Blameless Will Award Two $2,500 Scholarships to College Students Studying Computer Science and Engineering

San Mateo, Calif.– March 16, 2023 – Blameless, the incident management workflow solution for DevOps and SRE teams, today proudly announces the launch of their Blameless Reliability Scholarship. The brand-new scholarship program will award two scholarships worth $2,500 to current or prospective college students in computer science, engineering departments or other relevant science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, STEM occupations are projected to grow 10.8% between 2021-2031. This is compared to only 4.9% growth for all other careers. At the local collegiate level, 730,394 or 18.3% of college graduates earn degrees in STEM fields.

The Blameless Reliability Scholarship is the first step that Blameless is taking in investing in the future of STEM by aiding students in their pursuit of a science degree. The requirements to enter the scholarship program include:

• Be a resident of the United States and the District of Columbia;
• Be at least 17 years old at the time of application;
• Currently enrolled full time at an accredited 2 – 4-year technical/vocational college or university – to see if your school qualifies, go to ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/home;
• Or have applied to an accredited college or university and are in the last year of high school;
• Be majoring in a computer science, engineering or other relevant STEM field;
• Have at least one (1) full academic year remaining in their program.

To apply for one of the two Blameless scholarship awards, students will need the following:

• Legal name and birth date;
• Current GPA (via official or unofficial course transcript);
• Proof of enrollment or acceptance in a college or university (this document can usually be obtained from the university’s student portal);
• A 400 – 800-word essay on the topic of “How Resilience Empowers” attached as a document or a Google docs link (ensure the sharing settings are updated).

The deadline to apply for the scholarship is Tuesday, May 30th, 2023. Please provide all of the required information by sending an email to community@blameless.com and find out more information at https://www.blameless.com/scholarships.

“We believe that human beings are at the heart of reliable services. We’re so excited to help empower the next generation of resilient engineers to build services that people can trust.” – Emily Arnott, Community Manager at Blameless

Additional Resources:

What is Site Reliability Engineering?
The Blameless Blog
Blameless Reliability Scholarship for Computer Science

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About Blameless

Blameless is an incident workflow solution that carries teams through a codified playbook from start to finish in one fluid motion. DevOps, SRE and on-call teams command, communicate, and complete incidents faster than ever before. Everyone learns through retrospectives and data-based insights. Leading brands such as Procore, Under Armour, Citrix, Mercari, Fox, and Home Depot, rely on Blameless to embrace a culture of continuous improvement, do more with less, and protect their customers.

Blameless is backed by Lightspeed Venture Partners, Accel, Third Point Ventures, and Decibel. For more information, please visit www.blameless.com and LinkedIn or Twitter.

Media Contacts

Elena Lopez | Sebastian Moradi
Jmac PR for Blameless
blameless@jmacpr.com

USC will broaden its nationwide footprint by opening a new campus next month in Washington, D.C., the University announced Wednesday.

The 60,000-square-foot Capital Campus will provide a home for USC initiatives in policy and connect community members with global leaders. The location will also serve as a gathering space for alumni and prospective students, the University wrote in a news release. The campus, a roughly five-minute drive from the White House and less than three miles from the Capitol, will increase opportunities for members of the USC community to collaborate with policymakers and prominent research institutions.

“In such fields as sustainability, media, culture, AI and health care, our scholars can bring to bear the full strength of our diverse disciplines to Washington, D.C.,” said Ishwar K. Puri, senior vice president of Research and Innovation, in the news release.

Comprising the seven stories of the Capital Campus are classrooms, event venues and office spaces, with further plans to develop a bookstore and a theater.

The purchase of the property, located in the Dupont Circle neighborhood, cost $49.4 million, The Washington Post reported. The tower had previously been the home of the National Association of Broadcasters and recently underwent extensive remodeling to modernize the property.

President Carol Folt said in the news release that Washington is a prime location to develop an East Coast center for the University.

