Whether designing its landmark Campus Reimagined initiative or responding to a pandemic, Florida State University has demonstrated how using existing technology in a smarter way can lead to better outcomes.

The Tallahassee institution has long used data to inform decisions on everything from course options to library hours. In 2018, however, information management became the cornerstone of Campus Reimagineddesigned to first help students better understand their interests and goals, and then provide a personalized experience based on acquiring knowledge necessary to fulfill their personal passions.

The most recent shift in using data is toward identifying unique characteristics, goals and aspirations of students, says Associate Provost Rick Burnette. How do we use technologyspecifically datato make sure the experience is as meaningful and impactful as possible for our students?

To advance that goal, the university partnered with Microsoft to set up a data lake and manage information effectively.

The school is already using every Microsoft data visualization and management tool, says Sean Brown, chief strategy officer for Campus Reimagined. But the human factor was extremely important. We found Microsofts view of digital transformation was parallel to ours, and it had the road map for where we were headed.

Microsoft representatives provided the expertise we needed, Burnette adds. They said, Heres how to get more bang for the buck with the technologies you have. Its one thing to have a tool; its another to use it appropriately. Microsoft provided alot of focus.

Its one thing to have a tool; its another to use it appropriately.

As a result, when COVID-19 led to campus closure and wholesale remote learning for some 42,000 students, FSU was ready.

We had the technology, so people could collaborate over Teams, Brown says. We found that the things you could do six feet apart or across the quad could still be done when you were a nation apart. We were able to maintain continuity of collaboration.

That continuity was key to administrative and academic success, Burnette says, and raised an important question: How do we use technology to make sure were not just delivering the same presentation remotely, but were making it an interactive learning experience?

The schools tech partner is helping with answering that question.

Both in the Campus Reimagined partnership with Microsoft, and the broader university, it is clear that a secure digital platform with chat, video communication and document sharing is very important, Brown says. When students return to campus, well need to maintain digital collaboration and distance delivery to continue maximizing student experiences and success.

Q&A with Rob Curtin, Director of Higher Education Strategy, Americas, for the Education Industry Group at Microsoft

How has the coronavirus prompted higher ed leaders and their communities to better appreciate the importance of the campus experience? Higher ed leaders have always appreciated this, but students, faculty and staff are now feeling just how important the campus community is to their experience, and how much learning occurs in and outside the classroom. Campus leaders realize they need to foster community for distributed populations, and technology can help.

How can colleges and universities ensure remote learning remains a first-tier offering even after the COVID-19 pandemic? Colleges and universities have always focused on quality learning experiences. The pandemic showed how agile campuses can be. Their rapid transition to remote learning was impressive. Moving forward, the conversation has to focus on learning with remote inclusion as a first-tier option for any or all participantsstudents and faculty. Over the next few years, well see significant investments in learning experiences and pedagogical evolution of models designed for inclusion. Faculty and students will have options for on-campus and remote learning, and synchronous and asynchronous learning. It will be more than lecturing to muted squares over a video conferencing tool.

COVID-19 has created an urgency for project-based or active learning scenarios, continuous engagement over various modalities, and interactions that extend the classroom and give everyone a voice.

How can colleges combine first-class remote learning with crucial on-campus experiences to improve student success after the coronavirus crisis? Providing flexibility on when and how students consume information, and how they meet and interact with others is important to the entire experience. College is more than just the classroom. There are many lessons to be learned on campus: Time management, self-discipline, organization and group collaboration. Human interaction is critical. Technology should not disintermediate students and teachers. It can connect people and inform their interactions to make them more personal and effective.

How can higher ed leaders ensure that both distance and on-campus experiences promote equity and remain inclusive? Now that students have access to low-cost devices or virtual machines on the cloud, we need to ensure they have access to high-speed internet. Microsoft is working with telecoms, energy access providers and others to provide high-speed internet using TV white space. These partners are using our Airband technology to promote equity and to help close the massive digital access gap, particularly in rural and agricultural areas.

Our Immersive Reader capabilities ensure learners of all abilities can see and hear text. With rich controls for word spacing, contrast, text size and even colors, we help people overcome vision and reading challenges. Immersive Reader is also found in our Browser and Office applications, and we make it available to partners who can integrate into their interfaces and scale these inclusive experiences.

For more information, please visit aka.ms/etfhe

Interested in technology? Keep up with the UB Tech conference.

Excerpt from:
FSU leverages technology to maximize student experience and response to COVID-19 | - University Business

Local Sports

May 19, 2020

Kurt Golder

ALPENA Alpena Native and University of Michigan gymnastics coach Kurt Golder has earned unanimous Big Ten Coach of the Year honors.

The Big Ten Conference announced the 2020 Big Ten Mens Gymnastics individual award winners on Thursday, as voted upon by the conference coaches. Minnesotas Shane Wiskus took home Big Ten Gymnast of the Year for the third straight year, while Michigans Paul Juda was awarded Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Golder, the Wolverine head coach, claimed unanimous Big Ten Coach of the Year honors.

Golder was named the unanimous Big Ten Coach of the Year by his peers after the Wolverines finished the season 11-1-0 (3-1-0, Big Ten) to lead the conference. Golder helped five Wolverines earn CGA All-American honors. The award marks his fifth career Big Ten Coach of the Year honor (1999, 2000, 2013, 2014).

