U-M mourns death of Bo Schembechler

The University of Michigan is mourning the loss of former head football coach Bo Schembechler, 77, who died at 11:42 a.m. Friday, Nov. 17 at Detroit Providence Hospital. U-M President Mary Sue Coleman said: "This is a tremendous shock and an irreplaceable loss for the University of Michigan family. Bo Schembechler embodied all that is best about Michigan—loyalty, dedication and the drive for ever-greater excellence.

U-M's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, one of the best in the nation, has a new home. Joan and Sanford Weill Hall gives the Ford School a more vibrant, dynamic environment for research and learning. President Ford's children attended the dedication, and here you can listen to a recording of an interview with them about the legacy of the former President and U-M alumnus.

Domestic automakers could turn losses to profits if they improve fuel economy across their model lineups. Or they could lose billions if they don't. A U-M study finds that whether gas prices sink to two dollars or rise to three dollars per gallon, US automakers can outcompete Japanese companies by improving fuel efficiency.

People who experience racial discrimination report lower markers of mental health and, frequently, a sense that they don't have access to good health care. As a result, say U-M researchers, addressing discrimination is not just a feel-good policy, but a crucial element in public health.

A U-M research team has identified how cancer cells employ a sort of molecular scissors to cut their way out of tumors and begin spreading throughout the body. This spread of cancer cells, called metastasis, marks a turning point in the progression of the disease, after which treatment and recovery become more difficult.

Daniel Bernard Roumain, aka DBR, is a musical melting pot. His compositions draw from the classical repertoire, and from hip-hop, jazz, and funk. He plays a scorching violin, and he's worked with the top performers in several genres. The New York Times ranked one of his concerts among the top 10 music events of 2003.

Acclaimed U-M professor Thylias Moss probably wouldn't want to be called "poet" anymore. Though her writing has won almost every major poetry award, Moss has been busy blowing out the definitions of what makes for art and poetry. These days, she's producing dynamic multi-media artwork that unites words, music, and video, like "Pleasurable Complexity" which you can see here.

Choreographer Martha Graham was one of the titans of 20th century art. U-M dance professor Peter Sparling was a member of Graham's company. In this video he describes and demonstrates the hallmarks of Graham's style, explaining just what makes her work so powerful.

One in seven women will develop breast cancer in her life. But misconceptions and anxiety about the disease may prevent women from getting effective screening and treatment. Here, U-M experts debunk the most common misconceptions about breast cancer.

The first detailed images of a binary asteroid system reveal a bizarre world where the highest points on the surface are actually the lowest. Research on the pair of asteroids--one orbits the other like a small moon--includes a fascinating video simulation of their peculiar movements.