Evanston, Ill., April 1, 2014 – Along with their university partners, online course platforms Coursera and edX are offering 100+ great courses this spring. UniversitySpot.com, which provides easy access to thousands of the best online higher-education resources for students, counselors, teachers, parents and lifetime learners, is pleased to present a refreshingly simple list of the most current course offerings for the spring. Quickly scan through course titles from top U.S. and global universities to find the ones best suited to your interests.

Some of the most popular offerings that have recently started and those starting soon include:

• An Introduction to Interactive Programming in Python (Rice University) – Starting March 24
• Justice (Harvard) – Starting April 8
• The Chemistry of Life (Kyoto University) – Starting April 10
• Competitive Strategy (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München) – Starting April 11
• Introduction to Bioethics (Georgetown University) – Starting April 15
• Better Leader, Richer Life (University of Pennsylvania) – Starting April 20
• Maps and the Geospatial Revolution (Penn State University ) – Starting April 30
• Sabermetrics 101: Introduction to Baseball Analytics (Boston University) – Starting May 8
• History of Rock, Part One (University of Rochester) – Starting May 9
• Software Defined Networking (Georgia Institute of Technology) – Starting May 26

Check out the full list of courses as well as enrollment dates at UniversitySpot.com.

About UniversitySpot.com
Published by StartSpot Mediaworks, Inc., UniversitySpot.com is the newest addition to the StartSpot Network, a collection of award-winning information portals designed to make finding the best topical information on the Internet a quick, easy and enjoyable experience. Current sites in the StartSpot Network include LibrarySpot.com , HomeworkSpot.com, GovSpot.com and more. Headquartered in Evanston, Ill., StartSpot Mediaworks strives to create exemplary, high-utility best of Web resources that engage, enlighten and inspire. For more information, visit http://www.universityspot.com

Contact:
UniversitySpot.com
Jennifer Borders, Managing Editor
(847) 868-2175
jennifer.borders@startspot.com

Johnson & Johnson is celebrating individuals who go above and beyond in caring for others and giving them a chance to win a trip to the final match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ in Brazil. Through the Champions of Care program, Johnson & Johnson will shine a spotlight on the people who dedicate their time and energy to helping people through recognizable acts of care, inspiring others to be more selfless.

So tell us, who inspires you? Has your life been changed by someone’s caring act or have you helped to make a change in someone else’s life? Do your caring acts inspire others to care?

How to Participate:
1. Nominate: Send us a story about yourself, or someone you know, that is a Champion of Care at www.careinspirescare.com before April 4
2. Finalist Voting: Fans will vote on the top 6 most inspiring stories between May 5-25
3. Winner announcement: 1 winner will be selected to go to the Final Match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™.

Visit www.careinspirescare.com to review the official rules and to find out how to nominate your Champions of Care! Then, share your Champions’ stories with us by using @jnjcares, #inspirecare and #jnj.

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Media Contact
Emily Favret
Matter, Inc.
(240) 818-2098
emily.favret@matter-inc.com

Hometown Favorite Rad Martinez Returns In Featherweight Action

Newport Beach, Calif. (March 4, 2014) – A “Storm” is coming to Salt Lake as the always dangerous Alexander Shlemenko will put his Middleweight World Title and twelve-fight win streak on the line against Tournament winner Brennan Ward live on Spike TV Friday, March 28^th from Utah’s Maverik Center at Bellator 114. The Bellator Featherweight Tournament continues with Desmond Green fighting Will Martinez and Daniel Weichel facing Matte Bessette in the semifinal rounds. The night will also feature the Bellator return of fan favorite and Utah’s own Rad Martinez, who fights Edson Berto in a featherweight battle.

The event will broadcast live at 9 p.m. EST/ 8 p.m. CST on Spike TV. The preliminary card will be streamed live and free on Spike.com beginning at 7 p.m. EST/ 6 p.m. CST. Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting Ticketmaster.com, Bellator.com and the Maverik Center Box Office.

Former NCAA wrestling champion and All-American Bubba Jenkins will kick off the Spike.com portion of the night in a fight against Sean Powers. As one of the top MMA prospects in the sport, Jenkins has a 6-1 professional record and will rely on his strong wrestling to get past Powers on March 21^st.

