New Crystal Restoration proudly announces the addition of Diosel Pineda Ocampo as Operations Manager. With 25 years in construction and 5 years specializing in restoration, Diosel brings a wealth of expertise to the team.

Discover the leadership strategies that fuel high ROI, from building strong teams to leveraging cutting-edge technology. Learn how the industry's top pioneers are bridging the leadership gap to ensure future success.

Find out how PuroClean's commitment to excellence led to a 44.4% systemwide sales increase and continues to fuel its success in the industry.

Jon-Don has launched a temporary Hurricane Support Center in Sarasota, FL to provide essential disaster restoration equipment, supplies, and expertise to contractors aiding in the recovery from Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

RT Specialty’s Hamilton, NJ office has promoted Justin Kochmer, Kelly Jackson, and Joe Fagan to Senior Account Managers, recognizing their contributions to enhancing the insurance experience for clients. Their dedication and leadership are expected to drive further success within the team.

Alpine Cleaning & Restoration Specialists team up with ROC Solid Foundation to build a backyard playset for Adlee Frampton, a brave three-year-old battling Stage 2 Wilms Tumor. This generous act not only brings joy to Adlee but also highlights the powerful impact of community support and the healing power of play during challenging times.

Professional Metal Fabricators won their bid on the project and got to work on the support structure for the stained glass — and some issues arose.

Sasser Restoration, a commercial restoration company, has expanded its operations and opened an office in California’s Inland Empire. Through this expansion, Sasser Restoration aims to provide high-quality restoration services to commercial businesses experiencing water, fire, and mold disasters throughout Riverside and San Bernardino counties. 

“Retirement is not what it’s all cracked up to be,” says VIKING Equipment Founder – Mickey Walker. In April of 2018, XPOWER Manufacture picked him up, dusted him off and after some negotiations, XPOWER reacquired the Viking brand.

119-24 : New Equity Option Class and Share Future Contracts - South Bow Corporation (SOBO & FOJ)

130-24 : Final Contract Adjustment - Tourmaline Oil Corp. (TOU & FOU) - Special Cash Dividend

A nice refresher on vehicle safety and added safety measures to implement while in the job.

New ventures taking place at Restoration & Remediation Magazine! R&R is partnering with Restoration Networks to bring even more education to the industry!

Introducing new video series Unlocking Training Success with Lisa Lavender! A comprehensive video series for effective learning.

Episode 1 of Unlocking Training Success with Lisa Lavender gives advice on improving the impact of training and development in your company.

Episode 2 of Unlocking Training Success with Lisa Lavender gives advice on training intervention, and taking your restoration company to new heights.

Lever360 has emerged to deliver innovation by combining the educational prowess of Restoration Technical Institute (RTI) with the comprehensive run-your-business system of iRestore, renowned for its restoration management software.

Learn how to boost your training ROI by focusing on impact-driven strategies that strengthen workforce performance and align with business goals in the fast-paced restoration industry.

ProjectorCentral's Buyer's Guide to 4K UST Laser Projectors will help you compare specs and features and find the living room projection TV that's right for you.

Here's what you'll need to know to select a specialty impact screen and enclosure for your planned golf simulator, along with a trove of linked resources.

Pace was appointed and won in an election against Jim Dillenbeck last night.

The post New schools, more bus drivers and improved reading scores are among Chuck Pace’s priorities for his next year on Albemarle County School Board appeared first on Charlottesville Tomorrow.

04-2014 : Montréal Exchange brings options trading to university campuses across Canada

We talked with Jay DeFruscio, the Chief Operating Officer for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Schools, about the huge benefit provided by the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program. Here are three of the postings we shared on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/o9mfCwioL8PfuHa8/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/8Hbz7PVfKdKSFrWM/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/d83WFnKC8ZZ4oQAi/?mibextid=WC7FNe    

