App Combines Best of Credit and Debit, Automatically Paying Off Credit Card Purchases and Helping Millennial’s Build Their Credit History

BETHESDA, M.D. (April 30, 2018) – As millions of college students prepare to graduate, Washington DC-based startup Debx has launched a new personal finance app that helps them build their credit history without racking up debt, by combining the perks of credit cards with the peace of mind and simplicity of a debit card.

Many recent college graduates are just now learning how vital good credit history is, whether they want to get a car loan or secure an apartment. But it turns out many are avoid using or even applying for credit cards, afraid of the debt and high interest rates that accompany them.

In fact, according to a recent survey, 33% of millennials are afraid of credit card debt more than anything else, compared to only 20% responding that their greatest fear was death1. With credit card debt rising to over $1.02 trillion by 20172, and the average American consumer carrying $5,290 in credit card balances, millennials have good reasons for being wary.

But avoiding credit cards entirely has its own downsides: recent grads often have a hard time building good credit without them, and they miss out on the many other benefits credit cards offer, such as rewards points, cashback, and consumer protections from fraud and theft.

“When college students graduate, they are often unsure how to build their credit or manage their personal finances, and are maybe even a little intimidated,” says Ben Psillas, Founder of Debx. “They leave school with tons of student loans, and they want to avoid getting deeper in debt. But, they need to start building their credit history, and credit cards are one of the best ways to establish that.”

Debx’s aim is to help college grads avoid the pitfalls of credit cards, staying out of debt while still taking advantage of the many perks they offer.

By linking users’ credit cards and checking accounts, Debx pays off credit card balances automatically, or at the push of a button, allowing user’s credit cards to effectively function as a debit card, and avoid amassing large balances. Customizable rules such as Auto-Pay automatically pays off purchases below a certain amount, while Shutoff Balance automatically stops auto-payments when the balance in a user’s checking account dips below a set limit. As a result, users can use their credit card as they would for everyday purchases, earning credit card reward points, miles and cash back, but without the risk of overspending – and the infamous high interest rates and late fees such overspending invites.

The app also reinforces good spending habits by tracking credit card spending and balances, sending users notifications and reminders, and giving them updates on what rewards they have earned and how much using their credit card saves them. Users can see all their credit cards in one place, keeping an eye on their balances, spending and payments and knowing exactly where their money is going.

“College grads should feel confident when using credit,” says Psillas, “and by letting them stay on top of their balances, avoid debt and reap all the rewards that credit cards have to offer – while practically on auto-pilot – Debx will help them build that confidence and feel good about how they spend their money.”

Debx is available free for iOS in the iTunes Store. Enrollment takes less than 90 seconds, and Debx links with most major credit card lenders, including American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Discover, Wells Fargo and many more. To learn more, visit www.debx.co

About Debx: 
Debx is a free personal finance app for college graduates and millennials that keeps consumers out of debt by automatically paying off their everyday credit card purchases. By linking users’ existing credit cards and checking account, Debx allows them to use their credit card like a debit card, helping them earn more rewards, build credit, and enjoy the security of a credit card, while avoiding interest charges and fees. For more information, visit debx.co or follow Debx on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contact:
Ben Psillas
Founder
ben@debx.co
202-297-3596

1. Credible.com, February 13, 2018, Survey: Millennials Fear Credit Card Debt More Than Threat of War and Dying
2. MarketWatch, August 8, 2017, “American’s Now Have the Highest Credit Card Debt in U.S. History”. Federal Reserve

Top-rated stress and anxiety management mobile app Pacifica offers students full access to mental health tools to help combat end-of-semester stress.

SAN FRANCISCO, April 26, 2018 — Pacifica, the #1 mental health mobile app, announced today that it is giving free Premium access to students, faculty, and staff, in order to help them manage the stress and anxiety related to final exams.

“We understand how stressful the end of the semester can be for students,” said Dale Beermann, CEO and Co-Founder of Pacifica Labs. “With so many different priorities competing for your attention, it’s important to take a break and destress. Pacifica can help you find a few minutes in your schedule to reset and find time to relax.”

Pacifica’s mobile app is based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness concepts, designed to help students learn new techniques for managing stress and anxiety. The app’s tools include mood and health habit tracking tools, relaxing guided audio meditations, and more.

