Valuable Cattle Genetics Among Losses in Wildfires – AgWeb

TAGS: Marketing, Overseas

December 18, 2014

When the wildfires tore through the southern Plains, they destroyed homes, some peoples livelihoods, and even genetics.

Greg Gardiner, co-owner of the Gardiner Angus Ranch in Ashland, Kan., lost approximately 500 cattle in the blaze. The Gardiner family has been fine-tuning the genetic make-up of their Angus herd for years.

Some of Gardiners donor cows survived during the fire, saving multiple generations of genetics. Other ranchers are experiencing the same story; however, their losses might not be realized for years.

Five years ago, a drought plagued the southern Plains, causing producers to cull as much as 30 percent of their herd, according to Greg Henderson, editorial director of Drovers. To rebuild the herd, they used younger and more genetically desirable animals.

The seed stock operations in the region lost many of the animals that would be next years breeding stock, said Henderson. The fires will represent more than a step back genetically for ranchers.

For more wildfire information and how you can help, click here.

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Valuable Cattle Genetics Among Losses in Wildfires - AgWeb

The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) Announces New Board Members and President-elect – PR Newswire (press release)

All four newly-elected directors will serve six-year terms from April 2017 to March 2023.

1.Anthony R. Gregg, MD, MBA, FACOG, FACMG: President-Elect

As ACMG's President-elect, Dr. Gregg is currently the Professor and Chief of Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) at the University of Florida (UF). He is also the Director of Obstetrics at UF Health and Program Director of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship. He completed his clinical genetics fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine and remained on the faculty with appointments in OB/GYN and Molecular and Human Genetics. He later became Associate Professor and Director of MFM as well as Medical Director (Division of Genetics) and Medical Director of the Genetics Counseling Program at the University of South Carolina.

In his dual role as a geneticist and MFM specialist, Dr. Gregg provides care to women with complicated pregnancies who experience maternal medical and obstetric complications and fetal complications such as birth defects, genetic conditions and physiologic perturbations. Dr. Gregg has held several research collaborations and with his colleagues has published numerous works addressing the clinical application of genetics and genomics technologies in prenatal care. To learn more about his pub med citations, click here.

Specializing in women's health, he is board certified in OB/GYN, MFM and Clinical Genetics.

From 2009-2015 he served on the ACMG Board of Directors and was Clinical Vice President from 2013-2015. During his Board member term, he served on numerous committees that produced policy statements and points to consider documents on topics intersecting OB/GYN and MFM, including expanded carrier screening and noninvasive prenatal screening. In December 2015 he represented ACMG's position on noninvasive prenatal screening before a congressional sub-committee. Dr. Gregg is currently a member of the ACMG Foundation Board where he is Chair of the Development Committee.

Dr. Gregg received his biology degree, MD, and residency in OB/GYN from Loyola University (Chicago). Afterwards, he went on to complete his fellowship training in maternal fetal medicine at the University of Iowa then in clinical genetics at Baylor. Most recently, he completed his MBA at the University of Florida.

2.Laurie A. Demmer, MD, FACMG: Clinical Genetics Director

Clinical genetics, medical education and clinical research are important to Dr. Demmer, the incoming Clinical Genetics Director on the ACMG Board. She is an author of more than 75 peer-reviewed works including publications, reviews and book chapters. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Dr. Demmer currently works as a Clinical Geneticist and Associate Pediatric Residency Program Director at Levine Children's Hospital/Carolinas Health Care. From medical education, dysmorphology, applications of genetic and genomic testing in clinical practice, and ethics she will bring multifaceted knowledge to the ACMG Board. As an active ACMG member and leader, she has worked on numerous ACMG committees. Currently, she serves on the Membership Committee (2013-present) and prior to that she served on the Program Committee (2007-2013), the Maintenance of Certification Committee (2009-2014) and the Genetics Education Task Force (2011-2013).

