Admired for his coaching excellence, beloved for his loyalty and fairness, Bo Schembechler was truly one of the Leaders and Best. When he died, he was writing a book about values with author John U. Bacon. In this essay, Bacon remembers Bo as one of those rare public figures who is actually more inspiring when you see him up close. And he describes some of the values that made him such a strong coach and sturdy man.

Earlier this month, U-M's Board of Regents approved plans for two large structures on the east and west sides of the stadium. The additions will hold 400,000 square feet of suites, club seats, and other facilities. They'll be built of brick, with a design that echoes the classic architecture of Yost Arena and the IM Sports building. You can also see life-like illustrations of how the Big House will look.

In November, Michigan voters passed a constitutional amendment banning public institutions from using affirmative action. In the wake of the vote, President Mary Sue Coleman has created Blueprints for Diversity, a task force that encourages the
campus community to help discover the most
effective ways to support diversity at U-M. On the day after the election, Coleman spoke about U-M's commitment to diversity of all kinds. See video and the text of her speech here.

Climate change is not just a threatening possibility, it's a business opportunity. In this podcast, U-M professor of business and natural resources Andrew Hoffman discusses the many ways businesses can address climate problems—and earn a profit by doing the right thing.

U-M music professor Anthony Elliott plays elegant cello. His mastery ranges from the orchestral and solo canon to interpretations of African American classics. This song is from his CD release 'Music for Cello and Piano by African-American Composers.'

Cammie McGovern's (MFA '95) book "Eye Contact" is a murder mystery that draws from her own experience. When a little girl turns up dead, the only witness is a nine-year-old autistic boy who's unable to tell what he's seen. McGovern, the mother of an autistic child herself, says the book originated with her questions about her son's ability to communicate. Listen here to an excerpt from this gripping thriller.

A pig-sized, tusked creature that roamed the earth some 27 million years ago represents a missing link between the oldest known relatives of elephants and the more recent group from which modern elephants descended, says an international team that includes U-M paleontologist William J. Sanders

How children behave is a strong predictor of how successful they become as middle-aged adults. An extensive study dating to the 1960s, reveals that kids who behave aggressively at age 8 are more likely to face school and career problems later in life. It recommends helping aggressive kids learn to "regulate" their behavior.

A U-M study has found that one of the best ways to predict the winner of an election is by taking a brief glimpse at both candidates. Voters who watched silent, 10-second video clips of candidates were able to predict the winner more accurately than if they considered their party, policy positions, even economic conditions. Try it yourself by watching candidate video here.