I am a writer for University of Michigan, Comic Book Resources, SYFY Wire, Geek Dad, and more. Also creator of #histfic graphic novel Macbeth: The Red King.
Growing the farming movement in Detroit
UM-Dearborn student Tepfirah "Tee" Rushdan, Detroit's first director of urban agriculture, is working to grow community efforts toward food sustainability.
When thinking of farming, many people may imagine broad fields of crops with grazing animals, well away from the concrete jungle of major cities. But over the last few decades, local food security, sustainability concerns and neighborhood green space movements have created an enthusiasm for urban agriculture, growing food within the smalle...
Turning the page for literacy
After a life-changing field trip to a bookstore, Alyamamh Rahimee leads the new student organization Breaking the Cycle with Books.
Does how we experience books and the choice of books offered to us influence what sort of reader a person becomes –or whether they become a reader at all? Breaking the Cycle with Books, a new student organization at UM-Dearborn, sees the experience of visiting an independent bookstore as a powerful tool to promote literacy.
President Alyamamh Rahimee can personal...
Inclusive play: U-M art professor creates interactive game for kids with and without disabilities
ANN ARBOR—While adaptive sports like powerchair football provide invaluable opportunities for children with mobility disabilities to participate in athletic events, these games are not designed for competitive play between kids with disabilities and those without.
A media artist inspired by a young sports enthusiast with cerebral palsy is looking to change that.
The goal of iGYM, an augmented reality game system created by a team of University of Michigan researchers led by Roland Graf, assoc...
Magic spells are like computer programming in Svetlana Chmakova's new The Weirn Books series
Following up on the massive success of her Berrybrook Middle School series, award-winning cartoonist Svetlana Chmakova is looking back to look forward, revisiting a magical world of mythical beings she first envisioned more than 10 years ago. The Weirn Books series kicks off in June from Yen Press' JY imprint with Be Wary of the Silent Woods, introducing the young witch Ailis Thornton as she navigates family secrets, shifting friendships, and a creepy house in the woods.
The Weirn Books, Chma...
Science, music and art: U-M professors envision “A World Without Ice” in new exhibition
ANN ARBOR—An art installation from two professors at the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance explores the effects of climate change through powerful imagery, haunting music and the percussive beat of melting ice.
“A World Without Ice,” a multisensory experience created by U-M SMTD professor Stephen Rush and SMTD and Residential College professor Michael Gould with visual artist Marion Tränkle and climate scientist Henry Pollack, is now on view at the Ann Arbor Hands-On M...
Title IX at Michigan
Michigan Education Magazine |
Fall 2021
When it became federal law nearly 50 years ago, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 promised more equitable opportunities for women in education, from grade school through grad school. Although it immediately forbade discrimination on the basis of sex for any educational program or activity receiving federal funding, the full implications of the law and its applications would take several decades to unfold. For this centennial issue, we spoke w...
Alan Moore’s Watchmen Feud With DC Comics, Explained
Doctor Manhattan has been manipulating the DC Universe since Flashpoint, and the godlike Watchmen protagonist’s hand has dramatically shaped the lives of Batman, Superman, the Flash, and more. All of this is unlikely to sit well with Watchmen co-creator Alan Moore, if indeed he muster, at this point, the outrage to object.
Moore has been a vocal critic of DC’s handling of Watchmen, notably regarding the 2009 film adaptation by Justice League director Zach Snyder and the 2012 prequels under th...
Preparing the Leaders and Best for the Most Important Profession
Michigan Education Magazine |
Fall 2021
Over the past 150 years, teacher training at U-M has evolved to meet changing needs, grown to partner with community schools and organizations, and demonstrated leadership in research-based innovations in student learning. Throughout expansions, contractions, shifting policies, and rotating leadership, U-M has remained among the best universities for the preparation of educators.
Professional teacher training in the state of Michigan was initially the r...
To Live and DIE at SDCC with Kieron Gillen, Jody Houser, Jim Zub & More
Kieron Gillen's comics have life beyond their pages -- they are participatory. Fans of The Wicked and the Divine, which released its penultimate issue earlier this month, took part in the world of Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, and Matt Wilson's doomed young gods not only through impeccably gorgeous cosplay, but also through comic-con dance parties that Gillen and McKelvie DJ.
As WicDiv nears its conclusion, though, DIE, Gillen's new Image Comics series co-created with artist Stephanie Hans, is just...
U-M alumna brings new life to Meredith Bixby’s famous marionettes
ANN ARBOR—For more than 40 years, Meredith Bixby toured the eastern United States with his collection of handcrafted marionettes, staging fantastical shows for school groups and libraries. Bixby’s puppets and props featured intricate mechanisms to create elaborate special effects, revealing hidden treasures and bringing his fairy tale characters to life.
When Hilary Severyn was deciding on her capstone project for her graduate degree at the University of Michigan School of Information—a final...
INTERVIEW: Way and Bá Reunite for Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion
After nearly a decade out of the spotlight, the flawed heroes of the Umbrella Academy and their enigmatic benefactor Hargreeves return this week in Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion #1 by Gerard Way, Gabriel Bá and Nick Filardi.
The original Umbrella Academy series marked the first foray into comics for Way, who was then the singer for My Chemical Romance, and won the 2008 Eisner Award for Best Limited series. Since then, Bá has also won an Eisner for Daytripper, co-created with his brother Fá...
Internal buy-in: How to sell your own team on a new CRM
Change can be difficult even in the best of circumstances.
The inertia of “the way we’ve always done things” can trip up the implementation of a new CRM, and a team’s familiarity with a software platform (even one that they all complain about!) can make them resist adopting one that better suits their needs.
It’s not enough for you to find the CRM with the right features at the right price; to implement these changes effectively, it’s crucial that your team wants the change, and that they’re ...