A new study shows that barn owls crossed the Atlantic Ocean from Europe to the Caribbean islands, where they diversified and evolved into giant forms, less than two million years ago. They've since dispersed from the Caribbean to the Galápagos and from the Caribbean to the mainland American continents. 

The grant will enable researchers to develop next-generation cryptographic protocols to protect sensitive communications and digital systems against future threats from quantum computers. The work aims to strengthen digital security as quantum technology advances, developing more efficient and scalable tools for safeguarding information and supporting complex security applications.

In a recent study published in Geophysical Research Letters, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin used remote sensing data and statistical methods to map a municipal aquifer in Nevada. Their goal is to create a lower-cost method to measure an aquifer’s permeability, how easily water flows through rock, that could aid groundwater management.

A new NSF-supported initiative will bring professional development and evidence-based teaching practices to faculty across SUNY, helping expand student success and retention in STEM fields. As part of a $2 million statewide collaboration, the project will provide training in learner-centered instruction, undergraduate research, AI-enabled teaching tools, and faculty mentoring networks. The effort aims to accelerate the adoption of proven teaching methods across SUNY and strengthen New York’s future STEM workforce.