Scott L. Greer , a professor of health management and policy and of global public health in the University of Michigan School of Public Health and a political science professor, shares decades of studies documenting the shaping of political engagement and poor health and negative health care experiences. Greer joins the Michigan Minds podcast and discusses the ways politics and public health are colliding to affect vaccines, preparedness to fight the spread of contagious disease, humanitarian ou...
Jun 18, 2025•20 min•Season 9Ep. 7
Archaeologist Brian Stewart , associate professor of anthropology at the University of Michigan, has conducted research in the small southern African country of Lesotho for 15 years. There, he is investigating the world's earliest evidence of human behavioral complexity: the behaviors, actions and beliefs that make us human. Through his work, Stewart is hoping to understand how humans developed the ability to quickly adapt to a range of environments. Lesotho, with high mountains and extensive de...
May 08, 2025•22 min•Season 9Ep. 6
Climate expert Jonathan Overpeck , dean of the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability, does not sugarcoat things. The words "scary," "depressing" and "devastating" come up when he talks about the impacts of climate change, including record warmth and drought conditions. But he also doesn't ignore how communities across the country and around the world are finding ways to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel consumption. Overpeck joined the Michigan Mind...
Apr 25, 2025•23 min•Season 9Ep. 5
Shalanda Baker is the University of Michigan's vice provost for sustainability and climate action. She joined the Michigan Minds podcast to discuss the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. How does the current political climate affect what we're doing here at the University of Michigan with regard to sustainability and climate action? I am so laser focused on climate action and sustainability. I think the science is clear. We're in an emergency. We are in the last decade of action. We on...
Apr 18, 2025•23 min•Season 9Ep. 4
Welcome to the Michigan Minds Podcast, where we explore the wealth of knowledge from faculty experts at the University of Michigan. I'm Jared Wadley, a lead public relations representative for Michigan News. Today I'm speaking to Oliver Haimson about the changing social media landscape. He's an assistant professor in the School of Information and the Digital Studies Institute. Oliver's research focuses on social media content moderation and marginalized populations, as well as the changing ident...
Mar 20, 2025•22 min•Season 9Ep. 3
When Russia invaded Ukraine, civilian lives, as well as lives of the scientists who live in the country, were upended. When an international grant was launched to support Ukrainian scientists, Andrzej Wierzbicki , a U-M professor of cellular, molecular and developmental biology, who is Polish, saw the funding opportunity as a way to help support the country that neighbors his own. Wierzbicki won a grant from the International Multilateral Partnerships for Resilient Education and Science System i...
Feb 17, 2025•20 min•Season 9Ep. 2
In this episode of Michigan Minds, Pamela Herd, social policy professor at the University of Michigan, discusses issues of healthcare access and affordability in light of the slaying of an industry CEO, efforts of a university lab in boosting access and breaking down walls to social safety net programs, and finding common ground within a polarized electorate. Here's an excerpt of the conversation: The killing of a healthcare CEO on a Manhattan sidewalk has become, in the words of Philadelphia In...
Jan 16, 2025•17 min•Season 9Ep. 1
To combat climate change, the world needs to pivot away from fossil fuels. But building battery electric vehicles and infrastructure for renewable energy will require enormous amounts of minerals and resources, which can only be obtained in the quantities needed through mining. Low and low-to-middle income countries are also looking to boost their access to electricity, which will now likely take place through renewable energy systems. Adam Simon , a professor of earth and environmental sciences...
Dec 18, 2024•20 min•Season 8Ep. 14
Scott Rick is an associate professor of marketing at the Ross School of Business. His research speaks to how consumers perceive and experience inflation, how they choose what gifts to buy, and how they experience in-store and online shopping environments. He is particularly interested in understanding the behavior of extreme “tightwads” and “spendthrifts.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Nov 21, 2024•20 min•Season 8Ep. 13
In this episode of the Michigan Minds podcast, J. Alex Halderman—Bredt Family Professor of Engineering and director of the Center for Computer Security and Society—discusses weak points in the U.S. electoral system and how to fix them, as well as the results of investigations following the 2020 election. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 11, 2024•25 min•Season 8Ep. 12
Tony Reames, an associate professor at the University of Michigan School of Environment and Sustainability, just returned to campus from two years at the U.S. Department of Energy working on energy justice. The Tishman professor of environmental justice and director of the SEAS Detroit Sustainability Clinic joined us on the Michigan Minds Podcast to share his thoughts on how energy justice could manifest in the United States. His research focuses on disparities in residential energy generation, ...
