{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "NewsArticle", "dateCreated": "2024-12-15T23:26:50+02:00", "datePublished": "2024-12-15T23:26:50+02:00", "dateModified": "2024-12-15T23:27:33+02:00", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/22616/news/education/industry-pushes-for-tech-transfer-strategy-as-ur-reverts-to-4-year-degree-programmes", "headline": "Industry pushes for tech transfer strategy as UR reverts to 4-year degree programmes", "description": "Academia should bring innovations off the shelves and commercialise them as part of a new technology transfer strategy being developed, industry...", "keywords": "", "inLanguage": "en", "mainEntityOfPage":{ "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/22616/news/education/industry-pushes-for-tech-transfer-strategy-as-ur-reverts-to-4-year-degree-programmes" }, "thumbnailUrl": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/thenewtimes/uploads/images/2024/12/15/66540.jpg", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/thenewtimes/uploads/images/2024/12/15/66540.jpg" }, "articleBody": "Academia should bring innovations off the shelves and commercialise them as part of a new technology transfer strategy being developed, industry players have said, following the University of Rwanda (UR)'s decision to reinstate its four-year undergraduate degree programmes. Technology transfer is the process by which new inventions and innovations created in academic and institutional labs are transformed into products and commercialised. ALSO READ: Asia’s top university establishes field station at University of Rwanda UR has returned to the traditional four-year structure after a five-year trial with the three-year program, aiming to improve the quality of education and enhance technology transfer to the market. In the 2017 academic year, social sciences and certain science programs were reduced to a three-year duration, instead of the traditional four years. Industry players have called for improvements in technology transfer following the review of programs at the University of Rwanda. The university is conducting a comprehensive review of its 158 academic programs, aiming to phase out those that no longer reflect the realities of the current labour market. ALSO READ: University of Rwanda reforms: Why new college of veterinary medicine will be set up Paulin Buregeya, Senior Advisor at Greentech Solutions, said there is a wealth of research at the university, but much of it is not being used to address community problems. Industries need new inventions, innovations, and technology, which can be produced by university researchers. However, we have not seen many coming from the University of Rwanda. It is the right time to start working closely with the University of Rwanda on the new technology transfer strategy being developed to solve community problems, he said. He cited the waste management sector, which requires technology transfer across the country. We need innovations and technology for transporting waste from the source of generation. We also need technologies for waste treatment and disposal, he added. ALSO READ: How Rwanda’s education sector will be transformed in next five years Nathan Kanuma Taremwa, the Director for Research and Innovation at the College of Agriculture, Animal Science, and Veterinary Medicine (CAVM) at the University of Rwanda, said that a new technology transfer strategy is being developed to address such challenges. He explained that technology transfer is essential for the University of Rwanda to thrive in today's dynamic and competitive landscape. The new technology transfer strategy will also help in revenue generation, intellectual property protection, curriculum improvement to meet market needs, and fund mobilisation. The strategy will foster partnerships with industry, he noted. ALSO READ: UR empowers innovators with AI, IoT, entrepreneurial skills to commercialise projects He said the proposed UR Technology Transfer Strategy (TTS) aims to enable UR to transfer research and intellectual outputs to benefit society. Therefore, the Directorate of Research and Innovation at UR, the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and the Directorate of Research and Innovation at the college level are expected to play vital roles in connecting research and innovation outputs with industry for commercialization. Jochen Moninger, the Co-founder of Start-Up Africa, emphasised the need for academia-industry collaboration. Linking SMEs and start-ups with academia under the new technology transfer strategy is very important, he said. Louis Sibomana, a science researcher, noted that the current Innovation and Technology (I&T) ecosystem at the University of Rwanda faces several challenges. These include a lack of a well-established I&T infrastructure, insufficient use of Intellectual Property (IP) rights, a weak legal and regulatory framework for promoting private sector investment and commercialization, and low awareness of research and innovation policies. He added that there is inadequate capacity to create and support innovations, a shortage of skills to meet industry demands, and insufficient financial resources to support research and explore emerging technologies. The new Technology Transfer Strategy (TTS) outlines how UR's new technologies will be generated, assessed, protected, marketed, and commercialized, as well as the responsibilities of various UR units in the technology transfer flow. Society expects scientific research and technology development to be aligned not only with the academic community and publications but also to address societal needs and contribute to inclusive development. Universities are considered key actors in research and technology development that can meet societal expectations. In this regard, it is essential for the University of Rwanda to translate research results into practical and innovative solutions that can be applied to address societal challenges, he said. Dedicated fund The strategy will establish a dedicated fund to support technology development, prototyping, testing, and validation through annual competitive calls for proposals. ALSO READ: UR official on why the university needs greater autonomy It will also create mechanisms to support knowledge hubs and increase the number of incubators, technology spaces, science parks, technology transfer hubs, and laboratories. These will allow students, researchers, innovators, and external partners to engage in technology development and meet investors and entrepreneurs for coaching and mentorship. The university will also establish proof-of-concept funds to support academic spin-offs and start-ups to accelerate technology transfer and commercialization. The new strategy aims to help researchers, innovators, and academics across various colleges, schools, departments, and research units to upgrade their skills and foster innovation, particularly through business start-ups. It will also develop incentive and reward mechanisms that promote technology transfer activities, as well as provide support for researchers/innovators/inventors with IP-related registration and protection fees. These may include competitive annual excellence awards, recognition, professional training, a percentage