
Taking ACT-ion for Quality Improvement
“Learning is a journey. It is continuous,” said nurse Hellen Okoth, MSN, CCRN, RN-BC, of the Transitional Surgical Unit. She was one of the learners on that journey through ChristianaCare’s professional development program Achieving Competency Today (ACT). ACT, a 12-week graduate-level program dedicated to health care improvement, will celebrate its 40th session in 2025. Some 1,000 caregivers have graduated from ACT and have tested some 140 innovative project ideas since the program’s launch in 2003. On April 9, three ACT teams presented their quality improvement projects at the John H. Ammon Medical Education Center on ChristianaCare’s Newark campus. Interdisciplinary, experiential learning programs like ACT create a rich and dynamic learning environment,” said Tabassum Salam, M.D., MBA, FACP, chief learning officer for ChristianaCare. “The emphasis on continuous improvement and real-world applications of the educational content sets our ACT graduates up for lifelong learning and repeated application of these new skills.” The ACT course is a collaborative experience that brings together learners from diverse disciplines to tackle real-world health care challenges. Participants learn from health system leaders and gain a broad perspective on health care through coursework. They work in teams to complete problem-solving projects from start to finish using the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PCDA) model of continuous improvement. Facilitators, who are experts in improvement science and team effectiveness, guide the teams through the process, ensuring that each project is meticulously planned and executed. ChristianaCare offers many professional development opportunities. Click here for careers and benefits. “The hands-on projects in ACT enable learners to innovate and test out solutions in settings that directly benefit patients, leading to better outcomes and a higher quality of care,” Salam said. The three most recent teams presented improvement research that has the potential to expand beyond their pilot stage to other areas of the health system. ‘Hush! For the Love of Health’ In “Hush! For the Love of Health,” an interdisciplinary team worked to reduce noise levels on the Cardiovascular Critical Care Unit (CVCCC) at Christiana Hospital. Their goal was to decrease ambient noise levels by 10 decibels during the study period. Intensive care units often experience noise levels that can exceed 80 decibels. A quiet environment is 30 to 40 decibels. Members of the “Hush” project found creative ways to reduce noise on an intensive care unit. Ambient noise refers to all sounds present in the background, which research shows can interfere with communication, concentration and comfort. In a hospital setting, these sounds may include alarms, conversations, announcement and pages and carts moving by. The team looked for opportunities to safely reduce the number of alarms sounding. By collaborating with Philips technology company to lower alarm volumes and eliminate redundant alarms, they reduced the number of alarms sounding from 10,000 to 3,000 daily and successfully decreased noise levels by 13 decibels, exceeding their goal. “It’s good for patients to have a quiet environment and it fights alarm fatigue for caregivers,” said Dylan Norris, a pre-medical student from the University of Delaware and participant in the ACT course. ‘Show Up and Show Out’ Reducing the no-show rate among patients in primary care practices improves health outcomes and conserves resources. In “Show Up and Show Out: Boosting Patient Attendance in Primary Care,” the project team aimed to reduce the incidence of no-show appointments at the Wilmington Adult Medicine (WAM) practice by 10%. The “Show Up and Show Out” project team used personalized communication outreach to patients to encourage keeping their primary care appointments. “Our literature review showed that personal relationships with providers are one thing that can encourage people to attend appointments,” said team member Christi Karawan, MS, BSN, CCRN-CSC. The key to their problem-solving strategy was using a secure messaging platform for automatic appointment reminders specifically for WAM that were personalized with the provider’s name and thanking the patients for letting WAM be a part of their healthcare team. Other steps on the road to success were signage around the practice encouraging patients to update their contact information and calls from office assistants and medical assistants to unconfirmed patients the day prior to their appointments. The team achieved a 9.5% reduction in no-shows, just shy of their goal, over a two-week period. An office assistant who participated in the pilot said, “Outreach has been helpful not only in getting people in but in getting people to reschedule or cancel. We can catch it before it becomes a no-show.” ‘Magnetic Efficiency’ To address delays in patient transport from MRI testing at Newark campus, an ACT team created a new communication workflow to directly connect patient escort dispatch to the MRI charge technician. The ACT team aimed to decrease patient wait times following MRI completion for stretcher transport back to patients rooms by 25% — and “a bold goal,” said one colleague — during the study