“Usually when you feel like you don’t have the time to relax is when you need to relax the most,” said Christine Moberg, Ph.D., Head of Psychology at Pacifica Labs. “Pacifica’s tools are easy and convenient to use to help manage stress in just a few minutes a day.”

According to the National College Health Association’s Spring 2017 National College Health Assessment Survey, 44.8% of students reported their overall stress level over the past 12 months as being above average. High stress levels can have an effect on academic performance.

“Students often get stressed out about exams, which can negatively impact their ability to focus on studying, or affect sleep habits,” Moberg said. “Doing some deep breathing before a test, or listening to a sleep meditation before bed to calm your mind are easy ways to improve mental wellness.”

Now through June 15, students, faculty, and staff can download Pacifica in the App Store or Google Play and sign up with a .edu email address. Once they’ve validated their email, they will get free Premium access through June 15 (normally $8.99/month). Existing users with validated .edu email addresses will be also given Premium access through June 15.

“Part of our mission at Pacifica is to make mental health care more accessible for everyone,” Beermann said. “Using technology to put CBT tools in the hands of students during the end of semester crunch is one way that we can do that.”

About Pacifica Labs
Founded in 2014, Pacifica Labs is a mental health technology innovator based in San Francisco. Pacifica’s mobile and web application empowers people to manage their stress, anxiety and depression using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness techniques. In addition to its iOS and Android consumer apps, Pacifica Labs also offers Pacifica for Clinicians, a dashboard tool designed to help mental health care providers leverage the app with their patients and improve treatment effectiveness, and Pacifica for Edu, a comprehensive platform to bring mental health tools to the entire student population on college campuses. https://www.thinkpacifica.com/

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Media Contacts
Ashley Toy
Head of Marketing
Pacifica Labs
ashley@thinkpacifica.com

 

1,000 students to receive free access to the first-of-its-kind, all-access subscription for course materials

KANSAS CITY, Mo., April 20, 2018 — Cengage, an education and technology company, today announced it is providing 1,000 college students with a free semester of Cengage Unlimited, the new subscription service for college course materials. The announcement was made by Cengage CEO Michael Hansen at PTK Catalyst 2018, the Society’s annual convention, in Kansas City.

Cengage Unlimited is a first-of-its-kind subscription service that gives students access to all the company’s digital higher education materials — more than 22,000 products across 70 disciplines and 675 courses— for $119.99/semester, no matter how many Cengage materials they use.

The subscriptions will be made available through a partnership with the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Foundation. PTK is the international honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges.

“The cost of course materials, which can rival tuition at some two-year schools, can have a big impact on whether college students are successful,” said Michael Hansen, CEO, Cengage. “With an affordable subscription to high quality, proven course materials, we’re removing those barriers and increasing access to learning. These awards demonstrate our commitment to giving students a more impactful, quality learning experience.”

Students pursuing associate degrees deal with many financial challenges. More than half face food and housing insecurity and nearly 13% experience some form of homelessness, according to recent reports.

“While PTK members have very similar financial struggles as other college students, they dramatically outperform their peers in completion and transfer outcomes,” said PTK President and CEO Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner. “We appreciate Cengage’s investment in their success.”

PTK Members and alumni attending a U.S. college or university can enter online at http://www.ptk.org/cengage. Cengage Unlimited will launch in August 2018 and subscriptions can be used for the 2018/19 academic year. The deadline to apply is May 15, 2018.

For more information about Cengage Unlimited, please visit Cengage.com/unlimited or stop by the Cengage booth at PTK Catalyst, April 19-21.

About Cengage
Cengage is the education and technology company built for learners. As the largest US-based provider of teaching and learning materials for higher ed, we offer valuable options at affordable price points. Our industry-leading initiatives include Cengage Unlimited, the first-of-its-kind all-access digital subscription service.  We embrace innovation to create learning experiences that build confidence and momentum toward the future students want. Headquartered in Boston, Cengage also serves K-12, library and workforce training markets around the world. Visit us at www.cengage.com or find us on Facebook or Twitter.

About Phi Theta Kappa
Phi Theta Kappa is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. The Society is made up of more than 3.5 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 10 nations. Learn more at ptk.org.