of revenue generated, academic promotions, and other rewards for staff and students involved in technology transfer, ensuring that incentives are transparent and equitable. The University of Rwanda (UR) has undertaken a review of its academic programs to align them with institutional, national, and regional quality standards, so that they can be shared and implemented across East Africa. ALSO READ: UR committed to leveraging data science to impact community The East African Community (EAC) Vision 2050 recognizes science, technology, research, and innovation as key drivers for sustainable socio-economic development and EAC's industrialization and integration agenda. In line with this, the East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO) has developed a technology transfer strategy to catalyze industrial innovation, strengthen technology and knowledge transfer, enhance knowledge creation, build effective partnerships, and improve technology management and protection. The University of Rwanda (UR) is among the top 10 universities in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the 2024 Times Higher Education rankings.", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michel Nkurunziza" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "The New Times", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/", "sameAs": ["https://www.facebook.com/TheNewTimesRwanda/","https://twitter.com/NewTimesRwanda","https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuZbZj6DF9zWXpdZVceDZkg"], "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "/theme_newtimes/images/logo.png", "width": 270, "height": 57 } }, "copyrightHolder": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "The New Times", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/" } }
Four brothers run JB workshop started by their father and use hand-me-down equipment SHAHIDAHYU Bakri did not expect that her bad reaction to coffee while pregnant about 11 years ago would turn out to be a blessing in disguise. She had been working at a coffee factory in Johor Baru for a few years before being pregnant with her first child. “I experienced bad reactions to the smell of coffee and had to quit my job as the dizzy spells and nausea were too much for me to handle. ALSO READ: Entrepreneur’s museum shares lore on gold ore “I had no choice but to look for work elsewhere to help my husband, as we were about to start a family. “That was when I saw an advertisement on job vacancy at a jewellery workshop and decided to give it a try despite having no prior experience in the field,” Shahidahyu told StarMetro. The job involved producing handmade gold jewellery, which required her to handle tools such as pliers, tweezers, chisels and files. Shahidahyu inspecting various tiny parts before assembling them into gold jewellery. “Besides rings, my boss, who is also my mentor, taught me how to make movable fish pendants. “The pendant consists of several different parts assembled together to make it move as if it was swimming. “I never expected that I would one day become a goldsmith. “I like the fact that I get to learn new skills,” she said. She added that through her job, she has learnt about Chinese culture including why dragons and fish are symbols of good fortune in the community. Some of the handcrafted pieces produced at the shop. In turn, she would also share about her own culture with her colleagues. Shahidahyu is one of the oldest-serving employees at the workshop, and she also guides and trains newcomers who join the company. The mother-of-two said she hoped to see more young people joining the industry as they could bring fresh ideas and innovations. The workshop where Shahidahyu works is run by four brothers who took over the business from their late father. All in the family Owner Yuin Foo Seng said the family business was passed down to him about three decades ago. He recalled that he, too, was working in a different field before joining the business. “In my teenage years, I worked at my maternal grandfather’s restaurant. “One day, my father asked me to help out at his jewellery workshop as he was short of workers. And so began my journey in the gold business. “I learned from my father and eventually became a full-fledged goldsmith,” said Foo Seng. (From left) Brothers Foo Seng, Fook Kuan, Fock Heng and Fook Yung at the second-generation goldsmith business. He added that his father first opened a gold jewellery workshop in Penang, relocating several times before settling down in Johor Baru. Foo Seng, who is the eldest sibling, said he first ran the business with one brother, before his two other siblings switched fields to join them. “My brothers Fook Kuan, Fock Heng, Fook Yung and I each take on a different role – from producing gold jewellery to managing our 13 employees and quality control,” Foo Seng said. He recalled the industry’s peak in the 1990s before the 1997 Asian financial crisis. “At that time, we were getting a lot of orders even during non-festive periods. “Our workers had to work overtime and on weekends to cater to the orders. Soh: There is still a market for traditional and handmade gold jewellery. “During Chinese New Year, buyers who are jewellery shop owners would come to our workshop to buy whatever stock we had left. “The demand for gold jewellery is still there but it is lower now. “We also cannot take as many orders, as we have fewer workers now compared to before.” The goldsmith said their products were for local and overseas markets such as Singapore and India. Pick of the bunch Foo Seng said the shop also produced toothpicks and earpicks, which come in a slim container, all made entirely of gold. “It was in great demand back then. Now, I believe we are the only gold workshop that still produces the item upon order. “We make mostly gold pendants with elements such as carp, arowana and dragons that symbolise auspiciousness and good luck in Chinese culture.” Youths, he revealed, were not interested in being goldsmiths as it was labour-intensive. “They are required to sit for long hours and use their hands and eyes. “A lot of skill is required to produce jewellery with intricate details. Cheng: Young people are influenced by luxury brands and will look for similar gold products. “Previously, we had workers who left after a week as they could not stand the long hours,” he said, adding that his own children had pursued other interests after completing their tertiary education. Foo Seng is grateful that his niece and nephew had joined the family business and learned to become goldsmiths. He admitted that he was concerned about the future of the industry as many jewellery makers had adopted mechanisation. At his workshop, they still use apparatus that used to belong to his father to mould gold into fine wire to produce jewellery. “Our father had always wanted to pass down the craft to his children. He worked until he was 86. “I took over the family business not to become rich but to keep our father’s legacy alive. “We aim to continue offering traditionally-made jewellery pieces as I believe there is still value in them,” said Foo Seng. Updated with tech South Johor Golden Ornaments Trade Association chairman Soh Lip Sim said traditional and handmade gold jewellery still had a