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Katha Utsav 2024 – A Festival Celebrating Young Story Writers

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NEW DELHI, Sept. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — In keeping with its 35-year tradition of nurturing child writers and readers, KATHA is excited to announce the 2024 edition of Katha Utsav. This writing festival is for the children and of the children which celebrates imagination and expression through storytelling.

Katha Utsav brings together young storytellers from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, creating an inclusive space where their written expressions can thrive. The festival aims to break down cultural and language barriers, foster creativity, and enable children to make a meaningful impact on the world through their stories.

Since 1988, Katha has pioneered the literacy-to-literature continuum, bringing stories to life through over 800 titles in 10 Indian languages, reaching over 10 million children. Through its Katha National Writers’ Workshops, Katha Utsav helps children write for joy, express their imaginations, and connect with peers nationwide.

This year, the contest is open to children in grades 4 to 12, and both individuals and schools can participate and submit entries until September 12, 2024. A huge panel of jurors will then shortlist entries for the regional rounds, where selected participants will engage in two-day live workshops. The best writers from these workshops will qualify for the prestigious Katha Utsav Finale, a three-day event that brings together authors, illustrators, and theatre personalities under one roof.

Ananya, a 2021 finalist, shares, “Katha Utsav helped me believe in my writing and gave me the courage to share it.” Aamir, a participant from 2018, reflects, “I was a shy person, and with my stories and writing, I felt heard, valued, and started making friends.”

Geeta Dharmarajan, Founder-President of Katha and Padma Shree awardee who launched Katha Utsav decades ago emphasizes the significance of the festival: “Katha Utsav is about celebrating the unique voices of young writers. Every story has the power to connect, inspire, and bring about change. By creating this space, we nurture a generation of storytellers who will carry forward our rich cultural heritage while shaping a brighter future.”

Rajesh Soundararajan, Executive Director of Katha, welcomed the 2024 participants with these words: “This festival is an opportunity for children to learn, express, and grow. It celebrates storytelling and its ability to build bridges and spark new ideas.”

Important Dates and Submission Deadlines:

Phase 1 Submission Deadline: September 12, 2024, at www.kathautsav.org

How to Register:

Both Individual Students and Schools can register via www.kathautsav.org 

Media Contact:
Gowri Palachandran
Program Director – Katha Utsav 2024
Email: gowri.palachandran@katha.org
Phone: +91 88007 99353
Website: www.katha.org

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Union Home Mortgage unveils AI and automation advancements during 2026 Annual Partner Celebration

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The mortgage lender continues to make major technology investments going into 2027

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Union Home Mortgage (UHM), a high-growth independent mortgage banking company with a world-class culture, recently unveiled an array of AI and automation-driven technological achievements during the company’s 2026 Annual Partner Celebration held Oct. 16-17 in Cleveland, Ohio. This world-class event brought over 850 UHM employees, known internally as Partners, together to highlight the lender’s year-to-date business results, set goals to multiply business success, and foster connection between colleagues. Most notably, technology took center stage, highlighting advancements made in 2026 and a sneak peek at what is coming next.

Attendees were given an inside look at the next phase of technology shaping the business, with demonstrations of both newly implemented tools and future-focused prototypes. These innovations, ranging from conversational voice agents for enhanced customer support to the elimination of tedious manual document review, showcased the transformative potential of technology and underscored the lender’s ongoing investment in smarter, more efficient workflows.

“What makes this event so meaningful is the chance to celebrate our Partners and the impact they have on our business and culture,” said Bill Cosgrove, CEO of Union Home Mortgage. “By creating opportunities for open dialogue and idea-sharing, we’re able to strengthen our culture and identify new ways to move our business forward. As we look ahead to 2027, we remain focused on our 3X initiative, empowering our Partners with the resources, technology, and support they need to achieve more while continuing to deliver a world-class experience for our borrowers. Technology will be the key to UHM’s future, and I can’t wait to see what new solutions are developed in time for our next Annual Partner Celebration.”