Utah’s own Rad Martinez returns to the Bellator cage to face Edson Berto. After being introduced to the world on ESPN’s “Outside The Lines” for his incredibly moving story of being the primary caretaker for his seriously injured father was told, Martinez made his mark in Bellator, compiling a 4-1 record. Now 35, Martinez is aware that time isn’t on his side, and has decided this fight will be the last in his impressive career.

No stranger to the Bellator cage, Travis Marx will face Isaac De Jesus in a featherweight bout. De Jesus will fight one of his toughest opponents yet in Marx, who was has fought in 26 professional fights and was a Season 9 Bantamweight Tournament Finalist.

Known for ending fights quickly, Season 9 Welterweight Tournament Finalist Ron Keslar will fight Jordan Smith. Keslar has five victories by first round finish and is anxious to get back in the cage to end his fight with Smith as fast as possible.

After making his Bellator debut in November, Linton Vassell returns to the Bellator cage to face Trevor Carlson. With only one professional loss, Carlson will put his skills to the test against Vassell who is riding a seven-fight win streak with four wins by first round finish.

At 13-6 Justin Wilcox will face Jason Fischer in a lightweight battle. After making it to the Season 9 Featherweight Finals in his first run through the Toughest Tournament In Sports, Wilcox is ready for a battle with Fischer, who has grabbed all three of his Bellator victories by submission.

Both stepping under the bright lights of Bellator for the first time, Mike Arrant will face Aaron Wilkinson. Known for his strong submission tactics, Wilkinson will look to his ground game to hold off Arrant who has won his previous seven fights and recorded 10 victories by first round finish.

England’s own Gavin Sterritt will round out the preliminary card in a fight against Mike Estus. Entering the cage on a five-fight win streak, Sterritt plans on maintaining his undefeated Bellator record and is ready to put on an exciting fight for the Maverik Center fans.

The full fight card is listed below.

MAIN CARD:
Bellator Middleweight World Title Fight: Brennan Ward (9-1) vs. Alexander Shlemenko (49-7)
Bellator Featherweight Tournament Semifinal: Desmond Green (10-2) vs. Will Martinez (9-2-1)
Bellator Featherweight Tournament Semifinal: Daniel Weichel (32-8) vs. Matt Bessette (13-4)
Bellator Middleweight Tournament Semifinal: Kendall Grove (19-13) vs. Brett Cooper (19-9)

PRELIMINARY CARD:
Featherweight Feature Fight: Rad Martinez (14-3) vs. Edson Berto (17-11-1)
Lightweight Feature Fight: Justin Wilcox (13-6) vs. Jason Fischer (6-2)
Welterweight Feature Fight: Ron Keslar (11-5) vs. Jordan Smith (18-5-1)
Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Linton Vassell (12-3) vs. Trevor Carlson (7-1)
Welterweight Feature Fight: Gavin Sterritt (5-1) vs. Mike Estus (5-1)
Welterweight Feature Fight: Aaron Wilkinson (11-6) vs. Mike Arrant (13-8)
Lightweight Feature Fight: Bubba Jenkins (6-1) vs. Sean Powers (8-4)

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA, follow Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney @BjornRebney and check out Bellator on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BellatorMMA           

About Bellator MMA

Bellator MMA is the world’s largest tournament based Mixed Martial Arts organization. Televised to nearly 500 Million homes worldwide in over 140 countries, Bellator’s majority owner is entertainment giant Viacom.  In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. With over 175 world-class athletes under contract, Bellator is home to many of the sport’s top mixed martial artists. Bellator’s founder & CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment executive with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes.  Bellator’s core philosophy is that title shots should be earned, not given. This belief gave rise to Bellator’s real sport, tournament-based format, which gives Bellator’s tournaments a true playoff feel that keeps the sport true and distances itself from the subjective side of fighting sports found in organizations that utilize a matchmaking/casting formula.  Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.  Bellator is based in Newport Beach, California.

About Spike TV:

Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks.  A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.  Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

About mun2

mun2 is the leading Hispanic cable network for young millennial adults 18-34.  From reality to music, on-air to digital, mun2 creates original content that resonates across a multi-screen platform.  Young, vibrant and unabashedly Latino, mun2 has a distribution to over 38 million households. The network is part of Telemundo Media, a division of NBCUniversal.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:                                                      
Anthony Mazzuca              
(949) 222-3400
Anthony@Bellator.com
David Schwarz
(212)767-8639
David.Schwarz@MTVStaff.com

College students headed to law school this fall have the opportunity to reduce the financial burden of pursuing their law degree thanks to the support of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA).

