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The Bouchet Graduate Honor Society recognizes outstanding scholarly achievement and promotes diversity and excellence in doctoral education and the professoriate.

Learn more and apply by November 2: myumi.ch/pV2E5

#WeAreRackham #BouchetSociety #UMich #GradSchool
October 5, 2026 at 5:48 PM
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Kyle P. Smith is a Rackham doctoral candidate who explores the pedagogical possibilities of LGBTQ+ young adult literature to talk across differences in the classroom. 🏳️‍🌈

Learn more about Smith's research in our latest story for Discover Rackham: myumi.ch/QwVyj

#WeAreRackham #UMich #GradSchool
Portrait of Kyle P. Smith, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Michigan Rackham Graduate School, smiling. A quote on the image reads, "I think that whenever you recognize that a controversial conversation doesn’t have to lead to the dismissal of human dignity or our humanity, a conversation can go much further."
June 25, 2025 at 8:45 PM
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The #UMich community celebrates pride during April while students are still present on campus. Spectrum Center has an incredible line-up of events to uplift the voices and experiences of our LGBTQIA2S+ community: spectrumcenter.umich.edu/pride-month

#WeAreRackham #UMich #GradSchool
Graphic design featuring an illustration of a rainbow surrounding Burton Tower and text: Celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month.
April 1, 2026 at 4:00 PM
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Rackham Public Scholarship Grants provide support for publicly engaged scholarly projects created between Rackham students and community partners.

➡️ Proposals for the 2026-2027 academic year are due by 1/12. Learn more: https://myumi.ch/R3Jjm

#WeAreRackham #UMich #GradSchool #PublicScholarship
Close-up view of a hand gently holding a Monarch caterpillar on a leaf, with text overlay about 2026 Rackham Public Scholarship Grants and upcoming application deadlines.
January 7, 2026 at 6:09 PM
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Rackham Public Scholarship Grants provide support for publicly engaged scholarly projects created between Rackham students and community partners.

Learn more and register for the required 10/3 grant workshop: https://myumi.ch/R3Jjm

#WeAreRackham #UMich #GradSchool #PublicScholarship
A vibrant red sculpture on a university campus with a rainbow in the background, accompanied by text about Rackham Public Scholarship Grants application deadlines.
September 21, 2025 at 6:56 PM
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We loved getting to know Rackham alum, UM-Dearborn chancellor, and U-M interim president Domenico Grasso (Ph.D. ‘87) through this University Record spotlight: myumi.ch/MkkJP

#WeAreRackham
Domenico Grasso in academic regalia speaks at a UM-Dearborn commencement.
May 14, 2025 at 9:29 PM
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🎉 Congratulations to the 2024 ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award recipients! This year's awardees and honorable mentions hail from across the University of Michigan community: myumi.ch/2rmMz

#UMich #GradSchool #Dissertation #ProQuest #WeAreRackham
Group of eight individuals standing and smiling in front of a backdrop that reads “Distinguished Dissertation Awards, ProQuest.”
April 22, 2025 at 6:19 PM
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🎉 Congratulations to the 2025 ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award recipients! This year's awardees and honorable mentions hail from across the University of Michigan community: myumi.ch/15w4M

#UMich #GradSchool #Dissertation #ProQuest #WeAreRackham
A group photo of the 2025 ProQuest DDA Award winners at the reception in the Rackham Building.
April 26, 2026 at 11:21 PM
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@um-taubmancollege.bsky.social Ph.D. student & Rackahm Public Scholarship Grant recipient Brianne Brenneman conducted research to improve health equity for all Toronto residents: myumi.ch/6PyGV

Public Scholarship Grants info: myumi.ch/R3Jjm

#UMich #GradSchool #WeAreRackham #PublicScholarship
An informal portrait of Brianne Brenneman. Text: Brenneman advises scholars to pick their partners with care, looking for those who speak respectfully about the communities they serve. Brenneman also stresses the importance of trust: “Acknowledge that residents know so much more than you do about their own lives.” The busy streets of Toronto. Text: Learn more about Brianne Brenneman’s research in our latest feature article for Discover Rackham: rackham.umich.edu/news
August 10, 2026 at 5:06 PM
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🎧 On this week’s episode of GradWell, VaNessa Thompson, an academic program manager in Rackham’s Professional Development and Engagement Office, shares more about the importance of cultivating a sense of belonging: myumi.ch/mRJZG