period. The “Magnetic Efficiency” team identified a new workflow to get patients back to their hospital rooms faster after MRI testing. Using Vocera wearable communications tools, the team created a thread for direct communication between Escort Dispatch caregivers and MRI charge technicians. Also, when an Escort transporter dropped off a patient for an MRI, the transporter asked MRI staff if any patients were ready to go back to their rooms. These changes in communication and empowerment consolidated transports and led to a 17% reduction in wait time during the two-week pilot. “We don’t want people to work harder,” said team member Tim Kane, BSN, RN. “We wanted to avoid preventable delays.” Both teams expressed satisfaction and improved communication with the new process and they expressed interest in continuing the process after the pilot ended. Future forward The ACT course has a rich history, originating from a specific initiative piloted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with ChristianaCare among the early adopters along with Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Through the years, ChristianaCare ACT team members have seen their projects live on both as permanent changes throughout the health system and, more personally, in their professional growth. “I was able to enhance my creativity, organizational and problem-solving skills,” said Starr Lumpkin, a staff assistant who was on the “Hush” team. “This was a pivotal journey for me.” ChristianaCare is growing its program to develop a pipeline for the next generation of health professionals, said Safety and Quality Education Specialist Claire Rudolph, MSM, CPHQ. “We have a varied group of learners and facilitators who are making an impact on health care quality, cost and safety.” Dylan Norris was the first participant from a new partnership with the University of Delaware for pre-med students to get quality improvement experience. “I have learned so much about what goes into a quality improvement project. Buy-in from the stakeholders is key in implementing any new project successfully,” she said. “I have also learned about the importance of the initial research that goes into creating a new project and how much pre-planning goes into it.” Closing the event, Clinical Effectiveness Officer Christian Coletti, M.D., MHCDS, FACEP, FACP, called on the ACT graduates to use their newfound “superpowers” — “vision, seeing the future, catching something before it breaks. “It’s not a glitch in the matrix,” he said. “You are the most important people at the bedside – hearing the alarms going off or the stretchers piling up. Work to identify problems and move toward solutions in your own microenvironments. Pass on your powers with reckless abandon.”
A final disbursement of $8.8 million completes the $17.8 million grant awarded by the Department of Defense (DoD) to Virginia Commonwealth University’s (VCU) Convergence Lab Initiative (CLI). The funding allows CLI to continue advancing research in the areas of quantum and photonic devices, microelectronics, artificial intelligence, neuromorphic computing, arts and biomedical science. “The Convergence Lab Initiative represents a unique opportunity to drive innovation at the intersection of advanced technologies, preparing our students to tackle the critical challenges of tomorrow,” said Nibir Dhar, Ph.D., electrical and computer engineering professor and CLI director. “By combining cutting-edge research in electro-optics, infrared, radio frequency and edge computing, we are equipping the next generation of engineers with the skills to shape the future of both defense and commercial industries.” Working with Industry Partnership is at the heart of CLI and what makes the initiative unique. CivilianCyber, Sivananthan Laboratories and the University of Connecticut are among several collaborators focusing on cutting-edge, multidisciplinary research and workforce development. The lightweight, low-power components CLI helps develop are capable of transforming military operations and also have commercial applications. The Convergence Lab Initiative has 25 collaborative projects in this area focused on: Electro-optic and Infrared Technologies: Enhancing thermal imaging for medical diagnostics, search-and-rescue operations and environmental monitoring. This improves military intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. Radio Frequency and Beyond 5G Communication: Developing ultra-fast, low-latency communication systems for autonomous vehicles, smart cities and telemedicine. Accelerating advancements in this area also address electronic warfare challenges and security vulnerabilities. Optical Communication in the Infrared Wavelength: Increasing data transmission rates to create more efficient networks that support cloud computing, data centers, AI research and covert military communications. Edge Technologies: Creating low size, weight and low power-consuming (SWaP) computing solutions for deployment in constrained environments, such as wearables, medical devices, internet of things devices and autonomous systems. These technologies enhance real-time decision-making capabilities for agriculture, healthcare, industrial automation and defense. Benefits for Students College of Engineering students at VCU have an