The LMJ Scholarship Program, sponsored by the MCCA, was established to nurture the academic and professional careers of outstanding law students and advance the diversity pipeline to the legal profession.

“The legal pipeline for minority students has become increasingly constricted. MCCA’s scholarship program is the centerpiece of our effort to address this issue,” said Joseph K. West, MCCA’s President & CEO.

For the 2014-2015 academic year, the LMJ Scholarship Program will award 15 scholarships of $10,000 to students entering their first year of law school. To be eligible for this scholarship, students must:

• Have an interest in corporate law and diversity
• Have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.2
• Be accepted into an ABA-accredited U.S. law school for a full-time Juris Doctorate Program on or before the application deadline (to start in Fall 2014)

The program is currently open and accepting online application submissions until this year’s deadline on May 29, 2014. LMJ Scholarship Program recipients are selected based on academic achievement, community involvement, financial need and essay responses. Recipients who maintain good academic standing may be eligible for additional scholarship monies for up to two additional years.

LMJ Scholarships are funded by national law firms and corporations – such as Microsoft and Nationwide – who also support LMJ Scholarship recipients through mentoring, clerkships and career training. Since its inception a decade ago, the LMJ Scholarship Program has helped more than 130 students pursue a law degree with financial assistance totaling over $2.4 million dollars.

As a first-generation college student and law student, I am so grateful to the Minority Corporate Counsel Association. I continue to be inspired by MCCA’s commitment to philanthropy and service and hope to give back in the future.
2013 LMJ Scholarship Recipient

The MCCA has partnered with International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc. (ISTS) for the administration of the LMJ Scholarship Program. In addition to application setup and design, ISTS manages the processing of applications, disbursement of awards and support to applicants. ISTS offers LMJ Scholarship Program applicants and recommenders the ability to complete the entire application process online. For more information on this program and instructions about the online application process, please visit www.mcca.com.

About Minority Corporate Counsel Association, Inc. (MCCA)
MCCA was founded in 1997 to advance the hiring, retention and promotion of diverse attorneys in legal departments and the law firms that serve them. MCCA accomplishes its mission through publishing, research and training, pipeline initiatives and networking. MCCA’s work has been recognized with awards from the National Minority Business Council, Inc., the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the National LGBT Bar, and the Association of Corporate Counsel. MCCA is headquartered in Washington, D.C. For more information, go to mcca.com.

About International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc. (ISTS)
Founded in 1985, International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc. provides comprehensive scholarship, grant and tuition program management. ISTS is a 100% women-owned company, focused on offering cutting-edge technology and sustainable solutions to corporations, foundations, associations, unions and other scholarship-granting organizations worldwide. For more information about ISTS, visit applyISTS.com.

SanDisk Also Expands its Scholars Program to China and Japan

Milpitas, Calif., March 26, 2014 – SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK), a global leader in flash storage solutions, today announced the recipients of the 2013-2014 SanDisk Scholars Program. Over $1 million in scholarships and grants were awarded to nearly 100 undergraduate and graduate university students in the United States to support their pursuit of degrees in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) discipline. SanDisk also announced it is expanding the program to China and Japan to students pursuing STEM-related studies.

The SanDisk Scholars Program grants scholarships to students based upon their prior academic achievements and meaningful levels of community engagement, as well as financial need. Of the $1.5 million committed for 2013-2014, scholarships have been awarded to undergraduate and graduate students attending 28 universities across 12 states including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Los Angeles and University of Southern California.

“SanDisk’s generous support offers Cal students pursuing a STEM-related degree critical resources to fulfill their academic goals, which may have otherwise not been possible,” said S. Shankar Sastry, Dean of the College of Engineering and Roy W. Carlson Professor, University of California, Berkeley. “STEM-related studies are a key element of UC Berkeley’s leading curriculum, and the SanDisk Scholars Program further enables us to offer these important fields of study to the innovators of tomorrow.”

“The education our students receive prepares them to solve some of the most pressing engineering challenges in the world,” said Dr. James D. Plummer, Dean of the School of Engineering at Stanford University. “Our ability to offer graduate fellowship packages is one of the things that helps us attract these top students to Stanford University, and we’re very grateful for SanDisk’s support and commitment to our efforts.”

