science wire

Youth bullying because of perceived sexual orientation widespread and damaging
Bullying because of perceived sexual orientation is widely prevalent among school-aged youths, according to a study led by Dr. Donald Patrick, professor of health services at the UW School of Public Health.  The study was published online May 16 in the American Journal of Public Health. The research team analyzed responses collected in 2010 from more than 24,000 youths in a Washington state survey conducted in public school grades eight through 12.

More Sub-Saharan Africans Living Longer but With Limited Function
The number of adults living beyond age 45 in sub-Saharan Africa is rapidly expanding, yet many of these older men and women experience physical illnesses and disabilities that limit their ability to function, according to a study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and in Malawi.

Mathematicians Analyze Social Divisions Using Cell Phone Data
Differences divide us. Human society fractures along lines defined by politics, religion, ethnicity, and perhaps most fundamentally, language. Although these differences contribute to the great variety of human lives, the partitions they create can lead to conflict and strife, impeding efforts toward social justice and economic development.

U-M anthropologist named 2013 National Geographic Emerging Explorer
Vivianne Schnitzer, U-M News Service, (734) 763-0368, vsh [a] umich (p) edu or Caroline Braun, National Geographic, (202) 862-8281, cbraun [a] ngs (p) org ANN ARBOR-Jason De León, assistant

Cuatro Corridos: New Chamber Opera Takes Look at Issue of Sex Trafficking Along Border
"Cuatro Corridos," the new chamber opera by UC San Diego soprano Susan Narucki and Mexican author Jorge Volpi, earned rave reviews for its May 8 premiere on campus.

Twin epidemics: HIV and Hepatitis C in the urban Northeast
A new Yale study looks at the scope and consequences of a burgeoning health problem in the cities of the U.S. Northeast: concurrent infection with both HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV). The study appears online in the May 14 issue of the Public Library of Science (PLoS One). HIV and HCV are the two most prevalent chronic viral infections in the United States.

Stanford professor and former NASA official on the Kepler space telescope
Scott Hubbard, a consulting professor of aeronautics and astronautics, helped guide the Kepler mission when he served as director of NASA Ames Research Center.

Research Helps Paint Finer Picture of Massive 1700 Earthquake
In 1700, a massive earthquake struck the west coast of North America. Though it was powerful enough to cause a tsunami as far as Japan, a lack of local documentation has made studying this historic event challenging.

Investing in a strong Canada-China relationship

Higher Child Marriage Rates Associated with Higher Maternal and Infant Mortality
Countries in which girls are commonly married before the age of 18 have significantly higher rates of maternal and infant mortality, report researchers in the current online issue of the journal Violence Against Women. The study, by Anita Raj, PhD, a professor in the Department of Medicine in the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Ulrike Boehmer, PhD, an associate professor in the Boston University School of Public Health, is the first published ecological analysis of child marriage and maternal mortality.

U-M professors win prestigious fellowships in the humanities
ANN ARBOR-Six professors from the University of Michigan's College of Literature. and the Arts are among 88 faculty members nationwide awarded fellowships by the American Council of Learned Societies.

Smoking declines after U-M campus ban
ANN ARBOR-A campus survey reveals a reduction in tobacco use by faculty and staff members roughly a year after the University of Michigan banned smoking on the grounds of its three campuses.

U-M pioneers hybrid online, on-campus class in survey methods
ANN ARBOR-This June, the University of Michigan Summer Institute in Survey Research Techniques will offer an innovative class combining online education with traditional classroom instruction.

The Mexican Children of Immigrants Program: Interpreting the numbers
Deborah Graefe, Nancy Landale, and Jennifer Van Hook (left to right), are key researchers for the Mexican Children of Immigrants Program at Penn State.

Live and Learn: Most GenXers are continuing their education
ANN ARBOR-More than one in every 10 members of Generation X are enrolled in classes to continue their formal educations, according to a new University of Michigan study.

From soldier to "mad scientist"
On May 5, 2013, CBS' 60 Minutes reported on the use of counterinsurgency tactics, developed by the U.S. military abroad, to tackle the problem of gang violence in Springfield, Mass.