We continue our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues with a look at Morning Star Pregnancy Services. They do an outstanding job working with women facing unplanned pregnancies. https://fb.watch/bEB-FxMfAj/ The Harrisburg location for Morning Star Pregnancy Services at 2509 Front Street is relatively new, but the service itself is celebrating its 50th year in existence in 2022. The mission remains the same—helping women with unplanned pregnancies and with their sexual health. It offers a number of free health services, including pregnancy testing and ultrasound exams, along with education and support after the pregnancy. Morningstar does not provide or refer for abortion services but they help you to consider all options, including abortion, parenting and adoption. Bottom line, they are there for support. “We know that all mothers would like to feel loved and supported in their pregnancy and beyond. We are also able to reach out to the fathers of their children and offer them support and education as well,” said Morningstar Executive Director Linda Plummer. She says they see a range of women and men who have just had a positive pregnancy test and just can’t see beyond the immediate challenge. “The majority of women don’t want an abortion. They just feel like they don’t have another solution.” Morningstar will schedule regular visits for clients and will monitor the changing circumstances as the weeks progress. As the circumstances change, so do the perspectives. 6:12   “the first time they come to Morningstar and feel that they have no alternative but abortion, they change on their second visit when we invite them back in a decision-making process on a weekly basis. They may come the second time and say, well now my boyfriend says maybe we can have this baby or now my parents are saying they will support me.” Plummer also points out that 25 to 30% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. Morningstar will help to determine the viability of the fetus through ultrasound testing. “Because a lot of those pregnancies end in miscarriage, what we see here is that women grieve that loss of the baby so in the process, they recognize the idea that if I had gone through with an abortion, I would have been carrying this burden and I would have been mourning the loss of that child.” They’ve been around for 50 years and must be doing something right for folks to keep coming back. The commitment to providing care and support without judgement has translated into a very impressive statistic. “80% of the time that women who come here who are at risk for an abortion will decide to have their child.” Plummer says many of the 20% who choose otherwise later return in a subsequent pregnancy.

Our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues continues today with a look at the Heart of Tioga Pregnancy Center in Tioga County, PA and the support it gets from parishioners at Holy Child Catholic Church in the Diocese of Scranton. https://fb.watch/bHgvkXjO3Z/

Our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues continues today with a look at the Tri-State Pregnancy Center in northeastern PA. The facility gets help from local Catholics and on-the-spot advice from above! https://fb.watch/bHh3c7Z-Hu/

Our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues continues today with a look at the extensive work being done by the Community Based Services segment of Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. https://fb.watch/bHhrh-1oe7/

We continue our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues with more on the subject of breastfeeding. For the next several days we will look at the important work being done by the Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank and how the PCC is looking to help them. https://fb.watch/dv4YBuc3qS/ https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1532416678121857025?s=20&t=6XAnUbQUJooExYYWxkr1WQ  

6-10-22 Our focus on breastfeeding continues with a look at the increase in public accommodations for breastfeeding moms. https://fb.watch/dz7s3mmxy1/ https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1535283771251085313?s=20&t=d8Pb52gE3vOjcBIAujH0rQ   6-9-22 Our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues continues with a look back at the passage of the PA law to permit breastfeeding in public. https://fb.watch/dz7zQTeSHv/ https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1534961334323904512?s=20&t=d8Pb52gE3vOjcBIAujH0rQ  

6-16-22 Interesting story here on one person’s belief that the COVID lockdowns are to blame for many moms turning away from breastfeeding and, in turn, contributing to the current shortage in baby formula. pic.twitter.com/1iU3XYFbZF — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) June 16, 2022 https://fb.watch/dHdtLvKsVG/ 6-14-22 Sharing an article that came out Tuesday for our series on breastfeeding about trying to still do it while returning to work. Sharing an article that came out Tuesday for our series on breastfeeding about trying to still do it while returning to work. pic.twitter.com/Fb43upYGpy — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) June 15, 2022 https://fb.watch/dHdp5IzKNN/   6-13-22 Continuing our series on breastfeeding for June. Women of color are less likely to breastfeed than those of other races and that has made them more vulnerable to the baby formula shortage. We look at some of the societal factors involved. https://fb.watch/dHdd4Kl8j6/ https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1536404428735094788?s=20&t=K3d74k2cioFdzcdNNHbHTg