“SanDisk is passionate about helping the next generation of technology leaders pursue their dreams in STEM-related careers,” said Sanjay Mehrotra, president and chief executive officer, SanDisk. “Not only does our support better position them for future success, but it also helps foster a greater pool of qualified talent, which will benefit the technology industry in years to come.”

Expanding the SanDisk Scholars Program to China and Japan
In addition to continuing to provide scholarships to students pursuing STEM-related studies in the U.S., SanDisk is expanding the program to China and Japan in 2014. Thirty scholarships will be awarded in each country to students participating in engineering and computer science programs at the following universities:

• China:
  • Shanghai Jiaotong University
  • Xidian University
  • Zhejiang University

• Japan:
  • Nagoya University
  • Tohoku University
  • University of Tokyo

For more information on the SanDisk Scholars Fund or to submit an application for 2014, visit:
http://www.sandisk.com/about-sandisk/corporate-responsibility/community/scholars-program/

Statements from Select 2013-2014 SanDisk Scholars in the U.S.: 
“Receiving a scholarship from SanDisk will allow me to pursue a Master of Science degree from one of the best programs in the country,” said Chris Almodovar, student at Stanford University. “With this scholarship, I am able to explore my research interests within mechanical engineering and focus on acquiring the right skills that will help me make a difference in the world one day. Thank you!”

“I am a materials science and engineering major, with an interest in becoming a doctor,” said Grace Tuyiringire, student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “Thank you, SanDisk, for this opportunity. With this scholarship, I will be able to focus on my goal of becoming a MD and a bigger leader in the MIT community.”

“It is an honor to be acknowledged for my efforts by a company like SanDisk,” said Claire Lochner, student at the University of California, Berkeley. “I’m currently working on a research project that aims to bring real-time physical health visibility through something as simple as a Band-Aid. I’m excited about my work and how it could potentially improve many lives.”

About the SanDisk Foundation: 
SanDisk’s mission as a philanthropic company is to support programs and organizations that address the needs of communities where our company has a significant presence. SanDisk strives to be an exemplary corporate citizen within the global community. The SanDisk Foundation, a corporate advised fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, helps carry out this mission by making donations to non-profit organizations and community groups within our key focus areas: K-12 education, promoting STEM-focused programs, and children’s health and well-being. Since 2003, the SanDisk Foundation has awarded more than $25 million to almost 1,000 charitable organizations worldwide.

The SanDisk Scholars Program, created in 2012, utilizes a $1.5 million annual budget to award scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing education and university research in STEM fields.

About SanDisk
SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company, is a global leader in flash storage solutions. For more than 25 years, SanDisk has expanded the possibilities of storage, providing trusted and innovative products that have transformed the electronics industry. Today, SanDisk’s quality, state-of-the-art solutions are at the heart of many of the world’s largest data centers, and embedded in advanced smart phones, tablets and PCs. SanDisk’s consumer products are available at hundreds of thousands of retail stores worldwide. For more information, visit www.sandisk.com.

© 2014 SanDisk Corporation. All rights reserved. SanDisk and the SanDisk logo are trademarks of SanDisk Corporation, registered in the United States and other countries. Other brand names mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and may be the trademarks of their respective holder(s).

# # # # #

Media Contact:
Lee Garvin Flanagin
SanDisk Corporation
408-801-2463
lee.flanagin@sandisk.com

Motorola Launches Exclusive, Customized Design Options for College Sports Fans

This season, Motorola is raising its game with the newly released College Collection, a range of college-inspired Moto X customization options that allow you to showcase your favorite school colors on your smartphone. Choose from colors, accents, wallpapers and accessories to display your team pride like never before.

Moto X is the first fully customizable smartphone powered by Android. With Moto Maker, Motorola’s online design studio, it’s easy to express yourself and your style through your phone. And now, with the College Collection, Moto X can express your team spirit to create ultimate fan smartphone.

Fans can visit the College Collection design gallery and select from pre-configured school color combinations and clear cases with school logos and team names for up to 40 schools and counting. Don’t see your favorite team? Mix and match with the new color palette to create your perfect combination. And, with the custom signature feature, you can even include your school’s rally cry on the back.

A custom Moto X from the College Collection is available starting at the everyday price of $399 off-contract or $49 with a new two year contract. Currently in college? Motorola will sweeten the deal with a student discount. Register at Motorola.com/college with a valid .edu address and you can get an off-contract Moto X for the discounted price of $339.