market in the 21st century. “Most of the gold jewellery makers in the state are small and medium-sized enterprises, while the major producers are in the Klang Valley and Penang. “There are only about 200 traditional gold jewellery makers left in Johor, which is much fewer than before as many have closed down due to the lack of successors,” he added. Soh said traditional methods might be phased out in the years to come as more jewellery producers move towards mechanisation and modern technology. “With machines, gold jewellery pieces can be made in a shorter period, involve less manpower and offer a huge variety of designs that are lighter in weight. Fine work: Goldsmith Yuin Foo Seng's holding up an intricate handmade gold dragon pendant produced at his family's workshop in Johor Baru. — THOMAS YONG/The Star “This means consumers can purchase jewellery designs at cheaper price because of the weight and they will not be charged a high craftsmanship fee,” he said. Soh said current market trends were for lightweight jewellery pieces as well as trendy items such as the Labubu doll, with K-pop star Lisa’s social media post featuring it sparking mass interest across Asia. “Thanks to technology, gold jewellery such as pendants can weigh as light as 0.2g per piece, making them very affordable for the younger consumer. “People used to think that gold jewellery catered to the more mature market but these days, many young people prefer to buy gold probably because of the wide variety of designs,” said Soh. Sought-after items Cheng Ching Nian, who runs a 98-year-old gold jewellery shop in Pontian, said young customers could easily spend thousands during a visit to his shop. “I think they are influenced by luxury brands as they will usually come looking for similar designs for pendants and bracelet charms. “They spend between RM3,000 and RM5,000 on jewellery each time,” he said, adding that 3D designs featuring cartoon characters were also popular. With Chinese New Year coming at the end of January, Cheng said he was preparing to stock up on designs featuring Chinese zodiac signs. He added that his products were usually sourced from local jewellery makers but trendier designs would come from China and Hong Kong, where modern machines could produce intricate designs at an affordable price. Cheng, who is the shop’s third-generation owner, said it was tough for locals to compete with foreign gold jewellery producers in terms of cost.No matter how much a financial system is fortified against scams, there is always a fraudster, a conman, or a swindler aiming to game that system. Financial crimes, a la white-collar crimes, are committed, interestingly, by those working closely with the system or those having the innate skill to justify the art through the framework of ‘fraud triangle’, that is in the terms of opportunity, incentive and rationalization. Scams, mainly the pecuniary ones, involve conduct of dishonest practices leading to perversion, depravity and debasement of the entire morals of the social fabric. Financial scandals, like any other scandal, have a story of their own and, of course, the denouement. The truth of the scandals appears to be a drama at times, and at times an enthralling thriller. Vijay Narayan Govind, in his book Fraudster Tales, promises to tell select 10 true stories of financial scams, spread across centuries and continents, and in his own words, “these frauds were significant enough at the time to send major ripples through the systems they challenged, with many of them serving as the catalyst for key legal and regulatory reforms.” The book introduces 10 swindlers, each with their own story of fraud in a separate chapter with a suitable story-title to it. In Govind’s fraudster tales, Hegestratos’s tale emerges as the ‘First Fraudster’, circa 300 BCE, in Athens. He, along with his crime partner Zenosthemis, working as ship merchants, planned to steal the cargos, sink the vessel, and con the vessel’s insurers of shipload of valuable goods through enforcement of the clauses of bottomry and respondentia contracts. However, the plans went awry due to the alert captain and crew members and Hegestratos jumped and drowned himself in the sea. Zenosthemis was arrested, tried and imprisoned in Athens for a long time. The author picks stories, random perhaps, from Athens and other countries, including India. Haridas Mundhra in the tale of ‘The Great Investor’ and Natwarlal in ‘The Master Manipulator’ are the two Indians figuring in the book. The Mundhra scandal, first of its kind in independent India, not only was embroiled with the stock markets and financial institutions but was an expose of the wicked nexus between political party, bureaucracy, ministers and business class, perhaps a prototype of ‘crony capitalism’. The conman Mudhra duped Life Insurance Company (LIC) by forging share certificates, using them as collateral for loans, and amassing huge loans to the tune of Rs 15.60 crore by the mid of 1957. It was Feroz Gandhi, the law maker, who brought this scam to public attention that led to nationalization of LIC, resignation of TT Krishnamachari – then finance minister, indictment of finance secretary and some senior LIC officials, and, of course, sentencing of Haridas Mundhra to 22 years in prison. In the Mithilesh Kumar alias Natwarlal’s case, the story, though intriguing, is simple. From forging signatures and withdrawing money from banks, he graduated to nefarious crimes such as decamping cash from merchants and siphoning off goods from the cargo areas while using more than 50 aliases. Natwarlal even sold, impersonating himself as government official, the Taj Mahal thrice, the Red Fort twice, and the Rashtrapati Bhawan and Parliament once. He had developed this shrewd art of escaping prison, and one heard him saying quite often that ‘no jail is enough to hold me for too long’. Then, there is a story of how an expert William Chaloner counterfeited coins, notes, and lottery tickets, in the 1600s, but finally got caught by Sir Issac Newton, and sent to gallows for he was guilty of multiple currency frauds. Hugh Cameron’s story is about his conspiracy to cheat Royal British Banks and its customers, eventually which led to the Bank’s collapse. However, in due course, it triggered major legislative reforms in the corporate governance systems in Britain. Oscar Hartzell, a brazen rook, in another story, swindled millions of dollars from investors in a popularly known Sir Francis Drake estate scam. Another story, rather smutty and historical, called the ‘necklace scandal’, involves one French noble woman Jeanne de valois as the key conspirator. It became one of the scandals that led to French Revolution. US major Enron bankruptcy, led by Kenneth Lay, and the Ponzi scheme by Charles Ponzi, the two white-collar financial crimes, rocked the financial systems in the US. The 10 tales are fun, and a riveting read and, in the tales, the readers would find themselves in the murky world of scandals. The criminals of the stories have two things in common, one they dreamt of becoming filthy rich in a trice, and when caught they tried to justify that all is done in good faith, and second, all of them are caught and punished, which the author seems to lay down as the moral of the book.