6-30-22 We finish up our stories on breastfeeding by talking again with Colette Acker of the Breastfeeding Resource Center about the culture that exists towards BF in the U.S. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1542502773232631808?s=20&t=y-vWAw8jWy_JOJQb9YkGAw https://fb.watch/dZztlqwT-k/ 6-29-22 As we’ve focused this month on issues involved in breastfeeding, we’ve talked with our advocates and moms about the challenges involved in doing so while going back to work full time. Colette Acker of the Breastfeeding Resource Center shares her views on what’s involved. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1542181083462221833?s=20&t=y-vWAw8jWy_JOJQb9YkGAw https://fb.watch/dZzB2MlLo-/ 6-28-22 Colette Acker of the Breastfeeding Resource Center talks with us about why many new moms give up on breastfeeding within the first several weeks after the birth of their child. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1541812970275180546?s=20&t=y-vWAw8jWy_JOJQb9YkGAw https://fb.watch/dZzHsbhiOH/ 6-27-22 We begin today a series of stories with Colette Acker of the Breastfeeding Resource Center in Montgomery County. They’ve been providing vital support for new moms for nearly 20 years. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1541447488065966082?s=20&t=y-vWAw8jWy_JOJQb9YkGAw https://fb.watch/dZA4NAhnvc/ 6-24-22 We wrap up our conversation on breastfeeding with Amy Wilt by talking about two potential problems that may affect moms during breastfeeding. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1540366512262975488?s=20&t=y-vWAw8jWy_JOJQb9YkGAw https://fb.watch/dZAjWQcR-8/ 6-23-22 We continue our June focus on breastfeeding by talking with doula Amy Wilt about the challenges involved in breastfeeding while returning to work. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1540060616722989056?s=20&t=y-vWAw8jWy_JOJQb9YkGAw https://fb.watch/dZApmYqCFR/ 6-22-22 We continue our chat with Amy Wilt about breastfeeding. Today’s focus is on relactation. A total education for many of us. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1539653795398836224?s=20&t=y-vWAw8jWy_JOJQb9YkGAw https://fb.watch/dZAyeP5WNk/ 6-21-22 We continue the conversation with our doula consultant, Amy Wilt, about the influence and pressure that moms get from those closest to them when trying to decide whether or not to breastfeed their newborns. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1539255591914328065?s=20&t=y-vWAw8jWy_JOJQb9YkGAw https://fb.watch/dZAFgKarE-/ 6-20-22 We continue our series on breastfeeding by talking again with Amy Wilt of Dauphin County Doulas. She has provided a ton of information for us in our nine-month long focus on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues. Today Amy talks about ”the latch.” https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1538962868414169094?s=20&t=y-vWAw8jWy_JOJQb9YkGAw https://fb.watch/dZAMmSazHv/  

July 18th We continue our look at Early Childhood Screenings by talking with Kris Bowman of Ramsey Educational and Development Institute, or REDI. They administer the PA Early Intervention Program in Montgomery County. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1549094658478903299?s=20&t=bfxurJPODSGTJUaDird-pg https://fb.watch/elp1XOaQ3p/   July 15th As part of look at Early Childhood Screenings, we are looking to find out about screenings in PA for newborns suffering from their mothers’ drug addiction. We’d love to talk with the state task force created to help those children but haven’t had much help from the Wolf Admin. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1548004337758060544?s=20&t=bfxurJPODSGTJUaDird-pg https://fb.watch/elp7An1dbk/   July 14th Continuing our series for July on Early Childhood Screenings with a quick look at the first big test for the newborn, the blood test. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1547690893766930437?s=20&t=bfxurJPODSGTJUaDird-pg https://fb.watch/elpe8tHA1I/   July 13th Continuing our series on Early Childhood Screenings… it was a crisis in Michigan that sparked lawmakers here in Pennsylvania to put an emphasis on testing children for the presence of lead. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1547429183864840192?s=20&t=bfxurJPODSGTJUaDird-pg https://fb.watch/elpkHkI4mB/   July 12th  We wrap up the conversation with our friend Victoria about the tests, screenings and milestones designed for children after they come home from the hospital. It’s part of our July focus on Early Childhood Screenings. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1546897353843539968?s=20&t=bfxurJPODSGTJUaDird-pg https://fb.watch/elpDdGWIN8/ July 11th As part of our continuing look at Early Childhood Screenings for July, we talk with a young mother about all the tests that we went through. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1546491903083945984?s=20&t=bfxurJPODSGTJUaDird-pg    

We talked with Jim Lee of Susquehanna Polling & Research about his latest poll on the Presidential race. Here is how we shared the comments on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/eFvLAT1aT9FYqFRY/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/NdQXTChmWarrunmi/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/hjjie61Pso2UFX7A/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/ztTnwXpFqx7Leb6u/?mibextid=WC7FNe    

