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. Brain with block M logo

    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.

  2. yellow school bus

    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.

  3. Two scientists in lab place petri dish under a microscope.

    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.

  4. Two men assemble a structure based on principles of origami. They are in an academic lab.

    Bridge in a box: Unlocking origami’s power to produce load-bearing structures

    For the first time, load-bearing structures like bridges and shelters can be made with origami modules — versatile components that can fold compactly and adapt into different shapes. It’s an advance that could enable communities to quickly rebuild facilities and systems damaged or destroyed during natural disasters, or allow for construction in places that were previously considered impractical, including outer space.

  5. The Vesuvius Scrolls, appearing like petrified croissants, in a drawer.

    Futuristic technology reveals secrets in ancient Vesuvius Scrolls

    When Italy’s Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, it buried the palatial villa of Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus, Julius Caesar’s father-in-law. These black and brittle papyri may look like charred croissants, but U-M classicist Richard Janko believes they contain lost masterpieces of literature, history, and philosophy.

  6. Student protestors picket in front of a U-M building Black & white, circa 1970.

    Thirteen days in 1970: The BAM strike

    In February 1970, U-M students operating as the Black Action Movement called a strike on classes. They interrupted lectures, banged garbage-can lids in classroom buildings, and hassled fellow students attending class. Their demand to President Robben Fleming: Increase Black enrollment from 3.4 percent to 10 percent.

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.