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Professor of Political Science Mitchel Sollenberger was quoted by and the N about the ongoing issuance of sweeping executive orders and how the U.S. is seeing a smashing of presidential norms with Trump's term.  Among many of Sollenberger's books, The Unitary Executive Theory: A Danger to Constitutional Government, highlights the conservative legal theory that argues the president enjoys sole authority over the federal government's executive branch - helping us to better understand the overall scope of presidential power.

Professor of History Sally Howell’s book was recently released. Co-edited with Yasmeen Hanoosh and Andrew Shryock, it includes an introduction and two chapters written by Howell. The book examines Detroit’s Arab and Chaldean communities, their challenges, and their pursuit of citizenship, featuring contributions from Associate Professors Carmel Price (Sociology), Natalie Sampson (Public Health), and Rose Wellman (Anthropology), as well as ������-Dearborn alumni Salam Aboulhassan, Rebecca Karam, and Samraa Luqman.

Assistant Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies, Kathleen Darcy, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Studies, Maya Barak, and Liliana Hamze undergraduate junior in Criminology, Law, and Criminal Justice recently presented research, theory, and policy on the issue of family separation for incarcerated and detained women to a group of judges at the (NAWJ) annual conference.

Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, Besa Xhabija and her students, ,  and  have been conducting important research in their undergraduate lab which uses digital holographic microscopy and machine learning to characterize melanoma cells in a label-free, non-invasive manner. Their recent paper,  was chosen as the cover story on peer-reviewed interdisciplinary journal, Advanced Biology.

Professor of History and Director of the Honors Program, Anna Muller's book, co-edited with M.Cieslak, was published by Rowman & Littlefield. The book explores the dynamic relationship between gender and nation-building. 

Professor of History, Pamela Pennock’s book, was released. It challenges misconceptions about Arab American activism, tracing its roots back to the 1960s & 70s—long before 9/11.

Associate Professor of Communication Nick Iannarino recently presented at the American Psychosocial Oncology Society in Pittsburgh, PA. His study looks at how social workers, psychologists, medical providers, and program managers assess adolescent and young adult cancer patients’ social support needs.

Professor of History, Marty Hershock's article, was published in Polish American Studies. The article discusses the pivotal role of Polish women in the three-day strike at Federal Screw. Their activism ensured the survival of the union against Detroit auto manufacturers trying to reverse UAW's gains.

Professor of Economics and Chair of the Department of Social Sciences, Natalia Czap has been elected as the future president of the (SABE).

Sociology Professor Paul Draus released his book, “Forging Identity: The Story of Carlos Nielbock’s Detroit” (Michigan State University Press), chronicles the life of Detroit artist and inventor Nielbock, including stories about his mixed-race upbringing in post-war Germany, his search for his Black father in 1980s Detroit and his artistic vision for the city’s future.

Teaching Professor of Professional Writing and Rhetoric and faculty advisor for the Sikh Student Association, Kristian Stewart was selected by the The U.S. Department of State for an English Language Specialist project in Peru at the Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana. This is Kristian’s third consecutive year receiving a prestigious award.

Associate Professor of Communication, Nick Iannarino's research on adolescent and young adult cancer patients and their coping mechanisms was recently published in the  

Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry, Christos Constantinides has received a three-year, $600,000 Department of Energy (DOE) award for his project "Leveraging Radical Dynamics to Generate Nuclear Spin Hyperpolarization." Partnering with AMES National Laboratory, this project aims to advance Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy by developing innovative methods for enhancing nuclear spin polarization, a critical factor in improving the sensitivity and resolution of NMR-based imaging and analysis techniques.

Professor emeritus of English Literature and Humanities, Deborah Smith Pollard was recently featured on discussing the impact of Black churches in Detroit and beyond.

Assistant Professor of Journalism and Media Production, Adam Sekuler's film, The Flamingo, had its international premiere at this year’s DocPoint – Helsinki Documentary Film Festival in Finland. As one of the world’s most renowned festivals for documentary films, DocPoint provides an incredible platform to showcase this work, which explores themes of pleasure, freedom, and power in deeply personal and thought-provoking ways.

Professor of History and Director of the Honors Program, Anna Muller recently received the prestigious Miecislaus Harmon Memorial Award from the Polish American Historical Association. Muller was honored in New York City with this medal for her outstanding and continuous contribution in the field of Polish American studies.

Associate Professor of Journalism and Media Production, Adam Sekuler has received a grant award from The Ravitz Foundation for project, "Peace Through the Lens: Arab and Jewish American Film Initiative," which will be taught in our Media Production in the Metropolitan Community course in Fall 2025. 

