With the new year comes a new Michigan Today, one that is designed to adapt to your desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

Our new layout is designed to enhance your experience and help you navigate through current and archived content with the greatest of ease.

Stories now are grouped according to topic and/or column (see top navigation). This is great news for fans of our monthly contributors and columnists:

• James Tobin (Heritage)
• Vic Katch (Health Yourself)
• Anne Curzan (Talking about Words)
• and Frank Beaver (Talking About Movies).

Use the top navigation bar and the pulldown menus to peruse stories you may have missed the first time around. Each week, I’ll showcase a gem from the editorial catalog … so come back often!

Submit and read Letters to the Editor by opening the Letters heading on your top navigation bar.

Alumni Notes, Memories, and Books all appear under the Alumni heading. (In revisiting the content in its new home, I found the Alumni Memories especially rich — often hilarious.)

Contributions to all of these sections are welcome. Michigan Today is always better when your voice is included.

Some fun new features: In the comments section, you now will be able to interact with other commenters by replying directly to specific posts. In addition, we’ve got a new sidebar space along each story that allows for related content. Remember to scan that sidebar for additional pieces that may pique your interest. One story may well turn into four.

I am really looking forward to some newfound flexibility with the site and having some fun with social media, connecting with you, and sharing in this experience. You have so many great stories. Do tell.

Please note the new site is very much a work in progress. Slide shows from the previous site will soon appear.  The archived editorial is undergoing constant review and never-ending makeover. Despite all the whiz bang technology we enjoy these days, some stories took a left turn when they ported over from the previous system. A photo (or several) may have gone missing, callouts may have gone awry, paragraph breaks may be on an actual break … So please understand as we continue to refine the site, discovering in real time just what is working and what is not.

I hope you enjoy this debut issue in the new format. Feel free to email me with story ideas and other thoughts at mtoday@umich.edu. Your feedback is always welcome.

Best regards
Deborah Holdship, Editor