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Meet Taunton High’s top 10 students from the class of 2021 – Taunton Daily Gazette

June 23, 2021 | Author: admin

The Taunton Daily Gazette

Valedictorian Olivia Dias, daughter of Martin Dias and Niko Phillips-Dias, is an accomplishedstudent-athlete who completed six advanced placement classes and earned the College Boards AP Scholar Award and the Harvard Prize Book Award.She graduated from Taunton High School summa cum laude. A member of the National Honor Society, shewas also a member of the championship Math Team, the Latin Club, the Senior Leadership Guild andthe MIAA Student Advisory Committeeand was president of the Programming Club. A decorated cross country and track and field athlete, shewas named a Hockomock League All-Star, Bristol County Winter Athlete of the Year, and received the Hockomock League Scholar Athlete Award.She placed 4th in

More: Taunton High seniors soar amid COVID: Olivia Dias achieves dream of going to MIT

the New England Championships, 4th at All-States in the 600m, and 2nd at Divisionals in 600m and 400m. She was a Winter and Spring Hockomock League Champion in 600m and 400m and 4x400 relay and placed 30th in the Sprint Medley Relay at Nationals. Shealso organized a school supplies distribution in conjunction with the Taunton Police Department and was on the winning make-a-thon team at Affectiva EMPath 2020, a spin-off of the MIT Media Lab. Herprogramming teacher said: Olivia is one incredible young lady who easily epitomizes the perfect student: hardworking, inquisitive, mature and genuine. She is not only passionate about acquiring knowledge but she looks for ways to use these new skills to make the world a better place. In the fall, Diaswill be attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she will study computer science and electrical engineering. Shewishes to thank THS Math Curriculum Supervisor Donna Chaves for helping developher passion and love for computer science and THS Head Girls Track Coach Jeffrey Moore for being a great coach, supporter, and advisor for my track and college life.

Salutatorian Aidan Scully, son of Christopher and Elisa Scully, is an exceptional student who completed eight advanced placement classes and earned the AP Scholar with Distinction Award. A National Merit Scholarship finalist andrecipient, he also earned the College Boards National Rural and Small-Town Recognition Award. Hegraduated from Taunton High School summa cum laude. Throughout his high school career, he excelled in language and theater.He earned three National Latin Exam gold medals (summa cum laude), won first place in the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild (METG) Excellence in Technical Theater Contest, and was the All-New England Winner of the Classical Association of New England (CANE) Student Writing Contest. President of the National Honor Society and the Latin Club, hewas also vice president of the Drama Club, secretary of Greater Taunton High School Democratsand a member of the Senior

More: Taunton High seniors soar amid COVID: Aidan Scully rides love of Latin to Harvard

Leadership Guild and the Taunton School Committee High School Subcommittee Student Advisory Board. Heserves as a guest preacher and Sunday school teacher at First Parish Church in Taunton. His translation of Ovid's Amores 1.1 was published in The Classical Outlook and his original poem "Sanguis Sanguinem Habebit" was published in the New England Classical Journal. His Latin teacher said, From actively leading class activities and discussions, to offering educational guidance to his classmates, to posing insightful and engaging questions, Aidan has proven to be the most exceptional student Ive encountered in my 10years of teaching. Scully will be attending Harvard University in the fall, where he plans to study classics and government.

Nolan Tavares, son of Janet and John Tavares, is ranked third in the Class of 2021 and has excelled in the classroom and in athletics at Taunton High School. Hecompleted five advanced placement courses, achieved the AP Scholar with Honor distinction and graduated summa cum laude. He won first place at both the Taunton High School Science Fair and the Massachusetts Region III Science Fair. He was a recipient of the Harvard Prize Book Award and the Massachusetts Elks Scholarship Grant.An accomplished runner, hewas named a Hockomock League Cross Country All-Star, a Taunton Daily Gazette Cross Country First Team All Scholasticand the Hockomock

More: Caps fly as Taunton High class of 2021 celebrates graduation day

League Scholar-Athlete. He captained the varsity cross country and winter and spring track teams and served as treasurer of the National Honor Society and was a member of the Math Team and Class Council. Hevolunteered to lead the THS Cross Country Team Boosters and to coach in the Taunton Summer Track Series.His track coach said, Nolans accomplishments, both on and off the track, distinguish him as one of the top male student-athletes I have coached over the past 13 years. He is at the top of his class academically, a fantastic cross country and track runner, and most importantly, he is a great person. Tavares plans to study accounting at Bryant University in the fall. Looking back on this high school career, hesaid,I think that all of the efforts put in by the teachers and coaches helped me to go out of my comfort zone and pushed me to continue improving and achieving. I really cannot thank them enough.

