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  • IUP Athletics to Welcome 29th Class of Athletics Hall of Fame

    IUP Athletics to Welcome 29th Class of Athletics Hall of Fame

    INDIANA, Pa. – The IUP Department of Athletics will welcome its 29th class to the Athletics Hall of Fame this Saturday. The class includes nine individual inductees, one team, and one pair. The honorees will start with being recognized at the Hall of Fame Luncheon and then will be recognized on the field at halftime of the football game.
     
    Frank Condino (Administrator)

    Frank Condino, who devoted 30 years of his life to IUP athletics, is being honored in the coach/administrator category. He served admirably in both roles during his time on campus.

    Condino arrived at IUP in 1984 as an assistant football coach. He stayed in that position for six seasons, a time when the program rose to national prominence under head coach Frank Cignetti. IUP posted 53 victories in that period, won two PSAC championships and made its first three NCAA Division II playoff appearances, highlighted by a run to the national semifinals in 1989.

    Condino served as assistant and then associate athletic director from 1990 to 1998, was interim athletic director for a year and then spent more than 15 years—from July of 1999 to January of 2015—as AD. He oversaw the university’s 19 varsity sports teams, its athletic facilities, game management, intramurals, special events, summer camps, fundraising, the sports medicine program and NCAA compliance. During his tenure, IUP constructed the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex and made improvements to several existing campus facilities. He also served as chair of the NCAA Division II Football Committee.

    Crimson Hawks teams and athletes excelled on Condino’s watch. IUP teams won 30 conference championships, individuals captured 10 national titles and IUP regularly finished near the top of the Dixon Trophy standings, emblematic of PSAC supremacy. The university’s athletes also distinguished themselves in the classroom. Under Condino, the IUP athletic program produced 10 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, 38 PSAC Top 10 Award winners and 11 PSAC Champion Scholars.

    Condino earned a degree in health and physical education from Lock Haven in 1972 before serving in the United States Marine Corps for three years. He earned a master’s in health and physical education from East Stroudsburg in 1976 and a doctorate in sports administration from West Virginia in 1987.

    He and his wife, Martha, have two adult children, Shane and Jason, and two grandchildren. They reside in Indiana.

     

    Bob Johnston (Baseball | Class of ’72)

    Bob Johnston ranks among the stingiest pitchers in IUP history. Only rarely did opponents

    score when he was on the mound.

    When Johnston wrapped up his career in 1968, he had compiled a 1.41 earned run average, still the program’s—and the PSAC’s—second-lowest figure. What’s more, four of the top 16 single-season ERAs belong to Johnston.

    His 0.67 ERA as a freshman in 1965 has been bettered only twice in school history. A year later, Johnston posted a 1.54 ERA as coach Owen Dougherty’s Indians, as they were then known, finished 16-5 to set a program record for most wins.

    IUP captured NAIA District 18 championships each of the next two seasons, with Johnston playing an integral role. He compiled a 1.46 ERA for a 16-10 team in 1967 and a 1.65 figure in 1968 for the 16-8 Indians.

    Johnston won seven games in 1967—tied for the 10th best single-season total in IUP history—and added five more victories in 1968. He beat Penn State 3-2 that year with a complete-game five-hitter and later handcuffed Shippensburg 1-0 on a one-hitter two days after tossing a two-hitter in a win over Point Park. 

    The Indians went 62-32 in Johnston’s four seasons in uniform. Despite the limited schedules IUP teams played back then, his 17 career victories are good for a seventh-place tie all time and his 200 strikeouts rank fifth.

    Johnston signed a free agent contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates after concluding his IUP career. He pitched for Gastonia of the Class A Western Carolinas League and Salem of the Class A Carolina League for three seasons, compiling a sparkling 12-1 record, mostly as a reliever.

    A 1972 IUP graduate with a degree in education, Johnston worked as a senior vice president for Bank of America in Charlotte, N.C., before retiring. He and his wife, Judy, have two adult children, Jill Boyette and Scott Johnston, and four granddaughters. The Johnstons reside in Mint Hill, N.C.

     

     

    Zack Kempa (Men’s Golf | Class of ’14)

    Zack Kempa graduated from IUP after putting together one of the most distinguished golf careers in school history.

    A native of Brantford, Ontario, Kempa earned All-America honors each of his last three years, was twice tabbed as an academic All-American, was a four-time All-PSAC and all-region selection, won regional and PSAC individual titles and was named IUP’s Male Athlete of the Year in 2014.

    Kempa made a splash not long after arriving at IUP from Canada, helping IUP capture a PSAC championship with his third-place finish in the tournament in the fall of 2010.

    A year later, Kempa tied for fifth at the PSAC tourney, tied for second at regionals and tied for fifth at the NCAA Division II tournament, shooting a 6-under 210 at the Cardinal Club Golf Course in Simpsonville, Ky. He was selected to the PING/Golf Coaches Association of America All-America team.

    Kempa kept producing as a junior. He captured the PSAC championship with the lowest score in tournament history—a 4-under 140—shot a 2-under 69 in the fourth round to win a regional title and finished 11th at nationals. Kempa was selected as a PING/Golf Coaches Association of America and Srizon/Cleveland Golf All-American, earned Capital One Academic All-America and CoSIDA Academic All-District honors, was named the PSAC Golfer of the Year and averaged 72.44 strokes per round, the lowest in school history.

