Suresh Joshi, PhD, MD, left, and Alexander Fridman, PhD, at the Drexel Plasma Institute in January 2022. Photo courtesy of Suresh Joshi.
In 2022, Drexel University C. & J. Nyheim Plasma Institute (NPI) celebrates 20 years not only as a multidisciplinary research and teaching institute at the University, but as a beacon and international birthplace of plasma medicine. In this branch of plasma biomedical engineering, plasma, the fourth state of matter in which neutral atoms and molecules are somewhat transformed into charged particles like electrons and ions, is used in various ways for medical applications, engineering and environmental sciences, from disease prevention and treatment to regenerative medicine to water disinfection to air cleaning. Plasma medicine is an emerging branch that integrates basic sciences and engineering with biomedical sciences, medicine and public health.
Suresh Joshi, MD, PhD, has been involved with the NPI since 2008 and is the director of the NPI Center for Plasma in Health & Biomedical Engineering. A professor in the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Health Systems and NPI, and assistant professor in the College of Medicine, Joshi has written the following article on the history of the institute and highlights from the past two decades.
The Nyheim Plasma Institute at Drexel University is actually the birthplace of plasma medicine. This year, it celebrates 20 years since its creation at Drexel University. Originally founded in 2002 as the AJ Drexel Plasma Institute (DPI), it has gone through a roller coaster ride like any other traditional academic research institute, but is still doing consistently progressive research and innovation over the of all these years. In 2016, Drexel Plasma Institute was renamed “The C&J Nyheim Plasma Institute” (NPI) in honor of the generous gift of Christel and John Nyheim and their family to DPI and their support as passionate advocates of plasma science and engineering.
Since its inception, NPI’s founding director, Alexander Fridman, PhD, who is the John A. Nyheim Professor at the College of Engineering, and his team of researchers and faculty from all disciplines have successfully curated a portfolio of awesome research. Today, the Plasma Institute at Drexel University is the largest plasma research institution in the United States of America in an academic configuration. More than 25 international, global, and US patents have been generated by research at Drexel University by NPI, and many of Drexel’s patented plasma-based technologies are translated from field trials to commercialization phases. More than 30 Drexel faculty, scientists and staff, as well as numerous alumni, students and associates, have contributed significantly to its growth.
As you can see, the NPI has grown over the years at Drexel and has also expanded the field and capabilities of plasma medicine worldwide. Here are some important points:
In 2003, the idea of plasma medicine at Drexel came to fruition through effective collaborations between faculties, scientists, engineers, and physicians with the then DPI. In 2006, with the help of Drexel University, the Plasma Institute and collaborating departments took a step in a new direction, creating a major research initiative in plasma medicine. This five-year program has helped bring together many renowned faculties, scientists, technologies and physicians (inside and outside of Drexel, as well as international partners).
In 2006–2007, an NPI invention led to the modified floating electrode dielectric barrier discharge (FE-DBD) plasma application technique for healthcare, medicine, and biomedical sciences. The FE-DBD technique is now successfully tested in the field of treatment of wounds, living tissue, skin disinfection and surface sterilization.
From 2008 to 2011, NPI and the Drexel College of Medicine research team led by me and my former colleague Ari Brooks, MD, who was then Associate Professor of Surgery and Chair of the Surgical Oncology Unit at the College of Medicine , have conducted successful research on plasma-treated liquids as potent antimicrobial agents for surface-associated disinfection. During the same period, Jane Azizkhan-Clifford, PhD, who is now Emeritus Professor and Associate Dean for Medical Student Research at the College of Medicine, and her team explored the molecular mechanisms of mammalian cell death and the associated pathways in cellular systems exposed to plasma. During the same period, all of the people mentioned above, and many more, have been instrumental in shifting many research paradigms, including the current Drexel faculties at Drexel Schools and Colleges, as well as external collaborators. They are, I would say, a truly interdisciplinary team of investigators in all pillars of plasma medicine.
In 2009, the International Society of Plasma Medicine (ISPM) was officially launched here with Professor Alexander Fridman as founding president. ISPM meets every two years in different countries and has made substantial progress in the field of plasma medicine. This summer, the 9and International Conference on Plasma Medicine (ICPM9) meets at Jaarbeurs in Utrecht, the Netherlands. These conferences have been instrumental in networking many of the world’s leading plasma scientists, biologists, technologists and healthcare professionals, and have progressed wonderfully through collaborations.
From 2011 to 2014, a team of NPI researchers, led by me, demonstrated for the first time the bacterial biofilm inhibiting properties of plasma-activated solutions. During the same period, our research team demonstrated in vitro how plasma-treated material enhances wound healing in established wound models (in vitro), and subsequently studied rapid pathogen inactivation. multidrug-resistant (MDR) wounds by plasma-alginate dressing. At the 2012 American Society for Microbiology (ASM) International Meeting, my team and I presented research on the plasma-activated alginate dressing that has the ability to not only inactivate multidrug-resistant pathogens, but also to disinfect wounds and promote healing. A year later, my colleagues at Drexel and I explored the exact underlying mechanisms of inactivation, but Bill Costerton, PhD, a renowned microbial ecologist considered “the father of biofilms,” wasn’t there to see. progress; I wish it had been. (During an interview with ASM, he had emphatically mentioned how amazed he was at the invention of the plasma-alginate dressing and wished to see the underlying mechanisms of pathogen inactivation.)