Kevin Barbosa, son of Maria and Manuel Barbosa, graduated summa cum laude andranks fourth in the Class of 2021. Hecompleted four advanced placement courses and earned the College Boards AP Scholar Award. In addition, heexcelled in accounting courses and is trilingual, fluent in Haitian Creole, English, and Portuguese. A member of the soccer team, heearned the John & Abigail Adams Scholarship and was awarded the Environmental Scholarship presented by PSG/Veolia Water NA.His AP Biology teacher describes himas extremely self-motivated and incredibly bright. Kevin always had a positive attitude and found a way to make me laugh even during this stressful year. He is extremely supportive of his friends and truly is an all-around great guy. Barbosawill be attending the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth in the fall, where he plans to study biology.

Rachel Joseph, daughter of Nisha and Satish Joseph, is also ranked fourth in the graduating class.A summa cum laude graduate, she completed nine advanced placement courses and earned the College Boards AP Scholar with Honor distinction. A member of the National Honor Society and secretary of the Latin Club, sheearned a Silver Medal (maxima cum laude) on the National Latin Exam and numerous science fair awards.She qualified for the State Science Fair in both 2019 and 2020. Her achievements in STEM are numerous: Shecompleted an internship with the Massachusetts Science & Engineering Fair, served as a mentor with the International Precollege Association for Research in STEM (IPARS), was a member of the Math Team, and was awarded the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Scholar Award and the American Psychological Association Award. Shehas served her community as a member of the executive board of the Interact Club and earned a Rotary Youth Leadership Award. Her Interact Club advisor describes her as ... a student, leader, public speaker, and volunteer [who has] been an integral part of recruitment, and the driving force behind several service projects each year. When not volunteering or doing science, Josephspends her time dancing at the Susan Winter School of Dance and as a member of the THS Drama Club. She will be attending Northeastern University, where she will major in behavioral neuroscience on the pre-med track.

Victoria DaRosa, daughter of Barbara and Olavo DaRosa, graduated summa cum laude and is ranked sixth in the Class of 2021. Shecompleted six advanced placement courses and earned the AP Scholar with Honor distinction.She waselected captain of both the varsity lacrosse and the varsity basketball teams, which presented her the Unsung Hero Award. Her volunteer work includes helping create a 9/11 Memorial with Project 351 and working as an assistant childrens church teacher. Shewas also a member of the Portuguese Club and the Class Council. Her AP computer science teacher described her as bright, hardworking, kindand collaborative...with a drive to succeed, a talent for computer scienceand the ability to use information not just to apply and analyze, but to create. In the fall, DaRosawill attend the University of Virginia, where she intends to major in computer science.

MahNoor Abbas, daughter of Abid Khan and Khadija Bibi, is ranked seventh in the graduating class and earned summa cum laude honors.She not only completed nine advanced placement courses, but she also completed 11 dual enrollment courses at Bristol Community College during her high school career, completing a cybersecurity internship and earning a Cybersecurity Certification. Hermany science fair accolades include the Dr. Levine Award for Project of Most Public Interest and the Outstanding Project Award from the physics department at UMASS Dartmouth. She also earned a Certificate of Recognition for Programming Competition at SkillsUSA and placed in the Marketing, Buying and Merchandising andCommunications categories at DECAs

More: 'Never imagined beyond my neighborhood': Taunton senior's journey from Pakistan to Cornell

district and state conferences. She also served assecretary of Model UN, vice president of the Programming Cluband as a manager at McDonalds.She was also a member of the Taunton Public SchoolsAnti Bias Association, Creative Writing Club, and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) Club. Her AP English teacher described her as a young woman of formidable intellectual ability and curiosity, with a sense of humility and a spirit that is indomitable. She exemplifies leadership in all of her actions, and she gives the lie to the myth of todays youth as self-centered and indulgent. Abbaswill attend Cornell University in the fallmajoring in computer engineering.

Hunter Cabral, son of Bernadette and John Cabral and Erica Guimaraes, is ranked eighth in the Class of 2021 and graduated summa cum laude. Hecompleted five advanced placement classes and earned the College Boards AP Scholar Award. Soccer is one of hismain passions. Captain of the THS varsity soccer team, he also plays on an Elite Travel Soccer team, has worked as a soccer refereeand has volunteered as a coach with the Taunton Youth Soccer League. Hissoccer coach describes him as the quintessential scholar-athlete who physically, intellectuallyand emotionally committed himself to his academic and soccer endeavors with vigor and enthusiasm. He is an amiable and considerate young man whose natural leadership abilities helped boost team morale and motivation during a challenging season. Hunter has positively impacted our program by being an exemplary role model for both present and future members of the Taunton High School soccer family and school community. A member of National Honor Society and DECA, Cabralvolunteers with the Saint Jude Youth Group and holds a part-time job. His goalis to become a pediatrician. In the fall, hewill study biology at Salve Regina University