Golder enters his 24th season as the head coach for the mens gymnastics team at the University of Michigan. He is only the fourth coach in the programs 80-year history, following Wilbur West, the legendary Newt Loken and Bob Darden. A native of Alpena, Golder has led the Wolverines to high levels of success over the last five years, including back-to-back NCAA and Big Ten Championships in 2013 and 2014, as well as NCAA and Big Ten titles in 1999. In addition to his smashing success during the past three seasons, Golder has coached 105 NCAA All-Americans and 13 NCAA individual national champions, and has won four of U-Ms six national titles (1963, 70, 99, 2010, 13, 14).

In 2019, Golder led U-M back to national relevance, taking fourth-place at NCAAs and captured a share of the first-ever Big Ten Regular Season Championship. With 11 Academic All-Big Ten members, four NCAA All-Americans and an NCAA Champship from Anthony McCallum on vault and a Big Ten title from Jacob Moore on floor-exericse, the campaign was chock full of superlatives.

The 2018 season saw the addition of freshman All-American Cameron Bock, who helped guide the Wolverines to a second-place finish at Big Tens inside U-Ms Crisler Center.

In 2015, Golder brought home three NCAA All-America citations, as the Wolverines took fourth at the NCAA Championships and boasted one Big Ten Champion (Nick Hunter, parallel bars).

The previous two seasons marked the most successful years in U-M gymnastics history as they featured two NCAA and Big Ten Titles, as well as a pair of CGA National Coach of the Year honors and Big Ten Coach of the Year accolades. Over that span, he guided 20 All-America citations at the NCAA meet, earned five NCAA Individual titles, five Big Ten champions, and the Big Ten Gymnast of the Year in Sam Mikulak in 2013-14.

At the 2014 NCAAs, U-M became the first program to win back-to-back national championships in 44 years. The Wolverines scored 445.050 to win the meet. The title is the fourth under Kurt Golder (1999, 2010, 2013), who is now tied with swimming coach Gus Stager for the third-most NCAA titles by a coach in school history. He trails only Matt Mann (13) and football coach Fielding Yost (six), and the back-to-back NCAA titles are the first for any U-M sport since 1969-70, as trampoline won in 1969-70, and mens swimming and diving also accomplished the feat in 1958-59. Overall, U-M earned a 27-2 overall record on the season, while.The margin of victory of 443.200-440.100 over second-place Oklahoma at NCAAs was the largest victory margin in 29 years.

At Big Tens the team won its first non-shared conference championship since 2000 with a team score of 438.900, which was over four points better than second-place finisher Penn State (434.050), and was the fourth of Coach Golders career. Mikulak, who won the all-around competition, gives U-M event winners in four of the last five years, (Thomas Kelley 2009, Chris Cameron 2010, Mikulak 2011), and became the second Wolverine to win a pair of all-around titles in his career. Additionally, U-M placed three gymnasts in the top-three in six events while winning floor (Ervin), parallel bars (Caesar) and high bar (Mikulak). The trio, along with de los Angeles, took home First Team All-Big Ten honors, while Mikulak was named Big Ten Gymnast of the Year for the second time in his career, and Kurt Golder took home his second Big Ten coach of the year honor.

The success began in the summer of 2012, as he served as the primary coach for the first American Olympian in program history in Mikulak, who took fifth in the world on vault at the 2012 Olympic Games. Golder served as the primary coach for one of the most popular athletes in London, and was honored with the title of assistant coach for Team USA as a result.

In 2012, Golder guided the Wolverines to a sixth place finish at the NCAA Championships after winning session one at the NCAA Qualifier round with a season-high score of 353.450 to advance to the Super Six. In addition, he earned his 25th NCAA champion, as Sam Mikulak won the NCAA high bar championship with a 15.45. Additionally, Golder aided in guiding Mikulak to All-America honors on parallel bars, high bar, and all-around competition, while freshman Stacey Ervin earned accolades on floor exercise (third) and vault (fourth). The Wolverines took second at the Big Ten Championships behind Illinois, marking the fourth straight season the Wolverines have collected a runner-up finish. Individually, Mikulak, the United States Senior National Team member, became the first Wolverine gymnast to win a pair of Big Ten titles (parallel bars, high bar) since Scott Vetere in 2000. Freshman Adrian de los Angeles also earned First-Team All-Big Ten accolades after placing fifth in the all-around competition.

The 2011 season saw Golder lead the Wolverines to a fifth-place finish at NCAA Championships and a runner-up finish at the Big Ten Championships. Freshman Sam Mikulak took the All-Around title at NCAAs and Big Tens and was named Big Ten Freshman and Gymnast of the Year. Additionally, senior Ian Makowske (high bar) and Syque Caesar (parallel bars) won individual event titles at Big Tens.

After taking over a team that went 0-16 and finished last at the Big Ten Championships in 1996, Golder quickly developed and recruited the Wolverines into national prominence. The goals of his program are to consistently be in contention for the Big Ten and NCAA team titles, as well as to produce U.S. National Team members and Olympians.

Golder has continued to turn out leading teams in the Big Ten conference producing five Big Ten team titles and 31 individual titles. Golder was awarded Big Ten Coach of the Year honors in 1999, 2000, 2013 and 2014, as well as being named the NCAA regional and national coach of the year in 1999, 2010, 2013 and 2014. Golder also mentored the 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014 Big Ten all-around champions and Big Ten Gymnasts of the Year; Scott Vetere, Justin Laury, Thomas Kelley, Chris Cameron, and Sam Mikulak (three times) respectively.

