Multimedia Features

  1. November 16, 2023

    Solar cells breakthrough

    Clare Langhan, a Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering, spincoats thin-film perovskite samples in a glovebox, a key step in the creation of perovskite solar cells. A new breed of semiconductors that could enable breakthroughs in solar cells and LEDs will benefit from cutting-edge manufacturing approaches, through a new project led by U-M. Backed by $3 million from the National Science Foundation, it includes partners at the University of California, San Diego. (Photo by Marcin Szczepanski, College of Engineering)

    Read more about this new project
  2. November 15, 2023

    ‘Glittering kaleidoscope of joyful creativity’

    Artist and creative provocateur Machine Dazzle has been awarded the 2024 Roman J. Witt Residency with the U-M Museum of Art and the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design. His solo exhibition “Machine Dazzle: Ouroboros” will open at UMMA on March 14, 2024. It will transform in increasing maximal iterations, unveiling again in April and in June, when the sculpture will become animated and wearable by a team of 15 U-M students. (Photo by Amy Touchette)

    Read more about “Machine Dazzle: Ouroboros”
  3. November 14, 2023

    One soccer ball at a time

    Michal (Mike) Lorenc, clinical assistant professor of sport management in the School of Kinesiology, takes a selfie at the Help Ukraine Center in Lublin, Poland. After the war with Russia started, Lorenc brought soccer balls to his birthplace of Lublin, Poland, to help children smile and temporarily forget the horrors of war. The impact of the soccer ball distribution wasn’t just about giving away the balls; it was about integrating them into a more comprehensive experience. Each child also received two wristbands in the colors of the Ukrainian flag. (Photo courtesy of Michal Lorenc)

    Read more about Michal Lorenc’s efforts in Poland and Ukraine
  4. November 12, 2023

    Academic freedom

    Photo of Jonathan Friedman delivering the 33rd annual Davis, Markert, and Nickerson Lecture on Academic and Intellectual Freedom

    Jonathan Friedman, director of free expression and education programs at PEN America, delivers the 33rd annual Davis, Markert, and Nickerson Lecture on Academic and Intellectual Freedom. Friedman highlighted the impact on higher education of increased legislation censoring the teaching of race, gender and sexuality in public schools during the lecture. (Photo by Scott C. Soderberg, Michigan Photography)

    Read more about the academic freedom lecture
  5. November 10, 2023

    Beaver dam

    A photo of a beaver dam

    This fall, Matthaei Botanical Gardens staff discovered a beaver dam being built at the Fleming Creek overlook, the first recorded occurrence of a beaver along Fleming Creek since the Botanical Gardens were established in 1907. Beavers are a native keystone species in Michigan and shaped waterways and wetlands statewide for centuries until they were nearly eliminated through trapping more than 150 years ago. The public can view the dam from the Fleming Creek overlook on the west side of the creek along the trail, but visitors are encouraged to stay on established routes. (Photo by Jeff Plakke, Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum)

  6. November 8, 2023

    Geo-exchange projects

    Photo of U-M community members viewing geo-exchange drilling efforts on Nov. 3 at the future site of the Central Campus residential complex.

    U-M community members view geo-exchange drilling efforts on Nov. 3 at the future site of the Central Campus residential complex. The housing and dining complex is one of three sites on campus where geo-exchange systems are being installed. The sustainable heating and cooling systems, which use the ground to extract and return heat in a renewable cycle, advance U-M’s efforts toward carbon neutrality.
    (Photo by Joe Borek, UMSocial)

    Read more about U-M’s geo-exchange projects
  7. November 6, 2023

    Concussion care

    The U-M Concussion Center has partnered with the Michigan High School Athletic Association to ensure that every coach, parent and athlete knows how to properly prevent and treat concussions. This video explores that effort, which currently reaches more than 750 high schools across the state of Michigan.

    Read more about the high school concussion protection
  8. November 3, 2023

    Elephant evolution

    A photo of a scientist with prehistoric elephant bones

    U-M paleontologist Bill Sanders poses with a newly discovered skull and skeleton of a palaeoloxodont elephant, which is about 1.2 million years old. Sanders has devoted his 40-year research career to tracking 60 million years of Afro-Arabian proboscidean — elephants and their ordinal relatives — evolution. In a recent project, he has traced the earliest signs of proboscideans in the fossil record, up until our modern elephants. Over the eight-year course of his project, Sanders watched elephants’ numbers slip to precarious lows, the demise of elephants underscoring a new urgency. (Photo courtesy of Bill Sanders)

    Read more about Sanders’ work and the history of elephants
  9. November 2, 2023

    Neubacher Award presentation

    Photo of Neubacher Award winner and honorable mentions

    The James T. Neubacher Award ceremony took place Nov. 1. Pam McGuinty (second from right), a senior budget analyst in the College of Engineering and co-chair of the Council for Disability Concerns, was presented with this year’s award by Rich Holcomb (right), associate vice president for human resources. Also pictured, from left, are three of this year’s eight honorable mention awardees: Melissa Sreckovic, associate professor of education at UM-Flint; Don Wirkner, instructional lab services manager in the Department of Mechanical Engineering; and Feranmi Okanlami, director of student accessibility and accommodation services. View the full list of honorable mention recipients. The Neubacher Award is given to U-M faculty, staff, students or alumni who have exhibited leadership and service in support of the disability community. (Photo by Scott C. Soderberg, Michigan Photography)

    Read more about Neubacher Award winner Pam McGuinty
  10. November 1, 2023

    Kraus Auditorium

    Photo of Mika LaVaque-Manty (left) speaking to attendees at a tour of Kraus Auditorium

    LSA celebrated the naming of the Biological Sciences Building’s new Kraus Auditorium on Oct. 27. The auditorium is named for former LSA dean Edward Kraus. Besides a formal naming ceremony, visitors had the opportunity to tour the new facility. In this photo, Mika LaVaque-Manty (left), director of the LSA Honors Program, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, and associate professor of political science, of philosophy and in the Honors Program, speaks to attendees about the room’s features. (Photo by Scott C. Soderberg, Michigan Photography)