From STEM to social impact: U-M scholars go global with Fulbright awards

University of Michigan

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Images of the students and researchers

Twenty-seven University of Michigan students and faculty scholars have been awarded Fulbright grants for the 2025-26 academic year, putting the university among the top-producing institutions in the country.

 

The grants—one of the U.S. government's most prestigious awards—will fund overseas research of 25 students and 2 faculty scholars from the Ann Arbor and Dearborn campuses for 6-12 months.

 

A recent graduate of U-M's Biomolecular Science and Spanish programs, Ava Kuiper is spending nine months in Puebla, one of Mexico's most important and historic cities, as a Fulbright English teaching assistant. Given her STEM background, she also teaches general and organic chemistry to first-year engineering students. 

 

"My role is to expose students to scientific concepts and STEM vocabulary in English in these classes," Kuiper said. "I feel so fortunate to be able to teach science because this responsibility is unique in comparison to other Fulbright ETAs, most of whom primarily focus on teaching English."

 

Outside the classroom, Kuiper is conducting three research studies—two in chemistry education and one in basic science—alongside a Fulbright community engagement project. She aims to publish her research by the conclusion of the current school year.

 

"For my community project, I am collaborating with some of my colleagues to put on science fairs at local middle schools," she said. "Our goal is to facilitate learning and spark interest in STEM through experiments that students can recognize and digest. So far, we have held five fairs with 5-6 stations each, including one that uses cabbage as an acid-base indicator and another that extracts banana DNA. 

 

"Seeing students develop a better understanding of the science behind the natural phenomena they encounter every day—and for some, a newfound interest in STEM—has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life."

 

Before starting her Fulbright grant, Kuiper hadn't considered incorporating teaching into her future career. 

 

"Fulbright changed that," she said. "I learned that I love the classroom. I gain great value from interacting with my students, witnessing their progress, and being challenged by their questions, which in turn helps me learn more about the topic. I plan to pursue a career as a physician in academic medicine. Aside from seeing patients or conducting research, though, I want to work in medical education to help teach the next generation of clinicians."

 

Far and wide

 

Other U-M students and scholars are already or will be studying in Germany, Austria, Fiji, Norway and Italy, among others. Their interests range from detecting microplastics in sea ice to the archaeology of the early Iron Age to the effects of social determinants of health on ischemic heart disease.

 

U-M has received more than 600 U.S. scholar awards and more than 1,000 U.S. student awards since the Fulbright Program's inception, according to the International Institute Fellowships & Grants Office.

 

Established in 1946, the Fulbright Program is the U.S. government's premier international academic exchange program. Each year, it provides opportunities for exceptional Americans and participants from 160 countries and locations to study, teach and conduct research abroad, advancing knowledge, science and industry through international exchange and collaboration.

 

Fulbright alumni achieve distinction and are recognized as leaders in government, business, science, technology, research, education and the arts. They work to make a positive impact on their communities, sectors and the world. 

 

Among the Fulbright alumni network, there are 44 heads of state or government, 63 Nobel Laureates, 93 Pulitzer Prize winners, 83 MacArthur Fellows and several leaders across all sectors and industries in the United States and around the world. 

 

Since arriving in Vlorë, Albania, last September for a nine-month teaching residency, U-M Ford School alum Zeinab Alhashemi has immersed herself in the local culture. Her engagement with students and the broader community has profoundly deepened her perspective on connection, civic responsibility and global impact.

 

"My Fulbright year has stretched me in the best ways," Alhashemi said. "This Fulbright experience has reinforced my belief that community can be built across languages, cultures and histories. 

 

"The most meaningful lesson has been that bridge-building begins with humility and consistency. When you show up, day after day, with patience and genuine effort, trust forms, creating space for vulnerability and deeper understanding."

 

Experts show how major UK food crisis might occur

New report explains how UK can stop disruptions from escalating into social unrest

Anglia Ruskin University

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A new report has set out how the UK might respond to major disruptions to food supplies triggered by events such as war, extreme weather or cyber-attacks – and what can be done now to prevent such disruptions from escalating into a crisis.