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Media Contact
Kristina Massari
Cengage
203-965-8694
kristina.massari@cengage.com

“‘Epic historical military fantasy’ sounds like a whole lot of book—in a good way. When Rin tests into the most elite military school in her country, it’s good and bad: her classmates are horrible, but she discovers an unexpected power. Though it’s not a YA book, The Poppy War’s cover copy reminds me of both Eon and An Ember in the Ashes: magical powers, intense school, and harrowing conflict. Yes, please.” 

Tor.com, “The Books We’re Looking Forward to in 2018”

Georgetown student R.F. Kuang makes her literary debut
with a brilliantly imaginative novel inspired by the history of China’s modern history.
The novel is imbued with treachery and magic, much in the tradition of
Ken Liu’s The Grace of Kings and N.K. Jemisin’s The Inheritance Trilogy.

When Georgetown University student R.F. Kuang was inspired by her undergraduate studies in Chinese history to write a fantastical reimagining of China’s insurgent modern history, she never imagined that her finished manuscript, the first in a projected three-part trilogy, would go into heated auction amongst America’s top science fiction publishers.  And when Harper Voyager, an imprint of HarperCollins publishers, acquired her work on Kuang’s 20^th birthday, there was certainly ample reason to celebrate.  THE POPPY WAR, which will be released in hardcover format on May 1, 2018 (just a few days before the author’s graduation ceremony), is one of the imprint’s most anticipated releases of the year.  “We’re incredibly excited to publish THE POPPY WAR, and to be working with R.F. Kuang, who is an incredible new talent in the speculative fiction industry,” says Voyager editorial director David Pomerico.  “Set in a world full of magic, but based on Chinese history, the blending of military fantasy and coming-of-age narrative hits all the notes popular in the genre today.  Kuang combines cultural authenticity with personal creativity at a time when both qualities are very much demanded by readers.”

The author, a student of geopolitics, notes in a recent interview with The Hoya newspaper, “(THE POPPY WAR) is about the domestic politics, military strategy and interpersonal dynamics of the most important figures of 20th century China, but everything is transposed to a Song dynasty setting…I’m interested in military history and collective memory. That is, how wars are fought, and how we remember them.”

Kuang continues to work on the second and third book in the series, and plans to finish writing the trilogy this summer, before she moves to the United Kingdom for her graduate program at Cambridge University.

About the Book:
Rin knows that the only way out of her village–and an arranged marriage she doesn’t want–is to test into the elite military academy at Sinegard. When Rin aces the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—it is a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who had believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, in realizing she is finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence.

The first thing Rin learns upon arriving at academy is that being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power—an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive—and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school.

For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away . . .

Rin’s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity . . . and that it may already be too late.

About the Author:

R. F. Kuang is a graduate of the 2016 Odyssey Writing Workshop. She studies Chinese history at Georgetown University, and has recently been awarded a Marshall Scholarship.  Kuang will continue her studies of the legacy of warfare in China at Cambridge University in the fall.   The Poppy War is her debut novel.

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Media Contact:
Pamela Jaffee
212.207.7495
Pamela.Jaffee@harpercollins.com

 

Collaboration to broaden student textbook affordability options

BOSTON and CHICAGO —April 12, 2018—Cengage, an education and technology company, and RedShelf, a leading provider of digital learning materials, today announced the expansion of their existing partnership to include Cengage Unlimited, while also formalizing their collaboration on inclusive access.

Through both programs, Cengage and RedShelf are providing students with more options and more access to affordable learning materials. Beginning in August, RedShelf will offer Cengage Unlimited through the RedShelf.com eCommerce site and RedShelf Bookstore, the digital content platform that powers digital distribution for 600+ college bookstores.

Cengage Unlimited is the first-of-its-kind subscription service for digital higher education materials. A subscription provides access to more than 22,000 products across 70 disciplines and more than 675 courses for one price—$119.99 a semester, no matter how many Cengage products are used. Students using the digital platforms also have the option of free print rentals, paying only a $7.99 shipping fee.