Golder stresses the importance of community service while maintaining a high GPA to his student athletes, and the team has been recognized for such efforts. In 2010 the team had the highest team-GPA out of all mens gymnastics teams in the NCAA. In 2005-06, the squad earned the Rachael Townsend Community Service Award, and in 2007-08 and 2008-09, it received an accolade for having the highest GPA of any U-M male athletic team. Also during 2010 season, Golder produced ten student-athletes earning College Gymnastics Association academic All-America honors.

After graduating from Michigan in 1977 with his Bachelor of Science degree from the School of Education, Golder began his teaching and coaching career at Ann Arbor Huron High School where he taught and coached from 1976-79. Golder led the River Rats to claim the 1979 state championship. He returned to the Big Ten in 1979 as an assistant coach at Michigan State University, a position he held until 1984. From 1984-91, he was the boys program director and head coach of Genesee Valley Gymnastics in Flint, Mich., one of the nations most successful boys gymnastics clubs. During his duration at GVG, Golder was also a member of the Junior National coaching staff for USA Gymnastics.

In 1991, Golder joined the University of Iowa staff as an assistant coach. He was with the Hawkeye program until his appointment as the Wolverine head coach in July of 1996. International coaching appointments have taken Golder to Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Israel, France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Belgium, Puerto Rico, Thailand and South Korea. He served as coach for the U.S. team at the 1995 World University Games in Fukuoka, Japan; the 1997 World University Games in Sicily; the 2003 World University Games team in Daegu, South Korea; and the 2007 World University Games in Bangkok, Thailand. He also coached the 1999 Chunichi Cup team in Nagoya, Japan, and the 2001 Pan-Am Championship team in Cancun, Mexico. He served as a personal coach to former Wolverine gymnast Daniel Diaz-Luong at the 2001 World Championships in Ghent, Belgium.

Golder was a three-time letterwinner in gymnastics (1975-77) and a member of Michigans 1975 Big Ten championship team. In 2008, Golder was inducted into the Alpena High School Alumni Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Alpena Sports Hall of Fame in 2001.

Golder has a 26-year old daughter, Roberta, who is a graduate of U-M.

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Fear should never destroy our courage to stand against a government that threatens our freedom and allows tyranny to flourish. Our constitutional rights have been set aside without clear and defensible reasons for doing so by state and local governments, caused by a virus that has so far taken only 175 lives in San Diego County, just eight of whom had no underlying medical conditions.

The risk of being infected with the novel coronavirus and the disease it causes, COVID-19, is certainly a concern, but more concerning is the overreach by Gov. Gavin Newsom, and the heavy-handed and arbitrary restrictions on businesses, public spaces and personal protections.

We have been bombarded with dizzying daily virus updates and given worst-case scenarios, then seen coverage that explained, contradicted or challenged what we were told were the most recent facts. We have been urged to shelter in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus, with initial projections of it killing up to 1.7 million Americans, and we did.

But even with cases remaining stable, local officials became reckless with their newly discovered power and continued to pursue even more unreasonable restrictions. In Encinitas, Mayor Catherine Blakespear defended the ticketing of sunset watchers and closing trails, parks and beaches as ways to save lives and to keep us safe, and claimed these activities are dangerous to others nearby.

The irony of it all was that residents were forced to walk or jog where no sidewalks existed, along busy roads, risking getting hit by a vehicle. At the same time, doctors and scientists told us that sunshine, exercise and fresh air were necessary to strengthen the immune system and to help fight illness.

As punitive actions grew in harshness for noncompliance, I witnessed the detrimental effects on friends and local businesses and was convinced as were many others that peaceful rallies were not only justified but necessary. Arrangements were made and what I assumed would be just a small group of frustrated residents quickly grew into a very large Freedom Rally at Swamis in Encinitas.

Read more about coronavirus restrictions and protests in San Diego County:

In return, I was treated like a criminal even though Im always law-abiding, hardworking and active in my church and have been named in a local magazine for my professional and personal success.

What I find most disturbing is the intolerance by neighbors for expressing my First Amendment rights. Across the state, we see county supervisors, health officials, mayors, city councils and members of law enforcement doing what the governor insisted, without regard for the Constitution or We the people.

I have been met with fear-based tactics, public shaming, virtue signaling and bullying by the same people who urge tolerance and treating each other with respect and dignity yet leave no voice for someone who disagrees with what is happening.

Living in a vacuum, surrounding ourselves with only people who mirror our views, and censoring those with dissenting opinions is a recipe for disaster, not to mention a gross act of cowardice. Mob rule might be a convenient way to exact justice when you find yourself on the right side of the outcome. But its a slippery slope, and our entire culture and Constitution were built as a platform to guard against the resulting collapse.

I was personally characterized as a selfish, shallow person, impatient to return to beach sunbathing, and angry about the inability to get my hair and nails done nothing could be further from the truth. Some of these virtue signalers even contacted former employers and my church fellowship in an attempt to destroy my livelihood and reputation.

Coping with coronavirus

The pandemic sweeping the globe has changed everyones lives, and we want to hear how its changed yours. If youd like to write an op-ed for us on a subject related to the virus, make it 700-750 words and send it to us with your name and a phone number so we can reach you.

My closest friends own salons and are hairdressers, estheticians and personal fitness trainers, and they have been the most severely impacted and the focus of the news today. They and many of the local business owners I have talked with are afraid to speak out for fear of similar retaliation by people attempting to destroy their livelihood or governmental regulatory agencies punishing their businesses.