Catholic adoption agencies across the state have been curtailing or stopping their work altogether as a result of a policy by the Wolf Administration that would take away a lot of their power to decide who would be the best parents for adoption. PA Rep. Dave Zimmerman (R-Lancaster) says there is still hope that a religious exemption will be granted by lawmakers for organizations. “A number of us in the House actually held up the budget because of a religious exemption, related to the Foster care and adoption,” Zimmerman told me in his Lancaster district office. Despite their determined efforts the Governor held firm and it was kept out. “They took the religious exemption out, which means an adoption agency would have to work with any type of family arrangements, whether it’s a man and wife, or an LGBT couple. They would have to work with all of those.” Zimmerman and several of his colleagues would like to see the exemption established. They have an agreement from House and Senate leadership to run bills in the fall to make that happen. “This is just one area. So the question is ‘what’s next?’” Zimmerman said. “I believe that our country and our state were established on religious liberty, religious freedom. We need to have these religious exemptions available to business and family throughout our state. It’s very important.” Zimmerman said another issue that drew debate in the last session was the compulsory age for education. The current law requires children between the ages of eight and 17 to be in school. But new regulations installed in one of the budget codes would expand that from six to 18. Zimmerman was one of the lawmakers who opposed the change. “There are a lot of issues with that,” he said. “Some children are just not ready at six. What about someone who graduates early? What about—in our district—the Plain community that gets work permits at 15?  None of that has been really addressed at this point, so there are some real concerns about the compulsory age.” The age change was something that was being pushed by the Governor, Zimmerman said. Even though it was placed in the budget, he says there will be an effort in the fall to get the change modified. ‘I also look at it as a liberties issue,” Zimmerman added. “The parents can probably make a better decision on their children than government.” Zimmerman remains very committed to pro-life issues. He voted for the Down Syndrome Protection Act and has signed on as a co-sponsor to Rep. Stephanie Borowicz’s (R-Centre, Clinton) “heartbeat” abortion bill, which he hopes to see introduced in the fall.

The 4th installment of our series on Maternal and Early Childhood Issues looks at the role the Wolf Administration has played in curtailing Catholic adoption efforts in Pennsylvania. https://fb.watch/bBXX1F6m97/ A woman we’ll call Kelly talked with me about her adoption a number of years ago through Catholic charities. She learned details of what happened as she got older. Kelly says it could have worked out any better. Kelly’s story was a familiar one for decades, but one that is happening less and less in many states across the country, as officials have placed restrictions on adoption agencies that contradict their long-held beliefs. Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf several years ago joined Democratic governors in other states to require adoption agencies to place children with same-sex parents in order to get funding. That requirement by Governor Wolf would be in direct contrast with the long-standing Catholic belief that a marriage is between a man and a woman. It is that parental combination, Catholics believe, that is the best way to raise a child. The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference appealed to the Wolf Administration for a religious exemption. It was denied in 2018, basically causing most adoption efforts by Catholic organizations in PA to grind to a halt. Similar regulations have been shutting down Catholic adoption agencies across the U.S. ever since Boston Catholic Charities did so in 2006. The efforts by the PCC to remove this burden continued on both the state and federal level. We sent an appeal to the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington to grant us a religious exemption. We worked closely with U.S. Congressman Mike Kelly on getting federal relief. A number of state senators sent a letter to President Trump asking him to provide relief for our efforts. We’re hoping that a recent Supreme Court ruling involving foster care services by Catholic Charities in Philadelphia. Fulton vs. the City of Philadelphia started when the city said it would no longer contract with Catholic Social Services because CSS would not certify same-sex couples to be foster parents In response, two foster mothers—Sharonell Fulton and Toni Simms-Busch—and the CSS sued the city, arguing that severing the contract violated their religious freedom. Fulton and Simms-Busch, the mothers who are plaintiffs, claim it was their Catholic faith that inspired them to be foster mothers.After losing in two lower courts, they petitioned the Supreme Court, which first agreed to hear the case in February 2020. Over a year later  the Court ruled that the city’s refusal due to the agency’s same-sex couple policy violated the Free Exercise Clause. Great news and a big win for religious liberty. The PCC is hoping the principal will carry over into adoptions, but the damage may have already been done. In 2019 the Diocese of Greensburg closed its adoption and foster care program after 65 years because of the decision by the Wolf Administration. Adoptions were halted by Catholic agencies in other parts of the state.  Will the adoption work done by these organizations ever return to what it once was? We can only hope and pray.

