Category Archives: Campus News

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AI-powered interviewer provides guided reflection exercises during COVID-19 pandemic

By | June 22, 2020
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The virtual interviewer uses therapeutic writing techniques to help users cope with difficult situations. A virtual interviewer powered by natural language processing offers socially-distanced support for people facing trying times. The dialogue system, designed by a collaborative team from the University of Michigan and the University of Texas at Austin, takes inspiration from counseling strategies like motivational interviewing… Read More »

Why accessible material helps everyone

By | June 22, 2020
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Accessible materials are a good basic practice precisely because they are often easier for all students to understand and process. Creating accessible materials helps all learners in your course and provides them with equal access to course materials and learning opportunities. Digital accessibility like consistent semantic markup and clean links makes it easier for everyone to navigate and… Read More »

UM-Dearborn ‘Maker Lab’ staff are making 3D-printed PPE from home

By | June 22, 2020
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3D printed straps for masks

ECE Senior Electronics Technician Jesse Cross and MSEL Assistant Director Shawn Simone both have their assigned 50-pound MakerBot Replicator 3D printers running on their kitchen tables. Senior engineering technician Matt Brown figured out the basement was the best place to muffle the printer’s regular “beeps and boops.” And Engineering Technician Josh Postell tucked his in a spare bedroom… Read More »

Anthony Waas awarded ASME Warner T. Koiter medal

By | June 19, 2020
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Tony Waas

Aerospace Department Chair Anthony Waas was awarded the American Society of Engineers Warner T Koiter Medal.  The American Society of Mechanical Engineers Warner T. Koiter Medal recognizes distinguished contributions to the field of solid mechanics with an emphasis on the effective blending of theoretical and applied elements and a high degree of leadership in the international solid mechanics… Read More »

How simple video editing can improve recorded lectures

By | June 19, 2020
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Transitioning to online lecturing may seem daunting at first, but LSA Learning and Teaching Technology Consultants have shared some tricks and tips for making it easier.  According to the consultants, recording an hour-long lecture with slides to mimic a typical, in-person meeting reduces information retention and effectiveness of the instruction. Instead, lecturers should consider making shorter video lectures… Read More »

COVID-19 can’t stop community engaged learning

By | June 19, 2020
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(A small gymnasium filled with opened and unopened cardboard boxes sitting on tables.)

High-touch, hands-on engagement programs are continuing to connect students with community organizations by finding more creative ways to serve and offer programming. Although COVID-19 has paused and scrambled many engagement activities and programs, Leaders of Project Community in the Department of Sociology; Citizen Interaction Design out of the School of Information; the College of Literature, Science, and the… Read More »

New remote voting risks and solutions identified

By | June 19, 2020
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In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, many jurisdictions have been examining new voting technologies for the upcoming presidential election. It appears, however, that these technologies are not secure. University of Michigan and MIT election security researchers have found vulnerabilities in OmniBallot, an internet voting and ballot delivery system which 14 states are either using or plan to… Read More »

MiXR Studios Podcast: Creating an XR Nuclear Reactor

By | June 19, 2020
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(Illustration of a nuclear reactor, glowing blue.)

This MiXR Studios podcast explores nuclear engineering and the recreation of the decommissioned Ford Nuclear Reactor in virtual reality with Brendan Kochunas, assistant professor of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences at U-M.  In 2003, the Ford Nuclear Reactor was decommissioned. This forced U-M students to find and visit other reactors for hands-on learning. To enhance the learning goals… Read More »

Odelberg receives fellowship to help run the world with low-power batteryless circuits

By | June 19, 2020
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Trevor Odelberg

Ph.D. student Trevor Odelberg received a National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship for his research on low power circuits and devices. By combining low-power energy circuits with energy harvesting systems, the need for battery replacements (and batteries altogether) can be reduced, enabling new applications in big data and The Internet of Things.  “It’s just physically impossible to… Read More »

optiMize funds COVID-19 Community Aid Efforts

By | June 19, 2020
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Food pantry

optiMize, a student-led incubator at the University of Michigan, launched a $25,000 Community Aid Relief Fund in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The relief fund aims to provide mutual aid and community-based projects in Washtenaw county. Students at U-M, Eastern Michigan University, and Washtenaw Community College were eligible to apply for up to $5,000 in funding. optiMize received… Read More »

Matthew Belz receives fellowship to improve the safety of autonomous systems

By | June 19, 2020
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Matthew Belz

Ph.D. student Matthew Belz received a National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship for a new research project to create a jamming-resistant radar chip to improve the safety of autonomous vehicles.  Belz will begin the project in the fall. Currently, he is finishing a project joint with the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab to design a specialized circuit to… Read More »

New machine learning method improves testing of stem-like tumor cells for breast cancer research

By | June 19, 2020
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(Illustration of growing cancer tumor.)