In 2011-2017, Margaret Wheatley, PhD, John M. Reid Professor in the School of Biomedical Engineering, Health Sciences and Systems, and I led a team of researchers to demonstrate a successful application of a solution Non-thermal plasma-activated phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) in ultrasound contrast agent (UCA) sterilization. Currently, there is no other technology in the world that can safely sterilize ACU; chemical methods induce some changes in the UCA and are therefore not very suitable for this purpose.
From 2012 to 2013, NPI published another breakthrough, this time demonstrating that plasma-treated solutions not only inactivate biofilm-embedded microbes/pathogens and behave as broad-spectrum microbicides, but also retain their antimicrobial properties for longer. two years at room temperature. This discovery has changed the dynamics of approaches to how plasma-activated solutions can be generated, applied, and stored on the self. Thus, a potentially competent biocidal agent was found comparable to some of the traditional biocides.
In 2014-2017, an NPI team led by Vandana Millar, MD, associate professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the College of Medicine; Fred Krebs, PhD, associate professor in the College of Medicine’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology; and Prof. Alexander Fridman demonstrated how non-thermal plasma exposure leads to immune cell activation and investigated the underlying mechanisms. In 2016, our NPI team demonstrated how plasma-charged non-thermal aerosols inactivate airborne bacteria within seconds and investigated the underlying mechanisms of airborne pathogen inactivation. . These experiments confirmed how plasma-based technologies could help keep operating rooms and hospital premises safe, as shown by mechanism-based studies. Thus, all these innovations contribute to the understanding of plasma-based technologies and their preventive and therapeutic approaches.
In December 2021, Professor Alexander Fridman and I were named United States Experts in Plasma Non-Thermal Technologies through the International commission in electrical engineering (IEC) in Geneva, Switzerland. This nomination is based on our expertise and contributions in non-thermal plasma technologies (Prof. Alexander Fridman for non-thermal plasma technologies, and myself for the application of plasma technologies in biology and medicine). This appointment was proposed by Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) through the American National Institute of Standards (ANSI) to IEC. the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and IEC are global organizations for international standards and are composed of technical experts and representatives of various national standards organizations of member countries. This honor has become a wonderful opportunity to look back on some of Drexel’s Plasma Institute’s outstanding accomplishments related to plasma medicine.
At Drexel, I will redirect my efforts and review some of the plasma medicine products such as plasma solutions, plasma lotion and plasma ointment, and plan interdisciplinary and collaborative research to bring these studies to the translational research phase and to the interventional trials. This research will also open the doors to plasma cosmetic science.
Drexel and NPI have several plasma-based products in various stages of development for healthcare applications. By reactivating collaborative plasma medicine research on campus and re-establishing an interdisciplinary team of researchers, we can achieve this success. I hope that one day our plasma products will reach the community, health centers and end users.
]]>Saint Mary’s Division for Inclusion and Equity hosted a panel via Zoom on Monday to discuss some of the key principles of the controversial critical race theory. The panelists were Saint Mary’s teachers Stacy Davis, Dan Horan and Kelly Faust.
The professors set out to clearly define critical race theory and settle the disagreement surrounding the subject. Each panelist detailed a tenet of critical race theory and argued that the ideas are important to understanding race relations in the United States.
Davis, an associate professor of religious studies and gender and women’s studies, first spoke about the idea of racism as a permanent reality in America.
“Advocating for the permanence of racism is arguing the opposite of a phrase we constantly hear whenever something bad happens, and that’s ‘it’s not who we are,'” said Davis.
Davis pointed to historic treatments of non-whites in America. She said stealing land and excluding Native Americans, Asian Americans and Latinos reinforces that racism “is exactly what we are.”
Although the Fourteenth Amendment granted citizenship to black Americans, “we’re still waiting for that amendment,” she said.
Police brutality, educational inequities and many other hardships facing black Americans are examples of how they are not treated as full citizens, she explained.
Critical race theory plays an important role in acknowledging the realities of American history, Davis said.
“It means we can stop feeling like we’re in the spotlight because every time someone says, ‘that’s not who we are.’ People who are black and brown can come up with a long list of reasons why that’s exactly who we are,” she said.
The professor explains the idea of ”whiteness as a property”
Horan, a professor of religious studies, theology, and philosophy, described the tenet of critical race theory that the social construction of “whiteness” as property in America has far-reaching legal and social consequences.
Horan explored historical examples of the use of whiteness as a means to gain rights and privileges in the United States. He concluded by comparing his experiences as a white man to the case of Ahmaud Arbery, who in 2020 was shot and killed while running along a road in Brunswick. , Georgia.
“This notion of whiteness as an inalienable, non-transferable property is something that identifies with me,” Horan said. “I carry with me everywhere that I am not exposed to the same threat of danger or discrimination, violence or subjugation as others by virtue of this property of whiteness.”
A professor details the phenomenon of “convergence of interests”
Faust explained how critical race theory argues that progress and reform in addressing racial inequality in the United States occurs exclusively when white Americans also see a benefit in reform.
