How perceived gender differences cost women opportunities and influence

A new study from the University of Michigan reveals that people strongly believe women are more generous, cooperative and equality-driven than men.

These widespread beliefs shape workplace dynamics, hiring decisions and leadership opportunities, often holding women back from key positions of power. They also reinforce traditional gender roles in households and politics, limiting women’s choices and influencing how they are evaluated in professional and social settings.

The study, which analyzed 15 separate experiments involving nearly 9,000 participants, found that both men and women overwhelmingly expect women to make socially oriented choices—favoring fairness over self-interest, advocating for equality and behaving altruistically. Yet, when researchers examined actual decision-making behaviors, they found that men and women acted similarly across many scenarios.

“These beliefs matter regardless of their accuracy,” said Christine Exley, U-M associate professor of economics and one of the study’s authors. “They shape the expectations and constraints that women face in professional and personal settings, influencing how they are perceived, evaluated and treated.”

The perception that women are more socially oriented can have significant real-world consequences, particularly in the workplace, Exley says. Women who are expected to be cooperative and fair-minded may be overlooked for leadership positions that require making tough, sometimes unpopular, decisions. Employers and colleagues may assume that women will prioritize fairness over performance-based rewards, which could make them less likely to be promoted to roles that involve negotiating salaries, distributing resources, or managing competitive environments.

These perceptions also influence hiring dynamics, she says. Because women are believed to favor fairness over merit-based outcomes, workers who stand to benefit from equal pay policies were more likely to prefer female employers. As a result, female-led workplaces may inadvertently attract lower-performing candidates, reinforcing professional disparities.

Beyond the workplace, these beliefs also shape household dynamics and policy preferences. Participants in the study expected women, more so than men, to desire equal caregiving responsibilities. These diverging expectations show one way in which negotiating against traditional gender roles in the household can be fraught. In political and policy discussions, women were believed to be stronger supporters of redistribution and social welfare policies, such as equal pay, access to education, and affordable healthcare. These expectations could influence voter behavior and broader political outcomes, leading to assumptions about which candidates and policies women are more likely to support, Exley says.

The study suggests these ingrained beliefs do not emerge from nowhere. Instead, they are shaped by how people recall and interpret past experiences, a concept known as associative memory. For example, if someone remembers a particularly generous woman, they may subconsciously generalize that behavior to all women, even if they’ve encountered generous men as well.

While Exley and colleagues do not suggest that gender differences never exist, their findings emphasize the importance of recognizing how strongly held beliefs can shape professional, political and social interactions—often in ways that reinforce existing disparities.

If women are consistently expected to behave in certain ways, they may face greater scrutiny when they deviate from those expectations. For example, a woman who prioritizes financial self-interest in a negotiation may be perceived more negatively than a man who does the same, simply because of differing baseline expectations.

The research is published in the February issue of The Quarterly Journal of Economics.

Firefighters who fight fires in wildland urban interface zones, where undeveloped and developed land meet, appear to experience genetic changes that may help explain their elevated risk for certain cancers and other diseases, according to a study led by the University of Michigan.

In a collaboration with the Los Angeles and Orange County fire departments, local and federal agencies and public health and medicine researchers from UCLA, the University of Miami and the University of Arizona, the researchers used blood samples available through the Fire Fighter Cancer Cohort Study to compare changes in microRNAs and DNA methylation between firefighters who were exposed to wildland-urban interface, or WUI, fires and those who were not.

Firefighters responding to wildland urban interface fires face unique occupational hazards through exposure to a complex mix of chemicals from burning vegetation, structures, vehicles and other human-made materials, often without respiratory protection and for extended periods. The publication of the study in Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis comes as Los Angeles is recovering from devastating fires in January and as climate change appears to be increasing fire risk worldwide.

“The molecular changes we’re seeing may help to explain why firefighters face higher rates of certain cancers and other health conditions later in their careers. Understanding these biological pathways gives us potential targets for developing protective strategies that could reduce health risks for firefighters,” said Jackie Goodrich, the study’s lead author and research associate professor of environmental health sciences at the U-M School of Public Health.

A key study finding showed that 50 microRNAs had changed in the 10-month followup in firefighters who responded to at least one WUI fire. More specifically, one microRNA with known tumor suppression activity decreased in firefighters who had responded to a WUI fire in the prior 10 months versus those who had not. Overall, the affected microRNAs play a role in regulating immune function, inflammation, neurological disorders and cancer, among other conditions and diseases. No significant changes in DNA methylation were found.

“This study builds upon previous evidence from our studies in firefighters that show epigenetic changes accumulating from years of exposure. These new results suggest that even exposure to one-time big events like WUI fires can trigger changes in microRNA expression linked to various disease pathways,” Goodrich said. “Our next steps are to determine whether these changes persist long-term and to develop interventions that could protect firefighter health.”

The University of Michigan has established a partnership with OpenAI that will bring additional artificial intelligence resources, research funding and computing power to campus.

The collaboration also will include joint research projects between the university and OpenAI, focusing on AI applications that broadly benefit society.

The agreement with OpenAI — an artificial intelligence research and deployment company and the creator of ChatGPT — is part of NextGenAI, a broader $50 million effort by the company to advance research and education in partnership with higher education institutions.

The partnership will further enhance the university’s ability to conduct groundbreaking artificial intelligence research, university officials said.

“Working with OpenAI provides a special opportunity to collaborate with researchers producing some of the most influential AI developments today and gain access to leading edge models and tools,” said Michael Wellman, professor of computer science and engineering at the College of Engineering and principal investigator for the partnership.

Under the agreement, OpenAI will provide application programming interface — commonly known as API — credits, giving U-M researchers access to the company’s advanced AI models. These credits, which function like prepaid access to OpenAI’s AI tools, will enable faculty and students to explore AI applications across fields.

The partnership also includes additional resources for high-performance computing, allowing the university to purchase computing power from a provider of its choice. OpenAI also will contribute research grants to the university, which will be awarded to faculty to advance AI-related scholarship.

“Developing a relationship at this scope allows us to showcase the breadth of AI-relevant research at the University of Michigan, including core technology, impactful applications, and societal implications,” said Wellman, also the Lynn A. Conway Collegiate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering. “It complements other strategic partnerships that U-M is developing with industry and government related to AI and contributes to our effort to build a campuswide AI research community.”

NextGenAI, a consortium of 10 leading universities and OpenAI, will “accelerate research breakthroughs” and “empower students, educators and researchers to solve hard problems and push the frontiers of knowledge,” according to an OpenAI news release.

In addition to U-M and OpenAI, founding NextGenAI partners include Duke University, the Boston Public Library, Howard University, MIT, Sciences Po in France, Texas A&M University, University of Georgia, University of Mississippi and University of Oxford in England.

The partnership aligns with U-M’s broader strategy to expand its AI research footprint. The university’s strategic vision — Vision 2034 — includes a commitment to “expand the development and deployment of artificial intelligence and data science” over the next decade.

“The University of Michigan is thrilled to be a key partner in OpenAI’s NextGenAI consortium, collaborating with leading institutions to drive transformational, ethically grounded advances in research, scholarship and education,” President Santa J. Ono said. “This initiative marks the beginning of what we envision as a long and meaningful partnership between the university and OpenAI, shaping the future of AI for the public good.”

Beyond expanding access to AI models and computing power, the partnership establishes a framework for joint research projects between OpenAI and the university.

“The University of Michigan is at the leading edge of AI research in higher education, and this partnership with OpenAI represents an exciting opportunity to expand our capabilities,” said Arthur Lupia, interim vice president for research and innovation. “With access to OpenAI’s advanced models and additional funding to procure computing resources, our researchers will be better equipped to push the boundaries of what AI can achieve.”

An herbicide may “drift” from the agricultural fields where it’s sprayed and harm weeds that grow at the edge of the fields, impacting pollinators.

A University of Michigan study examined the effects of the herbicide, called dicamba, and found that plants exposed to dicamba drift had a lowered abundance of pollinators, and that pollinator visits to flowers were reduced for some weeds, but not others. The study, led by U-M professor of ecology and evolutionary biology Regina Baucom, is published in the journal New Phytologist.

Dicamba was developed in the late 1950s and first registered for use in 1962. But the herbicide is moderately toxic to humans and wildlife, Baucom said. Its use fell out of favor, and farmers began using RoundUp on crops that had been genetically modified to tolerate glyphosate, the active ingredient in RoundUp. Glyphosate has generally been considered environmentally friendly.

But weeds have evolved resistance to the intense use of RoundUp. The agricultural company Monsanto, now owned by Bayer, turned to dicamba, and developed crops that were resistant to it. In 2018, the Trump administration reapproved its use. Soon after farmers began using the herbicide, other farmers began reporting that their crops were impacted, Baucom said.

“One of the reasons dicamba went out of favor is because it’s volatile. A farmer will spray it, and it will go up into the air column or re-volatize, then drift and expose unintended areas,” Baucom said.

Farmers who weren’t yet using dicamba reported that their crops such as soybeans, which are very sensitive to dicamba, weren’t producing their typical yield, she said.

“Then we realized that not only is dicamba drift going to be impacting crops, but it’s also going to be impacting plants or weeds that are in the waste areas around fields that serve as important reservoirs for insects,” Baucom said. “Given that we are dealing with insect decline on a large scale and we’re really concerned about pollinator health, I thought this might be an important thing to start investigating.”