The College Collection is just one of the many ways to get customization inspiration for your Moto X. For more information and to browse the new design gallery on Motorola’s online design studio, please visit Motorola.com/college.

Media Contact
David Weil
Weber Shandwick
(312) 988-2107
DWeil@webershandwick.com

The initiative is fueled by The North Face and will invest in the best ideas driven by colleges and universities that activate a new generation of outdoor champions.

(Washington DC) – Outdoor Nation, the signature program of the Outdoor Foundation, in partnership with The North Face, is launching the first-ever Outdoor Nation Campus Challenge — working with colleges and universities across America to get more young people outside and active. For the next month, Outdoor Nation and The North Face are on the search for the top schools with the best ideas of how to inspire students to recreate outdoors. In May, the top ten colleges will be announced and awarded a grant and additional resources to activate on their ideas during the fall 2014 semester.

“College students are among the most creative, innovative and influential group of people in our country today,” said Chris Fanning executive director of the Outdoor Foundation. “Over the past several years, these young leaders have emerged as the drivers behind Outdoor Nation and the Campus Challenge builds on our investment in these change makers and thought leaders. If we are truly going to inspire a new generation of outdoor enthusiasts – the ideas and energy must come from them.”

Capitalizing on school spirit and traditional rivalries, the Outdoor Nation Campus Challenge will culminate with one national “Outdoor Nation Campus Champion” – the school that inspires the most number of people – students, alumni and the local community – to recreate outdoors. The winning school will have priceless bragging rights among its peers as well as earn a valuable prize package including a scholarship for an outdoor program assistant, custom gear library, and a major outdoor festival for all students.

“We are extremely proud to be a founding partner of this groundbreaking initiative, bringing young leaders together to share their passion for the outdoors and ultimately find better ways to connect people and nature,” said Ann Krcik, director of Outdoor Exploration at The North Face. “There is no better way to address the issue of getting more people outside than to learn from the brightest minds of the next generation for a fresh perspective and new solutions.”

Outdoor Nation has also teamed up with NIRSA, the leading membership association for students and professionals working in campus recreation, to promote the Campus Challenge to its network of 650+ institutional member schools. “NIRSA is committed to inspiring healthy people and healthy communities,” explains NIRSA Executive Director Pam Watts. “Outdoor recreation is among the fastest growing areas of campus recreation and we are excited to partner with Outdoor Nation to promote the inaugural Campus Challenge and encourage active lifestyle choices on campuses across the United States.”

An individual achievement award, ‘Outsider of the Year’, will also be given to the student that inspires the most people to get outdoors — earning a year’s worth of outdoor gear, an internship with the Outdoor Foundation and an outdoor trip of a lifetime.

Perhaps more important than the grand prize, the Challenge will provide ongoing incentives and rewards for overall participation regardless of leader board status – giving the opportunity to earn gear for simply participating and reaching their goals. Schools and individuals that surpass a specific outdoor hour goal will get rewarded and advance to the next level that will include a higher outdoor hour goal with rewards.

A powerful online platform will track progress, recognize school and individual leaders and reward participation. The national champion will be recognized at the end of the semester – earning valuable bragging rights and other great prizes. If you are interested in supporting the Campus Challenge or getting involved as a student or university, contact Chris Fanning at cfanning@outdorfoundation.org for more information or visit the Campus Challenge Application here: http://outdoornation.org/grants

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About the Outdoor Foundation
The Outdoor Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to inspiring and growing future generations of outdoor enthusiasts. Through groundbreaking research, action oriented outreach, and education programs, the Foundation works with partners to mobilize a major cultural shift that leads all Americans to the great outdoors. In 2010, the Foundation launched Outdoor Nation, a pioneering initiative that aims to empower young leaders to champion the outdoors on campuses and in communities across the United States. For more information visit: OutdoorFoundation.org and OutdoorNation.org.

To take part in the Spring Break Men’s Basketball Tournament Bracket Challenge, college students can sign up at FreezeCrowd.com for a chance stand to win $500 for the best bracket and $1,000 for a perfect bracket.