Undergraduate research project to be published in international journal
An independent research study written by class of 2013 Smeal College of Business Marketing major Setenay Kucukemiroglu has been accepted for publication in the International Journal of Commerce and Management. Kucukemiroglu's study, titled "Online Word-of-Mouth Communication on Social Networking Sites: An Empirical Study of Facebook Users," was co-authored with Ali Kara, professor of marketing at Penn State York.

From soldier to bioengineer

Many plastic surgeons view social media as important tool for promoting their practice
Social media has revolutionized the way in which people and businesses interact, and it is taking on a growing role in the health care industry. A new UCLA study looking at the use of social media among plastic surgeons found that roughly half of these specialists use social media tools. Plastic surgeons have been leaders among medical specialists in the development of interactive websites to promote their practices and educate patients, said the study's principal investigator and senior author, Dr.

Journalism School Discusses 'A Vision of the Future' With Google
The role of technology in the Arab Spring and the Boston bombings, repression in North Korea, and privacy in the Internet age were just some of the topics Eric Schmidt, executive chairman and former

People may welcome talking tissue boxes and other smart objects
PARIS - Just as people have embraced computers and smart phones, they may also give their blessing to talking tissue boxes and other smart objects, according to Penn State researchers. "Smart objects will become more and more a part of our daily lives," said S. Shyam Sundar , Distinguished Professor of and co-director of the Media Effects Research Laboratory.

Understanding the Jason Collins story
When National Basketball Association player Jason Collins announced in a Sports Illustrated article this week that he is gay, media and social media around the world took notice.

Scholar and activist Angela Davis to speak May 3 at Rockefeller Chapel
Scholar and activist Angela Y. Davis will deliver a lecture titled “Feminism and Abolition: Theories and Practices for the 21st Century” on Friday, May 3 at 7:30 p.m. in Rockefeller Memorial Chapel.

Stanford humanities scholars consider the cultural legacy of the Occupy movement
Through an examination of art, language and literature, Stanford humanities professors reveal how the Occupy movement left its mark on activism, art and language.

Consumer confidence withstands Boston bombing
Diane Swanbrow, (734) 647-9069, swanbrow [a] umich (p) edu or Surveys of Consumers, (734) 763-5224 or Thomson Reuters PR Hotline, (646) 223-7222, ext.1 ANN ARBOR-The overall level of consume

READ Global Wins the $100,000 Lipman Family Prize of the Wharton School and the University of Pennsylvania
The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania announced today the winner of the second annual Barry & Marie Lipman Family Prize is - READ Global , an international non-profit bringing together

Dramatic changes in global attitudes toward domestic violence
ANN ARBOR-Global attitudes about domestic violence have changed dramatically since 2000, according to a new University of Michigan study that analyzes data from 26 lowand middle-income countries.

Stanford trustee brings immigration debate, film to campus
Stanford Board of Trustees member Laurene Powell Jobs joined filmmaker Davis Guggenheim for a campus viewing of The Dream Is Now , Guggenheim's new documentary on immigration reform.

Literary scholar contributes to new 'Gatsby' film
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - A Penn State literary scholar, James L. W. West III, the Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of English, has played a key behind-the-scenes role as a consultant to the director and cast of the upcoming Warner Brothers film "The Great Gatsby .

People care about the source of cash, attach less value to ‘tainted’ wealth
It's no accident that money obtained through dishonest or illegal means is called "dirty money." A new study from the University of California, Berkeley, suggests that when people perceive money as morally tainted, they also view it as having less value and purchasing power. Challenging the belief that "all money is green," and that people will cross ethical boundaries to amass it, social scientists from UC Berkeley and Stanford University have found compelling evidence that the source of wealth really does matter.

Lemann Foundation Makes Commitment to Brazilian Studies at Columbia
With the primary goal of building capacity to recruit and fund scholars and students dedicated to social and civic engagement in Brazil, the Lemann Foundation has signed a multi-million dollar agreement with Columbia University for the benefit of several related initiatives.

Pastora San Juan Cafferty, distinguished scholar of Hispanics, 1940-2013
Pastora San Juan Cafferty, one of the nation's leading scholars of race and ethnicity and a specialist on Hispanics, died April 16 in her Near North Side home in Chicago.