Olivia Weber, daughter of Susan and Fred Weber, is also ranked eighth in the graduating class.She graduated summa cum laude and was president of the Class of 2021. Shecompleted six advanced placement courses and earned the AP Scholar with Honor distinction andwas awarded the prestigious Christian A. Herter Memorial Scholarship. Heracademic awards include multiple science fair awards (District 1st place winner, District 2nd place winner, Kenneth A. Perry Memorial Award, Society for In Vitro Biology Award, 2nd place Regional winner, state competitor), the National Latin Exam Bronze Medal (cum laude), and the National Spanish Exam Honorable Mention award.She was a 4-year State qualifier and 2-year International Competition qualifier with DECA, a member of the National Honor Society, Class Council, Senior Leadership

More: Family tragedy inspired Taunton student's passion for healthcare

Guild, and the Yearbook Committee. Shewas founder and president of Our Minds Matter and has volunteered with the Samaritans, Leddy Preschool Summer Program, Junior Achievementand the Taunton Middle School track and field program. An accomplished runner, Weberwas a varsity cross country captain, Hockomock League All-Starand Taunton Daily Gazette All-Scholastic.In addition to her athletic and extracurricular activities, shealso works as a CNA at a local nursing home. Her track coach summed up her accomplishments like this:If you could make a high school full of students like Olivia Weber, everyone in the state would want to be there.She will attend Harvard University in the fall, where she plans to study neuroscience on the pre-med track.

Cloee Cambra, daughter of Zita and Eric Cambra, is ranked tenth in the Class of 2021 and graduated summa cum laude.She completed seven advanced placement courses and earned the AP Scholar with Honor Award.A member of the National Honor Society, she played on the field hockey and tennis teams and was the team manager of the varsity wrestling team.She volunteered with Junior Achievement and in the Tiger Shack and Little Closet. Cambrawas a five-year member of DECA, serving as Vice President her senior year.Her DECA Advisor said, Cloee always led by example.Her dependability and commitment to the team motivated others.Cloee was always a top competitor, qualifying for the International competition multiple times. She led the DECA team through this turbulent COVID year and was instrumental in the Taunton chapter earning Diamond level status for the third year in a row. Cambraplans to attend Bridgewater State University, where she will study English with a concentration in education.

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Online hub for research and teaching brings digital humanities to the fore – MIT News

June 23, 2021 | Author: admin

Computing touches every aspect of teaching and learning at MIT, and the humanities are no exception, with scholars across disciplines using computational tools to answer critical questions in humanistic research. MIT is uniquely positioned to innovate in the digital humanities, with widespread skills in coding and deep engagement in the humanities. Bridging the gap creating a bilingual community, as MIT President L. Rafael Reif calls it to make connections across diverse research interests will be one key to success.

Now, a new collaboration between the MIT Programs in Digital Humanities (DH Lab) and the MIT Libraries is helping foster relationships among scholars with intersecting interests in computational culture. Since September 2020, the DH Lab has partnered with the libraries to present Digital Teaching and Research Collaborative Sessions, a weekly series of virtual events that provide a regular, informal space for faculty and researchers to connect with DH Lab staff, MIT librarians, and with one another. Recordings of these sessions are now available on the MIT Libraries YouTube channel.

We wanted to hold open space for instructors and researchers across SHASS [School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences] to meet and share their insights and experiences in online learning during this unprecedented year, says Stephanie Frampton, associate professor of literature and faculty director of the DH Lab, founded in 2018 to build community through undergraduate research opportunities (UROPs), faculty research, visiting scholars programs, and events. It began with a week of workshops on tools for online teaching just before the fall semester and grew into a year-long series of more than 30 events involving faculty, researchers, students, and librarians from all corners of the Institute and beyond. Its been wonderful to see Thursday afternoons become a real touchstone for the community.

Frampton and DH Lab Research Associate Erica Zimmer, who was instrumental in organizing and running the events, were eager to partner with the MIT Libraries Ece Turnator, humanities and digital scholarship librarian, and Mark Szarko, librarian for comparative media studies, literature, philosophy, and theater arts. With the pandemic prompting a switch to remote learning, both librarians had been working extensively with faculty looking to enhance teaching and UROPs with digital tools.

Ece and Mark had already been working to bring the digital humanities forward at MIT, making people aware of tools, techniques, and case studies through IAP [Independent Activities Period] sessions, workshops, and a resource guide, says Zimmer. People at MIT know the libraries can help them figure out where they need to go next with a project, so their partnership has been crucial in that regard.

It makes sense for the libraries to be a partner in creating community around the digital humanities, says Szarko. MIT faculty have a wide range of research interests, and the MIT Libraries provide a sort of neutral ground for making connections across disciplines. Its a place that welcomes everyone.

The series started informally, with water cooler sessions on topics such as student engagement and strategies for teaching online. Other sessions demonstrated particular resources such as annotation, mapping, and text analysis tools, the collaborative publishing platform PubPub, or Relata, an experimental search tool for humanistic scholarship. Presentations also showcased underutilized collections at MIT, such as Archnet, a digital library developed by the Aga Khan Documentation Center. Perhaps most crucially, the series introduced participants to other scholars with similar research interests.

