Academic Awards

Stargazers and astronomers around the world continue to gaze toward the Corona Borealis constellation 3,000 light-years from Earth, where a long-dead star is expected to reignite in an explosion so powerful it will briefly rival the brilliance of Polaris, the North Star. The stellar corpse last turned on almost 80 years ago and will not reignite for another 80 years, making this a nearly once-in-a-lifetime experience . Already, the stellar remnant, a white dwarf called T Coronae Borealis that's feasting on material from a nearby red giant star, has revealed a tell-tale dip in brightness that "is right on top" of the one that preceded its previous outburst in 1946. Astronomers don't yet know for sure what's causing the dip, but they say it's just a matter of time before the nova satiates its hunger and explodes into a spectacular nova. "We know it's going to go off — it's very obvious," Edward Sion, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at...

The supply chain has undergone rapid changes, with climate change emerging as one of the most critical disruptors. As extreme weather events rise in both frequency and intensity, they pose an unparalleled threat to global supply chains. According to the World Meteorological Organization, weather-related disasters have increased fivefold over the past 50 years, leading to global economic losses exceeding US$3.64 trillion. These disruptions are forcing companies to return to the drawing board and rethink their risk management strategies, adopting more advanced, resilient approaches that go beyond traditional methods. Climate Risk Challenges in the Supply Chain Sector Climate change affects supply chains in numerous ways, including through extreme weather, rising temperatures, and shifting precipitation patterns. These changes disrupt manufacturing processes, delay transport, and complicate logistics. A stark example is the 2021 Texas winter storm, which caused widespread supply chain dis...