Multimedia Features | The University Record

October 17, 2023

Hisss-toric first

The U-M Museum of Zoology recently acquired tens of thousands of scientifically priceless reptile and amphibian specimens, including roughly 30,000 snakes preserved in alcohol-filled glass jars. The newly acquired reptiles and amphibians boost the university’s collection of those animals to roughly half a million specimens, including some 70,000 snakes. With the latest additions, U-M now maintains the largest research collection of snakes anywhere in the world, according to museum curators. In this video, Ph.D. students unpack some of the new specimens and discuss what they will mean for future research.

Read more about U-M’s vast snake collection

October 13, 2023

Student housing milestone

A groundbreaking ceremony took place Oct. 13 for a new 2,300-bed housing and dining complex that will be the first residential facility built specifically for first-year students since 1963. The five-building, $631 million residential complex will be built near Hoover Avenue and Division Street on Central Campus. One of the buildings will be named after E. Royster Harper, vice president emerita for student life. (Photos by Eric Bronson, Michigan Photography)

View larger versions of these photos with caption information

October 12, 2023

2023 Wallenberg Medalist

LSA Dean Anne Curzan and President Santa J. Ono present the Wallenberg Medal to farmworkers’ rights advocate Lucas Benitez during a ceremony at which Benitez also delivered U-M’s annual Wallenberg Lecture. He call for a “vaccine” needed to combat the disease of worker exploitation throughout the world. (Photo by Erin Kirkland, Michigan Photography)

Truth Telling

Hip-hop artists David Banner (left) and Rapsody talk about their support for each other at the 2023 DEI Summit community assembly Oct. 9. They were part of a panel discussion that explored the summit’s theme, “Truth Telling: The Kinship of Critical Race Theory & Hip-Hop.” (Photo by Erin Kirkland, Michigan Photography)

Read more about the DEI Summit community assembly

October 9, 2023

Godbots

As generative artificial intelligence apps such as ChatGPT gain popularity, so have religious chatbots. In this video, Webb Keane, George Herbert Mead Distinguished University Professor of Anthropology and professor of anthropology in LSA, talks about what he calls “godbots,” and the danger of giving moral authority to artificial intelligence.

Read a Q&A with Webb Keane about godbots

October 6, 2023

Begob

Created by Alexander Liberman, this steel sculpture, titled “Begob,” sits on the east side of the Lurie Engineering Center on North Campus, It was a gift of the College of Engineering class of 1945 and NROTC classes starting in 1942. The proportions of the piece reflect what Liberman describes as “…the two crucial elements for a sculpture to be successful. First, the use of scale. In America, sculpture must compete with the size of our country and our buildings. … Secondly, the sculpture must have a distinct form. The form created by the repetition of shapes; it is this repetition that gives the object a sense of rhythm.” The Record periodically highlights pieces of public art at U-M.

Browse an online listing of public art at U-M

October 4, 2023

President’s Residence renovations

These photos show some of the rooms and features that were part of a 16-month renovation of the President’s Residence, the oldest building on campus. The 14,000-square-foot home on South University Avenue will reopen this month, after undergoing work that blended historic preservation with contemporary updates while improving the home’s accessibility. (Photos by Roger Hart, Michigan Photography)

Read more about the President’s Residence renovation

October 3, 2023

Aging in politics

Recent developments have raised questions regarding the role of politicians’ age in political matters. How long politicians should stay in office based on their age continues to be the subject of much debate. In this video, Christian Fong, assistant professor of political science, examines public perceptions about the influence of aging in the political sphere.

Read a Q&A with Christian Fong about aging in politics

October 2, 2023

2023 DEI Summit

This year’s DEI Summit will kick off Oct. 9 with a community assembly featuring, from left, David Banner, Grammy-winning hip-hop artist, producer and social activist; andré douglas pond cummings, author and professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock; and Rapsody, Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist. “Truth Telling: The Kinship of Critical Race Theory and Hip-Hop” will celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop and highlight its intersection with critical race theory.

Blooming sustainability

Nicholas Dowgwillo, 2D media studio coordinator at the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design, points out some of the plants being grown at the Stamps Sustainable Materials & Color Garden. The garden, conceived and built by Stamps faculty, staff and students, allows Stamps creatives to source plants for natural art practices, creating accessible opportunities to cultivate plants used for materials, natural dyes and papermaking. (Photo by Scott C. Soderberg, Michigan Photography)

Read more about the Stamps Sustainable Materials & Color Garden