Prof. Euisik Yoon’s research group has developed a new, faster method to identify cancer stem-like cells (CSCs), which could help improve the effectiveness of cancer treatments. CSCs can develop tumors and cause a cancer relapse after a patient’s treatment. CSCs are generally resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, so therapeutics that directly target CSCs may improve the success of… Read More »

NERS Chair Todd Allen elected chair of NEDHO

By | June 19, 2020
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Todd Allen

Todd Allen has officially been elected as the Vice-Chair/Chair Elect of the Nuclear Engineering Department Heads Organization (NEDHO). NEDHO is comprised of 36 different nuclear engineering departments. It describes itself as “a loosely formed alliance of heads (chairs) of nuclear engineering schools, departments, and programs in North America. NEDHO was formed to provide a forum for discussion, coordination,… Read More »

UMSI researchers awarded COVID-19 data science grant to study student mobility patterns

By | June 19, 2020
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The Michigan Institute of Data Science (MIDAS) recently awarded three University of Michigan School of Information (UMSI) researchers COVID-19 data science grants. Research fellow Quan Nguyen, assistant professor Christopher Brooks and assistant professor Daniel Romero will receive funding for “Students’ mobility patterns on campus and the implications for the recovery of campus activities post-pandemic.”  This project will examine… Read More »

Black computer scientists, including U-M professors, call to dismantle racism in the field

By | June 15, 2020
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Black in Computing and Our Allies for Equity and Fairness

Signers of an open letter raise the alarm on interpersonal and institutional racism as well as racial bias occurring from improper development and use of computing technology. A coalition of black computer scientists has drafted an open letter to the computing community, calling for action to address systemic and structural inequities. They ask for equal partnership in the leadership… Read More »

New app analyzes how social distancing affects biological clocks

By | June 15, 2020
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Almost overnight, the sleep and wake patterns of nearly four billion people may have changed because of COVID-19-spurred lockdowns. A free app built by University of Michigan researchers will help users understand their own sleep rhythms, shedding light on how their biological clock is responding to lockdowns, and give tips about how to shift their potentially disrupted rhythms… Read More »

New online platform for mental health resources amid pandemic

By | June 15, 2020
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Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) recently announced SilverCloud, an online tool that provides access to mental health resources to students and faculty. The program features a series of modules individuals can work through at their own pace. Although the program is not intended to replace in-person mental health help, SilverCloud is designed to help students and faculty with… Read More »

MiXR Studios Podcast: Nursing clinical simulations with guest Michelle Aebersold

By | June 12, 2020
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Michelle Aebersold, University of Michigan Clinical Professor of Nursing

This week’s MiXR Studios podcast explored nursing simulations and extended reality (XR) from Second Life in discussion with Michelle Aebersold.  Michelle Aebersold, a U-M clinical professor of nursing, spoke about her journey into XR and her efforts to build multi-user simulations at the School of Nursing, starting with Second Life and continuing today using virtual reality (VR). She… Read More »

Project Health Schools responds to remote learning environment

By | June 12, 2020
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A student enjoys an apple.

Project Healthy Schools is a community-Michigan Medicine collaboration designed to reduce childhood obesity and improve the current and future health of Michigan’s youth.  Through lessons and wellness activities, Project Healthy Schools enables middle school students to increase physical activity, eat healthier, and understand how nutrition and activity influence their lifelong health. When Gov. Gretchen Whitmer canceled classroom instruction… Read More »

Open-source software helps youth with disabilities develop scheduling independence

By | June 12, 2020
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The system can add more flexibility to task management apps to help learning users make informed decisions about their time. Keeping a handle on life’s many demands is hard on its own. Part of growing up is learning how to handle planning and scheduling – and with a world of apps to help, it’s gotten easier for teens and… Read More »