I enjoyed brainstorming with fascinating new and old colleagues that I would not have had a chance to speak with otherwise, says Michel DeGraff, professor of linguistics and director of the MIT-Haiti Initiative, who attended multiple events.

With an average of 25 to 30 participants at each session, the virtual events drew not only MIT scholars from various humanities fields, but also attendees from chemistry, electrical engineering and computer science, mathematics, and MIT Sloan School of Management, as well as journalists, filmmakers, and others beyond the Institute. People have tuned into the sessions, which are open to those with no prior experience using digital techniques in research or pedagogy, from at least nine different countries.

With a return to on-campus teaching and research activity projected for the fall term, session organizers are discussing ways to carry forward the strengths of the series as well as the insights and sense of community cultivated during this unusual academic year. Whatever format these discussions take in the future, their goal remains the same.

Were trying to create an ecosystem of knowledge and connections, says Turnator. The sessions are an opportunity to not only learn more about specific tools and resources but to see who else at MIT and beyond is interested in similar types of problems.

The MIT Programs in Digital Humanities are generously funded, in part, by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

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First race and ethnicity cluster hires arrive at Washington University – Washington University in St. Louis Newsroom

June 23, 2021 | Author: admin

Washington University in St. Louis is welcoming the first round of faculty members identified through its race and ethnicity cluster hire initiative, a multiyear effort to build a world-class and interdisciplinary research program on race.

WashU already has renowned scholars in this field, and this cohort will further our distinction as a university engaged in path-breaking research on race, Provost Beverly Wendland said. The varied methodologies on display with this group also offer our students innovative course opportunities. I look forward to the many ways that this cohort, and future ones, will further enhance our research, teaching and learning at WashU.

Chancellor Andrew D. Martin announced the initiative in the wake of George Floyds death as part of a broader effort to address systemic racism and its toll on Black and other racial communities. Ultimately, 13 faculty members will be hired by fall 2022.

Thefirst round of hires are:

GRa Asim, who joins the Creative Writing program in the Department of English in Arts & Sciences. Asim, a St. Louis native, is the author of the nonfiction work Boyz n the Void: a mixtape to my brother and served as assistant professor of nonfiction writing at Ithaca College. His work has appeared in Slate, Salon, Guernica, The Baffler and The New Republic. Asim fulfills a longstanding need in the creative writing program for a nonfiction writer who writes from a contemporary experience of Blackness.

Through this hire, we seek to bring a public culture of racial awareness and understanding to Washington University and claim a new prestige and leading role for the university in this field, according to the Department of Englishs proposal.

Eric Corbett, who will join the Brown School and the McKelvey School of Engineering in fall 2022. Corbett studies racial biases in artificial intelligence and designs and tests novel data-driven policies that promote racial equity. Corbett is currently completing his postdoctoral research at New York Universitys Center for Urban Science and Progress and most recently worked to create new opportunities for democratic participation in public-sector algorithm use.

A need exists for novel scholarship at the intersections of computational and social sciences conducted by and with those who experience racial injustice. Hiring in the Brown School and Computer Science and Engineering Department ensures we acquire deep knowledge in both racial disparities and computing domains, while connections with CRE2 and across campus provide additional opportunities for translation into technology and policy that promote racial justice, according to the joint proposal.

Zakiya T. Luna, who joins the Department of Sociology in Arts & Sciences as a tenured associate professor. Luna served as associate professor of sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and is author of Reproductive Rights as Human Rights: Women of Color and the Fight for Reproductive Justice. Luna has studied Black women activists, including activists in St. Louis, social movements and human rights. Luna will help the Department of Sociology, already one of the most acclaimed and diverse in the nation, become the leader in race and ethnicity scholarship.

Lunas pathbreaking research on intersectional identity-formation, political authenticity claims and coalitional dynamics within activist organizations demonstrates how racialized processes infuse the emergence, trajectory and impact of movements, the Department of Sociology proposal stated.

Daniel Scott Harawa, who has been promoted as a tenure-track faculty member at the School of Law. Harawa joined the university in 2019 as assistant professor of practice and serves as director of the Appellate Clinic. Harawa studies how doctrines, institutions and practices within the criminal legal system undermine criminal defendants constitutional rights and perpetuate racial subordination.

We anticipate organic connections between a law school faculty hire producing scholarship at the intersection of race, law, and social inequality and WashU faculty working in the fields of law, political science, economics, sociology and history, the School of Law said in its proposal.

Two other approved searches from the first round, in sociology and the Brown School, are ongoing.

The Cluster Hire Review Committee, composed of faculty from across schools, evaluated and selected proposals from schools and departments for Wendlands consideration and helped recruit candidates. Adrienne Davis, former vice provost for faculty affairs and diversity and inaugural director of the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity (CRE), and Geoff Ward, professor of African and African American studies in Arts & Sciences, led the committee for the first round. Rebecca Wanzo, professor and chair of women, gender and sexuality studies in Arts & Sciences, and Hedwig Lee, professor of sociology in Arts & Sciences and CRE co-director, are leading the committees efforts for the second round.

