In the News
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February 16, 2026
“Removing restrictions on carbon emissions will only exacerbate climate-related disasters. If you think America has a wildfire problem now, just wait,” said Ann Jeffers, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, in response to the EPA’s decision to rescind a section of the Clean Air Act that states greenhouse gases are a threat to public health, thereby removing the legal framework that regulates emissions.
New York Metropolitan Magazine -
February 13, 2026
The U.S. produces millions of tons of hydrogen a year, but it’s expensive and requires a lot of energy. Instead, harnessing the clean fuel below the Earth’s surface requires significantly less energy than producing it, said Todd Allen, co-director of MI Hydrogen and professor of nuclear engineering and radiological sciences: “You may have some local energy used to run the drill, but the amount of zero-carbon energy you could get if there’s a lot of geologic hydrogen I think is a bigger advantage.”
Interlochen Public Radio -
February 13, 2026
“Innovation Partnerships is now ranked No. 2 nationally for startup companies launched in the latest national licensing survey,” said Kelly Sexton, associate vice president for research for innovation partnerships and economic impact. “Support from the Michigan Innovation Fund has been critical in growing our innovation ecosystem, and is one of the reasons that we are increasingly competing as a serious startup economy, not just a place where ideas begin.”
Crain's Detroit Business -
February 13, 2026
“With the bridge nearly completed, the biggest thing the president could do would be to deny staffing to the border crossing, the border patrol, and customs officials. That’s really the major thing they could do at this point,” said Jonathan Hanson, lecturer in public policy, about President Trump’s threats to block the opening of the new Gordie Howe International Bridge between Michigan and Ontario.
CBS Detroit -
February 12, 2026
Lisa Fedina, associate professor of social work, found that LGBTQ young adults face suicide-related risks two to five times higher than their counterparts and those ages 24-26 report the highest level of suicidal thoughts. “(That) challenges this idea that risk is only highest or of most concern in the late teens or early college years,” she said. “We could be missing a critical age window for prevention, and that outreach should continue to young people well into their 20s.”
WOOD Grand Rapids -
February 12, 2026
“This will be the first time in the 21st century that a conservative party has won the most seats in a general election, and it is a seismic shift in Thai politics,” said Ken Lohatepanont, doctoral candidate in political science, after the Bhumjaithai Party won 193 seats in Thailand’s 500-member House of Representatives, positioning it to form the next government and return incumbent Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to office.
The Associated Press -
February 12, 2026
The internet’s new favorite insult — “Did AI write that?” — is causing many people to use less polished writing on social media. The irony is that this wasn’t always the case, said Nicole Ellison, professor of information, whose past research shows that people were more likely to dismiss someone if their dating profile had typos. “They would see that as a signal that either this person is uneducated, or that they don’t care,” she said. “Now we’ve kind of come full circle, where a typo maybe signals that you actually do care, because you took the time to write it yourself.”
TIME -
February 11, 2026
Instead of school choice transfers, state lawmakers should focus on other areas that may bring educational parity, such as adequate K-12 funding or a redrawing of school district boundaries, says Jeremy Singer, assistant professor of education at UM-Flint: “Ultimately, what we see is that even when borders are more porous … it doesn’t end up leading to a huge jump in the number of students who end up enrolling.”
The Detroit News -
February 11, 2026
“There was a long-standing idea that pronghorn are so much faster than every predator in North America because of a predator-prey arms race between the pronghorn and the American cheetah,” said paleontologist Anne Kort, assistant professor of earth and environmental sciences. “Not only was the American cheetah not as cheetah-like as previously thought, but pronghorn have this build for running that existed well before the American cheetah came about.”
Earth.com -
February 11, 2026
“It is a big deal to tear your ACL. And doing anything while being ACL-deficient is a big deal. … Unfortunately, we’re not like lizards,” said Lindsey Lepley, associate professor of athletic training, commenting on American Alpine skier Lindsey Vonn, who tore her anterior cruciate ligament in a practice run about a week before she crashed during her downhill event at the 2026 Olympics.
CNN
