In the News
-
March 24, 2026
Oil prices are most greatly affected by OPEC, inventory and geopolitics, but most consumers say gas prices affect their view of the economy. One reason is likely the way gas prices are displayed, on huge, neon signs and on the screen on the actual pump. “You have to stand there and watch these numbers inflate and magnify in front of you and really feel it, you know, the money flying out of your possession,” said Scott Rick, professor of marketing. “It’s very visceral.”
Marketplace -
March 24, 2026
Unlike reading on a screen, physical books allow students to move back and forth through a text more easily and make connections across pages, said Ioulia Kovelman, professor of psychology and linguistics. But the most effective literacy programs often combine traditional reading and writing with carefully structured technology use, she said: “Computer literacy is just a necessity today. We can’t go back to the stone age and ask people to write on stone tablets.”
Bridge Michigan -
March 23, 2026
“Members of the Republican public are staying with (Trump), although the inflationary effects of the war will decrease that support over time and depending on how long the military action lasts, how many lives are lost, and how steep the inflationary impact is,” said Michael Traugott, research professor emeritus at the Center for Political Studies.
The Business Times -
March 23, 2026
“Progress in treating mental illness has been elusive, and it’s not because researchers don’t know which treatments are effective. Rather, it’s because care quality varies greatly and the best services are often inaccessible,” co-wrote Adrienne Lapidos, clinical associate professor of psychiatry. “Until investments match need, disparities in the health and quality of life of people living with psychiatric disabilities will continue.”
The Conversation -
March 23, 2026
“It’s an opportunity to extend the brand beyond the category. It’s about engaging in the things that are culturally relevant for a given group of people. Taco Bell has always seen themselves as skewing young — their brand ambassador is Doja Cat — and what’s important in the zeitgeist is a lot of health and wellness, beauty,” said Marcus Collins, clinical assistant professor of marketing, after the fast-food chain announced it would start selling “Mountain Dew Baja Blast Under Eye Patches.”
Los Angeles Times -
March 20, 2026
“The fact that they remain in the country and work to protect and maintain the sites and the museums, when some of them had opportunities to escape with their families, is an act of bravery, but it’s also an act of love and care for their heritage,” said Geoff Emberling, research scientist at the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, about residents who stayed behind to repair and restore archaeological sites and museums that were looted, destroyed or damaged during Sudan’s ongoing three-year civil war.
Hyperallergic -
March 20, 2026
New research on mice hints at the amount of gravity needed to maintain astronauts’ muscles, and suggests that the level on Mars won’t cut it. “You have to start somewhere, and this is an exciting development,” said Lori Ploutz-Snyder, dean of the School of Kinesiology, who noted that understanding the gravity threshold for humans would help determine the best artificial gravity levels for long spaceflights.
Smithsonian Magazine -
March 20, 2026
“We have to be able to tell our story in plain English to the average American so they understand why universities are so important to their lives,” said U-M President Domenico Grasso. “The research that’s done at universities, and public universities in particular, should be in the public interest. … That research has impacted the human condition, solving specific problems and molding the way we see our place on this planet as a species and our stewardship of the earth.”
The Atlantic -
March 19, 2026
“Ballet and opera are often framed in public discourse as either ‘relics’ of the past or elite art forms struggling to remain relevant. In reality, both forms are deeply alive, evolving and sustained by vibrant communities of artists, scholars, educators, and audiences,” said Kara Roseborough, lecturer of dance. Amy West, clinical assistant professor of dance, said at U-M “we see something very different every day: students and faculty pushing boundaries, blending disciplines and bringing joy, dedication and creativity to these art forms.”
Detroit Free Press -
March 19, 2026
“It’s an underrecognized problem, and it’s also something that we can (change) in our clinical management very quickly,” said nephrologist Jennifer Schaub, assistant professor of internal medicine, about drug-induced acute kidney injury in hospital patients. “There are new things to treat people with, which is good, but the kidneys are sometimes an innocent bystander with all of these therapies that are being developed.”
Scientific American
