Feed of Latest U-M Research News
Business
Recession may be over, but recovery will be gradual
With the severe national recession of the past two years finally behind us, the pace of economic recovery will be slow and unemployment will remain high for quite some time, say economists at the University of Michigan. "Based on the data currently available, the recession that began at the close of 2007 appears to have ended sometime this summer—the longest and steepest drop in output since the Great Depression," said U-M economist Joan Crary. "The federal government's series of unprecedented policy actions—both fiscal and monetary—deserve much of the credit for this dramatic shift from an economy that nearly went into free fall to one that is at least clawing its way back up. We have now shifted out of reverse and into first gear." [Read more...]
The Limits of Carbon Pricing: Can High Prices Alone Cut Emissions?
U-M Professor Andy Hoffman writes in his latest Perspectives blog posting that "we place too much faith in pricing as a singular mechanism for solving environmental problems in this country. The most vivid example is the call to create a price for carbon as the solution to the climate change problem. As the logic goes; if we set a price for carbon high enough, innovators will create new gadgets that emit fewer greenhouse gases, investors will invest in them, companies will adopt them and consumers will buy them. But, not so fast. We are not like some sort of mice chasing a piece of cheese whenever it is placed in front of us. Unlike mice, we are not so singular in focus. We actually care who is placing the cheese and we may even ignore the cheese if it is not placed in the right way." This first appeared on the Newsweek.com “Green Business” blog on November 18, 2009. [Read more...]
Making the best of the year’s biggest shopping day
For most Americans, Thanksgiving Day means a flurry of food, family and football. But the real frenzy begins the day after, say researchers at the University of Michigan and Western Michigan University. "Just as turkey and pumpkin pie are associated with Thanksgiving, the day after has become synonymous with one thing—shopping," said David Wooten, associate professor of marketing at the U-M Ross School of Business. "Black Friday has become an annual consumption event with more than 60 million people braving the elements, snarled parking lots, hours waiting and early morning crowds to shop on a day that has come to signal the beginning of the Christmas shopping season." New ethnographic research by Wooten and colleague Robert Harrison of Western Michigan University explores the competitive aspects and game-like characteristics of Black Friday shopping, the motivations and behaviors of shoppers and the implications for retailers. [Read more...]
U-M has received more than $200M in stimulus funds through October 2009
In data assembled by the U-M's Division of Research Development and Administration, the U-M has received funding for 342 projects through October, 2009 under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The total dollar value of these projects is $206.4M. To date, the five largest grants support solar energy research, diabetes research, an ongoing study of health and retirement issues in the U.S., the creation of a database to support genetic research in the behavioral and health sciences, and a study of pulmonary fibrosis. [Download table of project awards by U-M schools, colleges and other major units...]
UM professor recognized by Michigan Venture Capital Association
David Brophy, director of the Center for Venture Capital and Private Equity Finance at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, was honored Monday night with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual awards dinner of the Ann Arbor-based Michigan Venture Capital Association. In 1972, Brophy, who is also an associate professor of finance, founded the Michigan Growth Capital Symposium to help diversify the state’s economy away from its dependence on auto manufacturing. [Read more...]
Business Week ranks Ross School of Business one of all-around best
Business Week has announced that the Ross School ranks among the Top 10 for its part-time MBA (No. 5) and executive MBA (No. 7) programs and for its open enrollment (No. 8) and custom enrollment (No. 10) executive education programs for 2009. The Ross School currently ranks No. 5 for its full-time MBA program and No. 4 for its BBA program, according to rankings previously released by Business Week. The Ross School is currently the only business school worldwide to be rated among the Top 10 in all six of Business Week's biennial rankings of business school programs. [Read more...]
Make Entrepreneurship a Business School Priority
Established companies, not just startups, need MBAs with entrepreneurial skills, but B-schools aren't producing enough, writes University of Michigan professor Tim Faley in Business Week. [Read more...}
A Very Loud Number
In this blog post, U-M Vice President for Research discusses the broader meaning of the $1B milestone in research spending: "By now, many have heard that the University of Michigan broke the $1,000,000,000 threshold for research expenditures in Fiscal Year 2009 (FY09). Indeed, by National Science Foundation accounting, U-M has moved into third place for research expenditures by U.S. universities in 2008 (the latest year for which such numbers are available). Only the University of California at San Francisco and the University of Wisconsin rank higher." [Read more...]
Environmental and Social Responsibility: Ross School No. 1 in the U.S.
The University of Michigan's Ross School of Business is the best business school in the United States for integrating environmental, social, and ethical issues into its MBA program, according to the Aspen Institute's 2009-10 Beyond Grey Pinstripes report. The biennial survey and ranking of business schools placed the Ross School at No. 2 worldwide. The Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto is ranked No. 1 in this year's survey. Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, which was ranked No. 1 in 2007, is ranked No. 4 this year. [Read more...]
Ross School tops in the U.S. for environmental/social responsibility
The University of Michigan's Ross School of Business is the best business school in the United States for integrating environmental, social and ethical issues into its MBA program, according to the Aspen Institute's 2009-10 Beyond Grey Pinstripes report. The biennial survey and ranking of business schools placed the Ross School at No. 2 overall. The Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto is ranked No. 1 in this year's survey. Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, which was ranked No. 1 in 2007, is ranked No. 4 this year. [Read more...]