Penn President Amy Gutmann: Immigration Day of Action

Historians Seek to Widen Their Public Reach
The box office success of Steven Spielberg's Lincoln presented a teachable moment for historians seeking to be heard outside the academy.

Rayid Ghani, Obama campaign chief data scientist, joins UChicago
Rayid Ghani, chief scientist of the highly regarded Obama for America data analytics team, has joined the University of Chicago to explore using data to solve complex social problems.

The bigger the group, the smaller the chance of interracial friendship
ANN ARBOR-The larger the group, the smaller the chance of forming interracial friendships, a new University of Michigan study shows.

Income disparities growing in Montreal
While Montreal's smoked meat, bagels and cinq-à-septs haven't changed over the years, other things have.

Penn Talks Gun Violence with Capt. Mark Kelly

What do tax policy experts think about U.S. tax policy?
ANN ARBOR-Large majorities of tax policy experts in the U.S. favor a graduated personal income tax, taxing long-term capital gains as ordinary income, a net income tax on corporations and extending the retail sales tax to services.

Stanford survey: Americans back preparation for sea-level rise
The majority of Americans express support for stronger coastal development codes, according to a Stanford survey.

Survey Results Reveal Distracted Driving Habits of San Diegans
UC San Diego Researchers and CHP Educate Public on Driving Laws and Safety Tips According to experts in the Training, Research and Education for Driving Safety (TREDS) program at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, there were approximately 3,300 deaths and 400,000 injuries nationwide in 2011 due to collisions involving distracted driving.

Spring 2013 UT Energy Poll Shows Consumer Opposition to Exporting Natural Gas
AUSTIN, Texas —  Thirty-nine percent of Americans believe the United States should keep the natural gas it produces at home rather than sell it to other countries, the latest University of Texas Energy Poll reports today.

'Bell Social' returns April 27 to celebrate science, art and music

Neighborhood park renovations enhance visitor behaviors and experiences
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Renovating public parks enhances visitor behaviors and experiences, according to researchers at Penn State, who surveyed park visitors in Allentown, Pa., about their use of a neighborhood park after it was renovated.

University of Michigan experts available to discuss latest avian flu
ANN ARBOR-As new cases of Avian flu, H7N9, are reported in China, the University of Michigan School of Public Health has several experts available to discuss various aspects of influenza including di

New book explores Harry Truman’s record on civil liberties
Richard Kirkendall is a University of Washington professor emeritus of history and editor of the new book, “ Civil Liberties and the Legacy of Harry S. Truman.” He answered a few questions about the book for UW Today.

Stanford philosopher seeks to create a more just and fair workplace for caregivers
Stanford scholar Sara Mrsny says philosophy can help American lawmakers develop policies that will make it easier for someone to both hold a job and perform caregiving functions.

Stanford’s Condoleezza Rice says declining schools pose a national security threat

Berkeley professor to testify in trial of former Guatemalan dictator
ATTENTION: Reporters covering Latin America, human rights, indigenous communities and legal affairs WHAT: Anthropologist and UC Berkeley Professor, Beatriz Manz has been called to testify as an

Stanford program produces teachers with long-term commitment to schools, survey shows

Penn Works to Find Common Ground Amid Gun Controversies
In the wake of more than 20 mass shootings and shooting sprees in recent years, the School of Social Policy & Practice at the University of Pennsylvania will host " Finding Common Ground: Moving Forwa

’Mean Girls’ at college: Social whirl derails many, study finds
ANN ARBOR-You're not done with high school when you go to college, according to a new study of student culture.

Consumer confidence continues to improve in March
Diane Swanbrow, (734) 647-9069, swanbrow [a] umich (p) edu or Surveys of Consumers, (734) 763-5224 or Thomson Reuters PR Hotline, (646) 223-7222, ext.1 ANN ARBOR-Consumer confidence continued

Frequent moves harm children - if they’re poor
Children who move three or more times before they turn 5 have more behavioral problems than their peers - but only if they are poor, report researchers at Cornell and the National Employment Law Project. These children have more attention problems, anxiety or depression and are more aggressive or hyperactive at age 5 than those who had moved once, twice or not at all, the researchers said.

Anthropologists help bring Western health care to the world
UCLA plastic and reconstructive surgeon Reza Jarrahy realized that he was missing something when his young Guatemalan patient developed a mysterious infection after undergoing surgery.