    He repeated those honors as a senior. Kempa tied for 19th at the NCAA tourney, sinking a birdie putt on the final hole of the third round to propel coach Fred Joseph’s team into the match play portion of the competition. The Crimson Hawks lost to eventual national runner-up Nova Southeastern (Fla.) in the quarterfinals.

    Kempa, who graduated in 2014 with a degree in marketing, works as a business development consultant for Hartford Funds in Wayne. He and his wife, Ashley, a 2013 IUP grad, reside in Exton with their children, twins Grace and Brynn, 6; and Reese, 3.

     

    Kerri McIntyre Joyce (Cross Country and Track & Field | Class of ’99)

     

    The highlight of Kerri McIntyre Joyce’s distinguished distance-running career at IUP came in 1998, when she finished eighth at the NCAA Division II cross country meet in Lawrence, Kan., to earn All-America honors. She covered the 6,000-meter distance in 22 minutes, 9 seconds, the best time for any competitor from a Northeast Region school.

    Joyce was IUP’s top finisher in every race that season. In addition to her All-America citation, she was named a Division II Cross Country Coaches Association Academic All-American for the second time and earned a second All-PSAC honor.

    Leading up to nationals, Joyce finished sixth at the PSAC meet, helping coach Ed Fry’s team place third, and then finished sixth at regionals. IUP placed third at the regional meet behind only national powers Edinboro and Shippensburg.

    Joyce’s eighth-place performance at the NCAA meet paved the way for IUP to finish ninth as a team, still the third-best finish by IUP at nationals. The Indians, as they were then known, were seeded 17th coming into the competition

    Joyce came to IUP from North Penn High School, where she celebrated a PIAA track title as a member of the Knights’ 4×800 relay quartet as well as a team championship. She also earned third-place medals in the 800 and 4×400 relay. Joyce continued to thrive at IUP, winning PSAC titles in the 800 in 1998 and 1999 and joining Kate McCulloch, Sarah Carber and Melanie Sensenig to win the 4×400 relay both years. They set a school and PSAC record in 1999, breaking the tape in 3 minutes, 53.49 seconds.

    Joyce earned a natural science degree from IUP in 1999 and graduated from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2005. She works as an osteopathic obstetrician/gynecologist for Premier Women’s Health in Pittsburgh. Joyce and her husband, Richard, a 1997 IUP grad, live in the Pittsburgh suburb of Ross Township with their three children: Robert, 17; Brigid, 13; and Maura, 11.

     

    Allyson Mitidieri-Washick (Swimming | Class of ’14)

    Allyson Mitidieri-Washick wrapped up her IUP swimming career with a flourish, claiming four All-America honors at the NCAA Division II national meet in 2014, bringing her all-time total to nine.

    Mitidieri-Washick was named IUP’s Female Athlete of the Year for her efforts. 

    She began a dazzling month of March by winning the 400-yard individual medley at the PSAC meet. Mitidieri-Washick also finished second in the 100 breaststroke and 200 IM and placed third in the 200 breast, helping coach Chris Villa’s team finish second, the school’s best showing in the highly competitive conference meet in 15 years. That increased Mitidieri-Washick’s total of PSAC titles to four.

    At the NCAA meet in Geneva, Ohio, three weeks later, she placed seventh in the 200 IM (2:03.05) and 400 IM (4:22.59), tied for seventh in the 200 breast (2:16.79) and finished eighth in the 100 breast (1:03.26). She broke three of her own school records during the event. She was also honored as a CoSIDA (now College Sports Communicators) Academic All-American that year.

    Mitidieri-Washick had also excelled as a sophomore in 2012, when she earned her first three All-America honors. She finished sixth in both the 200 breast and 400 IM events and placed eighth in the 200 IM. Mitidieri-Washick also took firsts in the 200 and 400 IM and 200 breast at the PSAC meet.

    She concluded her swimming career in possession of eight individual and three relay school records. She graduated in 2014 with a degree in nutrition and dietetics and added a master’s from IUP in food and nutrition and exercise science two years later.

    Mitidieri-Washick served as a USA Swimming staff dietitian at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar, in 2024 and at the World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships in Netanya, Israel, the year before. She works as a registered dietitian with Advocare Center for Specialized Gynecology in Voorhees, N.J.

    She and her husband, David Washick, reside in Oaklyn, N.J., with their children, Joseph, 4, and Claire, six months.

     

    Denise Raymond Erb (Gymnastics | Class of ’86)

    One of the pioneers in an IUP program that would develop into a national power, Denise Raymond Erb was among the school’s first gymnastics All-Americans.

    As a freshman in 1982, Raymond placed fifth in the uneven parallel bars event to earn Division III AIAW (Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women) All-America honors. Coach Jan Anthony’s team finished third in the nation behind Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) and Wisconsin-Oshkosh. The Lady Braves, as they were then known, would become an NCAA Division II program a year later.

    Raymond’s freshman year proved something of a breakthrough season for IUP. The Lady Braves held their own against Division I opponents such as Penn State, West Virginia, New Mexico and George Washington before claiming top honors at the Division III AIAW Eastern Regional meet. Raymond finished second on bars and tied for fourth on the balance beam.

    At the national meet, hosted by Keene State (N.H.), she and teammate Meg Rogers gave IUP its first-ever All-Americans in the sport.

    In her sophomore season, Raymond helped the Lady Braves finish second at the PSAC meet and fourth at regionals.