opportunity to engage with cutting-edge research as part of the DoD grant. Specialized workforce development programs, like the Undergraduate CLI Scholars Program, provide hands-on experience in advanced technologies. The STEM training also includes students from a diverse range of educational backgrounds to encourage a cross-disciplinary environment. Students can also receive industry-specific training through CLI’s Skill-Bridge Program, which facilitates direct connections between business needs and academic education. Unlike the DoD program for transitioning military personnel, the CLI Skill-Bridge is open to students from VCU and other local universities, creating direct connections between industry needs and academic training. This two-way relationship between academia and industry is unlike traditional academic research centers. With the College of Engineering’s focus on public-private partnerships, VCU becomes a registered partner with the participating businesses, collaborating to design individualized training programs focused on the CLI’s core research areas. This approach ensures students receive relevant, up-to-date training while companies gain access to a pipeline of skilled talent familiar with the latest industry trends and innovations. “The significance of this grant extends beyond immediate research outcomes. It addresses critical capability gaps for both the DoD and commercial sectors,” says Dhar. “This dual-use approach maximizes DoD investment impacts and accelerates innovation in areas that affect everyday life — from healthcare and environmental monitoring to communication networks and smart infrastructure. Breakthroughs emerging from these collaborations will strengthen national security while creating commercial spinoffs that drive economic growth and improve quality of life for communities both locally and globally. Advances in infrared technology, in particular, will position the VCU College of Engineering as a center for defense technologies and new ideas.”
Decoding the Future of AI: From Disruption to Democratisation and Beyond
The global AI landscape has become a melting pot for innovation, with diverse thinking pushing the boundaries of what is possible. Its application extends beyond just technology, reshaping traditional business models and redefining how enterprises, governments, and societies operate. Advancements in model architectures, training techniques and the proliferation of open-source tools are lowering barriers to entry, enabling organisations of all sizes to develop competitive AI solutions with significantly fewer resources. As a result, the long-standing notion that AI leadership is reserved for entities with vast computational and financial resources is being challenged. This shift is also redrawing the global AI power balance, with a decentralised approach to AI where competition and collaboration coexist across different regions. As AI development becomes more distributed, investment strategies, enterprise innovation and global technological leadership are being reshaped. However, established AI powerhouses still wield significant leverage, driving an intense competitive cycle of rapid innovation. Amid this acceleration, it is critical to distinguish true technological breakthroughs from over-hyped narratives, adopting a measured, data-driven approach that balances innovation with demonstrable business value and robust ethical AI guardrails. Implications of the Evolving AI Landscape The democratisation of AI advancements, intensifying competitive pressures, the critical need for efficiency and sustainability, evolving geopolitical dynamics and the global race for skilled talent are all fuelling the development of AI worldwide. These dynamics are paving the way for a global balance of technological leadership. Democratisation of AI Potential The ability to develop competitive AI models at lower costs is not only broadening participation but also reshaping how AI is created, deployed and controlled. Open-source AI fosters innovation by enabling startups, researchers, and enterprises to collaborate and iterate rapidly, leading to diverse applications across industries. For example, xAI has made a significant move in the tech world by open sourcing its Grok AI chatbot model, potentially accelerating the democratisation of AI and fostering innovation. However, greater accessibility can also introduce challenges, including risks of misuse, uneven governance, and concerns over intellectual property. Additionally, as companies strategically leverage open-source AI to influence market dynamics, questions arise about the evolving balance between open innovation and proprietary control. Increased Competitive Pressure The AI industry is fuelled by a relentless drive to stay ahead of the competition, a pressure felt equally by Big Tech and startups. This is accelerating the release of new AI services, as companies strive to meet growing consumer demand for intelligent solutions. The risk of market disruption is significant; those who lag, face being eclipsed by more agile players. To survive and thrive, differentiation is paramount. Companies are laser-focused on developing unique AI capabilities and applications, creating a marketplace where constant adaptation and strategic innovation are crucial