Approved searches for the second round are:

The departments of Anthropology and Biology in Arts & Sciences and the College of Architecture at the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts are working to fill three assistant professor positions (one in each unit) as part of a multidisciplinary cluster focused on environmental justice.

The departments of African and African-American Studies and Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies are pursuing a senior target of opportunity hire whose work focuses on Black sexuality, queer theory and public health.

The Performing Arts Department and the Department of Romance Languages & Literatures in Arts & Sciences are seeking a joint senior hire in Latinx performance studies with a focus on race and ethnicity studies.

The Education and African and African-American Studies departments are searching for a senior scholar who specializes in education policy.

The Sam Fox School seeks an assistant professor in design futures whose research intersects racial equity and technologies.

Wanzo said the competition for top talent is fierce, but Washington University boasts some advantages.

This is a moment when a lot of institutions are recognizing their deficits, and so there is a lot of mobility among faculty, Wanzo said. WashU has been extremely successful in the recruitment and retention of faculty of color, and so that helps us draw talent. We have a wonderful community of scholars and live in a great city. And the cluster itself is a selling point because it signals WashU is serious about its commitment.

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Florida Poly professor shaping the future of rhinoplasty – Florida Trend

June 23, 2021 | Author: admin

LAKELAND, Fla. Dr. Oguzhan Topsakal, assistant professor ofcomputer scienceat Florida Polytechnic University, is employing leading-edge digital technology to help plastic surgeons achieve better outcomes when performing rhinoplasty.

In pre-surgery, facial analysis is an important part of the planning, Topsakal said. We have developed an analyzer tool and also an educational tool for plastic surgeons or physicians working on facial analysis or plastic surgery.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, rhinoplasties are the most commonly performed facial plastic surgery procedure in the United States, with nearly more than 200,000 performed in 2020. Topsakal said about 15% to 20% of these procedures are repeated to achieve a better result.

That means about 30,000 to 40,000 rhinoplasty surgeries are done to fix problems with the first surgery, he said. Our goal is to improve the success rate, so people do not need to go through a second rhinoplasty surgery.

Topsakals research started two years ago and has progressed significantly since then.

We started by learning about what is important on a human face, what kind of measurements it has, and what kind of feature points can be changed, Topsakal said.

Topsakal and his team of students then built a tool that helps rhinoplasty surgeons emulate the outcome of a surgery. By bringing 3D models into the process, predicted outcomes are much more accurate.

They will be able to compare the results that are planned and the real outcome and then make an objective assessment, Topsakal said.

Theresearchhas been published in several leading journals. So far this year, he and his team have published three papers in top journals such Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and Aesthetic Surgery Journal.

Throughout this effort, four research assistants and nine interns have been called on to help with the research, including Brandon Nickas, a senior majoring in computer science.

We did a scoping review titled Surgical Algorithms in Rhinoplasty, and looked into what other people have done with rhinoplasty to see how we can help further that process, said Nickas, who completed an internship for the project last summer. It was really awesome to be able to work on this interdisciplinary research project and try something new. I never thought in a million years Id be able to say I published research.

_______________________________________________________________

About Florida Polytechnic University:Florida Polytechnic Universityis a nationally ranked Top 100 engineering college, accreditedby the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, and a member of the State University System of Florida. It is the only state universitydedicated exclusively to STEM andoffers ABET-accredited degrees. Florida Poly isa powerfuleconomic engine within the state of Florida, blending applied research with industry partnerships to give students an academically rigorous education with real-world relevance. Florida Polys iconic Innovation, Science, and Technology Building,designed by world-renowned architect Dr. Santiago Calatrava, has won more than 20 global awards and was named one of the16 most breathtaking buildingsin the world.Connectwith Florida Poly.For the most recent University news, visitFlorida Poly News.

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How The Pandemic Validated Agile; Only The Agile Survived – Forbes

June 23, 2021 | Author: admin

Software developers at work

Agile has often had a bad reputation among top management. Its strange practices, its incomprehensible terminology and the eccentricity of some of its practitioners have been off-putting to senior leaders. IT was often treated as little more than a distraction from the serious business of running the company.

Then came the pandemic of 2020. IT was summoned from the basement to the executive suite on the twenty-fourth floor and was asked to help save the corporation. Suddenly individuals and organizations had to operate digitally and virtually as never before.

To managements surprise, many IT departments delivered. Workers went remote, and business models were reinvented on the fly. In some companies, Agile practices had laid the basis for pivoting in response to rapid shifts in signals.

Brick-and-mortar organizations and those that functioned as steep hierarchies often couldnt cope and had to close their doors with no real certainty as to when business as usual would return.

The only going option was agility, whether firms had foreseen this or not. It wasnt that they hadnt been told. In 2015, Bloomberg Businessweek had devoted a whole issue to explaining digital in words of one syllable. The lesson often fell on deaf ears.