Yale panel explores future of Medicare
A panel of policy experts and influential pundits - including David Brooks of The New York Times - will meet at Yale on April 2 to consider the uncertain prospects of Medicare.

Only fifteen minutes of fame?
True fame isn't fleeting. That's what a team of researchers led by Eran Shor from McGill University's Dept.

Jerry Marwell, expert on social movements, dies at 76
Gerald Marwell , Richard T. Ely Professor Emeritus of sociology, died on Sunday, March 24 in New York City.

Federal ‘detainer requests’ for suspected immigration violators cause longer jail stays, increase cost, UW research shows
Posted under: News Releases , Politics and Government , Research , Social Science Jail stays and costs increase dramatically when federal immigration authorities request that inmates be held under what are called “detainer requests,” according to research by University of Washington sociologist Katherine Beckett.

Park perks: Teenagers who live close to a park are more physically active
California teenagers who live close to a park or open space are more likely to get exercise than those who live in areas without parks nearby, a new policy brief from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research shows. While the findings might not be surprising, they are important in park-starved areas of California.

Go ahead, lean in if you like but it still helps to be male
Having more authority in the workplace comes with many rewards – including greater forms of job control and higher earnings – but University of Toronto research says those benefits are not evenly distributed for women and men. Sociologist Scott Schieman , lead author of the study, found key differences between men and women in both the levels and implications of greater job authority.

Compost helps restore soil in arid region of China
Parched land in China has prompted Cornell environmental experts to come up with a simple solution to restore soils in arid areas, using wood chips and compost.

Penn Lightbulb Café Explores Why U.S. Life Expectancy Is Lower Than Other High-income Nations

Ban on food stamps leads to hunger, HIV risk among former drug felons
Convicted drug offenders who are denied government food benefits upon release from prison are at greater risk of engaging in dangerous, sexual risk behaviors in order to obtain food, Yale researchers have found. Their pilot study appears in the journal AIDS Education and Prevention. Each year, nearly three-quarters of a million people are released from U.S. prisons.

Patterns prompt us to recall the social webs we weave
With a dizzying number of ties in our social networks - that your Aunt Alice is a neighbor of Muhammad who is married to Natasha who is your wife's boss - it's any wonder we remember any of it.

Harvard, York, and Oxford talk social innovation
Leaders from Harvard University, York University, and the University of Oxford met on March 4 and 5 to articulate a shared vision of the role of higher education institutions in supporting social innovation and social enterprise.

Police commissioner John Mack to give UCLA Bunche Center’s Thurgood Marshall Lecture

Stanford Report’s popularity increases over the past three years
A recent readership survey showed that the majority of people who read the daily email found it "useful," "easy to read," "engaging" and "inclusive." By Kathleen J. Sullivan Despite email

Jon Huntsman discusses U.S-China relations, domestic politics
Jon Huntsman told a University of Chicago audience that his 30 years of experience working with China on commercial, economic and diplomatic issues have left him worried about the United States' ability to manage the complex relationship.

Comparing to others may improve motivation for self-care
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Comparing yourself to others who are either worse off or are not coping well may increase your motivation to take better care of yourself when facing an illness or disease, according to researchers at Penn State and Drexel University. "Sustaining motivation for self-care behaviors involving illnesses or diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, is challenging, and the role of social influence on motivation and behavior is underappreciated," said Joshua Smyth , professor of biobehavioral health and of medicine, Penn State.

Professor makes case for U.S.-Mexico border without walls
As the United States reconsiders immigration policy reform - particularly between the United States and Mexico - the focus should be on immigration and integration instead of tougher border security, 

Sustainable prosperity: Building a new 'China Dream'
Global sustainability expert Peggy Liu to share vision for reshaping consumerism in China as part of Ensia Live event series March 27 Media Note: For press passes, Mary Hoff, maryhoff [a] umn

Jordanna Bailkin studies postwar Britain in new book ‘The Afterlife of Empire’
Jordanna Bailkin is a University of Washington professor of history and author of the new book “The Afterlife of Empire.” She answered a few questions about the book for UW Today.

Remote cities benefit from connection to global hubs
Bullet trains fuel real-estate booms, improve quality of life and create other unintended consequences by sharply reducing commute times from smaller cities to large megacities, economists from UCLA and China's Tsinghua University observed in a new study in China.

