Nineteen U-M faculty members have been elected AAAS Fellows for 2012, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) announced in early December. This is the most of any institution in the United States.

The Ross School may not have completely closed the gender pay gap between men and women in 2012, but it came pretty close, according to exclusive research from Bloomberg Businessweek showing the wage gap at many top schools getting worse. Ross stands out from the pack because it has managed to consistently achieve or nearly achieve gender pay parity since 2008.

Current Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will leave a distinctive legacy as he steps down from his post, and the president must decide whether to maintain Geithner-style policies or change course. Apart from his credentials and economic outlook, Geithner has certainly faced an uphill battle since assuming the position in 2009, in the midst of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. As the secretary prepares for his departure, U-M professor Michael Barr examines his legacy.

You can’t mistake the trend: A graying population and revised policies determining who gets priority for donated organs have led to a rising proportion of older adults receiving transplants. At U-M, the age limit is 65, though Dr. Kevin Chan, the transplant program’s medical director, acknowledges some fit older patients do get transplanted.

The Association of American Universities—whose executive committee includes U-M President Mary Sue Coleman—has called on President Obama for “meaningful action” on gun control. In the statement, the association asked Obama and Congress to “seek effective means of mitigating this scourge of American life.”

U-M is researching an ultrasound scalpel that can detach a single cancer cell from surrounding tissue. The team, led by Professor Jay Guo, found a way to change laser light into sound energy. The researchers’ system is unique because it converts the light to sound, then focuses the beam to a tiny spot and amplifies the signal through very efficient carbon nanotubes.