Our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues continues today with a look the work being done by Morning Star Pregnancy Services in Harrisburg to help kids build a foundation for strong relationships and avoid problems down the road. https://fb.watch/bECfSEse06/ We’ve all had our fair share of relationships that have not gone well over the years, whether they were romantic or just friendly in nature. Wouldn’t it be nice to have gotten some advice before sailing on those waters and crashing into the rocks? The folks at Morning Star Pregnancy Services in Harrisburg are offering just such advice to teenagers and also actually to moms and dads through a program called Unfiltered Truth. Leslie Moyer is the Director of Educational Programs at Morning Star. She works with Ann Deegan from an established curriculum called “Real Essentials” to present different lessons to try to teach kids to build a foundation for strong relationships. Leslie Moyer : “So what are people expecting and what are your boundaries and do you have boundaries and how do you make sure the person knows?” The program is –not- lecture based. Moyer says that would never work. They have discussions so the kids will take ownership of the concepts they are presented and make them their own.  They are getting a lot of positive feedback. Moyer :  “I believe it was woman, she said I wish I’d had this when I was younger. I needed to know about those relationship red flags, the break up skills, which is two lessons that we do. I needed that two years ago when I was in a really bad relationship.” One of the lessons is on living together, which is something that many young people see as the go-to route for couples in love. Ann Deegan : “So many people are living together and so we talk about what are the benefits and what it really looks like and what are some of the myths surrounding living together and why it isn’t a good thing to do. Most of the classes have been with high school students. Moyer says they’re hoping to get more time with middle school kids to help them build their skills by the time they get to high school. There are also classes for adults. Deegan  : “The focus isn’t just on mothering skills, like taking care of a baby. The focus is on what do your relationships look like? And what do you want to pass on to your children? What is the legacy? What do you want to pass on to your children and have your children receive from you?” There is also the goal of having kids take a more deliberate and thoughtful approach to having sex. It may prevent many problems down the road, not the least of which being an unwanted pregnancy. Moyer shares a recurring sentiment that she hears from returning clients. Moyer  : “Over and over again I will hear ‘I would not change the fact that I had my child. But I wish I had waited. I wish I had waited just a little bit longer. I wish I was married. I can’t tell you how many times I hear that.”

Associate Professor of Accounting Holly Yang from SMU’s School of Accountancy has researched on the role of individual managers in corporate disclosure and determinants of firms’ voluntary disclosure decisions. Together with co-author Associate Prof Young Jun Cho, she is currently working on publishing a paper on Institutional Cross Ownership of Peer Firms and Investment Sensitivity to Stock Price. In this podcast, she discuss how cross-ownership of industry peers helps institutional investors better acquire industry insights and produce private information, thus allowing managers to incorporate this information in their investment decisions.

Assistant Professor Richard Crowley from SMU’s School of Accountancy examines financial accounting using both archival and analytical methods for his research. Much of his archival work deals with large sets of unstructured data using high-powered computing algorithms to address accounting issues that are otherwise infeasible to approach. He has recently written two research articles on using a machine learning technique to assess the content of companies’ disclosures. In this podcast, he discusses how fraud and misreporting can be detected by studying a company’s financial statement using a machine learning technique, and shares how companies disclose financial information on Twitter, and how feedback from investors and others can influence this.

The rise of new technologies is changing the way companies raise funds. Along with increased popularity of crowdfunding in recent years, a new form of funding has emerged – that is, the use of Initial Coin Offerings, or ICOs. In 2017, companies in the United States raised over $4 billion through ICOs; in 2018, more than $21 billion has been raised. ICOs generate many challenges for securities regulators, and also give rise to other issues including corporate governance, data protection, anti-money laundering and insolvency. Assistant Professor Aurelio Gurrea-Martínez from the SMU School of Law has conducted legal research on financial regulation. In this podcast, he shares his recent comparative and interdisciplinary study which addresses the issue of ICOs and makes recommendations to regulators and policy makers in a way that aims to promote innovation and firms’ access to finance without harming investor protection, market integrity and the stability of the financial system.

Assistant Prof Liang Hao – Corporate Social Responsibility, or CSR in short, is an evolving business practice that incorporates sustainable development or ‘doing good’ into a company's business model. In today's socially conscious environment, customers and employees place a premium on spending their money with or working for businesses that prioritise CSR. As such, socially responsible companies can cultivate positive brand recognition, increase customer loyalty, and attract top-tier employees. Taking a fresh approach on CSR research, Assistant Professor of Finance and DBS Sustainability Fellow LIANG Hao from the SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business, has written two award-winning papers that studied how a firms’ CSR behaviour can influence that of its suppliers as well as its peer firms. In this podcast, he shares the findings and implications of these studies.

