Multimedia Features | The University Record

November 6, 2013

Surgical improvement

U-M engineers, in collaboration with the Medical School, have developed a new, affordable tool to make performing minimally invasive surgery easier for surgeons. The tool, called FlexDex, acts as an extension of the surgeon’s arm, allowing the doctor to control it in a natural and intuitive manner. In this video, Shorya Awtar, associate professor of mechanical engineering, discusses how FlexDex works.

November 5, 2013

Parks in Focus

Flint-area middle school students train their cameras on a turtle at Seven Lakes State Park as part of the Parks in Focus program, which partnered with UM-Flint University Outreach and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Flint to give youngsters an opportunity to visit parks and develop photography skills at the same time. The students’ nature photographs are part of an exhibit that opens Friday at For-Mar Nature Preserve & Arboretum. Photo by Lindsay Stoddard, UM-Flint University Outreach.

November 4, 2013

Movember 2013

From left, Marie-Anne Sanon and Brandon Respress, research fellows at the School of Nursing, display fake mustaches to show their support for men’s mental health, which is the focus of Movember 2013. in the background, research fellow Kipp Pietrantonio and intern James Jobe of Counseling and Psychological Services distributed men’s health information at the Michigan Union on Monday as part of a Movember Launch Party. The monthlong campaign urges faculty, staff and students to show their support by growing a mustache or wearing a fake mustache on their clothing. Photo by Scott Soderberg, Michigan Photography.

November 3, 2013

‘Lost in Translation’

Heather Mann, a graduate student in the School of Education who earned her degree in December 2012, was among the storytellers in the inaugural “Lost in Translation” event last year. The second such storytelling event focusing on global experiences is Thursday at North Quad. Photo by Bill Nolting.

October 31, 2013

Marine research

David Sherman, research professor at the Life Sciences Institute and Hans W. Vahlteich Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, explores biochemical pathways of marine microorganisms with the goal of finding new drug candidates to treat infectious diseases and cancers. This slideshow from Michigan Today displays photos from a research expedition Sherman led in May to Isla del Coco, Costa Rica. Photo by Luis Acosta.

October 30, 2013

Water-bottle greenhouse

Plastic water bottles — Jessica Fabisiak discovered them just about everywhere — on classroom desks and overflowing from campus trash bins. Bothered by the waste, the UM-Dearborn graduate student stumbled upon a greenhouse constructed of plastic water bottles. “I thought to myself, ‘I should try this,’” she said. She undertook the project during a sustainability internship with UM-Dearborn’s Environmental Interpretive Center. Photo by Alex Piazza, UM-Dearborn.

October 29, 2013

High-tech Halloween

Looking for a Halloween activity with a 21st-century twist? How about a 3-D jack-o’-lantern that comes from the pumpkin patch by way of the UM3D lab. This video documents the creation of a seasonal decoration in a new and interesting way.

October 28, 2013

Purifying water with plasma

John Foster, associate professor of nuclear engineering and radiological sciences, is working on a method to purify water with the fourth state of matter — plasma. In this video, Foster describes how his new technology, which produces reactive radicals that can attack organic contaminants such as pesticides and pharmaceuticals, could help solve a problem not currently being addressed in conventional treatment methods that rely on filtration and chlorine.

October 24, 2013

James T. Neubacher Award

Regent Julia Darlow presents the annual James T. Neubacher Award to Dr. John F. Greden, founding executive director of the U-M Comprehensive Depression Center and Rachel Upjohn Professor of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences. The founding chair of the National Network of Depression Centers, Greden is recognized as a giant in the field of depression research, treatment and education. The Council for Disability Concerns established the award in memory of alumnus Neubacher, a Detroit Free Press columnist and advocate for equal rights and opportunities for people with disabilities. Photo by Scott Soderberg, Michigan Photography.

October 23, 2013

TEDxUMDearborn

Matthew Richmond, founder of The Paper Dolls, shows off some of the creations he constructed from recycled materials during TEDxUMDearborn, an inaugural event in which speakers ranging from entrepreneurs and CEOs to artists and writers shared their stories in an effort to encourage change. Photo courtesy of @tedxumdearborn.