How Michigan planted its flag on Greenland — or tried to

Explorers, circa 1920s, aboard a ship en route to Greenland.

When U-M researcher William Herbert Hobbs traveled to Greenland in the 1920s, he set off on a spree with a map and a pencil, planting Michigan-connected names on practically any feature of the landscape that caught his eye.

  1. Beautiful piece of "modern Jewish bread" by baker Marissa Wojcik.

    Braiding an identity from history and challah

    Baker and blogger Marissa Wojcik, BA ’16, combines her love of Jewish family tradition with a streak of culinary curiosity to adapt centuries-old recipes for the modern-day foodie. Pass the Canadian Poutine Challah, and try the Chicago Hot Dog Babka.

  2. A pack of Michigan alumni, caucasian females dressed in Hail shirts, looks very happy.

    Big chill? Not in this ‘Circle of Estrogen’

    It’s been 40 years since ‘The Big Chill’ examined the nature of lifelong bonds — the ones forged in college — that couldn’t survive the real world. In the case of 12 alumnae who met as U-M freshmen in 1985, those bonds remain as solid as the day they moved into Alice Lloyd Hall.

  3. Scientist in profile blows huge flame from her mouth.

    A new generation of scientists

    Kate Biberdorf, BS ’08, may be a chemistry professor at the University of Texas at Austin but aspiring scientists and fans know her as’ Kate the Chemist,’ an entertainer and bestselling author. She created the persona as a way of reaching new audiences and inspiring young minds to pursue STEM fields.

  4. Caucasian professor in gray shirt stands against brown wall with hands folded.

    ‘VR is not the next SmartPhone’

    Jeremy Bailenson, BS ’94, served as one of the consultants on the $2.3-billion Sphere in Las Vegas, the groundbreaking immersive entertainment venue. Extended reality isn’t just for play, he says. Impactful learning experiences are among the technology’s most impressive benefits.

  5. Black and white photo of a caucasian priest wearing a collar with African American female sitting on a desk.

    The unsinkable Sarah E. Ray

    In 1945, Sarah Elizabeth Ray was denied passage on a ferry on the Detroit River because she was Black. She fought the injustice, became a civil rights activist, and her case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Now, her legacy is being preserved in a collection coming to the Bentley Historical Library.

  6. Bearded caucasian man with an eye patch, wearing an Ann Arbor t-shirt in front of a banner that reads Help Ukraine, which is signed by many people.

    Kinesiology professor brings compassion, hope to refugee children

    As the Russia-Ukraine war developed, soccer fan Michal Lorenc found an unexpected calling, reuniting him with his birthplace in Lublin, Poland, to bring joy to its most vulnerable — the children.

A march toward madness — the NCAA kind

The Dusty May era of the University of Michigan men’s basketball team opened the regular season with a victory at home on Nov. 4, defeating Cleveland State 101-53. It was a great beginning to what is shaping up to be a thrilling season. Enjoy these highlights so far — and let’s forget that loss to MSU for a moment — as the team forges a hopeful path toward the annual March Madness tournament. (Captions were sourced from mgoblue.com.)

  • Close call

    In his return to Columbus Feb. 16, Roddy Gayle Jr. scored nine points and pulled down eight rebounds to beat Ohio State 86-83. With the game tied at 80 with less than two minutes to go, Gayle gave Michigan an 82-80 lead. The Wolverines’ win over the Buckeyes marked its 20th victory of the season, the 32nd time in program history the Wolverines have reached 20-plus wins and the first time since the 2020-21 season. (Image credit: Rick Osentoski, Michigan Photography.)

    Michigan basketball player Roddy Gayle Jr. outperforms an OSU opponent for victory against the Buckeyes in Feb. 2025

  • Take that, Purdue

    Leading by four points with under a minute to play on Feb. 11, Rubin Jones slammed home a missed layup, giving Michigan a 73-67 lead with 39 seconds to go. Despite two three-point baskets from Purdue, Danny Wolf made two free throws to close out the game, securing the win. (Image credit: Andrew Mascharka, Michigan Photography.)

    Michigan basketball player No. 15 Rubin Jones celebrates slamming home a missed layup against Purdue.

  • A point per minute

    The Wolverines defeated Oregon behind five double-figure scorers and 25 points off turnovers in the annual Breast Cancer Awareness game on Feb. 5. Will Tschetter led the way with 17 points in only 17 minutes. (Image credit: Andrew Mascharka, Michigan Photography.)

    Michigan basketball player No. 42 Will Tschetter scores against Oregon.

  • And they called it the streak

    Tre Donaldson led U-M to victory against Penn State on Jan. 27 with 21 points, seven assists, and four steals. Meanwhile, the Wolverines showcased a deep bench, with nine players contributing to the scoring effort. With this victory, Michigan hit 10-0 at home, the program’s longest home winning streak since the 2020-21 season. (Image credit: Daryl Marshke, Michigan Photography.)

    Michigan basketball player No. 3, Tre Donaldson, reacts to No. 42, Will Tschetter, in a game agains Penn State.

  • Team highs

    Vladislav Goldin’s 31 points led U-M to an 80-76 win in overtime against Northwestern on Jan. 19. It was his second game with 30 or more points. Goldin led all scorers in the matchup, including a career-high 10 free throw makes on 10-for-12 shooting from the line. (Image credit: Christina Merrill,  Michigan Photography.)

    Vladislav Goldin and Roddy Gayle Jr. celebrate a sweet score against Northwestern.

  • Welcome to the Big Ten, Cali

    Career highs took Michigan to a 94-75 victory against UCLA on Jan. 8. Vladislav Goldin led all scorers for a career-high of 36 points. Tre Donaldson scored 20 points, six three-pointers, and seven assists (a tie for his career best). Donaldson came through in the clutch, hitting two crucial three-pointers while Goldin and Danny Wolf were on the bench with four fouls each. (Image credit: Katelyn Mulcahy, Michigan Photography.)

    Michigan basketball player No. 50 Vladislav Goldin in a victory over UCLA.

  • California, here we come

    On Jan. 4, the Wolverines used a pair of 10-0 runs late in the second half to defeat USC 85-74 at the Galen Center. Danny Wolf led all players with a 21-point, 13-rebound double-double along with seven assists and six blocks. The game marked the start of Michigan’s first trip to the West Coast to battle USC and UCLA as conference opponents. (Image credit: Katelyn Mulcahy, Michigan Photography.)

     

    Michigan basketball player No. 1 Danny Wolf drops a ball in the basket in a victory against USC.

  • Dusting Western Kentucky

    Dec. 29 was a bad day for Western Kentucky, who lost to the Wolverines 112-64. U-M outscored the Hilltoppers 13-6 in the first four minutes and had 72 points by the first media timeout. At the 6:05 mark, Danny Wolf’s three-pointer gave Michigan 19 for the game, tying a program record. (Image credit Andrew Mascharka, Michigan Photography.)

    Michigan basketball team gathers around Coach Dusty May on the sidelines at Crisler Arena.

  • Oh, you’re a holiday

    At the annual Holiday Game at Crisler Dec. 7, the Wolverines defeated Iowa 85-83. The nailbiter was tied 83-83 with 16 seconds to go when Roddy Gayle Jr. drove to the right side of the hoop for an attempted layup. Goaltending was called on a shot block to give Michigan the lead with 4.6 seconds to go. Iowa’s three-point attempt at the buzzer was no good, giving Michigan the win. (Image credit: Jaime Crawford, Michigan Photography.)

    Michigan basketball player Roddy Gayle is surrounded by Iowa basketball players as he seeks to make a basket.