In the News

  1. November 9, 2021
    • Headshot of Andy Kirshner

    “Henry had all these great intentions. He really wanted to make the world a better place, and in some ways, he did. But in other ways, he made it a worse place,” said Andy Kirshner, associate professor of music, and of art and design, whose new film, “10 Questions for Henry Ford,” depicts the parallels between the contemporary rise of hate and the automotive icon’s antisemitism of a century ago.

    Detroit Free Press
  2. November 9, 2021
    • Photo of Nicholas Valentino

    “Americans are ready to stop worrying about the coronavirus. When they look around, they see other problems that need to be addressed. They see job listings everywhere. They’re waiting in long lines at the grocery stores. They’re waiting for things to be delivered because the supply chain is slow,” said Nicholas Valentino, professor of political science and research professor at the Center for Political Studies.

    Reuters
  3. November 9, 2021
    • Headshot of Anita Shelgikar

    “Light is the most powerful regulator of our internal clock, also known as our circadian rhythm, and some people may not even adjust to the time change after several months. Chronic misalignment between the internal clock and occupational, family and social activities can be very disruptive,” said Anita Shelgikar, associate professor of sleep medicine and neurology.

    The New York Times
  4. November 8, 2021
    • Daniel Crane

    Because it targets both prices paid to authors and prices paid by consumers, a Justice Department lawsuit to stop a major book publisher merger shows a possible new direction for antitrust regulators, says Daniel Crane, professor of law: “There’s a desire to think very comprehensively about all the interests that could be harmed. It raises lots of interesting questions about publishing and about competition in publishing.”

    The Associated Press
  5. November 8, 2021
    • Patricia Koman

    “There are a lot of things that people can do in their everyday life to improve climate change, but we need … national policies that make climate mitigation easy,” said Patricia Koman, assistant research scientist in environmental health sciences. “People don’t want to think about heroic action. They want to just turn on their lights … and they don’t want to harm somebody with that action. And so we need our electric grid and our utilities to use renewable energy and quickly make that transition.”

    Michigan Climate News
  6. November 8, 2021
    • Michael Bastedo

    Some scholars have promoted admission lotteries as a possible solution to the inequities of competitive college admissions. But research by Michael Bastedo, professor of education, shows that systematic inequalities in GPAs and test scores will be baked into the results of lotteries: “We find dramatic and negative potential effects … on the participation of students of color, low-income students and men.”

    Inside Higher Ed
  7. November 5, 2021
    • Shobita Parthasarathy
    • Photo of Sarah Zimmerman

    Shobita Parthasarathy, professor of public policy, says vaccine hesitancy is complex and sometimes may not be hesitancy at all: “There’s a lot more that can be done than simply lumping everyone together and focusing on convincing people or demonizing them.” Sarah Zimmerman, lecturer of business communication, says, “It really has to happen at the dinner tables of America. It’s going to happen on a person-to-person level with people they already know and trust in their community.”

    MLive
  8. November 5, 2021
    • Photo of Barry Rabe

    “As a president tries to use unilateral executive powers, there are immediately a set of hurdles. It’s not going to be an easy transition,” said Barry Rabe, professor of public policy and the environment, on the Biden administration’s plan to limit methane coming from roughly one million existing oil and gas rigs across the United States.

    The New York Times
  9. November 5, 2021
    • Headshot of Kyle Whyte

    “If countries don’t get on board with us, leaving out the people who steward a lot of the lands, it’s not just a moral issue anymore. It will have a devastating effect on the speed at which the rest of the world will get to sustainability,” said Kyle Whyte, professor of environment and sustainability, whose research shows that centuries of forced migration has left native people more exposed to hazards posed by climate change.

    NBC News
  10. November 4, 2021
    • Gina Brandolino

    Horror literature is useful in the ways that it reflects human anxieties, fears and biases, says Gina Brandolino, lecturer in English language and literature and at the Sweetland Center for Writing: “There are so many ways that we can understand more about ourselves by explaining who, and what, we consider monsters and, in a way, the monster shows us who we are more than it reveals anything about itself.” 

    WDET Radio