Baucom and colleagues wanted to see if weeds, and ultimately, pollinators were affected by this drift. They found that weeds exposed to dicamba drift had fewer pollinators near them, and that pollinator visits to flowers were reduced for some weeds, but not others.

Dicamba damages plants by mimicking the hormone auxin. Auxin is present at all times of plant development. It’s in many different plant structures, including reproductive structures, and is also responsible for how plants tilt toward light. Baucom said that when a plant like soybean gets hit with dicamba drift, its leaves show a cup-like behavior.

“We were wondering, does this exposure to dicamba drift cause changes to the production of flowers? Do we see changes to the timing of flowering? We were interested in anything that would potentially impact a pollinator’s interest in visiting a group of plants,” she said.

The group built plots in which they grew replicates of 11 different weed species. Five plots were exposed to dicamba a single time, early in the lives of the plants, at drift levels, or about 1% of a typical application. Each species was also replicated in multiple plots which served as a control and were not exposed to dicamba.

The researchers then observed how the plants were growing, their growth size, signs of damage and the timing and abundance of flowering. They then screened for pollinator abundance and pollinator visits.

“In the control plots, we found significantly more pollinating insects than we found in the drift environment. And remember, these constructed weed communities were exposed to dicamba drift just once, early in their life,” Baucom said. “So this one time exposure of a low dose of dicamba led to a lower abundance of pollinating insects in those constructed communities.”

Baucom suspects that pollinator abundance and visits decreased because of the damage dicamba caused to the plants. Dicamba impacted the size of some plants, some plants produced fewer flowers, and some plants flowered later than they normally would. The researchers modeled this damage, which suggested that dicamba drift could impact plant traits. The damage could then impact the number of pollinator approaches and visits.

“In the control environment, there’s a positive relationship between the number of flowers and the number of pollinator visits. The more flowers you have, the more often you’re visited by a pollinator,” Baucom said. “In the dicamba environment, that relationship goes away. There’s no relationship between the number of flowers and the number of visits.

“What I thought was most interesting is how this one auxinic herbicide disrupts this weed community, and disrupts a long-standing relationship between plant signals and pollinator behavior.”

Next, Baucom and U-M colleagues won a grant through the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts’ Meet the Moment Research Initiative to investigate how dicamba drift may impact prairie strips, which are strips of native plants grown alongside farm fields to both catch agricultural runoff and provide crucial habitat for pollinators.

US lags behind other countries in support of hydrogen technologies

Hydrogen has the potential to power internal combustion engines, including on-road and off-road vehicles and equipment, and large marine engines. Despite its promise to reduce climate change emissions such as carbon dioxide and harmful pollutants, hydrogen has largely remained underutilized in the United States.

Officials at the University of Michigan and University of California, Riverside, along with several industry partners, are working to change that with the launch of the Hydrogen Engine Alliance of North America, or H2EA-NA. The alliance will promote hydrogen as a viable alternative fuel that can complement internal combustion engine, or ICE, vehicles while supporting the transition to electric and other zero emission technologies.

“Using hydrogen in internal combustion engines offers a low-carbon, long-term solution for transportation, particularly in applications where battery electric or fuel cell vehicles may not meet consumer performance requirements,” said André Boehman, the U-M Vennema Professor of Engineering, professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Walter E. Lay Automotive Engineering Laboratory.

A recent demonstration by Southwest Research Institute of hydrogen ICE technology in a heavy-duty truck showed ultra-low emissions of nitrogen oxides, or NOx, which react in the atmosphere with other pollutants to form lung irritating ozone. The NOx levels were far below those achievable with conventional diesel-powered trucks. This reinforces the potential for hydrogen to help achieve meaningful reductions in transportation-related emissions.

Boehman will serve as a co-director of H2EA-NA alongside Georgios Karavalakis, a UCR professor of chemical and environmental engineering. Karavalakis’ work focuses on combustion engines, low- and zero-carbon fuels, and transportation emissions, while Boehman specializes in alternative fuels, fuel production and energy conversion system thermodynamics.

“Hydrogen is a powerful fuel option when used in internal combustion engines, and opens an effective pathway to a cleaner energy future,” said principal investigator Wayne Miller, a founding scientist of the alliance whose expertise spans zero-carbon fuels, transportation emissions and marine systems.

Boehman said the alliance will promote the advantages of hydrogen-powered ICE vehicles.

“By fostering innovation and collaboration across sectors, H2EA-NA will ensure that ICEs contribute meaningfully to North America’s hydrogen ecosystem and transportation goals,” he said.

H2EA-NA aims to help the U.S. catch up to countries such as China, Germany and Japan, which are at the forefront of hydrogen fuel development. For example, Germany’s Allianz Wasserstoffmotor, created in 2021, and the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance, launched a year earlier, serve roles similar to H2EA-NA.

“The U.S. has immense potential to lead in hydrogen fuel innovation, but significant barriers in infrastructure, policy, and public awareness have slowed progress,” Karavalakis said. “While the technologies exist, they are costly due to complexity and the need for expensive raw materials.”

As part of its mission to foster collaboration and education, H2EA-NA will host the 2025 Hydrogen Engine Alliance Conference May 1-2, 2025, at the California Air Resources Board headquarters in Riverside, California.

The event will feature a networking dinner May 1, providing an opportunity for attendees to connect with industry leaders, researchers and policymakers. The full-day conference May 2 will include discussions on advancements in hydrogen engine technology, emissions reduction strategies, infrastructure development and policy initiatives critical to the growth of the hydrogen ecosystem.

H2EA-NA will be funded through annual membership fees from participating companies, with funds directed to the nonprofit U.C. Riverside Foundation. The fees will be split equally between UCR and U-M to support alliance operations.

By bringing together leaders from the automotive, energy and government sectors, H2EA-NA aims to educate the public about hydrogen’s potential in the U.S. and build support for hydrogen infrastructure development. Other founding members of the alliance include industry partners with expertise in building efficient engines to operate with hydrogen.

Membership provides access to the latest technologies, market trends and evolving industry standards. For more information or to inquire about membership, visit the H2EA-NA website.

EXPERTS ADVISORY

March 11 will mark five years since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. University of Michigan experts look back on successes and failures in public health and medicine; discuss continued effects in education, business and society; and offer insights on how prepared we are for a future pandemic.

PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICINE

Gregory Eschenauer, clinical professor at the College of Pharmacy and an infectious diseases clinical specialist at Michigan Medicine, served as a Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists representative on the National Institutes of Health COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel. He can speak to the change in pharmacies and the heightened role of pharmacists as health care providers during and since the pandemic.

“As with all health care providers, the COVID-19 pandemic was a time of profound stress for pharmacists. However, it was also a time where the instrumental and diverse roles pharmacists play in the treatment and prevention of disease were clearly demonstrated,” he said.

“The community is well-accustomed to pharmacists in outpatient pharmacies providing vaccinations, and this role was even more crucial once COVID-19 vaccines became available. Pharmacists in clinical settings, such as Michigan Medicine, also research new therapies to assess their safety and efficacy, manage critical drug shortages, develop models for effective and equitable stewardship of therapies, evaluate data to inform internal such as our antimicrobial stewardship program and external guidelines, and of course, provide clinical care to patients in the hospital and community.

“Accordingly, our service during the pandemic is also a period of pride for many pharmacists in that we were able to utilize our diverse skill set to help our community and patients at such a time of critical need.”

Contact: [email protected] or Kim North Shine, [email protected]

Nancy Fleischer is an associate professor of epidemiology at the School of Public Health and co-director of the Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health. She also leads the Michigan COVID-19 Recovery Surveillance Study, a joint effort between the School of Public Health and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to document Michiganders’ experiences with COVID-19.

“One of the most important things we have learned is that long COVID has continued to impact the health and well-being of Michiganders even years after their initial COVID-19 illness,” Fleischer said. “However, COVID-19 vaccination can reduce the risk of developing long COVID, which is another important reason to get the vaccine every year.

“We also learned that some Michiganders have been hit harder than others by the social and economic aspects of the pandemic. For example, Black adults had more severe disease and were more likely to be hospitalized due to COVID-19 than adults from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. We also found that Black adults and Middle Eastern and North African adults lived in households that were more likely to experience a loss of employment or reduction in work hours in compared to other adults in Michigan.

“This knowledge can and should be used to prepare and guide response during future public health emergencies, and to improve access to health and social resources for populations known to experience health inequities.”

Contact: [email protected] or Kim North Shine, [email protected]

Adam Lauring is a professor of internal medicine and of microbiology and immunology at Michigan Medicine, and professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. He is a co-principal investigator of the Michigan Infectious Disease Genomics Center. Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic, his laboratory has studied the genomic epidemiology of respiratory viruses and the effectiveness of vaccines against them.

“Lately, I’ve been thinking about how, in the first year of the pandemic, there was a tremendous clinical, biomedical research and public health response to COVID, which led to the development of lifesaving therapeutics, protective vaccines, and efforts to reach the most vulnerable in our communities,” he said. “Sadly, these successes feel like a distant memory, as many have now turned against vaccines and we are currently witnessing an abandonment of our public health workforce and infrastructure.”

Contact: Kelly Malcom, [email protected]

Sue Anne Bell is a nurse practitioner and associate professor at the School of Nursing. Her research focuses on the long-term impact of disasters and public health emergencies on health, particularly among older adults. She is clinically active in disaster response through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Disaster Medical System, including the COVID-19 response.

