Education category, Page 8
Carnegie Mellon announces layoffs in computer science school
Eighteen employees were laid off this week from Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Computer Science, officials said. In an email from Martial Hebert, the dean of the school, stated that staff positions in several departments, academic support function and administrative positions had been eliminated, “including marketing and communications, program support,...
Harvard scientists say research could be set back years after funding freeze
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Harvard University professor Alberto Ascherio’s research is literally frozen. Collected from millions of U.S. soldiers over two decades using millions of dollars from taxpayers, the epidemiology and nutrition scientist has blood samples stored in liquid nitrogen freezers within the university’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The...
Carnegie Mellon students invent AI pet that merges virtual reality with the physical world
When Carnegie Mellon University graduate student Brian He proposed developing a fully virtual pet, the idea was rejected for lacking innovation. Despite the setback, the Physical Presence Pet team took the idea a step further and roughly 14 weeks later, He and five other Entertainment Technology Center students had created...
Students for Justice in Palestine fights suspension imposed by Pitt
Attorneys for Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Pittsburgh are urging a federal judge to find in their favor and lift a six-month suspension imposed on the club by Pitt officials before the start of the school year. The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, which represents...
Nicely Elementary fire alarm should be up and running for 1st day of school, superintendent says
Greensburg Salem aims to have a working fire alarm system at its Nicely Elementary School before students return to its halls Aug. 26. The school’s fire alarm stopped working in mid-April when a power surge — prompted by nearby line replacement work by West Penn Power — damaged the alarm...
What to know if you’re at risk of having your wages garnished over student loan debt
NEW YORK — Millions of student borrowers could begin having their wages garnished as soon as this summer, according to estimates from credit bureau TransUnion. The company predicts that by August roughly 3 million borrowers could move into default, meaning they’re 270 days past due on payments. At that point,...
Bethel Park students entering last school year in 6 district buildings
When students report to Bethel Park schools on Aug. 21 for the first day of classes, it will mark the end of an era as the final year for education at six of the district’s buildings. Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Memorial and William Penn elementary schools are scheduled...
Thomas Jefferson students receive iPads for start of school year
When classes start Aug. 26, Thomas Jefferson High School students will have new iPads. Over the past few years, the West Jefferson Hills School District has distributed Apple-branded tablet computers to its other academic buildings. Supplying ninth through 12th graders completes the transition from Google Chromebooks. Jennifer Kassimer, district director...
Brown University strikes agreement to resolve discrimination complaints and restore federal funding
WASHINGTON — Brown University will pay $50 million to Rhode Island workforce development organizations in a deal with the Trump administration that restores lost federal research funding and ends investigations into alleged discrimination, officials said Wednesday. The university also agreed to several concessions in line with President Donald Trump’s political...
Trump administration freezes $108M at Duke amid inquiry into alleged racial preferences
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is freezing $108 million in research funding to Duke University as the federal government accuses the school of racial discrimination in the form of affirmative action, according to a person familiar with the matter. The National Institutes of Health halted the funding to the private...
Woodland Hills administration to move operations to high school building in Churchill
The Woodland Hills School District administration is moving its operations from North Braddock to the Woodland Hills High School on Greensburg Pike in Churchill. The new administration is set to be in place at the start of the school year. The move comes after the Woodland Hills School District approved...
Back-to-school season kicks off with donation drives for students
The back-to-school season is approaching as summer heat still lingers. As students transition from July to August, many families are still struggling to secure the supplies needed for a successful school year. Here are some ways you can help support students as they head back to the classroom for another...
Groups forming to plan futures of Penn State Fayette, New Kensington campuses
Officials in Fayette and Westmoreland counties are in the early stages of figuring out how they can best repurpose the closing Penn State campuses in their communities. Scott Dunn, chairman of the Fayette County commissioners, has been leading the charge to establish a team — branded the Eberly Campus Transition...
With Columbia as a model, White House seeks fines in potential deals with Harvard and others
WASHINGTON — The White House is pursuing heavy fines from Harvard and other universities as part of potential settlements to end investigations into campus antisemitism, using the deal it struck with Columbia University as a template, according to an administration official familiar with the matter. Fines have become a staple...
Pitt dining hall named best in nation. Do students agree?
The University of Pittsburgh was recently recognized for having the best dining hall food in the country — but do students agree? The National Association of College and University Food Services awarded The Eatery, Pitt’s largest dining facility, the Loyal E. Horton grand prize, naming it the best residential dining...
Columbia University agrees to pay more than $220M in deal with Trump to restore federal funding
NEW YORK — Columbia University has reached a deal with the Trump administration to pay more than $220 million to the federal government to restore federal research money that was canceled in the name of combating antisemitism on campus, the university announced Wednesday. Under the agreement, the Ivy League school...
Canvas to feature AI technology for educational interactions
AI technology will soon be brought into the classroom through a new integration with the Canvas learning platform. Canvas is the main online platform used by numerous universities like the University of Pittsburgh and Penn State University, as well as K-12 school districts. Instructure, the maker of Canvas, and OpenAI...
Overbooked housing leads Pitt to rent hotel, apartments for students
Hundreds of students attending the University of Pittsburgh in Oakland will live in a hotel or apartments this fall, a move university officials say they made to accommodate the large, incoming freshmen class. Pitt received a record number of applications for the fall semester — 65,000 — which is a...
When it comes to assessed property values, what is a mill, anyway?
Taxpayers know their property taxes are expressed in terms of mills or “millage.” The higher the millage number, the bigger the tax bill. But many don’t understand where that comes from. For taxing purposes, a mill is 1/1,000th of a dollar. So a tax rate of 100 mills means the...
School district tax increases beg the question: Is the system broken?
If you’re one of the Western Pennsylvania residents smarting over a looming school tax increase this year, you’re not alone. All but four school districts in Westmoreland County will enact higher taxes this fall, and 6 in 10 districts in Allegheny County will do the same — including all but...
Penn State buys former fraternity house where Timothy Piazza was fatally hurt
Penn State trustees on Friday authorized the purchase of the former Beta Theta Pi house where hazing led to the death of student Timothy Piazza in 2017. The university will pay $7.3 million for the 0.92-acre property, located at 220 N. Burrowes Road, State College. Sara Thorndike, senior vice president...
Education Department will release some frozen grants supporting after-school and summer programs
WASHINGTON — The Education Department will release some previously withheld grant money for after-school programs, days after 10 Republican senators sent a letter imploring the Office of Management and Budget to allow the funds to be sent to states. President Donald Trump’s administration on July 1 withheld more than $6...
Penn State increases 2026-27 tuition rates for University Park, some branch campus students
Penn State’s budget for the 2026-27 academic year raises tuition for all of its students attending University Park and some of its students that attend branch campuses. The $10.2 billion budget, approved Friday by the board of trustees, includes a 2% tuition increase for in-state undergraduate students attending University Park,...
Civil rights work is slowing as Trump dismantles the Education Department, agency data shows
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration insists it hasn’t wavered in its duty to protect the civil rights of America’s children even as it dismantles the Education Department. Yet its own data shows the agency has resolved far fewer civil rights cases than in past years despite families filing more complaints....
Fox Chapel Area School District STEAM camp draws nearly 200 students
Fox Chapel Area School District hosted its annual STEAM Camp at Fairview Elementary School last month. About 200 students participated in the week dedicated to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. It was open to students in first through eighth grades. District community engagement specialist Jill Leonard said students attended...
