WASHINGTON, June 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in education rankings and consumer advice, today announced a new partnership with ScoreSmart, a leading digital platform for high-quality SAT and ACT practice tests.

While the two companies serve the same audience of college-bound students and their families, they provide distinct pieces of the admissions puzzle. Together, the partnership connects practice test performance with the admissions data needed to understand what those scores actually mean — giving students a clearer, more complete picture earlier in their college search.

“Students and their families come to U.S. News to understand specific details about the schools they are considering,” said Eric Gertler, executive chairman & CEO, U.S. News & World Report. “Combining what we do with ScoreSmart’s trusted practice testing gives students and families a more robust ability to make informed decisions about the college process and identify which institutions would be the right fit for them.”

“This partnership reflects how U.S. News continues to expand the ways we deliver value to students and families,” said Neil Maheshwari, CFO & COO, U.S. News & World Report. “By integrating with a platform as trusted as ScoreSmart, we’re meeting students at an earlier, more critical point in their journey — while they’re still building the scores and profile that will shape their college options.”

“Practice tests give you a score, but that score is meaningless without context,” said Neil Seltzer, co-founder of ScoreSmart. “U.S. News is that context. This partnership puts that comparison right at students’ fingertips, so a practice score isn’t just an abstract number — it becomes a goal, a means to an end that helps justify the effort it takes to improve.”

“Students often know their practice test score, but not what that score means for the schools they’re actually targeting,” said Sonya Muthalia, co-founder of ScoreSmart. “By connecting our practice testing data with U.S. News’ admissions insights, we’re helping students set realistic, motivating goals from day one — instead of guessing.”

ScoreSmart is recognized as one of the most trusted practice testing platforms in the test-prep industry, while U.S. News has long been a highly respected, go-to resource for unbiased college research and rankings. The partnership reflects a shared goal between the two companies: making the college admissions process more transparent and data-driven for students and families.

About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader for journalism that empowers consumers, citizens, business leaders and policy officials to make confident decisions in all aspects of their lives and communities. A multifaceted media company, U.S. News provides unbiased rankings, independent reporting and analysis, and consumer advice to millions of people on USNews.com each month. A pillar in Washington for more than 90 years, U.S. News is the trusted home for in-depth and exclusive insights on education, health, politics, the economy, insurance, personal finance, travel, automobiles, real estate, careers and consumer products and services. 

About ScoreSmart
ScoreSmart is a digital platform offering high-quality, realistic practice tests for the SAT, ACT, ISEE, and SHSAT. Built to help students understand exactly where they stand and how to improve, ScoreSmart is used by over two hundred of the top test prep tutors and tutoring companies in the world.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-news–world-report-and-scoresmart-announce-partnership-to-help-students-navigate-college-admissions-with-greater-confidence-302811134.html

SOURCE U.S. News & World Report, L.P.

DWD Technology Group, a leading ERP consulting firm and technology solutions provider, has been named to the ERP Global Insights VAR 100 list, earning a #92 ranking among top value-added resellers (VARs) delivering ERP and cloud business solutions across North America.

FORT WAYNE, Ind., June 25, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — DWD Technology Group, a leading ERP consulting firm and technology solutions provider, has been named to the ERP Global Insights VAR 100 list, earning a #92 ranking among top value-added resellers (VARs) delivering ERP and cloud business solutions across North America.

The ERP Global Insights VAR 100 recognizes top ERP partners that help organizations modernize operations, improve financial visibility, and successfully navigate digital transformation. DWD’s inclusion reflects its continued growth and commitment to delivering strategic ERP advisory services and long-term client success.

Recognized for ERP Expertise and Client-Focused Advisory Services

DWD Technology Group supports midmarket organizations with ERP selection, implementation, and ongoing optimization, helping clients gain better insight into their operations and make more informed business decisions.

“Being recognized on the ERP Global Insights VAR 100 list is an honor for our team,” said Chris Mengerink, partner at DWD Technology Group. “Our focus has always been on our clients’ success. We work to ensure they have the right technology, guidance, and support to move forward with confidence.”

Helping Organizations Maximize ERP Investments

As businesses continue to adopt cloud ERP solutions, the role of the modern VAR has evolved into that of a trusted advisor. DWD Technology Group works closely with clients to align technology with business strategy, streamline processes, and improve reporting and financial management.

With deep expertise in solutions such as Sage Intacct and Sage 100, DWD helps organizations reduce manual processes, accelerate close cycles, and gain real-time visibility into key performance metrics.

Industry-Focused ERP Solutions

DWD Technology Group serves a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, distribution, healthcare, and nonprofit organizations. Its approach combines proven technology with industry-specific knowledge to solve complex operational and financial challenges.

Since 1990, DWD Technology Group has partnered with organizations across the United States, building long-term relationships focused on trust, transparency, and measurable outcomes.

About DWD Technology Group

DWD Technology Group is a full-service ERP and IT consulting firm specializing in Sage Intacct, Sage 100, Sage BusinessWorks, Sage 50 and MIP Fund Accounting software. Headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, DWD helps organizations improve efficiency, visibility, and decision-making through technology and expert guidance. Learn more at Visit DWD Technology Group.