White scores 19 in North Dakota State's 98-62 win over Western MichiganTopline Charles Kushner, Donald Trump’s nominee for ambassador to France, is the father of Trump’s son-in-law and a former real estate mogul Trump pardoned for an earlier conviction on tax evasion and charges involving a revenge plot to set his brother-in-law up in a sex scandal. Key Facts Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here . Tangent In an interview with PBS in 2019, Christie said his case against Charles Kushner was “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes that I prosecuted” as U.S. attorney for New Jersey. Christie has blamed Jared Kushner for pushing him out of Trump’s inner circle after the 2016 election, suggesting the younger Kushner was “still apparently seething over events that had occurred a decade ago.” Forbes Valuation The Kushner family has a combined fortune of $7.1 billion , which includes Kushner Companies, stakes in eight personal properties worth at least $100 million and investment firms owned by Jared and Josh. Kushner Companies has a market value of nearly $3 billion, according to our latest estimates, and Charles and his wife Seryl own about 20% of the firm. Josh, founder of the venture capitalist firm Thrive Capital, has an estimated net worth of $3.8 billion. Thrive Capital was an early investor in several startups, including Instagram, Spotify and OpenAI. Jared also holds a 20% stake and owns Affinity Partners, a private equity firm backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. Key Background Charles Kushner was tapped by Trump as U.S. ambassador to France on Saturday, with the president-elect referring to his pick as a “tremendous business leader, philanthropist and dealmaker” on Truth Social. The elder Kushner and Trump reportedly knew each other while navigating the real estate market, and their children, Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, married in 2009. Charles Kushner continued supporting Trump from behind the scenes, reportedly donating $100,000 to a pro-Trump group in 2015 and $1 million to a pro-Trump PAC in 2023. Jared Kushner succeeded his father as CEO of Kushner Companies and later served as a senior advisor during Trump’s first administration and as Director of the Office of American Innovation. He said earlier this year he did not plan on serving in a second Trump administration and would instead focus on his business ventures. Further Reading
Live Blog: Soo Greyhounds vs. North Bay BattalionSTANFORD, Calif. — Andrew Luck is returning to Stanford in hopes of turning around a struggling football program that he once helped become a national power. Athletic director Bernard Muir announced Saturday that Luck has been hired as the general manager of the Stanford football team, tasked with overseeing all aspects of the program that just finished a 3-9 season under coach Troy Taylor. “I am a product of this university, of Nerd Nation; I love this place,” Luck said. “I believe deeply in Stanford’s unique approach to athletics and academics and the opportunity to help drive our program back to the top. Coach Taylor has the team pointed in the right direction, and I cannot wait to work with him, the staff, and the best, brightest, and toughest football players in the world.” Luck has kept a low profile since his surprise retirement from the NFL at age 29 when he announced in August 2019 that he was leaving the Indianapolis Colts and pro football. In his new role, Luck will work with Taylor on recruiting and roster management, and with athletic department and university leadership on fundraising, alumni relations, sponsorships, student-athlete support and stadium experience. “Andrew’s credentials as a student-athlete speak for themselves, and in addition to his legacy of excellence, he also brings a deep understanding of the college football landscape and community, and an unparalleled passion for Stanford football,” Muir said. “I could not think of a person better qualified to guide our football program through a continuously evolving landscape, and I am thrilled that Andrew has agreed to join our team. This change represents a very different way of operating our program and competing in an evolving college football landscape.” Luck was one of the players who helped elevate Stanford into a West Coast powerhouse for several years. He helped end a seven-year bowl drought in his first season as starting quarterback in 2009 under coach Jim Harbaugh and led the Cardinal to back-to-back BCS bowl berths his final two seasons, when he was the Heisman Trophy runner-up both seasons. That was part of a seven-year stretch in which Stanford posted the fourth-best record in the nation at 76-18 and qualified for five BCS bowl berths under Harbaugh and David Shaw. But the Cardinal have struggled for success in recent years and haven't won more than four games in a season since 2018. Stanford just finished its fourth straight 3-9 campaign in Taylor's second season since replacing Shaw. The Cardinal are the only power conference team to lose at least nine games in each of the past four seasons. Luck graduated from Stanford with a bachelor’s degree in architectural design and returned after retiring from the NFL to get his master’s degree in education in 2023. He was picked No. 1 overall by Indianapolis in the 2012 draft and made four Pro Bowls and was AP Comeback Player of the Year in 2018 in his brief but successful NFL career.
