Education, Research & Public Sector

Boston – – September 22, 2026 -- NWEA has released an enhanced free online tool that lets students as young as sixth grade convert their MAP Growth assessment scores into projected ACT and SAT scores and matching college admissions data.

Tool converts middle-school test scores into projected SAT and ACT results

The NWEA College Explorer allows students to enter current MAP Growth scores and see estimated performance on the ACT and SAT, then generates a list of post-secondary institutions that have historically admitted students with similar scores. The organization cited one example: a seventh grader scoring 222 on the fall MAP Growth math assessment is projected to meet the SAT math benchmark expected at most colleges and universities, but fall short of the comparable ACT math benchmark.

San Francisco – September 21, 2026 -- INSEAD launched its Future Council and detailed a five-year, €15 million gift funding a new Human and Machine Intelligence Institute (HUMII) during its two-day AI Forum Americas 2026, held in San Francisco this week.

Jeffersonville – September 21, 2026 -- The American Water Charitable Foundation has awarded a $25,000 STEM Education Grant to Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana, funding a three-part outdoor science program for girls in Southern Indiana.

Grant funds hands-on STEM series covering conservation and pollinator habitats

The award will underwrite a three-part outdoor education series giving Girl Scouts direct experience in scientific research, environmental conservation and pollinator habitat restoration. The grant was announced during a Free Family Fun event at Origin Park earlier this month, where Indiana American Water also deployed a mobile water trailer for attendees.

West Sussex, England – September 20, 2026 -- International leaders from government, policy, development, and sport bodies concluded a three-day dialogue at Wilton Park, hosted with Qatar Foundation (QF), agreeing to build a global coalition converting sport's development potential into concrete policy action.

Wilton Park and Qatar Foundation commit to joint roadmap on coaching and infrastructure

The two organizations will now jointly develop an actionable roadmap spanning policy, coaching, and infrastructure reform. The dialogue, themed 'Sport for Development in the Global South: Advancing Female Empowerment, Inclusion, and Accessibility', targeted structural barriers limiting sporting opportunity for women and girls.

Belfast – September 20, 2026 -- Ulster University's Senate and Council have conferred an honorary Doctor of the University degree on Susan Ann Davis, citing her role in building a $196 million (£144M/€170M) U.S.-Ireland R&D partnership and her sustained diplomatic engagement supporting the Good Friday Agreement.

Ulster University Vice-Chancellor Confers Honorary Degree on Transatlantic Business Leader

Professor Paul Bartholomew, Vice-Chancellor of Ulster University, presented the honor to Davis in recognition of her contributions to business, women's leadership, entrepreneurship, and her long-standing commitment to peace and economic development in Northern Ireland.

Conway, S.C. – September 20, 2026 -- The Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC) Area Commission has selected Lori A. Heafner, Ph.D., as the college's next president, following a national search that concluded with a special-called meeting on Sept. 18. Heafner will take office Jan. 4, 2027.

Area Commission completes national search with finalist visits and public forums

The decision followed campus visits and public forums held on the Conway Campus, where three finalists met with faculty, staff, students and community members. The search was conducted with assistance from the Association of Community College Trustees.

PHOENIX – September 20, 2026 -- New peer-reviewed research from University of Phoenix found that non-traditional undergraduate students who used generative AI tools more frequently reported higher GPAs and greater confidence in technology skills, contradicting assumptions that GenAI is primarily a crutch for struggling or time-pressed learners.

The study, "Strategic Integration or Skill Compensation? Understanding GenAI Use in Online Higher Education," was published June 30, 2026, in Artificial Intelligence in Education, Vol. 2, No. 1, pages 205-223. It was authored by researchers affiliated with the University's Center for Educational and Instructional Technology Research (CEITR): Jessica Sylvester, EdD; Melinda Kulick, EdD; Leonidas Maganares, EdD; and Stella Smith, PhD.

Los Angeles – September 20, 2026 -- Kobold Press, the twenty-year-old independent tabletop game publisher behind Tales of the Valiant, will be profiled in an upcoming segment of "All Access hosted by Andy Garcia," a short-form documentary series distributed to Public Television stations nationwide.

Filming is set for September 19, 2026, at the production company's Florida studio

Kobold Press Chief Executive Officer Alexander Stangroom and Marketing Director Dot Steverson will travel to the studio to represent the company. The segment will examine how tabletop roleplaying games function as tools for reading comprehension, arithmetic, negotiation and improvisation, and why libraries, schools and community organizations have added them to programming.

Henderson, Tenn. – September 20, 2026 -- Freed-Hardeman University enrolled 2,296 students this fall, posting an all-time-high five-year graduation rate of 71% that exceeds nine of Tennessee's public four-year universities.

Retention rate reaches 89% as new student numbers climb 5%

FHU's 89% retention rate accompanied a 5% year-over-year increase in new students. Full-time undergraduate enrollment rose 3%, while on-campus residency grew 5%, adding to a total undergraduate population of 1,806 students.

Graduate enrollment jumps 13% while international student count hits record high

Full-time graduate enrollment increased 13% this fall, bringing graduate program participation to 490 students. The university also welcomed its highest-ever number of international students, broadening its base of cultural backgrounds on campus.

Arlington, Va. – September 20, 2026 -- The American Institutes for Research (AIR) will present at more than 25 sessions during the 2026 Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE) conference, running September 23-26 at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront in Baltimore, Maryland.

AIR secures Silver Sponsor status and exhibitor booth at flagship research conference

AIR will operate a booth in the Exhibitor Hall throughout the four-day event, which convenes education researchers, policy leaders, and professionals under the theme "Education and Public Trust: Evidence and Accountability in a Changing Landscape."