’End of Men’? Not Even Close, Says UC San Diego Report on Gender in the Professions
Sociologist Mary Blair-Loy, founding director of UC San Diego's Center for Research on Gender in the Professions and author of the award-winning book "Competing Devotions." It's March 2013 - 50 ye

Prof. Ira Katznelson's Book Offers a New View of the New Deal
Ira Katznelson 's first political memory dates to when he was 8 years old. His parents were ardent supporters of Adlai Stevenson, the Democrat running against Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952, and they were stunned to learn that Katznelson's grandmother did not plan to vote at all.

Like! Facebook assures us we’re good enough, smart enough
Stirring an inner Stuart Smalley, Facebook profiles reassure our self-worth, because they offer a place where we can display the personal characteristics and relationships we value most, says a Cornell communication expert in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (March 2013).

It’s time to take boredom seriously, says Stanford literary professor
Stanford Report, March 15, 2013 Stanford English scholar Saikat Majumdar traces the roots of modern literature to a fascination with the mundane.

International Women’s Day Conference Focuses on Making a Difference
Key speakers at an International Women's Day conference held on campus Friday encouraged women to help pursue their own dreams through giving back.

Summit celebrates community-engaged learning, research
For University of Wisconsin-Madison student Chloe Brown, taking the stage at the Morgridge Engaged Scholarship Summit isn't just an opportunity to present the results of her research on mentorship.

Changes in U.S. population coming sooner than expected
ANN ARBOR-A major cultural and geographic divide is emerging between Americans under age 35 and over 50, according to University of Michigan demographer William Frey.

Violence returns to the streets of Northern Ireland
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - In 1998, the Real Irish Republican Army, an IRA splinter group, detonated a car bomb in a shopping area of Omagh, Northern Ireland, that killed 29 people.

Study Links U.S. Mortality Rates Under Age 50 to U.S. Life Expectancy Lagging Other High-Income Countries
Higher mortality rates among Americans younger than 50 are responsible for much of why life expectancy is lower in the United States than most of the world's most developed nations.

Going beyond the ’Arab Street’: U-M surveys opinions in the Middle East
ANN ARBOR-The "Arab street" is a popular cliché used to describe what people are thinking in the Middle East.

Local leaders: In residents we trust
ANN ARBOR-Local government leaders in Michigan are more likely to trust their residents than their residents are to trust local governments, according to a University of Michigan survey.

UC San Diego’s Graduate Programs Among Nation’s Best, According to U.S. News and World Report
The 2014 edition of the U.S. News & World Report' s Best Graduate Schools guidebook, released today, highly ranks the University of California, San Diego's professional schools in engineering

Closest star system in a century
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - A pair of newly discovered stars is the third-closest star system to the sun, according to a paper that will be published in Astrophysical Journal Letters. The duo is the closest star system discovered since 1916. The discovery was made by Kevin Luhman , an associate professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State and a researcher in Penn State's Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds.

Long-term relationships, access to data drive sustainability institutions’ success
Posted under: Environment , Research , Science , Social Science , UW and the Community Turns out, the secret to fostering the emerging field of sustainability science is based on some simple and straightforward principles.

Penn Museum Mummies Contribute to Emerging Medical Understanding of Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, has been widely assumed to be a disease of modern times, brought on by modern foods and lifestyles - until now.

Penn Medicine Team Draws Map to Avoid Detours on Road to HIV Treatment Success
Addressing on the challenges that accompany transitions between health care settings could be a key strategy for improving clinical outcomes for people living with HIV, according to researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Addresses the Future of African Leadership
When Liberian activists held a sit-in, their whole nation stood up and noticed. Activist Leymah Gbowee helped mobilize a large number of women to pray and protest for peace after years of Liberian civil war.

Texans Not Eager to Change Gun Laws, UT/Texas Tribune Poll Shows
AUSTIN, Texas — Although a large majority of Texans support background checks for all gun purchases, they are not eager to change existing gun laws in Texas, according to a University of Texas at Austin/Texas Tribune poll.

