Board of Regents to meet March 20 at University Hall
The Board of Regents will meet March 20 in University Hall in the Alexander G. Ruthven Building. The meeting is tentatively scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. Members of the public also will be able to watch a livestream of the meeting at umich.edu/watch/. To make comments during the meeting, one must attend in person. An agenda will be posted online at noon March 17 at regents.umich.edu/meetings/agendas/. Those wishing to sign up to speak at the meeting, or to submit written or video comments, must do so between 9 a.m. March 13 and 5 p.m. March 17. To sign up or learn more about the public comments policy, go to regents.umich.edu/meetings/public-comments/. People with disabilities who need assistance should contact the Office of the Vice President and Secretary of the University in advance at 734-763-8194. For more information, go to regents.umich.edu.
Michigan Technological University joins University Research Corridor
The University Research Corridor, a driving force for innovation and economic growth in the state and Great Lakes region, is expanding to include Michigan Technological University, which recently became an R1 designated university. Joining U-M, Michigan State University, and Wayne State University, MTU’s inclusion marks the first addition to the URC since its formation in 2006. “Michigan Tech’s addition to the URC is a natural fit,” said President Santa J. Ono, chair of the URC executive board. “MTU’s world-class research and deep expertise in engineering, technology and environmental science will amplify the URC’s ability to solve some of the most pressing challenges facing Michigan and the world.
Men’s basketball head coach Dusty May signs contract extension
Warde Manuel, the Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics, announced Feb. 21 that David and Meredith Kaplan Men’s Basketball Head Coach Dusty May has agreed to a contract extension. In his first season at the helm, May has guided the Wolverines to their first 20-win season in four years. May, named to the 2025 Watch List for the Werner Ladder Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year, was named U-M’s 18th head coach on March 24, 2024, after spending six seasons as the head coach at Florida Atlantic. “I am grateful to Warde (Manuel), U-M President Santa Ono, and all the members of the Board of Regents for the trust and support they have given me as the head coach,” May said. Read more about May’s extension online.
Study examines how perceived gender differences cost women opportunities
A new study from U-M reveals that people strongly believe women are more generous, cooperative and equality-driven than men. These widespread beliefs shape workplace dynamics, hiring decisions and leadership opportunities, often holding women back from key positions of power. They also reinforce traditional gender roles in households and politics, limiting women’s choices and influencing how they are evaluated in professional and social settings. The study, which analyzed 15 separate experiments involving nearly 9,000 participants, found that both men and women overwhelmingly expect women to make socially oriented choices — favoring fairness over self-interest, advocating for equality and behaving altruistically. Yet, when researchers examined actual decision-making behaviors, they found that men and women acted similarly across many scenarios. “These beliefs matter regardless of their accuracy,” said Christine Exley, associate professor of economics in LSA and one of the study’s authors. “They shape the expectations and constraints that women face in professional and personal settings, influencing how they are perceived, evaluated and treated.” Read more about this research.
New use of an old herbicide disrupts pollinators, U-M study shows
An herbicide may “drift” from the agricultural fields where it’s sprayed and harm weeds that grow at the edge of the fields, impacting pollinators. A U-M study examined the effects of the herbicide, called dicamba, and found that plants exposed to dicamba drift had a lowered abundance of pollinators, and that pollinator visits to flowers were reduced for some weeds, but not others. The study was led by Regina Baucom, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology in LSA, and is published in the journal New Phytologist. Dicamba was developed in the late 1950s and first registered for use in 1962. But the herbicide is moderately toxic to humans and wildlife, Baucom said. “One of the reasons dicamba went out of favor is because it’s volatile. A farmer will spray it, and it will go up into the air column or re-volatize, then drift and expose unintended areas,” Baucom said. Baucom and colleagues wanted to see if weeds, and ultimately, pollinators were affected by this drift. Read more about the study.
— Compiled by Jeff Bleiler, The University Record
