Du Yun, Angélique Kidjo, Arooj Aftab, Juan Pablo Contreras, and Ruby Ibarra are recipients of the 2023 Vilcek Foundation Prizes in Music

NEW YORK - October 18, 2022 - (Newswire.com)

The Vilcek Foundation announces the recipients of the 2023 Vilcek Foundation Prizes in the Arts and Humanities, a part of the Vilcek Foundation Prizes Program. Awarded annually in a rotating category, the Vilcek Foundation Prizes in the Arts and Humanities recognize and celebrate immigrants' contributions to intellectual and cultural life in the United States and highlight the value of immigration for a robust society. 

In 2023, the Vilcek Foundation Prizes in the Arts and Humanities are awarded in music. The foundation is awarding five prizes, totaling $350,000 in awards. Two main prizes—the Vilcek Prizes in Music—each include a cash award of $100,000. Three additional awards—the Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Music—each include a cash award of $50,000. 

The Vilcek Prizes in Music

The 2023 Vilcek Prizes in Music are awarded to Du Yun and Angélique Kidjo. Vilcek Foundation Cofounder, Vice Chair, and Secretary Marica Vilcek elaborated on the decision to award two prizes.

"With the 2023 Vilcek Prizes in Music, it was important to us to recognize a range of musicians: from those in the halls of classical music to the songwriters and performers whose music vibrates across the airwaves around the world," said Vilcek. "Music transcends language, borders, and boundaries. Du Yun and Angélique Kidjo's work exemplify this, from Du Yun's arresting operas and electrifying postmodern compositions to Kidjo's charismatic presence on the global stage over the past four decades."

Vilcek Foundation President Rick Kinsel shared similar sentiments. "The sheer scope of Du Yun's and Angélique Kidjo's work defies any easy categorization," he said. "Du Yun's virtuosic range is evidenced from her operas to her avant-garde projects like Shark in You and A Cockroach's Tarantella—her work bridges sound art and classical composition. Kidjo's prolific songwriting, albums, and collaborations have brought African music to the mainstream, while also introducing generations of listeners to Afropop, Afrobeat, and traditional West African music." He continued, "Both artists' respective influence exemplifies the broad impact immigrants have on culture and society."

Du Yun receives the Vilcek Prize in Music for her open approach to composition, which subverts the boundaries of traditional classical music by incorporating influences from punk, electronic, and experimental music, and for the virtuosity of her Pulitzer Prize-winning opera, Angel's Bone.

Born in Shanghai, China, Du Yun began studying piano at the age of four and began attending the Preparatory Divisions of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music at age six. She came to the United States to pursue higher education in music, earning her bachelor's at Oberlin Conservatory and her Ph.D. in Music Composition at Harvard University. In 2001, Du Yun co-founded the International Contemporary Ensemble with the goal of advancing the genre of experimental music through collaborations, commissions, and performances. 

Angélique Kidjo receives the Vilcek Prize in Music in recognition of her exceptional range as a singer-songwriter and for bringing African music to the global stage through her performances, albums, and collaborations. Born in Ouidah, Benin, Kidjo made her musical debut with the album Pretty in 1981. She rose to international fame in the 1990s with albums like Logozo, Ayé, and Fifa. In 1997, Kidjo immigrated to the United States, moving to Brooklyn, New York. Since then, she has continued to write, record, and tour extensively, while undertaking humanitarian work as an international Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF and with the Batonga Foundation, which she founded in 2006. 

The Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Music

The Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Music are awarded to early- and mid-career immigrant musicians, composers, and music producers living and working in the United States. Recipients are selected for the professional and creative quality of their work: musical compositions and performances that represent important contributions to their genres, and that resonate and inspire both performers and audiences. 

The Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Music are awarded to Arooj Aftab, Juan Pablo Contreras, and Ruby Ibarra.

Arooj Aftab receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Music for her evocative songs and compositions that incorporate a range of influences from semi-classical Pakistani music and Urdu poetry, to jazz harmonies and experimental music. Her blend of ancient traditions and contemporary style has earned her mainstream recognition, including a 2022 Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, and a 2022 Grammy for Best Global Performance for Mohabbat. Born in Saudi Arabia to Pakistani parents, Aftab found music as an outlet for self-identification and discovery. She immigrated to the United States in 2005 to pursue studies in music composition and engineering at the Berklee College of Music. 