Involving 39 experts from institutions including Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and the University of York, the study maps how shocks to the food system, such as sudden price hikes or food shortages, could intensify pressure on already vulnerable parts of the system, ultimately increasing strain, instability and the risk of social unrest.

Recent events have served as a wake-up call. From cyber-attacks disrupting major retailers like M&S and Co-op, to the global price shocks caused by the war in Ukraine, the dependence of the UK food system on fragile, just-in-time networks has been laid bare.

Published in the journal Sustainability and funded by the British Academy, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society, the study argues that long-standing structural issues are leaving the UK dangerously exposed. Addressing these weaknesses, the researchers say, is critical to improving national food resilience.

The report outlines how a major international conflict could lead to trade disruptions, surging energy prices, disrupted agricultural and food supply chains, and escalating food costs. Rising prices would disproportionately affect low-income households, restricting access to nutritious food and heightening food insecurity.

This, in turn, could fuel social tensions and lead to increases in food fraud and sales on the black market, which could result in more food-related illnesses. In a worst-case scenario, public trust in government and business could erode to the point of unrest or riots.

To reduce these risks, the researchers recommend key interventions, including increasing UK energy security, diversifying food value chains, and promoting more varied and resilient diets.

The report also explores how other triggers, such as cyber-attacks or extreme weather events, could cause similar cascading crises, either independently or in combination.

Based on interviews with more than 30 food system experts from academia, government and industry, the study identifies key systemic weaknesses, crisis triggers and interventions that could prevent them.

It also presents a detailed, interconnected map of the UK food system, which is a new tool already being used by policymakers to guide more resilient decision-making.

Professor Sarah Bridle, Chair of Food, Climate and Society at the University of York, said: “The stability of the UK’s food system is a critical aspect of national security. While we can’t always prevent future shocks, we can build resilience to withstand them, and stop a bad situation from becoming a crisis.

“While there is a growing awareness of the potential risks, not enough coordinated work is being done to address the weak spots in the system, and how people are likely to be affected. Understanding how the system might react to extreme pressure is the first step to preventing worst-case scenarios unfolding in the future.”

Professor Aled Jones, Director of the Global Sustainability Institute at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), said: “The potential for events to trigger a food crisis is frequently underestimated.

“The UK is not immune to disruptions that can lead to severe consequences. Policymakers must adopt a long-term perspective to policy planning, and work across departments and wider food system stakeholders to ensure a whole-systems approach to addressing the problems.”

Dominic Watters, a lived experience researcher, writer and a contributor to the study, said: “Food crises and civil unrest don’t come from a lack of calories alone; they come from a lack of dignity, voice and care. This research highlights how the stigma and dehumanisation of food insecurity are already creating cracks in our society.

“If we want a genuinely resilient and ‘ready’ United Kingdom, we cannot build it on systems of shame. That is why the study speaks to the importance of co-designing responses with communities disproportionately affected, rather than simply deciding for them.”

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Journal

Sustainability

DOI

10.3390/su18031342 

Article Title

Potential Pathways and Solutions to Acute Food System Crisis in the UK

 

A new methodology allows for a more precise review of Late Paleolithic portable art and improves the reliability of archaeological interpretations

The study has reinterpreted three pieces from the Matutano Cave in Vilafamés (Spain) and confirmed that only two of them belong to the Late Paleolithic

Universitat Jaume I

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A team of archaeologists from the Universitat Jaume I, the University of Barcelona, and the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA) has developed a new methodology that allows for a much more detailed, precise and objective analysis of Late Paleolithic portable art pieces. Thanks to this study, the research team was able to review several previously published pieces from Matutano Cave (Vilafamés), a reference site in the Iberian Mediterranean, with greater accuracy and demonstrate that some of the marks previously interpreted as artistic motifs are not anthropic engravings but natural surface reliefs.

Late Paleolithic art is usually characterized by very fine engravings, barely visible to the naked eye, often affected by taphonomic alterations, surface irregularities, and unclear morphologies, which complicates their identification and interpretation. This new methodology allows for a more precise analysis of the remains using photogrammetry and microtopographic analysis techniques. The results were recently published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.