“Convergence of interests is essentially where black interests with respect to racial equality will only be considered when they converge with white interests,” Faust said.
Using progress in desegregation as an example, Faust said desegregation was aligned with white interests through its benefits to his international reputation.
“Desegregation allowed the United States to increase our prestige and credibility amid the struggle against communism,” she said.
Increases in support for the Black Lives Matter movement by white people following the death of George Floyd in 2020 could also be seen as an example of a convergence of interests, Faust said.
“It was a point where it finally became popular or at least socially acceptable to embrace Black Lives Matter,” she said.
Critical race theory under fire
Discussing the current controversial status of the concept, including a speech on Saturday in which former President Donald Trump called on his supporters to “give their lives” in the fight against critical race theory, the professors expressed their frustration with the common misunderstandings of the concept.
“I was teaching critical race theory for a long time before this happened,” Faust said. “And now, all of a sudden, I have students who are more resistant to it than before. It’s really unfortunate.”
Davis said the discomfort critical race theory can cause by exposing the realities of racism in the United States — despite occasional advances on race issues — is significant.
“The reason I don’t like to use that kind of ‘less’ language is because it suggests you don’t have to keep hustling, and you still have to keep hustling,” Davis said. , referring to the idea that the United States has become “less racist”.
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While many in the Ithaca College community are happy to have a president who knows the college well and can provide consistency, some are concerned about the transparency of the presidential search process.
Dave Lissy ’87, chairman of the Ithaca College board of trustees, announced March 7 that the board voted unanimously to appoint La Jerne Cornish as president. She had served as Acting President since August 2021 after President Shirley M. Collado resigned. Collado brought Cornish to the college in 2018 to serve as provost and senior vice president of academic affairs. In the summer of 2021, Collado then promoted Cornish to provost and executive vice president. Collado then resigned from her position and served as an advisor to the board of directors and acting president and became president and chief executive officer of College career in January 2022.
While at the college, Cornish led the implementation of Ithaca Forever, the college’s five-year strategic plan, and she oversaw the start of the Academic Program Prioritization (APP) process, which is currently in its second phase. . The first phase resulted in the continued elimination of 116 full-time equivalent faculty positions and a number of departments, majors and programs. Both Cornish and Collado approved the “Shape of the College” document in February 2021, which provided the recommendations for cuts.
Dave Fleischer ’91, Chairman of the Presidential Search Committee, discussed the committee’s timeline and process. The search is officially launched September 17, 2021when the board announced the creation of the Presidential Search Committee. The committee then joined forces with Isaacson, Milleran executive search firm to assist with presidential search.
In response to the decision to partner with an executive search firm, the vsmiddle Schoolit’s chapter of the American Association of University Teachers (AAUP) published a declaration expressing concern about the lack of transparency regarding the decision to use a recruitment company, the fact that the board and the recruitment committee rejected the AAUP’s Call for Shared Governance and that the search has not been declared open or closed. The Presidential Search Committee and Board of Directors never disclosed whether the search was open or closed.
Fleischer said Isaacson, Miller conducted outreach with approximately 300 potential candidates, and the committee conducted comprehensive interviews with 10 semi-finalists.
“Each candidate received serious and thorough consideration,” Fleischer said. “In the final analysis, Dr. Cornish has risen above the rest. Her professional experience, leadership skills, personal qualities and proven track record of persevering through difficult times have elevated her above the rest. highly accomplished candidates.
On March 9, the IC AAUP published a declaration welcoming Cornish as president but expressing concern about the lack of transparency regarding the presidential search process.
“When the Board or senior management engages with other interest groups, they do so primarily on their own, largely monological terms: in lengthy presentations that leave no time for a meaningful discussion; in small meetings and listening sessions for which there is little or no follow-up; and in surveys and questionnaires that produce results typically shared directly with only a small number of employees,” AAUP said in the release.
Thomas Pfaff, a professor and chair of the Department of Mathematics, criticized the administration for conducting reluctant presidential research during a March 8 Faculty Council meeting.
“We didn’t know anything about it,” Pfaff said in a March 9 interview. “The research was completely secret. During the search for President Collado… some campus voters were able to interact with potential presidential candidates. Now there has been a complete lockdown. The President’s Search Committee was set up and we really didn’t hear anything until the announcement. … That seems problematic to me.
After former president Tom Rochon resigned in 2017, the college announced that the presidential search would be open and would include town hall meetings with the candidates. However, Ithaca College’s Presidential Search Committee later announced that final candidates would not be brought to campus for public meetings. Collado was then named the ninth president.
Dan Breen, president of the IC AAUP, expressed his disappointment with the inconsistent communication that took place during the presidential search.
“The most important question – whether the search would be open or closed – has never been answered publicly,” Breen said.
During the March 7 presentation, Lissy explained that he believed Cornish was the right candidate at the right time.
“She’s as clear-headed about the challenges this place faces as she’s excited about the many opportunities we have to reach our full potential,” Lissy said.
Cornish said she intends to continue directing with the Ithaca forever plan. The plan was launched in October 2019 and is now in the third year of his five years. Cornish said once the two years are up, the college will create another strategic plan.