These people have families and bills, and cant risk arrest. Its distressing to think some may not have a place to go back to work. This should spur every American into action. Join a rally and demand the reopening of our state.

Thankfully, my livelihood is not at risk, which is why I have the privilege to focus on restoring California to normalcy not the new normalcy, the old one the one that aligns with our constitutional freedoms.

Freedoms that many Americans died to preserve. As Thomas Jefferson said, When government fears the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny.

Curtis lives in Encinitas.

Read more:
Commentary: We protested the coronavirus restrictions in Encinitas. Here's why. - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Josh Drew doesnt have to imagine it. He, along with his entire team, lived through it.

After five years at Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, Drew joined Amsterdam-based telecommunications company VimpelCom as associate general counsel of investigations in July 2016a trying time in the companys history, to say the least. Just five months earlier, VimpelComs wholly owned Uzbek subsidiary, Unitel, pleaded guilty, and VimpelCom entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the Department of Justice for having engaged in a systemic and long-running corruption scheme in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). The company also was still feeling the sting from the consequential $795 million global foreign bribery settlement with U.S. and Dutch authorities.

Since that time, the company has significantly overhauled its governance structure, along with changing its name to VEON in March 2017. It was around this time of major upheaval that Drew was named acting group chief compliance officer, following the resignation of his predecessor just six months into the job and after the compliance monitorships heavy scrutiny had already begun.

All of this is to say that when Drew was offered the permanent post of group chief ethics and compliance officer in October 2017, it was not a decision to be taken lightly for both personal and professional reasons. It was definitely a family decision, Drew says of the job opportunity and having to move his family from the United States to Amsterdam. My wife has a career, and we have three kids. So, we had to evaluate how this would work from all angles.

Turns out, the family didnt need much convincing. For my wifes job, we had done a short stint in Paris. The experience of living overseas was great for our family and whetted our appetite for more, Drew says. As a family, we were very excited to move to Amsterdam.

The more substantial challenge would be on a professional level: how to right the ship at VEON. The task at handmonumental, to say the leastwas to create and implement an effective global ethics and compliance program nearly from the ground up; to shift the cultural mindset of people from all across the organization and at all levels of the organization; and to do so under a very aggressive timetable, as set forth under the terms of the DPA.

Drew says he accepted this challenge with a sense of both excitement and humility. I wanted to be the chief compliance officer, but I also understood the size of the challenge and that it was going to take a tremendous team effort if the company was going to succeed, he says. It was not going to be all about what I could do. It was really going to be much more about how I could help channel all the resources in the organization in the right direction to help the company succeed.

In the following weeks and months, he would tackle that challenge head on. It is for those rebuilding efforts that he earned the distinction of winning Compliance Weeks first-ever Compliance Comeback of the Year Award.

Current and former colleagues credit the effortless way Drew took the helm, even in uncharted waters, and note that its not inconsequential that he wasnt yet at the company when the settlement terms were negotiated. He inherited them, says Yvonne Hilst, ethics and compliance officer at VEON. If he ever doubted himself, he never let it show. Thats a characteristic of a good leader.

Drew says he was able to leverage his former experience at Hewlett-Packard in his role as vice president and associate general counsel. Hewlett-Packard had also gone through an FCPA investigation, settlement, and post-settlement reporting obligations. So, I had a skillset that was transferable to VEON and what the company needed, he says.

The hallmarks of an effective compliance program are virtually the same from one company to the next, adds Drew, who was also a former trial attorney in the Fraud Section of the Justice Departments Criminal Division. Its not rocket science. You need to make a work plan and start executing on it, and that was a very high priority [at VEON] from the start.

Drew says the first step in that process was to make sure I understood the state of play with the existing compliance program and have a full understanding of the problems and historical compliance failures that had led the company to that point. No company that is under a DPA has a compliance program that can continue operating in the same way it has been historically, he says. VEON was no exception.

There was a lot of work to be done, for sure, Hilst says of the compliance program when she joined VEON in September 2017. It needed to change and improve basically everything. In the first three months that I was with the company, we had to either revise or introduce more than 20 compliance governance documents, including the Code of Conduct.

Drew understood that engagement and commitment from the board and senior leadership would be an essential part of VEONs compliance comeback. I spent quite a bit of time with our board, with our audit and risk committee, with the senior management team, to make sure they were fully engaged and that they were prepared to play their critical role as champions of the compliance program, he says.

I wanted to be the chief compliance officer, but I also understood the size of the challenge and that it was going to take a tremendous team effort if the company was going to succeed. It was not going to be all about what I could do. It was really going to be much more about how I could help channel all the resources in the organization in the right direction to help the company succeed.

Joshua Drew, Group Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, VEON

Drew also focused on building not only a bigger compliance team, but the right compliance team, making sure that we had the right skills, that we had the right people in the right roles to do the joball of those areas needed prompt attention, he says. That required recruiting and hiring new talent, seeking those who had direct experience in the field, embedded within VEONs operating companies.

Under his leadership, the compliance function grew from a small team of four to a team of over 100, made up of ethics and compliance professionals with diverse backgrounds from all over the world, including places like Uzbekistan and Russia. It really is a testament to what he was able to achieve, to do exactly what he said, which is to create a structure that just didnt exist before, says Alison Howell, who headed VEONs Monitor Liaison Office, responsible for developing the monitoring and testing program to assess the effectiveness of the ethics and compliance program.