STANFORD, Calif. — Andrew Luck is returning to Stanford in hopes of turning around a struggling football program that he once helped become a national power. Athletic director Bernard Muir announced Saturday that Luck has been hired as the general manager of the Stanford football team, tasked with overseeing all aspects of the program that just finished a 3-9 season under coach Troy Taylor. “I am a product of this university, of Nerd Nation; I love this place,” Luck said. “I believe deeply in Stanford’s unique approach to athletics and academics and the opportunity to help drive our program back to the top. Coach Taylor has the team pointed in the right direction, and I cannot wait to work with him, the staff, and the best, brightest, and toughest football players in the world.” Luck has kept a low profile since his surprise retirement from the NFL at age 29 when he announced in August 2019 that he was leaving the Indianapolis Colts and pro football. In his new role, Luck will work with Taylor on recruiting and roster management, and with athletic department and university leadership on fundraising, alumni relations, sponsorships, student-athlete support and stadium experience. “Andrew’s credentials as a student-athlete speak for themselves, and in addition to his legacy of excellence, he also brings a deep understanding of the college football landscape and community, and an unparalleled passion for Stanford football,” Muir said. “I could not think of a person better qualified to guide our football program through a continuously evolving landscape, and I am thrilled that Andrew has agreed to join our team. This change represents a very different way of operating our program and competing in an evolving college football landscape.” Luck was one of the players who helped elevate Stanford into a West Coast powerhouse for several years. He helped end a seven-year bowl drought in his first season as starting quarterback in 2009 under coach Jim Harbaugh and led the Cardinal to back-to-back BCS bowl berths his final two seasons, when he was the Heisman Trophy runner-up both seasons. That was part of a seven-year stretch in which Stanford posted the fourth-best record in the nation at 76-18 and qualified for five BCS bowl berths under Harbaugh and David Shaw. But the Cardinal have struggled for success in recent years and haven't won more than four games in a season since 2018. Stanford just finished its fourth straight 3-9 campaign in Taylor's second season since replacing Shaw. The Cardinal are the only power conference team to lose at least nine games in each of the past four seasons. Luck graduated from Stanford with a bachelor’s degree in architectural design and returned after retiring from the NFL to get his master’s degree in education in 2023. He was picked No. 1 overall by Indianapolis in the 2012 draft and made four Pro Bowls and was AP Comeback Player of the Year in 2018 in his brief but successful NFL career.
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SAN DIEGO , Dec. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cetera Financial Group (Cetera), the premier financial advisor Wealth Hub, announced strategic leadership appointments aimed at enhancing growth and advancing its advisor-centric platform. These executive changes reflect Cetera's continued commitment to delivering exceptional service and innovation for financial professionals and their clients. Todd Mackay has been appointed President of Cetera Wealth Management, succeeding Tom Taylor , who will retire at the end of the year. In this role, Mackay will drive organic growth strategies across all of Cetera's Channels and Communities, while continuously advocating for and innovating on the products and services needed in order to meet the evolving needs of advisors and their clients. Effective January 1, 2025 , Mackay will continue reporting to Mike Durbin and serving on Cetera's executive leadership team. Additionally, Christian Mitchell will join Cetera as President of Cetera Solutions. A former executive at Northwestern Mutual, Mitchell will lead strategic growth initiatives focused on enhancing digital products, platforms, and investment solutions to deliver superior advisor and client experiences. Mitchell will join Cetera later in January as a member of Cetera's executive leadership team, reporting to Mike Durbin . "At Cetera, we are committed to equipping our advisors with the best tools, technology, and support systems to help them thrive," said Mike Durbin , CEO of Cetera. " Todd Mackay and Christian Mitchell are exceptional leaders whose expertise and vision will drive our Wealth Hub's evolution and strengthen our ability to meet advisors' dynamic needs." Mackay expressed his enthusiasm for the new role, stating, "I am honored to lead Cetera Wealth Management and advance our mission of enabling advisors to build thriving businesses through our unique Wealth Hub model. Our Channels and Communities are at the heart of what makes Cetera unique. I am passionate about strengthening our value proposition while continuing to make the big feel small by fostering deep, personalized relationships across our advisor network." Mitchell added, "Joining Cetera is a tremendous opportunity to build on a foundation of success driven by a talented leadership team. I am excited to shape innovative solutions that empower advisors and elevate the client experience." These leadership appointments reinforce Cetera's long-term strategic vision centered on growth, innovation, and industry leadership. With a focus on operational excellence and technological advancement, Cetera is well-positioned for continued success in the evolving financial services landscape. About Cetera Cetera Financial Group, which is owned by Cetera Holdings (collectively, Cetera), is the premier financial advisor Wealth Hub where financial advisors and institutions optimize their control and value creation. Breaking away from a commoditized and homogenous IBD model, Cetera offers financial professionals and institutions the latest solutions, support, and services to grow, scale, or transition with a merger, sale, investment, or succession plan. Cetera proudly serves independent financial advisors, tax professionals, licensed administrators, large enterprises, as well as institutions, such as banks and credit unions, providing an established and repeatable blueprint for scalable growth. Home to approximately 12,000 financial professionals and their teams, Cetera oversees more than $545 billion in assets under administration and $235 billion in assets under management, as of September 30, 2024 . In a recent advisor satisfaction survey of nearly 35,000 reviews, Cetera's Voice of Customer (VoC) program vigorously measures advisor experience and satisfaction 24/7. Currently, it's ranked 4.8 out of 5 stars. Visit www.cetera.com , and follow Cetera on LinkedIn , YouTube , X , and Facebook . "Cetera Financial Group" refers to the network of independent retail firms encompassing, among others, Cetera Investment Advisers LLC, a registered investment adviser, and the following FINRA/SIPC members: Cetera Advisors LLC, Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, Cetera Investment Services LLC (marketed as Cetera Financial Institutions or Cetera Investors), and Cetera Financial Specialists LLC. Located at: 655 W. Broadway, 11th Floor, San Diego , CA 92101. