Switchgrass has gripped Midwestern soils for millions of years, but soon, the earthbound prairie grass could fly. New studies from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign identify economic and environmental considerations that make switchgrass a candidate for sustainable aviation fuel.  

 A new study categorizes corporate climate risks into physical, transition and perceived categories. Researchers propose an integrated assessment framework combining exposure data, management capabilities and market perceptions. The work highlights supply chain vulnerabilities in physical risks, ESG limitations in transition risks, and AI applications for perceived risks. Findings help firms navigate climate challenges while identifying green energy opportunities.

A groundbreaking study of Chittagong City exposes how governance gaps and infrastructure failures exacerbate urban flooding, proposing 10 key strategies combining engineering solutions with community engagement to build climate-resilient cities.

The proportion of global education aid being committed to early childhood education - which was already well below international targets - has started to fall, according to new research which suggests that the internatonal community is starting to turn its back on the world's most vulnerable children. These findings are from the annual donor 'scorecard' produced by University of Cambridge researchers for the charity Theirworld. This tracks how much international aid is being spent on education for the critical early years, up to age five. The authors suggest the true picture could be far worse than that presented in the report, as the latest available data are from 2023, the beginning of what they describe as a new era of "cuts and conflict". Since then, 99% of United States funding for basic education has been axed by the Trump administration and Britain and Switzerland have also scaled back spending.  

Yuze “Alice” Sun, an electrical engineering professor, has been elected to The University of Texas at Arlington’s Academy of Distinguished Researchers for her contributions to technologies critical to health care, environmental monitoring and national defense.