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Brian Greene Tells LMU Graduates: Embrace Your Moment in the Cosmos with Curiosity and Gratitude

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LOS ANGELES, May 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Brian Greene, a leading theoretical physicist and sought-after communicator of groundbreaking scientific concepts, urged those gathered Sunday for Loyola Marymount University’s graduate and LMU Loyola Law School commencement to appreciate their unique existence in the cosmos, embrace their potential, and approach life with gratitude.

Addressing a rapt crowd on LMU’s sun-filled Westchester campus, the best-selling author told graduates “we have each won the most improbable cosmic lottery.” See the press kit with images and Greene’s commencement video HERE.

“Think about how utterly unlikely it is that you exist,” Greene said. “Think about the nearly infinite collection of quantum processes stretching from The Big Bang until today … yet against those astounding odds – for a brief moment of time you exist, as do I.”

Drawing on discoveries from Albert Einstein to Stephen Hawking and Carl Sagan to Edwin Hubble, Greene traced for students and attendees the arc of scientific discovery allowing us to better understand our place in the universe, and the phenomenon of our capacity to live, comprehend, and connect with one another. Greene also noted the contributions of Jesuit-educated Catholic priest Georges Lemaître, who “used Einstein’s math to catch a glimpse of the possibility that space might be expanding,” an idea widely rejected at the time, only to be established a few years later.

“We can think about the past. We can imagine the future. We can take in the universe, mind and body, with reasoning and emotion allowing us to figure out astonishing things, like how stars shine and light travels, how black holes form and time elapses, allowing for creative achievements … all created by minds like yours, like mine, and that …most certainly will continue to create great beauty, to illuminate great mystery, to experience great wonder.”

 This phenomenon of human existence, Greene concluded, “should give us all a deep sense of connection. A kind of cosmic communion, and a sense that I can summarize with one word: gratitude.”

“Gratitude for being a small transient part of this wondrous unfolding, gratitude for our capacity to come together in groups that, at their best, allow us to each realize our potential, gratitude for our capacity for courage like that of George Lemaître, to stand up to authority, to not accept easy answers, and when necessary to fight for what we believe in. Gratitude that is for human existence, for fragile, delicate, difficult, challenging, painful, exhausting, beautiful, exquisite, transcendent, human existence, however brief, however evanescent, however fleeting.”

Greene is a lifelong learner committed to intellectual inquiry, educational access, and academic excellence. Described by The Washington Post as “the single best explainer of abstruse concepts in the world today,” he is the author of four acclaimed books that have collectively sold millions of copies worldwide. His latest best-selling release, “Until the End of Time,” which explores the cosmos and our quest to understand it, was named one of the “100 Notable Books of 2020” by The New York Times.

Greene’s books have been adapted into two Emmy and Peabody Award-winning NOVA miniseries, both of which he hosted. With journalist Tracy Day, he co-founded the World Science Festival, whose flagship events in New York and Australia have reached an audience of more than two million people, and more than 250 million people online. Greene has appeared on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” played himself in an episode of “The Big Bang Theory,” and made cameo appearances in films including “Frequency,” “Maze,” and “The Last Mimzy.” A Harvard graduate and a Rhodes Scholar, he serves as director of Columbia University’s Center for Theoretical Physics.

Nearly 2,900 LMU undergraduate, graduate, and law students participated in weekend commencement celebrations, which began Saturday with Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson addressing the undergraduate commencement ceremony. 

ABOUT LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY

Loyola Marymount University is one of the nation’s top-ranked Catholic universities, recognized by U.S. News & World Report among the top 50 private and top five Jesuit institutions in the country, and among California’s top six private schools. Founded in 1911 and rooted in the Catholic, Jesuit, and Marymount traditions, LMU enrolls 7,100 undergraduates and 3,000 graduate and law students across seven colleges and schools. The university offers 56 undergraduate majors, 57 minors, 43 master’s degree programs, three doctorate programs, and 12 credential/authorization programs. With top-ranked programs in law, film and television, entrepreneurship, business, and the arts, LMU is embedded in the creative, cultural, and economic life of Los Angeles. The university generates $1.4 billion in annual economic impact. A proud member of the West Coast Conference, LMU fields 14 NCAA Division I teams and competes with purpose, pride, and integrity.

LMU news and events are found at: www.lmu.edu/news.

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SOURCE Loyola Marymount University

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Optimum and University of Phoenix expand education savings opportunities to employees of Optimum Business customers

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November 4, 2026

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 Expanded educational alliance provides eligible employees of Optimum Business customers with tuition-free course opportunities and additional savings to support career-relevant learning.

PHOENIX, Nov. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Optimum Business and University of Phoenix today announced an expansion of their existing educational alliance to make new education savings opportunities available to employees of eligible Optimum Business customers. Through the initiative, participating businesses can connect their employees with a University of Phoenix benefit offering one tuition-free course for every five courses completed.