“It’s going to take us three to five years to recover from what happened because of the pandemic,” Cornish said. “It will take us three to five years to restore our reputation as a world-class comprehensive college, rooted and grounded in the liberal arts tradition, with incredible professional schools. And then it will take us another three to five years to soar. Because we will soar.
Senior Letícia Guibunda, Vice President of campus affairs for the Student Governance Council and a member of the Presidential Search Committee, said the university and the world had undergone many changes during her time as a student, requiring students to seek and set new standards for themselves.
“I am really happy that IC now has President Cornish as the next leader of the institution. because she really recognizes and cares about all the things students have had to deal with over the years,” Guibunda said. “She really showed serious intent in wanting to make this school a place where everyone can sincerely feel and have a sense of belonging and a sense of community.”
At the March 7 SGC meeting, board members expressed their delight at Cornish’s appointment.
“I think it’s the right decision given that she’s been here for four or five years now, so she has a good understanding of the challenges facing the institution,” said Carlos Abreu, vice president of business. academics of the SGC, mentioned.
Sophomore James Zampetti, vice president of communications for the SGC, said Cornish attended an event in the fall of 2021 for students to talk about their mental health just to listen to students.
“She doesn’t just talk about taking care of the students, she goes out of her way to show and act on her commitment,” Zampetti said. “I’m really excited to be working with her over the next two years and she’s a perfect fit for the role.”
Chris McNamara ’81, Clinical Associate Professor, Clinical Director in the Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty Council Executive Committee vshair and a member of the presidential search committee, pledged to work with Cornish to reshape the college.
“We look forward, under your guidance and leadership, President Cornish, to the next best chapter of Ithaca College,” McNamara said.
In a March 7 LinkedIn positionCollado expressed his enthusiasm for Cornish in the new position.
“This is a historic day for Ithaca College as our legacy work continues with my sister president, Dr. La Jerne Cornish, who boldly leads the college into the future,” Collado said in the post. “My heart is full and I’m so proud of La Jerne and IC.”
College Track said Collado was traveling and could not be reached for comment.
Reactions to Cornish’s appointment on social media have been mixed.
“Here we go again!” Eric Rieseberg said in a college comment Facebook. “God keep us! Last nails in the IC coffin. The trustees have just missed the last opportunity to wipe the slate clean. They effectively ignored their feedback loops and graduate questionnaires. I’m totally done with them!
“Very exciting 
I wish her a happy and productive six months in the office before the students find a reason for her to be forcibly expelled!” user @butterscannon said in a college comment instagram.
“Congratulations Dr. Cornish and congratulations to @IthacaCollege on your amazing new president! 
,” user @ErikaGSwain said in response to the college tweet.
“Sounds like a wonderful choice to lead IC! Steven Weiss said in a college comment Facebook.
Pfaff said he didn’t see much enthusiasm within the university community. He said much of the low morale on campus was directly linked to initiatives Cornish was involved in, such as the APP.
“How did she get us away from this?” Pfaff asked. “Other than just…saying, ‘Well, we’re going to follow the Ithaca Forever,’ where somebody from the outside who kind of comes in gets the benefit of the doubt, ‘Well, this new person, maybe that they’re going to change the direction, maybe things will get better. I think where we’re at right now is this issue of connecting with what happened and whether people have the impression that she can change it or not.
Associate Editors Olivia Stanzl and Lorien Tyne contributed reporting for this story.
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Freshman law student Marcus Montgomery has been selected as the 2022 Squire Patton Boggs Foundation Scholar for Lasting Impact. He was chosen from a large pool of highly qualified law students from across the country.
As a Fellow, Montgomery will have the opportunity to work with the Lone Star Justice Alliance. He will learn how the law is used to establish a justice system that prioritizes developmentally appropriate responses and treats youth and emerging adults with fairness and dignity to promote resilience, reduce costs and increase safety. public.
“We are delighted to welcome Marcus Montgomery to the Foundation’s scholarship program and community,” said Rodney E. Slater JD’80, former United States Secretary of Transportation and President of the Squire Patton Boggs Foundation. “I am very impressed with Marcus’ credentials and his passion for public service. As an alumnus of the University of Arkansas Law School, I am thrilled that Marcus was selected for our scholarship. racial justice focused on juvenile justice in minority communities in Texas. He will be working with a wonderful organization, the Lone Star Justice Alliance, and making a meaningful contribution to its racial justice efforts.”
“I am grateful and thrilled to have the opportunity to participate in this crucial Sustainable Impact Fellowship program, and look forward to gaining hands-on experience with talented lawyers working in the area of public interest law. “, said Montgomery.
Montgomery served as Resident Fellow for Congressional Affairs at the Arab Center in Washington, D.C., from 2019 to 2021, where he liaised with members of Congress, congressional staff, and federal government employees to promote the center in as a political resource. He has participated in interviews with foreign and domestic press and provided commentary on US foreign policy, US domestic policy, and international affairs. Montgomery is also the author of timely analyzes of legislation, executive orders, and other government policies and their impacts on American foreign policy in the Middle East and North Africa.
