Multimedia Features | The University Record

October 12, 2021

Community Recognition Festival

Members of K-Motion, an all-female Korean pop dance group, perform at the Year Five DEI Strategic Plan Community Recognition Festival Monday afternoon at the Trotter Multicultural Center. The open-house-style event was an opportunity for the campus community to recognize the many accomplishments of U-M’s five-year DEI Strategic Plan implementation. K-Motion’s performers included Hannah Kim, Nerissa Wang, Chelsea Oh, Jessica You, Christina Tan and Catherine Zhang. (Photo by Austin Thomason, Michigan Photography)

Cow-inspired biodigesters

A $6.8 million effort to more efficiently convert organic solid waste from trash and wastewater into methane, a pipeline-ready renewable fuel, is being led by U-M, in partnership with Argonne National Laboratory, Northwestern University and others. The U.S. Department of Energy is providing $5 million of the funding. Graduate research assistant Renata Rae Strarostka is one of the researchers working on the project that takes as its inspiration one of nature’s most efficient biodigesters — a cow’s stomach. (Photo by Robert Coelius, College of Engineering)

Leadership Address

President Mark Schlissel delivered his annual President’s University Leadership Address to campus leaders Oct. 7 at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business’ Robertson Auditorium, as well as to the university community at large via livestream. In the address, a full video of which is provided here, Schlissel emphasized the importance of collaboration, outlined his priorities for the coming year and provided updates on several campus initiatives.

Read the Record’s coverage of address highlights

October 7, 2021

Nuclear nonproliferation

The Department of Homeland Security is giving researchers at U-M $1.9 million to find out what to look for when neutrons used to to probe shipping containers slip through the shielding around nuclear contraband. Current methods do not work well when special nuclear materials are “shielded” inside a heavy material. In this photo, Christopher Meert, a graduate student in nuclear engineering and radiological sciences, arranges the metal shielding that mimics the way weapons-grade uranium and plutonium might be hidden inside shipping containers. (Photo by Robert Coelius, College of Engineering)

Read more about nuclear nonproliferation

October 6, 2021

Improving student well-being

Robert Ernst, associate vice president of student life for health and wellness, talks with UMSocial about the current state of COVID-19 on campus, including declining case numbers, and how the campus community moves forward. In this video, Ernst also discusses student well-being and shares the many efforts U-M has taken this year to address student mental health.

Read more at the Campus Maize & Blueprint

October 2, 2021

LSA Building dedication

LSA Dean Anne Curzan speaks during the Oct. 1 dedication ceremony for the expanded LSA Building. The event marked the official opening of the addition, which includes a range of resources and spaces to help LSA students to connect, collaborate, study and and succeed. It featured remarks by President Mark Schlissel, Regent Jordan Acker and LSA Student Government President Tyler Watt, as well as LSA student performances and a reception. (Photo by Scott C. Soderberg, Michigan Photography)

Read more about the expanded LSA Building

October 1, 2021

Renewable diesel cars

Working with General Motors, U-M mechanical engineers have put together a renewable diesel vehicle demonstration. Using 100 percent renewable hydrocarbon biofuels, engineers estimate that there was an 80 percent reduction in the carbon footprint over the use of traditional, petroleum-sourced fuels. In this video, André Boehman, professor of mechanical engineering and director of the W.E. Lay Automotive Laboratory, discusses the project and its potential benefits.

“Realm of the Dead”

“Realm of the Dead” is an autobiographical project by Rogério Pinto that uses self-referential theater as a vehicle for self-healing and invites the audience to dive into complex subjects from death and parental molestation to ethnicity, race, gender and other issues. It will be on view Oct. 4-17 at the School of Social Work. In this video, Pinto explains what inspired the project.

Virtual 3D Diag

The Diag is one of the most iconic locations on U-M’s historic campus. Members of the XR Initiative sought to re-create this space in a virtual environment so people could meet up and feel like they were back on campus. In this video, executive producer Jeremy Nelson and others involved with the project discuss how it came about and how it works.

“Never Free To Rest”

The definition of “pigeonhole” is “to assign to a particular category or class, especially in a manner that is too rigid or exclusive.” It’s a concept that Detroit-based multidisciplinary artist Rashaun Rucker explores in “Never Free To Rest,” a new exhibition on view until Oct. 15 at the Institute for the Humanities Gallery. (Photo courtesy of Rashaun Rucker)

Read more about Rashaun Rucker’s exhibition