U-M ranked No. 1 public university in U.S., 23rd overall
The University of Michigan was ranked as the top U.S public university by The Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education in their 2021 U.S. college ranking. U-M moved up four spots to No. 23 overall in a list of universities throughout the United States, according to the rankings released Sept. 17. The annual rankings, now in their fifth year, are based on 15 individual performance metrics, grouped into four pillars representing resources (30 percent), engagement (20 percent), outcomes (40 percent) and environment (10 percent). U-M was recognized among more than 700 institutions in the U.S. for its strong engagement rankings, which looks at student engagement, student recommendation, interaction with teachers and students, and number of accredited programs.
University seeks nominations for honorary degree recipients
The campus community is being asked to nominate individuals who have contributed to their field or society to be considered for honorary degrees. “Honorary degrees give us the opportunity to celebrate with pride the accomplishments of those whose contributions have changed the world,” President Mark Schlissel said. Nominees may be individuals who have advanced their field of endeavor in significant ways, or who have made compelling contributions to society. Although nominations can be submitted at any time, the committee — which includes faculty members from the Ann Arbor, Flint and Dearborn campuses, students and alumni — typically meets once in the fall and once in the spring to consider nominations. The deadline to nominate individuals to be considered to receive an honorary degree as early as 2021 Spring Commencement is 5 p.m. Oct. 14.
Big Ten Conference announces football season returns beginning Oct. 23-24
The Big Ten Conference announced Sept. 16 the return of the 2020 football season this fall with games beginning the weekend of Oct. 23-24. The eight-game schedule for U-M and all other Big Ten schools will be announced by the conference. Due to current state of Michigan public health limitations, U-M is unable to have fans at home athletic events. Safety regulations will continue to be evaluated by campus leadership in conjunction with medical experts and state and local officials. Any changes will be communicated by Michigan Athletics as they are determined. The Big Ten also announced an agreement for conferencewide rapid testing starting by Sept. 30.
2020 Saltiel Life Sciences Symposium explores ‘Broadening the Biosciences’
The 2020 Saltiel Life Sciences Symposium will explore innovative and creative research already taking place to broaden the understanding of the biosciences, and things yet to learn from more diverse approaches to biological and biomedical research. Sponsored by the U-M Life Sciences Institute, the symposium will take place via Zoom Webinar from 2-5:30 p.m. Sept. 29 and 9 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Sept. 30. The two-day virtual event will offer a combination of full lectures and shorter talks from both external speakers and U-M investigators, organized around broad research topics that encompass a range of disciplines. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. For more information or to register, visit myumi.ch/lsi-Symposium-2020.
Proposals sought for Microsoft Azure cloud computing credits
The Michigan Institute for Data Science and Information and Technology Services coordinate with Microsoft Azure to offer cloud computing credits to U-M faculty members for both research and teaching projects. MIDASs seek proposals for research projects in any discipline that is new and can take advantage of the Azure cloud computing resource, or is already ongoing, but the research team has not used Azure computing resources in the past. The award decisions will be based on both the scientific merit and suitability for cloud computing. To learn more, visit midas.umich.edu/azure-credit-awards/.
— Compiled by James Iseler and Jeff Bleiler, The University Record