Montgomery is the Chancellor’s Award Scholar and was the 2021 Arkansas Bar Foundation UM Rose Scholar. He is a member of the Black Law Students Association, the Criminal Law Society, the International Law Society, and the American Constitution Society.
“We were thrilled to be able to nominate Marcus for this incredible scholarship and we are delighted with his selection,” said Annie Smith, associate professor of law and director of the faculty of public service and pro bono program at the law school. “Our law students and alumni continue to benefit from our partnership with the Squire Patton Boggs Foundation, and we are grateful for the many opportunities it provides.”
Each year, the Squire Patton Boggs Sustainable Impact Scholarship Program awards scholarships to outstanding law students who demonstrate an unwavering commitment to public service and a developed interest in public policy. These law students devote their summers to advancing public policy issues through nonprofit institutions, government agencies, and national or international organizations. The foundation is rooted in a history of civil rights advocacy and has been awarding scholarships since 2004.
About the School of Law: The law school offers a competitive JD as well as an advanced LL.M. curriculum, which are taught by nationally recognized faculty. The school offers unique opportunities for students to participate in pro bono work, internships, live client clinics, competitions, and food and agriculture initiatives. The school strives to identify, discuss and challenge issues of race, color, ethnicity and the impact they have on students, faculty and staff members with the aim to create a diverse, inclusive and equitable community. From the admission of the six pioneers who were the first African-American students to attend law school in the South without a court order, to the governors, judges, prosecutors and graduate professors who became President of the United States and Secretary of State, Law The school has a rich history and culture. Follow us on @uarklaw.
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Are you on dialysis for kidney failure and guess swimming or sit-ups are out of the question? Think again. New international guidelines have been released on the eve of Kidney Health Week showing how important it is for dialysis patients to incorporate physical activity into their daily lives.
Led by UniSA Associate Professor and nephrology expert Paul Bennett, the best practice guidelines developed by clinicians, patients and researchers around the world outline safe activities for people on peritoneal dialysis to maintain and improve their quality of life.
The guidelines – a world first – give clinicians and dialysis patients clear advice on which exercises are safe or risky, how often they should be performed and the necessary precautions.
For too long, people on dialysis have been discouraged from exercising due to perceived barriers and uncertainty about the best exercise regimen. But if we don’t address this lack of physical activity, their independence and quality of life will suffer.
Paul Bennett, Associate Professor, UniSA
Chronic kidney disease affects around 1.7 million Australians, but that number is set to rise exponentially due to its links to type 2 diabetes, which accounts for 38% of all new cases, and high blood pressure.
Other causes include immune diseases, congenital conditions, or genetic disorders, such as polycystic kidney disease.
Few dialysis clinicians are exercise experts, which can be a barrier when recommending programs to their patients. Therefore, the involvement of exercise physiologists and physiotherapists in dialysis programs is imperative.
Paul Bennett, Associate Professor, UniSA
Walking, cycling, and core-strengthening exercises such as swimming are recommended, as long as the catheter is covered and immobilized with tape to prevent it from getting wet or sweat seeping into the exit wound.
All activities that cause abdominal strain, including sit-ups, should be avoided for several weeks after surgery, but basic exercises under the supervision of an exercise professional can benefit many patients.
“Exercises that improve abdominal strength are particularly valuable because weak abdominal muscles can increase the risk of hernias and put extra pressure on the lumbar spine, especially when accompanied by up to two liters of fluid in the stomach. peritoneal space.”
“Exercise doesn’t have to be vigorous. Even elastic fitness bands for resistance work can be used for frail, intermediate and high level dialysis patients to use at home.
“We are also encouraging people to continue working where possible. Also, sexual activity can be important for many patients,” he says.
According to Professor Assoc Bennett, incorporating physical activity into a lifestyle, such as regular exercise for 20-30 minutes several times a week, is likely to improve the mental and physical health of a dialysis patient. .
“It is important to note that people on peritoneal dialysis may suffer from social isolation. Exercise and group activities can help if safe and assessed on a case-by-case basis.
To help explain the best exercise for kidney health, UniSA Exercise Physiologist Brett Tarca will give a free online session on Tuesday, March 8 from 12-12:30 p.m. People can register at: https://bit.ly/3syNADH
Kidney Health Week runs from March 7-13. For more details, visit: https://kidney.org.au/get-involved/kidney-health-week
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Allowing individuals to maintain accounts with the Federal Reserve could capture the benefits touted by cryptocurrency proponents without the risks, write Andrew M. Bailey and William J. Luther of the Bitcoin Policy Institute.
Brent Lewin/Bloomberg
About the authors: Andrew M. Bailey is an Associate Professor of Humanities at Yale-NUS College and a Fellow of the Bitcoin Policy Institute. William J.Luther is an Associate Professor of Economics at Florida Atlantic University and a Fellow of the Bitcoin Policy Institute.
As money flows online, many believe the United States should develop its own central bank digital currency. Allowing individuals to maintain accounts with the Federal Reserve could capture the key benefits touted by cryptocurrency proponents—instant settlement, low fees— without the risks. Countries like China, Sweden and Saudi Arabia are already test CBDCs and others are in development stages. Issuing this form of currency would help the United States stay competitive: a digital dollar for a digital world.