“The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to the nursing workforce,” she said. “Now five years later, many of these issues are still ongoing, having been made worse by the pandemic. At the beginning of the pandemic, PPE shortages placed nurses—as frontline health care providers—at extreme risk for COVID-19 infection.

“In fact, the International Council of Nurses reported that at least 1,500 nurses worldwide had died from COVID-19 by October 2020, though this is considered an undercount by many. Rapidly changing care protocols and policies were also a point of uncertainty for many nurses, as they struggled to adapt to new care practices, including learning how to care for patients in new ways while adjusting to wearing constrictive and bulky PPE.

“High workloads combined with nursing staff shortages led to dangerous conditions for both patients and nurses. These adverse working conditions resulted in nurses leaving the profession in droves, with dangerous nursing shortages still persisting today.

“Despite these challenges, the pandemic highlighted the resilience, adaptability and dedication of nurses worldwide. Five years later, research continues to advance in support of the nursing workforce, efforts to improve working conditions are ongoing, and the nursing profession has a stronger voice in advocating for both nurses and their patients.”

Contact: [email protected] or Morgan Sherburne, [email protected]

Albert Shih is a professor of mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering at the College of Engineering, who led the production of N95 masks for the U-M hospitals during the shortage of personal protective equipment in 2020 and early 2021. He continues to lead research in flexible manufacturing of innovative PPE designs, including the melt-blown, nonwoven material that is critical for filtering and removing the airborne virus.

“In terms of PPE, we are better but not bulletproof prepared for the next pandemic. Innovations in PPE during COVID were not commercialized mainly because of the lack of flexible, cost-effective manufacturing for advanced PPE designs,” he said. “If the U.S. commits to fully sourcing its PPE supply domestically, we could produce masks that are more effective, more comfortable and biodegradable, improving both safety and quality of life for healthcare workers and reducing the impact on the environment.”

Contact: [email protected] or Katherine McAlpine, [email protected]

Laraine Washer is clinical professor of internal medicine and medical director of infection control for Michigan Medicine.

“As I reflect on my experience during the early part of the COVID pandemic, I first recall and honor the many lives lost and families disrupted by the pandemic,” she said. “I celebrate the resilience and teamwork of our health care workers, the dedication of public health professionals who reached vulnerable populations with education and vaccines, and the biomedical scientists who rapidly brought forward lifesaving tests, vaccines and therapeutics during the most uncertain periods of the pandemic.

“I hope we will not forget lessons learned around effective health communication, the importance of viral disease surveillance, and building vaccine confidence to promote better health in normal times as well as future epidemics.”

Contact: Kelly Malcom, [email protected]

Herek Clack is an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the College of Engineering and co-founder of Taza Aya, a company that is developing a device that protects users from airborne pathogens with a curtain of disinfected air flowing around the face.

“Like most everyone else, I recall just trying to hang on, day by day. So many demands, duties and expectations related to home life, classroom instruction, research, supporting the health care system and pivoting a startup company,” he said. “For the first few years, every night’s sleep was cut short by anxiety and racing thoughts. But, honestly, for me, the anniversary of the WHO declaration cannot be separated from the initial guidance that encouraged the public to take actions like using hand sanitizer to wipe down store-bought fruits and vegetables.

“As much as I will take time to remember the anniversary of the WHO declaration, I’ll also be remembering all of the confusion around routes of transmission and how, for aerosol scientists, it seemed we needed to catalog and comment on every reported localized outbreak in the hope that the notion of airborne transmission might be taken seriously. In addition to the March 2020 declaration, I’ll be recognizing the October 2020 acknowledgement by CDC of the possibility of airborne transmission of COVID.”

Contact: [email protected] or Katherine McAlpine, [email protected]

EDUCATION

Elizabeth Birr Moje, dean and professor at the Marsal Family School of Education, teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in secondary and adolescent literacy, cultural theory and research methods.

“The discourse around learning is focused on ‘catching up’ as a result of the pandemic’s negative impacts on student learning. Although it is true that average math and reading scores have declined across all groups, achievement scores are only a partial glimpse of what children are learning,” she said. “More worrisome data show that children’s confidence in their abilities to engage in mathematics and reading has been shaken during the pandemic years.

“Educators need to focus on a wide range of learning outcomes to ensure that all students will be equipped to handle the demands of a new era. To that end, schools cannot fall back on the rote instruction in an attempt to ‘catch up.’ Educators should turn to evidence about how people learn best. And evidence shows that the best instruction engages children in real-world questions and problems as a way of learning foundational, critical thinking and team skills.

“Moreover, schools need to address trauma and mental health challenges among children, even as they focus on improving skills. Finally, teachers will need support in learning to navigate rapidly emerging educational technologies and generative AI tools. Teachers need to learn how to advance children’s capacities for using such tools in everyday life, so that the tools do not use them.

“These—and more—current realities demand historic investments to increase and retain well-prepared educators who are equipped to redress the challenges wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic and to meet the challenges of a new era.”

Contact: [email protected] or Bernie DeGroat, [email protected]

Christina Weiland is a professor at the Marsal Family School of Education and professor of social policy and co-director of the Education Policy Initiative at the Ford School of Public Policy. Her areas of focus include early education and educators, preschool and kindergarten. She is particularly interested in the active ingredients that drive children’s gains in successful, at-scale public preschool programs.

“We are still grappling with significant staffing shortages in early education classrooms. This is a major challenge for quality for educators, and for parents,” she said.

Contact: [email protected] or Bernie DeGroat, [email protected]

BUSINESS AND SOCIETY

Jerry Davis is a professor of management and sociology at the Ross School of Business, where he also serves as faculty director of Business+Impact. He has studied the effect of crises on business for years, and the ways in which commerce has fallen into but fought its way out of crushing events like the Great Recession.

“COVID created an economywide test of ‘What kinds of work can be done remotely and what kinds must happen in person?’ and we are now witnessing some of the results,” he said. “In many cases, businesses realized that if the work can be done remotely, it can be done in India or the Philippines as well as in the U.S., and it can be done by remote contractors as well as W2 employees. It will be seen in the future as a major turning point in the organization of the labor market and a vast expansion of gig work at all levels of the labor market—from food delivery to telemedicine.”

Contact: [email protected] or Jeff Karoub, [email protected]

Michael Traugott is a research professor emeritus at the Center for Political Studies and professor emeritus of communication studies at the College of Literature, Science and the Arts. He studies campaigns and elections, voting behavior, political communication, the use of polls to construct news and survey methodology.

“Health behavior, as other forms of behavior, has become politicized in our current polarized environment,” he said. “We showed that willingness to be vaccinated for COVID or speed of vaccination was related to partisanship and support for the Trump administration’s policies. Such reliance on political attitudes rather than scientific knowledge has important public health consequences.”

Contact: [email protected] or Jared Wadley, [email protected]

Information compiled by Jeff Karoub, Kim North Shine, Fernanda Pires, Morgan Sherburne and Jared Wadley of Michigan News; Jim Lynch and Katherine McAlpine of the College of Engineering; and Kelly Malcom of Michigan Medicine.

Nearly 17 million children and adolescents in the United States are estimated to live with a parent who has a substance use disorder, according to a study led by Texas State University, University of Michigan and Wayne State University.

The study found that alcohol use disorder was the leading contributor, affecting 12.8 million children. Cannabis use disorder was the second most prevalent, affecting 5 million children, while prescription opioid use disorder affects more than 1 million children.

Of these categories, children may have parents who struggle with more than one substance use disorder. Parents with opioid use disorders also face higher risks of overdose, adding to the challenges these families face.

The research results are published in the Journal of Addiction Medicine.

“These findings remind children that they are not alone. The nearly 17 million children who are living with a parent with substance use disorder should convey a strong signal that it is time to focus more attention on children and families impacted by addiction,” said co-author Sean Esteban McCabe, U-M professor of nursing and director of the Center for the Study of Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking and Health.

“Our team is working on family-based programs to prevent the intergenerational transmission and vicious cycle of addiction.”

The updated number marks an 81% increase from earlier estimates, largely due to updated diagnostic criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The transition from the fourth edition (DSM-IV) to the fifth edition (DSM-5) introduced revised definitions and criteria for certain conditions, leading to improved identification and more inclusive diagnostic guidelines.

For example, the DSM-5 criteria and new approach to diagnosis offers a way to diagnose substance use disorder among parents who were symptomatic but undiagnosed “orphans” based on the older approach in the DSM-IV.

“The increase in the number of children who live with a parent with a substance use disorder was a great surprise, and it highlights the massive scale of services that these parents and children will need to be successful,” said Ty Schepis, professor of psychology at Texas State and lead author of the study. “These children are at high risk for not just substance use issues of their own, but also mental health challenges and interactions with the legal and child welfare systems.”

McCabe says the findings from the study are being disseminated across a number of different audiences as a way to reach more children and reduce stigma for kids who live with a parent with substance use disorders. It also indicates that the needs of children impacted by this living environment have increased, reinforcing the importance of work by organizations in the space, such as the initiative by Sesame Workshop. Sesame Workshop is the global nonprofit behind Sesame Street, which focuses on supporting young children and their circle of care impacted by parental addiction.

Funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and conducted in collaboration with U-M, Texas State, Wayne State and Vital Strategies, the study offers insight into the significant number of children and adolescents potentially exposed to heavy substance use in the home. The findings emphasize the importance of reaching this population through targeted interventions to improve their health and well-being.

The study also received funding from the U-M Office of the Vice President for Research and will serve as a key preliminary study for future projects that will make a positive difference for children and their families, McCabe says.

Research reported in this news release was supported by NIDA of the National Institutes of Health under award numbers R01DA043691 and R01DA031160.

EXPERT Q&A

President Trump will address a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, six weeks after being sworn into office.

University of Michigan speech and debate expert Aaron Kall, editor and co-author of “Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States: Addresses to a Joint Session of Congress,” said he expects the speech to last 90 minutes, giving the president ample time—as compared to a shorter inauguration speech—to talk in-depth about issues such as tariffs, tax cuts, Ukraine, immigration, etc.

How common is it for a president to speak before Congress within the first 90 days in office?

There is an expectation for newly elected presidents to address a joint session of Congress within the first few months after being in office. Though not technically considered a State of the Union address, the high-profile speech usually reaches tens of millions of Americans. It allows presidents to highlight recent accomplishments while detailing a laundry list of legislative goals for the following months. President Trump likely won’t command such a large viewing audience again until his 2026 State of the Union address. With Republican Congressional majorities being quite narrow, the address allows the president to use the bully pulpit of the office to command attention to important agenda items.

At his inaugural address, Trump discussed his vision for the future. He plans to do the same before Congress. What new information will be gleaned?

These days, major excerpts from Congressional addresses are selectively leaked to the media to increase anticipation. This makes policy surprises less likely, but every once in a while, genuine news is made during the evening. President Trump also has a habit of veering off the teleprompter and his prepared remarks in these settings. There have also been infamous exchanges between presidents and audience members in recent years, making this event must-watch television.

The Democrats will have a chance after the speech to offer a rebuttal. Of course, we don’t know specifics about Trump’s speech, but based on his early days in office, what do you think the Democrats will focus on?

New Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin was unexpectedly chosen to deliver the Democratic rebuttal. The rebuttal is considered the most difficult speech to deliver in politics for a variety of reasons. Senator Slotkin will have a general idea in advance of the major themes in President Trump’s speech to forcefully counter, but she will only have about 10 or 15 minutes to do so very late at night in front of a much smaller audience. Senator Slotkin’s bipartisan background, combined with strong national security credentials, will make her a formidable counterweight to President Trump. She will likely have a laser-like focus on economic and kitchen table issues, as prices, inflation and tariffs remain too high for many. Senator Slotkin will also defend President Zelensky and democratic efforts in Ukraine, given the recent Oval Office blowup.

As the U-M Transportation Research Institute turns 60, it expands to include Mcity and fast-track AV technologies as the next frontier in roadway safety

In an effort to bolster its research on next-generation mobility technologies that save lives, the University of Michigan is fusing its longstanding leadership in transportation safety with its distinct expertise in testing connected and automated vehicle technologies.

Beginning March 1, U-M’s Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) will expand to include the Mcity public/private partnership and test facility. Henry Liu, Mcity’s director since 2022, will lead the expanded UMTRI.

“We see this as a multiplier of our impact,” said Liu, the Bruce D. Greenshields Collegiate Professor of Engineering and a professor of civil and environmental engineering. “UMTRI brings top safety researchers and a focus on the human facets, while Mcity provides technology development and a one-of-a-kind test facility. Together they’ve shaped Michigan Engineering’s reputation as a leader in mobility work that not only advances the engineering aspects, but goes beyond to examine how they impact peoples’ lives.”

Liu takes over for James Sayer, UMTRI’s director for the past nine years, who will remain as a research scientist.

The change is a homecoming of sorts for the Mcity Test Facility. UMTRI leaders including Sayer—along with industry and government partners—envisioned, developed and launched Mcity in 2015 as the world’s first purpose-built test track for connected and automated vehicles.

“What spun out of our efforts to improve roadway safety has come full circle, and at a time when it’s clear that connected and automated vehicle technologies are the essential next frontier in traffic safety,” Sayer said. “More than 40,000 people are still dying on U.S. roads every year.”

The new era begins as UMTRI marks its 60th anniversary and the Mcity Test Facility its 10th.

Sixty years of saving lives

In 1965, the nation was facing an alarming rise in traffic fatalities. More Americans were owning faster cars designed for style and performance, and cruising them along the new interstate highways built the previous decade. From 1960-65, roadway deaths rose by 20% per 100,000 people, according to data from the National Safety Council.

The federal government recognized the issue and began deliberating solutions. So did Ford, GM and the Automobile Manufacturers Association. With $10 million, they founded UMTRI’s predecessor, the Highway Safety Research Institute, which became UMTRI in the 1980s. It was time to add safety to vehicle engineering.

Since opening its doors, the institute has conducted foundational research that played a pivotal role in bringing fatalities down by an estimated 35% per capita, according to 2023 NRC data. Most recently, UMTRI has led connected and automated vehicle deployments that enabled it to amass the world’s largest set of connected vehicle data, and use it to demonstrate how effective the tech can be at enhancing safety. But its work started with a focus on vehicle design, driver behavior, vehicle dynamics and crash analysis.

During the 1970s, researchers began work to make crash test dummies more realistic to better protect people in cars, including children. Eventually they published a landmark study of driver body shape and posture, Anthropometry of Motor Vehicle Occupants, that has served as the design basis for adult-sized crash test dummies for nearly 40 years. The work continues today.

In the following decade, the institute’s research shaped design and policy around occupant restraint systems, particularly seatbelts, child safety seats and airbag technologies. As one example, a 1988 survey of child safety seat use and misuse across Michigan drew national attention and led to the creation of the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system for installing child safety seats.

Around the same time, UMTRI and its researchers established the International Roughness Index used across the world by builders to quantify road surface quality. The index continues to play a critical role in road safety and reducing vehicle repair costs.

Today’s heavy truck safety standards can also trace their origin to UMTRI researchers’ mathematical modeling and measurements.

By the 1990s, UMTRI had honed its advanced 3D modelling and simulation capabilities through decades of studying and validating vehicle dynamics, and startup Mechanical Simulation Corp. spun out to offer the auto industry a new way to accurately and realistically predict real-world vehicle behavior. When the company was purchased in 2022 by vehicle software supplier Applied Intuition, it supported more than 200 OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. Today, Applied Intuition provides software used by automakers and others to advance autonomous vehicle technologies. It was valued at $6 billion in 2024.

UMTRI’s record of safety work made it a natural partner for government and the auto industry as attention turned to the potential of connected and automated vehicles. Under UMTRI’s leadership, roughly 2,800 drivers traveled 71 million miles in the world’s first large-scale connected vehicle deployment. Safety Pilot Model Deployment, a $30 million effort launched in 2012 with the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Safety Pilot showed that connected vehicles can reduce unimpaired crashes by 80%. The initial project has evolved over the past decade with infrastructure and technology enhancements and now totals more than $82 million. Today’s Ann Arbor Connected Environment 2.0 and Smart Intersections Project encompass 27 square miles of Ann Arbor, 75 sites, including 69 intersections and relies on cellular-based C-V2X.

UMTRI’s crash analysis research has continued to yield influential findings enabling an improved safety response. Partnering with the Office of Highway Safety Planning and others, including NHTSA, for more than 30 years, UMTRI has maintained high quality access to Michigan crash data statistics. The Michigan Traffic Crash Facts website is an award winning, powerful crash analysis tool that allows users to search traffic crash facts related to a wide-range of data including: age, deer, vehicle/driver and occupant information.

The institute’s work also includes the benefits of active safety systems such as automatic emergency braking, and it informed General Motors’ decision to make five active safety features standard on most 2023 vehicles. This includes systems that reduce crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists.

A safe place for technology testing

Early on, UMTRI leaders recognized the need to test cutting-edge connected and automated technologies in a safe environment, rather than on public roads. That’s why they designed the Mcity Test Facility, a 32-acre site that recreates a real-world urban and suburban environment, complete with roads, intersections, traffic signs and signals, streetlights, building facades, sidewalks, construction obstacles and more.

The goal of the test facility was to create a space for rigorous, repeatable testing in a safe, controlled environment and to complement UMTRI’s large-scale real-world deployments.

Automakers and others in the industry recognized the need to accelerate research and development of these technologies as well. Initially, 15 Leadership Circle companies pledged $1 million over three years, and 31 affiliate members $150,000, providing more than $19 million in industry support to operate the facility and fund research. Early Leadership Circle members included General Motors, Ford, Honda, State Farm, Toyota and Verizon.

Not long after the Mcity Test Facility opened in 2015, Ford became the first automaker to test autonomous vehicles there.

“Testing Ford’s autonomous vehicle fleet at Mcity provides another challenging, yet safe, urban environment to repeatedly check and hone these new technologies,” Raj Nair, then Ford’s group vice president of Global Product Development, said at the time. “This is an important step in making millions of people’s lives better and improving their mobility.”

By combining both physical and virtual assets, Mcity can recreate almost any driving scenario—controlling vehicle behavior, simulating pedestrians and more. Its researchers are also working to provide and advocate for an automated vehicle testing structure for the industry and consumers. Its Mcity Safety Assessment Program is a two-part protocol for validating the safety of Level 4 automated vehicles before real-world deployment that could serve as a blueprint for a national standard. L4 vehicles can navigate most driving situations without human intervention.

