Category Archives: Campus News

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Erin Dietrich joins HITS as senior director for Research Applications & Advanced Computing

By | April 24, 2018
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ERIN DIETRICH

  Erin Dietrich joined Health Information Technology & Services (HITS) as the new senior director for Research Applications & Advanced Computing in March. As a member of the HITS senior team, Erin provides leadership for operational coordination and strategic guidance of the information technologies and services that support the research mission of Michigan Medicine. She works with U-M… Read More »

At what cost WiFi?

By | April 24, 2018
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WiFi graphic with device icons

A recent “Inside Higher Ed” article examines how colleges, including U-M, are committing considerable resources to keep up with students’ expectation that wireless internet should be free, fast, and everywhere. The U-M Ann Arbor campus embarked on an ambitious Wi-Fi upgrade five years ago that required meticulous planning. In some areas the wired network had to be extended, and new wireless… Read More »

Connecting music and big data

By | April 23, 2018
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Four U-M research teams will receive support for projects that apply data science tools to the study of music theory, performance, social media-based music making, and the connection between words and music. The funding is provided under the Data Science for Music Challenge Initiative through the Michigan Institute for Data Science (MIDAS). The projects include digital analysis of… Read More »

New tools may serve as virtual tutors for students in coding classes

By | April 20, 2018
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Steve Oney

Getting help in programming courses outside of instructors’ office hours can be difficult, but a new tool called “chat.codes” may help change that. Steve Oney, assistant professor of information at the U-M School of Information (UMSI) and of electrical engineering and computer science at the College of Engineering, has received a National Science Foundation grant of $174,981 for his… Read More »

What happened when the dean’s office stopped sending emails after hours

By | April 17, 2018
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email icon showing 14,359 unread messages

When LSA English professor Anne Curzan became associate dean for humanities several years ago, she—like many professors who take on administrative roles—was overwhelmed by the uptick in email traffic she faced. It also became clear that the majority of people in the dean’s office were swimming in email as well, spending hours every evening dealing with messages that had… Read More »

Helping students maintain mental wellbeing in a digital world

By | April 13, 2018
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Campus Mind Works, a student wellness group that promotes mental health education and provides support through the U-M Depression Center, recently held a seminar on the potentially harmful effects of a world increasingly dependent on technology. Held in partnership with the College of Engineering, the Newnan LSA Academic Advising Center, and clinical staff affiliated with the Department of… Read More »

U-M recognized as leader in GIS by Esri

By | April 13, 2018
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Esri logo

Earlier this year U-M was invited to participate in the informal Esri Development Center (EDC) program. We join a small number of universities recognized as leaders in GIS teaching and research. While the EDC program was initially conceived with a focus on development in the traditional sense—coding and programming of geographic information system (GIS) solutions—U-M was identified as… Read More »

How telemedicine can be a key lifeline after surgery

By | April 12, 2018
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hand holding mobile phone with medical graphic

A growing number of Michigan Medicine patients are participating in an innovative new approach to patient care: Surgery eClinics, which facilitate follow-up visits via video conferencing. The concept of telemedicine and video medicine isn’t new. But its application in the field of surgery has been relatively limited. Similar to the house calls of old, the virtual clinic approach… Read More »

“Father of the Internet” retires from U-M

By | April 11, 2018
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Douglas Van Houweling, UMSI professor of information, also known as the “Father of the Internet,” retired in April after a long, remarkable career at UMSI and U-M. During his time at U-M, Van Houweling has served as UMSI associate dean for research and innovation; U-M dean for academic outreach and vice provost for information and technology; and U-M… Read More »

Fragmented U.S. privacy laws leave large data loopholes

By | April 10, 2018
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man at computer viewed through a magnifying glass

Florian Schaub, an assistant professor at U-M and a privacy expert, notes in a recent article that the patchwork of U. S. laws and regulations that govern data collection and privacy leave loopholes for companies to exploit. For example, Federal laws strictly protect medical, financial, and education-related records. However, online services, apps, and data collection by emerging technologies… Read More »

Digital privacy a risk for undocumented immigrants

By | April 10, 2018
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phones and disk array connected to lock

Undocumented immigrants tend to be careful about public life: They limit contact with authorities, keep close-knit circles, and avoid loitering too long in parks, supermarkets, shows and other public gatherings. Some even avoid driving altogether. But when it comes to their smartphones, they struggle to apply this instinctive caution, according to a study by the U-M School of… Read More »

New IT leadership at LSA, SSW

By | April 5, 2018
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After a nationwide search, the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts recently announced that Cathleen Curley will be the college’s new chief information officer as of April 24, 2018. Curley is currently the executive director of strategy & planning at Information and Technology Services. She is known for her passion, strategic thinking, creating a collaborative work environment, and… Read More »

Gupta Family Hackathon spurs health communication innovation

By | March 30, 2018
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The first-ever Gupta Family Hackathon for Health Communication brought together more than 120 participants over the weekend of March 23-25 to help address real-world problems related to health communication. The result: 30 new solutions, from apps and websites to devices and electronic medical record innovations. Four of those ideas emerged as winners, but all hold the potential to keep moving forward toward… Read More »

UMSI wins recognition from CHI

By | March 29, 2018
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CHI 2018 logo

U-M School of Information (UMSI) faculty and PhD students have been awarded two Best Papers and three Honorable Mention designations for this year’s Computer-Human Interaction (CHI) conference, a significant recognition in the field. The Association for Computing Machinery’s CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems is the premier international conference of human-computer interaction. This year, “CHI 2018: Engage with… Read More »

‘Big Tech’ isn’t one big monopoly

By | March 26, 2018
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Monopoly rich man character holding money bags surrounded by tech logos

Concern about Facebook’s power in society – and in politics – has skyrocketed in the wake of revelations that users’ data was used in targeted political ads in advance of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Other tech giants have also sparked concern: Google, Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft have all faced objections from users, the public, and even government agencies. But in a recent article, Amanda Lotz,… Read More »

Parenting, tweens, and tech

By | March 22, 2018
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10 years old pre teen girl lying down on sofa and playing with smartphone

According to a new report from the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health, parents may struggle balancing the need for independence with appropriate supervision as children hit the “tween” stage between early elementary grades and the teenage years. And modern technology has changed the ground rules. Nearly all parents of tweens ages 9-12 agree that… Read More »