| Eric Schmidt, former CEO and Chairman of Google, co-founder of Schmidt Sciences, and leading architect in the era of Artificial Intelligence, will deliver the University of Arizona’s Commencement address on May 15. Few leaders have played a more defining role in shaping the future and advancing scientific frontiers through private investment, philanthropic giving, and private-public partnership. “Dr. Schmidt helped define the architecture of the internet and, under his leadership, guided Google to become one of the world’s most influential technology companies,” said University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella. “Today, through his investments in scientific discovery and emerging technologies, he continues to power research that shapes the future, including his partnership with our scholars to expand the frontiers of exploration. “For the Class of 2026 and their families, his career reflects what is possible when innovation is paired with purpose. It speaks directly to our commitment to success for every student and to preparing graduates not only to navigate a rapidly changing world, but to lead, discover and create opportunity within it. We are honored to welcome him to Arizona and look forward to the message he will share with our graduates.” Earlier this year, Schmidt Sciences announced the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Observatory System, one space and three ground-based observatories that aim to accelerate scientific discovery through innovative technology and open access to time and data. Schmidt Sciences is partnering with the U of A as a key collaborator on Lazuli – the world’s first fully privately funded space telescope. By combining the U of A’s leadership in precision exoplanet imaging with Schmidt Sciences’ emphasis on rapid innovation, this collaboration will help accelerate a new era of space exploration. “The University of Arizona embodies the curiosity, rigor, and bold imagination that will shape the next era of discovery – not just in science and technology, but in tackling the world’s greatest challenges,” said Schmidt. “The work being done here today will define what’s possible tomorrow. I am honored to address the Class of 2026 as they step into a pivotal moment in history, full of extraordinary opportunity and responsibility. Alongside founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, Schmidt scaled Google globally to expand beyond search, going on to serve as chairman from 2011 to 2015 and later as executive chairman of Alphabet from 2015 to 2018. In 2021, he launched and now chairs the Special Competitive Studies Project, working to strengthen America’s long-term competitiveness in an AI-driven world, and regularly testifies in front of Congress to advise on matters of technology, energy, and national security. In 2024, Schmidt was awarded an honorary KBE by King Charles III for services to philanthropy. He is currently chair and CEO of Relativity Space, author of four New York Times best-selling books, and co-founder with his wife Wendy of several philanthropic organizations working to make the world healthy, resilient and secure for all. The couple founded the Schmidt Family Foundation, Schmidt Ocean Institute, and most recently, Schmidt Sciences. Schmidt will receive an honorary Doctor of Science from the U of A College of Science. He is one of five honorary degree recipients. Honorary degree recipients Alice Chaiten Baker will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Baker has helped advance the arts and social sciences at the University of Arizona and in Tucson through years of philanthropy, community leadership and advocacy for education. Baker’s contributions have helped support the Arizona Center for Judaic Studies with the aim to help it become the state’s preeminent center for the study of Jewish life and history. Alice, alongside her husband Paul, has also supported endowments and visiting professorships that have expanded the college’s teaching and research capacity. Baker was raised in Tucson and graduated from the university, becoming the first of three generations of Wildcats. Gabrielle Giffords will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters from the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture. A native Tucsonan, Giffords began her political career in 2001 when she won a seat in Arizona State House of Representatives and later served in the Arizona Senate. In 2006, she was elected to represent Arizona’s 8th Congressional District in Washington, D.C. On Jan. 8, 2011, a gunman opened fire at a “Congress on Your Corner” event Giffords was holding in Tucson; the attack killed six people and critically wounded Giffords. She stepped down shortly thereafter to focus on her recovery, but she later returned to public life as an advocate for gun violence prevention. Giffords co-founded Americans for Responsible Solutions, an advocacy and research organization later renamed GIFFORDS. F. Ronald Rayner will receive an honorary Doctor of Science from the College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences. A fourth-generation Arizona farmer and a first-generation college graduate, Rayner graduated with high distinction from the college in 1964 with a Bachelor of Science in agricultural education. Rayner, a former president and chairman of the National Cotton Council of America, is an innovator in arid-land agriculture, helping develop no-till and minimum-tillage systems designed to conserve water. Rayner has long advocated for student success at the U of A. His business, A Tumbling T Ranches, has become a de facto extension and research satellite for the college, sharing water-use data and expertise with students and researchers. Rayner also has provided funding support to Cooperative Extension, the Arizona Experiment Station, and renovations to the college’s main building. Scott Stuber will receive an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from the College of Fine Arts. A proud alumnus of the college, Stuber has spent decades redefining how films are created, distributed and experienced. He is currently in a multi-year partnership with Amazon MGM Studios to relaunch the historic