“RedShelf has been an important partner in the seamless delivery of affordable digital products to our customers and our collective growth in inclusive access is evidence of that. Today we are expanding our partnership to now sell our Cengage Unlimited subscription service, making our extensive suite of high quality learning accessible to even more students,” said Todd Markson, Chief Strategy Officer, Cengage. “We want to make Cengage Unlimited available wherever students are and, in working with RedShelf, we are making it easier than ever for students to access high quality, affordable course materials.”

In addition, Cengage’s commitment to delivering individual courses through RedShelf Inclusive provides students with access to affordable course materials and advanced learning tools on the first day of class, on an innovative platform that instructors and administrators can use to enhance student engagement. The program has more than 140 participating institutions and has experienced 600% year-over-year unit growth.

“Working closely with Cengage to support their access and affordability initiatives is perfectly aligned with the core values RedShelf was founded on,” said RedShelf CEO and co-founder Greg Fenton. “Expanding our inclusive access programs alongside the launch of Cengage Unlimited are top priorities for RedShelf over the next year.  By expanding our partnership with Cengage, we’re continuing to invest in our mission of improving education by providing affordable, accessible content and tools that drive student success.”

For more information on Cengage Unlimited visit www.Cengage.com/unlimited. For information on Inclusive access, visit https://about.redshelf.com/products/inclusive or https://www.cengage.com/institutional/inclusive-access.

About Cengage
Cengage is the education and technology company built for learners. As the largest US-based provider of teaching and learning materials for higher ed, we offer valuable options at affordable price points. Our industry-leading initiatives include Cengage Unlimited, the first-of-its-kind all-access digital subscription service.  We embrace innovation to create learning experiences that build confidence and momentum toward the future students want. Headquartered in Boston, Cengage also serves K-12, library and workforce training markets around the world. Visit us at www.cengage.com or find us on Facebook or Twitter.

About RedShelf
Chicago-based RedShelf is a leading provider of affordable digital learning materials helping to improve teaching and learning through technology. In collaboration with strategic partners, publishers, institutions and campus bookstores, RedShelf streamlines the discovery and distribution of digital textbooks and digital course content for all students. For more information, visit www.about.redshelf.com or follow on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

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Media Contacts
Lindsay Stanley
Cengage
203-965-8634
lindsay.stanley@cengage.com

Ashleigh Mavros
RedShelf
419-366-2345
ashleigh.mavros@redshelf.com

Are you considering joining our team?

As a member of the Avid4 Adventure staff, you’ll spend your days doing the outdoor activities you love—climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, backpacking—all while inspiring a new generation of intrepid adventurers and outdoors enthusiasts. It’s crazy fun, blissfully tiring and endlessly rewarding—no wonder our staffers tell us it’s the best summer camp job they’ve ever had.

Here are a few of our favorite reasons to work for Avid4 Adventure this summer:

1. AWARDED “BEST PLACE TO WORK” BY OUTSIDE MAGAZINE

Each year, Outside Magazine recognizes the top 100 companies in the United States that help their employees strike the ideal balance between work and play. Avid4 Adventure was recognized as one of the Top 100 Best Places to Work in 2017. According to Outside, “Some companies go beyond kegerators and ping-pong—from unlimited vacation time to powder days, these are the places that know how to treat their employees.” Avid4 Adventure was ranked #3 for our perks, which include an annual paid month-long sabbatical to travel, in addition to an annual all-expense-paid trip to Moab to hike, bike, and climb in the desert (see more perks below).

2. SERIOUSLY AWESOME PERKS

We want our staff members to be able to live and breathe the outdoor lifestyle they teach. That’s why we offer competitive pay, which increases as you spend more time with us and earn more certifications, and a whole batch of awesome perks designed to support staying active all year long. We believe that this is more than just a summer camp job; it’s about developing outdoor professionals and stewards. Here are just a few perks that along with that…

• Pro Deals!

• As a part of the Outdoor Education industry, our staff are eligible for major discounts on outdoor gear after 30 days of employment with several top companies like Outdoor Research, Diamondback, Smartwool, Big Agnes, Kelty, Scarpa, La Sportiva, Yakima, Chacos, Smith, Yeti, etc.

• Free access to Avid4 gear!

• We pride ourselves on using high quality gear for our camps. We provide all staff with access to use our gear during non-camp hours.

• Reimbursements!

• Public Transportation – all staff are eligible for public transportation fare reimbursement to and from work.