for success. Resource Optimisation and Sustainability The trend toward accessible AI necessitates resource optimisation, which means developing models with significantly less computational power, energy consumption and training data. This is not just about cost; it is crucial for sustainability. Training large AI models is energy-intensive; for example, training GPT-3, a 175-billion-parameter model, is believed to have consumed 1,287 MWh of electricity, equivalent to an average American household’s use over 120 years1. This drives innovation in model compression, transfer learning, and specialised hardware, like NVIDIA’s TensorRT. Small language models (SLMs) are a key development, offering comparable performance to larger models with drastically reduced resource needs. This makes them ideal for edge devices and resource-constrained environments, furthering both accessibility and sustainability across the AI lifecycle. Multifaceted Global AI Landscape The global AI landscape is increasingly defined by regional strengths and priorities. The US, with its strength in cloud infrastructure and software ecosystem, leads in “short-chain innovation”, rapidly translating AI research into commercial products. Meanwhile, China excels in “long-chain innovation”, deeply integrating AI into its extended manufacturing and industrial processes. Europe prioritises ethical, open and collaborative AI, while the APAC counterparts showcase a diversity of approaches. Underlying these regional variations is a shared trajectory for the evolution of AI, increasingly guided by principles of responsible AI: encompassing ethics, sustainability and open innovation, although the specific implementations and stages of advancement differ across regions. The Critical Talent Factor The evolving AI landscape necessitates a skilled workforce. Demand for professionals with expertise in AI and machine learning, data analysis, and related fields is rapidly increasing. This creates a talent gap that businesses must address through upskilling and reskilling initiatives. For example, Microsoft has launched an AI Skills Initiative, including free coursework and a grant program, to help individuals and organisations globally develop generative AI skills. What does this mean for today’s enterprise? New Business Horizons AI is no longer just an efficiency tool; it is a catalyst for entirely new business models. Enterprises that rethink their value propositions through AI-driven specialisation will unlock niche opportunities and reshape industries. In financial services, for example, AI is fundamentally transforming operations, risk management, customer interactions, and product development, leading to new levels of efficiency, personalisation and innovation. Navigating AI Integration and Adoption Integrating AI is not just about deployment; it is about ensuring enterprises are structurally prepared. Legacy IT architectures, fragmented data ecosystems and rigid workflows can hinder the full potential of AI. Organisations must invest in cloud scalability, intelligent automation and agile operating models to make AI a seamless extension of their business. Equally critical is ensuring workforce readiness, which involves strategically embedding AI literacy across all organisational functions and proactively reskilling talent to collaborate effectively with intelligent systems. Embracing Responsible AI Ethical considerations, data security and privacy are no longer afterthoughts but are becoming key differentiators. Organisations that embed responsible AI principles at the core of their strategy, rather than treating them as compliance check boxes, will build stronger customer trust and long-term resilience. This requires proactive bias mitigation, explainable AI frameworks, robust data governance and continuous monitoring for potential risks. Call to Action: Embracing a Balanced Approach The AI revolution is underway. It demands a balanced and proactive response. Enterprises must invest in their talent and reskilling initiatives to bridge the AI skills gap, modernise their infrastructure to support AI integration and scalability and embed responsible AI principles at the core of their strategy, ensuring fairness, transparency and accountability. Simultaneously, researchers must continue to push the boundaries of AI’s potential while prioritising energy efficiency and minimising environmental impact; policymakers must create frameworks that foster responsible innovation and sustainable growth. This necessitates combining innovative research with practical enterprise applications and a steadfast commitment to ethical and sustainable AI principles. The rapid evolution of AI presents both an imperative and an opportunity. The next chapter of AI will be defined by those who harness its potential responsibly while balancing technological progress with real-world impact. Resources Sudhir Pai: Executive Vice President and Chief Technology & Innovation Officer, Global Financial Services, Capgemini Professor Aleks Subic: Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Aston University, Birmingham, UK Alexeis Garcia Perez: Professor of Digital Business & Society, Aston University, Birmingham, UK Gareth Wilson: Executive Vice President | Global Banking Industry Lead, Capgemini 1 https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/researchers-claim-they-can-cut-ai-training-energy-demands-by-75/?itm_source=Bibblio&itm_campaign=Bibblio-related&itm_medium=Bibblio-article-related