A key reason for those firms successfully working virtually, as an article by computer science professor, Cal Newport noted, was that their firms deployed the unusually systematic approach to organizing their efforts known as Agile.

Agile principles include elaborate systems, punctuated by standup meetings and coding sprints, which help them track and assign tasks without overloading individuals or creating unnecessary interruptions or redundancies. Leveraging these systems, carefully organized teams of coders can operate smoothly without the informal productivity boosts that come from working in the same space. In effect, in these groups enable the staff to get agreed things done, rather than controlling, adjusting, interrupting, and meddling with the work. In effect, they obeyed the Three Laws of Agile.

The epitome of agility: Romania's Nadia Comaneci

Yet Newport concluded that Agile management was beyond the capability of many organizations. The extensive efforts required to accomplish this feat, of course, only help underscore the importance of offices for everyone else. In other words, for those not benefiting from Agile management, the physical office is a necessary second-best crutch to help firms get by. In effect, the challenge of working virtually is just one more area where the principles of bureaucracy cant cope.

Yet faced with imminent demise, many managements were able to make the change. Necessity is the mother of invention, and managements began to think the unthinkable and do the unimaginable. The pandemic made them grab at Agile practices as the only way forward. It remains to be seen what happens after the pandemic has passed: will they continue to embrace Agile practices and values or go back to normal and the beautiful seclusion of the twenty-fourth floor?

In some cases, the pandemic has accomplished some rethinking of corporate values. For instance, Best Buy chairman and CEO Hubert Joly has observed, All of us have to rewire ourselves for a new way of leading. Whats the purpose of work? What kind of obituary do we want to have? Whats our calling? For many years, we cut off our head from our heart and our soul.

Yet not all business leaders received the memo. In a comprehensive global survey of more than 4,000 managers and executives conducted by MIT Sloan, 72% of respondents strongly agreed that it was very important to them to work for an organization with a purpose they believe in, but only 49% strongly believed in their organizations purpose. Furthermore, only 36% of respondents strongly believed in their organizations ability to advance its purpose.

The report concludes that this purpose gap suggests that senior leaders may lack credibility when it comes to aligning their organizations around a shared vision. That lack of credibility could put their companies long-term competitiveness at risk.

Leaders need to understand and embrace the reality that effective digital transformation cant work without their own affective digital transformations.

And read also:

Explaining Agile

Why Digital Transformations Are Failing

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UCI researchers part of federally funded effort to boost broadband connectivity in rural US – UCI News

June 23, 2021 | Author: admin

UCI electrical engineering and computer science researchers are part of a rural wireless connectivity research project that recently received $8 million from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The funds will help the Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research program establish a new facility in central Iowa dedicated to driving innovation and improving broadband connectivity in sparsely inhabited regions of the U.S. Systems working group principal investigator Ozdal Boyraz, UCI professor of electrical engineering and computer science, will lead a team focusing on free-space optical backbone technologies associated with the initiative. FSO uses infrared laser beams to transmit digital data including internet messages, video, computer files and radio signals across vast distances without using fiber-optic cables. It would be cost-prohibitive to hard-wire every location in the nations vast rural regions with broadband fiber, so one solution is to use line-of-sight light beam transmitters and receivers to cover the territory, Boyraz said. The challenge for our team is to develop technologies that are robust and highly reliable. Academic researchers in the Iowa hub, called ARA: Wireless Living Lab for Smart and Connected Rural Communities, will work with representatives from an industry consortium of 35 wireless companies to build a programmable infrastructure across Iowa State University, the city of Ames, and nearby farms and communities. The systems will provide a technological backbone for precision agriculture and livestock operations and, potentially, autonomous vehicles and drones. Said Boyraz: This project aims to improve the quality of life in rural America through better internet access, benefiting sectors as diverse as agriculture, business, healthcare, education and culture.

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Bitcoin (BTC) price drops on China crypto mining crackdown

June 23, 2021 | Author: admin

Bitcoin sank to a two-week low Monday on reports that China has intensified its crackdown on cryptocurrency mining.

The world's largest digital currency fell as low as $31,760 Monday morning, dropping below $32,000 for the first time since June 8, according to data from Coin Metrics. It was trading at $32,472 at 4:00 p.m. ET, down 8% on the day. Smaller rivals like ether and XRP also fell 12%.

Many bitcoin mines in Sichuan were shuttered Sunday after authorities in the southwestern Chinese province ordered a halt to crypto mining, according to a report from the Communist Party-backed newspaper Global Times. More than 90% of China's bitcoin mining capacity is estimated to be shut down, the paper said.

Bloomberg and Reuters also reported on the move from Sichuan authorities. It follows similar developments in China's Inner Mongolia and Yunnan regions, as well as calls from Beijing to stamp out crypto mining amid worries over its massive energy consumption.

Separately, the People's Bank of Chinasaid Mondayit hadurgedAlipay, the payments service run by Alibaba affiliate Ant Group, and some major banksto crack downon crypto trading. China has already banned financial institutions from providing crypto-related services.