#WeAreRackham #GradSchool #GradWell
A graphic promoting 'The Importance of Cultivating a Sense of Belonging,' the episode of the GradWell podcast released on September 17, featuring guest Vanessa Thompson, Ph.D., an Academic Program and Engagement Professional from Rackham. Promotional graphic featuring Vanessa Thompson, Ph.D., Academic Program Manager at Rackham's Professional Development and Engagement Office, and her quote: "A solid sense of belonging for graduate students looks like they can show up as their whole selves.”
September 17, 2025 at 4:00 PM
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On this week’s episode of the GradWell podcast, Sunghyun Hong, a Ph.D. candidate in Social Work and Developmental Psychology, shares strategies for adopting a strengths-based framework for resiliency development: myumi.ch/mRJZG

#WeAreRackham #GradSchool #GradWell
Graphic design featuring October 15 GradWell podcast guest and Social Work and Developmental Psychology at the University of Michigan Ph.D. candidate Sunghyun Hong and her quote: “Seeing resilience as a dynamic process, you really need to be able to hold both truths, which is recognizing and being proud of the areas that we're thriving and also being able to be kind to ourselves and tend to areas that we need help.”
October 15, 2025 at 7:40 PM
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🎓 As Rackham celebrates 150 years since U-M awarded its first doctoral degree, a new Bentley Historical Library article by Rackham alum Andrew Rutledge (Ph.D. '18) explores how graduate education at Michigan evolved: myumi.ch/VD5N3

#Rackham150 #UMichResearch #WeAreRackham
An archival black and white photo of University of Michigan graduates in caps and gowns on the Ann Arbor campus diag in the 1930s.
May 6, 2026 at 9:53 PM
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Join us in giving Manoj Puthenveedu a warm Rackham welcome to his new role as associate dean for academic programs and initiatives, responsible for Rackham master’s and Ph.D. degree-granting programs in the biological and health sciences.👏

Learn more: myumi.ch/zN1xr

#WeAreRackham
Headshot of Manoj Puthenveedu with the Rackham logo and text: Welcome Manoj Puthenveedu, Associate Dean, Biological and Health Sciences
July 1, 2026 at 9:30 PM
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Let's welcome Sonya Dal Cin to her new role as associate dean for academic programs & initiatives in the social sciences. 👏

Dal Cin is a prof of comms & media. She studies how everyday experiences w/ media affect our thoughts, emotions, & behavior.

Welcome, Sonya Dal Cin!

#WeAreRackham
Portrait of Sonya Dal Cin, Associate Dean, Social Sciences at Rackham. Features the University of Michigan logo with a blue background.
July 24, 2025 at 5:41 PM
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Give Dewey Jung a warm Rackham welcome to his new role as associate dean for Ph.D. programs at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. 👏

Jung is a prof of mechanical engineering & a leading researcher of thermal & fluid sciences & their applications to advanced energy conversion.

#WeAreRackham
Portrait of Dewey Jung, Associate Dean, Academic Programs and Initiatives for University of Michigan-Dearborn, smiling in front of a blurred background with the University of Michigan and Rackham logos at the top.
July 22, 2025 at 3:43 PM
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After 11 years of midwifery in her home country of Ghana, Rackham and University of Michigan School of Nursing Ph.D. candidate Theresa Norpeli Lanyo decided to pursue her doctoral degree to address some of the barriers to adequate prenatal care.

Learn more: https://myumi.ch/pV469

#WeAreRackham
Theresa Norpeli Lanyo, Ph.D. Canidate in the School of Nursing, with her headshot and a quote about her goals: “As a midwife, a nurse, and as a healthcare researcher, I want to make sure that women go through pregnancy safely, have the best experience, and do not die from preventable causes, both here in the U.S. and globally—and also make sure that our babies are born safely.” A black and white image of a person holding their pregnant belly gently with their hands. Text: Learn more about Theresa Norpeli Lanyo's research in our latest feature article for Discover Rackham: rackham.umich.edu/news
January 13, 2026 at 6:13 PM
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Rackham Public Scholarship Grants provide support for publicly engaged scholarly projects created between Rackham students and community partners.

➡️ As part of the application process, students have the option to submit a draft proposal by 10/31. Learn more: https://myumi.ch/R3Jjm

#WeAreRackham
A group of people gather on a farm field under a blue sky. A text overlay promotes actions needed for participation in the 2026 Rackham Public Scholarship Grants, including a draft proposal deadline of 10/31 and a final submission deadline of 1/12.
October 21, 2025 at 7:14 PM
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On this week’s episode of GradWell, learn new ways to enhance your spiritual wellbeing on the U-M campus: myumi.ch/rArmG

Created by a #UMich grad student for grad students, the GradWell podcast provides strategies to make wellbeing a little more accessible.

