OVPR seeks nominations for revamped research staff, faculty awards
To celebrate the tremendous work of research faculty and research staff across all three University of Michigan campuses, the Office of the Vice President for Research is seeking nominations for its revamped series of annual awards. OVPR developed nine new research staff awards this year, which recognize staff excellence across a wide range of fields, including technicians, administrators, study coordinators, staff support, facility and core services, leadership, and data management and analysis. Learn more about the revamped Research Staff Awards. Nominations are due by Feb. 28. To celebrate the exceptional scholarly work of the research faculty, OVPR encourages nominations for its Collegiate Research Professorship Award, Research Faculty Achievement Award and Research Faculty Recognition Award. Find links to information about all three awards. Nominations for the faculty awards also are due Feb. 28.
Nominations sought for president’s international education award
The Office of the President is seeking nominations for the President’s Award for Distinguished Service in International Education, recognizing the extraordinary efforts of faculty and staff who advance international education for U-M students. The submission deadline is Feb. 4. Nominees should demonstrate: a sustained commitment and dedication to international education for U-M students, specific accomplishments in U-M international education, leadership in the field of international education, either on campus or beyond. Individual award nominations will be reviewed by a screening committee of faculty and staff. Committee members are selected from within the memberships of the Council on Global Engagement, the International Education Network and departments across campus. Nominating instructions can be found on the Office of the President’s website.
U-M now reporting daily case counts on COVID-19 dashboard
The university’s COVID-19 dashboard is reporting daily cases associated with students, faculty and staff on the Ann Arbor campus as a measure to provide additional information to the public during this time of increased COVID-19 activity. The daily COVID-19 case chart reports cases each day going back to Dec. 5. U-M officials report they will continue to watch data closely. View the daily case count at campusblueprint.umich.edu/dashboard/. In addition, a new resource has been added to direct the public to the Clinical Severity Index used by University Health Service in the evaluation of campus cases identified at UHS. That index can be viewed at uhs.umich.edu/CSI.
ITS highlights five teaching technologies for winter term 2022
Information and Technology Services shared some top technologies that support instruction and an inclusive learning environment, including a name pronunciation tool, where to find no-cost software, a new video annotation option, research computing allocations, and further training and support. For more information about the various highlighted technologies.
Mainstream news more reliable for accurate health information, study shows
People may find it difficult to discern the facts about vaccines with the extensive amount of health misinformation disseminated on websites and social media. Accuracy and truth, according to a new study involving three countries, including the United States, has been found by individuals who rely more on mainstream news. Meanwhile, people who depend on social media or less-established forms of “alternative” health media are more likely to subscribe to false beliefs about health. In a study published in Health Communication, experts from U-M, National University of Singapore and Koc University in Turkey said the findings shed light on the conditions under which digital media use can help or hinder the tendency to believe in health misinformation. “These findings also show that extensive reliance on social media and alternative health media for news mostly overwhelms the individual differences in predicting misinformation belief,” said Scott Campbell, the Constance F. and Arnold C. Pohs Professor of Telecommunications in the U-M Department of Communication and Media. Read more about the study.
UM-Flint research team examines Extreme Heat Event risk reduction
A project from Martin Kaufman, David M. French Professor and professor of geography, planning and environment at UM-Flint, and the Office of Economic Development’s Geographic Information Systems Center is tackling the risk of Extreme Heat Events in Flint. The one-year project hopes to set an example of how to examine heat-related risk in urban environments. An Extreme Heat Event is a technical term for the abnormal heat waves experienced in the summer. These events can cause heat-related health problems, especially for vulnerable groups. The project team plans to research risk reduction for Extreme Heat Events by identifying the most vulnerable areas in Flint using temperature and humidity sensors, analyzing the sensor-gathered data, and communicating their findings to the public and appropriate emergency management authorities. Sensors will be placed on bus stop signs and be equipped with lights to notify residents nearby if an event is occurring. The team will place these sensors throughout the city initially based on sociodemographic data to determine where vulnerable populations live within Flint.
— Compiled by James Iseler, The University Record