Mcity’s Driverless Shuttle was the nation’s first AV shuttle research project on user behavior and a way to gauge consumer acceptance of the technology. It was followed by partnerships with May Mobility on trial AV shuttle deployments in Ann Arbor and Detroit.

Today, Mcity offers remote testing too, made possible using digital infrastructure developed with funding from the National Science Foundation. The digital and physical infrastructure work together to allow researchers around the world to use the test facility without leaving home, helping to speed up development of automated technologies.

Also, Mcity recently introduced the first open-source digital twin of the test facility, providing a faster, safer, less expensive way to test autonomous and connected vehicle software. The digital twin is free for anybody to use and does not require a physical vehicle or test facility.

A tipping point for road safety

Liu believes that bringing UMTRI and Mcity together has the potential to accelerate a tipping point for road safety. While traffic fatalities per 100,000 people are less than half of what they were at their worst in the 1970s—around 13 people vs. 28—more than 40,000 are still dying on U.S. roads every year. The USDOT calls it a “crisis” and has established the National Roadway Safety Strategy to address it. The strategy includes automated technologies, and Liu underscores their importance.

“Given all the safety features that have been added to vehicles over the years, it’s my view that the only thing that will significantly reduce the number of roadway fatalities at this point is automation,” Liu said.

And not automation in a vacuum.

“We need to think about how to protect AV occupants. Maybe the passengers shouldn’t be facing forward. Maybe the seatbelts and airbags should be designed differently,” Liu said. “In transportation, you really have to have a systems view, and this new structure will emphasize that.”

The COVID-19 pandemic had a major and sudden effect on all aspects of life, requiring children and their families to rapidly change their habits and adopt new behaviors to stay healthy.

New research from the University of Michigan shows that despite these challenges, young children understood the reasons for these novel norms and social practices aimed at promoting public health.

Researchers highlight the major findings from a series of recent studies on children’s responses to preventive health behaviors. The COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique opportunity for examining children’s emerging reasoning abilities in the face of rapidly changing norms and social practices, said Felix Warneken, U-M professor of psychology and the study’s lead author.

“Studying how kids interpreted mask-wearing and other strategies for staying healthy during COVID-19 is important,” he said. “It helps us figure out how to teach them about health behaviors in a way they understand. Because children make their own decisions and often interact with peers in unsupervised contexts, it is critical to ensure they comprehend the reasons behind preventive behaviors.”

Warneken and colleague Katherine McAuliffe, associate professor at Boston College, looked at how kids thought about new health habits. They found that even young kids think about these actions in terms of what makes sense for their well-being and that of others.

“Adults used to praise children for sharing their toys with others or giving comforting hugs to a friend—and suddenly during a pandemic these acts are the exact opposite of what you should do,” Warneken said. “We wanted to test whether this is confusing for kids.”

The researchers asked children what they thought they should do during a pandemic. School-aged children knew despite good intentions, the only help that doesn’t involve physical touch is helpful.

Their work further revealed that children consider it a moral obligation to adopt health behaviors that prevent others from harm.

“When we introduced children to completely novel health behaviors, children overwhelmingly thought individuals should adopt them to protect others,” Warneken said. “For these young children, the benefit to others’ health clearly outweighs the personal nuisance from doing things like wearing a mask.”

While kids understand the reason behind new rules and habits, the views of their families and communities—especially as they relate to the political environment—can influence what they think about these health behaviors, he said.

The research had some limitations, such as the children came from middle-class families in the United States with parents with college degrees.

‘Therefore, cultural and national differences in responses to pandemics and their potential influence on children’s experience must be considered as well,” Warneken said.

The review article appears in Current Directions in Psychological Science.

Earthquakes occur along fault lines between continental plates, where one plate is diving beneath another. Pressure builds between each plate, called fault stress. When this stress builds enough to release, the plates slip and grind against each other, causing an earthquake.

Researchers have long thought that this force is the central driver of earthquakes. But another force is also in the mix: the properties of the rocks in the fault zones along the plate interface. This includes both the structure of the rock as well as how the rocks are arranged along the zones.

Now, a University of Michigan study looking at a small region in Japan has shown that the properties of fault zone rocks really matter for the generation of earthquakes.

Yihe Huang, lead author and U-M associate professor of earth and environmental sciences, and her team looked at data from the eastern Kanto region of Japan, including Tokyo. The region is situated where the Philippine Sea Plate is sandwiched between the North American Plate and the Pacific Plate.

Earthquakes that occur there tend to be small and occurring at depths of about 60 to 70 kilometers—fairly deep, according to Huang. The region generates about half of the earthquakes that can be felt in Tokyo.

The researchers found that the rock material along this fault line is foliated, which means the minerals within the rocks are arranged in distinct layers. Their findings, published in Science Advances, suggest that the properties of rocks may contribute equally to the generation of earthquakes, alongside fault stress.

Huang says finding active areas of subduction zones where earthquakes tend to occur, and examining why earthquakes occur in these areas, can help researchers devise better earthquake warning systems.

“When we think about where earthquakes occur, we are always thinking about a broader scale, such as subduction zones more broadly. But it’s not like that. Even in subduction zones, there are certain locations that are more active and we need to find those spots,” Huang said. “Our study provides a way for us to find those spots. If they are linked together spatially or temporally, then they may contribute to the generation of bigger earthquakes.

“The main takeaway is that the subduction zone plate boundary contains much more foliated, damaged rocks than what we thought about before at this kilometer scale, which is relevant to earthquake generation in all subduction zones that host earthquakes in localized spots.”

This foliation gives the rock what’s called an anisotropic property, which means the rock exhibits different properties in different directions, similar to the difference in properties of wood along its grain compared to across it. This causes the rock to have different levels of strength in these directions, similar to how wood is stronger along its grain than across it. The rock layers themselves along this fault line are a mixture of different types of rocks.

The region the researchers examined is covered by a network of borehole seismometer stations placed about every 25 kilometers. Because the seismometers are placed about 100 meters deep in boreholes, the seismometers can pick up very small signals.

The researchers used data from the borehole seismometers to calculate the underlying rock’s Poisson’s ratio. This ratio measures the 3D elastic properties of rocks: think about a sponge, Huang says. If you squeeze a sponge end-to-end, the middle of the sponge stretches apart. If you stretch a sponge, the middle of the sponge will bunch up. In this way, the material inside the sponge becomes deformed.

The researchers found that in this region, when the rocks in this particular fault zone are squeezed, they don’t deform much in the other direction. This means that the rock is stronger in one direction than the other, again, similar to how wood is stronger along the grain.

“That’s very strange, and we have not seen that in materials from Earth at this kilometer scale,” Huang said. “We are hypothesizing that this must be related to a very local structural heterogeneity in the subduction zone.”

She says that both understanding the underlying structures of rocks and how tectonic plates shift together is critical to understanding how and when earthquakes occur.

“Looking at these particular anomalous regions on subduction zones is probably key to understanding where earthquakes are occurring and why they are occurring there,” Huang said.

Next, the researchers are planning to examine data from seismometers placed on the ocean floor directly in offshore Japan to probe into more rocks along the plate interface of the Japan subduction zone.

If the negligence of bank executives leads to bank failures or bailouts, those executives should face civil monetary penalties, according to a new University of Michigan analysis.

“This article brings together our wide range of expertise in proposing a targeted solution to tackle the problem of moral hazard in banking and improve financial stability,” said Jeffery Zhang, assistant professor at the Law School.

Looking at the near-banking crisis of 2023 following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, Zhang and colleagues argue that existing regulatory proposals—such as enhanced bank supervision, tighter regulations and expanded deposit insurance—are insufficient to prevent future failures.

Instead, the study’s authors advocate for combining them with a more direct approach: holding individual bank executives financially accountable for negligence that substantially increases the risk of a bank failure.

“By imposing civil monetary sanctions, our proposal aims to realign executive incentives and mitigate reckless risk-taking,” said Kyle Logue, professor at the Law School.

The researchers specifically propose a framework that would apply financial penalties to executives at all U.S. banks—whether publicly traded or privately held—when their negligent actions significantly contribute to a bank collapse or require emergency government intervention. Their recommended sanction is a clawback of up to five years’ worth of total compensation, with enhanced penalties for gross negligence or misconduct.

“If executives know they could lose years of compensation for reckless decision-making, they’ll have a much stronger incentive to act responsibly,” said Will Thomas, assistant professor at the Ross School of Business. “This system is designed to deter risky behavior while avoiding the impracticalities of criminal prosecution.”

The authors suggest several ways that Congress and regulators might design and implement this sanctions regime. One option is for Congress to amend the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to strengthen sanctions provisions and lower the burden of proof for enforcement. They also recommend restricting directors and officers insurance, or D&O, from covering these penalties to ensure that executives personally bear financial consequences.

Additionally, they propose empowering private actors, such as whistleblowers or shareholders, to initiate enforcement actions against negligent bankers, increasing accountability beyond traditional regulatory oversight.

The article will be published in Volume 78 of the Stanford Law Review but is currently available on SSRN.

Research discusses why the way we talk about solitude might be making us lonelier

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 University of Michigan research reveals a paradox: How the media portrays solitude—though well-intentioned—may exacerbate loneliness by negatively influencing people’s beliefs about being alone.

