Team Designs New Nanotech Technique for Lower-Cost Materials Repair

Engineerblogger
Jan 13, 2011

A recent materials repair discovery validates prior theory and may lead to significant conservation of material in diagnosing and repairing structural damage. The cartoon illustrates how nanoparticle-containing capsules roll or glide over damaged substrates, selectively depositing their nanoparticle contents into fractures. Illustration courtesy of Todd Emrick, UMass Amherst

 In the super-small world of nanostructures, a team of polymer scientists and engineers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have discovered how to make nano-scale repairs to a damaged surface equivalent to spot-filling a scratched car fender rather than re-surfacing the entire part. The work builds on a theoretical prediction by chemical engineer and co-author Anna Balazs at the University of Pittsburgh.

Their discovery is reported this week in the current issue of Nature Nanotechnology. The new technique has many practical implications, especially that repairing a damaged surface with this method would require significantly smaller amounts of material, avoiding the need to coat entire surfaces when only a tiny fraction is cracked, says team leader and UMass Amherst polymer scientist Todd Emrick.

"This is particularly important because even small fractures can then lead to structural failure but our technique provides a strong and effective repair. The need for rapid, efficient coating and repair mechanisms is pervasive today in everything from airplane wings to microelectronic materials to biological implant devices," he adds.

At nano-scale, damaged areas typically possess characteristics quite distinct from their undamaged surrounding surface, including different topography, wetting characteristics, roughness and even chemical functionality, Emrick explains. He adds, "Anna Balazs predicted, using computer simulation, that if nanoparticles were held in a certain type of microcapsule, they would probe a surface and release nanoparticles into certain specific regions of that surface," effectively allowing a spot-repair.

This vision of capsules probing and releasing their contents in a smart, triggered fashion, known as "repair-and-go," is characteristic of biological process, such as in white blood cells, Emrick adds.

He says the experimental work to support the concept required insight into the chemistry, physics and mechanical aspects of materials encapsulation and controlled release, and was achieved by collaboration among three polymer materials laboratories at UMass Amherst, led by Alfred Crosby, Thomas Russell and himself.

The researchers show how using a polymer surfactant stabilizes oil droplets in water (in emulsion droplets or capsules), encapsulating nanoparticles efficiently, but in a manner where they can be released when desired, since the capsule wall is very thin.

"We then found that the nanoparticle-containing capsules roll or glide over damaged substrates, and very selectively deposit their nanoparticle contents into the damaged (cracked) regions. Because the nanoparticles we use are fluorescent, their localization in the cracked regions is clearly evident, as is the selectivity of their localization."

Using rapid and selective deposition of sensor material in damaged regions, their innovative work also provides a precise method for detecting damaged substrates, he stresses. Finally, the new encapsulation techniques allow delivery of hydrophobic objects in a water-based system, further precluding the need for organic solvents in industrial processes that are dis-advantageous from an environmental standpoint.

Emrick says, "Having realized the concept experimentally, looking forward we now hope to demonstrate recovery of mechanical properties of coated objects by adjusting the composition of the nanoparticles being delivered."

The work was supported by the National Science Foundations’ (NSF) Materials Research Science and Engineering Center on Polymers at UMass Amherst, an NSF Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) award, the NSF Center for Hierarchical Manufacturing, the U.S. Department of Energy and its Office of Basic Energy Science.

Source:  University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst Schools Appoints First Ombuds

Amherst Regional Public Schools (sometimes referred to as the Union #26 and Amherst-Pelham Regional School Districts) in Western Massachusetts has appointed its first Ombuds. Barry Brooks, who retired in 2007 after 29 years at the Regional Middle School, mostly as a guidance counselor, has agreed to fill the new position, said Interim Superintendent Maria Geryk.

"This is a way to build bridges with communities and families who may not have felt heard," Superintendent Geryk said. Brooks will often act as a mediator and will "not be beholden to the school system," she said. Brooks will receive a stipend for his work and is expected to give particular attention to parents of African-American and Latino students. No other details about the role of the Ombuds have been made public. (Daily Hampshire Gazette.)

Update 7/24/10: The appointment of Brooks is hailed by parents and community leaders.

"I think it's fantastic," [Rick Hood, chairman of the Regional School Committee], said of Brooks' new role. The existence of a neutral party to handle disagreements "will be helpful in avoiding costly litigation," said Pat Ononibaku, who co-chairs the Special Education Parent Advisory Council.