New York, New York (March 16, 2014) – FreezeCrowd.com, the social network for students and alumni with over 3,000 colleges and universities throughout the world added, has announced it is launching the ‘FreezeCrowd.com Spring Break College Basketball Bracket Challenge’ wherein all FreezeCrowd members stand the chance of winning $500 for the best bracket and $1,000 for the perfect bracket.

FreezeCrowd.com is the leading social networking platform for college / university students and alumni as it connects people in a selfie group or team photo. It is easy and free to sign up to, as all that is needed is the student’s school email. FreezeCrowd.com has organized the Spring Break Bracket Challenge for the Men’s Division 1 Basketball Tournament, Whereby the tournament bracket will be up on FreezeCrowd in the evening on Sunday, March 16th 2014.

“I am very excited about this college basketball spring break tournament, and I think that if any college student wins the $500 or gets a perfect bracket for $1,000, they’ll cover their textbooks or can even buy something great for themselves to enjoy,” said Eric Leebow, Founder & CEO of FreezeCrowd.com. “The odds of winning really does depend on how many college and university students fill out their bracket. If you’re the only one who fills it out, you’ll win! This Bracket Challenge is especially good for students who are undertaking statistics classes as there’s a fair amount of stats involved in the game of basketball.” “If you get your whole college group together, you may even figure out a way to beat the odds with your club or team on campus.”

For more information on FreezeCrowd.com and to take part in the Spring Break College Basketball Bracket Challenge, watch the video

Checkout the FreezeCrowd LinkedIn and Twitter pages http://www.linkedin.com/company/354066 and http://www.twitter.com/freezecrowd and join to break the ice on FreezeCrowd at:http://www.freezecrowd.com

Press Contact
Eric Leebow
216-359-1156
eric@freezecrowd.com
www.freezecrowd.com

Three college brands join forces to offer Fraternities & Sororities $250,000 in cash and prizes

SAN FRANCISCO – Three collegiate brands, QUAD, JusCollege and The Social Life have formed a partnership to launch a Greek Championship contest for students across the nation, set to begin on April 2 and run through May 31. Pre-registration has already begun in the search for the “most epic” Greek chapters in the nation, offering over $250,000 in prizes.

“Greeks are super influencers on campus and are well respected by other students,” says Andrew Citores, CEO of JusCollege, “The Greek Championships will celebrate the Greeks and provide them with unique opportunities to interact with brands that understand them.”

Prizes include: A trip to EDC Las Vegas for 25 chapter members; a total of $25,000 cash to plan a chapter formal; a party bus available for an entire semester; several additional surprises that will be announced at the start of the competition through the Greek Championship website.

To compete, Greek chapters must complete the pre-entry form by the April 1 deadline. Voting will run through the free college group messaging app, QUAD, and will not discriminate against chapters based on the number of active members. To earn points, Greek chapters must use QUAD daily, chatting in Topics, creating events and completing weekly missions. For each consecutive day that a group uses QUAD, the group points will multiply.

To earn the most points, chapters will need high participation percentages. “We have created an algorithm that makes it fair game for a group of 20 compared to a group for 350 people,” says Matthew Murphy, CEO of QUAD, “It’s based off percentages, so you will want the most people in your group to actively participate.”

The competition has received a number of pre-entry forms thus far and is expecting a competitive growth in the coming weeks.

About the brands:
Quad is the first large group messaging app that lets up to 500 people communicate, plan and get things done without the inbox clutter of email group lists. Quad is quickly catching on as the go-to-messaging app for college groups and clubs, and is used at over 4,250 of the 4,500 colleges in the nation. Designed by Appsurdity to mobilize college groups, clubs and Greek organizations, Quad is available for Apple and Android devices. Appsurdity is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information, visit www.quadapp.com or www.appsurdity.com.

JusCollege is the easiest way for students to plan, organize and book awesome travel and entertainment experiences. Founded in 2010, JusCollege has grown to more than 100,000 customers at 100 campuses throughout the U.S. with a laser focus on serving customers and a highly-principled approach to business.

TheSocialLife specializes in producing custom apparel for Greek Life. TSL serves fraternities and sororities across the nation, providing them with Greek gear for all Greek events.

