News Staff

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Author Archives: News Staff

U-M receives $1.6M toward AI for data science

By | November 10, 2017

Researchers, hospitals, companies, consumers, and government agencies are drowning in data that they can’t fully capitalize on. Now, a team from U-M has received $1.6 million from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to help develop a toolkit so that even non-data scientists can use that data to possibly answer questions and ultimately speed up the process of… Read More »

3-D printing gets a turbo boost from U-M technology

By | November 9, 2017

Because of the vibrations caused by their operation, today’s 3-D printers operate very slowly, often taking hours to complete a small object. A new software algorithm developed at U-M allows printers to deliver high-quality results at speeds up to two times faster than those in common use, with no added hardware costs. According to Chinedum Okwudire, associate professor of mechanical… Read More »

DevOps Community of Practice forming, new members welcome

By | November 9, 2017

John Walsh (HITS), Martin Sager (ITS), and Kris Steinoff (ITS), are co-facilitating a new Community of Practice which aims to bring together people who are using DevOps practices or are interested in learning more. DevOps is a software engineering practice that aims at unifying software development (Dev) and software operation (Ops). The group intends to have regular meetings with… Read More »

Big data and precision health

By | November 8, 2017

An army of U-M scientists and engineers is part of an effort, known broadly as precision health, that aims to help doctors customize treatments to individual patients’ genetic makeup, lifestyle, and risk factors, and predict outcomes with significantly higher accuracy. One major branch of precision health is the development of big-data tools to customize treatments. Experts envision a… Read More »

Tableau fundamentals training Nov. 20 & Dec. 18

By | November 8, 2017

The Information Quest & Michigan Medicine Tableau Teams are now able to offer additional spaces in the Fundamentals of Tableau training we are offering. This will be a basic introductory course for those just getting started with building (not consuming) reports and dashboards in Tableau. What: Tableau Fundamentals Training When: Monday, November 20th, from 8:30 AM to 4:00… Read More »

Will the AI jobs revolution bring about human revolt, too?

By | November 7, 2017

The rise of artificial intelligence threatens to eliminate white-collar and “creative class” jobs once considered impossible to automate, including real estate brokers, insurance claims adjusters, lawyers, and business managers. In a recent article, Kentaro Toyama, associate professor of technology and global development at the School of Information, examines if anything good could come of mass unemployment, or whether it… Read More »

Screen time tips for parents

By | November 7, 2017

A new report found that the amount of time young children in the United States spend with mobile screens has tripled in just four years. Jenny Radesky, an assistant professor of developmental behavioral pediatrics at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, wrote a commentary in the new report and offers some screen time tips for parents. According to Radesky, infants and young… Read More »

Wearables to boost security of voice-based log-in

By | November 6, 2017

A security-token necklace, ear buds, or eyeglasses developed at U-M could eliminate vulnerabilities in voice authentication—the practice of logging in to a device or service with your voice alone. “Increasingly, voice is being used as a security feature but it actually has huge holes in it,” said Kang Shin, professor of electrical engineering and computer science at U-M.… Read More »

CSCAR offers consulting and workshops

By | November 6, 2017

Consulting for Statistics, Computing and Analytics Research (CSCAR) provides consulting services and training opportunities in statistics, data science, and advanced research computation to researchers across campus, regardless of skill level or academic background. All members of the campus community interested in making more effective use of data analytic techniques, or in developing their skills in these areas are… Read More »

Software improves captioning for those with hearing deficits

By | November 3, 2017

Hiring a professional captioning service to help students with hearing disabilities get information presented in class or at events requires a lot of advance planning and can be costly. Automatic speech recognition programs, while quick and convenient, have unusually high error rates. However, a program called Scribe, developed by Walter Lasecki, assistant professor of information and of computer science… Read More »

Hidden Figures: When the Computer Wore a Skirt

By | October 26, 2017

The exhibit “Hidden Figures: When the Computer Wore a Skirt: NASA’s Human Computers” will run November 11–25, 2017 in the Duderstadt Gallery on North Campus. This exhibit also features: “Hidden Figures of Michigan: Women in Engineering and the Sciences.” The Exhibit Opening Reception will be held on Wednesday, November 15 from 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm in the… Read More »

Upcoming Teach-Outs

By | October 24, 2017

Teach-Outs are open to the world and are designed to bring together individuals with wide-ranging perspectives in respectful and deep conversation. These events are an opportunity for diverse learners and a multitude of experts to come together to ask questions of one another and explore new solutions to the pressing concerns of our global community. Check out these… Read More »

How to create better privacy policies

By | October 13, 2017

A 2008 study estimated that it would take 244 hours a year for the typical American internet user to read the privacy policies of all websites he or she visits—and that was before smartphones with dozens of apps, cloud services, and smart home technologies. If you’re like most people, you don’t read them. Florian Schaub, assistant professor of information at… Read More »

How social media affects disaster coverage

By | October 11, 2017

Cliff Lampe, an associate professor of information, says there’s a definite connection between social media and how news organizations cover disasters. For example, after Hurricane Irma hit the U.S. Virgin Islands on Sept. 6, stranded islanders flocked to social media to reach families and friends. Facebook groups quickly formed with residents posting photos, updates, and requests for assistance. As… Read More »

More data transparency needed on Ph.D. programs

By | October 10, 2017

Association of American University members want more institutions to follow U-M’s example when it comes data transparency of their Ph.D. programs. U-M makes publicly available data on admissions, enrollment, funding, time to degree completion and completion rates, along with the results of a basic doctoral exit survey and job placement information. Chief academic officers representing AAU campuses at their annual… Read More »