A deep dive into 144 news articles from leading U.S. newspapers, published between 2020 and 2022, uncovered a striking trend: Solitude is overwhelmingly depicted as a negative, even dangerous state. These stories are 10 times more likely to describe being alone as more harmful than beneficial.

“Widespread public discourse about the dangers of being alone may be doing more harm than good,” said lead author and U-M social psychology graduate student Micaela Rodriguez. “This work highlights the need for media outlets and public health campaigns to clearly distinguish between being alone and feeling lonely—and to acknowledge that spending time alone, which is an inevitable part of daily life, can sometimes be beneficial.”

Using rigorous longitudinal research methods, this Nature Communications article—the first known to critically analyze how American news media portrays being alone—finds that people who believe being alone is harmful tend to feel lonelier after spending time alone in daily life. However, those with a more positive view of solitude don’t just feel less lonely in the same situations, they actually feel more positive.

“Loneliness is not just about our relationships with other people—it’s also about our relationship with our time alone,” said co-author Ethan Kross, U-M professor of psychology. “Our research suggests that learning to view time alone as a positive experience does not only protect people against feeling lonely but also promotes healthy experiences of solitude that promote well-being.”

The findings challenge the idea that solitude is inherently negative and suggest that societal messages warning about the dangers of being alone may actually be counterproductive, making individuals feel even worse in their solitude.

“Our work opens up new opportunities to address the so-called ‘loneliness epidemic,’ said Kross, also a faculty associate at U-M’s Institute for Social Research. “In addition to encouraging people to develop meaningful relationships, we should also help them cultivate a healthier, more positive relationship with solitude.”

A global phenomenon with wide-ranging implications

This effect isn’t confined to one culture. The research team collected data from nine countries across six continents, including Brazil, South Africa, the U.K., Japan, Mexico, Spain, Australia and Poland. The findings suggest that beliefs about solitude consistently shape how people experience loneliness worldwide, demonstrating that our mindset about solitude influences whether it feels isolating or restorative.

“These findings hold up across diverse cultures—from countries like Mexico and Brazil, where there is a heavy focus on community and family, to countries like Japan and the U.K., where governments have appointed ‘loneliness ministers’ to help address loneliness and social isolation,” Rodriguez said. “It is also striking that—across many nations around the world—the benefits of holding positive beliefs about being alone are largest for people who spend the most time alone.”

Public health leaders, including the World Health Organization and the previous U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, have warned of loneliness as a major health threat, linking it to depression, cardiovascular disease and even early mortality.

However, this new research introduces a critical nuance—being alone isn’t necessarily the problem. In fact, solitude can be a source of personal growth, creativity and emotional recharge when approached with the right mindset, the researchers say.

“We were most surprised to find that people who view being alone as a positive experience don’t just tolerate being alone—they actually feel more content after spending time alone in their daily lives,” Rodriguez said. “This goes against the common assumption that being alone inevitably leads to loneliness and other negative outcomes. Importantly, it suggests that solitude can be an asset —if we view it as such.”

Rethinking Loneliness

Current public health messaging overwhelmingly promotes social interaction as the cure for loneliness. But this study suggests a complementary approach: rather than solely pushing for more social connections, we should also foster healthier beliefs about solitude.

Shifting public discourse to recognize the potential benefits of being alone may empower individuals to experience solitude differently.

“Most loneliness interventions focus on helping people interact with others and build social connections,” Rodriguez said. “This approach can be helpful, but it is not always effective in alleviating loneliness—because being alone and feeling lonely are different things.

“Our research reveals another potential path to reduce loneliness: helping people develop a healthier, more positive relationship with their alone time. We’re currently testing an intervention designed to help lonely individuals reframe their beliefs about being alone to improve well-being and reduce loneliness.”

China’s historical one-child policy, aimed at curbing population growth, had an unintended economic impact: it significantly increased female entrepreneurship, according to a new University of Michigan study.

The research suggests that stricter enforcement of fertility restrictions led to a surge in the number of women launching businesses. While prior work has documented a link between reduced fertility and women joining the labor force, the U-M study contributes to the literature by highlighting a surprising economic side effect of one of the world’s most controversial population policies.

Using data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey and the Chinese business registry, the study found that female entrepreneurship rose by 3.8 percentage points—a 40.9% increase relative to the average rate of 9.3%—after provinces introduced harsher financial penalties for having additional children. Female entrepreneurship increased particularly among women of childbearing age (20-40 years), those with children and urban residents.

“The results show that when fertility fines restricted family size, many women redirected their time and effort into entrepreneurship,” said co-author Jagadeesh Sivadasan, professor of business economics and public policy at U-M’s Ross School of Business.

According to the study, each additional child increased child care demands on women by an average of 9.17 hours per week, while housework responsibilities increased by 4.36 hours per week. The effect was far more pronounced for women than for men, reinforcing the idea that family responsibilities disproportionately constrained women’s career choices.

By limiting the number of children per family, the one-child policy, or OCP, effectively freed up time for women, allowing them to reenter the labor force, seek career advancements, or start businesses. The results suggest that time saved from having fewer children was a major driver of female entrepreneurship.

Additionally, the study found no evidence to support the concerns that women may be “reluctant entrepreneurs” forced to launch businesses due to a lack of employment opportunities, or that entrepreneurship serves as a temporary transition to outside employment.

Instead, the findings suggest that women who transitioned to self-employment experienced higher individual and household income and expenditure levels than transitions to outside employment. This suggests that businesses launched by women were financially viable rather than a fallback option.

Moreover, the study found that the quality of OCP-induced female-owned businesses was no different from other startups. Women who entered entrepreneurship following fertility restrictions were just as likely to incorporate their businesses, a sign of high-quality businesses. Importantly, the survival rate of these firms was comparable to other women-owned businesses, reinforcing the idea that these were not low-quality or short-lived ventures but rather legitimate, sustainable enterprises.

“The findings suggest that, unlike in some other developing country contexts, female entrepreneurship induced by fertility fines in China did not serve as a second-best alternative to outside employment, but instead provided a financially viable option for women,” Sivadasan said.

The research also found that the effect was most pronounced in urban areas, where the OCP was more strictly enforced, and among educated females, who possibly saw entrepreneurship as a strategic career shift. Rural women, who were often allowed to have a second child if their first was a girl, did not experience the same boost in entrepreneurship.

The study adds to ongoing debates about how fertility policies influence labor markets and economic growth. While the OCP was officially abolished in 2015, its long-term economic effects are still being studied.

“This research highlights an important but overlooked consequence of restrictive fertility policies,” Sivadasan said. “As countries around the world grapple with demographic shifts, the potential positive impact on female entrepreneurship and labor force participation could help to mitigate the economic challenges posed by declining fertility.”

However, the authors caution that their study does not assess the overall impact of the one-child policy, but rather identifies one economic benefit of the policy. As China now struggles with low birth rates and a shrinking workforce, the unintended consequences of the OCP—including its role in shaping female entrepreneurship—may offer lessons for policymakers worldwide.

Most of Michigan’s county sheriffs and local police chiefs support some type of alternative or hybrid approach for responding to 911 calls beyond traditional law enforcement officers.

However, a majority of them believe it would be difficult to implement these kinds of programs in their communities.

Those are among the key findings from the latest installment of the Michigan Public Policy Survey conducted in spring 2024 by University of Michigan’s Center for Local, State and Urban Policy. The statewide survey asked both law enforcement and local government officials about their thoughts on approaches to policing that might involve others, such as mental health professionals or trained social workers.

An increasing number of communities across the state are exploring different approaches to traditional 911 response. The study notes more than 100 local alternative crisis response units in operation nationwide—including Detroit, which received roughly 16,000 mental health calls last year.

Advocates say incorporating nonlaw enforcement professionals can help in calls involving substance abuse, domestic disputes and wellness checks, while allowing police officers to prioritize more urgent or violent emergencies.

The survey found support varied depending on approach, yet it was highest for one in which a response team incorporated other professionals while being led by law enforcement. Support was lower for alternative response teams led by other local government departments or independent community groups, but still higher than outright opposition to alternative response approaches.

More than 80% of sheriffs and police chiefs as well as more than 50% of local government leaders support at least one of these types of alternative response programs. Still, a slight majority of all believe it would be difficult to implement such an approach in their community, citing funding and staffing concerns as well as the safety of civilian responders.

“Michigan sheriffs and police chiefs express broad support for co-response and alternative response programs in their communities even though most think they would be hard to implement,” said Debra Horner, the survey’s senior program manager.

“Statewide, their agencies are facing severe staffing and workload challenges, and many, especially in larger jurisdictions, are also seeing a volume of 911 calls for police that do not actually require law enforcement attention. It makes sense to look to mental health professionals to partner with them in crisis response.”

The Michigan Public Policy Survey has been conducted since 2009 by CLOSUP at U-M’s Ford School of Public Policy. Respondents returning surveys between April-June 2024 include county, city, township and village officials from 1,307 jurisdictions across the state, as well as 54 county sheriffs, 234 chiefs of police or directors of public safety, and 55 elected county prosecutors.

The spring 2024 wave of the survey program was funded by a grant from The Joyce Foundation.

Recent University of Michigan graduates Hannah Feng and Genevieve Welch are halfway through their nine-month Fulbright Program in Canada and Hungary.

