Category Archives: Campus News

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U-M part of new software institute on high-energy physics

By | September 10, 2018

The University of Michigan is part of an NSF-supported 17-university coalition dedicated to creating next-generation computing power to support high-energy physics research. Led by Princeton University, the Institute for Research and Innovation in Software for High Energy Physics (IRIS-HEP) will focus on developing software and expertise to enable a new era of discovery at the Large Hadron Collider… Read More »

U-M physicist researches material that could aid quantum computing

By | September 7, 2018

Quantum materials are a type of substance that could be many times more efficient at conducting electricity through smartphones than the commonly used conductor silicon—if only researchers can crack how the stuff works. U-M physicist Lu Li has gotten one step closer with detailing the conductive properties of a novel quantum material called ytterbium dodecaboride that works as both… Read More »

Art & Design professor aims to make technology more personable

By | September 6, 2018

When most people think of a cyborg, they may think of a half-human, half-machine hybrid akin to Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Terminator.” Sophia Brueckner would argue a bit differently about what being a cyborg means, as she considers herself to be one. “To me, being a cyborg doesn’t just mean biohacking or body modification. There are other ways we… Read More »

Is your kid glued to his phone? It may be a way to deal with a chaotic world

By | September 5, 2018

Parents might shake their heads at kids huddled in the corner of a restaurant booth, playing games on their tablets. But actually, the kids might be creating a comfortable space in a chaotic world they are not prepared to manage. A new U-M survey suggests that the more often kids use media devices to modulate their environments, the… Read More »

Spying on remote screens—through the webcam mic

By | September 4, 2018

Ever wonder what the people on the other end of a Hangouts session are really looking at on their screens? With a little help from machine learning, you might be able to take a peek over their shoulders. Based on research published by Daniel Genkin, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the College of Engineering,… Read More »

Pushing Big Data to rapidly advance patient care

By | September 4, 2018

Today, the breakneck pace of biomedical discovery is outstripping clinicians’ ability to incorporate this new knowledge into practice. Charles Friedman, of the U-M Medical School, and his colleagues recently wrote about a possible way technology offers a solution for moving research out of journals and into the clinic faster. Their approach focuses on harnessing the power of technology to… Read More »

LSA IT honored for special achievement in GIS

Esri, the global leader in spatial analytics, presented LSA IT with Esri’s Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award on July 11 at the annual Esri User Conference. Selected from over 300,000 eligible candidates, LSA IT received the award for its innovative application of mapping, data analytics, and thought leadership in higher-education research and teaching. The SAG Awards are meant… Read More »

Introducing LSA Technology Services

On August 23, 2018, the College of LSA announced the creation of LSA Technology Services, a new organization that unites the LSA Information Technology, Instructional Support Services, Management and Information Systems, and Web Service teams into a single, cohesive unit. Andrew D. Martin, dean of LSA, and Cathy Curley, chief information officer of LSA, made the announcement. “This… Read More »

ITS v. HITS Backpack Challenge has its winner: the kids!

A friendly challenge ITS issued to HITS this summer became a huge win for local school children! The goal was donate 100 backpacks filled with school supplies. The challenge results far exceeded the goal, resulting in 160 fully loaded backpacks for local grade and middle school students. HITS had an amazing first year with the Backpack Challenge, surpassing… Read More »

Bringing online harassers to justice

By | August 24, 2018

Online harassment usually originates from deviants operating in dark corners of  the internet. But research shows that, more and more, anyone online is capable of becoming a troll. Efforts to curb this behavior have not been effective because they approach the problem with the wrong tools, says Sarita Schoenebeck, assistant professor of information at the School of Information (UMSI).… Read More »

Fake news detector developed at U-M works better than a human

By | August 22, 2018

An algorithm-based system that identifies telltale linguistic cues in fake news stories could provide news aggregator and social media sites like Google News with a new weapon in the fight against misinformation. Led by computer science and engineering professor Rada Mihalcea, the U-M researchers who developed the system have demonstrated that it’s comparable to and sometimes better than humans… Read More »

Researchpalooza 2018

Games, prizes, and a T-Rex. Researchpalooza was the largest-ever! More than 4,000 faculty and staff perused 91 different offices and labs that serve biomedical research across campus. HITS was on hand to showcase their at-the-elbow support with “Help Me Now.” They were alongside the Research Engagement team who shared IT solutions and MiChart Research staff who helped guests… Read More »

China’s ‘Big Brother’: New surveillance system rates citizens’ behavior

By | August 17, 2018

If your quality of life depended on a surveillance-focused rating system that tracked your behavior, how would you fare? In a newly published study, U-M researcher Muzammil Hussain and his doctoral students analyzed the processes and stakeholders involved in China’s Social Credit System (SCS)—a new punishment/reward program that uses scores to determine whether citizens and organizations are able… Read More »

Intel processor vulnerability could put millions of PCs at risk

By | August 17, 2018

 Researchers at U-M were part of a group that discovered a new processor vulnerability that could potentially put secure information at risk in any Intel-based PC manufactured since 2008. It could affect users who rely on a digital lockbox feature known as Intel Software Guard Extensions, or SGX, as well as those who utilize common cloud-based services,… Read More »

Equifax data breach: Consumers knew but took little action

By | August 15, 2018

When the Equifax data breach impacting nearly 147 million people occurred just over a year ago most consumers took little to no action to protect themselves despite the risk of identity theft, U-M researchers found. In comprehensive interviews with 24 consumers, a team of researchers at the School of Information led by Yixin Zou and Florian Schaub found… Read More »

ECoach shows impressive growth & adoption across U-M

By | August 13, 2018

ECoach is a digital platform that was originally developed by a research team led by Timothy McKay, professor of physics, astronomy, and education, to create a tailored communication system for introductory large-scale courses at U-M. ECoach provides personalized and timely feedback to students on how to succeed with content informed by behavioral science techniques such as motivational affirmation and… Read More »

Michigan Medicine CIO addresses the biggest misconception about health IT

Becker’s Healthcare recently interviewed Andrew Rosenberg, MD, Michigan Medicine CIO and associate professor of anesthesiology and internal medicine. Rosenberg addressed what he believes is the biggest misconception about health IT, as well as the most (and least) exciting things he see happening in the field. Rosenberg will present a keynote address during the Becker’s Hospital Review 4th Annual Health… Read More »

Free online course certification will extend to U-M alumni

By | August 9, 2018

Beginning September 4, the University of Michigan’s 583,000 alumni worldwide can join faculty, staff, and students from all three campuses to earn individual course and course series certificates offered by Michigan Online at no cost. Michigan Online is U-M’s new global learning community that puts digital learning opportunities all in one place. The announcement by the Office of… Read More »

U-M startup uses analytics to improve patient monitoring

By | August 3, 2018

When U-M researchers started getting spontaneous hugs from nurses while testing Fifth Eye, their new patient monitoring system, they knew they were on to something. Developed using machine learning and sophisticated signal processing, Fifth Eye monitors a single streaming EKG lead. Based on the activity of the heart, the system’s analytics can predict if a patient will deteriorate several hours… Read More »