Fundamental to Drews success is his unwavering integrity. Josh is a person of outstanding personal integrity, such that he embodies the values that underlie an effective compliance program, says Mark Rochon, a member of law firm Miller & Chevalier who, together with Tom Firestone at Baker McKenzie, served as VEONs outside counsel.

He is a person who always does exactly what he says he is going to do, and that steadiness is an essential part of why he is such a good leader, Rochon adds. He worked throughout the organization to instill necessary change, and he did so through building a good team and using teamwork in bringing about that change.

And colleagues appreciated that Drew was not a yes-man type of leader. He really considered the views of everyone, right down to the most junior person on the team, Howell says.

Thats how he is as a person both inside and outside the walls of the company. If he had his team flying economy, he would decline his business-class seat, which he was entitled to as an executive, and instead would sit with his team, says Pat Garcia, then-group chief compliance officer at VEON and Drews No. 2 deputy during the companys three-year DPA. More important than any leadership skill is genuine caring for others. He is a person dedicated to his family and loyal to his friends. He is a good person. Josh is not a politician. What you see is what you get.

Another great leadership quality is that he would let his leaders lead, Garcia adds. He allowed me to manage my global responsibilities without being a micro-manager.

That level of trust filtered into the compliance teams relationship with the monitor as well. Josh trusted his direct reports to have an open and transparent dialogue directly with the monitor team itself, so communication didnt necessarily have to be filtered through Josh or Alison, Hilst says. He also set the tone from the beginning that dialogue between the company and the monitor wouldnt be filtered through outside counsel, which also helped create greater transparency, she says.

We really had to make sure that the relationship and engagement with U.S. enforcement authorities was on solid footing, that we had a clear line of communication, that we were doing what we needed to do, Drew says. You have to develop an effective, collaborative relationship with your monitor or youre just not going to be successful as a company getting through your post-settlement period.

Facilitating interactions between the monitor, senior management, and the board to ensure those meetings were productive was also important. It was really important to communicate openly and be responsive with the monitor and at the same time establish myself as a credible and trusted adviser for the board, for the executive team, and sort of lead them through the process so that the monitor was getting what he needed and we were on good footing to be successful.

We understood from the outset that if we tried to drive change as a mandate from compliance that we would not be successful, Drew says. Thus, it was critical that all leaders throughout the business were on board with what the company was trying to do and could effectively articulate the need for compliance and the need for strong internal controls.

Josh is not a politician. What you see is what you get.

Pat Garcia, Drews No. 2 deputy during three-year DPA

During the term of the DPA and compliance monitorship, VEON underwent several changes to its senior leadership team, including the appointment of a new chief executive officer, chief financial officer, and board chairman. But colleagues say Drew managed these changes and various relationships with ease, keeping the compliance programs development and implementation on track. He was particularly effective in his work with the board and involving them in the companys compliance transformation, which was essential to success, Rochon says.

Another key focus was shifting the culturemoving people away from thinking about compliance to thinking about ethics and compliance. There is a real art to implementing change in a way that it will stick, in a way that it will become embedded into the culture of the company, and that is what we had to do, Drew says.

Ultimately, VEON rebranded its function from compliance to ethics and compliance and incorporated much more content on integrity and values and the importance of ethical decision-making in our communications and into our training, Drew says. It is absolutely the wrong approach to try to have a rule that covers every scenario.

Employees wont always find themselves in situations that are covered by a specific policy, procedure, or rule that tells them what theyre supposed to do. In those circumstances, they need to use other resources and their own judgment to decide what is the best approach, Drew adds.

In large part due to Drews leadership, the monitor certified to the effectiveness of the companys anti-corruption compliance program late last year, and the Justice Department dismissed VEONs DPA right on time.

Any time a company faces great challenges, stress, and difficulty, its an opportunity for compliance professionals to demonstrate their value and leadership in the organization, Drew says. Especially with the coronavirus pandemic, the biggest challenge for VEONs ethics and compliance team has been to go cold turkey and not travel at all, he says. A lot of the value we bring, especially the headquarters team, is being able to travel to our operating companies, to meet with local leaders, to have town hall type of events, to deliver training, to meet with the local ethics and compliance team. Its been a big adjustment to have to do all of that virtually and not lose effectiveness.

But at the same time, Drew says he believes the pandemic will elevate the compliance function. Effective compliance teams change and adapt to the business, and certainly businesses of all sizes and types are going to have to do that post-pandemic, he says.

In all respects, those who know Drew say he leads by example. He would remind us about his three rules for doing great work and what his expectations were of us and his team: Be accountable. Be a problem solver. And innovate, Hilst says. He also reminded us to have fun.

That approach is as applicable now as it was pre-pandemic, Drew concludes. If compliance professionals can do those things, they will be effective in their role, and theyll provide what the company needs, when it needs it most.

Link:
Josh Drew led by example in getting VEON through DPA - Compliance Week

The Studio Physical Location Classes will be closed due to the Covid-19 shutdown. We will reopen as the local authorities allow. Date will be announce as soon as possible.

Facebook Live Classes for this Covid-19 shutdown (FB live videos are also saved on the Facebook page in the video section for viewing at anytime.)

