BME Community Connections

Weekly Newsletter

July 31, 2024

Register now for the second BME Summer Workshops @ Michigan in 2024, “Thriving in Academia: Flourishing in a Culture of Burnout” on Tuesday, August 13.

Confirmed speakers include:

  • Angie Farrehi, Ph.D., C.A.R.E. Center, College of Engineering, University of Michigan
  • Shayn Pierce-Cottler, Ph.D., BME Department Chair, University of Virginia
  • Lisa Pruitt, Ph.D., the Lawrence Talbot Professor of Engineering, and Professor of Mechanical and Bioengineering, UC Berkeley

This one-day workshop will provide strategies for supporting positive well-being in academia. The day’s agenda will include mindfulness and yoga sessions, courtesy of MHealthy, as well as the opportunity for attendees to engage in an optional creative session of pour painting or enjoy a reflective self-guided nature walk. 

The workshop will include professional development sessions, roundtable discussions, networking, and social activities. It will address topics of burnout, overwork, and stress and offer strategies to support well-being and thriving in academia. Parallel sessions and discussions will focus on cultivating thriving as a leader, cultivating well-being for graduate advisees, and supporting undergraduate student well-being.

BMES Conference Is Scheduled for October 23-26, 2024, in Baltimore 
The Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) 2024 Annual Meeting early-bird registration is now open. U-M BME is a platinum sponsor for this event, and we are excited about showcasing our faculty and student research.

Please use this form to let us know if you plan to attend and any presentations in which you may be participating. We would like to coordinate with you in advance so we can help promote your efforts. 

COMMUNITY NEWS

BME Is Hiring a Lecturer/Instructor in Biomedical Engineering Design
Applications are invited for a Lecturer (full-time teaching faculty) in the BME Design Program. The successful candidate will be part of a dedicated teaching team focused on experiential learning, engineering design, and professional development of biomedical engineers. If you know of someone who might be interested in this position and has the required qualifications, please share this information with them. Read more…

You’re Invited to the Annual BME Welcome Back Picnic
Join BME faculty, staff and students at the annual BME Welcome Back Summer Picnic on Thursday, August 15, from noon to 3 p.m., at the Main Pavilion at County Park in Ann Arbor. Food (Satchel’s BBQ) and drinks will be provided, but attendees are welcomed to bring something to share as well.

Family members, partners, kids and pets are all invited! No alcohol is permitted at the venue. RSVP to attend by Thursday, August 1. 


Save the Date for Researchpalooza on September 18
Hosted by the Medical School Office of Research, Researchpalooza is the perfect opportunity to have a great time and meet, mingle, and learn more about many of the organizations that offer their stellar services to faculty, students, and staff, all at one convenient time and location.

  • Wednesday, September 18, 2024 11:00am – 2:00pm 1150 West Medical Center Drive (Driveway on the north side of the MSRBs)

Is your organization interested in exhibiting at Researchpalooza? Click here to sign up for a table. 

FACULTY, STUDENT AND POSTDOC UPDATES

The Patricia F. Waller Scholarship Committee Is Accepting Applications
The Patricia F. Waller Scholarship Committee is accepting applications for the U-M fall 2024 semester, with a deadline of July 31, 2024. The Patricia F. Waller (PFW) Scholarship was created to honor Dr. Waller and is intended to fund scholarships for U-M graduate students and senior undergraduate students who elect a thesis, dissertation, or special project that addresses the human aspect of transportation policy or practice. Students may apply from all U-M departments and schools who are interested in conducting research on transportation equity, mobility, or safety with a focus on improving transportation for people. Please visit this link for more information and to apply.


Frankel CVC Hosting Its First Annual Scientific Symposium with Poster Session
The Frankel Cardiovascular Center’s (CVC) Cardiovascular Research Network (CRN) program invites you to attend itsf first annual Scientific Symposium on Monday, September 23, 2024, at Palmer Commons. Click for the RSVP form and calendar invite for additional information. CRN will host an awarded poster session during this event, and we encourage you to submit a poster abstract related to your work in cardiovascular research. Abstract submissions are due by Friday, August 2, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Awards for best and outstanding posters will be announced during the event. For questions about CRN, please visit the website.


Dr. A. Oveta Fuller Award Nominee Submissions Due August 15
The A. Oveta Fuller Award is a career development award for emerging leaders in microbiology and immunology, infectious disease, or health disparities. This award was established to honor the memory of Rev. Dr. Almira Oveta Fuller, who was a virologist and scientific trailblazer on the faculty at U-M and an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. This annual award will honor and support an emerging scientist whose accomplishments and goals benefit society in the spirit of Dr. A. Oveta Fuller. We also hope to advance the important ongoing work of diversifying the academy.  Applications will be due August 15, 2024. 


Apply by August 2 to the Pioneer Fellows Program
Postdoctoral researchers are invited to apply to the Michigan Pioneer Fellows program, designed to nurture and launch innovative scientists into groundbreaking careers. The program offers a competitive salary and financial resources. Applications are due by August 2. Learn more.