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cetera-strengthens-executive-leadership-to-propel-strategic-growth-and-innovation-302336466.html SOURCE Cetera Financial GroupBello's 19 lead Purdue Fort Wayne over Eastern Michigan 99-76
STANFORD, Calif. — Andrew Luck is returning to Stanford in hopes of turning around a struggling football program that he once helped become a national power. Athletic director Bernard Muir announced Saturday that Luck has been hired as the general manager of the Stanford football team, tasked with overseeing all aspects of the program that just finished a 3-9 season under coach Troy Taylor. “I am a product of this university, of Nerd Nation; I love this place,” Luck said. “I believe deeply in Stanford’s unique approach to athletics and academics and the opportunity to help drive our program back to the top. Coach Taylor has the team pointed in the right direction, and I cannot wait to work with him, the staff, and the best, brightest, and toughest football players in the world.” Luck has kept a low profile since his surprise retirement from the NFL at age 29 when he announced in August 2019 that he was leaving the Indianapolis Colts and pro football. Cardinal alum Andrew Luck, left, watches a Feb. 2 game between Stanford and Southern California on Feb. 2 in Stanford, Calif. In his new role, Luck will work with Taylor on recruiting and roster management, and with athletic department and university leadership on fundraising, alumni relations, sponsorships, student-athlete support and stadium experience. “Andrew’s credentials as a student-athlete speak for themselves, and in addition to his legacy of excellence, he also brings a deep understanding of the college football landscape and community, and an unparalleled passion for Stanford football,” Muir said. “I could not think of a person better qualified to guide our football program through a continuously evolving landscape, and I am thrilled that Andrew has agreed to join our team. This change represents a very different way of operating our program and competing in an evolving college football landscape.” Luck was one of the players who helped elevate Stanford into a West Coast powerhouse for several years. He helped end a seven-year bowl drought in his first season as starting quarterback in 2009 under coach Jim Harbaugh and led the Cardinal to back-to-back BCS bowl berths his final two seasons, when he was the Heisman Trophy runner-up both seasons. Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck throws a pass during the first quarter of a Nov. 27, 2010 game against Oregon State in Stanford, Calif. That was part of a seven-year stretch in which Stanford posted the fourth-best record in the nation at 76-18 and qualified for five BCS bowl berths under Harbaugh and David Shaw. But the Cardinal have struggled for success in recent years and haven't won more than four games in a season since 2018. Stanford just finished its fourth straight 3-9 campaign in Taylor's second season since replacing Shaw. The Cardinal are the only power conference team to lose at least nine games in each of the past four seasons. Luck graduated from Stanford with a bachelor’s degree in architectural design and returned after retiring from the NFL to get his master’s degree in education in 2023. He was picked No. 1 overall by Indianapolis in the 2012 draft and made four Pro Bowls and was AP Comeback Player of the Year in 2018 in his brief but successful NFL career. Before the 2023 National Football League season started, it seemed inevitable that Bill Belichick would end his career as the winningest head coach in league history. He had won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and 298 regular-season games, plus 31 playoff games, across his career. Then the 2023 season happened. Belichick's Patriots finished 4-13, the franchise's worst record since 1992. At the end of the year, Belichick and New England owner Robert Kraft agreed to part ways. And now, during the 2024 season, Belichick is on the sideline. He's 26 wins from the #1 spot, a mark he'd reach in little more than two seasons if he maintained his .647 career winning percentage. Will he ascend the summit? It's hard to tell. Belichick would be 73 if he graced the sidelines next season—meaning he'd need to coach until at least 75 to break the all-time mark. Only one other NFL coach has ever helmed a team at age 73: Romeo Crennel in 2020 for the Houston Texans. With Belichick's pursuit of history stalled, it's worth glancing at the legends who have reached the pinnacle of coaching success. Who else stands among the 10 winningest coaches in NFL history? ranked the coaches with the most all-time regular-season wins using . These coaches have combined for 36 league championships, which represents 31.6% of won throughout the history of pro football. To learn who made the list, keep reading. - Seasons coached: 23 - Years active: 1981-2003 - Record: 190-165-2 - Winning percentage: .535 - Championships: 0 Dan Reeves reached the Super Bowl four times—thrice with the Denver Broncos and once with the Atlanta Falcons—but never won the NFL's crown jewel. Still, he racked up nearly 200 wins across his 23-year career, including a stint in charge of the New York Giants, with whom he won Coach of the Year in 1993. In all his tenures, he quickly built contenders—the three clubs he coached were a combined 17-31 the year before Reeves joined and 28-20 in his first year. However, his career ended on a sour note as