In addition to serving on ACMG committees, Dr. Demmer is a dedicated proponent of medical genetics education, training and recruitment. Throughout her leadership, she has been president of three organizations: the American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ABMGG) (2015), the Association of Professors of Human and Medical Genetics (APHMG) (2013-2015), and the Medical Genetics Residency Program Directors Group (2010-2012). She is one of the original members of the organizing committees which founded the Residency Program Directors and the Medical Student Course Directors Special Interest Groups of the Association of Professors of Human and Medical Genetics (APHMG). She also participated in the creation of the Medical Genetics Milestones, the ACMG Competencies for Physician Medical Geneticist Project, and the Intraining Exam for Genetics Trainees. Furthermore, she is the Past Chair of the American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ABMGG) MOC committee, and is a current member of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Committee on Continuing Certification. Her most recent projects include advocating for improvements in the Maintenance of Certification process, and serving as Chair of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) RRC for Medical Genetics (2016-2019).

Dr. Demmer graduated from Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH with degrees in Biology and French. She received her MD and MA (Biochemistry) from Washington University in St. Louis. Subsequently, she completed her Pediatrics Residency at St. Louis Children's Hospital and Medical Genetics Fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis. Afterwards, she joined the University of Massachusetts Medical School where she was the Division Chief in Genetics from 1995-2002. Dr. Demmer then moved to Tufts University School of Medicine where she served as Professor of Pediatrics, Division Chief of Genetics and Metabolism, Program Director for the Genetics Residency and Director for the Medical Student Genetics Course until 2012.

3. Elaine Lyon, PhD, FACMG: Laboratory Molecular Genetics Director

Dr. Elaine Lyon will serve as a new ACMG Laboratory Molecular Genetics Director. After completing two fellowships at the University of Utah in Clinical Molecular Genetics and Molecular Pathology she joined the faculty in the Pathology department as a Medical Director of Clinical Molecular Genetics at ARUP Laboratories, a not-for-profit reference laboratory owned by the University of Utah. Currently, she is a tenured Professor of Pathology. For nine years she was the program co-director for the Clinical Molecular Genetics Fellowship program and is now chair of the departmental academic committee responsible for the department's faculty appointment, review and advancement.

Certified in Clinical Molecular Genetics by the American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ABMGG), Dr. Lyon has served on numerous ACMG committees: the Program Committee (2006-2010), the Quality Assurance Committee (2007-2011) and the ACMG/College of American Pathologists (CAP)Biochemical/Molecular Resource Committee (2007-2012). She has also been active with other professional organizations. She served as President for the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP), Chairman of the Board, and Chair of the Executive Committee (2013-2014), and was on the Executive Committee and AMP Board of Directors (2012-2015). She was also chair of the Clinical Practice (2005-2007), Professional Relations (2009-2011), and Strategic Opportunities (2012-2013) committees and is a member of the Professional Relations and Economic Affairs committees (2008-present). Additionally, she serves on the Molecular Pathology Advisory Group for the American Medical Association (2012-present), and CSER advisory panel for the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI).

Dr. Lyon oversees clinical molecular testing for inherited diseases, applying methods for variant detection, deletion/duplication and sequence analysis (Sanger and massively parallel sequencing). Furthermore, she develops/validates assays for clinical application under CLIA and (recently) ISO requirements, and reviews/interprets cases. As an author of more than 100 publications, including book chapters, review articles, she has contributed to the following ACMG guidelines: CYP2C9/VKORC1 testing (2008), interpretation of sequence variants (2008, 2015), CYP2D6 testing (2012), next generation sequencing quality standards (2012), and Fragile X testing (2013).

To ensure regulation protocol, she has been a collaborative site investigator for three recent grants: Improving the time to diagnosis in infants detected by newborn screening (CF Foundation), Newborn screening for identification and follow-up of infants with SMA for the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHHD), and A unified clinical genomics database for the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). Furthermore, she has been a co-investigator for an Exploratory Centers of Excellence in an ELSI Research grant (NIH) focusing on molecular-based screening (carrier, newborn or non-invasive prenatal screening). Her most recent effort is demonstrating clinical utility for molecular testing.

She graduated from Brigham Young University in Provo, UT, and received a BS and MS degree in Microbiology. She subsequently received her PhD in Medical Genetics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

4. Catherine W. Rehder, PhD, FACMG: Laboratory Cytogenetics Director

Dr. Catherine Rehder will serve as an ACMG Laboratory Cytogenetics Director. After the completion of her Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics fellowships at Duke University in 2007, she accepted a position there as Assistant Professor of Pathology.Currently, she is the Director of the Duke Cytogenetics Laboratory and Associate Director of the Duke Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory. She is also the training co-director of the Duke ABMGG Laboratory Genetics and Genomics fellowship, and is board certified in both Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics. Dr. Rehder also served briefly as the interim director of the Fullerton Genetics Laboratory in Asheville, NC in 2014.