As the profile of businesses engaged in disputes is now more diverse than ever, there is a need for dispute resolution mechanisms that are culturally responsive as well as internationally robust. Mediation is one mechanism that offers a flexible and confidential forum for business to resolve their differences in an effective and efficient way. Interest in mediation to resolve cross-border disputes has increased dramatically in recent years due to increasing access to the Internet and the growing number of smaller enterprises doing business internationally. Nadja Alexander is Professor of Law at SMU School of Law. She also heads the Singapore International Dispute Resolution Academy as its Director, and a prominent mediator, educator, consultant and writer. In a recent study, Prof Alexander had identified some of the top trends impacting the nature and practice of international mediation. She discusses these key trends and developments in this podcast.

Financial literacy in Singapore has not been analysed in much detail, despite the fact that this is one of the world’s most rapidly aging nations. In this podcast, Professor of Finance Benedict Koh from the SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business, discusses the key findings of his research jointly conducted with Olivia Mitchell from the University of Pennsylvania and Susann Rohwedder, Senior Economist at the RAND Corporation and Associate Director of the RAND Center for the Study of Aging. Using a unique new data-set and nationally representative survey - the Singapore Life Panel, they conducted an analysis of older Singaporeans’ financial literacy. Here, Professor Koh discusses his key findings, including: Do older Singaporeans score better on financial knowledge compared to their counterparts in the United States? What are the empirical linkages between financial literacy and retirement preparedness in Singapore? And is financial literacy positively associated with greater wealth and diversity of portfolios?

Technology is playing an increasingly important role in improving the quality of care for the elderly, be it enhancing aged care patient experience, developing home-care for an ageing population, or automating clinical processes. Associate Professor Tan Hwee Pink from SMU’s School of Information Systems, together with his team, have extensive ground experience in developing and deploying senior-centric technologies, from previous research projects at SMU. They are now collaborating with NTUC Healthcare Co-operative Ltd, a key provider of community programmes for seniors in Singapore, to use smart technology to enhance the operational efficiency and productivity of NTUC Healthcare’s centres. In this podcast, he discusses the type of technologies deployed in the project with NTUC Healthcare, the preliminary results achieved, and the challenges faced.

Global warming and climate change have created an unprecedented global interest in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, especially in energy production. Biomass, or organic matter, which is a renewable energy source that can replace fossil fuels in energy production is gaining popularity. Consequently, commercialising agricultural residues as biomass is gaining momentum in many countries. In a pioneering study, Onur Boyabatli, Associate Professor of Operations Management and DBS Sustainability Fellow at SMU’s Lee Kong Chian School of Business, together with Assistant Professor of Operations Management Buket Avci, and PhD student Li Bin, studied the economic and environmental implications of biomass commercialisation in agricultural processing industries. In this podcast, Associate Professor Boyabatli shares his insights into this trending subject and the policy implications of their research findings.

Rapid urbanisation, coupled with the lack of coordination in the use of resources, such as taxis and security personnel, has negatively affected a wide array of quality-of-life metrics. These include waiting time in queues, response time for emergencies, and the number of traffic violations in cities. Using AI and Machine Learning methods, aggregation systems have been developed and adopted to improve the matching of resources and demand, thereby enhancing the efficiency of real-world transportation, emergency response and security systems. In this podcast, Associate Professor Pradeep Varakantham from the SMU School of Information Systems shares how AI can be used to improve transportation and security.

Data has emerged as the most important driver for modern economic development. New industries have arisen from the use of data with personal information as the core asset, while many traditional models of business are ‘disrupted’ or drastically transformed. Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) has also become an integral tool for the management and processing of data, including personal data, as it provides greater accuracy and capability. How should the use of A.I. in data management be regulated and should it be treated any differently under the data protection regime? What role can A.I. play in regulating the use of personal data and as a cybersecurity tool? Is creating a form of propertisation of personal data and ‘data ownership’ useful? These are just some of the lingering questions that regulators and organisations are currently grappling with. Central to the issue is how A.I. can best serve and safeguard humanity’s interests. Warren Chik is Associate Professor of Law at SMU School of Law, and concurrently Deputy Director at SMU’s Centre for AI and Data Governance. In this podcast, he shares his recent research into Artificial Intelligence and Data Protection in Singapore, which takes a deeper look into consumers’ trust, organisational security and government regulation.

11/14/2024 - 5:00 PM - Venue: Chaos Games and More

11/14/2024 - 3:30 PM - Venue: Temple Baptist Church

11/14/2024 - 1:00 PM - Venue: Casper's Donuts

11/13/2024 - 7:00 PM - Venue: Holy Family Church