Irv Rhodes, chairman of the Amherst School Committee, also praised Brooks' appointment. "The man is a living legend in this town," he said.

(Amherst Bulletin.)

Nanostructure-Based Process Will Streamline Production of Magnetic Materials

Engineerblogger
Sept 29, 2011

Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst report that for the first time they have designed a much simpler method of preparing ordered magnetic materials than ever before, by coupling magnetic properties to nanostructure formation at low temperatures.

The innovative process allows them to create room-temperature ferromagnetic materials that are stable for long periods more effectively and with fewer steps than more complicated existing methods. The approach is outlined by UMass Amherst polymer scientist Gregory Tew and colleagues in the Sept. 27 issue of Nature Communications.

Tew explains that his group’s signature improvement is a one-step method to generate ordered magnetic materials based on cobalt nanostructures by encoding a block copolymer with the appropriate chemical information to self-organize into nanoscopic domains. Block copolymers are made up of two or more single-polymer subunits linked by covalent chemical bonds.

The new process delivers magnetic properties to materials upon heating the sample once to a relatively low temperature, about 390 degrees (200 degrees Celsius), which transforms them into room-temperature, fully magnetic materials. Most previous processes required either much higher temperatures or more process steps to achieve the same result, which increases costs, Tew says.

He adds, "The small cobalt particles should not be magnetic at room temperature because they are too small. However, the block copolymer’s nanostructure confines them locally which apparently induces stronger magnetic interactions among the particles, yielding room-temperature ferromagnetic materials that have many practical applications."

"Until now, it has not been possible to produce ordered, magnetic materials via block copolymers in a simple process," Tew says. "Current methods require multiple steps just to generate the ordered magnetic materials. They also have limited effectiveness because they may not retain the fidelity of the ordered block copolymer, they can’t confine the magnetic materials to one domain of the block copolymer, or they just don’t produce strongly magnetic materials. Our process answers all these limitations."

Magnetic materials are used in everything from memory storage devices in our phones and computers to the data strips on debit and credit cards. Tew and colleagues have discovered a way to build block copolymers with the necessary chemical information to self-organize into nanoscopic structures one millionth of a millimeter thin, or about 50,000 times thinner than the average human hair.

Earlier studies have demonstrated that block copolymers can be organized over relatively large areas. What makes the UMass Amherst research group’s results so intriguing, Tew says, is the possible coupling of long-range organization with improved magnetic properties. This could translate into lower-cost development of new memory media, giant magneto-resistive devices and futuristic spintronic devices that might include "instant on" computers or computers that require much less power, he points out.

He adds, "Although work remains to be done before new data storage applications are enabled, for example making the magnets harder, our process is highly tunable and therefore amendable to incorporating different types of metal precursors. This result should be interesting to every scientist in nanotechnology because it shows conclusively that nano-confinement leds to completely new properties, in this case room temperature magnetic materials."

"Our work highlights the importance of learning how to control a material’s nanostructure. We show that the nanostructure is directly related to an important and practical outcome, that is, the ability to generate room-temperature magnets."

"Our work highlights the importance of learning how to control a material’s nanostructure. We show that the nanostructure is directly related to an important and practical outcome, that is, the ability to generate room temperature magnets." As part of this study, the UMass Amherst team also demonstrated that using a block copolymer or nanoscopic material results in a material that is magnetic at room temperature. By contrast, using a homopolymer, or unstructured material, leads only to far less useful non- or partial-magnetic materials.

Source: University of Massachusetts Amherst

Robert Ackermann: Former Ombuds at UMass Amherst

Robert John Ackermann, a retired professor of philosophy and Ombudsperson at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, passed away on October 16, 2011 after a long illness. Ackermann joined the faculty at UMass Amherst in 1968 and retired in 1999. Beginning in 1996, he also served as University Ombudsperson. A memorial service is being planned. (Daily Hampshire Gazette.)

Related posts: Mary E. Wardwell: University of Massachusetts Amherst Assistant Ombuds; Past UMass Ombuds to be Honored by ACR; UMass Appoints New Associate Ombuds.

