Honor disability issues champions with Neubacher nominations
Nominations are being accepted through June 1 for the 26th annual James T. Neubacher Award. It is presented to a faculty or staff member, student, or alumna or alumnus for significant achievements in promoting acceptance and awareness of people with disabilities, advocating for their civil rights, and removing barriers to full participation. The award includes a stipend provided by the Office of the President and is sponsored by the Office of Institutional Equity, the U-M Council for Disability Concerns and the Office of the President. The award is a memorial to James T. Neubacher, a U-M alumnus, columnist for the Detroit Free Press and advocate for equal rights and opportunities for people with disabilities. The award is presented during Investing in Ability events in October. More information and nomination forms are online, or by contacting Anna Ercoli Schnitzer at 734-936-1402 or schnitzr@umich.edu.
Six Flint faculty earn prizes for innovation
UM-Flint honored several faculty members April 16 with the new Provost Teaching Innovation Prize. The awards spotlight faculty with innovative projects that enhance student learning. The prize was established by the Office of the Provost, Office of Extended Learning, and the Thompson Center for Learning and Teaching. Recipients were announced at the annual Celebration of Teaching event, held by the Thompson Center. First place winners receive $1,000, second place $750 and third place $500. Faculty members could submit projects for face-to-face, online and mixed mode courses (for which no applications were submitted). In the face-to-face category, the first place winner was Anthony McGill, lecturer, communications and visual arts; second place Hiba Wehbe-Alamah, associate professor, nursing, and Christine Kenney, assistant professor, education. In the online category, the first place winner was Jeff Kupperman, associate professor, education; second place Brian DiBlassio, associate professor, music, and third place Jennifer Blackwood, assistant professor, physical therapy. The awards are funded by the Office of the Provost and benefactors Bruce and Lillian Wright.
UM-Dearborn named Michigan’s 2015 Engaged Campus of the Year
The University of Michigan-Dearborn once again has been recognized for its commitment to community engagement. The Michigan Campus Compact has selected the university as Michigan’s 2015 Engaged Campus of the Year. The award, which is chosen by a team of national reviewers, recognizes an institution of higher education for exemplary commitment to the education of students for civic and social responsibility; genuine and sustained investment in community relationships; and a commitment to service learning and civic engagement opportunities for students across all disciplines.
HRD hosts free Career Conference 2015: Three Gutsy Secrets of Success
U-M Human Resource Development is hosting a third annual Career Conference June 16, to inspire U-M faculty and staff to take more responsibility for their career aspirations. It will feature Kate White, New York Times bestselling author and expert on leadership, work, and success as the keynote speaker. There will be two career development sessions: Working with Confidence with Wendy Shepherd and The Nuts and Bolts of Career Change with Kirsten Elling. The conference is free to U-M faculty and staff, thanks to sponsorship from executive officers. More information and updates about the conference are at hrd.umich.edu/special-events#career.
U-M scientists set out to build a better gut
Those who report intestinal bugs feel the effects of infectious microbes on the digestive system. Mysteries remain in the complex interaction between our own cells, the helpful bacteria that live inside us, and tiny invaders. Now, a team of U-M scientists will use human stem cells and a new five-year, $6.4 million federal grant to grow “guts in a dish” in the laboratory and study how disease-causing bacteria and viruses affect the microbial ecosystem in our guts. The approach could lead to new treatments, and aid research on diseases. This work was started as part of the Medical School’s self-funded Host Microbiome Initiative and Center for Organogenesis, and the U-M Center for Gastrointestinal Research, funded by the National Institutes of Health. It also received funding from the U-M’s MCubed initiative for interdisciplinary work.