• Up to $50/year on race registrations for any races that involve our core sports – biking, climbing or paddling.

• Volunteer hours!

• If you have a non-profit you love that supports our mission and you volunteer for more than 5 hours in a year, we will donate $25 the organization.

• Professional Development!

• Live Smart(er) is a way of life here. Throughout the year, we offer multiple professional development opportunities for our staff to gain more knowledge in our core sports and business-related topics through field training days, webinars and optional meetups after camp.

Returning Staff are eligible for even more perks… including:

• Adventure Grant

• Each year, Avid4 Adventure awards an Adventure Grant to one returning staff member by providing an opportunity of a lifetime: one roundtrip ticket anywhere in the world plus an additional $500 stipend for their dream adventure! Last year our winner, Katie Riley, chose to travel to New Zealand to hike, bike, paddle and ride horses through it’s National Parks.

• Ethan Gillett Scholarship Fund

• In 2016, we began a scholarship fund after losing one of our dear staff members that truly embodied the Avid4 Adventure mission. The fund honors his passion for the outdoors and continuous education. Each season, we award one of our returning staff with the tuition for an AMGA SPI certification course and one returning staff with tuition for a Wilderness First Responder course.

• Specialized training certification reimbursement

• Avid will reimburse returning staff $100/year on certifications for advanced climbing, paddling, biking or Leave No Trace.

Ready to apply already?

3. FANTASTIC TRAINING AND SUPPORT

It is not a requirement that you are expert in all of our sports, but we are looking for a solid foundation in several of them and experience in the backcountry. Our pre-camp staff training (and yes, training is PAID!) covers many of the skills you will teach throughout the summer. Topics will include:

• Youth development strategies

• Risk management

• Learning age group characteristics

• Team building

• Facilitation skills

• Leadership techniques

• Adventure sports teaching

• Backcountry skills and much more!

Of course, staff training is also about bonding and having FUN, and becoming oriented to one of our incredible camp locations you’ll call home for the summer. Throughout the summer, team development continues through regular meetings to discuss areas for program improvement and strategies to ensure campers grow and have the most intentional learning experience at camp as possible.

4. UNBELIEVABLE COMMUNITY AND CULTURE

Joining our staff means joining a community of insatiable outdoor adventurers. All year long, our team’s communication channels are buzzing with plans and invitations for climbing expeditions, camping trips, day hikes, bike races, happy hours and all kinds of other cool stuff—all from like-minded outdoors addicts, ready for their next adventure. Here are the Core Values the Avid4 Adventure Team lives by:

• Live Fun

• We believe that being outdoors creates joy. We support kids and teens, their families and our peers to adventure exuberantly out in the world.

• Live Environmentally Connected

• We create environmental stewards. We walk our talk by minimizing the environmental impact of our programs, teaching Leave No Trace principles and environmental consciousness.

• Live Truth

• First we listen. We notice other people’s uniqueness, goodness and successes and speak of them. We express gratitude. We have meaningful conversations.

• Live Smart(er)

• We are committed to training and development. We track and advance campers’ skills and support our staff to develop technical outdoor and business expertise.

• Live Gratitude

• In times of success and through times of challenge, we remain grateful.  We say “Thank you!” for things both large & small. We try to value all areas of our lives and bring a sense of gratitude to all aspects of work and play.

• Live Empowered

• First we ask, “What would you do?” We are confidence builders. We trust others to make good decisions, give them opportunities to lead and encourage positive risk taking.

• Live Balanced

• We bridge the passion we have for work with the passion we have for the outdoors, community, family and ourselves, deliberately allocating meaningful time for each.

• Live Community

• We create connections. We work, play and volunteer together, inspiring growth through shared adventure.

We bring adventure to both campers and staff alike. You could even say we’re Avid4 it. We treat our staff like family, and we’d love for you to be a part of it. Check out our California summer camp jobs, and see if it’s a great fit for you!

WHAT OUR STAFF HAVE TO SAY ABOUT WORKING FOR AVID4 ADVENTURE:

• “At the end of the day when it’s all said and done, everyone is there for to serve the kids. It doesn’t matter what position you are your end goal will always be making kids smile and giving them the best summer experience possible.”