    Coach Dan Kendig, who would later lead IUP to two national titles, came aboard in Raymond’s junior year. The Lady Braves captured their first PSAC title before the home fans at Memorial Field House, beating out both top-seeded Slippery Rock and Clarion, a Division I program, with a school-record score of 172.15. IUP then placed fourth at regionals.

    Raymond did not compete as a senior because of stress fractures in both of her tibias.

    She graduated from IUP in 1986 with a degree in health and physical education and earned a master’s in school counseling from Duquesne in 1997. Raymond works as a counselor at Shaler Area High School, her alma mater.

    She has two adult children, daughter Devon and son Danny, a 2025 graduate of IUP.  Raymond, who is in a relationship with 1983 IUP grad Bret Shugarts, resides in Wexford.

     

    Eric Shafer (Track & Field and Cross Country | Class of ’91)

    Eric Shafer earned NCAA Division II All-America honors in cross country in 1990 by finishing 10th at the national meet, the second-best performance by an IUP runner in school history. He was 15th with about a mile and a half to go before surging past five runners on a hill, helping IUP secure a 14th-place finish as a team.

    Shafer had previously that fall won the ECAC championship and finished fifth at the PSAC meet and fourth at regionals in 30 minutes, 41 seconds, the fastest 10-kilometer time in school history. 

    He also earned All-America honors in 1989 by finishing 24th at nationals. That enabled coach Ed Fry’s team to place ninth.

    Shafer excelled on flat surfaces, too, earning All-PSAC track honors in each of his last three seasons. He finished second in the 10,000-meter event at the conference meet in 1990 and 1991 and placed third in the 5,000 in 1991. IUP earned runner-up honors as a team that year.

    Shafer continued to run after leaving IUP. He finished 31st at the 1999 Boston Marathon, ran a personal best time of 2 hours, 24 minutes, 4 seconds at the Shamrock Marathon in 2000 to place fourth, finished 15th in the 2008 Marine Corps Marathon in 2008 and placed 17th in the USA National Marathon Championships in 1998. Shafer once put together a streak of finishing at least one sub-17-minute 5K every year for 37 consecutive years. He still competes in distance races for the Pittsburgh Pharaoh Hounds Running Club.

    A 2024 inductee into the Pittsburgh Marathon Hall of Fame—along with fellow IUP grads Kerry Green and Sara Raschiatore Zambotti—Shafer graduated in 1991 with a degree in business administration/accounting and earned an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh in 2006. He works as an accountant for the Carrier Corporation in Pittsburgh and serves as cross country and track coach at Carlynton High School in suburban Pittsburgh.

    Shafer resides in the Pittsburgh suburb of Crafton.

     

    Dennis A. & Regina Stover (Honorary Bell Ringers)

    IUP graduates Dennis and Regina Stover, who spent their careers in banking, have always made sure their alma mater shared in the dividends of their success.

    The Stovers have been selected as recipients of the honorary Bell Ringer Award for their unwavering support of IUP and IUP athletics.

    Regina, who earned a degree in business management from IUP in 1975 and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh in 1981, is immediate past president of the Foundation for IUP, current chair of the Athletics Advancement Council at IUP and, along with Dennis, is a member of the National Campaign Cabinet for IUP. She was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus in 1999 and was honored with induction into IUP’s Eberly College of Business Hall of Distinction in 2001.

    A retired managing director at Mellon Bank (now Bank of New York Mellon) in Pittsburgh, Regina worked in various senior management positions in internal auditing and risk management. She was nationally recognized as an expert on fiduciary and investment management risk and spoke frequently at industry conferences, seminars and meetings.

    Regina was a past member of the faculty at Bucknell University, Williams College and Robert Morris University.

    Dennis, who earned a degree in business management from IUP in 1976 and an MBA from Pitt in 1978, worked in finance, cash management, network services and eCommerce at Mellon. He launched a Health Savings Account product in the Mellon Lab, a new business incubation unit, which led to a position as senior vice president and manager of Corporate Development at Health/Equity Inc., an HSA startup business. Dennis also served as a faculty member at Robert Morris in addition to teaching CPA exam review courses.

    He and Regina established endowed scholarship funds at IUP, Pitt, Carlow University and Our Lady of Grace School (now Ave Maria Academy) in suburban Pittsburgh. They also funded a Title IX support endowment at IUP.

    The Stovers reside in the Pittsburgh suburb of Scott Township.

     

    1974 Women’s Tennis Team

    Coach Mary Louise Eltz’s dominant squad is being inducted in the team category, a just reward for its 12-0 season.

    But like the tip of an iceberg, that record reveals only a fraction of the whole story. The Indians, as they were then known, regularly rid opponents of any hope and matches of all suspense. They didn’t just beat foes—they annihilated them. IUP went 35-1 in singles play and 24-0 in doubles that fall, and surrendered only six of 124 sets played.

    The Indians’ invincibility was notable given the odds against them. The program did not offer scholarships, facilities were woefully inadequate and they didn’t even have official uniforms. Players simply wore their own dresses, some of which had been made by their mothers.

    Not that it mattered. Eltz molded her team into a juggernaut. Marcy Schwam and Cheryl Mistrick led the Indians with 12-0 records in singles and Terri Cook was 8-0. In doubles, Beth Johnson (11-0), Barb Beatty (8-0), Lynn Roser (8-0), Anna Marie Raglani (7-0) and Sue Hughes (6-0) turned back every challenge.