Anyone may view these classes. We recognize that many of you may have financial needs during this crisis and as such there is no dedicated fee for Facebook live. If you are able to continue to support us at this time so that we may also keep our local community business strong for you you can sign into these classes with your regular class session packages and member ships or purchase on online drop-in ($10) by clicking on the button below, or by sending a donation to the studio via Paypal: info@boundlessyogastudio.com or via Venmo: @BoundlessYoga

If you wish for us to pause a membership package until regular classes resume please contact Emma Kate

Note: Teacher Training Programs are still running as scheduled. We will go Live on Zoom during the shutdown. Students who have registered will receivetheirprivate login information via email. Only one training has been rescheduled (The Restorative Training at our sister location Just Plain Yoga in Camp Hill, PA will now be in August)

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Boundless Yoga - HOME

Namaste.

In keeping with prevailing general advisory for safe health of everyone and for a near future free from community spread, COVID-19, we are temporarily closing entrance to Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Saylorsburg, PA till May 21, 2020. That means for the first time in over 33 years we are compelled to suspend all visitation for Temple Worship, Food (Kitchen & Dining) and Weekend classes, starting now. Our prayers to Lord Daksinamurti for well being of all.

With updated advisory from the state of Pennsylvania that all but life-sustaining businesses in Pennsylvania must shut down, Arhsa Vidya will suspend all ongoing events starting March 22, 2020. Ashram will broadcast Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati classes from 11:00 AM 12:00 PM everyday.

Meditation, Yoga and other in temple sessions are cancelled.

Best Regards

Upcoming events we will Livestream the following events on our youtube channel

5:45am-6:45am: Abhishekam [Dhanvantari Maha Mantra]

April 03 June 07 7:15 AM Meditation with Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati

May 18- May 30 11:00 AM-12:00 PM Nirvanashtakam with Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswat

May 23- May 25 Virtual Memorial day weekend with Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati

May 19th 4:30 PM-5:30 PM: Pradosha Puja ; Abhishekam to Medha Dakshinamurthy

May 23rd 4:15 PM-5:30 PM: Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 with Brahmacari Suryanarayana

June 7th 10:00 AM 12:30 PM: Bhagavad Gita Weekend Classes by Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati

5:30pm-6:00pm: Evening Arati

Virtual Memorial day weekend Camp: The classes will be live streamed on our youtube channel

Saturday, May 23

5:45 6:45 am Morning Abhiseka to Lord Dakshinamruti

7:15- 7:45 am Guided Meditation with Pujya Swamiji (Ongoing online classes)

9:00 -10:00 am Class I with Swami Viditatmanandaji onTarati ShokamAtmavit (Ch. Up 7.1.3)

11:00 -12 Noon Class with Pujya Swami Dayanandaji ( Ongoing online classes)

04-15 -5:15 pm Class II with Swami Viditatmanandaji

05:30- 6:00 pm Evening Aarati

Sunday, May 24

5:45 6:45 am Morning Abhiseka to Lord Dakshinamruti

7:15- 7:45 am Guided Meditation with Pujya Swamiji

9:00 -10:00 am Class I with Swami Viditatmanandaji onTarati Shokam Atmavit(Ch. Up 7.1.3)

11:00 -12 Noon Class with Pujya Swami Dayanandaji

04-15 -5:15 pm Class II with Swami Viditatmanandaji

05:30- 6:00 pm Evening Aarati

Monday, May 25 Concluding day

5:45 6:45 am Morning Abhiseka to Lord Dakshinamruti

7:15- 7:45 am Guided Meditation with Pujya Swamiji

9:00 -10:00 am Class I with Swami Viditatmanandaji onTarati Shokam Atmavit(Ch. Up 7.1.3)

11:00 -12 Noon Concluding Class with Swami Viditatmanandaji.

Previous classes

March 22 April 07 11:00-12:00pm Bringing Vedanta to Day to Day Problems with Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati

April 08 April 14 11:00 AM-12:00 PM Upadesa Saram: Ramana Maharshi with Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati

April 15 April 21 11:00 AM-12:00 PM One Gita Sloka with Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati

April 22 May 16 11:00 AM-12:00 PM Essence of Bhagavad Gita with Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati

Go here to see the original:
Home - Arsha Vidya Gurukulam

FELTON, California, May 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Theglobal Yoga Mat Marketis estimated to reach USD 17.32 billion by 2025 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.8% from 2019 to 2025, according to a new report by Million Insights. The rising popularity of yoga particularly in countries such as China, the U.S., and the U.K. is projected to propel the demand for yoga mats. Moreover, government authorities are taking up initiatives to promote the Ayurveda, and yoga, which, in turn, is expected to boost the demand for the product.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) type mats have dominated the yoga mat market with a share of over 40.0% in 2018, owing to their low price, and high efficiency. Although, manufacturers are now focused on producing mats using biodegradable and eco-friendly materials such as thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), and rubber. Due to the stringent policies by the government on the usage of plastics, the rubber segment is projected to grow at a significant rate in the coming few years.

Please click here to get the sample pdfand find more details on "Yoga Mat Market" Report 2025.

In 2018, the specialty stores channel held the largest market share in the overall market. Rise in the number of specialty stores in the countries such as Australia, U.S and China are positively attributing to the segment growth. Further, these stores have a wide range of product availability and customers find it easy to get the products of their desire. The online segment is anticipated to grow at a significant rate over the forecast period owing to the increasing number of e-commerce stores and growing trend of multi-channel retailing.

North America held the largest market share in 2018, and the region is expected to continue its dominance over the forecast period. Increasing awareness about benefits of yoga has led to a rise in awareness among people. Additionally, the increase in number of yoga studios in the regions is expected to proliferate the product demand. Asia Pacific, on the other hand, is projected to register the highest growth rate over the forecast period, largely because of increasing government initiatives to promote yoga in emerging countries including India.