# # #

MEDIA CONTACT:
Matthew Murphy
Appsurdity
(650) 762-8877
matt@appsurdity.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 19, 2014

ADDRESSING STUDENT DEBT CRISIS, NEW WEB TOOL HELPS STUDENTS BETTER PLAN THEIR FINANCIAL FUTURES 

The Council of Graduate Schools and TIAA-CREF Collaborate to Deliver GradSense Website   to Help Students Make Informed Financial Decisions about Their Education and Careers

Washington, D.C. – The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), a nonprofit organization devoted to graduate education and research, today launched GradSense, a novel online tool designed to help students plan financially for their education and future careers.

With student debt at historically high levels, students have a limited number of resources for assessing the investment they will be making in an advanced degree. To fill this knowledge gap, CGS collaborated with leading financial services provider TIAA-CREF to design and develop GradSense, which features a Debt to Salary calculator, among other tools.

In developing GradSense, CGS researchers brought together two important pieces of information for the first time –federal data on education debt and federal data on median salaries for specific occupations. While this information is available, it is not easily accessible. Students must sift through these datasets using separate databases, which obscures the relationship between investing in a specific degree to pursue a desired profession. To help students make more informed career decisions, GradSense combines these two pieces of information in a simple-to-use tool, providing students with one screen of data that allows them to more accurately align their choice of degree and field of study with their desired career.

Using GradSense, students enter their degree type, desired field of study and preferred career. The student is then shown the median debt of students pursuing their specific degree, along with the starting, median and expert salary levels expected in their desired career. Together, these two informative data sets can help students better understand the impact of their chosen degree on future earnings.

GradSense is part of the Enhancing Student Financial Education project, an initiative of CGS in collaboration with TIAA-CREF.  The program has awarded grants to 15 colleges and universities across the country to develop innovative financial literacy programs that teach students about successful strategies for borrowing, lending and managing personal finances. Lessons and data from each of the 15 university programs and many of the 19 affiliate universities will inform the development of new financial education resources for students nationwide.

“The best practices developed through this program – and the GradSense tool – can help prepare our nation’s students for lifelong financial well-being,” said Laura Levine, president and CEO of Jump$tart Coalition. “I applaud the commitment of CGS, TIAA-CREF and the participating universities.”

The GradSense website also includes a compound interest calculator that shows students the long-term impact of common spending decisions, advice for repaying student loans, guidance on transitioning from graduate school to a career and tips for evaluating and negotiating job offers.

“GradSense provides students with crucial financial information that was never easily accessible or available before,” said Debra W. Stewart, president of CGS. “This clear, customized tool empowers students to make more informed decisions about their educational and career pathways.”

“We are extremely proud of our collaboration with the Council of Graduate Schools, and especially pleased to see tangible results and useful tools already emerging from this program,” said Roger W. Ferguson, president and CEO of TIAA-CREF. “This underscores the combined strengths the business and education sectors bring to bear on addressing the student loan debt issue, and when working together, the valuable impact we can have on the financial futures of our nation’s students.”

In addition to the GradSense website, the tool will also be featured on the websites of universities participating in the Enhancing Student Financial Education program, as well as the websites of other CGS member schools. To use GradSense, visit: www.gradsense.org.

Contacts:
Julia Kent, CGS: (202) 223-3791 / jkent@cgs.nche.edu
John McCool, TIAA-CREF: (888) 200-4062 / media@tiaa-cref.org

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About GradSense
GradSense is a unique online education platform that provides students with important financial information about the value of pursuing an advanced degree. Based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the National Science Foundation and the National Center for Education Statistics, GradSense was researched, designed and developed by CGS in collaboration with TIAA-CREF. Along with median debt and income data, the GradSense website also provides students with loan repayment advice, spending tips, and career guidance. For more information and updates about GradSense, like it on Facebook and follow it on Twitter: @GradSense.

About CGS
The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) is an organization of over 500 institutions of higher education in the United States and Canada engaged in graduate education, research, and the preparation of candidates for advanced degrees. Among U.S. institutions, CGS members award 92% of the doctoral degrees and 78% of the master’s degrees.* The organization’s mission is to improve and advance graduate education, which it accomplishes through advocacy in the federal policy arena, research, and the development and dissemination of best practices.

*Based on data from the 2012 CGS/GRE Survey of Graduate Enrollment and Degrees

About TIAA-CREF
TIAA-CREF (www.tiaa-cref.org) is a national financial services organization with $564 billion in assets under management (as of 12/31/13) and is the leading provider of retirement services in the academic, research, medical and cultural fields.

TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC and Teachers Personal Investors Services, Inc., members FINRA, distribute securities products.

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