It seems avant-garde, even inevitable. But CBDCs have a major downside. They offer far less financial privacy than cash, and probably less than traditional deposit accounts as well.
Privacy is a necessary feature of a free society. “If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest of men,” said the French cleric and statesman, Cardinal de Richelieu in the 17th century, “I will find something there that will hang him.” A record of every transaction made by a person would greatly facilitate this task. We recognize the danger of pervasive surveillance, as evidenced by the negative legal connotations of a “fishing expedition” and the doctrine known as the “fruit of the poisonous tree”, which renders inadmissible evidence obtained during an illegal search. Without financial privacy, anyone could be found guilty of breaking the law simply because those in power said so.
Physical silver has a high degree of financial confidentiality. You don’t need to show any ID or open an account to use money. You do not need to connect by phone or the Internet. You can spend your money without permission and without anyone other than your business partner knowing about it. Simply toss it in your fanny pack and pull it out when it’s time to spend.
Cash privacy carriers have limitations, of course. United States does not issue supernotes, large denominations of say $500 or $1,000, making it difficult to use cash in large transactions. Large cash reserves have also led to civil forfeitures of assets: a probably illegal, and a growing practice of governments accepting money without criminal charges. We could imagine a world where cash allows even more privacy, but it already offers some privacy.
Would a CBDC offer this kind of privacy to users? We suspect not.
Despite a lip service to privacy, typical CBDC designs allow central bank oversight of all default transactions, amounts, origins, and destinations. Some supporters hide their autocratic ambitions; others are more transparent. Corn technically possible design a CBDC with privacy guarantees (rather than just assurances), supporters minimize this factemphasizing the need to innovate and act quickly.
This approach does not reconcile confidentiality with the need for regulation. Instead, it risks eliminating privacy altogether. A CBDC is not lacking here simply compared to cash, it would also offer fewer protections than dollar balances held in commercial banks or non-bank financial institutions like PayPal.
The Bank Secrecy Act requires financial institutions to collect identifying information from their customers and provide transaction data to the government when a lawful request is made. However, these private institutions create a firewall between the government and transaction data. It’s far from perfect, offering far less financial privacy than cash. But it is more difficult for the government to illegally access transaction data.
When the The tax authorities summoned Coinbase for its customer data, for example, Coinbase took the case to court, arguing that the request was far too broad. The firewall limited the intrusion, resulting in a stripped down summons.
The Federal Reserve says it can provide the same degree of financial privacy through a CBDC intermediatedwhere individuals do not maintain direct accounts with the Fed, but instead hold Fed liabilities through commercial banks. Since banks – not the Fed – will house customer data, the intermediated CBDC would appear to have the same type of firewall that exists today for bank and non-bank account balances.
But appearances can be deceiving. As long as the payments pass through a central clearinghouse or ledger maintained by the Fed, the Fed would have the ability to monitor those transactions. We doubt commercial banks could successfully challenge such intrusions in court, as the Fed would be monitoring its own record, not a bank’s. The Fed’s confidentiality assurances are therefore only promises and not guarantees.
The standard case of a CBDC is based on the misconception that we need new digital money for our new digital world. Much of our money is already digital; deposits and transfers from commercial banks are recorded on computers and not on paper registers.
What we need is not a new digital moneymany of which already exist, but instead a new digital cash. Digital cash would not simply facilitate electronic transactions; it would also preserve financial confidentiality. Even if they are intermediated, CBDCs are unlikely to do the trick.
Guest comments like this are written by writers outside of Barron’s and MarketWatch newsroom. They reflect the views and opinions of the authors. Submit comment proposals and other feedback to [email protected].
The UNM Spring Teaching Conference will be held virtually on Thursday and Friday, March 3 and 4. The keynote speaker will be Laura I. Rendón, professor emeritus at the University of Texas at San Antonio, who will address the promotion of one-generation education, low-income students. His presentation will address topics related to promoting student success, especially for low-income, first-generation students. Rendón will focus his presentation on understanding the challenges faced by students as they transition to college; centering the importance of humanizing education and validating students; and recognizing and building on students’ strengths and their own ways of succeeding in college.
Participants must Register online.
Event calendar
Thursday March 3
9:45 a.m. – Welcome by UNM Associate Provost Bill Stanley and introduction by Dr. Laura I. Rendón
10 a.m.—Keynote address with Dr. Laura I. Rendón: Foster equitable and just education for low-income first-generation students
11:00 a.m.—Session 1: Panel of Instructors: Increasing (post-)pandemic class membership
Noon—Session 2: Student Panel—Listening to Our Students: What Kind of Teaching Matters to Them
1:00 p.m.—Workshop: Dr. Laura I. Rendón—Reimagining teaching and learning: employing pedagogies of justice, equity and healing
2:30 p.m.—Session 3: Graduate Student Panel—Strengthening the pedagogies of graduates: challenges, collaborations and care
3:30 p.m. Recap: A Lively Conversation
Rendón will lead the workshop Reimagining teaching and learning: employing pedagogies of justice, equity and healing at 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 3.