    The lone blemish occurred in a season-opening 4-1 victory over Chatham when Cook, the team’s top player, was a late scratch after injuring her ankle in warm-ups. Eltz was forced to insert Jan Frissora, a doubles specialist, into the No. 1 singles slot. She lost 7-5, 6-1.

    The Indians would defeat every subsequent opponent by a 5-0 score. One of the highlights of their season was a rout of rival Slippery Rock before a raucous crowd on the Rockets’ home courts. IUP won every match in straight sets.

    Eltz’s Indians crushed Slippery Rock in the rematch two weeks later to improve to 10-0, thumped California and then wrapped up a perfect season at Edinboro with their 11th consecutive 5-0 victory, overcoming bitter cold and swirling snow.

    Like every one of the Indians’ previous opponents that season, the Scots were no match for perhaps the most dominant team in IUP history.

     

     

    James A. Welker (Men’s Tennis |  Class of ’89)

    No player in the history of IUP tennis won more matches—singles and doubles—than Jim Welker. The three-time All-American compiled a 60-9 record in singles and was 56-12 in doubles for an overall record of 116-21.

    Welker went 13-1 during his freshman season as coach Vince Celtnieks’ No. 2 singles player and again finished 13-1 as a sophomore. Then he actually improved.

    During his junior year, Welker went 16-0 in singles before suffering his only defeat in the PSAC tournament finals. He was also 16-0 in doubles with partner Brad Hanes before they fell in the PSAC finals. Welker was instrumental in helping IUP finish with a 14-2 record—the best in program history—and place second in the conference. A finance major with minors in accounting and economics, he was named a PSAC Scholar Athlete.

    In 1989, Celtnieks moved Welker to the No. 1 singles slot, where he faced stiffer competition. He finished 13-3 in singles, highlighted by a victory over Edinboro’s Kaleem Ghanchi, a Davis Cup participant for Pakistan. Welker came back from a 5-0 deficit in the third set to win the match, 2-6, 7-5, 7-5. He also played in the No. 1 doubles slot that season with partner Sebastian van den Boogaard.

    Welker was again named a PSAC Scholar Athlete. He graduated with a 3.31 grade-point average, was accorded Division II Academic All-America honors and was one of only five players from a Division II school named to the Volvo Academic All-America team.

    Welker graduated from IUP in 1989 with a degree in finance. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Dayton School of Law in 1992 and has been a practicing attorney with the Pittsburgh firm of Jubelirer, Pass & Intrieri, P.C. since 1995. Welker has been recognized by the Best Lawyers in America every year since 2012 in the practice of Workers’ Compensation law.

    He and his wife, Laurie Sims, reside in Seven Fields.

     

    Rob Zinsmeister (Baseball | Class of ’13)

    Rob Zinsmeister reigns as one of the premier offensive threats in IUP baseball history. A glance at the school’s record book confirms as much.

    A four-year starter as an infielder under coach Jeff Ditch, Zinsmeister ranks second in career runs (193), hits (231), doubles (47), total bases (371) and stolen bases (75), third in triples (21) and fifth in RBIs (124). His total of 17 home runs is ninth-best in IUP history. He posted a career batting average of .333.

    Zinsmeister’s name can also be found on IUP’s all-time top 10 list in numerous single-season categories. He ranks fourth in stolen bases with 25 in 2012 and fifth in runs with 57 that season; is tied for fifth in triples (7) and stolen bases (20), both in 2013; is sixth with 108 total bases in 2012; and seventh with 106 total bases a year later.

    After celebrating a PIAA baseball title as a member of the North Penn Knights in 2009, Zinsmeister played for another championship squad as an IUP freshman. The Crimson Hawks took top honors in the PSAC West en route to a 31-24 record. IUP won 105 games in Zinsmeister’s four years in uniform.

    He earned Daktronics/Division II Conference Commissioners Association first-team all-region honors as a shortstop in 2012 and second-team American Baseball Coaches Association and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association honors. Zinsmeister also earned a berth on the Capital One Academic All-America third team. He was an All-PSAC first-team selection in 2012 as a shortstop and in 2013 as a second baseman.

    Zinsmeister played independent professional baseball after wrapping up his stellar IUP career. He spent parts of two seasons with the New Jersey Jackals of the Can-Am League.

    A 2013 graduate of IUP with a degree in mathematics, Zinsmeister is employed as an operations manager by Danella Rental System Inc. in Plymouth Meeting. He and his wife, Keely, reside in King of Prussia with their son, Avery, 2.

     

     

     

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  • Research warns of lasting health impacts from muscle loss in young cancer patients

    Research warns of lasting health impacts from muscle loss in young cancer patients

    New research from the Exercise Medicine Research Institute at Edith Cowan University (ECU) has highlighted that children undergoing cancer treatment often lose skeletal muscle at a time when they should be rapidly gaining it, a loss that could increase treatment complications and raise the risk of long-term health problems. 

    Both the cancer itself and the cancer treatment can cause muscle loss in children. 


    Muscle is the body’s metabolic reserve. When children lose muscle during treatment, they tolerate chemotherapy less well and face a higher risk of complications from drug toxicity.” 


    Anna Maria Markarian, ECU PhD student 

    Losing muscle also makes children and adolescents more vulnerable to heart and metabolic problems such as high blood sugar and insulin resistance, Ms Markarian said. 

