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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Unlocking the secrets of SuperAgers
SuperAgers are showing us it’s possible to enjoy quality cognition as we age, says neuropsychologist Amanda Maher. She is leading U-M’s site for the SuperAging Research Initiative, one of six hubs in the U.S. and Canada studying the biological, genetic, and psychosocial factors contributing to resilient cognition.
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Exonerated: Freeing the wrongly accused from prison
Legal experts estimate the national rate of individuals wrongly convicted of crimes is between 3-5%. Since 2009, the U-M Law School Innocence Clinic has been correcting injustices inflicted upon Michigan residents. As of late 2023, students and faculty in the clinic have helped 41 people regain their freedom.
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New commission, world premiere: ‘When the Caged Bird Sings’
Drawing inspiration from the Black church, American composer Nkeiru Oko fuses elements of oratorio, theater, and opera to celebrate the spirit of rising above expectations. Partly in tribute to the activist and poet laureate Maya Angelou, the work celebrates the transformative ability of Black women. Hill Auditorium: Feb 10.
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Legacy in land: Protecting rare fens, century farms, and other natural habitats in Michigan
Prairie fens, which take thousands of years to develop, exist predominantly in southern lower Michigan and occur where cold, alkaline groundwater bubbles to the surface. The springs feed rivers and lakes with clean water. At the LaCroix Legacy Land Conservancy, alumna Susan Morley is dedicated to the voluntary conservation of locally important land.
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Sherrone Moore named Michigan’s head football coach
Sherrone Moore was appointed U-M’s J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach on Jan. 26 after six years as an offensive staff member for the Wolverines. Moore becomes the 21st head football coach in school history and is the first African American to lead the nation’s winningest program in college football history.
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U-M Biological Station activates snowpack sensor to study changing winters
Increasingly common rain-on-snow weather events are reducing snowpack and washing away nutrients from soils to our streams and lakes. This winter, snow science researchers at U-M’s Biological Station are tracking the snowpack at an hourly rate to get a deeper understanding of the complexities of global environmental change.
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. -
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. -
Editor's Blog
Looking forward to the past
Keep your eyes on the prize. Hindsight is just around the corner. We hope. -
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: UMCI design approved, construction ramps up. (All images by Kohn Pedersen Fox.)