“Washington, D.C., is the natural place for us to establish a thriving hub,” Folt said. “It is a nexus for the arts, public policy organizations, research agencies and foundations.”

The Capital Campus, which will have its official grand opening next month, will enable new multidisciplinary undergraduate and graduate programs, the news release read. USC already has operations in Washington, including the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences’ semester-long program providing internships and courses for students in the nation’s capital.

USC’s Office of Research Advancement, which works to secure federal funding opportunities for research, has also been operating in the capital and will move to the new campus. The ORA has contributed to the submission of 320 successful project proposals, receiving a total of $848 million in funding, according to the office’s website.

“Washington, D.C., offers unparalleled opportunities for our experts, researchers and students to learn and listen, connect and share views on the national stage,” Folt said in the news release. “USC is known for its service to the Los Angeles community, and we look forward to being an active participant in the civic life of Washington, D.C.”

The post USC to open new campus in Washington, D.C. appeared first on Daily Trojan.

Self-care has become increasingly prioritized since the COVID-19 pandemic and is defined by the National Institutes of Health as taking the time to improve and nurture one’s physical and mental health.

Though canines may not be able to pamper themselves or tell their owners to get a bath running, owners can gift them an assisted self-care boost with proper treatment. University of Minnesota professors and a first-year student provided insight into how to properly care for a dog while still attending college.

You make me smile, and that’s the tooth

General practitioner in primary care at the Veterinary Medical Center and Assistant Professor Kara Carmody said owners should prioritize dental care for pets the same way they do for themselves.

Carmody said daily brushing is ideal for pets because of food particles’ ability to form plaque, which hardens into calculus, a coating of bacteria on the tooth’s surface. She said this process can happen in 12 to 72 hours, which is why it is important to brush a dog’s teeth at home in addition to taking them to a dentist once or twice a year for deep cleaning.

“When calculus is allowed to sit on the teeth and under the gum line, it induces inflammation that causes redness of the gum surrounding the tooth,” Carmody said. “There is also inflammation of the bone, so over time, the bone is disintegrated, eaten away, receded and eventually prompts the teeth to become mobile and then extracted.”

Carmody said it is also important to be aware of how teeth brushing can affect an owner’s relationship with their canine because some dogs have an extremely negative reaction to the task. She recommends brushing as a primary course of action for pets, but water additives with enzymes and dental sticks can also be helpful.

“They are designed to be bigger and longer lasting, essentially trying to mimic the mechanical action on the teeth,” Carmody said. “I direct owners to a website called Oral Health Council, which has products that are scientifically proven to best remove plaque and tartar on your dog’s teeth.”

Carmody said pet owners should note the calorie density in dental treats and be especially aware of the amount smaller dogs are fed because the treats are not completely balanced in terms of nutrition.

Canines need skincare

Professor of Dermatology in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences Sandra Koch said one can gauge the overall health of a canine’s skin by observing its hair. She said the hair should appear shiny without matting as an indicator of healthy skin and to pay extra attention to long-haired dogs, whose fur can mask underlying scabs or concerns.

In a wooded area like Minnesota, ticks can also be a concern for owners who take their dogs on trail-driven walks. Proper tick removal is important because ticks can transmit diseases.

“Grab a gauze or a piece of paper and hold the tick and gently rotate and gently pull out, focusing on getting out the head portion,” Koch said. “If the owner doesn’t feel comfortable, they can always bring their dog to a vet in a timely manner.”

Genetics also play an important role because some breeds have a predisposition to certain diseases, Koch said. For example, the Shar Pei breed has a lot of skin folds, which can lead to a condition called dermatitis.

“Their folds are prone to getting inflammation and infection or bacteria or yeast overgrowth, which can then make them itch and cause discomfort,” Koch said. “It’s important to wash in between their folds with regular baths.”

A semester in the life of an emotional support pup

Joy Edwards, a first-year student who lives in Super Block on campus, has an emotional support miniature poodle mix named Rudy. To get Rudy’s exercise in during the colder months, Edwards and a friend will throw toys back and forth along the hallway in addition to putting a line of treats down the hallways as a brain exercise, she said.