Further key findings from the report suggest:

Browse 80 page research report with TOC on "Global Yoga Mat Market" at: https://www.millioninsights.com/industry-reports/global-yoga-mat-market

Million Insights has segmented the yoga mat market based on material, distribution channel, and region:

Browse latest market research reports available with Million Insights:

About Million Insights:

Million Insights, is a distributor of market research reports, published by premium publishers only. We have a comprehensive market place that will enable you to compare data points, before you make a purchase. Enabling informed buying is our motto and we strive hard to ensure that our clients get to browse through multiple samples, prior to an investment. Service flexibility & the fastest response time are two pillars, on which our business model is founded. Our market research report store, includes in-depth reports, from across various industry verticals, such as healthcare, technology, chemicals, food & beverages, consumer goods, material science & automotive.

Contact:

Ryan Manuel Research Support Specialist, USA Million Insights Phone: +1-408-610-2300 Toll Free: 1-866-831-4085 Email: [emailprotected]

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SOURCE Million Insights

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Yoga Mat Market to Witness Significant Growth Due to Rising Awareness About Benefits of Yoga & Increasing Number of Yoga Studios Globally Till...

We are ready to open on the 26th, says Alex White of Peak Human Performance. He as well as many other central Ohioans are eager to open fitness centers on May 26th following the guidelines created by the Ohio Department of Health and the governors office. Yes, we are certainly ready and are excited. It wont be the same as before, not by a long shot, but it will be nice to start seeing people in the space again and to watch it come alive with activity. We will start with private sessions and small groups specificallyto focus on controlled numbers and appropriate spacing.

Gyms and yoga studios provide people with an outlet to maintain their health both physically and mentally, notes Daniel Sernicola of DANJAYYOGA. Many patrons and teachers in fitness centers are ready to grab their mats and kettlebells, but others are uncertain.

Keri Croft from System of Strength is a member of Governor DeWines advisory group. In an interview, she spoke about the hours and hours of meetings held to make sure the best practices would be put into place. We want everyone to be safe. We are really looking forward to re-opening. It will be at about 50% capacity, but we got this.

GoYoga which has 8 studios in the Columbus area and was teaching over 250 classes a week before the lockdown will be re-opening May 26the with a modified and limited schedule and has plans to ramp up slowly. This will give us the time and space to adjust as needed to this new environment and the heightened need for cleanliness and safety, said co-owner Alissa Rodgers. It will be interesting and different for sure, but we are utilizing it as an opportunity to innovate and also get down to the essentials of whats most important for providing a safe, welcoming and fulfilling experience.

Before the gyms and fitness centers closed, many such as GoYoga, Modo Yoga, Infinity Fitness and Tiger Yoga were already doing many of the things suggested in the current guidelines. I am confident of the measures put in place, noted Elizabeth Beattie of Tiger Yoga which also opens May 26, 2020.

Ashtanga Yoga Columbus (AYC) is doing a phased re-opening on June 1, 2020. Per AYCs Jessica Hunt, It will strictly adhere to all guidelines. We will also continue our virtual class offerings for those that prefer to practice from the comfort of home.

Ashtanga classes are rather famous for hands on adjustments, but all instruction will be verbal for awhile. I am excited to teach again, says AYC teacher Sarah Rae Nelson. I trust my community members to be open and honest about their comfort level and health status. I am optimistic that we will continue to be health and safe while provides a really vital service.

Some notable hot places such as Harbor Yoga and MELT Hot Fitness (which already has multiple wait lists for the 26th) will start soon. Some other fitness centers and yoga studios are being more cautious.ModoYoga owner, Chad Underwood, would love to open soon, but he worries about the health of his student and teachers. For now, Modo will continue online classes where students have options to livestream classes from other Modos such as the one in Austin. Many studios such as Align Power Yoga and PAI Yoga and Fitness which also has TRX, barre and spinning are polling their members and also their teachers for direction.

Its a thought-provoking dichotomy for me personally, says Marci Hedderson-Carroll, owner of Geode Yoga a fantastic space in the Hocking Hills area, Maintaining health builds the immune system, but putting myself and my teachers at risk makes for crucial conversations.

We will be doing outdoor classes for the Columbus Commons in June this year for sure, says Julie Wilkes of Seven Studios. But we will be asking both our members and teachers what they would like for us to do about opening the studio again.

Jordan Turner Davis of Art of Yoga agrees, Outdoor classes and virtual offerings through the summer months makes the most sense for students and teachers alike to feel the most comfortable.

Also, we want to have a real community in our studio. If restrictions are such that we cannot have that, then I am not sure we would re-open on May 26th, says Wilkes. Our number one concern is health. We are offering 36 live stream classes a week now, but nothing is like a live class!

Some yoga studios are definitely staying closed for awhile. Yoga On Highs administration noted in an email that, It is important to us to be very thoughtful, deliberate and thorough as we put plans in place to re-open. They plan to continue online classes via MindBody and Zoom for 2 or 3 weeks to monitor the COVID situation in Columbus and build our plans accordingly. Two studios owned by nurses, Yoga Loft and Radiant Yoga and Wellness are also waiting awhile. My guiding principle ispeople first, stated Aimee Pruitt, a registered nurse and owner of Radiant. The safest way for us to conduct business right now is online.

