Discover Rackham
A list of things from Fall 2015 that make graduate life better
During my last two years of undergrad, whenever I mentioned I was applying to graduate school, the most consistent response I got was a comment or joke about how I’d essentially be living in lab, even from friends who didn’t know much about graduate school in biology....
Student Spotlight: Marc Henry de Frahan
“My research focuses on creating very tiny stars,” says Marc. Tiny stars might sound like a Disney World ride, but the complex science behind the mass production of inertial confinement fusion is nothing but groundbreaking. Falling under the category of fusion energy,...
So Let’s Talk Data Collection: When Everything Doesn’t Go as Planned
On paper, my plan for data collection is very streamlined and very direct- after all, I had to justify my process to my committee and get it approved. I am recruiting patients for my data collection from my own clinical practice, since this is what inspired my...
Interview with Assistant Dean Shelly Conner, Recipient of Distinguished Diversity Leaders Award
I could see the answer coming. When I asked Assistant Dean Shelly Conner if she had something she was proudest of accomplishing during her 10 years as Assistant Dean of Rackham Graduate School, she firmly said, “No.” It’s all equally important to her,...
Human Trafficking in Ethiopia: Using Interdisciplinary U-M Partnerships to Develop Comprehensive Survivor Services
Human trafficking is an important human rights problem that occurs both domestically and internationally. From what little research has been done on human trafficking in Ethiopia, we know that the most common form of trafficking is of women for domestic labor. It is...
Supporting the COP21 Climate Talks from Ground Control in Ann Arbor
Last week we heard from Mayank Vikas who attended the COP 21 climate talks in Paris. But things were moving so fast at the conference that the attendees from the University of Michigan had a whole other team back in Ann Arbor to support them: Ground Control. Bonnie...
Student Spotlight: Matthew Stone
We should be opening Matthew’s story with a joke. A fan of stand-up comedy, he’s in the midst of writing some bits for an open mike night at a local comedy club. “I’m working on some jokes, but they’re not funny yet.” Hopefully he’s having more success in the lab as a...
Career Clarity in the Humanities: Unsolicited Advice and Commiseration for My Fellow Graduate Students
A little while before I started writing this blog post, I decided to get real with my Facebook friends. I asked them: Yes, I too have participated in the existential hand-wringing that has become so central to the experience of the humanities doctoral student. These...
Alumni Spotlight: Martha Rolingson
“I wasn’t a typical grad student.” While Martha lived in Ann Arbor for only two years, she accomplished a significant amount in that short time frame. She recalls, “People were surprised I was in and out as quickly as I was. Most students in anthropology seemed to...
Non scholae sed vitae 2: The profit in non-profit
Last semester, I mentioned how I’d been exploring the implications and applications of my education to the real world through community-based learning and engaged pedagogy. Moving forward, my goals are to expand my thinking about university teaching and research on...