    “For example, during the onset of puberty children gain 3 kg to 5 kg of muscle per year. If treatment interrupts this growth and it isn’t recovered afterwards, it can severely impact health outcomes in the longer term.” 

    The research also found that children undergoing cancer treatment are likely to experience increases in fat mass, which can further contribute to metabolic problems and increase the risk of heart-related issues. 

    “Weight is not the whole story. Two kids can weigh the same, one with healthy muscle, one with excess fat, and their ability to tolerate chemotherapy could be very different. 

    “The challenge here is differentiating between muscle loss and fat gain, as this could have important clinical implications. Shifts in body composition can create a mismatch between dosing assumptions and actual metabolic capacity, heightening the risk of treatment-related complications and poorer clinical outcomes in patients with diminished skeletal muscle mass,” Ms Markarian said. 

    The message for parents is simple: keep kids moving. Encourage age-appropriate active play and exercise, despite the obvious difficulties that would be associated with that. 

    Source:

    Journal reference:

    Markarian, A. M., et al. (2025). Longitudinal changes in skeletal muscle in children undergoing cancer treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Pediatrics. doi.org/10.1007/s00431-025-06349-5

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  • The discovery of a gravitational wave 10 years ago shook astrophysics – these ripples in spacetime continue to reveal dark objects in the cosmos

    The discovery of a gravitational wave 10 years ago shook astrophysics – these ripples in spacetime continue to reveal dark objects in the cosmos

    Scientists first detected ripples in space known as gravitational waves from the merger of two black holes in September 2015. This discovery marked the culmination of a 100-year quest to prove one of Einstein’s predictions.

    Two years after this watershed moment in physics came a second late-summer breakthrough in August 2017: the first detection of gravitational waves accompanied by electromagnetic waves from the merger of two neutron stars.

    Gravitational waves are exciting to scientists because they provide a completely new view of the universe. Conventional astronomy relies on electromagnetic waves – like light – but gravitational waves are an independent messenger that can emanate from objects that don’t emit light. Gravitational wave detection has unlocked the universe’s dark side, giving scientists access to phenomena never observed before.

    As a gravitational wave physicist with over 20 years of research experience in the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, I have seen firsthand how these discoveries have transformed scientists’ knowledge of the universe.

    This summer, in 2025, scientists with the LIGO, Virgo and KAGRA collaboration also marked a new milestone. After a long hiatus to upgrade its equipment, this collaboration just released an updated list of gravitational wave discoveries. The discoveries on this list provide researchers with an unprecedented view of the universe featuring, among other things, the clearest gravitational wave detection yet.

    The more operational gravitational-wave observatories there are around the globe, the easier it is to pin down the locations and sources of gravitational waves coming from space.
    Caltech/MIT/LIGO Lab

    What are gravitational waves?

    Albert Einstein first predicted the existence of gravitational waves in 1916. According to Einstein’s theory of gravity, known as general relativity, massive, dense celestial objects bend space and time.

    When these massive objects, like black holes and neutron stars – the end product of a supernova – orbit around each other, they form a binary system. The motion from this system dynamically stretches and squeezes the space around these objects, sending gravitational waves across the universe. These waves ever so slightly change the distance between other objects in the universe as they pass.

    Detecting gravitational waves requires measuring distances very carefully. The LIGO, Virgo and KAGRA collaboration operates four gravitational wave observatories: two LIGO observatories in the U.S., the Virgo observatory in Italy and the KAGRA observatory in Japan.

    Each detector has L-shaped arms that span over two miles. Each arm contains a cavity full of reflected laser light that precisely measures the distance between two mirrors.

    As a gravitational wave passes, it changes the distance between the mirrors by 10-18 meters — just 0.1% of the diameter of a proton. Astronomers can measure how the mirrors oscillate to track the orbit of black holes.

    These tiny changes in distance encode a tremendous amount of information about their source. They can tell us the masses of each black hole or neutron star, their location and whether they are spinning on their own axis.

    An L-shaped facility with two long arms extending out from a central building.
    The LIGO detector in Hanford, Wash., uses lasers to measure the minuscule stretching of space caused by a gravitational wave.
    LIGO Laboratory

    A neutron star-black hole merger

    As mentioned previously, the LIGO, Virgo and KAGRA collaboration recently reported 128 new binary mergers from data taken between May 24, 2023, and Jan. 16, 2024 – which more than doubles the previous count.

    Among these new discoveries is a neutron star–black hole merger. This merger consists of a relatively light black hole with mass between 2.5 and 4.5 times the mass of our Sun paired with a neutron star that is 1.4 times the mass of our Sun.

    In this kind of system, scientists theorize that the black hole tears the neutron star apart before swallowing it, which releases electromagnetic waves. Sadly, the collaboration didn’t manage to detect any such electromagnetic waves for this particular system.

    Detecting an electromagnetic counterpart to a black hole tearing apart a neutron star is among the holy grails of astronomy and astrophysics. These electromagnetic waves will provide the rich datasets required for understanding both the extreme conditions present in matter, and extreme gravity. Scientists hope for better fortune the next time the detectors spot such a system.

    A massive binary and clear gravitational waves

    In July 2025, the LIGO, Virgo and KAGRA collaboration also announced they’d found the most massive binary black hole merger ever detected. The combined mass of this system is more than 200 times the mass of our Sun. And, one of the two black holes in this system likely has a mass that scientists previously assumed could not be produced from the collapse of a single star.

