Registration open for Work-Life Connecting the Dots conference
Registration is now open for the U-M Work-Life Resource Center’s annual Connecting the Dots conference, which will share useful tips and strategies to help university employees respond to challenging times. The event offers six free, virtual presentations Oct. 12-14 — two 75-minute Zoom presentations each day. The presentations are at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Oct. 12, and at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Oct. 13-14. Register online. This is the 17th annual Work-Life Connecting the Dots Conference. It is available to all members of the faculty and staff at no charge via Zoom webinars. Presentation topics include:
- Thriving in a World Turned Upside-Down.
- Keeping your Brain Healthy: Advances in Aging and Alzheimer’s Research.
- Working in New Ways: Keeping Our Communities Connected.
- Planning for Retirement.
- Difficult Conversations.
Board of Regents to meet Sept. 22; livestream available
The Board of Regents is scheduled to meet at 4 p.m. Sept. 22 in University Hall in the Alexander G. Ruthven Building, 1109 Geddes Ave. Members of the public also will be able to watch a livestream of the meeting at umich.edu/watch/. Those wishing to make comments during the meeting must attend in person. An agenda will be posted at noon Sept. 19 at regents.umich.edu/meetings/agendas/. To offer public comment at the meeting, sign up before 9 a.m. Sept. 21 at regents.umich.edu/meetings/public-comments/form. 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.
Carbon Neutrality Acceleration Program funds seven new projects
The Graham Sustainability Institute’s Carbon Neutrality Acceleration Program has announced a new set of funded faculty research projects, all of which are designed for completion within a year. CNAP is a multiyear, multimillion-dollar program created in 2020 with a $5 million gift from anonymous donors. This is the second round of funding awarded. Seven 12-month projects totaling $350,000 were chosen in this round. The projects will pursue a range of carbon neutrality pathways, including carbon capture, renewable fuels, energy storage, aircraft electrification, solar power, chemical production and circular economies. While the seven new projects run the gamut of carbon-reduction interventions, they share a common thread of timely practical application. Read more about the projects and view a full list of recipients.
IRWG awards six seed grants studying women, gender and sexuality
The Institute for Research on Women and Gender has awarded six seed grants for faculty projects on women, gender and sexuality in the summer competition. The grants support individual research activities, initial research efforts, performances and community-based research, bringing the total amount awarded in 2022 to more than $100,000. A full list of 2022 seed grant projects and participating faculty members can be found online.
Environment, Health & Safety plans fire safety awareness event Sept. 21
U-M Environment, Health & Safety will host a fire safety awareness event at Ingalls Mall on Sept. 21 to provide information and answer questions as part of Campus Fire Safety Month. Representatives from EHS, the Ann Arbor Fire Department, the state Fire Prevention Team, Michigan Medicine Trauma Burn, Division of Public Safety and Security and others will be on site from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. There also will be a burn trailer demonstration at noon that shows how quickly a fire can engulf a space, and how effective fire sprinkler systems are at reducing fire damage. September is designated as Campus Fire Safety Month by the National Fire Protection Association and the Center for Campus Fire Safety. All faculty, staff and students should understand common causes of fires. Some examples include storing combustible materials near heat sources, unattended cooking, use of candles, overcharging lithium-ion batteries, and using faulty appliances with damaged power cords. More information is available online about campus fire-safety tips.
U-M study finds 1 in 4 four adults experience transportation insecurity
More than a quarter of adults 25 and older in the United States experience transportation insecurity, meaning they are unable to move from place to place in a safe or timely manner. The Transportation Security Index, a novel measure of transportation insecurity recently developed by U-M researchers, offers new insights into the experience of this form of material hardship. Their analysis found the experience of transportation insecurity as reported on a 2018 nationally representative survey is closely linked to income level. More than half of people living below the poverty line experience transportation insecurity, which is higher than the rate of food insecurity among people in poverty. The latest research found transportation insecurity was more common among Black adults (33%) and Hispanic adults (29%) than white adults (19%). Residents of urban areas (39%) are more likely to experience transportation insecurity compared to suburban (22%) and rural (13%) residents.
— Compiled by James Iseler, The University Record