CEOs with close ties to their top executives are more likely to commit fraud
ANN ARBOR-Corporate fraud dominates financial news, yet few studies have looked at whether chief executive officers who appoint their own top lieutenants are more inclined to act illegally, according to University of Michigan researchers. U-M business E. Han Kim and law school Vikramaditya Khanna found that the more top executives the CEO appointed, the higher the probability of fraud.

UCLA Luskin study: L.A.’s poorer neighborhoods underserved by human services nonprofits

Pregnant mothers with strong family support less likely to have postpartum depression, study finds
Women who receive strong social support from their families during pregnancy appear to be protected from sharp increases in a particular stress hormone, making them less likely to experience depression after giving birth, a new study by UCLA life scientists indicates.

Social scientists stress importance of sustainability work
The social sciences have a critical role in sustainability research, asserted Kim Weeden, the Robert S. Harrison Director of the Institute for the Social Sciences, Feb.

Two-thirds of Americans now believe global warming is real
ANN ARBOR-An increasing number of Americans indicate that there is evidence of global warming, with 67 percent now expressing a belief that the planet has warmed over the past four decades, according to a University of Michigan survey.

Neubauer Collegium selects inaugural research projects
Can digital games help reshape urban adolescents' health decisions? How might economic models be challenged by rigorous economic analysis of historical societies? What new insights can we gain about

Survivors of Japanese quake suffer violence, exploitation
ANN ARBOR-Although she lives alone, the Japanese woman keeps a large pair of men's shoes near her front door-part of her strategy to scare away stalkers.

U-Michigan professors available to address China issues
MEDIA ADVISORY ANN ARBOR-China's top leaders will gather in Beijing on Tuesday for the National People's Congress.

Hand over your email inbox to boost productivity, Stanford team says
Stanford Report, March 4, 2013 Users of the new research application EmailValet grew comfortable with sharing their inbox with remote assistants, who perused the emails to create to-do lists.

The technical term is crazy-busy
Canadians are under pressure on the job – especially those with higher status, challenging work or in positions of authority. And having more control in the workplace can have negative consequences for individuals but it depends on the form of job control, say researchers from the University of Toronto.

Healthy intervention reduces depression for pregnant Latinas
ANN ARBOR-Latina women in a diabetes-prevention program show fewer signs of depression during pregnancy and in early postpartum, a University of Michigan study indicates. Untreated depression can negatively affect both mothers and children. Research indicates that sometimes minority women-when compared to their white counterparts-don't seek help for their depression.

Scientists help shed light on key component of China’s pollution problem
Stanford Report, February 25, 2013 Study reveals scale of nitrogen's effect on people and ecosystems. It's no secret that China is faced with some of the world's worst pollution. Until now, however, information on the magnitude, scope and impacts of a major contributor to that pollution – human-caused nitrogen emissions – was lacking.

Paul Mitchell: At Penn, Four Years of Looking at the Past
Paul Mitchell's deep interest in anthropology and in exploring human evolution and variation was sparked by his first course in the fall of 2009 during his freshman year at the University of Pennsylvania.

Immigration among Latin American countries fails to improve income
Although immigration to the United States from Latin American countries, particularly Mexico, has captured much public attention, immigrants who move between countries in Latin America have more difficulty than those moving to the United States.

New national and state estimates of America's unauthorized immigrant population released
News Release Minnesota's statistics mirror the nation Media Note: The authors will be in New York for the release of this research on Friday, Feb.

Ambassador reads winds of change in China
With a new government taking charge of China in March, it is important for Canada to build on the positive momentum of recent months and years, said Canada's ambassador to China, Guy Saint-Jacques, during a talk Feb.

Canada’s ambassador to China comes to campus

Author Malcolm Gladwell to Speak at the University of Pennsylvania
WHO: Malcolm Gladwell WHEN: Feb.

City cites Crime Lab data in funding innovative youth program
The city of Chicago will provide an additional $2 million to expand a violence reduction program that has been shown to be effective in research by the University of Chicago Crime Lab , Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Feb.

Penn Professor Charles Bosk Wins American Sociological Association’s 2013 Reeder Award

Syria’s civil war Will the U.S., Turkey join the fight?
As the civil war in Syria grinds on, refugees flood into crowded camps. Washington remains cautious about intervening militarily.

