In the News
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April 15, 2025
“Even if well-intentioned, the timing of this policy change is really unwise. It’s a time where local school boards should be conveying that everyone is welcome and showing their commitment to protecting inclusive feedback and diverse representation,” said Camille Wilson, professor of education, after Ann Arbor schools voted to remove designated speaking time at future board meetings for groups advocating for marginalized students.
Detroit Free Press -
April 15, 2025
Neil Dasgupta, associate professor of mechanical engineering and materials science, says lithium-ion EV batteries can be charged up to five times faster in cold temperatures when manufactured with more charging channels and a coating more than 100 times thinner than a human hair. “That very thin coating on the surface of the graphite allowed us to speed things up at low temperature,” he said.
Michigan Public -
April 14, 2025
Research by Thiago Gonçalves-Souza, assistant research scientist in environment and sustainability, shows that large, continuous natural areas protect more plants and animals than many small patches: “We’re saying that yes, continuous patches hold more biodiversity, but if you want to keep protecting biodiversity, we need to think about the fragmented landscapes,” which are home to nearly half of all species.
Great Lakes Echo -
April 14, 2025
If you have no symptoms or unique risks, the drawbacks of whole-body MRI scans outweigh the benefits of early detection, said Matthew Davenport, professor of radiology: “The odds that you’re going to be hurt are higher than the odds you’re going to be helped. … Metaphorically, you could go to Vegas and win the jackpot, but the average expected result is losing money, especially if you’re gambling regularly.”
Time -
April 14, 2025
Under a 1944 treaty, the U.S. and Mexico exchange 1.75 million acre-feet of water every five years from the Colorado and Rio Grande rivers, but Mexico contends drought makes it impossible to fulfill its water commitments. “That is the disconnect. … There is pressure to continue to abide by a treaty, but there’s really no water to comply,” said Vianey Rueda, doctoral student in environment and sustainability.
Reuters -
April 11, 2025
“Constant access to each other through our phones, social media, and even messaging can exacerbate acute and or ongoing conflicts. If there is a conflict that’s escalating, and you know where someone is, that’s a new piece of information that you might not have had 20 years ago,” said Elyse Thulin, assistant research professor at the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, on the role tech plays in gun deaths among younger people.
The Trace -
April 11, 2025
While CEOs don’t have to act like therapists, validating how workers feel during unsteady economic times will actually help people focus, said Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks, professor of human resource management and organizational behavior: “Part of what we’re experiencing is a moment when the emotional turbulence, the human experience, can’t be ignored anymore.”
Fortune -
April 11, 2025
“There is almost always a good market for (recycled) metals, because the cost to make new metals is incredibly high. Meanwhile, things like plastics and glass are really operating on a much closer margin. So any increase in recovered material cost is going to make it that much more difficult to compete against the virgin product,” said Shelie Miller, professor of environment and sustainability.
Detroit Free Press -
April 10, 2025
Budget-conscious supermarkets streamline processes to avoid unexpected costs, says Kate Astashkina, assistant professor of business: “Aldi and similar retailers avoid loyalty programs, promotions and elaborate store layouts. Stores are standardized and intentionally minimal. It’s not about being low-quality — it’s about being low-friction. And friction is expensive.”
Food & Wine -
April 10, 2025
“The hope for most nuclear engineers is that these smaller reactor systems that we are designing will be deployed at scale in the 2030s and maybe into the 2040s. My hope as an instructor, as a teacher, is that our students … are the very people who will be working on the continued design of these technologies,” said Aditi Verma, assistant professor of nuclear engineering and radiological sciences, who co-created an undergraduate course about ethically designing modern nuclear facilities.
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