While this year’s Annual Partner Celebration was heavily focused on technology, the event also featured senior leadership across all departments and business channels taking the stage to share updates on critical areas such as sales performance, servicing, benefits, employee recognition, and more. UHM Partners also took part in a panel discussion and Q&A with CEO Bill Cosgrove and Sr. Vice President of Business Development Al Blank. In addition to those attending in-person, the rest of the mortgage lender’s 2,300 Partners streamed the event virtually across the country. Following the event, attendees were invited to attend a celebratory carnival featuring casino-style games, a golf simulator, Family Feud, a custom t-shirt press, and more – earning raffle tickets to win high-value prizes. The lender also raffled off tickets to the MLB American League Championship Series being played at Progressive Field, as Union Home Mortgage is the Official Mortgage Partner of both teams that played in the series – the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cleveland Guardians.

Throughout the week, Partners also attended individualized leadership summits specific to their department or role within the company, as well as a Hard Stops Summit aimed at examining existing hard stops in the loan process to streamline operational efficiency.

Internal loan officer coaching program Partners Coaching Partners (PCP), which pairs each participating loan officer with a high-performing mentor and an accountability partner at their production level, also held their Fall PCP Impact event on October 14-15. The group aims to equip members with the skills and knowledge to increase productivity, generate leads, finetune the origination process, improve teambuilding, and increase profit margins. Next year, the PCP program will celebrate its twentieth consecutive PCP Impact event, cementing its status as a pillar of Partner development at UHM.

About Union Home Mortgage
Union Home Mortgage Corp. (UHM) is a high-growth, full-service retail, wholesale, and consumer direct independent mortgage banking company with branches across the U.S. in 49 states + D.C. UHM is an in-house loan servicer offering world-class customer service through high touch communication & technology. A privately held family business, with a collaborative culture that stands out in the mortgage industry, UHM Partners (employees) are guided by a Code of Conduct that emphasizes respect, open communication, and accountability. All these principles translate to industry-leading customer retention and satisfaction. Some honors include being a Six-Year USA TODAY Top Workplace and a Twelve-Year Northeast Ohio Top Workplace. Learn more at www.uhm.com.

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SOURCE Union Home Mortgage

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Pew Funds 4 Biomedical Research Partnerships in Latin America

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Scientists will team up on interdisciplinary explorations

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Pew Charitable Trusts announced today that four pairs of researchers from Latin America will receive funding to pursue collaborative biomedical research projects.

These eight esteemed scientists, all independent investigators in Latin America, will team up on interdisciplinary explorations that span plant biology, genetics, immunology, and more. Recipients will receive a combined $180,000 per pair—$90,000 annually over two years.

The Partnership Award was created to help advance scientific collaboration and networking among the biomedical research community in Latin America. Recipients include four alumni of Pew’s Latin American Fellows Program in the Biomedical Sciences, which has funded nearly 350 scientists from across the region since 1991. The Partnership awards were made possible by a grant from Biohub.

“Pew is proud to support these exceptional scientists from Argentina, Brazil, and Chile,” said Donna Frisby-Greenwood, Pew’s senior vice president for Philadelphia and scientific advancement. “Their creative ideas and pioneering approaches will undoubtedly lead to important discoveries that advance biomedical research across Latin America and the world.”

Recipients of this year’s Partnership Award are:

Luis F. Larrondo, Ph.D., Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 2004 Pew Latin American Fellow

Gerardo Cárcamo-Oyarce, Ph.D., Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Larrondo and Cárcamo-Oyarce will establish a new, light-based platform for studying the formation of biofilms by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Priscilla Olsen, Ph.D., Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), 2016 Pew Latin American Fellow

Beatriz Patricio, Ph.D., Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO)

Olsen and Patricio will develop and test a new strategy to overcome antimicrobial drug resistance.

Paulo José P. L. Teixeira, Ph.D., Universidade de São Paulo, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, 2013 Pew Latin American Fellow

Antonio Camargo, Ph.D., Universidade de São Paulo

Teixeira and Camargo will examine plant immune receptor specificity.

Marcelo Yanovsky, Ph.D., Fundación Instituto Leloir – CONICET, 2000 Pew Latin American Fellow

Esteban Beckwith, Ph.D., Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires – CONICET – Partner Institute of the Max Plank Society

Yanovsky and Beckwith will study how organisms regulate gene expression in response to environmental stress.

