ANN ARBOR—Five University of Michigan professors distinguished in psychology, history, life sciences, public policy and sociology are among the nearly 250 scholars chosen for the 2025 class of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. “These new members’ accomplishments speak volumes about the human capacity for discovery, creativity, leadership and persistence,” academy President Laurie Patton said.… Continue reading 5 U-M faculty join American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Project: RCGD
Sunscreen, clothes and caves may have helped Homo sapiens survive 41,000 years ago
Ancient Homo sapiens may have benefited from sunscreen, tailored clothes and the use of caves during the shifting of the magnetic North Pole over Europe about 41,000 years ago, new University of Michigan research shows. Study: Wandering of the Auroral Oval 41,000 Years Ago (DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adq7275) These technologies could have protected Homo sapiens living in Europe from… Continue reading Sunscreen, clothes and caves may have helped Homo sapiens survive 41,000 years ago
MCUAAAR Convenes Spring Conference
The Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research (MCUAAAR) convenes its spring conference April 9, 2025. Presenters will discuss several issues including: residential racial segregation and suicidal risk, attitudes towards familial vs. governmental assistance for older Black adults, racial code switching, and financial exploitation of older Black adults. The speaker lineup includes Eskira Kashay and… Continue reading MCUAAAR Convenes Spring Conference
How do interactions with the police affect communities?
Contact: Jon Meerdink ([email protected]) ANN ARBOR — Interactions with institutions shape our lives. From banks to universities to countless aspects of every level of government, institutional control and regulation affects how we work, live, and do business. How do we measure these interactions? What effects do they have? Who is held to account for the… Continue reading How do interactions with the police affect communities?
U-M Team Wins Third in Challenge to Improve Data on Youth Suicide
ANN ARBOR – UM-ATLAS, a team of University of Michigan faculty and students studying U.S. suicide risk over the lifespan, has won third prize in a recent Driven Data challenge to improve the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), the nation’s most comprehensive registry of suicide mortality. The NVDRS is a key resource for researchers… Continue reading U-M Team Wins Third in Challenge to Improve Data on Youth Suicide
The loneliness paradox: Being alone may not be so bad
Research discusses why the way we talk about solitude might be making us lonelier ANN ARBOR—In an era of hyperconnectivity, loneliness has been declared a global epidemic with significant consequences for mental and physical health. Public health campaigns and media discussions have long sought to combat this crisis—but could they be making it worse? New… Continue reading The loneliness paradox: Being alone may not be so bad
ISR’s Ethan Kross publishes new book on managing emotions
Contact: Jon Meerdink ([email protected]) ANN ARBOR — A new book from an Institute for Social Research (ISR) faculty member is offering new tools for managing your emotional life. “Shift: Managing Your Emotions — So They Don’t Manage You” is the latest offering from Ethan Kross, a faculty associate at the Research Center for Group Dynamics… Continue reading ISR’s Ethan Kross publishes new book on managing emotions
From Portraits to Policy: A Profile of Artist-Researcher Angel Zhong
Across the work of Guiying (Angel) Zhong – a portrait artist, activist, and social science researcher– common themes emerge: Mending what is broken; filling the cracks in what is missing; expressing truth that can elude words. Zhong (she/they), one of the nine Junior Professional Researchers who joined the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research… Continue reading From Portraits to Policy: A Profile of Artist-Researcher Angel Zhong
Study: Brilliant white male characters more believable, some viewers say
By SHARITA FORREST Brilliant characters often play key roles in movies and TV shows. However, when these characters are played by women and people of color, some audience members dismiss them as unrealistic, even if they portray real people and events, a recent study found. University of Illinois Urbana -Champaign communication professor Matea Mustafaj found that people who strongly… Continue reading Study: Brilliant white male characters more believable, some viewers say
Family matters: Living near relatives makes us heroic and harsh
ANN ARBOR—Many of us will soak in the merriment and drama that family gatherings bring during Thanksgiving. But beyond the Thanksgiving dinner table, new research suggests that living and being around family more often affects our psychology in some surprising ways. Are you willing to go to war for your country? Do you support the… Continue reading Family matters: Living near relatives makes us heroic and harsh