"China often does this," Charles Hayter, CEO of crypto data firm CryptoCompare, told CNBC via email.

"When China sneezes, bitcoin catches a cold. But this flexing of regulatory muscle is often just that in the past eight years, this story has risen its head at least three times."

China's crackdown appears to have led to a significant decline in bitcoin's hash rate or processing power which has fallen sharply in the last month, according to data from Blockchain.com. An estimated 65% of global bitcoin mining is done in China.

Bitcoin's network is decentralized, meaning it doesn't have any central party or middleman to approve transactions or generate new coins. Instead, the blockchain is maintained by so-called miners who race to solve complex math puzzles using purpose-built computers to validate transactions. Whoever wins that race is rewarded with bitcoin.

This power-intensive process has led to growing concerns over the potential environmental harm of bitcoin, with everyone from Tesla CEO Elon Musk to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen raising the alarm. China, where most bitcoin mining is concentrated, relies heavily on coal power. Last month, a coal mine in the Xinjiang region flooded and shut down, taking nearly a quarter of bitcoin's hash rate offline.

However, miners in China often migrate to places like Sichuan, which are rich in hydropower, in the rainy season. And some industry efforts have been launched including the Bitcoin Mining Council and the Crypto Climate Accord in an effort to reduce cryptocurrencies' carbon footprint.

CNBC's Tanaya Macheel contributed reporting

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Bitcoin surges 18% after a wild day that saw the cryptocurrency briefly drop below $30,000 – CNBC

June 23, 2021 | Author: admin

The reflection of bitcoins in a computer hard drive.

Thomas Trutschel | Photothek via Getty Images

Bitcoin continued to rebound from its lows for the year on Wednesday.

The cryptocurrency sank below the key $30,000 threshold Tuesday, at one point briefly erasing all its 2021 gains. It later recovered to turn positive for the day.

On Wednesday, bitcoin surged 18%, climbing back above the $34,000 mark in early morning trading, according to Coin Metrics data. It last changed hands at $33,641.27, up 3% on the day.

Smaller rivals also surged, with ether rising 6% to $2,014 and XRP up 9% at a price of 64 cents. The reason for the moves higher wasn't clear, but cryptocurrencies are known for their volatility.

Bitcoin had a solid start to the year, rallying to an all-time high of almost $65,000 ahead of crypto exchange Coinbase's blockbuster debut and as institutional investors appeared to be warming to it.

But the world's biggest digital coin has been on a roller-coaster ride since, almost halving in value amid a slew of negative news.

In China, authorities have been clamping down on bitcoin mining, the power-intensive process for validating transactions and generating new bitcoins. Over the weekend, Beijing's crackdown on crypto mining extended to the hydropower-rich Sichuan province.

Then, the People's Bank of China on Monday said it had urged financial institutions including Alipay and major banks not to provide services related to cryptocurrency activities.

Investors have also become more concerned about bitcoin's environmental impact, after Tesla CEO Elon Musk decided to stop accepting bitcoin as a method of payment for his company's vehicles.

At the time, Musk said he was worried about bitcoin's huge energy consumption and the "rapidly increasing use of fossil fuels" in mining the digital asset. However, he later said Tesla would accept bitcoin when at least half of bitcoin mining is confirmed to be powered by clean energy.

Critics of the cryptocurrency have long been wary of its impact on the environment. That could threaten the adoption of bitcoin by institutional investors, which are under growing pressure to invest in cleaner, more ethical assets.

Meanwhile, there have also been concerns about tether, a so-called stablecoin whose price is meant to be pegged to the U.S. dollar.

Tether is now the world's third-largest digital currency with a market value of more than $60 billion. But some investors are worried tether's issuer doesn't have enough dollar reserves to justify its peg to the greenback.

Last month, the company behind tether broke down the reserves for its stablecoin, revealing that around 76% was backed by cash and cash equivalents but just under 4% of that was actual cash, while about 65% was commercial paper, a form of short-term debt.

It comes after the New York attorney general's office reached a settlement with Tether and Bitfinex, an affiliated digital currency exchange. The state's top law enforcement official had accused the firms of moving hundreds of millions of dollars to cover up the loss of $850 million in commingled client and corporate funds. Tether and Bitfinex agreed to pay $18.5 million in the settlement and were barred from operating in New York state, however the companies didn't admit to any wrongdoing.

CNBC's Tanaya Macheel contributed reporting.

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South Africa Africrypt Bitcoin Scam?: Cajee Brothers Missing Along With Billions – Bloomberg

June 23, 2021 | Author: admin

Follow @crypto Twitter for the latest news.

A pair of South African brothers have vanished, along with Bitcoin worth $3.6 billion from their cryptocurrency investment platform.

A Cape Town law firm hired by investors says they cant locate the brothers and has reported the matter to the Hawks, an elite unit of the national police force. Its also told crypto exchanges across the globe should any attempt be made to convert the digital coins.

