Michigan News: Beyond the Headlines

Rebecca Hasson, an associate professor of movement science, has spent her entire academic career trying to level the playing field so all kids can get the exercise they need to live healthier lives. Learn more: https://www.kines.umich.edu/directory/rebecca-hasson

Portrait Photo: Doug CoombeRoller Derby Photos: Dan Bachorik

Growing up in metro Detroit, Javed Ali always knew his parents expected him to follow in their footsteps and become a doctor, but he heard a different calling. In his sophomore year at the University of Michigan, he made the brave move to break with family tradition and start a career that eventually led to a job at the White House. Learn more: https://fordschool.umich.edu/faculty/javed-ali

Ruth Behar is a cultural anthropologist, poet, writer, teacher and public speaker. Her books, poems and lectures reflect the passion and compassion she brings to her quest to understand the depth of the human experience. She was born in Havana, Cuba, grew up in New York City and has lived in Spain and Mexico. She returns often to Cuba to build bridges around culture, literature, art and Jewish life. In this episode, Ruth talks about how an experience she had as a 10-year-old girl changed her life. She was the first Latina to win a MacArthur “Genius” Grant, received a Guggenheim Fellowship, and was named a “Great Immigrant” by the Carnegie Corporation. Ruth is the Victor Haim Perera Collegiate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. More info on Ruth's work: https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/ruth-behar/ More info on Rolando Estévez's work: https://apps.lib.umich.edu/online-exhibits/exhibits/show/main

As a doctor, Howard Markel knows how to save a life. As a medical historian and researcher, he knows how to save millions of them. Meet this renowned expert in global pandemics who helped the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shape the response to COVID-19.

Erik Gordon is one of the University of Michigan's most quoted professors in mainstream media, but his path to this status was not a traditional one. Hear how Erik's meandering career path has led him to a faculty position at one of the most prestigious business schools in the country.

Cynthia Chestek has turned her lifelong passion for "making" into a very successful career in engineering. Her team at the University of Michigan has come up with a way for amputees to control prosthetic devices using their brain waves. Her family connection to the university started with her grandfather Warren Bentz, who attended in the 1940s. Video- College of Engineering: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoKcRtDmKJw

Joe Trumpey is a very unique professor who dedicates his life to finding ways to create a more sustainable future, not only in how he teaches, but also in how he lives. Videos I produced showing some of Joe's projects: Joe's farm; straw bale house and off the grid living: https://youtu.be/nztIfuw6KHw Here's another video I produced where Joe shows how to build a straw bale structure: https://youtu.be/5DEmPJYvieo Straw Bale Building at U-M Campus Farm: https://youtu.be/UEURnlI6sKE Enjoy! -Mike

Larry LaFountain is a charismatic professor and author who teaches Spanish, Latino Studies and also courses about LGBTQ issues. In this episode, he talks about life growing up in Puerto Rico and his difficult first years as a college student in the U.S. He also reveals how he became a drag performer after an appearance on a cooking show in Chicago.

Jim Dalton was a first-generation college student from a small town in Ohio, but he went on to discover a new drug that promotes human muscle growth and is now the Dean of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Michigan. Jim’s story shows how the road to success can be bumpy, but if you’re willing to adapt, it can be very rewarding.

At 10 years old, André knew he wanted to be a scientist, but living in a small town in rural Louisiana he didn’t have any role models to show him how to do that. Despite the odds being stacked against him, he has earned degrees from some of the nation’s top universities and is now an assistant professor at the University of Michigan studying monarch butterfly migration through their DNA. André’s story will inspire anyone to dream big and conquer big goals. Learn more: http://myumi.ch/JNWWN

Barbara McQuade is a regular contributor on MSNBC, a professor at the University of Michigan law school and a former U.S. Attorney, but how did she achieve all of those things? Barb’s story is both inspiring and entertaining as you hear how she went from sports reporter to federal prosecutor, and ultimately to national TV contributor.

“Michigan News: Beyond the Headlines” is a podcast that takes you beyond the headlines to meet University of Michigan faculty in the news.