Juan Pablo Contreras receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Music for his work as a composer and conductor of orchestral music that draws on his Mexican heritage, and for his leadership in founding the Orquesta Latino Mexicana. Contreras' compositions tell stories about Mexico from an immigrant perspective. A dedicated teacher and mentor, Contreras seeks to empower the next generation of musicians and to foster equity and inclusion in orchestral programming and seeks to expand classical music curriculum beyond its traditionally Eurocentric focus. Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Contreras immigrated to the United States in 2006. He holds degrees from the California Institute of the Arts (BFA), the Manhattan School of Music (MM), and the University of Southern California (DMA). 

Ruby Ibarra receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Music for her personal and evocative hip-hop and spoken word performances that center her experiences as a Filipina American woman, and as an immigrant growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area. Born in Tacloban City in the Philippines, Ibarra immigrated to the United States with her family in 1991. Her debut mixtape, Lost in Translation, and her 2017 album, CIRCA91, explore themes including immigration, colorism, and misogyny. In addition to her music, Ibarra is a dedicated activist, and in 2018 she founded the Pinays Rising Scholarship program. 

The Vilcek Foundation

The Vilcek Foundation raises awareness of immigrant contributions in the United States and fosters appreciation for the arts and sciences. The foundation was established in 2000 by Jan and Marica Vilcek, immigrants from the former Czechoslovakia. The mission of the foundation was inspired by the couple's respective careers in biomedical science and art history. Since 2000, the foundation has awarded over $7 million in prizes to foreign-born individuals and has supported organizations with over $5.8 million in grants.

The Vilcek Foundation is a private operating foundation, a federally tax-exempt nonprofit organization under IRS Section 501(c)(3). To learn more, please visit vilcek.org. 

Contact Information:
Elizabeth Boylan
Communications Manager
[email protected]
+12124722500
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Original Source: Vilcek Foundation Prizes Celebrate Immigrant Musicians With $350,000 in Awards

Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado, Edward Chouchani, Biyu J. He, and Shixin Liu are honored with the 2023 Vilcek Foundation Prizes in Biomedical Science

NEW YORK - October 18, 2022 - (Newswire.com)

The Vilcek Foundation has announced the recipients of the 2023 Vilcek Foundation Prizes in Biomedical Science. Awarded annually since 2006, the prizes recognize immigrant scientists at the forefront of their fields, and celebrate the importance of immigrant contributions to scientific research and discovery in the United States. In 2023, the foundation awards a total of $250,000 to Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado (b. Venezuela), Edward Chouchani (b. Canada), Biyu J. He (b. China), and Shixin Liu (b. China).

The prizes comprise the Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science, and three Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science. The Vilcek Prize is a $100,000 award bestowed on an immigrant scientist whose career achievements demonstrate a legacy of major accomplishment in their area of study. The Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise are $50,000 prizes given to immigrant scientists and researchers whose early career work represents a significant contribution to their field. 

The Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science is awarded to Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado. Edward Chouchani, Biyu J. He, and Shixin Liu receive Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise. 

The Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science

Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado is executive director and chief scientific officer of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. He receives the Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science for his contributions to the field of regeneration—from the identification of crucial genes that control regeneration in living organisms to the potential for regenerative medicine to address how we treat disease in humans. Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Sánchez Alvarado immigrated to the United States to pursue his bachelor's at Vanderbilt University before going on to complete his Ph.D. in pharmacology and cell biophysics at the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine. 

"Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado has devoted his career to understanding the fundamental molecular and cellular bases of regeneration, from the specific genes responsible for regeneration to epigenetic regulators that compel the expression of these genes," said Vilcek Foundation Chairman and CEO Jan Vilcek. "Using a freshwater flatworm—an organism called Schmidtea mediterranea—as a powerful experimental tool to study the molecular mechanisms of tissue regeneration, he has pioneered and expanded the field of regeneration. His work has broad applications for our understanding of the pathology of degenerative disease."

The Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science

Edward Chouchani, Biyu J. He, and Shixin Liu are the recipients of the 2023 Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science.

Edward Chouchani is an associate professor of cancer biology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and an associate professor of cell biology at Harvard Medical School. He is a cofounder and board member of Matchpoint Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on the development of precision medicine. Born in Ottawa, Canada, Chouchani earned his bachelor's at Carleton University and his Ph.D. in biological sciences at the University of Cambridge. He receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science for his work to decipher the molecular mechanisms that drive metabolic disease, with the aim of developing therapeutic interventions targeted at the molecular drivers of metabolism within cells. 

Biyu J. He is an assistant professor of neurology, neuroscience and physiology, and radiology at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, and principal investigator of the Perception and Brain Dynamics Laboratory at NYU Langone Health. Born in Xinxiang, China, Biyu J. He immigrated to the United States to pursue her Ph.D. in neuroscience at Washington University in St. Louis. She receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science for her research leadership in the field of cognitive neuroscience, and for her groundbreaking work on the biological bases of perceptual cognition and subjective experience. 