Feng is conducting an innovative research project on youth mental health in collaboration with the Vancouver Island Counseling Centre for Immigrants and Refugees and the University of Victoria in British Columbia. Welch is pursuing a part-time nondegree program in choral conducting at the prestigious Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest.

Their projects highlight the transformative power of mental health advocacy and music in bridging cultural divides and addressing pressing social issues.

Feng and Welch are among 12 UM-Ann Arbor students awarded Fulbright grants for the 2024-25 academic year and 10 faculty scholars on the Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint campuses who will conduct research abroad for up to 12 months.

“We are truly honored and delighted to share in honoring U-M’s extraordinary Fulbright students and faculty scholars,” said U-M President Santa J. Ono. “Through their relentless excellence and brilliance, and their lasting commitment to service, leadership and life-changing education, they are demonstrating again why the Fullbrights are among the most prestigious recognitions made in academia.”

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international academic exchange program. Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided over 400,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists and professionals of all backgrounds with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research abroad. Fulbrighters exchange ideas, build people-to-people connections and work to address complex global challenges.

U-M has received more than 600 U.S. scholar awards and more than 1,000 U.S. student awards since the Fulbright Program’s inception, according to the International Institute Fellowships & Grants Office.

Tackling mental health stigma

Feng’s study examines a peer mental health ambassador program aimed at reducing stigma and improving help-seeking behaviors among immigrant and refugee youth in Canada.

As global migration increases, newcomer youth face trauma, cultural adjustment and discrimination. Feng’s research explores how peer support fosters resilience, reduces isolation and promotes mental health discussions in diverse communities. By tracking participants over time, her findings will help shape long-term mental health solutions for immigrant and refugee communities.

“Mental health stigma is one of the greatest barriers preventing newcomer youth from seeking the support they need,” said Feng, a 2024 U-M graduate in international studies and psychology. “Through this research, I hope to demonstrate how peer-led interventions can create meaningful change in their lives and help shape policies prioritizing mental well-being.”

Feng’s work builds on her previous research in immigration psychology and mental health advocacy. Her collaboration at the Vancouver Island Counseling Centre for Immigrants and Refugees and the University of Victoria will ensure the study is designed and empirically validated. Following the Fulbright period, VICCIR plans to sustain and expand the youth ambassador program, with the potential for nationwide adaptation.

“My goal is to become a mental health practitioner, researcher and advocate for expanding mental health access and minority representation in psychology,” Feng said. “I hope my Fulbright can create a strong foundation in my community-based participatory research skills, develop my clinical competencies and help me become a more thoughtful and socially aware mental health practitioner moving forward.

“I also hope to serve as a cultural ambassador of the U.S. in a time where cultural exchange, building goodwill and developing mutual understanding feels more important than ever.”

Advancing choral conducting

With a deep appreciation for Hungary’s rich musical heritage, Welch aims to immerse herself in the country’s choral traditions and refine her conducting skills under the guidance of esteemed faculty.

Welch received her master’s in choral conducting at U-M in 2024 and is a summa cum laude graduate of Wellesley College. She has extensive experience directing and performing in ensembles spanning children’s choirs to professional opera productions.

While in Budapest, she engages in rigorous academic study, attending world-class performances and collaborating with Hungarian musicians to deepen her expertise in the Kodály method and other influential pedagogical traditions.

“Besides studying choral conducting, I am exploring the local choral scene and history by singing with local community ensembles and taking folk singing classes,” Welch said. “Hungary’s deep musical roots, legendary composers and world-class educational institutions make it the ideal place for me to refine my craft as a choral conductor.”

Her research will culminate in an article or conference presentation to ensure her discoveries reach broader academic and musical communities.

“I believe music is a direct extension of the people producing it—their idiosyncrasies and stories are woven into the notes and rhythms,” she said. “The idea that music is a vehicle for community underlies my musicality and draws me to choral music. Through music, we tell stories, express ourselves and connect with people we may never have reached. I am honored to have the opportunity to learn in a culture where music and pedagogy are woven into the fabric of society.”

Addressing climate and energy

Omolade Adunbi, a professor of anthropology and of Afroamerican and African studies, is among the U-M scholars who were awarded Fulbright grants. He is currently on sabbatical from his role as director of the African Studies Center while serving as a Fulbright scholar in the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria.

His research focuses on energy and climate change in Nigeria, examining the intersection of technology, social media, environmental advocacy, infrastructural development and China’s role in the region.

“Ibadan has the oldest anthropology department in Nigeria and seeing students’ enthusiasm for the discipline gives me hope that anthropology, despite its colonial baggage in Africa, has a bright future,” Adunbi said. “My research on climate change has been eye-opening, revealing the devastating effects of shifting weather patterns on agriculture and communities. However, I am also encouraged by the resilience of the people and their determination to combat climate change.”

EXPERTS ADVISORY

Challenges abound in the development, implementation and effects of artificial intelligence. Yet people still have the power to limit risks and even foster positive integration of AI—should they choose to shoulder that responsibility.

University of Michigan experts Nigel Melville and Yousif Hassan join the latest episode of Business & Society to explore the nature of risk associated with AI, the challenges of governing a rapidly developing technology, layoffs, human agency, systemic biases and the environmental toll of data centers.

Melville, associate professor of technology and operations at U-M’s Ross School of Business, and Hassan, assistant professor at the Ford School of Public Policy, focus on the desire for transparency surrounding AI’s implementation and the importance of coming to a shared understanding and vision as a society.

Business & Society is a joint production of the Ross School and Michigan News.

“We need to bring together artists, historians, political scientists, economists, and we need to come to a shared understanding. What is this AI thing? What does it mean to us? What are the possibilities?” Melville said. “What are the risks—a shared understanding and a shared vision of what we can do, grapple with and develop solutions to these very vexing problems. It’s a responsibility and a great opportunity for a great university like the University of Michigan.”

Contact: [email protected]

“AI is not really good or bad—but it’s also not neutral, meaning that we can shape the technology,” Hassan said. “Society has the ability to do that, but that’s going to require some hard efforts. A lot of actors and interest groups are making these decisions on our behalf, which is not a good way to have responsible, sustainable innovation. So, in a lot of ways, the focus on democratic deliberation around AI and what society wants to get out of it is so important. And we’re really at a time where it’s becoming more and more urgent.”

Contact: [email protected]

Business & Society is co-produced by JT Godfrey of the Ross School of Business and Jeff Karoub of Michigan News. The audio engineer is Jonah Brockman and editorial production is provided by Mads Henke. Listen to all episodes of the podcast.

‘Like a big gumbo pot’

The way Branford Marsalis sees it, the world needs social activists and artists. Yet the Grammy-winning saxophonist said he has a hard time being both.

“Playing music is so hard — I don’t really have time for (activism),” Marsalis told an audience Thursday in the Joan and Sanford Weill Hall’s Annenberg Auditorium at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. “I mean, I have the things that I think about, but I have to practice every day and I’m constantly listening to music. … I don’t know how you square those two things.”

The talk, sandwiched between two gigs — one jazz, the other classical — at the University of Michigan, was billed as “Branford Marsalis: A life of art and engagement.” Marsalis seems most comfortable engaging with his audience through his art.

“Music is about people — it’s not about music,” he said. “This is where we get disconnected from reality. There’s a lot of musicians who think that music is about music, which is why people don’t like them.”

Branford Marsalis speaks to a fan after a lecture agt the Ford School. Two men, smiling, laughing.

Branford Marsalis talks music with the author, fellow musician Jeff Karoub. (Image: Andrew Mascharka, Michigan Photography.)

Marsalis, whose career has spanned the genres of jazz, classical, pop, funk, and more, isn’t ignorant of what’s happening — or has happened — across the globe. The man for whom history was his favorite subject in school is currently reading “Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Rule the World” by Anne Applebaum.

You have to know what’s going on in the world, the New Orleans native says, and understand it in the context of human history. And all you learn and know can certainly find its way into your music, but he thinks of it in terms of conveying emotion and feeling, moreso than facts.

“Music is like a big gumbo pot and the better you are at it, you can throw more things in the pot and it will taste better,” he said. “And you’re not going to taste all these things individually. And then people say, ‘Well, man, give me that recipe’ because they can’t taste all of those things individually.

“And that’s the way music is. All these influences, all these disparate influences, kind of add a certain kind of gravitas and density to your playing, but not in a direct way. You can point and say, ‘Oh, yeah, he’s listening to the Grateful Dead. Yeah, I could tell.’ No, it’s just it’s just part of the soup.”

Marsalis, whose many musical collaborations include the Dead, Sonny Rollins, and Sting, has also spent decades as an educator. He recognizes that each form of music comes with its own cultural roots and lessons worth learning, but he balks at purists who build walls between them. Jimi Hendrix and Wolgang Amadeus Mozart may not sound the same but they “use the same 12 notes” of the Western scale.

Marsalis, once a late night show bandleader whose accomplished musical family includes trumpeter brother, Wynton, was adamant that his job is “to make music,” but understands the power it can possess beyond the notes.

His interviewer was Philippa Pham Hughes, a visiting artist at the University of Michigan Museum of Art and a lecturer at the Ford School, which presented the talk. She cited the words of David Wojnarowicz, an artist and AIDS activist, who said the job of artists is to create beauty in the world.

