U-M to establish FinTech Collaboratory
Financial technology research and education at the University of Michigan will get a boost with $1 million from Ripple’s University Blockchain Research Initiative. The funding to U-M — one of 11 universities with new partnerships with Ripple — will support academic research, technical development and innovation in blockchain, cryptocurrency and digital payments. With the funds, U-M will establish the FinTech Collaboratory to build multidisciplinary curricula in the booming area, as well as engineering and business use cases for cryptocurrencies in new applications such as smart cities. The FinTech Collaboratory will be an interdisciplinary forum that includes engineering, business, public policy and economics. The Ripple gift will be housed in the Center for Smart Infrastructure Finance. The collaboratory and the center are interdisciplinary initiatives among the College of Engineering, Stephen M. Ross School of Business, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and LSA.
Regents meeting set for Feb. 21
The Board of Regents will have its monthly meeting at 4 p.m. Feb. 21 at the U-M Golf Course. To offer public comment at the meeting, sign up in advance at regents.umich.edu/meetings/publform.html. Public comments on agenda items will be taken prior to their consideration. Comments on nonagenda items will follow the regular business agenda. 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 about regents meetings, go to regents.umich.edu.
The University Record’s publishing schedule for spring break
The University Record will not publish a printed edition March 4 due to spring break. Weekly publication will resume March 11. The Record’s daily email will not be sent the week of March 4-8, although major news items may be posted to the Record website. The email will resume March 11.
Registration Open for 2019 WCTF Annual Career Conference
The Women of Color Task Force will host its 37th annual career conference March 8. All U-M staff, faculty, students and the public, regardless of gender or ethnicity, are invited to register to attend this inclusive professional development event. Attendees may select from a variety of workshop sessions designed to support their professional and personal development. The conference keynote will be a conversation with Cynthia H. Bowman, chief diversity and inclusion officer of Bank of America, and Taryn Petryk, director of diversity and inclusion for the Stephen M. Ross School of Business. They will discuss the differences between the DEI strategies that corporations and educational institutions can implement, as well as best practices staff at all levels can use to create a more inclusive workplace. Registration is not required to attend the keynote lecture, which begins at 8:30 a.m. at Hill Auditorium and is open to the general public. For more information and conference fees, go to cew.umich.edu/events/2019wctfconf. The deadline to register is Feb. 27.
SMTD announces winter 2018 Performing Arts EXCELerator Fellows
The university’s latest cohort of Performing Arts EXCELerator Fellows have been announced. Hosted by the EXCEL Lab at the School of Music, Theatre & Dance, this incubator program provides training, exclusive access to industry mentors, and up to $5,000 in seed money for four ventures that aim to make a significant impact on the performing arts, while serving as a launchpad for their founders’ professional growth. Since 2016, SMTD has supported 26 EXCELerator teams with more than $76,000 of support for projects ranging from performing troupes to multidisciplinary arts festivals, pedagogical programs, record labels, artist co-operatives, mobile applications, podcasts, and a global platform for art song. For more information about the fellows, visit myumi.ch/aGPjm.
Registration open for Michigan Mentorship Academy
Exemplary mentorship is a major way that U-M trains the next generation of physicians and scholars. To assist those who want to learn about how to mentor and be mentored, the university has designed a full-day educational experience, “The Michigan Mentorship Academy.” It will take place June 22 at the North Campus Research Complex. This event is targeted toward mentor-mentee dyads, faculty development leaders interested in mentorship and increasing the success of mentees (this could also include program directors and departmental leaders), individual mentors looking to improve their mentorship capabilities, and junior people (residents, fellows, junior faculty) looking to get the most out of their mentoring relationships. To register, visit myumi.ch/6w3Vq. For more information, contact Tedi Anne Engler, Center for Healthcare Outcomes and Policy program manager, at tedi@umich.edu.
— Compiled by Safiya Merchant, The University Record
