Nominations sought for Candace J. Johnson staff award
The Office of the Provost wishes to recognize exemplary staff at the Ann Arbor and U-M Health System campuses with the Candace J. Johnson Award for Staff Excellence. Established in 2004, the award is a memorial to a dedicated staff member, Candy Johnson. Johnson’s blend of professionalism and personality was a positive influence in the workplace. Faculty and staff are encouraged to nominate any regular staff member who they believe combines enthusiasm with excellence to truly make a difference at U-M. A $500 cash award and certificate will be presented in January by the Office of the Provost. Oct. 30 is the final day nominations will be accepted. For more information, visit myumi.ch/6kNbb.
U-M Sustainable Food Program to host Harvest Festival
The University of Michigan Sustainable Food Program will present the 6th annual Harvest Festival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 8 at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens, 1800 Dixboro Rd., Ann Arbor. Visitors can enjoy food while listening to live music by a number of local acts, as well as participate in food-related activities and tour the Campus Farm and Food Forest. On the menu will be food from local small farms, prepared by MDining chefs. The free community-building event will give visitors a chance to engage with the many student groups and community organizations dedicated to strengthening the local food system.
Michigan Medicine earns Adult Congenital Heart Association honor
In recognition of its expertise in serving adults with congenital heart disease, Michigan Medicine has received accreditation from the Adult Congenital Heart Association. The AHCA, a nationwide organization focused on connecting patients, family members and health care providers to form a community of support and network of experts with knowledge of congenital heart disease, is launching its national accreditation program with 11 centers across the U.S. Michigan Medicine received accreditation by meeting AHCA’s criteria, which includes medical services and personnel requirements, and going through a rigorous accreditation process — both of which were developed over a number of years through a collaboration with doctors, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses and adult congenital heart disease patients.
U-M to battle MSU in Oct. 7 Culinary Throwdown
On Oct. 7, U-M and Michigan State University will face off in a culinary competition prior to the football game. From noon to 4 p.m., teams from each university will compete in the third annual U-M vs. MSU Culinary Throwdown, which will take place near South Quad. The cooking contest features student chefs, sous chefs and executive chefs from each school in a three-round throwdown styled after the television show “Iron Chef.” At this year’s event, student chefs will compete in the first round, working with pork loin to create their entry. Sous chefs representing each school will then create a signature dish out of pork knuckle. MSU Corporate Chef Kurt Kwiatkowski and U-M Executive Chef Frank Turchan face off in the final round with spare ribs as their main ingredient. Guests to the competition will be treated to tailgate food — including a food truck focusing on avocado and Tabasco dishes, while supplies last. Those in attendance can sample dishes prepared in the student and sous chef competition rounds on a first come, first served basis.
Ross School introduces new executive education program
The Stephen M. Ross School of Business is offering a new hybrid Executive Education program, Finance for Strategic Decision Making. This “blended learning” program combines massive open online courses and face-to-face instruction in an open-enrollment offering, and is the first of its kind among business schools. Participants will learn how to apply accounting and finance principles through rigorous exploration of fundamentals as well assessing relevant business cases. The course will be taught by Gautam Kaul, Fred M. Taylor Professor of Business Administration and professor of finance, and Greg Miller, Ernst and Young Professor of Accounting and professor of accounting. The online components of the program are available on-demand through Coursera. Upon successful completion of the online portion, participants become eligible to spend two days at the Ross School, April 11-12, 2018, where they will learn from faculty and other participants.
Environmentalist Bill McKibben to deliver 16th annual Wege Lecture
The 2017 Wege Lecture, slated for 5 p.m. Thursday in Hill Auditorium, will feature renowned activist, author, educator and environmentalist Bill McKibben. McKibben, whose lecture is entitled, “Down to the Wire: A Hot Fight in a Hot World,” has written and lectured extensively about climate change throughout his career. He is the founder of 350.org, the first planetwide grassroots climate change movement. He was awarded the 2014 Right Livelihood Prize — often referred as the “alternative Nobel.” The Wege Lecture Series, now in its 16th year, focuses on critical issues of sustainability. Each lecture has addressed an important sustainability challenge facing society in the 21st century – from energy security and declining fossil resources to global climate change, freshwater scarcity, ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss, and sustainable development strategies.
— Compiled by Safiya Merchant, The University Record