    When two astrophysical objects – like black holes – merge, they send out gravitational waves.

    The most recent discovery announced by the LIGO, Virgo and KAGRA collaboration, in September 2025, is the clearest gravitational wave observation to date. This event is a near clone of the first gravitational wave observation from 10 years ago, but because LIGO’s detectors have improved over the last decade, it stands out above the noise three times as much as the first discovery.

    Because the observed gravitational wave signal is so clear, scientists could confirm that the final black hole that formed from the merger emitted gravitational waves exactly as it should according to general relativity.

    They also showed that the surface area of the final black hole was greater than the surface area of the initial black holes combined, which implies that the merger increased the entropy, according to foundational work from Stephen Hawking and Jacob Bekenstein. Entropy measures how disordered a system is. All physical interactions are expected to increase the disorder of the universe, according to thermodynamics. This recent discovery showed that black holes obey their own laws similar to thermodynamics.

    The beginning of a longer legacy

    The LIGO, Virgo and KAGRA collaboration’s fourth observing run is ongoing and will last through November. My colleagues and I anticipate more than 100 additional discoveries within the coming year.

    New observations starting in 2028 may bring the tally of binary mergers to as many as 1,000 by around 2030, if the collaboration keeps its funding.

    Gravitational wave observation is still in its infancy. A proposed upgrade to LIGO called A# may increase the gravitational wave detection rate by another factor of 10. Proposed new observatories called Cosmic Explorer and the Einstein Telescope that may be built in 10 to 20 years would increase the rate of gravitational wave detection by 1,000, relative to the current rate, by further reducing noise in the detector.

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  • Sabyasachi’s Silver Jubilee! The Brand Celebrates With a Night of Splendor in SoHo

    Sabyasachi’s Silver Jubilee! The Brand Celebrates With a Night of Splendor in SoHo

    On a charming block in New York City’s West Village, deliveries arrived all day bearing copious amounts of champagne, lobster, and caviar. The occasion? Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s opulent cocktail reception marking 25 years of his eponymous brand—a silver jubilee fêted by a fabulous set of fashionable friends.

    Sabyasachi—the Indian luxury fashion house—is no stranger to New York. Its downtown boutique is a treasure trove of artwork, accessories, and ready-to-wear. The clothing is artful, ranging from embroidered gowns to embellished outerwear to magnificent fine jewelry. The space reflects the brand’s signature interior language: intricate Indian art, cut glass, carved wood, carpets, and mother-of-pearl-inlaid furniture.

    Sabyasachi’s latest collection, shown in Mumbai earlier this year in a spectacular runway show featuring Christy Turlington and Deepika Padukone, is now available in the New York boutique. On the occasion of New York Fashion Week and the brand’s 25th anniversary, the shop shimmered extra bright.

    The evening’s guest of honor was His Highness Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh of Jaipur, who traveled from India for the occasion. “For me, Sabyasachi the brand is Sabyasachi Mukherjee the person,” Singh told Vogue. “We need people like him to remind us why we are here, that we’ve created beauty always, and we need somebody like him to remind the world of the beauty that exists in our country.”

    Reflecting on his life and career, Mukherjee shared with Vogue, “I grew up middle class in Calcutta. I was the black sheep of the family because I come from a family of educators and doctors. I never thought that I would get this far.”

    Sabyasachi spared no expense for the regal occasion, creating a New York night fit for Indian royalty. He personally welcomed each guest as they arrived, including Avantika, Jessel Taank, Kelly Cutrone, Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele, Amy Fine Collins, and Fern Mallis. Guests were treated to a lavish banquet—Dom Pérignon champagne, Petrossian caviar, king crab, smoked salmon, and foie gras—a feast for the eyes and palate.

    A particular highlight was the fantastical dessert tablescape, densely laden with ambrosial confections: towering croquembouche, chocolate-covered fruits, candied hazelnuts, macarons, coconut cake, coffee mousse, plum torte, chocolate bonbons, and sugar-dusted fruits.

    Other fashion designers turned out in droves to take part in the decadence, including Bibhu Mohapatra, Georgina Chapman, Prabal Gurung, Adam Lippes, and Peter Som. Anna Wintour also stopped by to congratulate the designer.

    “I hope to create India’s first global luxury super brand. I think the country deserves it. India was the seat of luxury before luxury even started anywhere else in the world many centuries ago,” Mukherjee told Vogue. With his exquisite vision, artistry, and opulent parties, Sabyasachi is well on his way.

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  • Navigating Dose Adjustments and Therapy Optimization in Myelofibrosis

    Navigating Dose Adjustments and Therapy Optimization in Myelofibrosis

    Jessica Lewis-Gonzalez, PharmD, BCOP, discusses practical strategies for optimizing myelofibrosis care, emphasizing that baseline blood counts should guide initial therapy. For patients with severe thrombocytopenia, she notes pacritinib as the preferred agent given its FDA-approved indication, while momelotinib is often selected first for those with anemia due to its anemia-improving mechanism. She adds that ruxolitinib and fedratinib show the strongest data for spleen reduction and that clinicians must account for symptom burden, risk stratification, comorbidities, and potential drug-drug interactions when selecting and sequencing therapies.

