Latest news with #graduateStudents
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Grad Students Were Working on a Project—and Accidentally Found a 277-Year-Old Shipwreck
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Research at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site (BTFA) in Brunswick County, North Carolina revealed a Spanish colonial shipwreck. Researchers believe the ship to be La Fortuna—a Spanish privateer ship that exploded during an attack at the end of King George's War. Further exploration at the site uncovered three additional shipwrecks and countless artifacts. At Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site (BTFA) in North Carolina, two East Carolina University (ECU) graduate students were working on a field project in the Cape Fear River when they discovered something incredible. 'While lost, in the search for the Northern extent of the wharf, I came across several wooden frames barely sticking out of the clay mud with evidence of planking just barely visible on the surface,' Cory van Hees, one of the students on the project, said in a press release. 'I didn't understand what I was looking at in that moment, but I knew I should relay the wooden structure to faculty.' Soon after the discovery, project co-leader and ECU maritime archaeologist Jason Raupp confirmed that the strange planks were in fact a shipwreck. Further research suggested that the vessel was once La Fortuna—a colonial Spanish privateer ship that exploded during an attack at the end of King George's War in 1748. Samples from the planks identified the wood as either Monterey cypress (H. macrocarpa) or Mexican cypress (H. lusitanica), which only grow in California and Central America, meaning that the ship's builders sourced the materials from 18th-century Spanish Caribbean colonies. The only recorded Spanish shipwreck in the area is La Fortuna, and previous research in the area discovered a cannon from the ship nearby. Excitingly, La Fortuna wasn't the only wreck the ECU team discovered at the site—divers actually came across three more. Researchers believe one of the additional wrecks was once a vessel used for land reclamation, and another was a colonial flatboat, which was a vessel used to transport people. The fourth wreck remains unidentified, though researchers believe it's unlikely that the three wrecks (other than La Fortuna) are of Spanish origin. The team also discovered many artifacts at the site, including 'ceramic sherds, glass container bottles, clay tobacco pipes, a cooper's adze [cutting tool], barrel heads and staves, sailcloth, leather shoes, possible clothing fragments, and butchered animal bone,' Jeremy Borrelli—another project co-leader and ECU archaeologist—told Live Science in an email. According to the press release, the relics provide greater context for colonial life, trade, maritime activity, and conflict. One of the finds—a collection of fragments of 18th-century Spanish-American ceramics—further supports the hypothesis that the initial wreck was once La Fortuna. Unfortunately, environmental concerns put the wrecks (and other undiscovered remains) at risk—dredging, dynamic wave energy, and large storms have all put BTFA's waterfront at risk. For La Fortuna specifically, erosion drastically impacted the wreck site, scattering the ship's remains across the surrounding area. The team undertook emergency recovery of over 40 timbers from what researchers believe to be La Fortuna, according to the press release, and all of the pieces recovered from the shipwreck were transferred to a laboratory at ECU's West Research Campus in Greenville. Research will continue on the wrecks and their remains. 'We are extremely excited about these important sites,' Raupp said in the release, 'as each one will help us to better understand the role of BTFA as one of [North Carolina's] earliest colonial port towns.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life? Solve the daily Crossword
The Independent
03-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Grad student loans could soon be capped. Here's what that could mean for you
The House of Representatives moving the GOP 's 'Big Beautiful Bill' closer to President Donald Trump's signing brings graduate students nearer to facing unprecedented limits on funding higher education. While critics argue that the spending bill would disproportionately block marginalized communities from pursuing advanced degrees, Republicans say the limits will help control college costs by reducing incentives for schools to raise tuition. Starting next summer, the bill will affect borrowers taking out loans and those stuck on the Biden -era SAVE plan, potentially causing monthly payments to increase by hundreds of dollars, according to the Student Borrower Protection Center. What are the proposals? The 'big beautiful bill' proposes significant changes to how graduate and professional students finance their education. One of the biggest changes would be the elimination of the federal Grad PLUS loan program beginning in July 2026, which currently allows students to borrow up to the full cost of attendance for graduate programs. In its place, the bill raises annual and lifetime limits on federal Stafford loans, but these new caps may not be enough to cover further education for students. Graduate students would be limited to borrowing up to $20,500 annually, with a lifetime cap of $100,000, while professional students, such as those in medical or law school, could borrow up to $50,000 per year, with a $200,000 lifetime maximum. What impacts could the proposals have? The proposal could force students to rely on private loans with less favorable terms, delay or abandon plans for graduate education, or choose less expensive programs that may not align with their career goals. Experts warn this could worsen shortages in high-demand fields, particularly in rural healthcare, where access to graduate-trained professionals is already limited. What's happened to student loans so far? Recent student loan policy changes include the restart of loan payments following a pandemic pause, modifications to income-driven repayment plans, and ongoing legal battles over loan forgiveness programs. In June 2023, the Supreme Court struck down the Biden administration's plan to cancel up to $400 billion in student loans, and a court order continues to block its new income-driven repayment program. Meanwhile, the US Department of Education has resumed collecting on defaulted federal student loans. What's next? White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Thursday that President Trump is scheduled to sign the "big, beautiful bill" on Friday at 5 p.m. EST.