• “I like how Avid4 builds a community within each camp and geographic area. The emphasis on work/life balance means that staff are empowered to work hard at camp and then go play with their friends (fellow staffers) afterward. From equipment sharing to happy hour to Director of Fun activities, Avid4 supports the best kind of relationship building, which fosters the love of outdoor education and adventure that staff come in with – it is nurtured rather than exploited, and that makes Avid a truly wonderful place to work!”

• “I got to instill in kids something that I had to discover on my own at a much later age. I get to pass on my passion for the outdoors to youth at such an early stage in their life, which is an extremely exciting aspect of working for Avid4 Adventure. Also the skills clinics we’re a sweet opportunity for me to develop my skills.”

• “I absolutely love that Avid4 Adventure has core values that the company actually tries to uphold throughout the year. They aren’t just written down, but you really live them throughout the summer.”

• “I really appreciated getting paid extra for camp because of my certifications. That made it feel that Avid4 valued me. I also appreciated getting to borrow gear for weekend use, I definitely took advantage of that. Also the reward of seeing kids ride bikes for the first time. I never got tired of seeing parents freak out over their kids pedaling a bike!”

• “The best aspect of working for Avid4 Adventure was the community and family I developed within Avid. It was difficult moving to an area where I did not know anyone, but Avid quickly helped me feel comfortable and at home with new friends.”

Your best job ever is just a few clicks away. Use the drop down menus below to search positions by team and location or scroll down for our full list of openings. Click on any job title to see a detailed description, including information about how to apply. Interested in multiple positions/locations? You only need to fill out one application and we can chat about all jobs! Click here to learn more.

Students around the country recognized for revolutionary solutions to global challenges

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 10, 2018 – Following a nationwide search for the most inventive college students, the Lemelson-MIT Program today announced the winners of the 2018 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize. The Program awarded a total of $80,000 in prizes to 14 undergraduate and graduate student inventors, selected from a large and highly competitive pool of applicants from across the United States. Students were selected based on a variety of factors including: the overall inventiveness of their work, the invention’s potential for commercialization or adoption, and youth mentorship experience.

The Lemelson-MIT Student Prize is supported by The Lemelson Foundation, serving as a catalyst for young inventors in the fields of health care, transportation and mobility, food/water and agriculture, and consumer devices.

“This year’s Lemelson-MIT Student Prize winners are the embodiment of the inventive spirit,” said Stephanie Couch, executive director of the Lemelson-MIT Program. “They have not only invented solutions to real-world problems, they are also paving the way for their peers through their mentorship. We’re excited to share their accomplishments and to continue seeing them grow as Lemelson-MIT winners.”

“These students represent a new generation of inventors with big ideas on how to improve healthcare, agriculture, mobility, and scientific discovery,” said Dorothy Lemelson, board chair of The Lemelson Foundation. “They are an inspiration to their communities and we’re proud to honor their accomplishments.”

2018 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize Winners

The “Use it!” Lemelson-MIT Student Prize: Rewarding technology-based inventions that involve consumer devices.
• AssistENT: Melissa Austin, Eric Cao, Talia Kirschbaum, Theodore Lee, and Harrison Nguyen, Johns Hopkins University, $10,000 Undergraduate Team Winner
The AssistENT team developed N-Stent, a comfortable and discreet nasal dilator designed to improve breathing for those who suffer from nasal obstruction. Unlike existing external nasal dilators, N-Stent is inserted into the nose, making it undetectable and comfortable for wear during the day or night.

• Kayla Nguyen, Cornell University, $15,000 Graduate Winner
Kayla invented the EMPAD, a fast, highly-efficient detector that enhances imaging for a range of microscopic applications. The detector is a special camera designed to detect and display electrons in microscopes at a much greater level of detail than existing versions. This detailed data can be utilized to make faster computers, more effective drugs, more advanced electric cars, and can even aid with art conservation.

The “Eat it!” Lemelson-MIT Student Prize: Rewarding technology-based inventions that involve food/water and agriculture.
• Maher Damak, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, $15,000 Graduate Winner
Maher developed a polymer additive that can be mixed with pesticides and other agricultural sprays to help them adhere to plants more effectively. Plants currently retain only a tiny portion of chemical sprays, resulting in runoff that leads to the contamination of soil, ground water, and surface water. Maher’s invention would result in the use of 10 times less pesticides and could save farmers 10-20% of their total production costs.