What type of teaching and learning context is best suited to deeply engage the whole student and to link pedagogy to justice, equity and healing? Rendón will review the contemporary pedagogies needed to foster equity, justice, inclusion, and well-being. She will discuss in particular Feeling(Sensing/Thinking) Pedagogy as a culturally validating deep learning experience that addresses the rhythmic balance between the development of intellectual, social, emotional and inner life skills. Rendón will feature videos of teachers using contemplative tools (i.e. arts-based projects, guided images, audio stories, music, and time-outs) as they engage in a pedagogy of detection/reflection.
Friday March 4
9:00 a.m.—Welcome address by Dr. Aeron Haynie, UNM Center for Teaching & Learning
9:30 a.m.—Session 1: Dr. Shanté Paradigm Smalls—Black feminism is the sight
10:45 a.m.—Session 2: Riva Lehrer—The body behind glass
Noon—Lunchtime Discussion: Graduate attendees can join presenters for lunch and Q&A
1 p.m.—Session 3: Dr. Dolores Delgado Bernal—Feminist pedagogies and teaching in Nepantla
2:30 p.m.—Final discussion: Faculty participants can join one of three breakout rooms to chat with specific presenters
3:30 p.m. — Closing remarks by Dr. Garnett Stokes, President, UNM
The theme for Friday March 4 is Teach Like a Feminist: Digitally Enhanced Intersectional Pedagogies.
The first speaker at 9:30 a.m. is Shanté Paradigm Smalls, (They/Them), Associate Professor of Black Studies, Department of English and Faculty of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, St. John’s University. Black feminism is the sight will be moderated by Dr. Shelle Sanchez.
Riva Lehrer, artist, writer and activist; faculty member, The School of the Art, Institute of Chicago; and Instructor, Medical Humanities, Northwestern University School of Medicine, will present The body behind the glass at 10:45 a.m., hosted by Dr. Marissa Greenberg.
Dr. Dolores Delgado Bernal will present Feminist Pedagogies and Teaching at Nepantla during the 13 hour session moderated by Michelle Mendez. Delgado Bernal is a professor of chicanx studies and associate dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at California State University in Los Angeles.
Participants can Register online.
]]>Here is a press release from Montana State University Billings:
MSU BILLING NEWS— Montana State University Billings held its annual convention Faculty Excellence Awards Ceremony Thursday, February 24. The annual event highlights the excellence of MSUB faculty members in their teaching, community outreach, research, and scholarship.
This year, 17 faculty members received honors for their exemplary efforts.
ASMSUB Outstanding Faculty recipients include John Roberts, Associate Professor of Music; Rodrigo Lobo, Ph.D., assistant professor of business administration; Matt Queen, Ph.D., professor of biological and physical sciences; Lance Mouser, professor of general education at City College.
The Montana Center for Inclusive Education Award for Support of Students with Disabilities was presented to Sarah Friedman, Ph.D., assistant professor of biological and physical sciences, and Charity Dewing, adjunct teacher of English, philosophy, and modern languages.
Melissa Boehm, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Communication, received the Dr. Tasneem Khaleel Award for Mentoring Young Professional Women.
The Promoting International Student Success award was presented to Ms. Erica Shea, general education teacher at City College. Ms. Cindy Millard, a City College business, construction and energy technology instructor, received the part-time faculty award, while her City College colleague, Heather Thompson-Bahm, Ph.D. , an instructor in business, construction, and energy technology, received the City College Leadership Award. Ms. Lynette Schwalbe, assistant professor of educational theory and practice, received the award of excellence for non-tenured professors.
Three recipients, Emily Arendt, Ph.D., associate professor of history; Tien Chih, assistant professor of mathematics; and Melanie Reaves, Ph.D., associate professor of educational theory and practice, received the Faculty Achievement Award.
The Winston and Helen Cox Fellowship Award was presented to Scott Jeppesen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Music, and Keara Rhoades, Assistant Professor of Art, for their significant impacts in their fields of study.
Twenty-four faculty members were recognized for their years of service and five were recognized for achieving tenure at the MSUB.
]]>Ron Do, PhD, Associate Professor, Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Iain Forrest, MD-PhD candidate in Dr. Do’s lab, discuss the results of their recent study measuring the population-based penetrance of pathogens and loss of functional clinical variants.
Transcription
What were the results of your study?
Forest : There were 3 main results that came out of this study that really struck us.
The first was that when we looked at the penetrance, or risk of disease, of specifically pathogenic variants – those that were considered to have a very high risk of disease – we observed that there was actually a relatively high level of penetrance low in all areas for pathogenic variants, around 7% or 6%. This was more than what we found for mild variants, which was less than 1%, but still relatively low overall.
The second main conclusion we reached is that we were able to assess a diverse set of individuals within our study. So individuals of various ancestral origins. Besides European individuals, those of African ancestry, Hispanic ancestry, and Asian ancestry. Thanks to this, we were able to identify variants specific to very diverse ancestries, in particular non-European ancestries, traditionally under-represented in genetic studies. We found about 100 of these non-European and ethnic variants, and some of them were also very penetrating, meaning they were very relevant for clinical considerations.
A third major finding is that we took into account the age dependence of penetrance. This means that for some diseases, those diseases are more likely to occur at older ages and that penetrance, or the risk of variants of those diseases, might actually increase with age. For example, we found [that] various cardiovascular diseases, various types of cancers were associated with increased risk, or increased penetrance, with the older age of these participants.