Sep 16, 2024•18 min•Season 8Ep. 11
In this episode of the Michigan Minds podcast, Henry Liu —director of Mcity and the Center for Connected and Automated Transportation, and a professor of civil and environmental engineering at U-M's College of Engineering—gives an overview on the state of autonomous vehicles, whether you're wondering what the hold-up is for cars that no longer need driver's wheels, or eyeing offerings like Tesla's Full Self-Driving, GM's Super Cruise or Ford's BlueCruise. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy f...
Jun 19, 2024•18 min•Season 8Ep. 10
In this episode of the Michigan Minds podcast, Timothy Cernak , associate professor of medicinal chemistry in the College of Pharmacy and associate professor of chemistry in the the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, makes the case for growing the field of conservation medicine and calls on pharmacists and medicinal chemists to "be on the front line of species conservation." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jun 05, 2024•16 min•Season 8Ep. 9
Last January, president Santa J. Ono set the university on a path to imagine what aspirations the University of Michigan could achieve in the next 10 years. Vision 2034 is the outcome of the yearlong strategic visioning process that engaged more than 25,000 students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors and local community members. U-M's vision to be the defining public university outlines four areas where the university will make dramatic and focused impact: life-changing education; human health and ...
Apr 25, 2024•19 min•Season 8Ep. 8
U-M's Vision 2034 is the outcome of the yearlong strategic visioning process that engaged more than 25,000 students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors and local community members. U-M's vision to be the defining public university outlines four areas where the university will make dramatic and focused impact: life-changing education; human health and well-being; democracy, civic and global engagement; and climate action, sustainability and environmental justice. Marschall Runge, executive vice presi...
Apr 19, 2024•19 min•Season 8Ep. 7
UM's Vision 2034 is the outcome of the yearlong strategic visioning process that engaged more than 25,000 students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, and local community members. UM's vision to be the defining public university outlines four areas where the university will make dramatic and focused impact; life-changing education, human health and well-being, democracy, civic and global engagement, climate action, sustainability, and environmental justice. Provost Laurie McCauley talks about life ...
Apr 12, 2024•20 min•Season 8Ep. 6
In January 2034, president Santa J. Ono set the university on a path to imagine what aspirations the University of Michigan could achieve in the next 10 years. UM's Vision 2034 is the outcome of the yearlong strategic visioning process that engaged more than 25,000 students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, and local community members. UM's vision to be the defining public university outlines four areas where the university will make dramatic and focused impact; life-changing education, human hea...
Apr 08, 2024•13 min•Season 8Ep. 5
Consumers have to wrangle with a sticky issue: Much of the plastic used every day can't be recycled. And the kind of recycling that can be done is called mechanical recycling, which means that plastic that can be recycled is simply broken down to be repurposed as other plastic objects, often which are of a lower value than the original product. Eventually, objects made out of this recycled plastic, such as park benches, just end up in a landfill. But University of Michigan chemist Anne McNeil is...
Apr 04, 2024•24 min•Season 8Ep. 4
Welcome to the Michigan Minds Podcast, where we explore the wealth of knowledge from faculty experts at the University of Michigan. Do you feel like you matter? Mattering, the sense of being valued, having purpose. No matter who you are, mattering matters. It's essential to happiness and healthiness. It's not a given. It doesn't always come easily, especially for certain individuals who may be more prone to feeling purposeless; the elderly and veterans among them. I'm Kim Shine, a senior public ...
Mar 08, 2024•20 min•Season 8Ep. 3
Though it's only February, many of the millions of people who resolved to lose weight this year have already given up, opting instead to sit for hours of binge-worthy Netflix, or to polish off those leftover holiday cookies. That's partly because people set unrealistic goals and focus too much on the scale, says University of Michigan clinical exercise physiologist Laura Richardson . In the new Michigan Minds podcast, Richardson discusses more sustainable and healthy ways to jumpstart –– and sti...