For the past six years, Dr. Rehder has been a member of the ACMG Laboratory Quality Assurance Committee and has served as Chair for the past two years. She is currently a member of the American Cytogenetics Conference Board of Directors, and has served on the Program Committee for that organization's biennial meeting (2012-2016) including the position of Program Chair for the 2014 meeting. From 2013-2016 she served on the organizing committee of the Cancer Genomics Consortium's Annual Meeting.Additionally, Dr. Rehder is a member of the NC Physician Advisory Group Task Force on Emerging Issues in Coverage of Genetic Screening Tests and is part of the North Carolina newborn screening expansion committee.

Dr. Rehder is an author on more than 30 peer-reviewed publications, review articles, and laboratory guidelines, which cover a wide variety of cytogenetics and molecular genetics topics, most notably the ACMG standards and guidelines for documenting suspected consanguinity as an incidental finding of genomic testing. In addition to her various roles as laboratory director, lecturer, training program director, and active participant on several intramural and extramural committees, her other primary areas of interest and publication include the reporting practices of genomic testing, Pompe disease and other glycogen storage diseases, as well as newborn screening and cancer cytogenetics.

A graduate from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, she earned her BS degree in Biochemistry, a BA degree in Multidisciplinary Studies (self-designed curriculum entitled Genetics and Human Affairs) and a minor in Genetics. She completed her PhD in Human Genetics at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA.

Four ACMG Directors completed their terms on the ACMG Board and are thanked for their service: Soma Das, PhD, FACMG; Gail E. Herman, MD, PhD, FACMG; Mira Bjelotomich Irons, MD, FACMG; and Christa L. Martin, PhD, FACMG. A complete list of the ACMG Board of Directors is available at http://www.acmg.net.

About the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) and ACMG Foundation

Founded in 1991, ACMG is the only nationally recognized medical society dedicated to improving health through the clinical practice of medical genetics and genomics. The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (www.acmg.net) provides education, resources and a voice for nearly 2000 biochemical, clinical, cytogenetic, medical and molecular geneticists, genetic counselors and other healthcare professionals, nearly 80% of whom are board certified in the medical genetics specialties. The College's mission is to develop and sustain genetic initiatives in clinical and laboratory practice, education and advocacy. Three guiding pillars underpin ACMG's work: 1) Clinical and Laboratory Practice: Establish the paradigm of genomic medicine by issuing statements and evidence-based or expert clinical and laboratory practice guidelines and through descriptions of best practices for the delivery of genomic medicine. 2) Education: Provide education and tools for medical geneticists, other health professionals and the public and grow the genetics workforce. 3) Advocacy: Work with policymakers and payers to support the responsible application of genomics in medical practice. Genetics in Medicine, published monthly, is the official ACMG peer-reviewed journal. ACMG's website (www.acmg.net) offers a variety of resources including Policy Statements, Practice Guidelines, Educational Resources, and a Find a Geneticist tool. The educational and public health programs of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics are dependent upon charitable gifts from corporations, foundations, and individuals through the ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine (www.acmgfoundation.org).

Kathy Beal, MBA kbeal@acmg.net

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-american-college-of-medical-genetics-and-genomics-acmg-announces-new-board-members-and-president-elect-300423332.html

SOURCE American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics

http://www.acmg.net

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Prepping crops for climate change: Genetics of bloom time may be key – Genetic Literacy Project

Plants possess molecular mechanisms that prevent them from blooming in winter. Once the cold of winter has passed, they are deactivated. However, if it is still too cold in spring, plants adapt their blooming behavior accordingly. Scientists from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have discovered genetic changes for this adaptive behavior. In light of the temperature changes resulting from climate change, this may come in useful for securing the production of food in the future.

[The FLM (Flowering Locus M)] gene behaves much like a light dimmer that the plant uses to regulate gene activity and hence blooming on a continuous scale.

Temperature changes of just a few degrees Celsius during the growth phase of crop plants such as canola or sugar beets have a negative impact on agricultural production. In the future, the findings may allow the gene to be used as a regulator to help adapt the blooming period to different temperatures as a result of climate change.

