Look to Michigan: The ‘defining public university of the future’
U-M’s blueprint for the next decade — Vision 2034 — leverages the community’s excellence at scale to confront the future’s most significant challenges, from AI and precision medicine to campus well-being and carbon neutrality.
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UMCI design approved, construction ramps up
U- M’s Board of Regents recently approved the schematic design for the University of Michigan Center for Innovation in Detroit, a six-story building expected to open in spring 2027. The lower floors of the building will host public-facing programs while the upper floors will be dedicated mostly to graduate programs.
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U-M astronomers conduct first search for forming planets with new space telescope
Planets form in disks of dust and gas called protoplanetary disks that whirl around a central protostar during its final assembly. While such disks have been imaged, just two planets have been caught in the act of forming so far. Astronomers are now aiming the James Webb Space Telescope at protoplanetary disks to find clues about the ways in which planets form, and how they influence their natal disk.
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New Michigan poverty map identifies needs related to education, food insecurity, affordable housing
A new data map showcasing diverse indicators of poverty and well-being throughout Michigan highlights the key challenges confronting residents in different parts of the state and suggests interventions for the state’s most critical needs. The latest map features 2021 data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
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Michigan Minds podcast: U-M President Ono shares vision on democracy, engagement
UM’s vision to be the defining public university outlines four areas where the university will make dramatic and focused impact: life-changing education; human health and well-being; democracy, civic and global engagement; and climate action, sustainability and environmental justice.
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Could riding older school buses hinder student performance?
Students who ride newer, cleaner-air buses to school have improved academic performance, according to a U-M study that linked school bus funding information with standardized test scores and found improvements in reading/language arts and math scores when the oldest buses were replaced with newer vehicles.
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Human stem cells coaxed to mimic the very early central nervous system
The first stem cell culture method that produces a full model of the early stages of the human central nervous system has been developed by a team of engineers and biologists at U-M, the Weizmann Institute of Science, and the University of Pennsylvania. The model, which resembles all three sections of the embryonic brain and spinal cord, could shed light on developmental brain diseases.
Columns
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President's Message
From this day forward: ‘Vision 2034’
U-M's focus for the decade will target key areas with the greatest potential for impact. -
Editor's Blog
Something old, something new
Who's ready for an excellent adventure? Just keep an eye peeled for the (virtual) hot lava. -
Climate Blue
Scenes from a warming climate
Ricky Rood reveals creative ways to gain control over the disruptions caused by climate change by planning for multiple scenarios. -
Health Yourself
It’s time to rethink food labels
Rising prices are not the only challenge consumers face in today's grocery aisle.
‘Gateway for innovation’
The University of Michigan Center for Innovation (UMCI) in Detroit is expected to open in spring 2027. The building broke ground in December and preliminary site work has been ongoing. “The UMCI is a catalyst for positive change and, as such, presents itself along Grand River Avenue as a ‘gateway for innovation,’” said Hana Kassem, FAIA, Design Principal, Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF). The first two floors will house public programs, a cafe, and shared office space for the U-M Detroit Center, Admissions Office, School of Environment and Sustainability Clinic, and others. Levels three through six are planned for multidisciplinary graduate research. Watch: MCI design approved, construction ramps up. (All images by Kohn Pedersen Fox.)
