In an era marked by rapid technological advancements, the traditional education system, with its rigid curriculum and prescribed learning paths, is increasingly seen as inadequate for preparing students to embrace the complexities of the modern world. Researchers have identified the tension between prescribed curriculum and student autonomy as the core issue of the educational system. This study analyzes how changes to the prescribed curriculum, pedagogy, and assessments can enhance student autonomy and learning.

Rural Texans face significant barriers to health care that their urban counterparts do not. More than a quarter of the state’s 172 rural counties lack a hospital, and those with at least one hospital often struggle with a shortage of qualified health care personnel, such as nurses and first responders. To address these growing challenges, The University of Texas at Arlington introduced its new Mobile Simulation Lab on Friday. It’s the first in Texas dedicated solely to rural training.

Brian Brown, PhD, Director of the Icahn Genomics Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, has been elected to the College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). He was honored for his seminal work in gene therapy and functional genomics, which has helped transform the fields and contributed to key advancements in medicine and biotechnology. Election to the AIMBE College of Fellows is one of the highest professional distinctions in the field. It recognizes the top two percent of experts in medical and biological engineering, and its members are celebrated for their exceptional work in the field. Members are honored for their outstanding contributions to "engineering and medicine research, practice, or education” and to "the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology." Dr. Brown’s election recognizes his groundbreaking work developing innovative technologies that have been broadly used across biomedical fields, including in cancer, immunology, and genetic disease research and therapeutic development.