Trouble ahead: Fewer have retirement funds, more raid them
ANN ARBOR-The proportion of working Americans with pensions of any kind has steadily decreased since 2001, according to a University of Michigan analysis that suggests trouble ahead for U.S. seniors.

Famous journalist decries feeble press
One of the world's most celebrated foreign correspondents slammed the press for its failings, weaknesses and clichés—especially in its coverage of the Middle East—during his presentation Jan.

Q&A: Stanford scholars on immigration reform
Stanford Report, February 1, 2013 Stanford experts in politics, law, sociology, entrepreneurship and security answer questions about the latest proposals for immigration reform.

Payroll tax hike narrows January gains in consumer confidence
Diane Swanbrow, (734) 647-9069, swanbrow [a] umich (p) edu or Surveys of Consumers, (734) 763-5224 or Thomson Reuters PR Hotline, (646) 223-7222, ext.1 ANN ARBOR-Consumer confidence began to

Social networking: Gen Xers connect online as often as they socialize in person
ANN ARBOR-Young adults in Generation X are as likely to connect with friends, family and co-workers online as they are in person, according to a University of Michigan study. In a typical month, adults in their late 30s report that they engaged in about 75 face-to-face or conversations, compared to about 74 electronic contracts through personal emails or social media.

New book traces Black Panthers’ evolution from local activists to global anti-imperialists
History has long denied the political genius of the Black Panther Party. At worst, its members have been cast as unconscionable criminals.

Columbia Ink
Fisman, the Business School 's Lambert Family Professor of Social Enterprise, and Tim Sullivan, editorial director of Harvard Business Review Press, look at why organizations are central to human achievement.

Many heterosexual college males say ’That’s so gay,’ but why?
ANN ARBOR-"That's so gay" is a popular expression on campuses nationwide among heterosexual students, especially young men. But why do they say it? A new University of Michigan study sheds light on this question. "That's so gay," although not necessarily said to harm lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) students, can create a hostile environment, say U-M researchers.

Voiceless no more
There are more than 580 missing or murdered Aboriginal women and girls in Canada, with 93 cases in Alberta alone, most of them unsolved murder cases.

Respecting the rise of China
Martin Jacques says the global power shift from west to east is inevitable, but it need not be a threat if westerners can learn to understand and appreciate the culture that is driving it.

Playwright/alum Stan Lai to discuss creativity, theater
Stan Lai, considered the leading playwright/director in Asia and one of the region's most prolific, is taking a break from his hectic schedule and heading back to his alma mater, the University of Cal

An anthropologist’s view of world of indie filmmaking
It's been five years since Sherry Ortner stepped from the academic world into the inner circle of independent filmmakers and producers gathered in Park City, Utah, to participate in the nation's largest and most well-known celebration of the indie film movement, Sundance , going on this week.

High school jobs: Impact differs for whites and minorities
ANN ARBOR-African-American and Hispanic students are less likely than whites to work part-time in high school, according to a University of Michigan study.

Nobel Laureate in Economics Thomas Sargent to Speak at Penn Social Science and Policy Forum January 28

White Republicans, Southern evangelicals most likely to claim reverse discrimination
Stanford Report, January 23, 2013 Whites who perceive anti-white bias draw from different communities in different parts of the country: evangelical churches in the South, and the Republican Party elsewhere. With the affirmative action case Fisher v. University of Texas before the Supreme Court, "reverse discrimination" is back in the public eye.

Researchers see complexity in China’s emissions
Research by Chris Nielsen, Executive Director of the Harvard China Project, and colleagues at Nanjing University and Jiangsu Provincial Academy of Environmental Science in China was cited in a Wall Street Journal article titled "China Clean Air Bid Faces Resistance" (January 22, 2013). The research, published in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics , examined the effect of China's national policies on the emissions of carbon dioxide and atmospheric pollutants from anthropogenic sources over the period 2005 to 2010.

Internet banging: Gangs use social media to trade insults, threats
ANN ARBOR-Gangs now occupy two spaces: the streets and the Internet.

Facing life after death
One lies hidden inside a coffin. Another has his face exposed with hands extended at his sides. A third wears a mask over her face.

Annenberg School Professor Examines Effects of Digital Media on Social Movements in China
Guobin Yang has an unquenchable interest in the effect of digital media on society and social movements.