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post:Outwitting climate change with a plant dimmer?

For more background on the Genetic Literacy Project, read GLP on Wikipedia

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Prepping crops for climate change: Genetics of bloom time may be key - Genetic Literacy Project

Is This The Beginning Of A Grey’s Anatomy Love Triangle? – Refinery29

Things just got a lot more complicated for Meredith Grey. The Grey's Anatomy character, who fans have followed for over ten years, might find love again we're just not sure with who. On Thursday's episode, Till I Hear It From You, things heated up between Meredith (played by Ellen Pompeo) and love interest Nathan Riggs (Martin Henderson). While the duo took the next step in their relationship, there's one thing they're forgetting: what about Alex?

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Is This The Beginning Of A Grey's Anatomy Love Triangle? - Refinery29

Who’s the most annoying Grey’s Anatomy character: Maggie or Amelia? – A.V. Club

Because The A.V. Club knows that TV shows keep going even if were not writing at length about them, were experimenting with discussion posts. For certain shows, one of our TV writers will publish some brief thoughts about the latest episode, and open the comments for readers to share theirs.

Previous episode Even Greys Anatomy wants to get out of that damn hospital

Go to the A.V. Club homepage

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Who's the most annoying Grey's Anatomy character: Maggie or Amelia? - A.V. Club

Spoiler Room: Scoop on Supergirl, Grey’s Anatomy, Blindspot, and more – EW.com

Welcome to the Spoiler Room, a safe place for spoiler addicts to come on a weekly basis to learn whats coming next on their favorite shows and, hopefully, get a few of their own questions answered. If you want scoop on a specific show, send your questions to spoilerroom@ew.com.

Hi, whats next for Mon-El and Kara from Supergirl? Maria Well, Kara and Mon-El may have reconciled, but there are certainly challenges moving forward considering the Daxamites are slated to become the new big bads. Isnt that how things work that just when you get things settled, some wrench has to fall into the gears? Melissa Benoist says. The Daxamites pose some problems. Rhea is not necessarily a sweet prospect for a mother-in-law, but its really fun to see the way these characters interact.

Whats next for Meredith and Riggs on Greys Anatomy? Sarah Yes, Meredith has agreed to a date with Riggs, but is she actually ready to move on after Derek? Whether youre ready or not, you have to make the leap; I dont know if shes ready, Ellen Pompeo admits, cautioning that Meredith faces a big choice when it comes to her potential romance with Riggs in the upcoming episode she directed. Dont get too excited, she says of the Mer-Riggs romance. Ruh-roh! For her part, Kelly McCreary thinks Maggie will eventually handle the truth about her sister and Riggs in an unexpected way. Maggie maybe has to learn that people dont always tell you the truth, she says. Lots of people keep secrets, and thats just how it goes, and then shell suffer a lot less in life.

I always need Blindspot scoop! Jessica A familiar face will be back in the April 5 episode but its not a welcome return. Devilishly charming Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Weitz, played by Blindspot favorite Aaron Abrams, returns on a mission to bring down the team, EP Martin Gero tells me. Heres an exclusive first look at his return:

I need some Arrow finale scoop! Drew Ask and you shall receive: As the season heads toward the ultimate showdown between Oliver and Chase, were going to be seeing a very different season finale this year. Were not going to destroy the city, EP Marc Guggenheim teases. Were not even going to threaten the city. In fact, I can also tell you the finale doesnt even take place in the city. Finally, the citizens of Star City can breathe easily in May. Wherever the finale takes place, Guggenheim adds, You can expect a good number of returning characters, characters you havent seen in a while, back in the episode.

Is there any hope for reconciliation between Marcel and the Mikaelsons on The Originals? Mark We all know Klaus Mikaelson isnt prone to forgiveness, but considering Marcel is someone he once considered a son, its not off the table. But lets not forget that Marcel is still strong enough to kill an Original, a threat that wont sit well with anyone. Over the course of the season, the Mikaelsons are going to have to deal with the fact that theres this person its not a White Oak stake that can be burnt up or buried or thrown in the ocean its a person who they cannot defeat, but who can absolutely defeat them, and thats not going to be something that theyre going to be happy about, EP Michael Narducci says. Its going to make any kind of reconciliation all the more difficult. But Marcel, for his part, is always interested in doing the smart thing. Hes not motivated by revenge, hes not motivated by petty desire to take back something that he lost. When he sees the Mikaelsons again, hes going to make a very smart decision about how best to deal with them and thats one of the things I love about that character is watching the way his mind has evolved to transcend his upbringing.