Amherst College Ombuds Office Closes

The website for the Ombuds Office at Amherst has been updated recently to state that, "the Ombudsperson position is currently vacant." The outgoing message on the voicemail confirms the closure, but says that, "a new Ombudsperson may be appointed soon." Callers are referred to Amherst's HR or Diversity and Inclusion Office for assistance. Ruth B. Thornton had served as the Ombuds. (Amherst Ombuds.)

Job Posting: Amherst College

The private, liberal arts institution in Amherst, MA is accepting applications for a part-time Ombudsperson. The position reports directly to the college president and serves as a resource for faculty, administrators and staff. Applicants must have at least a bachelor's degree and related work experience.

The search will fill the position recently vacated by Carol Stewart, who will continue to serve as the Ombuds for nearby Mount Holyoke College and Hampshire College. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. No salary indicated. (Amherst Jobs.)

Related posts: Hampshire College Creates Ombuds Office; Amherst College Reopens Ombuds Office.

Mary E. Wardwell: University of Massachusetts Amherst Assistant Ombuds

Mary E. Wardwell, who served as the Assistant Ombuds at UMass Amherst, died March 6 at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. (In the Loop.)

Related post: UMass-Amherst Ombuds Releases Annual Report.

Update: More Details of UMass-Amherst Impartial Observer Program

An article in the Daily Collegian provides more details on the plan for the Ombuds at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to coordinate faculty and staff volunteers to monitor campus events. Apparently, the observers are not a new addition to UMass protocol; another office on campus previously handled the observers. It is not clear, however, why the Ombuds Office has been building a list of observers for five years. (Daily Collegian.)

Prior post: UMass-Amherst Ombuds to Coordinate Impartial Observers.

UMass Appoints New Associate Ombuds

The University of Massachusetts Amherst has named Martha Nelson Patrick as Assistant Ombuds. Patrick will join UMass Ombuds Catharine Porter and fills the position previously held by Mary E. Wardwell, who passed away last year after two decades as the Assistant Ombuds. Her transfer to the Ombuds office was part of a major reorganization prompted by Chancellor Robert C. Holub's larger, multi-year plan to raise the profile of the state's flagship campus.

For the past nine years, Nelson Patrick served as the director of community relations at UMass. She recently attended IOA's Ombuds 101 training in Baltimore. Nelson Patrick graduated cum laude from Smith College. (Daily Hampshire Gazette.)

Related posts: UMass-Amherst Ombuds Releases Annual Report; Mary E. Wardwell: University of Massachusetts Amherst Assistant Ombuds; Past UMass Ombuds to be Honored by ACR.

Update: Amherst College Reopens Ombuds Office

The private liberal arts college reopened its Ombuds Office with the appointment of Carol Stewart as Ombudsperson on August 25, 2009. Stewart will continue as Ombuds for two of the other members of the Five College Consortium: Mount Holyoke College and Hampshire College. She received her MA in Public Policy and Administration from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and earned her BA in Psychology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. She is a member of the International Ombudsmen Association and the Association for Conflict Resolution.

Related posts: Mount Holyoke Ombuds Interviewed; Hampshire College Creates Ombuds Office; Amherst College Ombuds Office Closes.

UMass-Amherst Ombuds Comments on Student's Lawsuit

A federal court has thrown out a 15-count lawsuit filed by a student against the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Brian Marquis had argued that his "A-" in political philosophy, was reduced to a "C" because of the class curve. Although District Court Judge Michael A. Ponsor dismissed the suit, Marquis said he is considering an appeal to the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Catharine Porter, the UMass-Amherst ombudsman and a defendant in the suit, said that Marquis's complaint was the only one she was aware of over a disputed grade in 30 years at the university. "If every student that didn't like his or her grade started to do this, we'd have to hire, I don't know, 25,000 attorneys," Porter said. (Boston Globe.)

Update: Amherst School District Adopts Organizational Ombuds Model

Last month the Amherst Regional Public Schools appointed Barry Brooks as its first Ombuds. The appointment was received positively by the community, but the new Ombuds role was only vaguely defined. Now, ARPS has created a website for the District Ombudsman that explicitly defines an Organizational model.

The ARPS District Ombuds job is defined by four core tenants:

When established, formal procedures have failed to result in resolution, the Ombudsperson serves as an independent, impartial, confidential resource to assist parents and community members in resolving complaints, conflicts and other school-related issues. The Ombudsperson is a designated neutral party who listens, answers questions, receives and provides resources and information, suggests referrals, and helps individuals develop options to resolve concerns and conflicts. [Emphasis added.]