The high-precision recording protocol integrates close-range photogrammetry, digital elevation models (DEM), and surface analysis based on geographic information systems (GIS) to detect and quantify extremely fine engravings at a submillimetric scale. This enables a detailed characterization of groove morphology, variations in depth and width, and cross-sectional profiles. The application of this low-cost methodology provides a more objective record of the trajectories, shapes and volumes of the engravings, supporting researchers’ interpretation work and reducing reliance on subjective assessments.

To validate the methodology, the team carried out a recording programme. This programme served as a reference framework for interpreting archaeological marks with greater reliability. Once it was verified that the new method provided reliable data, it was applied to three pieces from Matutano Cave, one of the most extensive Late Paleolithic portable art assemblages on the Iberian Peninsula, and used as a reference for the relative dating of other rock art manifestations. As a result, updated and more precise tracings were made for two of the pieces, and it was confirmed that the third does not contain anthropic engravings, as the observed marks correspond to natural rock reliefs.

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Credit: UJI-UB-ICREA researchs

A team of archaeologists from the Universitat Jaume I, the University of Barcelona, and the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA) has developed a new methodology that allows for a much more detailed, precise and objective analysis of Late Paleolithic portable art pieces. Thanks to this study, the research team was able to review several previously published pieces from Matutano Cave (Vilafamés), a reference site in the Iberian Mediterranean, with greater accuracy and demonstrate that some of the marks previously interpreted as artistic motifs are not anthropic engravings but natural surface reliefs.

Late Paleolithic art is usually characterized by very fine engravings, barely visible to the naked eye, often affected by taphonomic alterations, surface irregularities, and unclear morphologies, which complicates their identification and interpretation. This new methodology allows for a more precise analysis of the remains using photogrammetry and microtopographic analysis techniques. The results were recently published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.

The high-precision recording protocol integrates close-range photogrammetry, digital elevation models (DEM), and surface analysis based on geographic information systems (GIS) to detect and quantify extremely fine engravings at a submillimetric scale. This enables a detailed characterization of groove morphology, variations in depth and width, and cross-sectional profiles. The application of this low-cost methodology provides a more objective record of the trajectories, shapes and volumes of the engravings, supporting researchers’ interpretation work and reducing reliance on subjective assessments.

To validate the methodology, the team carried out a recording programme. This programme served as a reference framework for interpreting archaeological marks with greater reliability. Once it was verified that the new method provided reliable data, it was applied to three pieces from Matutano Cave, one of the most extensive Late Paleolithic portable art assemblages on the Iberian Peninsula, and used as a reference for the relative dating of other rock art manifestations. As a result, updated and more precise tracings were made for two of the pieces, and it was confirmed that the third does not contain anthropic engravings, as the observed marks correspond to natural rock reliefs.

“European Late Paleolithic rock art and portable art are characterized by subtle execution, combined with taphonomic alterations, surface irregularities, and unclear morphologies, which poses a considerable challenge for precise identification, documentation, and interpretation”, explains the research team, composed of Alfredo Sánchez-Hernández, from the Pre-Eina Group at the Universitat Jaume I; Dídac Román, Professor of Prehistory at  the UJI; and Inés Domingo, from ICREA and the University of Barcelona.

The proposed method provides a replicable framework for the reevaluation of other engraved assemblages and contributes to a more precise interpretation of prehistoric artistic and technological behaviour. Additionally, it allows for the identification of intentional variations in pressure, movement, and tool execution related to anatomical details, material properties and artistic skills and choices.

This methodology also has important implications for the conservation and accessibility of portable art. By relying on precise, high-quality 3D documentation, a digital twin can reliably substitute the original piece, allowing detailed examination and verification of engravings without repeatedly handling the original object. This reduces the risk of damage and enables archaeological staff to conduct independent assessments remotely, eliminating or minimizing the need for physical access. Furthermore, it is a low-cost and widely accessible approach, facilitating broad adoption without the need for expensive specialized equipment.

