Winter commencement speaker announced for UM-Flint
The keynote speaker for UM-Flint’s Dec. 17 commencement ceremony is Mohja Kahf, a professor of comparative literature at the University of Arkansas, an accomplished author and social justice activist. Kahf was born in Syria, grew up in Indiana, and has taught at the University of Arkansas since 1995. Among her accomplishments, Kahf’s book “The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf” has been selected for the “One Book” project in several locations, and her essay “The Caul of Inshallah” won a Pushcart Prize in 2011. She is a founding member of the Radius of Arab American Writers, and she has served on the board of the Ozark Poets & Writers Collective in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The UM-Flint ceremony will begin at 2:30 p.m. at the Dort Federal Credit Union Event Center.
Winter commencement speakers announced for UM-Dearborn
UM-Dearborn alumni Suneel Gupta and Farhan Latif will address Dearborn’s graduates at its commencement ceremonies on Dec. 16. Gupta is an entrepreneur-in-residence with Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and a visiting scholar at Harvard University. He is the co-founder and former chief executive officer of Rise, a health care service that connects patients to top-quality health professionals at a fraction of the traditional cost. Latif is the president of the El-Hibri Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based private foundation that is focused on advancing inclusion in the United States through grant-making. Gupta will speak at the 10 a.m. ceremony for graduates of the College of Business and College of Engineering and Computer Science. Latif will speak at the 3 p.m. ceremony for graduates of the College of Arts, Sciences and Letters and the College of Education, Health and Human Services.
Ross’ Kresge renovation and Blau Hall project receive LEED Gold certification
The Stephen M. Ross School of Business’ Kresge renovation and Jeff T. Blau Hall project has received LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a green-building certification program that recognizes facilities for being energy efficient and environmentally sustainable. The project designs include energy and water conservation measures such as occupancy sensors for lighting control, energy efficient light fixtures, the incorporation of natural daylight, and low-flow bathroom fixtures. These measures are expected to allow for energy savings of an estimated 30 percent. The Kresge renovation and Blau Hall project is among 14 LEED certified facilities on the Ann Arbor campus.
Nominations sought for Research Faculty Awards
Nominations are now being accepted for the annual Research Faculty Awards, which were established by the U-M Office of Research to recognize the achievements of research faculty at all levels. Nominations are due Feb. 14. The awards include the Collegiate Research Professorship, the Research Faculty Achievement Award and the Research Faculty Recognition Award. The Collegiate Research Professorship is designed to recognize exceptional scholarly achievement and impact on advancing knowledge in science, engineering, health, education, the arts, the humanities or other fields of study. The Research Faculty Achievement Award recognizes outstanding scholarly achievements as represented by significant contributions to an academic field over time, a specific discovery or the development of innovative technology or practice. The Research Faculty Recognition Award also recognizes achievements as evidenced by publications or scholarly activities in any academic field of study. For detailed nomination guidelines and a list of recipients from previous years, go to myumi.ch/Jm5Yl. For more information about the awards, contact Ann Leffler in the U-M Office of Research at aleffler@umich.edu.
New language learning tool available at UM-Flint
The Frances Willson Thompson Library is offering a new language learning tool that is free to all students, faculty and staff at UM-Flint. The library signed up for a subscription from Mango Languages, an online service that includes more than 70 modern and ancient languages and allows users to learn at their own pace. Some of the languages include American Sign Language, Hindi, Swedish, Japanese, Yiddish, Latin and fun offerings like Pirate and Shakespeare English.
— Compiled by Safiya Merchant, The University Record, and Elisse Rodriguez, Public Affairs