The new office will serve a broad constituency of students, parents and community members, but apparently not district employees. (ARPS Superintendent's Update, Ombuds Job Description.)

Prior post: Amherst Schools Appoints First Ombuds.

UMass-Amherst Ombuds Releases Annual Report

Catharine Porter, the University Ombudsperson for the University of Massachusetts Amherst issued her 2006-07 Annual Report. According to the report, Porter's office assisted 456 faculty, students and staff with 506 matters. (Annual Report.)

Related post: UMass-Amherst Ombuds Comments on Student's Lawsuit.

UMass-Amherst Ombuds to Coordinate Impartial Observers

The University of Massachusetts Amherst has asked its Ombuds Office to maintain a list of staff and faculty who would be willing to serve as impartial observers during certain campus events where students and campus police are present. In the unlikely circumstance that any disruption should occur where students and police have to interact, observers are there to validate what actually occurred. “In no case would an observer participate in any part of the activity,” said Catharine Porter, University Ombuds. “This system of observers is in place to assure fairness and accuracy in reporting what transpired.” (UMassAmherst: In the Loop.)

Related posts: U of Arkansas Office of Student Mediation Changing Name to Ombuds Office; Texas Tech Ombuds to Help Administer Student Relief Funds.

Harvard Medical School Ombuds to Speak at UMass Boston

Melissa Brodrick, the Ombudsperson for Harvard’s Medical School and its affiliate institutions, will explain the role of an Organizational Ombuds at the University of Massachusetts Boston on February 14, 2012. The event is offered as part of the Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies program in conflict resolution. UMass Boston does not have an Ombuds office, but UMass Amherst and UMass Dartmouth do. The Ombuds Office at UMass Lowell closed in 2008.  (UMB Events.)

Related posts:  Former UMass Ombuds and JIOA Editor Transitioning to Private Practice; UMass (Amherst) Appoints New Associate Ombuds; UMass Dartmouth Ombuds Celebrates Conflict Resolution Day With Special Guests.

Students at Clark University Petition for Employee Ombuds

Workers at the private research university in Worcester, MA went out on strike this week, complaining about low wages, unaffordable health plans, and a pattern of intimidation and coercion by the vendor who employs them, Sedexo. Clark students, faculty, staff and alumni, and local political leaders are calling on the university to allow the workers to unionize and to implement other reforms including the creation of an Ombuds for employees. (SEIU Blog.)

An open letter to Clark University President David Angel outlines the proposed Ombuds:

The position of a Campus Ombudsman or an equivalent third party committee must be created and institutionalized through policy in order to ensure that issues between employees and their bosses, be they Clark, Sodexo, or employees of another organization, are addressed through an avenue and process run by a third party professional yet empowered by the Clark Administration (see the letter Requesting the Appointment of an Ombudsman). Contracts should be evaluated by the Ombudsman. (Clark Unite! Blog.)

Of course, this model is not what most North American universities have adopted. More than 300 universities employ Organizational Ombuds and most explicitly practice to International Ombudsman Association standards. (This list includes many of Clark's neighbors: Amherst College; Boston University; Hampshire College; Harvard University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Mount Holyoke College; Smith College; and University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Dartmouth and Lowell.) These Ombuds work to ensure fair and equitable resolution of campus conflicts by practicing to the ethical tenets of confidentiality, independence, neutrality and informality. They do not, however, evaluate contracts.

The Ombuds Year in Review: 2010

In the past year, IOA held its fifth annual conference, an attorney wrote the first guide for Ombuds, U.S. legislation created new federal Ombuds programs, FCO began its own training program, a campus suicide drew attention to the role of Ombuds in bullying cases, Cal Caucus resumed its annual meeting, nearly two dozen new offices opened, other Ombuds were newsworthy, certification became a reality, and several notable Ombuds passed away.

IOA Celebrates its Fifth Anniversary -- The association held its annual conference in New Orleans and nearly 300 Ombuds attended. The event was highlighted by keynote addresses from Dr. Michael Martin, André Marin, Chuck L. Howard, Prof. Sandra Stokes, and Prof. Robert C. Bordone. For the first time, non-attendees were able to follow the conference on Twitter. In addition, the conference featured the winner of IOA's first student writing competition.