Florida Tech Welcomes Visiting Australian Scholar to Aid in Antifouling Research
Florida Tech’s Center for Corrosion and Biofouling Control is welcoming a new teammate for the semester. Tamar Jamieson, a postdoctoral researcher hailing from Australia’s Flinders University, is in Melbourne, Fla. to collaborate on biofouling research with assistant professor of marine sciences Kelli Hunsucker and professor of oceanography and ocean engineering Geoffrey Swain. Biofouling is the growth of a bacterial film or larger marine life, such as barnacles, after an object’s surface is submerged in water. It can inhibit a ship’s functionality by creating drag and slowing it down, which forces the vessel to use more fuel and emit more greenhouse gases. Over the course of the semester, Jamieson will help Hunsucker’s team develop a collaborative experiment to test antifouling techniques, combining Jamieson’s expertise with that of the lab. “I’m excited to have someone here who has this kind of wealth of knowledge in her field,” Hunsucker said. “She’ll be able to use her knowledge to help move our research forward and then kind of in return, use our knowledge to help move hers forward.” The Center for Corrosion and Biofouling Control aims to understand and improve corrosion and biofouling control systems. Part of Hunsucker’s research involves evaluating materials that can protect surfaces, such as a ship’s hull, from unwanted growth. She is currently working with the U.S. Navy to see how antifouling techniques perform under different conditions. Jamieson’s research through Flinders’s ARC Training Centre for Biofilm Research & Innovation focuses on the small-scale microorganisms that make up biofilm. She also studies the genetic makeup of microbial communities, which Hunsucker wants to add to her own research. Jamieson is especially interested in learning how antifouling materials interact with local waters. Florida’s seascape is warmer than Australia’s, so fouling grows quicker here than it does there. She also wants to see how American antifouling materials vary from those used in Australia and collaborate on a versatile solution that can withstand a variety of conditions. “Materials that work well here will probably not work in other environments,” Jamieson said. “Seeing how to develop materials for all three environments will be an interesting pathway forward.” Hunsucker hopes this exchange will lead to even more collaboration with Flinders University. “The program that she’s involved with opens the door for collaborative efforts for us to maybe go to Australia in the future,” Hunsucker said. “Her colleagues can also similarly come back and work with us.” Jamieson’s scholarship is funded by the American Australian Association, a New York-based non-profit organization dedicated to deepening and strengthening ties between the United States and Australia. The South Australia Defense, Space and Cyber Scholarship funds scholars from the U.S. and South Australia undertaking Ph.D. or post-doctoral research in those fields. Kelli Hunsucker and Geoffrey Swain are available to speak with media. Contact Adam Lowenstein, Director of Media Communications at Florida Institute of Technology at adam@fit.edu to arrange an interview today.
Hundreds of nurses and their colleagues at ChristianaCare gathered in a conference room at Christiana Hospital and listened through a livestream across the organization’s campuses and practices for an announcement they’ve been anticipating for many months. “For your commitment to nursing excellence and quality care, we are thrilled to recognize ChristianaCare with its fourth consecutive Magnet designation,” said David Marshall, JD, DNP, RN, chair of the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Magnet Recognition. “This accomplishment is a powerful testament to your dedication to the nurses who practice there, the entire health care team, and — most importantly — the patients you serve.” Shouts erupted, balloons and streamers floated up and, in the happy commotion, there was even a little cowbell. As the only four-time Magnet-designated health care organization in Delaware, ChristianaCare has achieved this global recognition — the highest honor in nursing practice — for continued dedication to excellence and innovation, high-quality patient care and experience, nurse engagement and work culture. “Magnet designation recognizes ChristianaCare nurses are simply the best!” said ChristianaCare President and CEO Janice E. Nevin, M.D., MPH. “A fourth Magnet designation is an incredible achievement and reflects the vital importance and commitment of our nurses as we serve together with love and excellence.” ChristianaCare has more than 3,000 nurses, and they make up the largest segment of ChristianaCare’s workforce. ChristianaCare is the largest nonprofit organization and private employer in the state of Delaware. This most recent designation for ChristianaCare includes Christiana Hospital, Wilmington Hospital, ChristianaCare HomeHealth and Community Care Services, through early 2029. What it means to be Magnet “Our fourth consecutive