Edwards said Rudy also loves the local Chuck and Don’s pet store, so whenever Edwards needs to make a stop to get dog food, she gives Rudy full buying power.

“When we go to the treat aisle, I sort of let him sniff everything and whichever one he picks up, I’ll be like, ‘Okay, that’s yours,’” Edwards said.

Edwards said Rudy stays bundled up in the colder months with a snow coat from Canada Pooch and a onesie underneath. When she has a class that is far from home, she said she carries Rudy in a specialized backpack.

Edwards said because of her own food allergies, she avoids dyes and unnatural additives in her dog’s food.

“If my body reacts really poorly to a lot of these unnatural things, I wonder how his little body might react, so I do a lot of research before I get anything new, especially with his treats,” Edwards said.

Edwards had never been to the Midwest before attending the University, and it was a cultural change coming from Seattle to Minnesota. She described herself as being introverted and the process of icebreakers and meeting new folks can be tiring at times, so having a pet was a helpful addition to the social aspect of her college experience.

“He’s been really great in sort of creating a conversation starter with other people,” Edwards said. “Although, my mindset has changed to instead of being like, ‘Oh, I need to do things for myself,’ it sort of helped to be like, ‘Okay, I need to do things for him.’”

UH point guard Jamal Shead met with the media on Wednesday prior to the Cougars’ NCAA Tournament opener against Northern Kentucky on Thursday night. | Anh Le/The Cougar

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Houston’s road back home begins at 8:20 p.m. Thursday at Legacy Arena.

Horizon League Tournament champion Northern Kentucky (22-12) is the Cougars’ first step on a journey they hope ends at NRG Stadium on April 3.

About Northern Kentucky

After beating Cleveland State in Horizon League Tournament title game, Northern Kentucky locked up its third-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament, excluding 2020 in which the Norse clinched an automatic bid before the tournament was ultimately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Marques Warrick, a 6-foot-2-inch junior guard, leads the Norse in scoring, averaging 19.1 points per game. He is efficient from beyond the arc, shooting 39.1 percent from 3 in 220 attempts this season.

As a guard group, Northern Kentucky shoots well from deep. Sam Vinson, Trevon Faulkner, Xavier Rhodes and Trey Robinson, each who has played over 700 minutes for the Norse this season, all shoot above 33 percent from 3-point range.

“We’ve got really good guard play on the perimeter for our level,” said Northern Kentucky head coach Darrin Horn.

Chris Brandon, Northern Kentucky’s 6-foot-8-inch forward, has major ties to Houston as he is the nephew of Rockets assistant coach John Lucas and attended Bellaire High School. Brandon averages a team-leading 9.8 rebounds. He also leads the Norse in blocks with 24 on the season.

“We feel like athletically, he can compete with anybody that we’ve played against,” Horn said. “What he provides is a great, athletic presence.”

Like UH, Northern Kentucky’s identity starts on defense.

The Norse are tied for seventh nationally in steals per game and are top-30 in scoring defense, allowing just 63.6 points per game.

“It’s a matchup, switching, stripping, grabbing, turn you over (defense),” Sampson said about Northern Kentucky’s defense. “They force you to play in a way that you haven’t seen before. It doesn’t who plays against them, you’re going to have possessions where you look lost.”

History of No. 1 vs No. 16

Only once has a No. 1 seed lost to a No. 16 seed.

But that doesn’t change the way Houston has prepared for its NCAA Tournament because Sampson knows anything can happen during the month of ‘Madness.’ 

“Every game is hard,” Sampson said. “It’s hard to make the tournament. It’s hard to win a game in the tournament.”

The University of Maryland-Baltimore County made history five years ago to the day, shocking Virginia, the 2018 tournament’s top overall seed, 74-54.

Iconic CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz, who graduated from UH in 1981, was on the call for that game.

Nantz will be the play-by-play announcer for the game between Houston and Northern Kentucky on Thursday night.