Can you tease anything about the Bones finale? Mary I know theres a question of who survived that big explosion so the following teases could have many meanings, okay? First, Booth will take Brennan on an emotional walk down memory lane. Also, we finally find out the significance of 4:47. And finally, Cam hasnt been exactly honest with her coworkers about her time off from the Jeffersonian.

Any scoop on Riverdale? Taylor Even though Polly has taken refuge now living with Hermione and Veronica, that doesnt mean the Blossom parents have given up coming after her. Theyre like the child snatchers from Mary Poppins, EP Roberto Aquirre-Sacasa says. They want that baby more than anything.

Any chance of some Grimm scoop before it ends? Kelsey We are coming to the end here, so it shouldnt be surprising to hear that the death toll will be quite high as Nick finds himself fighting an unexpected person in the series finale. Hell also, of course, take on the Zerstrer, but hell have some equally unexpected help in that regard.

Im both terrified and beyond excited for Doomsworld on Legends of Tomorrow. What can you tease? Chris Well, the future beyond Doomsworld does not look promising heading into the finale. Were going to do the one thing on the show we said we would never do, EP Marc Guggenheim says of the season ender. Without spoiling too much, clearly theyre going to have to do something very significant and break a major rule in order to fix things.

Is Jane going to start dating soon on Jane the Virgin? Elena Prepare yourselves, Michael fans, because the answer is yes. In fact, the next episode is all about Jane getting her groove back and realizing that she might be ready to start dating again, and you might even recognize her first date. But lets just say that shes not the only one who realizes something big about her romantic life all three Villanueva women will have much to discuss in upcoming episodes.

This week in TV: I want thisRiverdaletheory to come true. So. Bad.

Thats a wrap on this weeks Spoiler Room. Be sure to email your questions to spoilerroom@ew.com or tweet them to @NatalieAbrams.

Additional reporting by Kelly Connolly, Samantha Highfill, and Sara Netzley.

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Spoiler Room: Scoop on Supergirl, Grey's Anatomy, Blindspot, and more - EW.com

TV Ratings Thursday: ‘Scandal’ and ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ dip vs. NCAA … – TVbytheNumbers

Masked Scheduler's Ratings Smackdown

Starting to see some cracks in Shondaland. To finish up on why the networks will survive well into the future, I want to add three more factors to yesterdays discussion of retransmission fees and ownership of programming by the sibling studios attached to the networks. A lot of network audience erosion is a result of the untethering of shows from the linear schedule. Whether it's DVR playback, VOD, or Hulu et al, combined with mobile devices, as this viewing is captured and monetized the networks will offset the traditional ratings declines. For quite a while the dance was, as ratings declined, the CPMs (cost per thousands) for ads would go up. It was the classic law of supply and demand. That is no longer the case, so capturing all viewing to a show will offset a flattening of CPMs. The network syndication goal used to be to get to 100 episodes of a show and sell it to stations or station groups. Basic cable offered another platform, and now we have streaming services. As a result of all this, the old "wait for 100" model has given way to more immediate repurposing of product. Of all the networks The CW exists because of the new rules. There are other changes that will insure the continued existence, but I think the next step will be for the networks to offer what I call "App Suites" of their channels and sell them for a monthly fee. This is what CBS All Access is. Expect to see something similar from the other networks. 21st Century Fox, for example, could sell a suite of FOX, FX, FXX, FXM, NatGeo and NatGeoWILD and offer an "indie" channel of shows not on any of these platforms. Finally, in the case of VOD and streaming one cannot fast-forward through the commercials. The point of all this is that the broadcast networks are run by a lot of smart people who have always been ahead of the changes and have adapted. Don't get me wrong -- you can still learn a lot from the initial fast nationals and L+3 ratings, but to point to them as an indication that the networks are dinosaurs is misguided. Comments? @maskedscheduler on Twitter and masked.scheduler@gmail.com works. Last night's schedule was Sweet 16 basketball. Rock Chalk Jayhawk. I did finish "Fleabag" on Amazon. Might not be for everyone, but I would recommend checking it out, and there is a powerful payoff at the end.

