Multimedia Features | The University Record

January 26, 2021

Building vaccine confidence

More than 26,000 first doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to U-M faculty, staff and patients. For some, the decision to be vaccinated was based on science and the clinical trial data, which have shown the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine. For others, getting inoculated was about helping others. In this video, faculty and staff share why they decided to receive the vaccine.

Read more about the reasons faculty and staff are getting vaccinated

January 25, 2021

Sophie/Elsie at UMMA

As visitors pass by the U-M Museum of Art, they’ll notice a stunning new installation on view through the front windows of the Stenn Gallery — a Black mannequin wearing a blue maid’s uniform that transforms into the dress of a Victorian queen. Sophie/Elsie, by contemporary South African artist Mary Sibande, is on display now and eventually will take center stage in the reinstallation of UMMA’s permanent African gallery, set to open in fall 2021. (Photo by Austin Thomason, Michigan Photography)

Read more about UMMA’s new installation

January 22, 2021

Tethering in space

Electrodynamic tethering could enable coordinated fleets of tens to hundreds of miniature satellites, transforming the way we monitor natural disasters, space weather and the broader space environment by eliminating the need for propellant to maintain a proper orbit and formation. This video explains how Miniature Tether Electrodynamics Experiment, or Mi-TEE, aims to test the tethering technology in space.

Social media shutdown

The move by Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat to remove or suspend former President Donald Trump’s accounts, and decisions by Google, Apple and Amazon that led to a shutdown of Parler continues to bring questions about the unchecked power of social media and the future of the platforms. In this video, Cliff Lampe, professor of information, explains why social media platforms are pausing certain online accounts and the future ramifications of these moves.

Read a Q&A with Cliff Lampe

January 20, 2021

ColorShock

Anders Lundin, a sophomore in the Penny W. Stamps School of Art and Design, is the first-place winner in the fall As I See It photo competition sponsored by Arts at Michigan for “ColorShock,” which captures a lightning bolt in southern Minnesota. Conducted periodically throughout the year, each competition features a different theme. The fall 2020 theme was “Color.”

View other finalists from the fall photo competition

January 19, 2021

Biden’s inaugural address

In his inaugural address Jan. 20, a newly sworn-in President Joe Biden seeks to unite the country in the backdrop of a global pandemic, racial tensions and the second impeachment of his predecessor. In this video, Aaron Kall, director of debate at U-M and editor and co-author of “I Do Solemnly Swear: Presidential Inaugural Addresses of the Last Five Decades,” said the world will listen closely to how the 46th president plans to lead the United States.

Read a Q&A with Aaron Kall

January 17, 2021

Moving back

Resident Assistant Alexa Carlos helps Delann Pillivant, a freshman from Detroit, check in at Bursley Hall on Jan. 15. While COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions mean a majority of U-M undergraduates will attend classes remotely this semester, some students who need to be on campus moved back into residence halls over the weekend. Occupancy is down from 6,400 students in the fall to approximately 1,200 undergraduates for the winter semester, and all students are living in single-occupancy rooms. (Photo by Austin Thomason, Michigan Photography)

View a gallery of photos from the weekend move-in

January 15, 2021

Elementary school entrepreneurs

As the economy continues to rapidly change, the next generation needs to develop skills that will help them adapt to the future. UM-Flint created a Young Sharks Program that includes an innovative and engaging entrepreneurship and economics curriculum and a countywide event for young entrepreneurs to showcase their business ideas. This video shows how the program is working at Grand Blanc Community Schools.

Read more about Young Sharks at This is Michigan

January 14, 2021

Performing during a pandemic

Actor Wendell Pierce, as part of his Digital Artist Residency with the University Musical Society, is pushing forward a new way of imagining live theater in a lingering pandemic. A live performance of the play “Some Old Black Man,” filmed at Detroit’s Jam Handy theater, premieres online Jan. 15. It will be available on demand exclusively at UMS through Jan. 18 and is free for those who register in advance. This video takes a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this production.

Read more about “Some Old Black Man”

January 13, 2021

Building accessible software

David Chesney, Toby Teorey Collegiate Lecturer, and lecturer IV in biomedical engineering and in electrical engineering and computer science, designed Software for Accessibility, which helps undergraduate students develop technology solutions for people with disabilities. When COVID-19 limited in-person learning, Chesney created an online version with a COVID-19 focus, called Software Against COVID-19. In this video, he discussed what the experience is teaching him about online learning and the future of education.

Read a Q&A with David Chesney