Professor of Political Science, Dale Thomson recently discussed election integrity, new laws expanding voting access in Michigan and misinformation about those new laws on WDET’s " He talks about the many steps in the election and ballot process that ensure security. Thomson also was interviewed by Bre'Anna Tinsley from WDET about Michigan's 12th congressional race.

Professor of History, Sally Howell was recently featured on .” Howell discussed the ways neighborhood activism and a 1973 labor strike led by Arab Americans in Dearborn’s Southend sparked a political movement that could play a major role in the 2024 election.

Provost and Professor of French, Gabriella Scarlatta, Ph.D., published an article on the French Huguenot writer Agrippa d'Aubigné, who composed poetry during the French wars of religion in late sixteenth-century France. In "Les 'Stances" d'Agrippa d'Aubigné ou la saison de la disperata" (Studi Francesi, LXVIII, Vol. II, 2024), the poet-lover replaces love images with sophisticated nuances of despair as love can no longer nourish his poetry in the difficult historical and political circumstances of his times. 

Sociology Professor and Chair of the Department of Behavioral Sciences, Francine Banner recently published (University of California Press), examining the complex role that complicity plays in U.S. law and in popular culture.

Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Arab American Studies, Wessam Elmeligi served as a member of the jury for the18th held at the Twin Cities in Minnesota, organized by the Mizna, the Arab American art and cultural organization.

Associate Professor of African and African American Studies Terri Laws offered commentary in regarding The Michigan Death with Dignity Act's need to address concerns many African Americans have about legalizing physician-assisted suicide. 

Associate Professor of Political Science, Julio Borquez published article "" in Divided we Fall, a non-profit news publication working to provide bipartisan dialogue for the politically engaged.

Associate Professor of Anthropology, Anthropology Discipline Coordinator, John Chenoweth was the lead archeologist on an excavation at the site where John Doane’s house once stood. He was featured in covering accounts of the excavation, which took place in 2019 and 2022, but the report on it wasn’t published until Aug. 1 this year.

Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Arab American Studies, Wessam Elmeligi's book was recently translated to Arabic by Nahla Abou Arqoub and published by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Center (2024).

Associate Professor of Neurobiology Dr. Zhi “Elena” Zhang and Assistant Professor of Biology Jie Fan were recently awarded a three-year $465,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health for their project titled "Understanding cell chirality and cell-cell interactions at neurovascular unit after brain injury." This project centers on assessing how traumatic brain injury impacts cell chirality and cell-cell interactions among microglia, neurons, and brain microvascular endothelial cells within the neurovascular unit. Through their research, they aim to lay the groundwork for developing precise therapeutics customized to individual cell types, offering potential solutions for various neurological disorders.

Associate Professor of Biology, Dr. Kalyan Kondapalli and Assistant Professor of Physics, Dr. Suvranta Tripathy are working on research titled "Elucidating the role of luminal pH in regulating phagosome transport” which has been awarded the National Institutes of Health (NIH) R16 grant, with cumulative funding of $468,000 over the next three years, enabling them to advance their research goals and potentially lead to significant breakthroughs in their field. 

Associate Professor of Economics, Hans Czap's article ” co-authored with Kanybek Nur-tegin was published in Oxford Development Studies. Based on the analysis of the micro-level data from 34 African nations the authors conclude that a higher level of personalized trust leads to more corruption, whereas a higher level of generalized trust leads to less corruption. 

Professor of English, Dr. J. Caitlin Finlayson published “The Afterlives of Thomas Middleton’s Civic Pageantry” in . Here, Finlayson explores the anomalous performance afterlives of London Renaissance playwright Middleton’s civic pageantry from 1913 to 2021. 

Associate Professor of Economics, Antonios Koumpias published the paper with alum Stuart DiDonato in Public Budgeting & Finance. Stuart was a 2022 SURE participant. 

Assistant Professor of Journalism and Media Production Adam Sekular's feature film, The Flamingo, had its world premiere at the prestigious  

Professor of History; The Frank and Mary Padzieski Endowed Professor in Polish/Polish American/Eastern European Studies; and Director of the Honors Program, Dr. Anna Muller was elected the President of the  and will start her term in July. 

Professor of History; The Frank and Mary Padzieski Endowed Professor in Polish/Polish American/Eastern European Studies; and Director of the Honors Program, Dr. Anna Muller published "" in Polish Review. Here, Anna examines the lives of several women whose life stories (involving participation in military conflicts and prison sentences) go beyond the narrow understanding of heroism and patriotism and illustrate the dynamic nature of Polish gender history.  

