The final column from Professor Richard Bailey (1939 - 2011).
For U-M's first 50 years or so, grades were unknown. But the push for a rigorous letter-grade system came from an unlikely source.
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Alumni
A new anthology of US poets laureate gathers the best poems of some of America's best poets. Among them: four geniuses who taught at U-M.
One of Hollywood's greatest actors also ranked among its most powerful women.
Ideas
The economic damage of auto job losses is much worse than previously measured, says a U-M study. A Q-and-A on the layoff ripple effect.
Faculty
What do dust storms have in common with the prospects of finding life on Mars, and a multi-billion dollar problem for the electronics industry? U-M professor Nilton Renno has the answers.
On Campus
Michigan's new governor will speak to Michigan's class of 2011 at Michigan Stadium on April 30. Several prominent figures will receive honorary degrees, including Stephen Ross, William Clay Ford, Jr., and Spike Lee.
Research News
In a surprise discovery that overturns a century-old tenet of physics, U-M professor Stephen Rand and his team found that a light field can generate magnetic effects that are 100 million times stronger than previously expected. The discovery could lead to a revolution in solar power.
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A splendid exhibit of folk art at the U-M Museum of Art.
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U-M in the News
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U-M rated among the top schools for Return on Investment by Businessweek; Could Michigan's economy rebound faster than the rest of the country's? Football player Vada Murray remembered; U-M's entrepreneurial spirit; and more.
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Health
Older adults don't have to accept the loss of strength and muscle as they age. A U-M study finds that, contrary to common belief, even people in their 70s and 80s can build "significant strength improvement" with simple exercises.
Students
U-M's solar car team unveiled its latest vehicle, the Quantum, this month. After six (count 'em) consecutive national titles, the team this year is pushing to win the World Solar Challenge in Australia in October.
Research News
U-M professor Lutgarde Raskin and her collaborators have developed what's called an "anaerobic membrane bioreactor" that could make it possible to turn municipal wastewater into energy.
Health
A new program at U-M aims to help patients with depression manage their symptoms by making someone who cares about them an important part of their treatment.
Environment
The blitzkrieg advance of two closely related species of mussels—the zebra and quagga—is stripping the lakes of their life-supporting algae, resulting in a remarkable ecological transformation and threatening the multibillion-dollar U.S. commercial and recreational Great Lakes fisheries.