Faculty Spotlight
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September 9, 2019
Law School scholar started center to tackle mass incarceration
Years ago, it became clear to Amanda Alexander that it wouldn’t be possible to build a Detroit that works for everyone without addressing mass incarceration. The Detroit Justice Center was her solution.
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September 3, 2019
Assistant professor charts new pathways for research, students
Alison Narayan explores uncharted pathways in her research, which centers on innovations in chemistry and new ways to build molecules. When she’s not in the lab, Narayan works to create pathways for underrepresented groups to study science.
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August 12, 2019
Professor helps men redefine masculinity, explore mental health
Daphne C. Watkins considers herself a witness to black men’s pain. The associate professor of social work dedicates her scholarship to studying “men, masculinities and mood,” with a specific focus on black men, and how men and boys define themselves as men and boys, and how that influences their mental health.
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July 29, 2019
Art professor’s work addresses nature, direct experience
The first time Susan Crowell exhibited her work in a botanical garden, she decided she never wanted to return to a gallery space. Her artistic practice values the importance of nature and direct experience. Her sculptures address themes such as natural beauty, creation and the environment.
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June 24, 2019
Spotlight: Medical, public health professor encourages thinking before knowledge
For Sofia Merajver, age is no indicator of ability. A teaching assistant for her second-grade class at age 7, she received an undergraduate degree six months after immigrating to America at age 19. She’s now a professor of internal medicine and epidemiology promoting a multidisciplinary approach to biomedical research
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May 20, 2019
Stamps professor uses art to address human rights and global culture
While some scholars rely on written journals and essays to present their research, David Chung uses visual art to convey his work on topics such as diasporic populations and cultural assimilation.
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May 6, 2019
Professor’s varied background helps him teach mindfulness, self-awareness
Ramaswami Mahalingam has had jobs ranging from dishwasher to poet to structural engineer. Now a professor of psychology and women’s studies, he uses that background in studying how certain lines of work are devalued and workers marginalized, and in his teaching of mindfulness and self-awareness.
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April 29, 2019
Lecturer aims to combat health care disparities in local communities
During her second week conducting a study on pediatric HIV in Durban, South Africa, Leseliey Welch walked into one of the local hospital rooms to witness a young mother crying over her infant’s crib. “That day is when I realized that health is about more than doctors,” said Welch.
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April 22, 2019
Anthropologist explores water’s role in Mexico City lives
As a medical anthropologist doing field work in Mexico City’s working-class neighborhoods, Elizabeth Roberts found that water was often less accessible and more expensive than soda. She and her team are studying ways in which the availability of water and residents’ trust in water shapes people’s health and well-being.
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April 15, 2019
Spotlight: Dearborn faculty member’s film explores self-esteem
Jen Proctor, an associate professor of journalism and screen studies at UM-Dearborn, has created “Am I Pretty?”, a visually minimalistic film that is built around a series of YouTube videos by teens and tweens and which explores how self-esteem can be tied to appearance perception in female adolescence.