CBC
25-06-2025
- Health
- CBC
Treat them, don't street them: Creating an ICU for houseless Edmontonians
Students from the University of Alberta are advocating for Edmonton's first 'Houseless Intensive Care Unit'. The idea is to provide 24/7 wrap around health-care for people experiencing homelessness, a demographic that disproportionately relies on emergency services. Host Clare Bonnyman sits down with two of the graduate students involved to talk about the project and the impact it could have.
New York Times
03-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Harvard Argues Cutting Off Its Government Funding Is Wasteful
Destroyed research programs. Shuttered labs. Graduate students and postdoctoral researchers fleeing elsewhere. In a court filing on Monday, Harvard University painted a bleak picture for its research enterprise if the funding taken away by the Trump administration is not restored. 'The harm would be severe and long lasting,' John H. Shaw, the university's vice provost for research, wrote in the 17-page declaration that is part of Harvard's lawsuit against the Trump administration. 'Money cannot repair the lost time, talent, and opportunity.' Republicans have often argued that universities have not been good stewards of taxpayer money. In past statements, the Trump administration officials have said the university has forfeited the opportunity to receive taxpayer funds. Dr. Shaw, however, wrote that it was defunding ongoing research efforts that was wasteful. He cited the loss of continuity, including lost seasons of data collection in environmental research and missed check-ins for longitudinal health studies. 'These losses would set back entire fields, slow discovery, and waste public investment,' Dr. Shaw wrote. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Forbes
02-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Graduate School—Who Should Foot The Bill?
Graduate students hold nearly half of all federal student loan debt—but receive the least attention in education policy. It's time for a shared solution. getty Higher education is dominating the headlines, whether federal funding cuts, DEI policies, research restrictions, or student debt. However, there is little focus on one student population being hit the hardest—graduate students. Students earning master's and doctoral degrees are essential to the academic ecosystem—they lead research, teach undergraduates, and advance innovation. Yet, graduate students are seeing their work and positions being stripped away. With fewer opportunities and the current administration along with Congress seeking to shift the burden of financing higher education away from the government and towards the private sector, individual colleges or the individual, concern is growing about the future of essential professions that require advanced degrees—doctors, scientists, lawyers, professors, and business leaders. Graduate students make up 16% of all borrowers, but they account for 47% of all loans provided by the federal government. This is roughly $39 billion in one year. So, who should be footing the bill for these advanced degrees: the government and taxpayers, corporations, or the individual? The answer depends on your rationale for education. If you believe education exists to enrich society and strengthen Democracy, graduate degrees clearly play a role. Those with advanced degrees are more likely to vote, volunteer, and be more civically involved. In fact, 64% of House members, 79% of Senators, and 20% of their staff hold graduate degrees. In 2023, 21% of all Federal workers held advanced degrees. As of this year at the state level, approximately 85% of those with the highest positions (Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and Secretary of State) held advanced degrees. In sum, those with this graduate-level education attainment are highly represented in the most influential offices of our Democracy and are among the most civically engaged citizens. Under this rationale, the government and taxpayers should share in the cost of graduate education. If you view education attainment primarily as a means for personal mobility, then graduate school plays a significant part in that outcome. The median salary for those with Master's, a Professional (Law, Medicine, etc.) or Doctoral (PhD) degrees in 2024 was approximately between $95,600-$123,000 a year compared to only $80,236 for bachelor's degree holders. While this varies by field, experience, and location, the premium for a graduate degree tends to be higher. Under this rationale, the benefit is primarily for the individual, and they should share in the cost of education. The third rationale is a bit more complex. As employers demand higher credentials, graduate education becomes less a personal choice and more a professional requirement. 16% of jobs will require a graduate degree by 2031 compared to 8% in 1983. If employers adhere to this educational ideology and desire workers to have graduate credentials instead of developing those skills internally, then, under this rationale, corporate America should share the cost of education. The truth is that we as a society expect education to do it all—advance individuals, strengthen Democracy, and power the economy. Yet we often forget the cost of preparing future generations. If we collectively want to share education's rewards, then we must also share the costs.