“We don’t have to be on the front lines of everything,” Hughes said. “Our act of resistance is to continue making art and make it great and fight for a world in which art can exist and beauty can surround all of us.”

“Yeah, all right,” Marsalis said, “I’ll buy that.”

Consumer sentiment slid nearly 10% from January and fell for the second straight month.

The decrease was unanimous across groups by age, income and wealth. All five components of the sentiment index deteriorated this month, led by a 19% plunge in buying conditions for durables, due in part to fears that tariff-induced price increases are imminent, said economist Joanne Hsu, director of the University of Michigan’s Surveys of Consumers.

Expectations for personal finances and the short-run economic outlook both declined almost 10% in February, while the long-run economic outlook fell back about 6% to its lowest reading since November 2023. Sentiment fell for Democrats and Independents, but was unchanged for Republicans, reflecting ongoing disagreements on the consequences of new economic policies.

“Consumers’ expectations for the path of inflation worsened considerably this month; they are clearly bracing for a resurgence in inflation,” Hsu said. “A spike in inflation expectations is not necessarily a cause for concern, but if these views persist, it could become problematic for policymakers. Consumers broadly anticipate that tariff hikes will lead to higher inflation, but policy uncertainty means that their views are subject to change.”

Tariff developments raise worries about inflation

News about tariffs—whether rhetoric about trade or concrete policy announcements from the White House—appear to be filtering down to consumers.

About 40% of consumers spontaneously mentioned tariffs, up from 27% last month and less than 2% prior to the election, Hsu said. More importantly, consumers appear to be folding economic policy developments into their expectations on the trajectory of the economy.

Following the January 31 announcement that tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico would be implemented, year-ahead inflation expectations immediately surged. Although the North American tariffs were suspended relatively quickly, additional tariffs were announced thereafter, and inflation expectations have remained elevated.

Outlook weakens for personal finances, macroeconomy

Consumers expressed unease about multiple economic factors for the year ahead, providing headwinds for consumer sentiment and spending. More than half of consumers expect unemployment to rise in the year ahead, the highest share since the pandemic recession.

Views of personal finances broadly deteriorated this month as well, with almost 40% of consumers blaming high prices for eroding their living standards. Although a majority of consumers expect their incomes to rise, only 16% expect their income gains to outpace inflation, yet another sign of their worries over the trajectory of prices.

Consumer Sentiment Index

The Consumer Sentiment Index fell to 64.7 in the February 2025 survey, down from 71.7 in January and below last February’s 76.9. The Current Index fell to 65.7, down from 75.1 in January and below last February’s 79.4. The Expectations Index fell to 64.0, down from 69.5 in January and below last February’s 75.2.

About the surveys

The Surveys of Consumers is a rotating panel survey at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research. It is based on a nationally representative sample that gives each household in the coterminous U.S. an equal probability of being selected. Interviews are conducted throughout the month by web. The minimum monthly change required for significance at the 95% level in the Sentiment Index is 4.8 points; for the Current Index and Expectations Index, the minimum is 6 points.

Open-source effort supports durable silicon carbide circuits that can operate at record high temperatures

Heat-resistant sensing and computing chips made of silicon carbide could advance aircraft, electric and gas-powered vehicles, renewable energy, defense and space exploration—and University of Michigan researchers are leading a multimillion dollar collaborative effort to bring more of them to market.

Funded by the Silicon Crossroads Microelectronics Commons Hub, the project is launching with $2.4 million in initial funding, and could receive up to $7.5 million over three years.

Engineers at NASA’s Glenn Research Center have been exploring the potential of silicon carbide, or SiC, as a high-performance semiconductor for decades. SiC devices can handle higher voltages, temperatures and radiation levels than silicon alone. With an eye toward exploring the surface of Venus, they built a SiC circuit that can withstand 930 F (500 C) for thousands of hours. NASA Glenn has also shown packaged device operation over a 1,800 F (1,000 C) temperature span from -310 F (-190 C) to 1,490 F (812 C) with relevance across aerospace.

SiC could be valuable for more than space missions—it’s increasingly used in power electronics for electric vehicles and solar and wind energy systems. However, these applications aren’t making the most of its resilience to extreme conditions.

The new project will scale up NASA’s technology and manufacturing process to a modern wafer size and democratize SiC chip design. Along with NASA, collaborators include GE Aerospace Research in Niskayuna, New York; Ozark Integrated Circuits (Ozark IC), a technology firm in Fayetteville, Arkansas; and Wolfspeed, a North Carolina-based semiconductor manufacturer.

While the technology could be useful in a broad range of sectors, the project will focus on aerospace, including electronics and sensors that make aircraft engines more reliable and help optimize their size, weight and power. A key goal is the demonstration of a packaged actuator for aerospace or on engine applications. Actuators convert electrical signals to mechanical motion and play an important role in control systems.

Partnering with industry and government

“NASA, GE Aerospace and Ozark IC have done an amazing job of developing this technology, which is very impactful for a variety of applications. This project will provide a critical pathway to advance and commercialize that technology,” said principal investigator Becky Peterson, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of the U-M Lurie Nanofabrication Facility.

“We need advanced semiconductors produced domestically that can perform in these challenging high temperature environments.”

In the project, NASA Glenn and GE Aerospace will work together to scale what’s referred to as the high temperature SiC junction field effect transistor, or JFET, fabrication process from 100- to 150-millimeter wafers.

“SiC-based high temperature electronics will be a key enabler for delivering new sensor and actuator functionality that improves the capability of future DoD engine platforms. Beyond jet engines, the ability to handle more extreme temperature capabilities could open exciting new applications in control and sensing for hypersonic applications,” said Aaron Knobloch, platform leader, controls and electrical systems at GE Aerospace Research.

Ozark IC, which has worked with NASA Glenn through the NASA Small Business Innovation Research program and licensing offices for many years, will support packaging, integration and process commercialization. Ozark IC has shown a path for the technology working to over 1,400 F (800 C) integrated with advanced packaging.

This program builds on Ozark IC’s existing Department of Defense work with NASA where DARPA has supported SiC JFET-R technology transition to GE Aerospace’s 100 mm facility in New York, and its application to aerospace sensing through the DARPA High Operational Temperature Sensors (HOTS) program.

Wolfspeed, a pioneer and leader in SiC wafer production, will provide the specialized SiC wafers necessary for these devices building on its deep expertise and capacity in epitaxy of SiC. Wolfspeed and the U.S. Department of Commerce are finalizing a proposed $750 million direct funding package to support the expansion of Wolfspeed silicon carbide production in North Carolina and New York. In addition, Wolfspeed will consult with the team on design for commercialization.

“Ozark IC has been working with NASA and GE Aerospace in bringing SiC technology into aerospace and energy for many years. We couldn’t be more thrilled to work with Michigan and Wolfspeed to help scale the technology up to 150 mm with advanced packaging and integration,” said Matt Francis, CEO and founder of Ozark IC.

Michigan Engineering researchers will refine and standardize a process development kit and transistor models. They will create libraries of commonly-used circuit blocks to make the SiC technology more accessible to integrated circuit designers.

“We’ll test the devices and circuits made by NASA and GE Aerospace and packaged by Ozark IC and work together to standardize those pieces,” Peterson said. “And we’ll use the data to create process development kits and open electronic design automation, or open EDA, software that can help automate the design of integrated circuits, and model their performance. We want to develop advanced refined models so that future users have all the tools they need to design and manufacture commercial products in this exciting technology.”

To do this, a team led by David Wentzloff, U-M professor of electrical and computer engineering, will add to the unique open-source tools they’ve developed for designing analog and mixed-signal circuits. These circuits are crucial for tasks such as managing power, converting real-world data from sensors to digital information for processing, and driving actuators and controllers in jet engines. Analog circuits complement the digital ones that perform processing and memory tasks, for example. While open-source design tools for digital circuits are becoming increasingly common, U-M brings them into the analog realm to implement analog and digital systems on a SiC chip.

“Our system is unlike other prior analog circuit design automation tools,” Wentzloff said. “The primary difference is we build on top of very mature digital design automation tools—in short, analog circuits designed with digital design automation tools. This speeds up the design of analog and mixed-signal circuits and makes it more accessible to a wide range of designers. You no longer need highly specialized analog circuit design skills.”

Improving aerospace engine reliability

Today’s silicon-based electronics used in engine control systems are limited to 257 F (125 C) and must be protected from heat through complex and heavy cooling systems or located in cooler areas of the engine. SiC electronics can function in hot areas within engines and their exhaust systems. The technology established in this project will enable new sensor and actuator functionality, flexible modular control systems, lower weight and simpler engine electrical system architectures. Due to SiC’s ability to handle extreme temperatures, SiC electronics can also advance emerging hypersonic aircraft systems which operate at temperatures far beyond the capabilities of silicon.

The project is titled: “Improving Engine Reliability and SWAP with 350-500 C SiC Electronic Systems.” It is one of 34 technical projects funded in 2024 by the U.S. Department of Defense through the Microelectronics Commons program, established by the CHIPS Act to expand U.S. leadership in microelectronics.

The University of Michigan is a founding member of the Silicon Crossroads Microelectronics Commons Hub, led by the Applied Research Institute. The SCMC Hub is an innovation ecosystem of diverse partners driven to accelerate expansion of America’s microelectronics base by leveraging strong collaborative practices that strategically support innovation, workforce development, and infrastructure needs to achieve domestic microelectronics excellence.