As the Summer Olympic Games draw closer, University of Michigan doctoral student Mason Ferlic is already on his way to Tokyo. But first, he is making a pit stop in Hawaii for a last week of preparation to compete in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase.

FACULTY Q&A A lack of racial and ethnic diversity in the geosciences has prompted universities to ramp up recruitment efforts but they alone are not enough, say faculty at several universities that have also developed courses to make programs more inclusive and sustainable. Professors Naomi Levin and Nathan Niemi of the University of Michigan Department Read more

FACULTY Q&A A recent study led by Geoff Burns, an elite runner and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Michigan Exercise & Sport Science Initiative, compared the “bouncing behavior”—the underlying spring-like physics of running—in elite-level male runners (sub-four-minute milers) vs. highly trained but not elite runners. Subjects ran on a treadmill instrumented with a pressure Read more

Every spring, the Daylight Saving Time shift robs people of an hour of sleep—and a new study shows that DNA plays a role in how much the “spring forward” time change affects individuals. People whose genetic profile makes them more likely to be “early birds” the rest of the year can adjust to the time Read more

After a year of delays due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics will take place July 23 to Aug. 8. University of Michigan experts are available to talk about issues related to the games and Japan.

In a new study of access to clean and affordable water in Detroit, University of Michigan researchers found that about 10% of the city’s population is “triple burdened,” meaning those residents face higher than average rates of poverty, housing cost burden and incomplete plumbing. And in some Detroit neighborhoods, up to 10% of homes lack Read more

During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, having to make rent or mortgage payments was significantly associated with health and mental distress, according to new research from the University of Michigan School of Public Health. “Housing instability and COVID-19-related hardships have contributed to an increase in health inequities in the U.S.,” said Gregory Bushman, Read more

About half of adults living in Detroit are not yet fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data just released from a University of Michigan survey (PDF).

Deaths from all causes combined increased dramatically early in the COVID-19 pandemic for certain demographic groups in the U.S.—particularly for Black and Hispanic people, even when accounting for socioeconomic factors, according to new University of Michigan research. In fact, the study—which focused on groups of adults under age 65—found the wealthiest non-Hispanic Black residents had Read more

One alleyway on Detroit’s northwest side is being staged to power lights through rainwater harvesting as part of a plan to make more of the city’s 9,000+ alleys functional and sustainable. The test installation project has brought together community leaders with University of Michigan researchers and students to build on the city’s large-scale program to Read more

FACULTY Q&A The protests calling for “Fatherland and Life” in Cuba have been met with military tanks and censorship by the Cuban government. University of Michigan sociologist Silvia Pedraza says the protests are the result of a perfect storm that includes the coronavirus pandemic, the lack of a charismatic leader, the deep financial crisis unleashed Read more

Witnessing gun violence in real life or in fiction can have a mental toll on children. The effects, including using guns themselves, sometimes are seen many years later, according to a new University of Michigan study that tracked individuals during a 10-year span. Whether it’s seeing violent behavior with a family or among others in Read more

Racial disparities have hindered police-community relations. Now research shows that they originate in a surprising place: an officer’s tone of voice. A new University of Michigan study showed that officers communicate in a friendlier, more respectful and less tense manner to white men during routine traffic stops, but in a less positive tone to Black Read more