he was fired from a 3-10 Falcons team after Week 14 in 2003. - Seasons coached: 23 - Years active: 1969-91 - Record: 193-148-1 - Winning percentage: .566 - Championships: 4 Chuck Noll's Pittsburgh Steelers were synonymous with success in the 1970s. Behind his defense, known as the Steel Curtain, and offensive stars, including Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, and Lynn Swann, Noll led the squad to four Super Bowl victories from 1974 to 1979. Noll's Steelers remain the lone team to win four Super Bowls in six years, though Andy Reid and Kansas City could equal that mark if they win the Lombardi Trophy this season. Noll was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993, two years after retiring. His legacy of coaching success has carried on in Pittsburgh—the club has had only two coaches (Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin) since Noll retired. - Seasons coached: 21 - Years active: 1984-98, 2001-06 - Record: 200-126-1 - Winning percentage: .613 - Championships: 0 As head coach of Cleveland, Kansas City, Washington, and San Diego, Marty Schottenheimer proved a successful leader during the regular season. Notably, he was named Coach of the Year after turning around his 4-12 Chargers team to a 12-4 record in 2004. His teams, however, struggled during the playoffs. Schottheimer went 5-13 in the postseason, and he never made it past the conference championship round. As such, the Pennsylvania-born skipper is the winningest NFL coach never to win a league championship. - Seasons coached: 25 - Years active: 1946-62, '68-75 - Record: 213-104-9 - Winning percentage: .672 - Championships: 7 The only coach on this list to pilot a college team, Paul Brown, reached the pro ranks after a three-year stint at Ohio State and two years with the Navy during World War II. He guided the Cleveland Browns—named after Brown, their first coach—to four straight titles in the fledgling All-America Football Conference. After the league folded, the ballclub moved to the NFL in 1950, and Cleveland continued its winning ways, with Brown leading the team to championships in '50, '54, and '55. He was fired in 1963 but returned in 1968 as the co-founder and coach of the Cincinnati Bengals. His other notable accomplishments include helping to and breaking . - Seasons coached: 33 - Years active: 1921-53 - Record: 226-132-22 - Winning percentage: .631 - Championships: 6 An early stalwart of the NFL, Curly Lambeau spent 29 years helming the Green Bay Packers before wrapping up his coaching career with two-year stints with the Chicago Cardinals and Washington. His Packers won titles across three decades, including the league's first three-peat from 1929-31. Notably, he experienced only one losing season during his first 27 years with Green Bay, cementing his legacy of consistent success. Born in Green Bay, Lambeau co-founded the Packers and played halfback on the team from 1919-29. He was elected to the Hall of Fame as a coach and owner in 1963, two years before his death. - Seasons coached: 26 - Years active: 1999-present - Record: 267-145-1 - Winning percentage: .648 - Championships: 3 The only active coach in the top 10, Andy Reid has posted successful runs with both the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City. After reaching the Super Bowl once in 14 years with the Eagles, Reid ratcheted things up with K.C., winning three titles since 2019. As back-to-back defending champions, Reid and Co. are looking this season to become the first franchise to three-peat in the Super Bowl era and the third to do so in NFL history after the Packers of 1929-31 and '65-67. Time will tell if Reid and his offensive wizardry can lead Kansas City to that feat. - Seasons coached: 29 - Years active: 1991-95, 2000-23 - Record: 302-165 - Winning percentage: .647 - Championships: 6 The most successful head coach of the 21st century, Bill Belichick first coached the Cleveland Browns before taking over the New England Patriots in 2000. With the Pats, Belichick combined with quarterback Tom Brady to win six Super Bowls in 18 years. Belichick and New England split after last season when the Patriots went 4-13—the worst record of Belichick's career. His name has , but nothing has come of it. Belichick has remained in the media spotlight with his regular slot on the "Monday Night Football" ManningCast. - Seasons coached: 40 - Years active: 1920-29, '33-42, '46-55, '58-67 - Record: 318-148-31 - Winning percentage: .682 - Championships: 6 George Halas was the founder and longtime owner of the Chicago Bears and coached the team across four separate stints. Nicknamed "Papa Bear," he built the ballclub into one of the NFL's premier franchises behind players such as Bronko Nagurski and Sid Luckman. Halas also played for the team, competing as a player-coach in the 1920s. The first coach to study opponents via game film, he was once a baseball player and even made 12 appearances as a member of the New York Yankees in 1919. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1963 as both a coach and owner. - Seasons coached: 33 - Years active: 1963-95 - Record: 328-156-6 - Winning percentage: .677 - Championships: 2 The winningest head coach in NFL history is Don Shula, who first coached the Baltimore Colts (losing Super Bowl III to Joe Namath and the New York Jets) for seven years before leading the Miami Dolphins for 26 seasons. With the Fins, Shula won back-to-back Super Bowls in 1972 and 1973, a run that included a 17-0 season—the only perfect campaign in NFL history. He also coached quarterback great Dan Marino in the 1980s and '90s, but the pair made it to a Super Bowl just once. Shula was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997. - Seasons coached: 29 - Years active: 1960-88 - Record: 250-162-6 - Winning percentage: .607 - Championships: 2 The first head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Tom Landry held the position for his entire 29-year tenure as an NFL coach. The Cowboys were especially dominant in the 1970s when they made five Super Bowls and won the big game twice. Landry was known for coaching strong all-around squads and a unit that earned the nickname the "Doomsday Defense." Between 1966 and 1985, Landry and his Cowboys enjoyed 20 straight seasons with a winning record. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1990. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