The Cougars, the betting favorites to win the national championship, are favored by double-digits against the Norse.

Even with all the odds in their favor, with No. 1 seeds being 147-1 against No. 16 seeds since the tournament expanded in 1985, UH won’t allow itself to look past its first-round matchup.

“Northern Kentucky is our first step, and it can be our last step. Knock on wood,” Shead said. “We don’t take that for granted”

Sasser’s status

UH All-American guard Marcus Sasser will be a game-time decision, per Sampson.

“If the doctors think he can play and if he wants to play and we’re not risking further energy, then he’ll play,” Sampson said. “If he is, he won’t. Simple as that.” 

The senior guard suffered a groin strain in the Cougars’ win over Cincinnati in the American Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals on Saturday and sat out in Sunday’s championship game against Memphis for precautionary reasons.

Even if Sasser, who leads UH in scoring averaging 17.1 points per game, doesn’t play, Horn knows how dangerous the Cougars are because of their depth.

“Sasser is fantastic without question,” Horn said. “But they’re much more than him. They’re No. 1 for a reason.”

UH advanced to the Elite Eight a year ago without Sasser, who missed most of the season with a foot injury.

“We’re Houston,” Sampson said. “Whether Marcus is here or not, we’re still Houston. You have a responsibility to play to our identity.”

How to watch

Tip-off is scheduled for  8:20 p.m.

The game will air on TNT. It can also be heard via radio on KPRC 950 AM.

sports@thedailycougar.com

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“UH basketball: Previewing the Cougars’ NCAA Tournament opener against Northern Kentucky” was originally posted on The Cougar

A class action lawsuit claims that Plaintiffs paid more for JUUL products than they otherwise would have paid if they had been given accurate information about JUUL products’ addictiveness and safety, and that JUUL products were unlawfully marketed to minors.

A $255 million settlement has been reached in the lawsuit with JUUL Labs, Inc. and related individuals and entities.

Altria (another defendant in the lawsuit) and related companies have not agreed to settle. The lawsuit will continue against them, and JUUL purchasers’ rights may be impacted by that ongoing litigation.

The group of people who JUUL Labs has agreed to pay is called the Settlement Class and it includes everyone who purchased JUUL products from retail stores or from JUUL directly online before December 7, 2022. Those who are in this group and want to get paid, must file a claim.

Millions of Emails and Mailed Notices are being sent to identified Class Members with information about the Settlement. Recipients can click a link in the email, or scan a QR code in the Mailed Notice, or return the postage pre-paid return postcard to file a claim. Those who do not receive an email or postcard about the Settlement can file a claim by visiting the website at www.JUULclassaction.com or obtain a paper claim form by contacting the Settlement Administrator at 1-855-604-1734.

Payments will be based on how much each claimant spent on JUUL products compared to other Settlement Class members. How much each claimant will receive is unknown at this time because it depends on how many claims are submitted. More information about how payments will be calculated is available in the Plan of Allocation at www.JUULclassaction.com.

In addition to filing a claim, class members may object to the Settlement, or request exclusion from the Settlement Class or the ongoing litigation Class related to Altria and other non-settling defendants. Class members who do not exclude themselves may be bound by the Settlement and the Lawsuit which may impact their rights. Full details about Class Member rights and options, including the deadlines to exercise them, are available at www.JUULclassaction.com. A full list of the products included in the Settlement and the ongoing litigation, as well as other important documents, are also available at www.JUULclassaction.com.

Marcus Sasser, who leads UH in scoring averaging 17.1 points per game, is recovering from a strained groin the senior guard suffered during the AAC Tournament. | Sean Thomas/The Cougar

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Marcus Sasser, who suffered a groin strain in the semifinals of the American Athletic Conference Tournament against Cincinnati, will be a game-time decision for Houston’s NCAA Tournament opener on Thursday night against Northern Kentucky, per head coach Kelvin Sampson.