The “Cure it!” Lemelson-MIT Student Prize: Rewarding technology-based inventions that involve health care.
• Treyetech: Kali Barnes, Stephanie Cai, Akash Chaurasia, Conan Chen, and Eric Chiang,
Johns Hopkins University, $10,000 Undergraduate Team Winner
The Treyetech team developed a device to help surgeons successfully perform corneal transplant surgery. About three million Americans are at risk of corneal diseases, but surgeons are hesitant to perform the only procedure that can restore vision to 20/20 because of a challenging and sometimes unsuccessful portion of the operation that involves unrolling a delicate cornea tissue graft into a patient’s eye. The Treyetech team has created a device that prepares and transports the donor cornea graft from an eye bank to surgeons, eliminates the unrolling step, and allows for more effective and successful insertion into the eye.

• Tyler Clites, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, $15,000 Graduate Winner
Tyler developed a new approach to amputation called the Agonist-antagonist Myoneural Interface (AMI), which is comprised of a novel surgical technique for limb amputation and a complementary prosthetic control system. The AMI is unique in its ability to provide patients with proprioception, or the sense of the relative positioning of their prosthetic body parts in space, which is not possible in the current clinical standard of care. In this way, the AMI enables persons with amputation to receive feedback of joint position, speed, and torque from their brain-controlled prosthetic limb, improving their ability to perform everyday tasks and enabling them to feel as though their prosthesis is truly a part of their body.

The “Drive it!” Lemelson-MIT Student Prize: Rewarding technology-based inventions that involve transportation and mobility.
• Guy Satat, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, $15,000 Graduate Winner
Guy invented All Photons Imaging, a system that can image through dense fog, intended for augmented driving, autonomous vehicles, drones, airplanes, and helicopters. The system computationally removes dense fog from camera images in order to produce an image as if the fog were not there. Seeing through obstructions helps avert great danger for the various modes of transportation to which this system can be applied, and the invention has useful applications in other fields, such as providing enhanced medical imaging.

Students interested in applying for the 2019 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize can find more information here.

The Lemelson-MIT Program is also seeking partners with interest in sponsoring the competition, in addition to supporting the execution and scaling into new categories. Interested sponsors can find more information here.

ABOUT THE LEMELSON-MIT PROGRAM
The Lemelson-MIT Program celebrates outstanding inventors and inspires young people to pursue creative lives and careers through invention.

Jerome H. Lemelson, one of the most prolific American inventors, and his wife, Dorothy, founded the Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1994. It is funded by The Lemelson Foundation and administered by the School of Engineering at MIT, an institution with a strong ongoing commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for K-12 STEM education. For more information, visit Lemelson.MIT.edu.

ABOUT THE LEMELSON FOUNDATION
Established in the early 1990s by Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson and based in Portland, Oregon, The Lemelson Foundation uses the power of invention to improve lives. Inspired by the belief that invention can solve many of the biggest economic and social challenges of our time, the Foundation helps the next generation of inventors and invention-based businesses to flourish. To date, the Foundation has made grants totaling over $200 million in support of its mission. For more information, visit http://lemelson.org.

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For More Information:
Jennifer Manley
Dewey Square Group
(339) 927-2277
Jennifer.Manley@deweysquare.com

Students can now get pickup storage at their dorm and earn money

DENVER, CO – April 4, 2018 – As classes come to an end nationwide, Closetbox (www.closetbox.com) is introducing a way for college students to earn money while also providing discounts to their fellow students for full-service storage over the summer.

Closetbox is a full-service storage company that offers pickup, storage and on-demand return delivery of students’ belongings with secure storage in local storage facilities. Closetbox is the largest full-service storage company in the world, serving campuses in 88 markets. Closetbox has 206 locations, 3000+ vehicles on the road and 26 million square feet of storage space. In contrast, Closetbox’s largest competitor serves only 7 markets.

Since Closetbox’s first external funding in September 2015, the company has served tens of thousands of customers, seen 16x revenue growth and 90% compounded quarterly revenue growth.