The expansion builds on the organizations’ commitment to workforce development by extending education benefits beyond Optimum’s own employees to the teams of its business customers. For small businesses that may not have formal tuition assistance programs, the initiative offers another way to support employees who are pursuing degrees, developing new skills or continuing their education.

“Small businesses are at the heart of the communities we serve, and we want to help them and their employees thrive,” said Keith Bowen, President of News, Programming, and Business Services at Optimum. “Expanding our alliance with University of Phoenix gives Optimum Business customers another meaningful way to invest in their people and support continued learning and development.”

Education savings designed for working adults

Through the Optimum Business education savings opportunity, eligible employees can access several University of Phoenix benefits:

Tuition-free course opportunity: Receive one tuition-free course for every five courses completed, subject to eligibility requirements.
  Additional education savings: University of Phoenix will waive resource fees for two courses each calendar year.

To qualify for the tuition-free sixth course, students must successfully complete 5 courses and begin the sixth course within 365 days of posting attendance in their first course. Additional eligibility requirements and University of Phoenix terms and conditions apply.

University of Phoenix offers career relevant degree programs to support professional learning goals. Flexible online learning is designed around the schedules of working adults, with students taking one course at a time and most courses completed in five or six weeks. Prospective students can also have qualifying professional training, certifications and prior learning evaluated for potential college credit. These learning options are designed to help adults pursue educational goals while balancing their work, family and other responsibilities.

“We’ve built a strong relationship with Optimum around a shared commitment to employee development, so expanding these opportunities to its business customers is a natural next step,” said Jay Titus, general manager and vice president of Workforce Solutions at University of Phoenix. “For smaller businesses that may not offer formal tuition benefits, this initiative creates another way to support employees’ education goals. And for working adults, it means access to tuition savings and flexible, career-relevant learning that can help them develop practical skills while balancing work and life.”

Building on an established educational alliance

Optimum first collaborated with University of Phoenix to provide tuition benefits to eligible employees in 2023. The new offering extends education savings opportunities to employees of Optimum Business customers, broadening the reach of the educational alliance.

Through University of Phoenix Workforce Solutions, the University works with organizations to connect employee learning opportunities with evolving workforce needs. The expansion reflects a shared focus on making career-relevant education more accessible to working adults and creating additional ways for businesses to support employee development.

Optimum Business customers and their employees can learn more about the education savings opportunity, including eligibility requirements and application instructions, at phoenix.edu/OBC.

About Optimum Communications

Optimum Communications, Inc. (NYSE: OPTU) is one of the largest broadband communications and video services providers in the United States, delivering broadband, video, mobile, proprietary content and advertising services to approximately 4.2 million residential and business customers across 21 states through its Optimum brand. We operate Optimum Media, an advanced advertising and data business, which provides audience-based, multiscreen advertising solutions to local, regional and national businesses and advertising clients. We also operate News 12, which is focused on delivering best-in-class hyperlocal news content. 

About University of Phoenix

University of Phoenix is Built for Real Life. 50 Years Strong. The University innovates to help working adults enhance their careers and develop skills in a rapidly changing world through flexible online learning, relevant courses, academic AI pillars, and skills-mapped curriculum for associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. Active students and alumni have access to Career Services for Life® resources including career guidance and tools. For more information, visit phoenix.edu. 

About University of Phoenix Workforce Solutions 

University of Phoenix Workforce Solutions helps companies align employee development to business strategy through skills-based solutions designed to address evolving workforce needs. Its Adaptable Skills Solutions brings together professional development, education savings and AI skills intelligence to support workforce planning, retention and talent mobility. By combining data, tools and education resources, Workforce Solutions offers practical ways to identify skills gaps, inform workforce decisions and prepare employees for long-term adaptability in a rapidly changing workplace. Learn more at https://www.phoenix.edu/workforce-solutions.html.

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SOURCE University of Phoenix

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RingConn and Borussia Dortmund Join Forces in a BVB Women’s Premium Partnership

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November 4, 2026

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Partnership brings together wearable technology and football, encouraging a deeper understanding of health and the body’s natural rhythms.

DORTMUND, Germany, Nov. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — RingConn, a health technology company specializing in smart rings, announced a partnership with Borussia Dortmund’s women’s football team, becoming the team’s Premium Partner. The collaboration brings together wearable technology and football, with a shared focus on deepening understanding of the body, recognizing its natural rhythms, and making health insights part of everyday life.

At the heart of the partnership is the idea of Own Your Rhythm — encourages people to look beyond external expectations, listen to their bodies, and tune into their natural rhythms. Through its smart ring technology, RingConn provides insights into personal health metrics, helping users better understand their bodies and their natural rhythms over time.

As part of the collaboration, some players of Borussia Dortmund will receive RingConn Gen 3 smart rings for continued use. The collaboration creates an opportunity to bring health technology into the everyday routines of BVB’s football players, while keeping the focus on individual awareness and personal well-being.