Associate Professor of Mathematics and Program Director of Applied and Computational Mathematics Dr. Yulia Hristova won the Sister Mary Ambrosia Fitzgerald Mentorship Award. This prestigious award is given to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional mentorship to students in the STEM fields, whether formally or informally. The scope of this award includes the entire university, inviting nominations from students, faculty, and teams across all three University of Michigan campuses.

Associate Professor Margaret Murray and staff member April Marvin published " in Corporate Communications: An International Journal. The article explored how the tragedy that killed 10 could have been prevented with a proactive PR approach and communication steps to use social media in emergency situations. 

Associate Professor of Psychology Harmony Reppond participated in the  program. Per Harmony, "The Road Scholars program provided me with the opportunity to visit various communities across the state and learn about their unique challenges and initiatives. I also engaged with community leaders and members, gaining first hand insights into local issues. Lastly, I explored potential collaborations and projects that can bridge the gap between the university and Michigan communities. It was an incredible experience that I highly recommend." 

Associate Professor of Sociology Carmel Price has been chosen as the 2024-2025 Provost Fellow, where she will work on interdisciplinary degrees and research teams, online program growth, brown bag talks, and faculty mentoring.

Professors of Sociology Pamela Aronson and Francine Banner, along with Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies Maya Barak, and Assistant Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies Katie Darcy traveled to Denver, CO, where they participated in a roundtable at the Annual Conference of the Law & Society Association discussing Dr. Aronson's new book, .

Professor of Sociology and Behavioral Sciences department chair, Dr. Francine Banner was featured as a guest on KPFA’s Against the Grain podcast. Banner answered questions surrounding complicity and the systems that we live under. “Today there’s something like a political space that’s opening up between victims and perpetrators,” Banner observed. “I think complicity can be said to occupy that space. It’s how we discuss that area in between not quite guilty and not exactly innocent.’’

Criminal Justice Studies Lecturer Aaron Kinzel started a program called Trauma Camp which was featured in “Trauma Camp: A Retreat for Returning Citizens,” a short documentary by Detroit Public Television’s “One Detroit.” This program provides returning citizens a chance to get away from the distractions and stress of everyday life, learn tools for adjusting to life outside of prison, and begin to heal from trauma experienced inside and outside the system.

Associate Professor of African and African American Studies and Sociology, Dr. Krim Lacey was recently honored with a Mid-Career Scholar and Career Achievement Award from the . The program was established in 1976 at U-M’s Institute for Social Research and has been a leader in creating new and innovative research methods in African American communities. 

Professor of Sociology, Dr. Pamela Aronson was among two ������-Dearborn faculty members selected as at University of Michigan. The fellowship offers an opportunity for faculty members to consider how they can prioritize outward engagement in their scholarly activity and translate it into meaningful public impacts.

Professor of Biochemistry, Dr. Besa Xhabija was invited to present her research on Argininosuccinate Synthase 1 and its role in melanoma in a session hosted by the Cutaneous Oncology Research Interest Group at the Rogel Cancer Center. Her talk provided a deep dive into the enzyme's function within biochemical pathways and how it influences melanoma's behavior and progression. She also presented 3 published papers along with her research students at the Central Regional Meeting (CERM) of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

Professor of Economics and Department of Social Sciences chair, Dr. Natalia Czap, Associate Professor of Economics, Dr. Hans Czap and Professor of Economics, Dr. Ilir Miteza published an article investigating whether engagement through collaborative project-based learning (PBL) can boost trusting behavior. ", in the Review of Behavioral Economics: Vol. 10: No. 4, pp 263-285.

Professor of Psychology, Dr. Francine Dolins' research using virtual reality to investigate spatial and social cognition in nonhuman apes is featured at The University of Michigan Museum of Natural History. The museum created a Research Station Exhibit that is presently in the main hall, and is now also available as an online .  Dr. Francine Dolins has also recently been granted a $66,000 award from the Templeton World Charity Foundation for her project "Use of Proper Names in Nonhuman Animals."

Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Dr. Maya Barak recently published " in Latino Studies. In the piece, Dr. Barak and her coauthors explore the ways in which first- and second-generation Latinx individuals think about their own and others' law-breaking behavior. 

Professor and Director of the Center for Arab American Studies (CAAS), Dr. Wessam Elmeligi was interviewed by , which appeared on the cover in the print edition and online. Elmeligi talks about CAAS, our Arabic major at ������-Dearborn, the potential for a literary and art scene in Dearborn, and how we are challenging the negative stereotypes about Dearborn.