United Artists and to finance and release movies from his new production company. From 2017 to 2024, Stuber served as chairman of Netflix Films, guiding the company’s transformation into a global production and distribution leader. Under his guidance, Netflix released critically acclaimed titles like Alfonso Cuarón’s Academy Award–winning “Roma,” Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” and Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog.” Stuber received the College of Fine Arts Professional Achievement Award in 2010 for his rising influence. Alumni Achievement Award recipient Cisco Aguilar will receive the university’s Alumni Achievement Award. Aguilar serves as Nevada’s Secretary of State, focusing on modernizing, innovating and building transparency in the office. Aguilar graduated from the University of Arizona in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration; 2004 with a master’s in business administration; and 2004 with a Juris Doctor. Under Aguilar’s leadership and vision as Secretary of State, the office took on two major technology projects to modernize the state’s elections and business filings. Thanks to dedicated efforts to expand access to the ballot box, tribal voting turnout increased by 34% during the 2024 election. Prior to being elected, Aguilar served 12 years as general counsel for Agassi Graf, the management company for Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, and the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education. In 2020, Aguilar launched Blueprint Sports, a sports technology startup, facilitating over $140 million in name, image, and likeness earnings for over 25,000 NCAA student-athletes since 2021. |
Tag: United States of America
U of A named a top producer of Gilman Scholars
The University of Arizona was recognized on Thursday by the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, which named the U of A as one of the top producers of Gilman Scholars in the nation. The university ranked No. 4 among institutions with more than 15,000 students.
Administered by the U.S. Department of State and hosted by the Bureau of Cultural and Educational Affairs, the Gilman Program offers need‑based scholarships to undergraduate students with limited financial means in order to study or intern abroad for college credit while gaining valuable international experience, language and critical thinking skills. The program is named after the late New York Congressman, Benjamin A. Gilman, and has been administered by The Institute of International Education since its inception in 2001.
Every year, nearly 3,000 students across the country are awarded Gilman scholarships of up to $5,000, which defrays the cost of tuition, room and board, international airfare and other expenses. Students must be receiving a Federal Pell Grant to be eligible for the program
Gilman Scholars at the U of A are supported by Study Abroad within Arizona International. Study abroad programs at the university include a wide range of formats, from short-term, faculty-led courses to semester and yearlong programs in more than 30 countries.
“Being named one of the nation’s top producers of Gilman Scholars is a testament to the hard work we do every day to provide access to our students, and it’s amazing to see that work recognized at a national level,” said Harmony DeFazio, executive director of Study Abroad. “At its core, this office is a tool that supports student success at the University of Arizona, and this scholarship is an important part of that work.”
The U of A was recognized for its contribution to the program over the last 25 years, over which time more than 600 Wildcats have earned more than $2.3 million in scholarships – with an average award amount of $3,700 per student. Study Abroad has also demonstrated consistent success in helping students secure Gilman funding: The university’s award rate averages 30%, compared to the 20% national average.
Peer-driven student success
Supporting students through their Gilman journey often begins with peer advisors like Alyssa Ortega, a senior studying information science in the College of Information Science. Last summer, Ortega traveled to Seoul, South Korea as a Gilman Scholar to study at UA Seoul, a partnership with Hanyang University. While there, she advanced her academic goals while immersing herself in Korean culture and daily life.
Back in Southern Arizona, Ortega now helps her fellow Wildcats through their application process. Alongside her fellow advisors, Ortega hosts open office hours to help students begin their application and sift through the finer details of essays and personal statements.
“Students are often worried about the costs of studying abroad and applying for a nationally competitive scholarship, and what I’ve found to be most helpful is actually sitting down and walking them through the process,” she said. “I can guide them through the various scholarship websites and provide one-on-one feedback on their application and essays. I make sure they know I can always lend a hand if they need it.”
According to Dafne Johnson, program director of Study Abroad scholarships, students like Ortega play a crucial role in the university’s recognition from the Gilman Program.
Johnson’s primary goal is to help Wildcats reach their full potential by experiencing other cultures and sharing a piece of Southern Arizona while they study abroad. She called the Gilman Scholarship “a key tool” in accomplishing that work because the program supports students in realizing their dreams without worrying about financial constraints.
“Gilman is one of the first scholarships we tell our students about because it supports those who couldn’t otherwise afford the experience,” Johnson said. “I think the Gilman program presents a wonderful opportunity for students because it’s a nationally competitive scholarship that shows students what they want to accomplish is possible.”
In addition to the Gilman Scholarship, Johnson and her staff assist students applying to the Garcia Family Foundation Scholarship for Study Abroad, established last September to expand access to credit-bearing U of A Study Abroad programs for students with financial need.