Media Contact
Sherry Simerman, DWD Technology Group, 1 2604232414, info@dwdtechgroup.com, https://www.dwdtechgroup.com/ 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prweb.com/releases/dwd-technology-group-named-to-erp-global-insights-var-100-list-ranked-92-302810188.html

SOURCE DWD Technology Group

SpaceWERX TACFI award advances Orbital’s path toward AI-driven factories for extreme environment materials — targeting the critical U.S. capacity gap in components that underpin missile defense, hypersonics, space vehicles, and nuclear energy

CAMPBELL, Calif., June 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Orbital Composites, Inc. (“Orbital”), a Campbell, CA-based advanced manufacturing company, today announced a $1.9 million Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) contract award from SpaceWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force. The contract funds continued development of Orbital’s robotic additive manufacturing (AM) platform for extreme environment materials — components engineered to survive conditions that destroy conventional parts: temperatures exceeding 3,000°C, high-velocity combustion gases, and repeated thermal shock cycles.

The award reflects growing recognition across defense, space, and energy sectors that the United States faces a structural shortfall in its ability to manufacture the advanced materials that underpin next-generation systems. Extreme environment materials — used in rocket nozzles, heat shields, hypersonic vehicle structures, jet engine hot sections, and nuclear reactors — have historically been constrained by prohibitive cost, 12- to 18-month production cycle times, and limited domestic capacity. Orbital combines robotics, advanced materials, and physical AI to streamline manufacturing of extreme environment materials.

“This work addresses a critical barrier to the rapid scaling of manufacturing for high-temperature rocket nozzles to serve the U.S. warfighter. Our initial goal is to eliminate the supply constraints on solid rocket motors that have long limited what the warfighter can field — and this award is a concrete step toward that objective. This is also about restoring U.S. manufacturing dominance in materials that are foundational to our national security and economic competitiveness. We are grateful to our SpaceWERX, AFWERX, and AFRL partners for their leadership in making that possible.”

— Amolak Badesha, Chief Executive Officer, Orbital Composites.

Extreme environment materials sit at the intersection of some of the most urgent national security and strategic industrial priorities. Solid rocket motors, hypersonic vehicles, low-cost missile defense interceptors, nuclear microreactors, and space vehicles all depend on components that can be produced faster, cheaper, and in greater volume than current methods allow. Orbital’s technology is designed to serve these markets from a single scalable manufacturing platform.

“Extreme environment materials are the bottleneck in some of the most critical systems the U.S. fields, and today’s manufacturing methods are too slow, too costly, and too capacity-constrained to meet what the moment demands. We are building toward a future where that constraint no longer exists — where AI-driven factories take in a design file and produce a mission-ready part, at operationally relevant cycle times and cost.”

— Cole Nielsen-Cole, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Orbital Composites.

Orbital is working with defense prime contractors, U.S. government program offices, and commercial space and energy providers to scale qualification and production. The company is investing in manufacturing capacity, program qualification, and the physical AI systems that underpin its autonomous production vision.

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of War, or the U.S. government.

About SpaceWERX

SpaceWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force and a division of AFWERX, partners with startups, small businesses and nontraditional vendors to accelerate commercial space technologies for Guardians. Headquartered in Los Angeles, SpaceWERX connects industry innovation with defense needs to deliver capabilities faster. In partnership with Space Systems Command’s Commercial Space Office, SpaceWERX bridges innovation and acquisition to accelerate capability adoption. In fiscal year 2025, SpaceWERX awarded more than 300 contracts totaling $510 million. For more information, visit spacewerx.us.

About AFWERX
AFWERX, the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force and a division within the Air Force Research Laboratory, partners with small businesses, startups and nontraditional vendors to address challenges facing Airmen and Guardians. Headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, AFWERX strengthens the defense industrial base by expanding access to innovators, building partnerships and accelerating the transition of critical technologies to operational capability. In fiscal year 2025, AFWERX awarded more than 1,000 contracts totaling $1.37 billion and achieved 438 Phase III transitions valued at $8.1 billion. For more information, visit afwerx.com.

About Orbital Composites, Inc.
Orbital Composites is building AI-driven factories for extreme environment materials. Physical AI is at its core — intelligence that runs the full loop from design to production, uniting autonomous robotics with mastery of the most advanced materials to turn mission requirements into mission-ready parts. Its robotic AM platform produces high-performance components — including nozzles and heat shields — at an order of magnitude faster cycle time and lower cost than conventional methods. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Campbell, CA, Orbital works with the U.S. Space Force, Air Force Research Laboratory, and defense prime contractors to transition next-generation materials manufacturing from advanced development into operational capability. For more information, visit orbitalcomposites.com.

Media Contact

Irma Moran
Orbital Composites, Inc.
408-910-8217
417642@email4pr.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/orbital-composites-wins-us-space-force-contract-to-advance-extreme-environment-materials-manufacturing-302811141.html

SOURCE Orbital Composites