Broadcast primetime live + same-day ratings for Thursday, March 23, 2017

Note: CBS live coverage of the NCAA Tournament may result in greater adjustments than usual for the network.

The numbers for Thursday:

CBS coverage of the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 carried the network to a ratings win Thursday night, averaging a 2.0 among adults 18-49, pending updates. Thats up considerably from the preliminary 1.3 for first-round coverage last week and a small improvement on the early numbers from the same night last year (1.9).

The uptick for basketball came as ABCs TGIT dramas dipped a little bit. Greys Anatomy (1.9) and Scandal (1.3) each were down a tenth of a point from last week, with Scandal hitting a new series low. The Catch (0.7) is down from last weeks preliminary 0.8 and even with its final number.

NBCs Superstore (1.1) and The Blacklist: Redemption (0.7) were both even with last week, as were Masterchef Junior (1.1) and Kicking and Screaming (0.6) on FOX.

Network averages:

Late-nightmetered market ratings (adults 18-49, households):

11:35 p.m.

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: o.5/3, 2.1/6

Jimmy Kimmel Live: 0.5/3, 2.0/5

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: n/a, delayed by NCAA overrun

12:35 a.m.

Nightline: 0.3/2, 1.3/4

Late Night with Seth Meyers: 0.3/2, 1.1/4

The Late Late Show with James Corden: n/a, delayed

Definitions: Rating: Estimated percentage of the universe of TV households (or other specified group) tuned to a program in the average minute. Ratings are expressed as a percent. Fast Affiliate Ratings: These first national ratings are available at approximately 11 a.m. ETthe day after telecast. The figures may include stations that did not air the entire network feed, as well as local news breaks or cutaways for local coverage or other programming. Fast Affiliate ratings are not as useful for live programs and are likely to differ significantly from the final results, because the data reflect normal broadcast feed patterns. Share (of Audience):The percent of households (or persons) using television who are tuned to a specific program, station or network in a specific area at a specific time. Time Shifted Viewing:Program ratings for national sources are produced in three streams of data Live, Live +Same-Day and Live +7 Day. Time-shifted figures account for incremental viewing that takes place with DVRs. Live+SD includes viewing during the same broadcast day as the original telecast, with a cut-off of 3 a.m. local time when meters transmit daily viewing to Nielsen for processing. Live +7 ratings include viewing that takes place during the 7 days following a telecast.

Source: The Nielsen Company.

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Anatomy Of A Decision, Part 5: The West Wing – Benzinga

GLG has produced a new series of videos focused on decision making in the business world.

As part of the series, GLG, the world's leading membership network for professional learning, has interviewed a number of business leaders to ask about what considerations go into making important decisions.

In this installment, GLG spoke with Jake Sullivan, a former advisor to former President Barack Obama, about critical decisions involved in the policy-making process in Washington.

Sullivan played a critical role in the Obama administrations controversial nuclear deal with Iran. He said no matter how confident he was in the work the administration had put into the deal, the moment when the president asked his opinion on whether or not they should accept the final terms was very difficult.

Being able to make that decision to recommend to the president that we go ahead and do this deal required stepping back from the anxiety, the emotion, the nerve-wracking idea that maybe we were going to screw this thing up and actually systematically running a cost benefit analysis, he said. By taking emotion out of the equation, he saw that the benefits of the deal far outweighed the cost.

The hard thing about a decision like that is that somebody can always come along, and many did, and say you could have gotten a better deal. And you have to be prepared to stand there, look people in the eye and say, I believe this is a good deal and its as good as we are going to be able to do right now.

Sullivan also addressed the unpredictability of the Trump administration and whether or not unpredictability can be an advantage when it comes to foreign policy. He said unpredictability can be an advantage, but it should be used rarely and strategically.

Richard Nixon actually talked about the crazy man theory of foreign policy, and there are moments for that, but it cant be every moment. And I think that is what makes the current situation quite challenging.

