Playing it forward

Musicians dressed in formal wear stand on stage at the University of Michigan's Rackham Auditorium and applaud composer Julia Wolfe.

In the extra-musical world of RC alum Julia Wolfe, members of the orchestra snap their fingers. Stomp their feet. And play their instruments, of course. During a weeklong residency hosted by UMS, the Pulitzer-winning composer joined student musicians from Germany’s Karajan-Akademie of the Berliner Philharmoniker and U-M’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance as they became a cohesive — and active — international ensemble.

  1. Kim Barnes Arico's son, Trevor Arico, was part of the University of Michigan men's staff as he began a career in coaching. Image shows Arico in maize sweatshirt and blue pants with arm raised at center court.

    Arico carries mom’s coaching influence into graduate assistant role

    It was a family affair in the William Davidson Player Development Center this season as Kim Barnes Arico’s son, Trevor, began his Michigan career on the coaching staff for men’s basketball. “As a mom, I feel fortunate and blessed for him to work with Dusty May and his staff,” says Barnes Arico, head coach of the women’s basketball team at U-M. “He is learning and growing from the best of the best.”

  2. University of Michigan regent Mark Bernstein

    Board of Regents offers update on presidential transition

    Regent Mark Bernstein shares an update on behalf of the Board of Regents about the University’s presidential transition. President-elect Kent Syverud has been diagnosed with a form of brain cancer and will not assume the U-M presidency on May 11 as planned. Domenico Grasso will remain in the position for now.

  3. University of Michigan president Domenico Grasso stands at podium with Block M in front of blue and red panels.

    Center for American Dialogue announces programming, next steps

    The University of Michigan community was introduced to the new Center for American Dialogue during a Preview Day event April 13, and faculty and staff were presented with an ambitious opportunity: make it your own.

  4. A black and white image of a study group in the book-lined Hopwood Room in 1939. Cowden, director of the Hopwood Awards from 1933 to 1952, kept a desk there. (Bentley Historical Library)

    Master of his craft

    Many of Roy Cowden’s faculty colleagues in Michigan’s English department wrote and published much more than he did. But in a long line of writing teachers, Cowden may have been the best loved. His talent lay in the cultivation of others’ talents, both as a teacher and as the first director of the Avery Hopwood and Jule Hopwood Awards in Creative Writing.

  5. The Artemis II crew stand in front of the Orion spacecraft that will take them around the moon. The crew are (from left to right): Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist; Victor Glover, pilot; Reid Wiseman, commander; and Christina Hammock Koch, mission specialist. NASA will monitor University of Michigan Engineering’s solar particle forecasts during the mission to maintain situational awareness of impending harmful radiation released during solar flares and eruptions, which could create conditions in which astronauts take safety precautions. Image credit: Kim Shiflett, NASA.

    Providing the Artemis II mission with solar radiation forecasts

    During the historic Artemis II mission, NASA tested a pair of new solar radiation forecasts, developed at University of Michigan Engineering, designed to protect astronauts venturing away from Earth. The 10-day mission concluded with a breathtaking splashdown off the coast of San Diego on April 10.

  6. Black and white image of three men behind a movie camera, circa 1930.

    Flashback to 1930s U-M

    Watch early glimpses of life at U-M with this 1930s silent film from the Alumni Association records, including U-M’s president going horseback riding, aerial views of the campus, field hockey, and more. The Bentley includes many videos like this featuring Michigan history!

Spring fling 2026

Spring has sprung—sort of—on the University of Michigan campus. Enjoy these scenes from a busy season that saw a parade of national champions, conferral of the 1 millionth U-M degree, and anticipation for the next big bloom of peonies at Nichols Arboretum.

  • The bee’s knee’s

    It’s just about that time of year again: Peak Peony Season is coming soon. Check the Nichols Arboretum website to plan your visit around maximum bloom potential in the next few weeks. (Image credit: Michigan Photography.)

    A bright pink peony bud with a bee perched on top. Nichols Arboretum at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

  • We love a parade

    After winning the 2026 NCAA championship, members of the Michigan men’s basketball team enjoyed a celebratory parade though Ann Arbor. Fans came out in full force. The Wolverines’ victory is the second in program history, with the 2025-26 team joining the 1988-89 squad. (Image credit: mgoblue.com.)

    Members of the University of Michigan men's basketball team strand in the flatbed of a white pickup truck traveling down State Street as they celebrate their 2026 NCAA championship victory.

  • Now that’s optimism

    You know you’re from Michigan when … you attempt to catch rays on the Diag before any leaves have appeared on the trees. (Image credit: Michigan Commons.)