For these reasons, the three archaeologists believe that “by integrating experimental validation with archaeological application, this method offers robust and replicable analyses that significantly enhance our understanding of engraving techniques, technological practices, and artistic behavior in the Paleolithic”, and that this combination of techniques “has enabled the collection and analysis of surface elevation data at an unprecedented resolution, bridging the gap between qualitative observation and quantitative surface analysis”.

Article: To be or not to be an engraving: testing photogrammetry and DEM for identifying or disproving fine prehistoric engravings, Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, Volume 69, 2026, 105530, ISSN 2352-409X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105530.

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Journal

Journal of Archaeological Science

DOI

10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105530 

Method of Research

Computational simulation/modeling

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

To be or not to be an engraving: testing photogrammetry and DEM for identifying or disproving fine prehistoric engravings

Article Publication Date

3-Feb-2026

 

If you want to feel gratitude in your life, embrace nostalgia, VCU research finds

Wistful memories – from a reunion, a song or even a daydream – strengthen a sense of social connection, which drives thankfulness

Virginia Commonwealth University

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Did you skip your last high school reunion? If so, you may want to reconsider when the next anniversary rolls around. The experience could lead to increased feelings of gratitude, according to a new study led by Jeffrey Green, Ph.D., a professor of psychology in Virginia Commonwealth University’s College of Humanities and Sciences.

That’s because engaging in nostalgic experiences – or even just listening to nostalgic music, or drifting into a nostalgic reverie – can strengthen feelings of social connection, which boosts gratitude.

“There was a tiny bit of research out there suggesting that nostalgia and gratitude were linked causally, but also there was some question of what’s driving it,” Green said. “And that mechanism turned out to be feelings of social connectedness.”

Nostalgia hasn’t always been viewed as a benign trip down memory lane. In the 1600s, Green said, a Swiss medical student coined the term “nostalgia,” calling it a “brain disease of demonic origin.” That negative view, based on the student’s study of a group of homesick mercenaries, persisted among psychologists for several hundred years.

For Green, however, meditating on positive or sentimental memories has always been a fruitful experience. His formal interest in nostalgia emerged around 15 years ago, when he was inspired to join his former Ph.D. advisor in his research into nostalgia.

“I would frequently wax nostalgic or engage in nostalgic reverie. And then just kind of a natural outgrowth was gratitude,” said Green, who has organized high school, college and even fifth-grade reunions. “My thinking was, I wonder if there’s something there? Is it just me, or is that kind of an inherent feature of nostalgia?”

Clearly, Green didn’t view his tendency toward nostalgia as demonic – but why did it bring him such intense feelings of gratitude?

To find out, Green and his co-authors conducted several studies among different populations, with their findings published recently in Personality and Individual Differences, the journal of the International Society for the Study of Individual Differences.

In two of the studies, participants answered questionnaires about their feelings of nostalgia, gratitude and their levels of social connection. In another study, participants listened to a nostalgic song and then rated their feelings of social connectedness and gratitude.

The studies led the researchers to one overarching conclusion: Remembering nostalgic moments causes people to consider their social ties, which promotes gratitude for their lives and experience. In other words, nostalgia leads to gratitude through feelings of social connection.

Previous research has found that overall psychological well-being can be enhanced by fostering gratitude, and Green suggests that purposefully engaging in nostalgic triggers such as listening to music, looking at photographs or smelling wistful scents could help bolster that effect.

But those feelings of gratitude can be harder to come by in an era of social-media-driven comparison, Green said, when people feel pressured to measure up to artificial standards.

“I think if you have to boil it down to one thing – happiness, life satisfaction, meaning, all these related concepts – you usually get back to quality connections with other human beings,” he said. “Gratitude is one of these meta approaches, where it’s focusing on what you have rather than what you don’t have.”

For Green, the research enhances what he already knew – that his nostalgic reveries serve an important purpose.

“When I think back on these different eras, whether it’s high school, or graduate school, or the time I lived in Japan, or my first academic gig at a tiny school in southern California,” he said, “I feel blessed.”

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Journal

Personality and Individual Differences

DOI

10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02194 

Article Title

Nostalgia enhances gratitude by fostering social connectedness