International education and collaboration at the U of A was previously recognized by the Fulbright Program, which in February named the university one of the nation’s top producers of Fulbright Scholars. The university also earned the Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization from NAFSA: Association of International Educators for implementing innovative strategies and partnerships fostering global learning opportunities.
BoodleBox to Accelerate AI Innovation in Education with NVIDIA Nemotron
BoodleBox, the collaborative AI platform empowering human potential through responsible AI integration, today announced a collaboration with NVIDIA to build on NVIDIA AI infrastructure and integrate pre-trained models to deliver faster, more cost-effective AI experiences for teaching and learning. The collaboration will bring NVIDIA accelerated computing libraries, NVIDIA AI blueprints, and NVIDIA Nemotron open models to enhance platform performance while expanding access to cutting-edge AI capabilities in educational settings.
As part of this initiative, BoodleBox has integrated NVIDIA Nemotron 3 Nano open model as a native AI Assistant within its platform, bringing hands-on experience with open-model AI to more than 800,000 students and faculty. The integration empowers students to engage directly with state-of-the-art AI technology and develop practical skills with open-source models increasingly used in academic and professional settings. Additionally, educators gain a classroom-ready assistant to support inquiry-based learning, guide group work, and demonstrate real-world AI applications, while reinforcing responsible AI use.
“Integrating NVIDIA Nemotron 3 Nano helps us accelerate AI innovation in education while keeping collaboration, transparency, and responsible use at the center,” said France Hoang, CEO and Founder of BoodleBox. “This collaboration advances our mission to make powerful AI accessible and practical for teaching and learning, so institutions can prepare students for an AI-integrated future.”
“BoodleBox is helping prepare the next generation for an AI-powered world by integrating NVIDIA Nemotron open models into their AI assistant,” said Joey Conway, senior director of Generative AI Software at NVIDIA. The collaboration enables educators and students to gain hands-on experience with state-of-the-art, accurate, and efficient open models.
Comprehensive AI Capabilities for Real Classrooms
With NVIDIA Nemotron 3 Nano now available in BoodleBox, students and educators can use an open model within a collaborative learning environment designed for classroom workflows. Educators can support inquiry-based learning and personalized instruction, while students can explore ideas, analyze information, and build skills together with Nemotron 3 Nano as an active learning partner.
BoodleBox also offers continuity across learning activities, allowing students and faculty to revisit prior work, develop longer-term projects, and deepen understanding over time. Learners can work with uploaded materials, shared knowledge resources, visuals, data, and code to collaborate on research, analysis, and problem-solving.
With multi-user chat, classes and small groups can co-create in a shared AI environment. Educators and students can also build custom AI bots powered by NVIDIA Nemotron models for teaching, learning, and work.
Broader Collaboration Highlights
- Open-Model AI Ecosystem for Education: BoodleBox will expand access to NVIDIA Nemotron open models, starting with Nemotron 3 Nano, to help educational institutions adopt open, flexible AI capabilities. In addition, BoodleBox is exploring NVIDIA Clara for biomedical learning use cases and NVIDIA Cosmos for physical and engineering-focused AI applications.
- Specialized AI Solutions Powered by NVIDIA AI Blueprints: BoodleBox is leveraging NVIDIA AI Blueprints and embedding technologies to accelerate product development and enable domain-specific solutions for institutional needs. NVIDIA LLM Router Blueprint principles have been incorporated into BoodleBot, BoodleBox’s new auto-routing assistant. Additionally, NVIDIA Enterprise RAG Blueprint guidance has informed BoodleBox’s document and memory management system, enhancing how users retrieve context, reference materials, and institutional knowledge.
- Optimized Performance Through NVIDIA AI Infrastructure on Azure: BoodleBox will incorporate NVIDIA AI infrastructure through Microsoft Azure to reduce response times and operational costs, allowing institutions to deploy advanced AI experiences without specialized hardware investments.
As a member of the NVIDIA Inception program for startups, BoodleBox has access to NVIDIA’s ecosystem of developer tools, technical training, and other benefits to accelerate the adoption of high‑performance, collaborative AI in education.
“At Mays Business School, our vision is building a better future through business, and today that requires much more than merely acknowledging artificial intelligence,” said Arnold Castro, Assistant Dean of AI of Mays Business School at Texas A&M University. “It requires rethinking how we learn, innovate, and ultimately change the world. Our partnership with BoodleBox, using NVIDIA AI infrastructure and Nemotron open models, advances our mission by empowering our faculty and students to use cutting-edge AI technology to deepen learning, expand creativity, and amplify impact, as we work together to prepare the next generation of principled business leaders.”
Since its launch, BoodleBox has gained traction with educators, students, and professionals across 1,300+ institutions seeking comprehensive AI teaching and learning solutions. The platform’s focus on transparency and collaboration has demonstrated measurable impact, including an 83% improvement in student prompting skills, 87% in student preference over other AI platforms, and a 95%+ reduction in environmental impact.