#WeAreRackham #GradSchool #GradWell
Promotional image for GradWell featuring Kelly Dunlop, Spiritual, Religious, and Interfaith Engagement Lead and Director of the Michigan Community Scholars Program, smiling in a professional setting. A quote about graduate students finding meaning and purpose is also displayed.
April 16, 2025 at 8:10 PM
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To infinity and beyond! Learn more about Rackham Ph.D. student Renny Hahamovitch's research into space exploration and the national psyche in our latest article for Discover Rackham: https://myumi.ch/Pb6p1 💫

#WeAreRackham #UMich #GradSchool
An image of earth from space. Text: Funding the Final Frontier - Rackham history Ph.D. student Renny Hahamovitch considers how—and why—the American space program has changed, and what that can tell us about meeting today’s most urgent challenges. A headshot of Renny Hahamovitch with text: Renny Hahamovitch says early NASA wasn’t just selling space as “useful” — it was selling it as inspiring. “Early NASA leaders sold the space program as primarily a spiritual endeavor, not a materially beneficial one,” Hahamovitch says. 
In other words: NASA’s early pitch was less “this will make money fast” and more “this will lift people up, show national strength, and imagine a better future.” An old comic strip featuring a fictitious space station. Text: Learn more about how past generations imagined the future and how that can help us do the same in our latest feature article for Discover Rackham: rackham.umich.edu/news
June 8, 2026 at 3:58 PM
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Rackham Public Scholarship Grants provide support for publicly engaged scholarly projects created between Rackham students and community partners.

➡️ Learn more and register for the 10/13 grant workshop: myumi.ch/R3Jjm

#WeAreRackham #UMich #GradSchool #PublicScholarship
Malu Castro's headshot and quote about his Public Scholarship project: "“My partners and I conducted case studies on Indigenous land restoration, more commonly known as land back, to identify best practices for determining the ultimate land acquisition price and financing costs. There is no existing scholarship or reporting on the topics of price and pricing regarding land back. This gap significantly undermines the capacity for Indigenous peoples not only to get their lands but also to do so in a way that does not saddle them with worse obligations.”
September 8, 2026 at 1:42 PM
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Prom season is here! Rackham alumna Sadiyah Malcolm-Wallace (Ph.D. ’24) shares her research in process about prom send-offs in Philadelphia, part of her current book project, in our latest for Discover Rackham: myumi.ch/rw14n

#WeAreRAckham #UMich #GradSchool
A group of African American prom attendees smile for a photo. Text: Coming of Age in the Diaspora - This prom season, we turn to Rackham alumna, assistant professor, and sociologist Sadiyah Malcolm-Wallace (Ph.D. ’24) for insights from her research on teenage milestones of the African Diaspora, including prom send-offs in Philadelphia. A prom attendee in an orange and black dress smiles broadly while surrounded by friends and family at a prom send-off. Text: Step into the Next Chapter with Style - Each spring, on sidewalks and in recreation centers, in front yards and rented halls, many Black families in the U.S. set the scene for “prom send-offs”—big pre-prom celebrations with loved ones and neighbors where teenagers pose for photos in front of ornate backdrops and balloons, enjoy music, share food, and revel in red carpet moments as they step into the next chapter of their lives. A headshot of Sadiyah Malcolm-Wallace. Text: How how can we understand the prom send-off as a site of both meaning-making and resistance, especially in under-resourced neighborhoods? “I am interested in thinking about the ways in which Philadelphians use the prom send-off to resist narratives of economic scarcity, against these frames of deservingness and as a way to celebrate youth as they near high school graduation,” Malcolm-Wallace says. Sadiyah Malcolm-Wallace at the Water Lane Murals, in downtown Kingston , Jamaica. Text: Malcolm-Wallace shares more of her research on teenage milestones of the African Diaspora in our latest feature article for Discover Rackham: rackham.umich.edu/news
May 26, 2026 at 7:42 PM
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What would you do if you found a bear rustling up a snack in your kitchen? For herders in Sanjiangyuan, China this not a hypothetical question. Rackham Ph.D. student Anna Yue Yu is researching human-bear mitigation strategies that work for the whole community: myumi.ch/DWJxD