    Lewis-Gonzalez underscores the importance of planning dose adjustments before treatment begins—considering organ function, interactions, and performance status—and reassessing doses as toxicities emerge to balance efficacy and safety.

    Pharmacy Times: What are the most common reasons patients discontinue JAK inhibitor therapy, and how can clinicians and pharmacists work together to address them?

    Jessica Lewis-Gonzalez, PharmD, BCOP: I think the most common issue I see, especially when considering what most patients start with initially, is hematologic toxicities. Our patients often present with cytopenias, and these therapies can sometimes aggravate those cytopenias.

    We also see non-hematologic adverse events such as gastrointestinal issues—nausea, vomiting, and infections—as well as joint discomfort and pain, all of which can significantly impact quality of life. Another major concern is loss of efficacy over time; some patients eventually lose their response to therapy, and at that point we have to consider switching treatments.

    Clinicians and pharmacists can work closely together to address these challenges through proactive monitoring. This includes checking blood counts at every visit to track hematologic toxicities, assessing non-hematologic toxicities and offering both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions, and making dose adjustments based on lab results. Patient education is also critical—not only at the start of therapy, but through ongoing conversations to reassess symptom burden and re-educate patients on how to best manage side effects.

    Pharmacy Times: When deciding between available JAK inhibitors, what clinical factors should guide therapy selection in myelofibrosis?

    Lewis-Gonzalez: Right now, the biggest factor for me is baseline blood counts. For patients with thrombocytopenia, as I mentioned earlier, pacritinib is really the preferred agent, and that’s the specific FDA-approved indication—for patients with severe thrombocytopenia and myelofibrosis. For patients with anemia, we tend to reach for momelotinib first, since it helps with the anemia itself due to its unique mechanism of action.

    We also need to think about symptom burden and spleen size. The data for ruxolitinib and fedratinib are the most impressive when it comes to spleen reduction. Beyond that, risk stratification, patient comorbidities, and concomitant medications all factor in, with particular attention to potential drug–drug interactions.

    Pharmacy Times: How do pharmacists help manage dose adjustments, monitor for adverse effects, and optimize therapy for patients on JAK inhibitors?

    Lewis-Gonzalez: When it comes to dose adjustments, I like to think of them as an upfront consideration before we even start a patient on therapy. This depends on their organ function, drug interactions, and overall performance status. We have to ask: are we going to do the patient more harm than good by starting at the full FDA-approved dose, or should we begin at a lower dose for tolerability and then increase as needed?

    The same approach applies if patients begin experiencing toxicities—we always have to balance efficacy with safety. Monitoring for adverse effects is critical. Beyond that, we think about therapy optimization. Patients may experience disease progression or lose response to their current therapy, so sequencing, switching, and guiding providers on the next best option become essential. Supportive care is also a big part of this—making sure all supportive medications are appropriate, comorbidities are managed, and lab monitoring is consistently performed alongside these therapies.

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  • Timberland Recognizes Authenticity While Making an Unapologetic Commitment to the Future with “Advice of an Icon” Campaign.

    Timberland Recognizes Authenticity While Making an Unapologetic Commitment to the Future with “Advice of an Icon” Campaign.

    NEW YORK, Sept. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Timberland unveils its global campaign, Advice of an Icon. For over 50 years, the Original Yellow Boot™ has stood as a symbol of strength, resilience, and fearlessness, shaping generations past, present, and future. For Fall/Winter 2025, Timberland partners with three groundbreaking global creatives – Spike Lee, Skepta, and Kiko Mizuhara– each carving their own formidable path through life’s challenges.

    The Advice of an Icon campaign celebrates an unwavering commitment to artistry and dedication to craft, core values embodied by both the featured icons and Timberland as a brand. Shot by Gabriel Moses – an iconic director and photographer celebrated for his distinct visual language and emotive imagery with richly saturated color palettes. Through his lens, the icons boldly stand as symbols of authenticity, heritage, and timeless style.

    Legendary filmmaker Spike Lee brings his unmistakable presence to the campaign. Captured in bold, unfiltered portraits, Lee embodies the same unapologetic spirit that defines his work. A true pioneer in cinema and culture, his legacy is rooted in truth, integrity and relentless pursuit of excellence. His advice cuts straight to the core: “You have to have a work ethic. You gotta put the work in. You can’t cheat that, if you’re cheating, you’re cheating yourself.”

    The next icon featured in the campaign is Skepta, whose influence has always gone beyond music — shaping culture through fashion, art, and self-expression, and taking grime to the world stage. The final talent featured in the campaign is Kiko Mizuhara, celebrated for her genre-defying creative career, and boundary-breaking style, and being an iconic “it-girl.”

    “As we head into FW25, Timberland continues to lean into its legacy while pushing culture forward,” says Maisie Willoughby, Chief Marketing Officer for Timberland. “The Advice of an Icon campaign is a bold tribute to unapologetic self-expression and timeless craft. At its core is the Original Yellow Boot, a global icon that has shaped style, work, and street culture for over 50 years.”

    With its wheat color, craftsmanship, and comfort, The Original Yellow Boot has become the most recognizable boot in the world. More than a product, it’s a cultural symbol of authenticity, resilience, and dedication to craft. The campaign honors The Original Yellow Boot as a true icon – bold, enduring, and unapologetically original.