ABA Publishes First Legal Guide for Organizational Ombuds -- In January, the American Bar Association released Chuck Howard's The Organizational Ombudsman: Origins, Roles and Operations-A Legal Guide. It which was quickly hailed as the first comprehensive textbook on the profession. Subsequently, Howard embarked on an ad hoc book tour with speaking engagements at: the IOA Annual Conference; East Coast Ombuds Group; Society of Corporate Compliance & Ethics; California Caucus of College & University Ombuds; Ombuds of Texas; Coalition of Federal Ombuds Conference; and Princeton University.

Congress Passes Law to Create New Federal Ombuds Offices -- The sweeping reform legislation signed into law by President Obama in July will establish new Ombuds programs for the Securities and Exchange Commission's Office of the Investor Advocate, the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and for private student loan disputes. The SEC moved first to solicit public commentary and has already received feedback from many Organizational Ombuds and experts. Meanwhile, the Coalition of Federal Ombudsmen continued to collaborate with other federal agencies that were establishing Ombuds programs on their own mandates.

FCO Institute Debuts Ombuds Training -- In September, the Forum of Canadian Ombudsman Institute hosted its first ever course on Ombuds fundamentals featuring nearly two dozen Canadian Ombuds. Although intended primarily for new and intermediate-level Classical Ombuds, the two-day program is an important new resource for Organizational Ombuds as well, especially in Canada.
Correction 12/20/10:  The FCO has been offering courses since 2004. In 2010, the FCO Institute was created as an umbrella organization for training, conferences and research.

Tragedy at UVA Highlights Growing Concern Over Bullying -- One of the many stories of bullying reported in the mainstream press involved the Ombuds at the University of Virginia. In August, an editor of The Virginia Quarterly Review took his own life after complaining about workplace bullying. Although the victim allegedly contacted the UVA Ombuds shortly before his death, the Ombuds was steadfast in protecting his confidentiality. Ultimately, an internal audit found that the University took "appropriate actions" in handling the situation and reiterated that it would have had no notice of complaints heard by the Ombuds. The incident highlighted the relationship between Ombuds and bullying, which was further explored in an article for the LERA Newsletter and an entire issue of the Journal of IOA, and at meetings of the Ombuds of Texas, ENOHE-ACCUO, and the Midwest University & College Ombuds.

Cal Caucus Returns Reinvigorated-- In 2009 the California Caucus of Colleges and University Ombuds did not meet for the first time in nearly four decades due to declining attendance. After retooling, Cal Caucus returned to the Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove in November 2010 with an impressive list of presenters from the U.S. and Canada.

Many New Programs Open -- Organizations established or reopened 22 Ombuds offices in 2010. Most of the good news came from the education sector: Newark NJ Public Schools; Ashford University; University of New Mexico; University of Miami School of Medicine; University of Missouri, Kansas City; John F. Kennedy University; University of Calgary; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Greenstar Cooperative Market; Ohio State University; Tyco Electronics; Washington University in St. Louis; Michigan State University; University of Ottawa; European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN); Office of Personnel Management; Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research (EMPA); Algoma University; Colorado College; New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services; Amherst MA Regional Public Schools; Northwestern University; Shawnee State University; and Cleveland State University. Meanwhile, there were no reported Ombuds office closures.
Update 12/22/10: Add one more,  Washtenaw Community College.

Other Ombuds Dominate the Popular News -- For better or worse, Ombuds that made headlines in 2010 were not Organizational Ombuds, but their stories were among the most read on the Ombuds Blog: The BP Ombuds received significant attention in the wake of the gulf oil spill and was eventually slated for closure; National Public Radio will be hiring a new Ombuds; and a high profile Executive Ombuds had a dispute with a Canadian flight crew that garnered unwanted attention.

Certification Becomes a Reality -- Early in the year, the Board of Certification for Certified Organizational Ombudsman Practitioners Board announced the results of the first certification examination. The test has now been administered multiple times and is available to international applicants. So far, 45 Ombuds have passed the exam and certification screening and are eligible to use the CO-OP designation.

In Memoriam -- Several notable Ombuds passed away in 2010, including: Elizabeth Walsh Pino (Palmer & Dodge and McKinsey & Co.); Eugene Vasilew (Binghamton University); Milton J. Brawer (Western Michigan University); and William T. Mason III (John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory).  Their contributions to the field and to their constituencies were invaluable, and they will be missed.