Online yoga has been a surprise hit for many local Columbus yoga studios. Vinny Purtle has hosted Zoom yoga classes many times larger than his studio, Heartbreak Yoga, could ever hold. Our Facebook videos have been seen over 100,000 times! said Angie OBrien of Harbor Yoga. It is amazing! After we re-open, we will move those into a library for people view indefinitely. Most yoga studio owners polled definitely planned to continue online classes even after re-opening their yoga studios.

I am apprehensive and, much like many others, I want to see how things play out with COVID cases spiking or flaring up in our neighborhood, notes White of Peak Human Performance. I would rather take steps moving slowly forward than have to take large steps moving backward.

Unfortunately, one yoga studio will not be reopening. Elevate Yoga & Healing Arts closed their doors April 30, 2020, due to lack of funds since most of the events and workshops and memberships had to be canceled with the COVID 19 crisis. Owner Sada Nam Singh is shifting his teaching to online and Yoga Well-Being.

When asked about what the next meeting with Governor DeWines advisory group holds for future plans, Croft said, We will just see how it flows.

Its hard because no one really knows what this Summer or Fall holds, says fitness teacher Rebecca Vois, I have regular students very eager to return, and I know my employers [MELT Hot Fitness and LIT Life + Yoga] are working very hard to comply with the guidelines and be as safe as possible. I hope to teach [aerial yoga] at LIT; those are small classes easy to space out. I was really psyched about teaching those classes before all this.

What I appreciate is the human need for community, says Sarah Solanik, a yoga teacher at Modo Yoga and other locations in Columbus as well as online, I am excited to share that again myself.

Check with your local fitness center about their individual re-opening plans. The guidelines for gyms, yoga studios and other fitness centers are to follow are on the Coronavirus.Ohio.gov website.

Continued here:
Gyms and Yoga Studios Given Go-ahead to Re-Open May 26 | CU - columbusunderground

The leftover oils from the common source of omega-3 supplements, Nannochloropsis salina, make up more than 70-percent of the algae plant and are typically either thrown away or burned but researchers from the University of California have found a way to purify it and turn it intoazelaic acid - a building block forflexible polyurethanes.

The study, published inGreen Chemistry,even found a way toconvert the co-product heptanoic acid into food flavouring and fragrance.

According to the scientists, their process can be performed on oils from multiple algal species, to produce valuable molecules that take part in a chain reaction to form polymers for a highly sustainable source of bio-based plastics. But they chose the N. salina because of its established high production of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), a valuable omega-3 oil.

Co-author Michael Burkart said:"We showed that we could take waste products from algae-based omega-3 oil production and convert those into valuable and renewable polyurethane foams. These have all kinds of commercial applications, from flip-flops and running shoe soles, to mattresses and yoga mats. In addition, we prepared a flavouring molecule from the remaining co-product that is valued at over $500 per kilogram.

"Co-production of flexible polyurethanes and renewable solvent from a microalgae oil waste stream."

To start the work, the research team - which included scientists from Division of Physical Sciences, the Division of Biological Sciences and the California Center for Algae Biotechnology at UC San Diego - first found a scale-able, cost-effective pathway to improve the purity of algae oil using simple physical methods along with saponification. This is a process by which oils react with sodium or potassium hydroxide to produce glycerol and a fatty acid salt, or soap.

In addition to the fatty acids, the team identified multiple contaminants in the waste oil. #

Co-authorStephen Mayfield explained:"Unlike plants, which store mainly triacyglycerides, or vegetable oil, in their seeds, microalgae contain a variety of metabolic components that are insoluble in water but freely soluble in the algae oil when extracted. The presence of these pigments inhibits downstream reaction efficiency, therefore their removal is a key process in the production of renewable chemicals from algae oil."

Burkart added:"We are already working with major shoe companies to turn these into commercial products that people will want to buy. We are finding that consumers are concerned about all of the petroleum-based plastic waste we are generating as a society, and our team is rapidly developing solutions for future products. Stay tuned!"

Source: Green Chemistry

Burkart. M., et al

"Co-production of flexible polyurethanes and renewable solvent from a microalgae oil waste stream"

https://doi.org/10.1039/D0GC00852D

Read this article:
Turning omega-3 supplement waste into flipflops and yoga mats - NutraIngredients.com

BikramYogaPlus Palm Springs is offering free online classes to first responders and essential workers, while the studio is closed during the coronavirus pandemic.Yogaand Pilates classes are currently offered each day of the week via live Zoom sessions. First responders and essential workers only have toemail: bikramyogawellness@gmail.comto be given access to join unlimited online classes going on now.

There is really no way to fully show our appreciation for first responders and essential workers during this unusual time, but like many, we are doing what we can in the moment, said Annmarie Lynn, who opened BikramYogaPlus Palm Springs with Denise DuBarry Hay in March 2019. We know first responders and essential workers are dealing with stress like never before, and exercise is a great way to rejuvenate.

Lynn is a certified Pilates andBikramYogainstructor,taught directly by Bikram Choudhury, who developed the unique practice in the 1970s. Lynn is a former gymnast who found life-changing pain relief after practicing BikramYogafor less than three months. Since then, she has dedicated her life to helping others find the same healing throughyogaand Pilates.

For more information about BikramYogaPlus Palm Springs, currently offering online classes only, visithttps://bikramyogaps.karmasoftonline.com/scheduleor call760-832-8655.

Article from: Bikram Yoga Plus

Link:
Free Yoga Classes Offered to First Responders - NBC Palm Springs