#UMich #WeAreRackham
A Tibetan Brown Bear. Text: In Sanjiangyuan, China, Ph.D. student Anna Yue Yu studies how Tibetan herders navigate a fast-changing relationship with brown bears—and how communities and wildlife can best co-exist. A herd in Sanjiangyuan with mountains in the background. Text: Due to multiple interacting factors—such as conservation policies in China's national parks, changes in local lifestyles, migration shifts, and more—Tibetan brown bears and herders are now frequently interacting in close proximity, presenting new challenges. Headshot of Anna Yue Yu and her quote: “In one of my field sites, local people reported that, until 2020, they hadn’t seen a bear for the past 40 years.” Anna Yue Yu with the Sanjiangyuan Mountains in the background. Text: Active Listening - To develop human-bear mitigation strategies that are targeted, adaptive, and shaped by local perspectives, Yu has spent close to a year in the field in Sanjiangyuan, working with local Tibetan guides, visiting households, conducting surveys, and listening to herders, elders, monks, and community leaders.
July 14, 2026 at 7:40 PM
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With birdsong on the springtime breeze, Rackham alum, and Refugia Festival founder Alexis Lamb (D.M.A. ’25) encourages us to slow down and listen to what the natural world has to teach us.

Read the full story: myumi.ch/bVmbW

#WeAreRackham #UMich #GradSchool #UMichArts
Page one of a short article called Protecting Nature's Song, featuring a yellow-breasted Kirkland warbler. Text: As signs of spring emerge, we join Rackham alumna Alexis Lamb (D.M.A. ’25) in noticing and appreciating the soundscapes of the natural world as pathways to sustainability. Page two of the article, featuring a photo of Alexis Lamb playing percussion instruments on a log. Text: Lamb is the the founder and artistic director of the Refugia Festival, an annual pay-what-you-can outdoor event in Nichols Arboretum that uses music and artistic expression as tools for environmental conservation and preservation. Page five of the article, featuring people going on a nature walk. Text: Lamb urges everyone to “go for a walk without headphones—just listen.” The art of slowing down, finding a place to sit and listen for five minutes, jotting down the sounds you hear, and engaging in tactile listening can be calming and help people develop a stronger appreciation of their sonic environments. Page six of the article, featuring trees in different seasons. Text: “Try listening to nature throughout the year—notice how soundscapes shift over seasons. Listening isn’t just for your ears—it’s for your whole body.”
March 31, 2026 at 4:30 PM
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Rackham Ph.D. student Jaylin Herskovitz is a human-computer interaction researcher who designs greater tech accessibility with blind people.

Read the full story: myumi.ch/XyQmn

#WeAreRackham #UMich #GradSchool
A blurred cityscape with vibrant lights for a Rackham news article titled 'Open Your Eyes: Co-Designing Accessible Tech.' Text: Rackham doctoral candidate and human-computer interaction researcher Jaylin Herskovitz co-designs accessible tech with blind people, improving their experience with the world, online and off. Close-up of a person holding a green canned food item, with a text overlay discussing Herskovitz's research on AI: "Herskovitz's research reveals that blind users are frustrated by AI’s current capacity for interpreting imagery, finding it far too general to be efficient." Three smartphone screens displaying different stages of ProgramAlly, a software application to help blind people get specific information. Text: To address this issue, Herskovitz used techniques from the field of end-user programming—the practice of designing for non-programmers to create and modify software for their own specific needs—to create ProgramAlly, an application for blind people to write small custom programs to target the specifics of what they’d like to see. Promotional graphic featuring a quote about AI programming from Jaylin Herskovitz alongside her professional headshot. Her quote: “Programs could include things like finding a specific route number on a bus or finding the title of a book—essentially creating simple commands for people to specify exactly what they’re looking for that the AI can understand."
September 22, 2025 at 6:50 PM
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So... what happens after you submit your final dissertation to @umichlibrary.bsky.social? As it turns out: a lot! Learn more about the Unlocking Dissertations Project & how to make sure your dissertation is public: myumi.ch/bDE4V

#UMich #GradSchool #Rackham150 #WeAreRackham #OpenAccess
An areal view of the Great Lakes region from space. Text: Eighty-nine percent of dissertation views come from outside the U-M campus. Exterior detail of the Hatcher Graduate Library on the U-M campus on a sunny day. Text: Dissertations reached 2.3 million active users in about 200 countries and territories over the last three years. Planet earth from space. Text: Low- and middle-income countries account for roughly 23 percent of all downloads, supporting researchers in places where paid databases may be out of reach. A U-M flag flies over the Michigan Union. Text: Impact is also local: Engagement is strong across Michigan, with major use in Detroit and other cities such as Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Kalamazoo.
August 12, 2026 at 4:00 PM