For RingConn, the partnership reflects a broader belief that health awareness is not limited to specific moments or routines. Small, consistent insights can help people become more familiar with their bodies over time. Designed for continuous wear, RingConn’s smart rings provide health and wellness insights through a connected experience, supporting users as they navigate the demands and rhythms of everyday life.

“We are pleased to welcome RingConn as a Premium Partner of our women’s football team. Our players are defined by commitment, individuality and a strong connection to their bodies, and this partnership supports exactly that. Listening to your body and understanding your own rhythm helps everyone perform and feel well, on the pitch and in everyday life,” says BVB managing director Svenja Schlenker.

Through this partnership, RingConn and Borussia Dortmund aim to bring greater attention to the relationship between technology, body awareness and everyday well-being. Guided by the principle of Own Your Rhythm, the collaboration places the individual at the center — recognizing that understanding one’s body is a personal journey, shaped by individual needs, habits and experiences.

About RingConn

Established in 2021, RingConn is a user-centric company, driven by continuous innovation, to provide professional, continuous, and thoughtful health monitoring products and services. RingConn is dedicated to becoming users’ most trusted guardian for their physical and mental well-being.

About Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund is one of the most traditional and popular German football clubs. Founded in 1909, BVB boasts more than 10 million fans within Germany and, in addition, also looks to a rapidly growing fan base worldwide. The eight-time German champions and five-time DFB-Pokal winner was in 1966 the first German club to win a European Cup competition. BVB also became the first Bundesliga club to win the UEFA Champions League in 1997, followed by the Intercontinental Cup in the same year. With a turnover of about 460 million Euros, Borussia Dortmund is also one of the economically strongest football clubs in the world.

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CData Software Was Recognized as a Challenger in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Data Integration Tools

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November 4, 2026

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CData’s platform connects and governs access to hundreds of enterprise systems for people, applications and AI agents

CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Nov. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CData Software today announced that it has been positioned as a Challenger in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Data Integration Tools. CData is the only vendor positioned in the Challenger quadrant in this year’s report.

CData’s platform provides a unified data layer that enables people, applications and AI agents to access and work with enterprise data across cloud and on-premises systems. As organizations move AI initiatives from experimentation into production, the platform brings together the connectivity, context and governance required to make enterprise data accessible and useful to a growing range of data consumers.

“We believe this placement reflects where we’ve put our effort: one data layer that works for people, applications and now AI agents, and now through our Connect AI Gateway,” said Amit Sharma, Co-founder and CEO of CData Software. “Agents need the same data foundation that people and applications already rely on, which is why our AI gateway builds on it.”

One data layer for people, applications and AI agents

Enterprise AI requires more than a connection to a data source. AI systems need access to relevant information, an understanding of what that information means, and the ability to operate within established policies and permissions. The CData Platform brings these capabilities together through a common foundation that addresses three requirements for enterprise data access:

Connectivity: Access to data across hundreds of cloud and on-premises systems, supporting integration, replication and live data access.

Context: Enterprise data, documented business definitions and organizational knowledge that help AI systems interpret requests and produce relevant results.

Control: Governance and permissions that help ensure people, applications and AI agents access data in accordance with organizational policies.

Extending data integration to AI

CData Connect AI Gateway extends the company’s data integration foundation to this emerging category of users. The gateway provides a control point for AI models, tools, data and actions, applying governed access while connecting agents to enterprise systems. It also supports model routing and access to the context agents need to work with business data.

By building AI access on the same connectivity foundation used for integration and replication, CData enables organizations to extend existing data connections and governance to AI applications and agents.

The company continues to invest its platform across all three areas. Recent work includes change data capture for SAP HANA, DB2 for i, and SAP Gateway, along with built-in Git integration. The Context Engine builds a governed graph of system context, business definitions and company knowledge, so AI agents interpret enterprise data the way teams mean it. The AI gateway routes each LLM request to the right model and each MCP call to the right tools and data.

CData is also expanding the ways developers and organizations can connect AI systems to enterprise data through published connectors and integrations for leading AI platforms. In addition, CData Labs provides benchmark data for enterprise AI, so teams can see how AI performs on real enterprise data.

Read the full 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Data Integration Tools report: https://www.cdata.com/lp/gartner-magic-quadrant-2026/ 

Gartner Disclaimer

Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Data Integration Tools, Thornton Craig, Robert Thanaraj, Sharat Menon, Jenna Goodrich, Nina Showell, November 2, 2026.

GARTNER is a trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates. Magic Quadrant is a trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

About CData Software

CData is the AI gateway between AI and the systems that run the business. One control point connects agents and individuals to data across hundreds of enterprise systems, grounds every request in company context, governs it down to the record and routes it to the most efficient model. Built on CData’s data layer, it delivers accurate answers, governed access and falling cost, whether the user is an agent, an application or a person. CData powers AI workloads for Anthropic, Databricks, Microsoft, Google, Palantir and more than 10,000 customers worldwide. Learn more at www.cdata.com or contact info@cdata.com.

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SOURCE CData Software

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