Shixin Liu receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise for applying cutting-edge biophysical tools to directly visualize, manipulate, and understand the physiological function of nanometer-scale biomolecular machines including DNA replication and transcription complexes at the single-molecule level. Liu is an associate professor at The Rockefeller University, where he has been the head of the Laboratory of Nanoscale Biophysics and Biochemistry since 2016. Born in Anhui province in China, he immigrated to the United States to pursue his Ph.D. in chemistry at Harvard University.

The 2023 Vilcek Foundation Prizes

In addition to the Vilcek Foundation Prizes in Biomedical Science, in 2023 the foundation is awarding $250,000 in prizes to immigrant musicians with the Vilcek Foundation Prizes in Music. The recipients of the Vilcek Foundation Prizes in Music are Du Yun, Angélique Kidjo, Arooj Aftab, Juan Pablo Contreras, and Ruby Ibarra.

The Vilcek Foundation

The Vilcek Foundation raises awareness of immigrant contributions in the United States and fosters appreciation for the arts and sciences. The foundation was established in 2000 by Jan and Marica Vilcek, immigrants from the former Czechoslovakia. The mission of the foundation was inspired by the couple's respective careers in biomedical science and art history. Since 2000, the foundation has awarded over $7 million in prizes to foreign-born individuals and has supported organizations with over $5.8 million in grants.

The Vilcek Foundation is a private operating foundation, a federally tax-exempt nonprofit organization under IRS Section 501(c)(3). To learn more, please visit vilcek.org.

Contact Information:
Elizabeth Boylan
Communications Manager
[email protected]
+12124722500
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VFP 2023 Press Release - Biomedical Science - Newswire.pdf



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Original Source: Vilcek Foundation Awards $250,000 in Prizes to Leading Immigrant Scientists

Travel App Visited Compiles Users' Data to Determine the Most Visited Ancient Sites in the World

TORONTO - October 18, 2022 - (Newswire.com)

The travel app Visited by Arriving In High Heels Corporation has published a list of the top 10 most popular ancient sites that international travelers visit. 

Visited, available on iOS or Android, is a top app for international travelers. The travel app allows users to check off places they've been, see custom maps of their travels, discover new destinations, get custom-printed travel maps, and set travel goals. 

The top 10 most visited ancient sites include:

1. The Colosseum in Rome, Italy is the largest amphitheater in the world and one of the oldest, dating back to A.D. 70. The famed Roman gladiator battles took place in the iconic circular arena. 
2. The Acropolis, in Greece, is an ancient citadel that includes historic masterpieces like the Parthenon overlooking the city of Athens. 
3. Pompeii, Italy, draws tourists seeking stunningly detailed glimpses of the past, with the well-preserved ancient city of Pompeii that was buried by a volcano in AD 79. 
4. Stonehenge, England is a prehistoric monument that dates back 5,000 years and includes construction from the Neolithic age. 
5. Athenian Agora, Greece brings to life the ancient Greek agora, or public gathering place, with remaining temples and beautiful ancient architecture. 
6. Chichen Itza, Mexico is a complex containing ancient Mayan ruins, including an expansive step pyramid. 
7. The Great Pyramid at Giza is the largest Egyptian pyramid and the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. 
8. Machu Picchu, Peru is an Incan citadel dating back to the 15th century. 
9. Tulum, Mexico is home to some of the best preserved ancient Mayan ruins, with remains of a walled city.
10. Roman Baths in the city of Bath, Somerset, England, feature an ancient Roman bathing complex and temple with hot springs that still run today. 

To see the full list of the most visited ancient sites and over 50 lists of the most popular travel destinations in the world, download Visited on iOS or Android. 

To learn more about the Visited app, visit https://visitedapp.com. 

About Arriving In High Heels Corporation

Arriving In High Heels Corporation is a mobile app company with apps including Pay Off Debt, X-Walk, and Visited, their most popular app. 

Contact Information

Anna Kayfitz

[email protected]

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CEO
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TAMPA, Fla. - October 18, 2022 - (Newswire.com)

TSOLife, Inc., the only AI-based business intelligence platform that translates resident intake data into actionable insights that help communities create individualized experiences, announced today that it completed a $9 million Series A funding round. Arnie Whitman, a long-time venture investor in senior care and technology, Executive Chairman at Formation Capital and Founding Partner at Generator Ventures led the round to help accelerate the development of TSOLife's next-generation Minerva platform. Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. and Ziegler Link-age Fund III joined the round as well.  

