The power of big data in areas like business analytics and advertising is well established and burgeoning, but a growing movement within data science is exploring applications that benefit society as a whole — not just a single company or client. More than 100 researchers at U-M, in fields ranging from public health and biostatistics to social work… Read More »
School of Information graduate student John Traylor knew the work he was doing in Puerto Rico to shore up communications infrastructure some nine months after Hurricane Maria was important, but it wasn’t until the project was finished that he fully understood the impact. That’s when one of the residents came by and uttered one very recognizable word—”Wi-Fi”—and delightedly… Read More »
From understanding the influence of congressional members’ Twitter accounts to discussing why the global crude oil price rose again after 2016, the second annual Data for Public Good Symposium will showcase the unique ways in which students, faculty, staff and community members have analyzed and assessed data to benefit others. The conference takes place 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Feb.… Read More »
Part of the mission of the U-M Women in IT Community of Practice is to help build the pipeline of women IT professionals. As such, the CoP is calling for volunteers from the U-M community to support the Hour of Code at Ann Arbor Public Schools December 3-7 to help introduce all students to computer science. Anyone can… Read More »
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 »
Detroit Startup Week is a volunteer-led event, planned and promoted by Detroit enthusiasts who share common goals of lifting entrepreneurs and startups to their full potential.
More than 1,500 gamers from all over the world participated in person and online in a momentous weekend fundraising event held at the EMU Convocation Center in April. Their purpose: raise money to provide entertainment devices for kids at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, and other hospitalized children across the United States. The event was hosted by Gamers for… Read More »
What happens when you trade up your old tech at Computer Showcase through March 31? You get instant store credit toward a new technology purchase. We donate an extra 10% of your trade-in value to Dance Marathon at the University of Michigan! Your tech. Your computer store. For the kids. Computer Showcase is making a donation to Dance Marathon for every hardware… Read More »
Because of the exceptional efforts of the Women in IT Community of Practice, the University of Michigan, and Thomson Reuters, elementary school students in Ann Arbor Public Schools got an introduction to coding during the 2017 Hour of Code event, November 27–December 8. The result of their combined work: 80 volunteers signed up to support 72 volunteers assigned to… Read More »
After a successful pilot in the spring of 2017, the Michigan IT Steering Committee is launching the Michigan IT Mentor program, a new option for U-M IT staff to expand their networks, share knowledge, and work towards professional development goals. Mentors and mentees who participated in the pilot shared that their commitment of time is relatively minor compared… Read More »
The UM-Dearborn Career Center hosted Girls Are IT! STEAM JAM 2017 on October 18. This half-day workshop targeted 50 middle school (grade 6-8) girls from Detroit Public Schools Community District. UM-Dearborn, Detroit Public Schools Community District, and Ford Motor partnered to deliver educational opportunities in STEAM for these students. These highly committed and cohesive teams worked together to… Read More »
On October 14, 2017, more than 3,700 women and girls dressed as the iconic Rosie the Riveter—dark blue work clothes, red socks, and the effervescent, red-and-white polka-dot bandana. Together, they set a new world record of the most people dressed as Rosie the Riveter gathered in one place. Kudos to all Michigan IT staff who participated! Here’s what some… Read More »
On November 9, computer science students from Skyline High School were treated to a special tour of the Michigan Academic Computing Center (MACC). Seventy-one students were split into shifts to walk through the data center, talk about what makes it work, and see some of its key components. Brock Palen, director of Advanced Research Computing-Technology Services (ARC-TS), arranged the… Read More »
On November 28, join us for a special celebration of U-M’s 200th birthday on Giving Blueday. There are many worthy causes to choose from, including “science, tech, and environment.”
Computers are everywhere, changing every industry on the planet, but fewer than half of all schools teach computer science. Girls and minorities are severely underrepresented in computer science classes, and in the tech industry. The good news is there are ways to change this situation, and you can help. U-M groups such as the Women in IT Community… Read More »
In a high school classroom in Lima, Peru, a group of students are programming a 3-D printer. Later on, the students—who until then have not had previous programming experience—will be learning to code with Python, eventually building tech projects with social impact. It’s all part of United Technologies for Kids (UTK), an NGO startup that U-M sophomore Giuliana… Read More »
Over the past three years, a group of volunteers from Health Information Technology & Services (HITS) has completely upgraded all technology services at the Ronald McDonald House of Ann Arbor, a valuable resource for thousands of families with children requiring critical and essential medical care. Many HITS staff members generously donated their time and skills to make… Read More »
Authoritarian rule and fake news are among the topics for the University of Michigan Teach-Out Series, a new open online opportunity for global learners. President Mark Schlissel kicked off an Academic Innovation forum March 13 with the announcement of the first four global community learning events on the edX platform, intended to encourage public discourse about relevant issues.… Read More »
The School of Information has announced the future establishment of two new information centers to improve communications infrastructure in underserved communities, and advance data usage by organizations that serve populations in those areas. The centers will be designed and managed by Edward Happ, a global IT leader with a background in nonprofit management, consulting, financial information services, and technology.… Read More »
Computer Showcase will make a donation to Dance Marathon at the University of Michigan for every trade-in through April 1. Here’s what happens when you trade up your old tech at Computer Showcase through April 1: You get instant store credit toward a new technology purchase. We donate an extra 10% of your trade-in value to Dance Marathon… Read More »