Ann Arbor

Kinesiology gets a promotion at the University of Michigan

By Newsroom

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December 3, 2008

The University of Michigan’s long-time Division of Kinesiology just became the School of Kinesiology. Excerpt: Kinesiology recently received a new home on the University of Michigan campus. Now it's getting a more prestigious name. The academic unit's name is changing from the Division of Kinesiology to the School of Kinesiology, effective Dec. 1. The U-M Board of Regents approved the change at its regular monthly meeting Thursday. Kinesiology involves the study of movement and was established in 1990 from its precursor, the department of physical education. With an undergraduate enrollment of 800 students, it now has the fourth highest number of undergraduates among the 12 schools and colleges with undergraduate programs on campus. Read the rest of the story here.

Video Aernnova Lands In Ann Arbor

By Keith Jefferies

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Economic Development

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December 3, 2008

When you've got 20,000 engineering students within 100 miles of your community, it's easy to make the case that Ann Arbor is the place for engineering firms to set up shop. And that just what U-M's Business Engagement Center did when it attracted Aernnova to The Deuce.

U-M saves energy, cash with green computing

By Newsroom

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Education

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December 3, 2008

The University of Michigan is trying to make its computers as green as their motherboards with an environmental mission that is expected to save the university hundreds of thousands of dollars.Excerpt:Spurred into action by a phone call from Google cofounder Larry Page, the University of Michigan is on its way to becoming a leader in green computing, hoping to save money and the environment.The campus-wide volunteer effort, which officially kicked off in March, involves a number of initiatives designed to save hundreds of thousands of dollars in energy used to power the school's 80,000 desktop computers, half a dozen data centers and more than 100 server rooms.Teams of more than 90 U-M students, faculty and staff members are working to purchase more energy-efficient computers and other technological devices, reduce the number of server rooms on campus and get everyone to turn off computers and printers when they are not using them and print only necessary documents.One group set up a program that allows people to use computer equipment that others no longer want. Another is looking at switching to systems that allow one computer to do the job of multiple ones. And one plan involves certifying university departments that meet energy efficiency standards."There is such a groundswell of support," said Bill Wrobleski, the director of U-M's technical infrastructure operations who is leading the effort. "A lot of little things make a big thing."Read the rest of the story here and how U-M is highlighting its green efforts here.

Student’s leadership at U-M, abroad garners Rhodes honor

By Newsroom

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Education

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December 3, 2008

The University of Michigan is pulling in accolades again. This time one of its students has been named a Rhodes Scholar.Excerpt:Abdul El-Sayed has traveled to various parts of the world turning educational opportunities into chances to help people. The 24-year-old University of Michigan student has led a medical mission to Peru and conducted health studies in Guatemala.His efforts in the classroom and in the field have El-Sayed lining up for yet another trip abroad. Next year, he will study at England's Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. Read the rest of the story here.

Ann Arbor part of the urban poultry farming craze

By Newsroom

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Health

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November 19, 2008

Tree Town becomes Chicken City as it joins Missoula, Montana; South Portland, Maine; and Ft. Collins, Colorado on the list of grass roots urban poultry organizing.Excerpt:"As it turns out, Mackin is hardly an anomaly, in New York or any other urban center. Over the past few years, urban dwellers driven by the local-food movement, in cities from Seattle to Albuquerque, have flocked to the idea of small-scale backyard chicken farming—mostly for eggs, not meat—as a way of taking part in home-grown agriculture. This past year alone, grass-roots organizations in Missoula, Mont.; South Portland, Maine; Ann Arbor, Mich.; and Ft. Collins, Colo., have successfully lobbied to overturn city ordinances outlawing backyard poultry farming, defined in these cities as egg farming, not slaughter. Ann Arbor now allows residents to own up to four chickens (with neighbors' consent), while the other three cities have six-chicken limits, subject to various spacing and nuisance regulations."Read the rest of the article here.