Magnet designation means that our nurses and all of our caregiver colleagues have upheld the ANCC’s very high standards in patient care since our first recognition in 2010,” said ChristianaCare Chief Nurse Executive Danielle Weber, DNP, RN. “That is a long time to bring your ‘A’ game every day — through 15 years of change, including a pandemic — and to sustain growth in professional practice, innovation and culture. Magnet recognition raises the bar for patient care and inspires every member of our team to achieve excellence every day.” The Magnet Recognition Program — administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the largest and most prominent nurses credentialing organization in the world — identifies health care organizations that provide the very best in nursing care, exceptional nurse engagement and professionalism in nursing practice. The Magnet Recognition Program serves as the gold standard for nursing excellence and provides consumers with the ultimate benchmark for measuring quality of care. The ANCC Magnet Recognition Program® has conferred Magnet status to less than 10% of hospitals and health systems in the United States. There are 621 Magnet-designated health organizations internationally. ChristianaCare was the first in Delaware to achieve Magnet designation, in 2010. For nurses, Magnet Recognition means education and development through every career stage, which leads to greater autonomy at the bedside. For patients, it means the very best care, delivered by nurses who are supported to be the very best that they can be. While Magnet is a nursing-led initiative, the designation reflects the work of caregivers across the organization. Magnet redesignation itself is a rigorous process. Health care organizations must reapply for Magnet status every four years and demonstrate adherence to the Magnet concepts for nursing excellence and engagement and measurable improvements in patient care and quality. The ANCC commended ChristianaCare on these exemplars: Advocacy for and acquisition of organizational resources specific to nurses’ well-being. particularly through the Nursing Integrative Care Program. An innovative strategy to address the shortage of certified registered nurse anesthetists in Delaware through a partnership program between ChristianaCare and Wilmington University to launch the state’s first Nurse Anesthesiology program. Outstanding nursing research engagement and growth of the nursing research enterprise especially through the Nursing Research Fellowship in Robotics and Innovation.
Trade Wars: Economic Strategy or Risky Gamble for the U.S.?
As global markets become increasingly interconnected, trade wars have emerged as a high-stakes economic strategy with far-reaching consequences. A potential trade conflict between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico—key partners in the North American supply chain—raises critical questions about economic growth, job security, and consumer prices. While proponents argue that tariffs and trade restrictions protect domestic industries, critics warn of rising costs, retaliatory measures, and disruptions to vital industries such as agriculture, manufacturing, and technology. Understanding the impact of trade wars is essential to assessing the future of North American economic relations, with key areas of interest including: The economic implications of tariffs on American businesses, workers, and consumers How a trade war with Canada and Mexico could impact the USMCA agreement and cross-border trade The industries most vulnerable to supply chain disruptions and retaliatory tariffs The historical impact of past trade wars on economic growth and stability The role of globalization and shifting alliances in modern trade policies Potential winners and losers: Which sectors stand to benefit, and which face economic hardship? This issue presents a timely and complex discussion about economic policy, international relations, and the future of North American trade. Connect with an expert about trade and trade wars: To search our full list of experts visit www.expertfile.com
Understanding resource-backed financing: How countries leverage mineral wealth for economic growth
What exactly is resourced-backed financing and how does it relate to Ukraine-United States relations? That is what Blue and Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and the Environment Saleem Ali has been investigating. Resource-backed financing has emerged as a significant strategy for countries rich in natural resources to bolster economic growth. This financial model allows nations to leverage their mineral wealth by using future revenues or production of resources as collateral for obtaining loans or investments today. Ali can put this practice into context of a potential deal that is currently being negotiated between Ukraine and the U.S. "The minerals deal could potentially be a win-win for Ukraine and the United States if the agreement is framed around a broader plan for reconstruction and infrastructure development," Ali recently said in an article for Forbes. A regular contributor to Forbes, Ali's expertise has also been featured in The Houston Chronicle, The Guardian and Bloomberg. He can be contacted to speak more on this topic by clicking on his profile.