Researcher Explores the World of the Sex Trade
While some Ivy League professors are clean-cut academics who wear suits with bowties and carry stacks of books from the library, others shatter that image.

Professors Barbara Frey and Jennifer Green and the University of Minnesota Law School Human Rights Litigation and International Advocacy Clinic submit gun violence report to U.N. Human Rights Committee
News Release MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (01/17/2013) —As the United States Government debates domestic policy changes to address national concerns about gun violence, students at the Unive

UChicago engages in national gun policy discussion
Leading policymakers and scholars gathered at a University of Chicago Institute of Politics event on Tuesday, Jan.

Penn’s Director of the Latin American and Latino Studies Program Honored
Emilio Parrado, director of the Latin American and Latino Studies program at the University of Pennsylvania, has been named one of the Delaware Valley's Most Influential Latinos.

Penn Sociologist Jason Schnittker Examines Incarceration and Psychiatric Disorders Link
Psychiatric disorders are prevalent among current and former inmates of correctional institutions, but what has been less clear is whether incarceration causes these disorders or whether inmates have these problems before they enter prison. A study co-authored by Jason Schnittker , an associate professor of sociology at the University of Pennsylvania , shows that many of the most common psychiatric disorders found among former inmates, including impulse-control disorders, emerge in childhood and adolescence and predate incarceration.

Divinity School lecture to explore violence in Islamic history
At an upcoming lecture at the Divinity School, University of Exeter scholar Robert Gleave will delve into a complex and often misunderstood area of Islamic studies: the role of violence in Islamic history.

Leslie Freeman, scholar of Paleolithic period in Spain, 1935 -- 2012
Leslie Freeman, a leading scholar of Paleolithic Spain, died on Dec. 14 in Portland, Ore. Freeman, Professor Emeritus in Anthropology at the University of Chicago, was 77.

Obituary: Vladimir Fedorovich Markov, poet and UCLA scholar of Russian avant-garde literature
Vladimir Fedorovich Markov, a UCLA professor emeritus of Slavic languages and literatures, died Jan.

Institute of Politics to host leaders for panel on gun violence
The University of Chicago Institute of Politics will hold an event with leading policymakers and scholars on Tuesday, Jan.

The hidden history of Bengali Harlem
MIT professor's new book details the overlooked waves of South Asian immigrants to the United States.

Made in translation: Stanford scholar explores Italian-Chinese collaborations in fashion
Stanford Report, December 21, 2012 A Stanford anthropologist studies how the transnational business relations between Chinese and Italian clothing manufacturers are reshaping the people and culture of each country.

U-M’s Understanding Race Project examines issues at heart of the human experience, advances national conversation on race
Twitter hashtags: #UnderstandRace, #UMtheme ANN ARBOR-Few subjects provoke as strong a visceral response as the topic of race.

More than half a million California adults think seriously about committing suicide
More than half a million adults in California seriously thought about committing suicide during the previous year, according to a new study from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. The study, which uses data from the 2009 California Health Survey (CHIS), is the first by the center to focus on suicide ideation.

Indiana Jones materials to appear on display at Oriental Institute Museum
The contents of a package of Indiana Jones material that mysteriously arrived at the University of Chicago will be on display beginning Thursday, Dec.

UAlberta honoured for human-rights leadership

Editors: Tired of re-gifted holiday story angles? Try new takes on old stories from the University of Michigan
MEDIA ADVISORY DIET/EXERCISE Victor Katch , professor of kinesiology and expert in most things physical fitness, has lots of holiday stories in his stocking: How to burn calories without really trying.

Resources available for those in crisis
A man with no known affiliation with Stanford appears to have traveled to California from another state and attempted suicide early Thursday morning in the grove area adjacent to Quarry Road and Campus Drive West, near the Stanford Hospital.

Book: Transforming Ethnographic Knowledge
YaleNews features works recently or soon to be published by members of the University community. Descriptions are based on material provided by the publishers.

Podcast of Stanford lecture series offers a survey of religious perspectives on war and peace
Stanford Report, November 27, 2012 Through a survey of the world's major religions, Stanford lecture series gives students the tools to recognize and resist arguments that foster intolerance, hatred and violence.