    Contact: Dakota Balka | Email: [email protected] | Website: www.timberland.com |

    SOURCE Timberland

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  • Get ready to view Saturn at its closest point to Earth with $133 off this telescope from Celestron

    Get ready to view Saturn at its closest point to Earth with $133 off this telescope from Celestron

    Saturn is putting on a spectacular show this month as it reaches opposition overnight on Sept. 20. The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ is a great value telescope that can help you get a great view of the famous ringed giant at its closest and brightest point to Earth this year.

    You can get the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ telescope on sale right now at Amazon for $367.

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  • Death in the Family’ Trailer Features Deaths in the Family

    Death in the Family’ Trailer Features Deaths in the Family

    For a lawyer, Alex Murdaugh is sure gonna need a lawyer.

    The trailer (below) for the upcoming Hulu scripted series Murdaugh: Death in the Family features the before and after of a few deaths in the family in the real-life story of Alex Murdaugh. It also directly includes one tragedy outside of the family that begets the next bundle of tragedies — and sadly, there are more where that one came from.

    Hulu’s Murdaugh: Death in the Family tells the real-life story of Maggie (played here by Patricia Arquette) and Alex Murdaugh (played by Jason Clarke), who “enjoy a lavish life of privilege as members of one of South Carolina’s most powerful legal dynasties,” the synopsis reads. “But when their son Paul (Johnny Berchtold) is involved in a deadly boat crash, the family is faced with a test unlike any they’ve ever encountered. As details come to light and new challenges emerge, the family’s connections to several mysterious deaths raise questions which threaten everything Maggie and Alex hold dear.”

    Murdaugh: Death in the Family is inspired by the popular Murdaugh Murders Podcast. The scandal also birthed a Lifetime movie. The eight-episode Hulu limited series premieres on Oct. 15 with three episodes; the final five episodes will roll out one at a time on Wednesday, concluding Nov. 19.

    The series also stars Will Harrison as Buster Murdaugh, Brittany Snow as Mandy Matney and J. Smith-Cameron as Marian Proctor.

    Murdaugh: Death in the Family hails from co-creator and showrunner Michael D. Fuller (Quarry, Rectify and Locke & Key) and co-creator Erin Lee Carr (Britney vs Spears, I Love You, Now Die and Mommy Dead and Dearest). Nick Antosca (A Friend of the Family, The Act and Candy) and Alex Hedlund for Eat the Cat are executive producers along with Mandy Matney, David Moses and Bill Johnson. Steven Piet executive produced and directed first two and last episodes. Arquette and Clarke also serve as executive producers on the UCP series.

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  • From Rachel Scott to Ralph Lauren and Ralph Rucci, the Nominees and Honorees for the 2025 CFDA Fashion Awards Are Here

    From Rachel Scott to Ralph Lauren and Ralph Rucci, the Nominees and Honorees for the 2025 CFDA Fashion Awards Are Here

    New York Fashion Week officially starts tomorrow, though we’ve already seen collections from Rachel Comey, Brandon Maxwell, and Proenza Schouler’s Rachel Scott. Ralph Lauren is back in the mix tonight, with a show at his headquarters Uptown. Afterwards, the CFDA is gathering designers at the Rainbow Room for an opening night party. Many of those in attendance will have something to celebrate: the nominees and honorees for this year’s CFDA Fashion Awards, which will take place on November 3 at the American Museum of Natural History, have just been announced.

    Ralph Lauren is nominated for American Womenswear Designer of the Year, returning to the fold after a handful of years. Joining him are Tory Burch, Wes Gordon for Carolina Herrera, and first-timer Daniella Kallmeyer, plus Rachel Scott for her own label Diotima. Scott won for Emerging Designer in 2023 and for Womenswear in 2024—could she keep up her winning streak?

    As for menswear, Mike Amiri, Thom Browne, and Willy Chavarria are nominated once more, though here are two fun surprises: Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta have made the cut for their work for Eckhaus Latta, as have Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen for their menswear for The Row. The Olsens have already won CFDA Awards for both womenswear and accessories. A trifecta is unprecedented.

    The Olsens are also nominated for Accessories Designer of the Year. Joining them are Ana Khouri, Catherine Holstein for Khaite, Raul Lopez for Luar, and Tory Burch.

    The Emerging Designer of the Year category, presented by Google Shopping, includes Taylor Thompson for 5000, Colleen Allen, and CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists Ashlynn Park for Ashlyn, Julian Louie for Aubero, and Bernard James.

    As for this year’s honorees: Ralph Rucci will receive this year’s Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award. The Isabel Toledo Board of Directors’ Tribute will be given to Andre Walker and the Media Award in honor of Eugenia Sheppard will go to Sara Moonves of W Magazine. The Founder’s Award in honor of Eleanor Lambert recipient is Cynthia Rowley, and this year’s International Designer of the Year is Pieter Mulier for Alaïa. Donatella Versace will receive the Positive Change Award for her philanthropic efforts, her advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community, and her support of young talents.

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  • Can we safely deflect a killer asteroid without making it worse? Only if we avoid the gravitational ‘keyhole,’ scientists say

    Can we safely deflect a killer asteroid without making it worse? Only if we avoid the gravitational ‘keyhole,’ scientists say

    Smacking a planet-threatening asteroid comes with big responsibility.

    If we slam an impactor into an asteroid in exactly the wrong spot, the space rock may pass through a “gravitational keyhole” that actually brings it to Earth — which is exactly what planetary defense scientists and mission planners don’t want to happen.

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