Related post: The Ombuds Decade in Review.

Army Launches Online Ombuds Program

The U.S. Army and the the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed an online system for U.S. soldiers seeking treatment at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and other Army medical facilities. With funding from the eBay Foundation and support from the National Mediation Board, UMass created a prototype online Ombudsman access portal that allows individuals to ask questions, post replies, or simply provide information to the Army Ombudsman. Ethan Katsh, UMass professor of legal studies at UMass and director of the National Center for Technology and Dispute Resolution, says the system is a safe, effective and confidential means of augmenting the existing advocacy program that is neutral and outside the chain of command. The online Ombudsman portal allows patients, family members, doctors, staff and the public to communicate with the Army Ombudsman anonymously. The Army’s online portal is expected to go online during the summer. (Newswise; NCTDR; ABA Journal.)

A critical issue for organizational Ombuds is balancing the need to embrace electronic communications while preserving confidentiality and avoiding creating a record. Because the problem is so daunting, many Ombuds simply choose to avoid email and other electronic communications. Ombuds will therefore be watching the Army's program closely to see if this is a viable solution.

Related posts: International Forum on Online Dispute Resolution; Senate Bill Would Create DOD Ombuds Office; Ombuds Not Exempt From Influence of Internet.

Education Law Expert Explains Why Schools Should Have Ombuds

In an article for the American School Board Journal, Edwin C. Darden says that, "one important way school districts can help residents feel heard is to appoint an official ombudsman." He notes that most school Ombuds work in large, urban school districts, but argues that the benefits are of equal value to a suburban or rural school district.

Darden offers some critical advice for school districts considering an Ombuds program:

There are two decision points for school board members and superintendents when considering this subject: Whether to hire an ombudsman at all and to whom will the person report on the organizational chart. Neither question is trivial. This is one of those rare cases where structure is as crucial as actual operation, and perception is reality.

Darden distinguishes between Organizational Ombuds, who handle internal complaints from employees and address operational matters, and "Public Service" Ombuds and his article focuses on the latter. This may be a semantic distinction: University Ombuds, for example, handle more than just employee issues and yet consider themselves to be Organizational Ombuds. Moreover, the ethical tenets of schools Ombuds are other Organizational Ombuds are essentially the same.

He concludes that if done correctly, an Ombuds, "is worth considering and could be money well spent." Darden is President-Elect of the Education Law Association and Director of Education Law and Policy for the Appleseed Network. (American School Board Journal.)

Related posts: Newark Schools Ombuds Program is Up and Running; Washington State Schools Ombuds Facilitates Resolution for Seattle Families; Harrisburg School District Hiring First Ombuds; Loss of Ombuds is an Issue in Washington, DC School Board Election; Amherst School District Adopts Organizational Ombuds Model.

The Ombuds Year in Review: 2011 (Part I)

Overall, the past year has been a positive one for Organizational Ombuds profession. Several of the top stories of this year echo those of 2010. The list will be posted in three installments: today, December 20 and December 22.

10. In Memoriam -- Several notable Ombuds passed away in 2011, including: Walter R. Lynn (Cornell University); Florence Boroson (SUNY Stony Brook Ombudsman); John Wanjala (Portland State University); Robert John Ackermann (University of Massachusetts Amherst); Lee Preston (University of Maryland). Their contributions to the field and to their organizations were invaluable, and they will be missed.

9.  Post on New UCF Ombuds Draws Record Views -- A post on October 17 described a YouTube video by Shreya Trivedi, who was appointed the University of Central Florida Ombuds earlier in the year. Although the video has been viewed just a few hundred times, the Ombuds Blog post has been viewed more than 5,200 times. Go figure.

8. IOA Expands Outreach Efforts -- The association accomplished several things this year including: the creation of Regional Advisory Committees for international members; approval of a trademark for certification; a major upgrade for its website; creation of international scholarships to its annual conference; its first webinar series (on bullying); and the translation of its Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice into Spanish and French.

7. NY Ombuds for Developmentally Disabled Breaches Confidentiality -- Ombuds and others were appalled to learn that New York State's Ombudsman for the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities had been revealing the names of whisleblowers routinely.  The ethical breach undermined confidence in Ombuds of all types.

Related post: The Ombuds Decade in Review (2010); The Ombuds Year in Review: 2010.