“Game’s at 8:20 (Thursday) night. It’s one of those infamous game-time decisions, I guess,” Sampson said. “If the doctors think he can play and if he wants to play and we’re not risking further energy, then he’ll play. If he is, he won’t. Simple as that.” 

Sampson said the AP first-team All-American guard “did some things” on Thursday to break a sweat but did not go full speed.

If Sasser is not fully healthy and could risk further injury by playing in the Midwest Regional’s No. 1 seed’s NCAA Tournament opener, Sampson said will have no problem not playing the Cougars’ leading scorer.

“Sometimes as a coach, you have to save them for themselves,” Sampson said.

Sasser said he is not yet back to 100 percent on Wednesday but will see how he feels in warmups prior to Thursday night’s game.

“It will be a real game-time decision. I’ll go out there, warm up hard, see how I feel and then I’ll let them go if I can go or not,” Sasser said.

sports@thedailycougar.com

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“Marcus Sasser a game-time decision for UH’s NCAA Tournament opener” was originally posted on The Cougar

Right now, more than 20 million college students across the country are beginning to plan vacations, service trips, and visits home for spring break. As students consider the best ways to travel safely, they should consider taking the following steps to protect their health, property, and financial well-being. Consider Protecting Your Trip The COVID-19 pandemic […]

I’m an avid consumer of dating reality TV.  A show I’ve been recently obsessed with is “Love Island” –- And yet, one question is always the same no matter the season or characters – do people really fall in love? 

Right now, more than 20 million college students across the country are beginning to plan vacations, service trips, and visits home for spring break. As students consider the best ways to travel safely, they should consider taking the following steps to protect their health, property, and financial well-being.

Consider Protecting Your Trip

The COVID-19 pandemic showed us all how quickly external circumstances can change, whether due to weather, natural disasters, or epidemics. Depending on the cost of the trip or type of flight you’ve purchased, and the refund policy, families and students may want to consider buying additional insurance at the point of purchase.

Keep Track of Your Tech

Traveling with technology, such as phones, tablets, computers, headphones, wearables, and more is now the norm. But if a student has their property lost or stolen while they’re away, the cost and time needed to replace their belongings can add up quickly. To reduce the stress of losing all the information you have on your technology items you can make sure your devices are password protected, install location tracking apps, and enable 2-factor authentication when available.

Lock Your Door (and More)

Students who live on and off campus should be sure to secure their room or apartment, unplug their electronics and appliances, and lock their valuables in a lock box. Even if they are away or traveling, students are responsible for damages stemming from electrical fires, floods, or . Students should consider renters insurance, like the one offered by GradGuard below.

What to Know Before You Go

GradGuard’s Renters Insurance, which is specifically designed for college students, provides coverage for students’ belongings not only while on campus but also while they are traveling worldwide.

“The rising costs of living and a college education means students have to be smart about what they buy and how they can get the most for their money. Part of that is making sure they protect their investments and GradGuard’s Renters Insurance, like our tuition insurance, is one way to make sure they can graduate college with less stress and less debt,” said John Fees, co-founder and CEO of GradGuard.

To learn more about GradGuard’s Renters Insurance, which enables students and families to easily replace a bike, laptop, cell phone, or other items that are stolen or damaged due to a covered incident visit www.gradguard.com/renters/. In addition, GradGuard’s industry-leading tuition insurance program is also a benefit that can be purchased. Visit our website to see the tuition insurance benefits available for your school.

About GradGuard

GradGuard is an authority on protecting students and families from the risks of college life. Trusted by a network of more than 400 participating colleges and universities, today GradGuard is the number one provider of tuition and renters insurance for college students. Since 2009, GradGuard has protected more than one million members at more than 1,200 unique institutions. For more information visit gradguard.com or follow GradGuard on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

For more Information:
Natalie Tarangioli
ntarangioli@gradguard.com

Utah’s 2023 General Legislative Session brought a number of disappointments, with many bad bills passing and good bills getting buried. However, we saw one passed bill that will make a meaningful positive change in our state.