    Students flock to the lawn in front of the Hatcher Graduate Library, even though the trees have yet to bloom. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

  • Raise the roof

    Two tornadoes touched down in Ann Arbor April 14, 2026. The first touched down at 1:44 a.m. near the Interstate 94 eastbound entrance ramp at Jackson Avenue. The second touched down two minutes later at the intersection of West William Street and Fourth Street near the Argus Building. The tornadoes were both EF1, which corresponds with winds of 86-110 mph. Those winds took part of the roof off Yost Ice Arena. (Image credit: Michigan Commons.)

    Image shows damage to Yost Ice Arena after two tornadoes touched down in Ann Arbor April 14, 2026. The first touched down at 1:44 a.m. near the Interstate 94 eastbound entrance ramp at Jackson Avenue. The second touched down two minutes later at the intersection of West William Street and Fourth Street near the Argus Building. The tornadoes were both EF1, which corresponds with winds of 86-110 mph. Pieces of the metal roof litter the sidewalk along State Streeet. (Image credit: Michigan Commons.)

  • Dressed for the occasion

    It’s a rare moment of peace and quiet at the University Flower Shop in Nickels Arcade. The shop does a robust maize-and-blue business during Commencement season. And it just looks so pretty done up for the occasion. (Image credit: D. Holdship.)

    The University Flower Shop in Ann Arbor's Nickels Arcade was all maize and blue during Graduation week at University of Michigan in May 2026.

  • Leap of faith

    This spring, the University of Michigan graduated nearly 14,000 students for the winter 2026 term across its Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses. Last year, including summer, fall, and winter terms, U-M conferred a total of 20,043 degrees. (Image credit: Michigan Commons.)

    Top of a student's graduation mortarboard reads: Never tell me the odds. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2026.

  • Hanging out

    In 1861, an idealistic young professor on the history faculty, Andrew Dickson White, planted the first elm trees on the Diag. He simply could not bear the fact that a town named for a copse of trees was so devoid of foliage. His efforts changed the landscape of the beloved campus forever. (Image credit: Michigan Commons.)

    Students lounge in hammocks on the University of Michigan Diag.

  • Essentially yours

    U-M’s medical campus is now home to a newly installed sculpture honoring the courageous medical professionals and frontline personnel who navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. Titled “Hearts and Hands–A Tribute to Health Care Workers,” it features two bronze figures in clinical attire whose fingertips form a heart. Funded by donations, the sculpture is the work of Vermont-based artist James Sardonis. (Image courtesy of Michigan Medicine.)

    A sculpture at Michigan Medicine depicts essential workers creating a heart shape with their two hands. Statue is named Hearts and Hands and can be found in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

  • Remember Old Main

    The Museum on Main Street has an incredibly informative and engaging exhibit right now chronicling the 175-year history of Michigan Medicine. Among the artifacts, tools, documents, and other items on display is this giant print of the original arch at the Old Main Hospital. The building was demolished in 1989. That said, we hear the actual arch is in storage somewhere… (Image credit: D. Holdship.)

    Two people stand in front of an almost life-sized photograph of the original door to the University of Michigan's Old Main Hospital in Ann Arbor, Mich.

  • Calling all wizards

    The beloved Pinball Pete’s recently moved from its underground lair on South U to a new location on Liberty at Division. Long live Pinball Pete’s!!! (Image credit: D. Holdship.)

    Pinball Pete's neon sign on Liberty Avenue in Ann Arbor, Michigan, its new location.

  • Authentic intelligence

    The stacks at U-M’s Hatcher Graduate Library — especially during Spring Break — feel like an ancient archaeological artifact in this time of artificial intelligence. (Image credit: D. Holdship.)

    Interior of University of Michigan graduate library stacks. Long hallway with book-lined shelves on each side,

  • The subterraneans

    In 1894, the first brick tunnels at U-M were constructed to protect the piping that provided steam heat to buildings around the Diag. Sixty percent of the tunnels used today were built from 1925-40, to accompany rapid building and facilities growth. Another 20 percent of the tunnel system was built in the 1950s. More tunnels have been built since to support new buildings. (Image credit: D. Holdship.)

    Truck parked at University of Michigan has a tailgate with the words painted: Tunnel Rats.

  • One in a million

    In 2026, U-M conferred its 1 millionth degree. The milestone also points to U-M’s broad alumni impact. The University has nearly 700,000 living graduates, with alumni communities spanning the globe through more than 100 groups. (Image credit: Michigan Commons.)

    A medallion hanging from a commencement mortarboard features the number one and a block M to signify conferral of the 1 millionth degree from the University of Michigan.