Discover Rackham
Postcard from the Field: São Paulo, Brazil
Me with Hypsiboas faber, the Blacksmith tree frog I study the effects of current and historic habitat fragmentation on amphibian genetics and disease. This involves fieldwork in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. This year my fieldwork is focused on sampling frogs from a...
9 Tips for Incorporating Fitness into a Grad Student Schedule
February is notorious for its history of already-forgotten New Year’s resolutions. Many times, fitness goals are the first to fade, especially for busy folks. That said, Recreational Sports wants to keep you on track to achieve your 2016 fitness goals! Haven’t started...
That Time I Built A Wooden Box for Science
When I came to graduate school to study chemistry, I suspected that I would have to expand my skill set to succeed. Experimental design has a tendency to draw from many different areas of expertise. It’s not enough to be a good chemist; you have to be a good chemist...
Postcard from the Field: Thailand
Sunset on the Mekong River, looking towards Laos. Nong Khai, Thailand, June 2015. My research is on Thai migrant workers in Israeli agriculture. I spent the summer doing research on the background of these workers and studying their language in Isaan (Northeast...
Announcing the Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society’s Newest Members
This year, ten U-M researchers, scholars, and students will be among the newest inductees into the Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society. Named for Edward Alexander Bouchet, the first African-American to earn a doctorate in an American university (Physics),...
Student Spotlight: Yasmin Cole-Lewis
Attending a conference can be a transformative experience for graduate students. That is the case for Yasmin Cole-Lewis, on many levels. While a conference she attended last year provided great research and networking opportunities, it was a casual conversation with...
To Be a Scientist
A few weeks after arriving in Ann Arbor for graduate school, nearly four years ago, the strangest thing happened to me. I was walking to the public library downtown to return a mystery novel, book in hand, when I was approached by a kid. He and his friend had been...
Thinking Harder About Student Mental Health
We have to do a better job dealing with mental health in the academy. We really, really have to. The most recent information suggests that almost half of Michigan students, at the graduate and undergraduate level, have felt overwhelming anxiety or severe sadness or...
Student Spotlight: Brandon Govindarajoo
Since he was a high school student, Brandon has continued to be involved in organizations that support first generation and minority students in science. Now, he’s working with students in the same capacity and focusing on retention, tutoring, and mentoring. “I would...
Move Yourself to U-Move
Most graduate students I know have that thing they do they when get stuck on a problem. Some get outside, some cook, some nap-- I grab the U-Move schedule and see what classes are happening. Fast-forward a few hours to the end of yoga class: I'm lying on my mat,...