Rep. Jordan Teuscher’s H.B. 102 will allow DACA recipients in Utah to qualify for in-state tuition, making college much more affordable for those students. Nonetheless, while this bill is a step in the right direction for treatment of immigrants in Utah, we need to do more.

The Spirit of DACA

When people are brought to the United States as children, illegally or not, they grow up here. They consider the U.S. their home because they remember no other. Sometimes they only speak English. Undocumented children, often dubbed “Dreamers,” are American in so many ways, but they are excluded from citizenship and its benefits. They face constant risk of deportation and can’t get a license or go to college because they don’t have a social security number.

In 2001, national legislators knew that undocumented children needed more protection and access to opportunity, so they drafted the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act bounced around the halls of Congress for revisions that ultimately proved fruitless in helping it pass. Finally, in 2012, Barack Obama used an executive action to create DACA, which does many of the things the DREAM Act aimed to do. It offers temporary protection from deportation to Dreamers and allows them to get a social security number so they can work, get a license or receive a higher education.

The ultimate goal of these protections is to help Dreamers succeed, and DACA has done well in accomplishing this. Ninety-one percent of DACA recipients are employed and earn, on average, more than before they were on DACA. Additionally, 45% are currently in school and 72% of those in school are seeking higher education.

DACA greatly benefits recipients, but also everyone in the U.S. Giving people access to licenses improves public safety, and DACA recipients provide a lot of money to the federal government and the economy more broadly. It also affects everyone in much more personal ways.

Sonia Perez, a DACA recipient pursuing her master’s degree in social work at a university in California, explained that without DACA, she wouldn’t be able to get her degree. She wouldn’t be able to help her community in the same way or as a clinician with a background in social work. Anyone she helps in her future career will be receiving the benefits of the DACA program.

The Limitations of DACA

DACA’s statistical achievements show that offering undocumented people access to opportunities helps them succeed, which in turn creates benefits for everyone. Still, DACA recipients face challenges that citizens don’t because they lack access to assistance that American citizens receive.

For instance, only three states and the District of Columbia offer Medicaid access to DACA recipients. Access to education and educational support is also lacking for many Dreamers, as the resources available to them vary in each state.

Perhaps most importantly though, undocumented students do not have access to FAFSA, making college much more unaffordable. Perez explained that as she’s been working to complete the final semester of her master’s degree, she still has unpaid tuition. She worries that without paying tuition, she won’t receive her degree, but she cannot afford to pay it because she’s ineligible for federal student aid.

Beyond limited opportunities, Dreamers face uncertainty about their futures and the futures of their families. As an executive action, the DACA program is subject to the whims of every new president, leaving millions of Dreamers uncertain about their immigration status. As recently as 2017, DACA came under attack by Donald Trump. More than a third of DACA recipients think about being detained or deported on a daily basis.

DACA recipients do not have a pathway to citizenship, so they carry this uncertainty indefinitely. Unless more is done to codify DACA, the recipients and their families will always face the risk of losing the lives they’ve built in the U.S.

“There’s always the fear I’m going to be deported but most importantly, the fear that my parents are going to be deported because they don’t have DACA,” Perez said.

I’m glad our state legislators passed H.B. 102, which will make college affordable to DACA recipients in our state, but it is far from enough to combat the limitations placed on their success.

Perez’s brother lives in Utah and goes to school here as a DACA recipient. She explained that he does this with much less help because Utah has significantly fewer DACA programs than she has in California.

Utah needs to do more to help Dreamers. We could start by providing more resources for people who speak other languages, making DACA recipients eligible for Medicaid and providing more opportunities for financial assistance for higher education.

Utah has over 250,000 immigrants, over 15,000 of which are DACA recipients. When we help those people succeed, it benefits everyone and makes our economy healthier. It also makes the “American Dream” available to people who want to make a home here or have known our state as their home for most of their lives.

k.cushman@dailyutahchronicle.com

@cushman_kcellen