This integration reinforces BoodleBox’s commitment to delivering secure, enterprise-grade AI experiences through its FERPA-compliant platform while advancing collaborative, human-centered learning that supports the evolving demands of the AI-driven workforce.
To learn more about the collaboration, visit www.boodlebox.ai/nvidia and follow BoodleBox on LinkedIn.
Chula & Ohio University Strengthen Collab
Chulalongkorn University welcomed a delegation from Ohio University, USA, led by Dr. Matthew Ando, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at the Reception Room on the 2nd floor of Chamchuri 4 Building. The delegation was received by CU Vice Presidents Prof. Dr. Parichart Sthapitanonda and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Palanee Ammaranond.
The purpose of this visit is to enhance academic collaboration following the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two institutions. Discussions focused on opportunities to develop cooperation across a wide range of disciplines, including Science, Education, Arts and Letters, fine and Applied Arts, Communication Arts, Engineering, and International Interdisciplinary Studies.
On this occasion, executives from various faculties also joined the welcome, including Prof. Dr. Pranut Potiyaraj, Dean of the Faculty of Science; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yotsawee Saifah, Dean of the Faculty of Education; Asst. Prof. Dr. Chanisa Tantixalerm, Associate Dean overseeing special missions and affairs, Faculty of Education; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pasuree Luesakul, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Faculty of Arts; and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pornpraphit Phaosawat, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts.
Read more at: https://www.chula.ac.th/en/news/283516/
Cornell Law Expands East Asian Ties via NTU
Cornell Law School has jointly launched a new student exchange partnership with National Taiwan University’s College of Law, widely recognized as Taiwan’s leading law school. This builds on Cornell Law’s long-standing program with Waseda University’s School of Law in Japan, creating a trio of academic partnerships—true sister schools across East Asia and the United States.
To mark this milestone, the inaugural Waseda–National Taiwan University–Cornell Interdisciplinary Workshop took place at Waseda University in Tokyo on July 30–31, followed by the first-ever National Taiwan University–Waseda–Cornell Workshop in Taipei on August 4. The events gathered Deans, Vice-Deans, and faculty from all three institutions to present research, exchange perspectives, and deepen institutional collaboration.
Cornell Law was represented by Professors Valerie Hans, Dan Awrey, and Yun-chien Chang, each of whom presented working papers and engaged in discussions with Taiwanese and Japanese scholars. The workshops were co-sponsored by the Clarke Program in East Asian Law and Culture, and generously supported by the Tokyo-based law firm, Mori Hamada & Matsumoto, an alumni affiliate and friend of Cornell Law School.
Medical University of the Americas announces reduced tuition to boost accessibility, affordability
Leading Caribbean medical school, Medical University of the Americas (“MUA”), is proud to announce a reduction in tuition for students matriculating in 2023 in a bid to tackle affordability and accessibility to medical education.
MUA’s 12% in reduction in tuition to $207,500 makes the institution the most affordable Caribbean medical school that is approved to participate in U.S. Federal Financial Aid programs and is approved by the state of New York, is licensed in Florida, and is recognized by California.
Medicine is known as one of the most expensive discipline to study. In today’s economic climate, with rising costs, students are faced with a multitude of challenges and concerns including a potentially overwhelming financial debt load which may put students off from studying medicine altogether.
Commenting on this announcement, Gerald J. Wargo Jr., Executive Vice President for Marketing and Enrolment, said: “This is an excellent opportunity for students who may have been limited financially in their pursuit to achieve their medical degree. At Medical University of the Americas, we are committed to providing opportunity through an accessible and affordable education, with the same focus on student success.”
With the financial flexibility offered to reduce the cost of medical education, MUA students can complete their education with far less debt than students at other medical institutions – without compromising on the overall standard of education excellence and commitment to student success.
MUA is part of the Global University Systems’ group of private higher education institutions. For more information MUA and programs offered, please visit https://www.mua.edu/.
About Medical University of the Americas
Medical University of the Americas was founded over 20 years ago on a philosophy of education that believes students are best taught medicine in small classes, with one-on-one instruction, and with a commitment to providing an education on par with U.S. and Canadian medical schools. Today MUA continues to adhere to those founding principles and has earned a reputation for academic excellence – and graduate success – that has made it a leader among international medical schools.
MUA students obtain residencies in competitive programmes across the full range of medical specialties in the U.S. and Canada. Many of MUA’s graduates excel in their residencies, becoming Chief Residents, and many pursue Fellowship opportunities following residency. Over the last five years, 88% of graduates seeking residency have secured positions.
For more information, please visit https://www.mua.edu/.