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PNW math instructor named to NASA project Purdue University Northwest mathematics faculty member Grethe Hystad, associate professor of Statistics in the College of Engineering and Sciences, has been selected to join a team of multidisciplinary scientists on a NASA-funded project. The five-year initiative, “Advancing Multi-Messenger Biosignature Techniques with Machine Learning,” explores whether life, extant or extinct, exists elsewhere in the solar system, according to a release. Hystad will share in a $5 million grant and focus her work on developing machine learning methods, a process that uses algorithms to train computers to learn from data and make predictions. Hematologist/medical oncologist joins Franciscan Hematologist and medical oncologist Dr. Jeremy Johns is now part of the Franciscan Physician Network and is accepting new patients in Munster. Johns earned his medical degree from the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in Buffalo, New York, and completed both his residency in internal medicine and his fellowship in hematology and oncology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, New Jersey, a release said He is accepting new patients at the Franciscan Health Cancer Center Munster at 701 Superior Ave., Suite 2500. Call 219-922-4081. Chamber sets networking event The Highland Griffith Chamber of Commerce will host, “I Have An Idea: Growing Your Business From Idea To Success,” from 9 a.m. till noon Nov. 14 at Alumni Hall on the campus of Purdue University Northwest in Hammond. The free event will begin at 8 a.m. with coffee and networking, the release said. The event, in partnership with Purdue University Northwest College of Business, will feature vendors, a short presentation, and informal roundtable discussions ready to assist local current and prospective small business owners. Registration is not required but is recommended. Register at www.hgchamber.org, For further information, contact the chamber office at 219-923-3666 or info@hgchamber.org. Valparaiso emergency room marks 10 years The emergency room at Northwest Health – Valparaiso, 2000 Roosevelt Road, marked 10 years of service to the community in October. The ER, which opened in 2015, has cared for tens of thousands of patients, providing quality, around-the-clock care for families in Valparaiso and beyond, according to a release. The emergency room operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about emergency department locations at Northwest Health visit NWHealthIN.com. VU, Harper College start engineering program Valparaiso University and Harper College have signed an articulation agreement that provides a new pathway for future engineers to earn their bachelor’s degree. The agreement, signed in September, guarantees acceptance into the Valparaiso University College of Engineering for students who earn their Associate’s Degree in Engineering Science at Harper College, Palatine, Illinois, provided they meet all other eligibility requirements, according to a release. In addition to earning their AES, students must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale, and must apply during their second year at Harper College to start the following fall semester at VU. To learn more about the opportunities for future engineers at VU, visit valpo.edu/college-of-engineering/. Franciscan presents free suicide prevention course Franciscan Health Munster is presenting a free suicide prevention course in November. The QPR Suicide Prevention Course, aims to save lives and reduce suicidal behaviors by providing innovative, practical and proven suicide prevention training, according to the release. Franciscan Health Munster is presenting the course from 9:30-11 a.m. Nov. 10 in the St. Clare Conference Room of the hospital, 701 Superior Ave. The course is free, but registration is required by Nov. 9. To register and for more information, contact Franciscan Health Community Health Improvement Coordinator Stacy Zembala at Stacy.Zembala@franciscanalliance.org. Old National Bank donates $15K to food program Franciscan Health’s Fresh Start Market will be able to help feed local families facing food insecurity for three months thanks to a $15,000 donation from Old National Bank. Since 2021, Old National Bank has contributed more than $40,000 to support Franciscan’s Food Insecurity Program, according to a release. The recent $15,000 donation will fund food purchases for three months at the Fresh Start Market, which serves nearly 200 people monthly. The Franciscan Health Foundation partnered in 2021 with the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana to create the three-phase Food Insecurity Program to address food insecurity across the region. The Fresh Start Markets are supported by donations to the Franciscan Health Foundation. To donate or for more information, call 219-661-3401.
