University of Michigan

Featured Stories

• Energy from waste

  Cattle are supremely efficient at digesting tough materials, and a proposed energy-production system based, in part, on cow stomachs could generate 40% more power from municipal waste streams, at a 20% reduced cost—and provide a viable alternative to sending waste to landfills. Led by U-M, the project includes partnerships with Argonne National Laboratory, Northwestern University and others

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• Using art in social work education

  “Realm of the Dead” is an autobiographical project that uses self-referential theater as a vehicle for self-healing and advocacy. Based on pedagogy and theater of the oppressed, it intends to advance social work research and practice, as tools of critical reflection, personal growth and advocacy.

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• Cass Coasters

  Through U-M’s Integrated Product Development course, students from business, engineering and art and design worked with Cass Community Social Services in Detroit to develop a new product that recycles old building materials into glass coasters.

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• Love & Data

  Algorithms are everywhere. They use personal information to offer up suggestions for our entertainment experiences; they filter our social media content; and they’re also used for purposes we’re not always aware of—like predicting the likelihood of repeat offenders in the criminal justice system. Stephanie Dinkins’ new U-M exhibition explores bias and inequality within AI systems.

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