Professor of Geology and director of the Environmental Interpretative Center (EIC), Dr Jacob Napieralski was published in The Conversation. Napieralski's piece, identifies a hidden contributor to flooding in older, low-income neighborhoods that have seen a lack of investment. 

Lecturer II in Composition, Dr. Kristian Stewart has been awarded a grant from the University of Michigan Library Anti-Racist Digital Research Initiative entitled "Digital StoryXchange: Connecting Classrooms, Cultures, and Continents in a Displaced World." Stewart will be working with two colleagues in South Africa from Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Cape Town. Stewart also received a second Fulbright Award to Indonesia to establish a Writing Center at a university on the island of Aceh, titled "The Establishment of the Center for Academic Writing." 

The following CASL faculty have been recognized by the university in the 2024 Faculty Awards: 

• Collegiate Lectureship Award - Dr. Jill Darling, Lecturer II (Department of Language, Culture, and the Arts) 
• Distinguished Research Award - Dr. Pamela Aronson, Professor (Department of Behavioral Sciences) 
• Distinguished Teaching Award - Dr. Aditya Viswanathan, Associate Professor (Department of Mathematics & Statistics
• Distinguished Teaching Award - Dr. Christos Constantinides, Associate Professor (Department of Natural Sciences) 
• Lecturer Excellence in Inclusive Teaching - Aaron Kinzel, Lecturer II (Department of Behavioral Sciences, College-Wide Programs) 

Sociology Professor Pam Aronson was featured in the recent Axios article “.” “Homeownership, renting, housing arrangements — these things are obviously tied to finances, they're tied to career opportunities, they're tied to inflation,” Aronson said in the article. “All of those things are impacting what Gen Z is able to do.”

Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice Maya Barak appeared on a recent episode of WDET’s “Detroit Today” about immigration court and the ways families are fractured through the immigration process. .

Professor of Biology and Biochemistry Marilee Benore was recently named the new editor-in-chief of the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education journal. Her three-year term will begin Jan. 1, 2024.

Mathematics Associate Professor Michael Dabkowski oversees a summer school program called Math Matches in Westland, where learning is combined with fun activities. The students are learning new applications of mathematics, and they say the playfulness really makes a difference.

Communications Professor Tim Kiska won a Michigan Regional Emmy Award in the Best Historical Documentary category for “.”&�Բ�����;The film explores WDIV’s place in the Detroit TV landscape and how the station evolved.

Congratulations to Associate Professor of Mathematics and Statistics Gengxin Li and Associate Professor of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering Jian Hu for receiving a two-year, $200,000 Ford Alliance Research Award for their project "Machine learning misclassification error detection to enhance safety of Level 3 autonomous driving."

Jacob Napieralski, professor of geology, has been appointed Director of the Environmental Interpretive Center. His experience and research in the areas of accessible nature, environmental change, urban rivers, Geographic Information Science, quaternary geology, and the impact of urbanization on environmental health will provide the EIC with expert and visionary leadership. Together with the EIC staff - Dorothy McLeer, Program Coordinator and Interpretive Naturalist; Rick Simek, Program Supervisor and Manager of the Environmental Study Area; and Dale Browne, Program Assistant; Dr. Napieralski will continue the EIC’s impactful work and develop a strategic vision for the center.

Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and Sociology Nehal Patel was a guest on the On Balance podcast, discussing his recent article “Why Lawyers Fear Love: Mohandas Gandhi’s Significance to the Mindfulness in Law Movement.”&�Բ�����;“Mindfulness in Law refers to the efforts to bring some of the insights that come from mindfulness and some of the benefits that come from meditation into the law, the legal system and our lives as legal professionals,” he said on the show. .

Assistant Professor Adam Sekuler's short film “Really Good Friends” won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary Short Film at the 17th annual Dallas International Film Festival. The jury included this statement with the selection of his film, "This film in particular stood out as an endearingly intimate and provocative peek into the sexual awakening of a late bloomer.”

After purchasing a miniature replica of the main gate of the Birkenau camp — a visual symbol of the Holocaust — at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum,  Director Jamie Wraight second-guessed his purchase. He wondered if the replica was in poor taste. So Wraight, who also builds miniatures himself, decided to investigate the role of models and dioramas of Holocaust death camps. Wraight’s paper “y” discusses pedagogical tools, forms of art, testimonial expression and memorialization of miniature replicas. His research also addresses questions concerning the intention of their designers and creators, as well as the ethical considerations of recreating the spaces.