Founded in 1948, The Pew Charitable Trusts uses data to make a difference. Pew addresses the challenges of a changing world by illuminating issues, creating common ground, and advancing ambitious projects that lead to tangible progress. Learn more at pew.org.

Press contact: Liz Lowe, 215-575-4812, elowe@pewtrusts.org

https://www.pew.org/en/about/news-room/press-releases-and-statements/2026/10/22/pew-funds-4-biomedical-research-partnerships-in-latin-america

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SOURCE The Pew Charitable Trusts

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Advantech Celebrates Grand Opening of New Tustin Headquarters with Leading Technology Partners

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TUSTIN, Calif., Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Advantech (TWSE: 2395), a global leader in Edge Computing and Industrial Edge AI solutions, celebrated the grand opening of its new North American headquarters in Tustin, California this week with a two-day event that brought together local leadership, leading technology partners, and key customer accounts.

The celebration began on October 20 with an official grand opening ceremony at the new headquarters, welcoming more than 400 guests. The program featured Tustin Mayor Austin Lumbard and South Orange County Community College District (SOCCCD) Chancellor Julianna M. Asperin Barnes, Ed.D., followed by a ribbon cutting and a traditional lion dance. On October 21, Advantech hosted the Advantech Technology Summit (ATS) in Newport Beach, where more than 300 attendees, including key customer accounts and technology partners, explored the latest computing technologies and customized solutions.

“Our new headquarters in Tustin represents our commitment to continuously invest in our organization, connect with communities, and expand our capacity and capability to support our customers. We’re grateful to the City of Tustin, the South Orange County Community College District (SOCCCD), and our partners for helping us open this new chapter in North America,” said Ween Niu, General Manager of Advantech North America.

AMD, Intel, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, and other key technology partners joined Advantech at the new headquarters and technology showroom, showcasing the technologies and solutions they are bringing together to address evolving customer needs across industries. The newly built showroom provides a dedicated space to demonstrate Advantech’s edge computing platforms alongside partners’ technologies and real-world, application-focused solutions.

Turning Technology Partnerships into Innovative Solutions

Advantech works closely with AMD, Intel, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, and other industry leaders, combining their technologies with Advantech platforms, engineering expertise, and industry knowledge to develop innovative solutions for specific application requirements. These collaborations span healthcare and medical equipment, robotics, industrial automation, smart infrastructure, energy management, and many emerging Edge AI applications.

Ahead of the summit, Kirk Saban, Corporate Vice President, AECG Product, Software and Solutions at AMD, shared:

“As a longtime partner with Advantech, AMD is very excited to participate in the upcoming Advantech Technology Summit. It’s a great opportunity for us to talk about both AMD’s latest solutions in the industrial and embedded space, as well as to learn from key thought leaders in the industry about key trends and the latest technologies. We’re also looking forward to interacting with major players in Medical, Robotics and other vertical markets.”

Bringing Innovative Solutions to Customers at the ATS

Following the grand opening celebration, the Advantech Technology Summit brought key customer accounts and technology partners together in Newport Beach through presentations, demonstrations, and direct engagement. Attendees saw firsthand how technologies from AMD, Intel, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, and others are integrated into Advantech platforms and tailored to real-world applications.

With its new headquarters, dedicated showroom, and continued investment in partner collaboration, Advantech is strengthening the link between technology providers and customers, helping turn advances in Edge AI and intelligent computing into solutions that move industries forward.

About Advantech

Founded in 1983, Advantech has the corporate vision to “Enable an Intelligent Planet.” The company is a global leader in the fields of IoT intelligent systems and embedded platforms. To embrace the trends of IoT, big data, and artificial intelligence, Advantech promotes IoT hardware and software solutions with Edge Intelligence to assist business partners and clients in connecting industrial chains. Advantech is also dedicated to working with domain-focused partners to co-create solutions that deliver advanced solutions in Industrial IoT. Learn more about Advantech at https://www.advantech.com/.

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SOURCE Advantech

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