TSOLife has already achieved significant milestones, partnering with some of the largest operators in the industry. "The pandemic fueled the understanding that engagement and resident experience is vital to the physical and mental health of residents and the success of a community," said David Sawyer, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of TSOLife. "This funding round will accelerate our ability to enhance the lives of seniors by leveraging data to provide robust resident insight technology unique to TSOLife. We have a passion for bringing state-of-the-art-tech to the market, while never forgetting that our goal is to improve the lives of residents and staff."  

TSOLife Minerva is the first-of-its kind business intelligence platform that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to transcribe resident interviews and automatically convert the information into organized, consumable data. This person-centered data fuels powerful dashboards providing staff with personal, actionable insights and saves valuable staff time.  

"TSOLife improves staff efficiency not by demanding more, but by eliminating time-consuming tasks, which is a win-win for providers," said Katie Schmitz, Chief Administrative Officer of the Ziegler Link-age Fund III. "The platform allows staff to spend more time doing what they love - engaging with residents!" The next generation of the Minerva platform will leverage care-level-specific engagement data to help increasingly tech-savvy seniors self-select their own experience and take more control of their overall health and well-being.

"TSO is the tip of the spear in gathering social insights to improve quality of life and relationships in a unique and powerful way," said Arnie Whitman, lead investor. "Data and AI will allow for more personalization and better social and health outcomes. Everyone talks about social determinants; TSO actually measures it!" Visit www.tsolife.com for more information.

About TSOLife, Inc.

TSOLife partners with senior living communities across the nation to provide a first-of-its-kind business intelligence platform using Artificial Intelligence (AI) called Minerva. Minerva creates powerful dashboards with a suite of information and personalized tools for staff to put prospect and resident knowledge into practice. TSOLife provides actionable insights and fuels decision-making in senior living communities. Visit www.tsolife.com for more information.

About Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc.

Omega is a REIT that invests in the long-term healthcare industry, primarily in skilled nursing and assisted living facilities. Its portfolio of assets is operated by a diverse group of healthcare companies, predominantly in a triple-net lease structure. The assets span all regions within the U.S., as well as in the United Kingdom.

About Ziegler Link-Age Fund III, LP

Ziegler Link-Age Fund III is the third fund managed by a joint venture between Ziegler (www.ziegler.com) and Link-Age (www.LinkageConnect.com) that seeks to support emerging companies operating in or developing businesses focused on aging and related care. The Fund's investments align with the goals of its limited partner investors who consist primarily of organizations across the senior living and care, healthcare, and aging services landscape that have a significant interest in finding innovative solutions to improve the independence, quality and cost of care, and overall lives of the aging population.

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Lauren Wilson
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Original Source: TSOLife Closes Series A Funding to Provide Senior Living Operators More Advanced Decision-Making Tools

NEW YORK - October 18, 2022 - (Newswire.com)

iQuanti: You don't have to be stuck in a bad loan forever. When you refinance a car loan or other types of loans, you trade in your existing loan for one with better terms. 

Refinancing: the basics

Refinancing is the process of applying for a new loan to secure a lower interest rate or extend your repayment schedule. When you're approved for the new loan, your lender will pay off your existing loan, and the old loan account will be closed. 

When is refinancing a good idea?

Refinancing is beneficial in many situations. For example: 

• You can't afford your current payments: If you're struggling to keep up with your monthly loan payments, refinancing into a loan with a longer repayment term can help get you back on track. However, a longer term could lead to a higher overall cost due to interest.
• Interest rates are lower: A good time to consider refinancing is when interest rates have fallen. If interest rates are lower than when you got your current loan, refinancing can get you into a better rate, saving you money over the life of your loan. 
• You have a better credit score: If you have a better credit score than when you applied for your current loan, refinancing might help you secure better terms. A higher credit score could translate to a lower interest rate and lower monthly payments.
• You have a variable loan: The interest rate on a variable loan fluctuates during the life of your loan. Many people prefer the predictability of fixed loans since the interest rate remains unchanged for the entire duration of the loan.

Should you refinance?

If it gets you into a more affordable loan with a lower rate and better terms, refinancing can be wise if it helps you avoid missing payments, which can severely impact your credit score and financial stability. Though you might see a ding on your credit score after refinancing, it's preferable to a late payment that can remain on your credit for several years. 

Contact Information:
Keyonda Goosby
Public Relations Specialist
[email protected]
(201) 633-2125

Carolina Darbelles
Senior Public Relations Specialist
[email protected]
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Original Source: What Refinancing Means for You