I know I said only 3 main findings, but a fourth finding that was also very important was that we looked at penetrance not just at the gene level, but we actually went even more microscopic than that at a higher resolution fine, where we examined penetrance at the variant level. And what we’ve found is that if we look inside a given gene, for example, the breast cancer susceptibility gene, BRCA1– we found that there is actually a wide range of penetrance for different variants of this given gene. So that really underlined the importance for us to look at a very granular level in order to get the highest resolution and most relevant information for individuals.
]]>Katherine Larsen, an assistant professor in the university’s writing program, died earlier this month. She was 63 years old.
Feedback joined GW in 1995, with faculty recalling that she taught about seven college writing classes each year and interacted with more than 3,000 students during her tenure, officials said. Larsen – a notable scholar of fandom, which encompasses fans of media or people – was a founder and editor for the Journal of Fandom Studies, author several books on the subject and has regularly spoken at national conferences on the importance of fandom studies in higher education.
She was also a strong supporter of labor rights for GW faculty and staff, working to form the first part-time faculty union as an advocate and member of its bargaining committee nearly 15 years ago. feedback too served member of the faculty association steering committee and contract faculty group, who specifically advocated for non-tenured faculty at GW.
Gordon Mantler, executive director of the academic writing program, said officials are considering creating a student writing and research award dedicated to Larsen. He said talks were still preliminary and officials were still trying to determine which students would be eligible to apply and what the purpose of the award would be.
“Many of my memories of Kathy revolved around our shared belief in greater equity at the University through our work together in GWUFA – she was a pillar of the group’s steering committee for years,” he said. he said in a statement.
Professors and students who knew her said she was a dedicated scholar and a faculty member who pushed her students to study less explored academic topics in culture and media.
Abby Wilkerson, an associate professor of writing, said Larsen was a constant advocate for his colleagues and other faculty members. She said Larsen regularly critical University policies that prevented or discouraged casual or part-time faculty members from receiving promotions or serving in administrative positions.
“I will always be grateful for his tireless work on behalf of the contingent faculty,” she said in a statement. “At that time when the phrase ‘home of union organizing’ was being applied to GW, to the English department in particular, another colleague did some research and learned that over 60% of GW teachers had then contingent positions. That changed, and Kathy played a big part in that.
Wilkerson said Larsen was always a friendly face in the English department and would give colleagues personal and professional advice. She said Larsen would help with topics ranging from lesson plans to baking bread with yeast.
“I said I’d try throwing a sourdough starter (my first time), and soon Kathy was happily and concisely delivering a valuable on-the-spot tutorial on the ways and means of sourdough,” she said. . “Was there anything she couldn’t do, and do well?”
Heather Schell, assistant professor of writing, said Larsen’s work had visible effects on the entertainment industry as she researched the viewer base of different media and television networks for a series of books she wrote on the subject. She said Larsen worked with the directors and main cast of “Supernatural” — a dark fantasy television series — to shape the show’s storylines and references, and garnered academic respect for her targeted area of study.
“Kathy and I regularly attended the same national conference, so I got to see her star power in action on multiple occasions,” she said in a statement. “We were planning to have dinner one evening, and as we walked towards the restaurant, a number of enthusiastic co-workers would cluster around her, chatting animatedly and pushing their way through the group.”
Schell said students and faculty would physically gravitate toward Larsen because of his friendly attitude and helpful demeanor.
“I heard another teacher refer to Kathy as their ‘academic hero’,” she said. “Nearly all of the fandom tchotchkes in his office were offers from fans, colleagues and students.”
After Larsen passed away, staff at the Gelman Library added his name and “Fangasm” — the title of his book on “Supernatural” and what fans will do to contact their favorite actors — to the search bar on the premiere. page of their website to honor his research and his time at GW.
Anna Connelly, a senior English and communications student who took Larsen’s college writing course in her first year, said Larsen was one of the main reasons she decided to work as a consultant at the center. writing and continue his studies in the English department.
“She definitely had an impact on how I interacted with pop culture and intertwined college studies with that,” Connelly said. “But also, the path she helped me take through the Writing Center was very helpful, because after I came to the Writing Center, I was able to get many internships, and then after that, I was able to get a job even before I graduated.
Connelly said people who don’t view Fandom Studies as a legitimate area of academic expertise have often professionally “stigmatized” the subject without giving it much professional attention. But she said analyzing the media industry and its audience is a good way to teach students how to think and write critically.
“I think she was really great at encouraging students to lean into that instead of practicing that academic distance that we’re used to in a lot of other subjects,” she said. “So I think she’s been great at teaching us how to fit our own personal interests into — in quotes — ‘respectable fields of study’.”
Danika Myers, director of the freshman writing program, said Larsen was an avid member of the university’s writing program and regularly helped other professors develop their programs and develop lesson plans.
“She was sitting there working on three projects at once, with an episode of Supernatural playing in the background on her computer, but she never acted like it was an imposition to help me think through a lesson plan or listening to me tell her a story about my child because she had a generous heart,” she said.
This article originally appeared in the February 24, 2022 issue of The Hatchet.
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