Following a surge in Bitcoins value in the past year, the disappearance of about 69,000 coins -- worth more than $4 billion at their April peak -- would represent the biggest-ever dollar loss in a cryptocurrency scam. The incident could spur regulators efforts to impose order on the market amid rising cases of fraud.

The first signs of trouble came in April, as Bitcoin was rocketing to a record. Africrypt Chief Operating Officer Ameer Cajee, the elder brother, informed clients that the company was the victim of a hack. He asked them not to report the incident to lawyers and authorities, as it would slow down the recovery process of the missing funds.

Some skeptical investors roped in the law firm, Hanekom Attorneys, and a separate group started liquidation proceedings against Africrypt.

We were immediately suspicious as the announcement implored investors not to take legal action, Hanekom Attorneys said in response to emailed questions. Africrypt employees lost access to the back-end platforms seven days before the alleged hack.

The firms investigation found Africrypts pooled funds were transferred from its South African accounts and client wallets, and the coins went through tumblers and mixers -- or to other large pools of bitcoin -- to make them essentially untraceable.

South Africa Plans to Regulate Crypto Trading in Phased Manner

Calls to a mobile number for Cajee were immediately directed to a voicemail service. He and his brother, Raees, 20, set up Africrypt in 2019 and it provided bumper returns for investors. Calls to Raees also went straight to voicemail. The company website is down.

The saga is unfolding after last years collapse of another South African Bitcoin trader, Mirror Trading International. The losses there, involving about 23,000 digital coins, totaled about $1.2 billion in what was called the biggest crypto scam of 2020, according to a report by Chainalysis. Africrypt investors stand to lose three times as much.

Crypto Havens Lure Firms Fleeing South Africa Regulator Fear

While South Africas Finance Sector Conduct Authority is also looking into Africrypt, it is currently prohibited from launching a formal investigation because crypto assets are not legally considered financial products, according to the regulators head of enforcement, Brandon Topham. The police have not yet responded to a request for comment.

China has recently escalated its crackdown on cryptocurrency trading after a frenzied surge in Bitcoin and other tokens over the past six months heightened longstanding Communist Party concerns about the potential for fraud, money laundering and trading losses by individual investors.

In January, the daily value of crypto-asset trading exceeded 2 billion rand ($141 million) for the first time in South Africa, suggesting significant appetite in a market that was largely going unchecked by regulatory powers.

Before it's here, it's on the Bloomberg Terminal.

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Crypto strategist says bitcoin pullback is shaking out investors who have ‘paper hands’ – CNBC

June 23, 2021 | Author: admin

Longtime crypto bull Meltem Demirors reiterated her confidence in the cryptocurrency Tuesday, telling CNBC she believes the correction in bitcoin is simply weeding out the investors with "paper hands."

Paper hands is a term used in the crypto community to characterize people who sell a digital asset such as bitcoin when turbulence strikes markets. It's the opposite of so-called diamond hands, or ardent believers who say they will hold for the long term.

"We had 200 days of market expansion. You can't have a number go up forever. That doesn't happen in any market," Demirors said on "The Exchange." "What we're seeing is a correction, a contraction, and a lot of what is getting shaken out is what we call the 'paper hands,' the 'weak hands.'"

Demirors, the chief strategy officer at digital asset investment firm CoinShares, pointed to transaction activity on the bitcoin blockchain to support her view.

"There's a lot of retail that entered, didn't do their research, and is now selling. There are not a lot of long-term holders selling," she said. "If we look at on-chain activity, wallets that have been holding for a long time have actually been using this opportunity to accumulate."

Demirors' remarks on CNBC follow a wild ride for bitcoin Tuesday, which began with a heavy drop below the key $30,000 support level beforebouncing back into positive territoryin the afternoon. Analystshad been watchingthe $30,000 level after the cryptocurrency experienced a series of losses in May.

Earlier Tuesday morning, Wall Street strategist Tom Lee hadtold CNBCthat the world's largest cryptocurrency by market value faces a rough technical picture in the near term but that he still believes that bitcoin by market value could reach $100,000 per token by the end of 2021.

Like Demirors, Lee said he believes a lot of the recent selling has been from retail traders who jumped into bitcoin earlier this year when the cryptocurrency was marching higher toward its all-time high near $65,000 in April.

"I think we're going to continue to see consolidation here," Demirors said. "There is a lot of macro-uncertainty. Obviously, there's a lot of uncertainty around policy. There's also a lot of negative headlines."

China has recently been intensifying its crackdown on cryptocurrency.

"I think part of this is just the cycle we go through every several years with crypto, but we are seeing a lot of new inflows. We are seeing a lot of activity, in particular, on the market side," Demirors said.

While Demirors said "bitcoin has always been volatile," she explained that during the steep pullback in May, there was "a bunch of leverage coming off across the board. Now, we're done deleveraging. Now we're seeing a lot of cash selling."

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