University of Michigan News

Consumer sentiment rose for the fifth consecutive month, reaching its highest reading since April 2024. The prospect of new policies after the White House transition continued to boost the economic outlook of Republicans, while Democrats are more pessimistic about the path of the economy, a reflection of the two groups’ contrasting views on how Donald Trump’s policies will influence the economy, said economist Joanne Hsu, director of the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research's Surveys of Consumers. Independents remain in the middle, and on balance, consumer views extended their steady upward trajectory in December. Sentiment is currently about midway between the all-time low reached in June 2022 and pre-pandemic readings. “Broadly speaking, while consumers still do not feel that they are thriving, they view the economy much more favorably than they did two years ago when inflation was at a peak,” Hsu said. “Still, high prices remain a top concern for consumers. Furthermore, many consumers are worried that new policies like tariff hikes might further exacerbate high prices. That said, consumers expect gas prices to remain relatively low, which would be a welcome development heading into the holiday travel season.” Learn more: https://lnkd.in/exQWmNf6

“This is the fifth-best solution, but solutions one through four are not viable for a variety of different reasons. Five is feasible. So, let’s do it,” said Joanna Mathieu, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science at University of Michigan College of Engineering, who is helping the city of Ann Arbor create a sustainable energy utility, which may not be the most technically elegant model for energy infrastructure, but is the city’s best bet for quickly ramping up clean energy generation. via Smart Cities Dive: https://lnkd.in/e9tcq6Yb

"The pandemic stopped the cycle of new kids coming in and being recruited to drug use. Even before the pandemic, kids were spending more time at home and communicating via smartphones rather than hanging out in groups,” said Richard Miech, professor at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, on the record low drug use of U.S. teens. via Newsweek: https://lnkd.in/efFb22rp

“People know that inflation has slowed, but at the same time, they're still feeling the pain of high prices. Higher prices are likely to be a No. 1 priority for shoppers during the holiday season,” said Joanne Hsu, Director of the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers at UM's Survey Research Center, on higher prices effect on consumers. via Detroit Free Press: https://lnkd.in/e9TEauiY

📜 New policy brief 📜 "Small Modular Reactors: A Strategic Investment for #Energy and #Economic Security" by Shoshannah Lenski, Molly Russell, and Christine S. In this brief, CSS researchers summarize the #policy takeaways from Max E. Vanatta, W. Robbie Stewart, and Michael Craig's recent study published in Nature Energy (https://lnkd.in/edCbW2wF): 1️⃣ #SMRs offer a viable solution for clean, reliable #industrialheat energy 2️⃣ Investment Tax Credits (#ITC) and #carbontaxes are the most effective policies to support SMRs 3️⃣ Policy support for technological #learning and scaling production is key to bring down capital costs 4️⃣ Near-term economics are strongest in regions with higher industrial #naturalgas prices like California, the Northeast, and the Midwest Read the brief to learn more ⤵️

The Indigenous Education Youth Collective program, IEYC, is a research-practice partnership between the University of Michigan Marsal Family School of Education and Lake Superior State University, and the Anishinaabe youth and families in the Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan area. The program broadens students' horizons and prevents them from prematurely dismissing college as unattainable by blending cultural heritage with educational opportunity, making it a vital initiative for Indigenous student empowerment. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dvnNmnNU

“The memory of a computer is limited to 100 degrees Celsius. So, it’s not just that we engineered a cooler or we played some engineering trick. But we really rethought what are some of the physical processes that we can harness,” said Yiyang Li, assistant professor of material science and engineering at University of Michigan College of Engineering, whose team has developed computer storage technology to process data in high temperature environments. via WEMU 89.1 https://lnkd.in/dM6Fxz5B

“Ghana’s health system has offered free maternal healthcare since 2008 under the Ghana National Health Insurance Scheme. But many families are still compelled to pay for these services...about 32% of households spent more than 10% of their total household expenditure on maternal healthcare,” said Cheryl A. Moyer, associate Professor of Learning Health Sciences at University of Michigan School of Public Health and Obstetrics & Gynecology at Michigan Medicine about the unfair payment of maternity care in Ghana. via The Conversation U.S.: https://lnkd.in/eiew2ixY

Podcast: U-M experts explore the business of the holidays with election behind us—but changes ahead There are, to be sure, disconnects between economic statistics and lived experiences, which seems to have played out in the recent U.S. presidential election. There are also ongoing questions about the availability of seasonal workers and job insecurity, and technological disruptions to the retail status quo. And hey, we’re not that far removed from a pandemic that wreaked all sorts of havoc on business, the economy and life as usual. So what to make of it all—or at least some of it? Business experts Scott Rick and Ari Shwayder take a swing on the latest episode of the Business & Society podcast, a joint production of University of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business and Michigan News.

🌙 The Key to Happier Days May Be in Your Sleep Schedule 🛏️💤 A new University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts study reveals the powerful connection between circadian rhythms, sleep alignment, and mood. Using Fitbit data from hundreds of medical interns, researchers uncovered how disruptions between sleep cycles and the body’s internal clock can negatively impact mental health, including mood disorders and depressive symptoms. 💡 Key Insights: ✅ Aligning your sleep with your internal clock provides a natural boost to mood. ✅ Misaligned sleep schedules increase depressive symptoms, including sleep issues and appetite changes. ✅ This study underscores how wearable technology can help identify and address circadian rhythm disruptions to improve emotional well-being. “This won’t solve depression,” says Daniel Forger, senior author of the study. “But understanding and aligning sleep patterns is one factor we can control to positively impact mood and mental health.” 📊 Why it matters: For shift workers, students, and those with demanding schedules, this research highlights how technology like Fitbits can identify when rest is most restorative, helping individuals make adjustments for better health. 🔗 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e4V5NShm #SleepHealth #MentalHealth #CircadianRhythms #UMichResearch #WearableTech