Latest news with #APEP
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Space Force ramps up UK partnership with civilian exchange program
The United States and the United Kingdom have established a new joint exchange program between their space programs encouraging civilian employees to expand their knowledge of the field, officials announced Tuesday. The first-of-its-kind collaboration between U.S. Space Systems Command, or SSC, and U.K. Space Command will broaden a burgeoning space domain alliance between the two nations by enabling professionals to learn new skills, according to a joint release. 'Our civilian and military Guardians and Airmen deserve our investment in their careers,' said Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, SSC commander. 'By offering opportunities to strengthen and grow our workforce through programs such as APEP, we get after exactly that objective. In order to develop a world-class workforce, we must continue to partner to win.' U.S. Space Systems Command, operating under a $15.6 billion DOD budget, is the field command for the U.S. Space Force. U.K. Space Command performs a similar function for the U.K.'s Ministry of Defence. The civilian exchange program agreement — using the already established Administrative and Professional Exchange Program as its foundation — falls under the U.S. Defense Personnel Exchange Program, an initiative allowing individuals to 'exchange positions with their counterparts in another organization,' even across different countries, to gain a new understanding of the field. The first U.S. civilian to participate in the program, Tara Browne, Space Systems Command/International Affairs deputy division chief for strategy and plans, arrived in the U.K. earlier this month. Space Force commander fired after email DOD says 'undermined' JD Vance The program was signed into effect on Nov. 18, 2024, by U.S. Deputy Undersecretary of the Air Force for International Affairs Kelli Seybolt, following sign-off by U.K Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton. 'I know first-hand the value of our exchange programs,' said Ma. Gen. Paul Tedman, U.K. Space Command commander. 'They allow us to build trust, learn from each other, and enhance cooperation. Our people, on both sides of the Atlantic, remain our greatest asset, and this new civilian exchange program will ensure alignment of U.S. and U.K. space architectural design.' The partnership between the ally nations has gained steam in the last year, including the 2024 appointment of Air Marshal Paul Godfrey from the U.K.'s Royal Air Force to the U.S. Space Force's assistant chief of space operations for future concepts and partnerships. Godfrey previously served as the first commander of the U.K. Space Command.
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Augustana library receives diversity excellence award
Augustana College's Tredway Library received the 2025 Library Excellence in Access and Diversity (LEAD) award from Insight Into Diversity magazine. This is Tredway Library's first time earning the national recognition, which honors academic libraries that encourage and support inclusive excellence and belonging. Tredway Library will be featured along with 35 other recipients in Insight's March 2025 issue. Director Stefanie Bluemle said it is an honor for the library and Augustana to receive this recognition. 'In my time as the library's director, I have seen the highest dedication to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility from our librarians and staff,' Bluemle said. 'Everyone at Tredway Library is committed to student success and well-being, and to making the library a welcoming and inclusive space for the campus community.' Bluemle said Tredway Library engages in many inclusive-focused initiatives, including a new collection development policy adopted in February 2024 aimed to increase the diverse voices, identities, perspectives and geographic locations represented in the collection. The policy was adopted following the spring 2021 diversity audit of Tredway's main circulating collection. Given Augustana's history as a predominantly white institution, Bluemle said the audit showed white authors, authors using he/him pronouns, and authors in opposite-sex relationships were overrepresented in the collection, compared to both Augustana's current student body and the U.S. population. 'We'll use the results of the audit, as well as input from students, faculty and Augustana's Office of Student Inclusion and Diversity, to continue diversifying the voices and identities represented in our collection,' said Bluemle. 'The audit has already made us more mindful of our collection development practices. Every year since 2021, our new purchases have been significantly more diverse than the collection as a whole.' Other Tredway Library initiatives include an accessibility review to verify that the library is maintaining compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements as well as identifying improvements, such as better signage and lighting or improved digital access. 'I'm incredibly proud of the work Tredway Library does to ensure our students, faculty and staff have the resources they need to learn, grow and support Augustana as an institution,' said Provost Dr. Dianna Shandy. 'The LEAD award is a prestigious recognition of the many ways Tredway Library serves the needs of our evolving community.' In addition to recognizing impactful programs at the Rock Island campus, the LEAD award also recognized Tredway Library for its support of the unique research needs of the more than 40 students enrolled in the Augustana Prison Education Program (APEP) at the East Moline Correctional Center. 'Tredway Library works with APEP faculty to provide access to books and articles for the students,' said Bluemle. 'Librarians and on-campus student employees also conduct research on behalf of APEP students at times. Additionally, a Tredway librarian has obtained clearance to visit East Moline Correctional Center in order to provide information literacy instruction to students in APEP.'APEP students enrolled in a fall 2024 history class researched and curated an exhibit that will be on display at Tredway Library this spring. Bluemle said the library needs for on-campus and APEP are ever-evolving and the staff are committed to aligning services and outreach efforts to meet the needs of all users. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