Feb 12, 2024•19 min•Season 8Ep. 2
The 2024 election season is underway — as more voters pay close attention to which candidates and issues best serve them. But unlike previous years, the battle for the White House will be anything but normal because democracy could be jeopardized, says University of Michigan political expert Vincent Hutchings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 22, 2024•21 min•Season 8Ep. 1
What are the implications of negative peer feedback on social media posts, and how can content creators use this feedback to alter messaging? On this episode of Michigan Minds, Jessica Fong, PhD, discusses findings from a news study on the role of negative peer feedback on social media, how creators can use this information to enhance their presence on platforms, and the ways in which feedback encourages users to moderate their tone. Fong is an assistant professor at the University of Michigan S...
Oct 19, 2023•13 min•Season 7Ep. 24
Jan Van den Bulck, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Communication and Media at the University of Michigan College of Literature, Science and the Arts. His research focuses on involuntary and incidental media effects, and explores how entertainment media affect our perception of the real world. In this episode of Michigan Minds, Van den Bulck discusses how watching TV impacts our knowledge of various fields including law enforcement and emergency medicine, and talks about the relationship...
Sep 27, 2023•26 min•Season 7Ep. 23
Aaron Perzanowski , JD, joins Michigan Minds to talk about digital ownership, the tradeoffs that occur when purchasing digital products instead of physical, and issues that consumers should be aware of involving user constraints, permanence, and privacy. Perzanowski is the Thomas W. Lacchia Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law School, and teaches and writes about the intersection of intellectual and personal property law. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Aug 28, 2023•30 min•Season 7Ep. 22
Antonio C. Cuyler, PhD, is a professor of music in entrepreneurship and leadership at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance. On this episode of Michigan Minds, Cuyler discusses findings from a report he coauthored published by the League of American Orchestras, titled, Racial/Ethnic and Gender Diversity in the Orchestra Field in 2023. Cuyler explains the ways in which this research can help the creative sector accelerate progress towards equity, diversity, and inclusion i...
Jul 26, 2023•14 min•Season 7Ep. 21
Joanne Quigley , MD, joins this episode of Michigan Minds to discuss adolescent brain development and how social media can impact mental well-being. Quigley is a child and adolescent psychiatrist, and an associate professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at Michigan Medicine. She is also the medical director of Michigan Medicine’s Child & Adolescent Ambulatory Psychiatry and the U-M Addiction Treatment Services (UMATS). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jul 14, 2023•18 min•Season 7Ep. 20
Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more common in everyday life and significantly changing the way in which people work. Kentaro Toyama , PhD, is the W.K. Kellogg Professor of Community Information at the University of Michigan School of Information, where he studies AI and human-computer interaction. On this episode of Michigan Minds, Toyama discusses how AI is impacting the creative workforce, the growth of generative technology like Chat-GPT, and the risk of misuse of new tech. Hosted o...
Jun 16, 2023•13 min•Season 7Ep. 19
Barry Rabe, PhD, joins this episode of Michigan Minds to talk about his recent paper, Carbon Pricing Enters Middle Age , and discusses how carbon border adjustments can link future carbon pricing to international trade. Rabe is the J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Professor of Public Policy at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, and the Arthur Thurnau Professor of Environmental Policy. His research examines the political feasibility and durability of environmental and energy policy, with a...
Jun 07, 2023•15 min•Season 7Ep. 18
Paige Sweet, PhD , assistant professor in the U-M College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, studies gender and sexuality, knowledge, and gender-based violence, and her work focuses on domestic violence. She joins Michigan Minds during Mental Health Awareness Month to talk about 'gaslighting' — what it looks like, how it impacts mental health, and resources to help community members find support to focus on their well-being. Resources mentioned in the podcast for anyone experiencing domestic ...
May 11, 2023•19 min•Season 7Ep. 17
Christopher R. Friese, PhD, RN , Elizabeth Tone Hosmer Professor of Nursing and Professor of the Health Management and Policy School of Public Health and Director of the Center for Improving Patient and Population Health (CIPPH), joins Michigan Minds for National Nurses Week. He talks about how the industry has changed in the past year since he last joined Michigan Minds and the challenges that nurses are currently facing. Download transcript Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more infor...
May 10, 2023•13 min•Season 7Ep. 16