This spring Closetbox is recruiting “College Storage Ambassadors” who want to make some extra money and get fellow students a discount on the best option for student summer storage.

Program Details

To join the ambassador program: Visit https://www.closetbox.com/partners/college-storage-ambassadors/ sign up and Closetbox will send you a coupon code and unique link. Simply share your link with friends and family via email, text or social media. When they sign up for Closetbox via your link and make a qualifying purchase they get a $50 discount and you earn $25! For the lead to qualify, your friend or family member needs to:

• Click on the unique link you sent them
• Place a qualifying order on Closetbox.com
• Have Closetbox complete a storage pick-up

Make money on your own schedule

At the end of each referral bonus period, Closetbox will verify qualifying purchases. Students can expect to receive s referral bonus within 30 days of the end of the bonus period. If you’re interested in joining our referral program visit the college ambassador page (www.closetbox.com/partners/college-storage-ambassadors/ ) or send Closetbox an email to partners@closetbox.com.

Media Contact

Travis Henry
travis@closetbox.com
(303) 589-3795

 

Encouraging female students and professionals to pursue STEM education and opportunities is more important than ever. To help strengthen interest and participation in STEM fields, PepsiCo and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) have proudly kicked off their annual PepsiCo/SWE Student Engineering Challenge. Now in its fourth year, this competitive program encourages undergraduates to compete for scholarship prizes and a trip to Minneapolis, Minnesota to attend SWE’s annual conference, WE18– the largest professional development and networking conference and career fair for women in engineering, taking place October 18-20.

“Given that women represent only 24 percent of the STEM workforce, and only 14 percent of engineers are women, PepsiCo is particularly committed to expanding and encouraging STEM opportunities among young girls,” said Olga Sellmann, Ph.D, R&D Project Manager, PepsiCo. “Engaging the future generation of female engineers with this annual challenge allows us to explore fresh approaches to improving our operations while engaging rising graduates with real-life engineering practicum.”

Beginning today, participating teams compromised of up to four undergraduate students are invited to research and develop a solution in response one of the following themes: efficient sensing systems, alternatives to PET beverage packaging and the recyclability of industry-standard beverage coolers.

To officially compete, eligible teams must visit the Challenge website and submit their poster proposals online by July 2, 2018. Following thorough review, three finalist teams will be notified and asked to formally present at the WE18 annual conference in Minneapolis. A judging panel of PepsiCo executives and industry leaders will select the grand prize winning team, which will be announced and celebrated on the last day of the conference at the WE18 Celebrate SWE! event.

“PepsiCo is a leader in diversity and inclusion for women in STEM and SWE is thrilled to continue our partnership in 2018,” said Karen Horting, Executive Director & CEO, SWE. “The PepsiCo / SWE Student Engineering Challenge represents an empowering opportunity for SWE’s collegiate engineering students and is the highlight of our conference every year.”

To date, this program has awarded 27 students with cash prizes and a funded trip to the SWE annual conference to present their proposed engineering solutions to a panel of PepsiCo judges. Each year, the SWE annual conference represents the perfect place to gather female students and professionals to network and learn more about STEM opportunities from industry leaders such as PepsiCo. This year, SWE anticipates more than 13,000 attendees on-site at WE18.

For more information about this year’s PepsiCo/SWE Student Engineering Challenge, including submission instructions and deadlines, please visit http://pepsicostudentchallenge.swe.org.

About PepsiCo 
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $63 billion in net revenue in 2017, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose – our fundamental belief that the success of our company is inextricably linked to the sustainability of the world around us. We believe that continuously improving the products we sell, operating responsibly to protect our planet and empowering people around the world enable PepsiCo to run a successful global company that creates long-term value for society and our shareholders. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

About SWE
The Society of Women Engineers (SWE), founded in 1950, is the world’s largest advocate and catalyst for change for women in engineering and technology. The not-for-profit educational and service organization is the driving force that establishes engineering as a highly desirable career aspiration for women. To ensure SWE members reach their full potential as engineers and leaders, the Society offers unique opportunities to network, provides professional development, shapes public policy and provides recognition for the life-changing contributions and achievements of women engineers. As a champion of diversity, SWE empowers women to succeed and advance in their personal and professional lives. For more information about the Society, please visit www.swe.org or call 312.596.5223