Related Links:

Anatomy Of A Decision, Part 1: The C-Suite

Anatomy Of A Decision, Part 2: The Newsroom

Anatomy Of A Decision, Part 3: Minorities In The Boardroom

Anatomy of a Decision, Part 4: The Admissions Office

_______ Image Credit: "United States President Barack Obama talks with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton about his decision to send her to the Middle East while attending the US-ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on 20 November 2012. From left are: Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications; Jake Sullivan, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Secretary of State; and National Security Advisor Tom Donilon." By Pete Souza - White House Flickr account P112012PS-0453, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22813121">via Wikimedia Commons

Posted-In: Anatomy of a Decision GLG Jake SullivanPolitics Interview General Best of Benzinga

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Anatomy Of A Decision, Part 5: The West Wing - Benzinga

CASBS secures core support from Ford Foundation – Stanford University News

by Michael D. Gaetani on March 22, 2017 4:39 pm

Its back to the future for CASBS (Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University) and the Ford Foundation. And thats a very good thing.

CASBS owes its existence to the Ford Foundation. In the early 1950s the foundation launched a major initiative in the social and behavioral sciences. The last of five program areas endorsed in a 1949 Report of the Study for the Ford Foundation on Policy and Program called for strengthening of basic knowledge of individual Behavior and Human Relations. This Program V concept eventually led to Fords establishment of CASBS, embodying the foundations post-war optimism about the contribution of social science toward advancing human welfare. CASBS broadly was charged through scientific work, to increase knowledge of factors which influence or determine human conduct, and extends such knowledge for the maximum benefit of individuals and society.

The institutional connection was so inextricable that a few early acknowledgments and references by fellows casually identify CASBS as the Ford Center. A subtitle in a Sept. 24, 1954, San Francisco Chronicle article covering the opening of the center also refered to it as the Ford Foundation Study Project.

CASBS remains committed to the basic goals it was founded to advance. In a contemporary landscape of shifting means to best pursue those goals, CASBS and the Ford Foundation both acknowledge the importance of understanding the sources and consequences of societal inequalities. Both seek to identify points of leverage that can transform the norms, beliefs, institutions and practices of our societies in order to make them more equitable, inclusive and socially protective.

As a vote of confidence in the centers approach and guiding principles, the Ford Foundation recently approved a one-year core support of $450,000 to the center. Furthermore, pending CASBS reports of its activities and accomplishments to Ford during the grant term, there is provisional agreement to extend the core support by the same amount for a second and third year.

The Ford Foundations support of CASBS goes back to the centers founding, and we are delighted to support the centers historic renewal, including the effort to make the most of the centers position at a great university in the heart of Silicon Valley, said Xavier de Souza Briggs, vice president of the Ford Foundations Economic Opportunity and Markets program. We recognize the vital role of innovative discovery of producing but also advancing cutting-edge ideas about some of the worlds most important problems.

CASBS director Margaret Levi and California State Supreme Court Justice Mariano-Florentino Cuellar, chair of the CASBS board, concur and are thrilled by the reestablishment of the centers link with its founding sponsor.

Few institutions can match CASBSs singular and long-term focus on understanding human behavior and society, said Cuellar. Our commitment to working across disciplines and our location at Stanford in the heart of Silicon Valley make CASBS sensitive to the importance of major technological changes as well as technical solutions seeking to improve the human condition. CASBS remains focused on exploring the human and societal dimensions of such change. Fords support will strengthen the centers capacity to leverage all the social sciences to become more focused on inequality and its economic, health and societal consequences.

Read more on why the timing of the CASBS-Ford Foundation reunion could not be better.

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CASBS secures core support from Ford Foundation - Stanford University News

WSU nursing dept. head to be new Viterbo dean – Winona Daily News

Winona States loss is Viterbo Universitys gain

Martha Scheckel, chair of the WSU nursing department, has been appointed Viterbos new dean of the College of Nursing, Health and Human Behavior. She will begin July 1.

Scheckel began her teaching career as an adjunct in Viterbos bachelors nursing completion program and became an assistant professor in 2005. She has been involved with nursing education for more than 13 years, including experience leading undergraduate nursing programs at WSU and Michigan State University and her scholarship has focused on trends and issues in nursing education.

I am elated about joining the Viterbo University community and being part of such a respected university with a strong and steadfast mission and core values, Scheckel said. I am especially excited about collaborating with its members at a time when the nursing, health, and human behavior fields are in need of highly qualified individuals to serve societys complex and dynamic health and human service needs.

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WSU nursing dept. head to be new Viterbo dean - Winona Daily News