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PHOENIX — You may be familiar with a range of tips for living a healthy life: Watch your weight, exercise, eat nutritious food and don’t smoke, for example. What if you could combine these lifestyle factors with a host of other variables to learn your risk of developing specific diseases, to help catch and treat them early or prevent them altogether? Victor Ortega, M.D., Ph.D. , associate director for the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine in Arizona, explains how science is drawing ever closer to making such personal health forecasts possible. Previously inconceivable, such personal guides to well-being are becoming increasingly possible because of new and sophisticated genome-wide technologies that capture data spanning entire genomes, Dr. Ortega says. The complex scores are compiled from a combination of data from thousands to hundreds of thousands of a person's DNA sequence variants. This type of large genome-wide data has the potential to predict disease risks, such as heart disease , diabetes , asthma and specific cancers . "Imagine knowing your genetic predisposition for having a heart attack in your 50s, or if you're in the top 5% of the population for the risk of cancer or diabetes based on data from your whole genome. With this knowledge, you could make informed lifestyle choices and receive enhanced screenings to mitigate that risk," Dr. Ortega says. As a pulmonologist and genomic scientist, Dr. Ortega is leading a charge to breathe new life into precision medicine advancements. His mission is rooted in a deep commitment to health equities and inspired by his grandmother. "My grandmother died of asthma, and that should not have happened. She was Puerto Rican like me, and Puerto Ricans have the highest severity and frequency of asthma of any ethnic group in the world," Dr. Ortega says. "They also represent less than 1% of people in genetic studies. So, I've made it a life mission to develop cures and diagnostics for people like my grandma, and for all people." Each person has millions of genetic variants, each having a small effect. But together, these variants can increase the risk of getting a condition. A polygenic risk score estimates the overall risk someone has of getting a disease by adding up the small effects of variants throughout an individual’s entire genome. Polygenic risk scores are not used to diagnose diseases. Some people who don't have a high-risk score for a certain disease still can be at risk of getting the disease or might already have it. Other people with high-risk scores may never get the disease. People with the same genetic risk can have different outcomes depending on other factors such as lifestyle which determine one’s lifelong environmental exposures, also called the exposome . Dr. Ortega says that getting to the point where all people know their polygenic risk scores will require a solid foundation of "omics" research and datasets, cutting-edge technologies and further discoveries of gene-disease links — all of which are within his team's expertise and capabilities. Omics is an emerging multidisciplinary field of biological sciences that encompasses genomics, proteomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics and more. "It's going to take considerable work and planning, but it really is the way of the future," he says. In the shorter term, Dr. Ortega plans to transition more omics discoveries from research laboratories to the clinic. Omics data can help identify the molecular culprits driving a person's disease, as well as biomarkers that can lead to the development of targeted treatments and diagnostics. Recent omics discoveries at Mayo Clinic's Center for Individualized Medicine have enabled scientists to predict antidepressant response in people with depression and discover a potential therapeutic strategy for bone marrow cancer. Scientists have also used omics to pinpoint genetic variations that potentially increase the risk for severe COVID-19, uncover potential clues for preventing and treating gliomas and unravel the genetic mystery of a rare neurodevelopmental disorder . Drawing from his years of extensive clinical experience in treating patients with severe respiratory illnesses, Dr. Ortega is also working to expand genomic testing to a broader set of diseases. He highlights the center's collaborative Program for Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases as an effective model that he hopes to amplify. The Program for Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases proactively engages healthcare teams across Mayo's clinical practice to conduct targeted genomic testing for patients with a suspected rare genetic disease. He says expanding this strategy to more diseases will help build collaborations across Mayo and educate more clinicians on genomics. It may also ensure the most effective genomic sequencing tests are given to patients, ultimately improving patient care and outcomes. Dr. Ortega is leading the development of a polygenic risk score framework for Mayo Clinic, beginning with interstitial lung disease . This condition, marked by progressive scarring of lung tissue, is influenced by both rare gene variants and a collection of more common variants, all of which are captured together in polygenic risk scores. ### About Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and to providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.Optex Systems Holdings, Inc. Announces Financial Highlights for the Year Ended September 29, 2024
Bello also contributed eight assists for the Mastodons (8-4). Jalen Jackson scored 17 points while going 7 of 12 from the floor, including 2 for 5 from 3-point range, and 1 for 3 from the line. Corey Hadnot II had 17 points and shot 6 for 8, including 5 for 6 from beyond the arc. Jalen Terry led the Eagles (5-5) in scoring, finishing with 28 points. Jalin Billingsley added 16 points and nine rebounds for Eastern Michigan. Da'Sean Nelson had 10 points, six rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Purdue Fort Wayne took the lead with 18:46 left in the first half and did not relinquish it. The score was 48-34 at halftime, with Jackson racking up 14 points. Purdue Fort Wayne extended its lead to 56-34 during the second half, fueled by an 8-0 scoring run. Maximus Nelson scored a team-high 12 points in the second half as his team closed out the win. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
