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 »
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 »
Throughout 2017, U-M has celebrated its Bicentennial in many ways. One particularly novel tribute is MGoView. Developed over 15 months at the School of Information, this multifaceted app offers a virtual tour—or augments a physical tour—of 30 sites on the U-M campus. Those on site can use the phone’s camera to view locations and find icons. Offsite, photos… Read More »
Information comes from data, and the data revolution on campus is real. We all feel it as we support our incredibly creative and industrious faculty and students across the University of Michigan.
The university’s third annual Diversity Summit is November 6–10, with a number of central and unit-sponsored events. Be sure to attend these activities.
Over 400 visitors attended the 5th Annual North Campus Research Complex (NCRC) Expo on Wednesday, October 18, 2017. Two teams from Health Information Technology & Services (HITS) were on hand to showcase tech support and research support tools. The Help Me Now walk-up support team talked about the on-demand support they provide for IT products and services, including… Read More »
A contingent of U-M faculty and staff will make their mark at the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference this year, including VPIT-CIO Kelli Trosvig. She is one of ten representatives from the university who will present at the event, which takes place October 31–November 3 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. Trosvig will co-host a session on Supporting Innovation and Collaboration… Read More »
Learn how members of the U-M IT community are employing technology to empower the leaders and best! Register now for the Michigan IT Symposium, where you’ll learn new skills, connect with other IT professionals, and hear from campus leaders and innovators. Details at a Glance When: November 20 (3:30–5:30 p.m.) & November 21 (8:30 a.m.–4 p.m.) Where: Michigan League, Central Campus (Parking… Read More »
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 »
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 »
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 »
Social media have changed how colleges interact and communicate with the world. Every post paints a picture of what a college is like, who makes up its community, and what’s important to them. It’s a 24/7 job that didn’t even exist a few years ago. For Nikki Sunstrum, U-M’s director of social media, that means constant monitoring of what’s happening… Read More »
Michigan IT needs to be one step ahead, which can be challenging because our researchers are moving so quickly. One of the ways we do this is through innovative thinking.
Ranjit Aiyagari, M.D. was recently named chief medical information officer for Michigan Medicine. Aiyagari oversees the Office of Clinical Informatics and works closely with the organization’s chief information and chief clinical officers to bridge the gap between provider-facing technology systems and the strategic goals of the clinical enterprise. Aiyagari recently discussed his role and how it differs from —… Read More »
An interview with the co-facilitators of the Contact Centers Community of Practice: Lisa Callihan (Customer Experience Manager, LSA IT) and Jennifer Herron (IT Business Planning Lead, ITS Infrastructure). What were the initial goals of the Contact Centers Community of Practice? The initial goals of this community were to: Bring together disconnected contact centers from across our 3 campuses Keep track of… Read More »
AT&T, working with Facilities and Operations, Information and Technology Services and numerous contractors, delivered “stealth” antennas that not only restored the beauty of the skyline, but improved network capacity.
Last year, we reported the amazing, first-day usage statistics that made it clear just how much the U-M community relies on WiFi. That was nothing. On the first day of fall term, September 5, 2017, wireless network traffic increased by three times compared to fall 2016. Total unique devices observed: 100,087 Number of authenticated users on MWireless: 57,789 Number of… Read More »
Lisa Callihan (LSA IT customer experience manager) and Michael Morabito (Secure-24 client services manager) presented at the Help Desk Institute (HDI) local chapter meeting on September 14 in Southfield, MI. Their presentation, “Creating the Ideal Customer Service Experience,” was an interactive experience with two industry experts discussing the importance of building a customer service philosophy and culture. They… Read More »
This month marks one year since Health Information Technology & Services formed. To celebrate its first anniversary, HITS published a Year in Review, which highlights the organization’s major accomplishments, measures the breadth and impact of Health IT, and introduces inspiring staff who play a key role in advancing the mission of Michigan Medicine through technology. “Over the last… Read More »
Ever since I was a child, September has been my favorite month. While the last weeks of summer are one of the busiest times of the year for those of us in IT, I still feel that same sense of excitement when students and faculty return to campus, bringing their energy and vibrancy. I appreciate all the work that takes place across our campuses to make this happen.