Green building gains momentum in Ann Arbor

By Newsroom

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Environment & Sustainability

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November 19, 2008

The Ann Arbor building landscape is becoming more and more eco-savvy as green building takes root in Tree Town.Excerpt:Green building continues to gain momentum locally, as area professionals organize new initiatives to bring attention to the field and an established construction firm opens an Ann Arbor office focused on environmentally conscious project development and execution.Ryan Stoianowski of Willis Building Co. in Saline is co-chair of the Emerging Green Builders Committee of the Detroit regional chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. In May, Stoianowski was the only active member, but it has since grown to include chapters at the University of Michigan and the University of Detroit Mercy.He said the goal is networking and education."We want to reach out to teach sustainability to young professionals and college students," Stoianowski said. "We're trying to get mentorship opportunities off the ground."A local network of people interested in green building and development could help stop the "brain drain" of younger people to places like Chicago and San Francisco, Stoianowski said.Read the rest of the story here.

BTB Party Bus runs on churro power… or what they were fried in

By Newsroom

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Environment & Sustainability

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November 19, 2008

Party buses in Ann Arbor are are turning to clean fuels --like used vegetable oils-- to transport revellers.Excerpt:BTB Burrito is already Ann Arbor's go-to spot for bar-goers who crave a late-night snack after last call. Now, BTB wants to give them a ride home, too - on a shuttle bus fueled by the waste oil that their churros were fried in.The BTB Party Bus - a bright-red, 14-seat, former airport shuttle - is powered by a diesel engine modified to run on used vegetable oil. It's indistinguishable from a normal diesel shuttle, except for the 20-gallon tank of grease that sits behind the driver and the tortilla-like aroma that lingers near the tank and emanates from the exhaust pipes. The homegrown mini-chain has been known best for fast, inexpensive Mexican food and a decidedly Ann Arbor attitude, from its funky interior design to its line of Hash Bash-themed merchandise. The turn toward eco-friendly transportation stems from the owners' interest in green innovation.Read the rest of the story here and a story on Ann Arbor's two electric cars here.

Ann Arbor in Top Five Surprisingly Gay Small Towns

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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November 19, 2008

Ann Arbor is gay (the traditional definition) about being recognized as a haven for gays raising families.Excerpt:There's one kind of scaling back that won't have you cursing the current economic climate. Opt for something a little smaller next time you pack up the Samsonite, and consider these delightfully diminutive gems, our top five surprisingly gay small towns.Read the rest of the story here and how Ann Arbor was rated one of the best places to raise kids in BusinessWeek here.

Ann Arbor’s greenbelt grows, but falling land values may make acquisitions harder

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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November 19, 2008

Ann Arbor's greenbelt is moving ahead at full speed but there might be a bump or two in the road ahead. Excerpt: Ann Arbor's greenbelt farmland preservation program added more than 330 acres this month, increasing its size by more than one-third, but falling land values have cast some uncertainty on the initiative's future. Declining values combined with historically high crop prices have greenbelt officials concerned that their offer to purchase development rights from farmers may not be as attractive as it used to be. The gap between the value of farmland in itself and the development rights is what made the sale of those rights alluring in the first place, and that gap is narrowing, said Peg Kohring of The Conservation Fund, a contractor managing the greenbelt program for the City of Ann Arbor. "I think the traditional farmer is not going to be motivated at all to sell their development rights," she said. "When you had the development rights higher, it really helped with the farmers' income." Read the rest of the story here.

‘Nanobama’ makes Obama’s likeness microscopic

By Newsroom

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Education

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November 19, 2008

President-elect Barack Obama is showing up in all aspects of our lives these days in ways both big and small.Excerpt:Barack Obama is larger than life these days. Except, that is, at the University of Michigan, where the president-elect has become remarkably small.Researchers have created carbon nanotube images of Obama that can be seen only through electron microscopes.John Hart, an assistant professor in mechanical engineering, led the team that created a "nanobama" flag and "nanobama" blocks. There’s also a "nanobiden" image of the incoming vice president."I really didn’t mean it in a political way," Hart said. "It was a basic demonstration of what we can do with nanotubes."Read the rest of the story here.