Villanova Professor Sees Costs and Benefits in Corporate and Federal Return-to-Office Mandates
In early February, federal agencies submitted plans in accordance with an executive order to initiate an estimated 1 million government employees’ full-time return to their duty stations. The departments’ actions are among the latest in a series of RTO moves enacted since the start of 2025. Notably, they follow policy changes by corporate giants Amazon, AT&T and JPMorgan, who in January began requiring five days of in-person work for select staffers, with justifications ranging from strengthening culture to improving performance. With more employers expected to require in-office work in the coming months, some predict that 2025 could be the “year of the RTO mandate.” But, given the arguments from those pushing for these policies, it’s worth asking: Are these return-to-office requirements truly justified? Do they actually improve communication, strengthen teams and boost productivity, as supporters claim? According to Kyoung Yong Kim, PhD, whose research focuses on telework, strategic human capital management and employee-organization relationships, the answer is complicated—and highly circumstantial. Dr. Kim says that, by gathering coworkers around the proverbial water cooler, RTO policies can in some cases facilitate dialogue, promote teambuilding and foster organizational success. Yet, in other instances, work-from-home (WFH) arrangements can significantly boost employee morale, efficiency and output. “In a recent paper, my colleague Ijeoma Ugwuanyi [a professor at Hong Kong Metropolitan University] and I examined how social distancing initiatives, which reduce interactions among people, impact working relationships,” says Dr. Kim. “We found that they can actually help improve negative ones, at least in employees’ minds.” Analyzing data collected on 105 working relationships among 43 full-time personnel at a South Korean healthcare company, Dr. Kim and Dr. Ugwuanyi discovered that, when afforded extended WFH privileges, colleagues previously at odds were given the space necessary to reassess their outlooks and improve their dynamics—especially when the individuals involved were viewed as competent and warm. As a result, these repaired relationships generally empowered more effective collaboration in the long run. Additionally, employees with positive in-person relationships maintained a solid rapport even when geographically apart. “These findings are particularly relevant as corporate and government workers increasingly return to their offices,” says Dr. Kim. “Managers need to remember that, according to the research, employees are willing to reset negative relationships they had previously. That said, returning to the office also offers a chance to strengthen relationships and make them more positive, which is crucial since team dynamics are a key determinant of team performance.” Per Dr. Kim, in order to best position themselves for success on the RTO front, organizations need to take a measured, sympathetic approach in facilitating their in-office policies, with an eye toward mitigating negativity. They need to remain cognizant of the logistical and interpersonal challenges that could emerge in the wake of a return, address their employees’ concerns in an attentive manner and foster a “supportive climate characterized by supportive behaviors.” It’s a situation that Dr. Kim says bears parallels—perhaps somewhat counterintuitively—to the mass shift to telework that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. As he found in his research on that phenomenon, employees responded best to changes in their working arrangements when organizational leaders and managers took the time to explain and actively discuss the reasoning behind them, especially in mission-driven terms. “Essentially, an important implication of the findings is that, to sustain employees’ positive attitudes and behaviors, it is crucial to frame these moves in a way that highlights how working in the office benefits both employees and the organization,” says Dr. Kim. In turn, RTO-focused organizations should recognize that their words and messages have a very real impact, particularly when scrutinized by workers who may not be happy about resuming their morning commutes. “Amazon, for instance, appears to be taking a thoughtful approach by emphasizing the value of collaboration with colleagues and the enrichment of organizational culture,” says Dr. Kim. “One potential drawback, however, lies in their message about the consequences of non-compliance, specifically that failure to adhere to the in-office policy could jeopardize employees’ chances of promotion. “A more positive framing, emphasizing how such policies support professional growth as well as employees’ well-being, could enhance favorable perceptions and work behaviors.” In the event organizations remain attuned to such situations—taking their employees’ perspectives into account, actively communicating their intentions and presenting clear value propositions—Dr. Kim thinks a year of the RTO mandate could potentially be a less daunting prospect. And maybe, with time, the transition back from Zoom to the boardroom could be a beneficial one.