Microscopy Core NCRC Open House
The BRCF Microscopy Core has recently renovated and expanded the services offered at the North Campus Research Complex (NCRC), 2800 Plymouth Rd., Building 18, Ann Arbor.! The core will be hosting an open house on Thursday, August 8, beginning in the core (Building 20, Room 53S) at 1:30 p.m. with a brief welcome and ribbon cutting. Join the core for a talk from 2:00 – 3:00 pm in Building 10, Rooms G063/G064 on the Nikon technologies available in the core, presented by Nikon Instruments. Check out core tours and instrument demonstrations from 3:00 – 5:00 pm. For additional information on these and other microscopy core happenings, please contact Director Jennifer Peters, Ph.D., jenpete@med.umich.edu or visit the website


Microscopy Core NCRC Open House
The BRCF Microscopy Core has recently renovated and expanded the services offered at the North Campus Research Complex (NCRC), 2800 Plymouth Rd., Building 18, Ann Arbor.! The core will be hosting an open house on Thursday, August 8, beginning in the core (Building 20, Room 53S) at 1:30 p.m. with a brief welcome and ribbon cutting. Join the core for a talk from 2:00 – 3:00 pm in Building 10, Rooms G063/G064 on the Nikon technologies available in the core, presented by Nikon Instruments. Check out core tours and instrument demonstrations from 3:00 – 5:00 pm. For additional information on these and other microscopy core happenings, please contact Director Jennifer Peters, Ph.D., jenpete@med.umich.edu or visit the website


MENTAL WELLBEING AND MHEALTHY UPDATES

Today is the Final Day to Take the Summer Alcohol I.Q. Challenge
Take the updated Summer Alcohol I.Q. Challenge to test your knowledge and learn more about alcohol and how it can affect your body, mind and mood. Once you’ve completed the quiz, U-M faculty and staff have an opportunity to enter a drawing for a chance to win one of five $25 Amazon gift cards. The deadline is July 31, 2024.

Today is the Final Day to Take the Summer Alcohol I.Q. Challenge
Take the updated Summer Alcohol I.Q. Challenge to test your knowledge and learn more about alcohol and how it can affect your body, mind and mood. Once you’ve completed the quiz, U-M faculty and staff have an opportunity to enter a drawing for a chance to win one of five $25 Amazon gift cards. The deadline is July 31, 2024.


ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES

Event Planning for Upcoming Fall Activities
Michigan Football is around the corner! As defending National Champions, seeing a Michigan football game is the hottest ticket in college football. With the hottest team in the country, comes higher prices in Ann Arbor. Note that hotel prices are significantly increased on Fridays and Saturdays (eg: $900/night at downtown Ann Arbor hotels) of football weekends, and there will be significantly more traffic at restaurants and around town, leading to strained Uber and Lyft supplies, along with increased prices. Please keep this in mind if inviting guests to Ann Arbor during 2024 football weekends:

  • August 31
  • September 7
  • September 14
  • September 21
  • September 28
  • October 26
  • November 2
  • November 23

Chrome River Updates 
As you may have heard, U-M will be upgrading its expense reporting system to a new software solution called Chrome River, with a targeted go-live date of August 1, 2024. Concur, the university’s current expense reporting system, will be retired on September 30, 2024.

Here’s what you can look forward to:

  • No New Software to Learn: That’s right – you won’t need to spend any time learning Chrome River. The SSC staff is currently training extensively in Chrome River, ensuring that they are experts at creating expense reports.
  • Simple eForm Submission: A new straightforward eForm is in development to make the expense submission process quick and painless. **those departments that are utilizing Jacob’s Tool, OPS or the Administrative Application Suite, your expense information will continue to flow seamlessly to the SSC for processing.
  • Full Visibility: You will have the ability to track your expense report from the moment it’s created until the finish line.
  • Quality and Compliance Assurance: SSC T&E staff are subject matter experts when it comes to ensuring that university policy as well as other compliance requirements are followed in each report. This removes the burden of having to search for and interpret expense related policies.
  • Faster Processing: The reimbursement cycle should be faster, reducing back and forth with the Audit team and providing a more consistent approach to handling expense report creation.

What can you do now to prepare? Review training opportunities on the Chrome River project page and register for a session that works for you. Note: if you approve expenses as part of your role, you are required to take the Chrome River Expense Approver training (even if you have already completed it for Concur). For more information about the transition to Chrome River, please visit the project webpage, which is updated on a regular basis and features key announcements and an FAQ.

Details on ITS and Facilities Requests 
Reminder–When requesting assistance from BME IT or BME Facilities, please use our ticketing systems by sending an email to either the bme-it@umich.edu or bme.facilities@umich.edu mailing addresses.

Reporting a Concern
The Department of Biomedical Engineering is dedicated to providing an environment that is inclusive, supportive, and respectful. If we fall short, we want to hear from you. For details on the reporting process or if you have a department concern to report, please visit the BME website.