Take 5 to Focus returns to promote daily mindfulness
Feeling less stress, having more focus and generally being in a better mood are the key benefits of the new Take 5 to Focus program. Available on the MHealthy Portal, the program encourages participants to take short breaks for a mindfulness or meditation video each day. “You can benefit from taking a few minutes every day to make space for rest and calm,” said Kelcey Stratton, resiliency and well-being services program manager at Michigan Medicine. “This program offers a simple yet structured way to help you pause, refresh and refocus.” Take 5 to Focus offers an easy and sustainable way for individuals to practice mindfulness and meditation. To take part, individuals are asked to view a short video, about five minutes, each day for four weeks. Registration for Take 5 to Focus is open now. Participants will be encouraged to watch videos from Nov. 14 through Dec. 11. Progress is tracked by the MHealthy portal automatically, so a participant’s effort is simply focused on the practice of mindfulness and meditation.
UM-Dearborn, Henry Ford team up to ease transfer concerns
When thinking about transferring from a two-year college to a four-year institution, students say there are three main concerns: getting accepted, transferring credits and tuition costs. A new partnership between Henry Ford College and UM-Dearborn — Learn4ward to a Michigan Degree — takes the guesswork out of transferring and alleviates these concerns. Learn4ward guides Henry Ford College students toward a UM-Dearborn bachelor’s degree through enhanced academic advising, scholarship opportunities, career-ready resources and more. Students will begin their educational and career journey by enrolling at HFC. They will receive guaranteed admission to UM-Dearborn based on their GPA (minimum 2.75) and/or transfer credits earned. A minimum of 60 credit hours will transfer from HFC to UM-Dearborn and Learn4ward students will enter UM-Dearborn as a junior. Learn more about Learn4ward at umdearborn.edu/news/learn4ward-michigan-degree.
Ford School to name Great Hall for former dean Rebecca Blank
The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy will honor former dean Rebecca Blank by naming Weill Hall’s central gathering space — currently known as The Great Hall — for her, in tribute to her leadership and legacy. Blank served as dean of the Ford School from 1999 to 2007 and led a period of growth and achievement. She helped get the school named for U-M alumnus President Gerald R. Ford and solidified warm and supportive connections between the school and Ford’s family and friends. She also launched important new degree programs in the Bachelor of Arts of Public Policy and Joint Ph.D. programs; dramatically grew the school’s faculty; and led the planning and construction for the school’s home, Joan and Sanford Weill Hall, at the corner of State and Hill streets.
$10.7M NIH grant to support next generation of clinical pain researchers
The Michigan Medicine Department of Anesthesiology’s Chronic Pain & Fatigue Research Center has been awarded a five-year, $10.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to establish the first national mentorship and career development program for early career clinicians and scientists interested in pursuing independent careers in clinical pain research. Funding is provided through the National Institutes of Health Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative, or NIH HEAL InitiativeDan Clauw, professor of anesthesiology and director of the CPFRC, is a co-director of the new initiative along with CPFRC associate directors, David Williams, professor of anesthesiology, and Steven Harte, associate professor of anesthesiology. The program aims to provide the support necessary for participants to launch independent careers in clinical pain research. The national recruitment process, which will select three candidates per year to participate in the program for up to three years, will focus on attracting a diverse, multidisciplinary field of candidates. Read more about the program.
U-M CSS part of study to compare electric and gas vehicle lifetime costs
The Responsible Battery Coalition has announced the launch of a comprehensive research project with the U-M Center for Sustainable Systems to compare the total cost of ownership of gas and electric vehicles. The study will address common issues related to electric vehicle ownership: primary contributing factors to vehicle ownership cost; where, when and for whom EVs are most cost-effective; and what government policies may be most impactful for lowering EV costs. Understanding the total cost of owning an EV, and not just its initial purchase price, is becoming an increasingly important factor in consumer decision-making. The lack of clear comparisons between EVs and internal combustion vehicles is one factor slowing down widespread adoption of EVs, and therefore decarbonization, because consumers are unable to make accurate cost comparisons. The first phase of the study is scheduled to be completed in December, and the second phase will run from January through Dec. 31, 2023.
— Compiled by James Iseler, The University Record
