E-bikes now available for use on Ann Arbor campus
The University of Michigan recently amended its agreement with micro-mobility company Spin to bring approximately 100 electric-assisted bikes to campus beginning this month. It builds on the partnership that previously brought Spin’s e-scooters to town. The e-bike program works the same as the e-scooter program, even utilizing the same app. E-bikes will be deployed and be available for rent at bike racks on campus, must be parked at bike racks when finishing a ride, and will have a swappable battery with greater than 50 miles of capacity. Speed restrictions are programmed into the e-bikes to slow down the bike in various locations around campus, such as the Diag. Spin also is partnering with the city of Ann Arbor, and e-bikes are allowed to be ridden throughout the city. For operational questions or concerns, contact Spin at 888-249-9698 or support@spin.pm.
Abandoned bicycles tagged for removal from Ann Arbor campus
Grounds Services staff members are on the lookout for abandoned bicycles. Department employees recently started placing brightly colored tags on bikes found around campus that have bent rims, rusted or broken chains, deteriorated tires, frozen brakes, cables or shifters, or other signs of abandonment. Each tag and bike will be photographed, and the location, model, color, serial number and registration, if available, will be documented. That information will be shared with the Division of Public Safety and Security. Tagged bikes left on campus after May 15 will be considered abandoned and removed by Grounds Services. Bicycle owners who want to retrieve their bikes should contact Grounds Services at 734-763-5539. All collected bicycles that are not retrieved will be donated to a local nonprofit organization to be refurbished and donated to Michigan schools.
UM-Dearborn announces speaker, schedule for 2023 Spring Commencement
Marc A. Howze, a UM-Dearborn alumnus and senior adviser in Deere & Co.’s Office of the Chairman, will serve as the keynote commencement speaker at three ceremonies April 30 on the Dearborn campus. A native of Detroit, Howze earned a bachelor’s degree from UM-Dearborn, a juris doctor from the U-M Law School and an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. Throughout his career, Howze spearheaded strategic initiatives focused on improving operations at Deere & Co., developing future leaders, making Deere a highly regarded employer and promoting the company’s brand. He serves on the UM-Dearborn National Advisory Council and was recently elected to the board of Feeding America. UM-Dearborn will conduct three 90-minute ceremonies April 30, at the UM-Dearborn Fieldhouse: at 9 a.m. for all graduate and doctoral degree recipients; at 1 p.m. for College of Arts, Sciences and Letters and College of Education, Health and Human Services undergraduates; and at 5 p.m. for College of Business and College of Engineering and Computer Science undergraduates. More details can be found at umdearborn.edu/news/get-details-spring-23-commencement.
UM-Flint to offer revamped MS in mechanical engineering
UM-Flint will reintroduce its Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering program beginning this fall. With options for both full- and part-time study, the graduate program will offer a diverse student population the opportunity to earn a world-renowned master’s degree and advance their careers in a competitive industry. The program, intended for those who already have a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, will consist of 30 credits and take approximately two years to complete with full-time enrollment. Hyperflex classes, which meet in-person but offer real-time video streaming for those unable to visit campus, will allow students to earn their master’s degree while maintaining their careers. In addition, students from other science and engineering disciplines are eligible to apply once they complete a number of prerequisite courses. Read more about the program.
Nearly 4 in 10 nurses in Michigan plan to quit soon, U-M study finds
About 39% of nurses in the state of Michigan say they intend to leave their jobs in the next year, according to a U-M study. For years, nurses have detailed chronically poor working conditions and health care executives have warned of impending nursing staffing shortages — but few recent studies have asked nurses directly about their employment plans. To that end, U-M researchers asked 9,150 state-licensed nurses in Michigan about their plans to leave their current nursing jobs, reduce hours or pursue travel nursing in the Michigan Nurses Survey. They also surveyed 1,224 nurses who left their nursing positions within the past two years. The researchers hoped the study would paint a clearer picture for Michigan and inform solutions, said study lead author Christopher Friese, the Elizabeth Tone Hosmer Professor of Nursing. The findings appear in the journal Medical Care. Read more about the findings.
Upgraded school buses linked to increased student attendance
Replacing all of the oldest school buses in the nation could lead to 1.3 million fewer daily absences annually, according to a U-M study. The suspected cause of these preventable absences is exposure to high levels of diesel exhaust fumes, which can leak into school bus cabins or enter buses through open windows. Over time, exposure can exacerbate respiratory illnesses and other conditions and lead to missed school days, say the researchers on the study, which appears in the journal Nature Sustainability. Meredith Pedde, lead researcher on the study and an environmental epidemiology research fellow at the School of Public Health, conducted the research with Sara Adar, senior author of the study and associate professor of epidemiology at SPH. Their study is the first to evaluate the effectiveness of the Environmental Protection Agency’s School Bus Rebate Program, which launched in 2012, Pedde said. Read more about the findings.
— Compiled by James Iseler, The University Record
