iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

ISR Director Kate Cagney spoke with WEMU about U-M’s new Center for American Dialogue, which will launch programming this fall to help people practice productive conversation across differences through in-person and online experiences.

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Global health research can pay off at home, too. In The Conversation, ISR researcher Josh Ehrlich explains how investments abroad have led to new treatments, vaccines, stronger health systems and economic returns in the U.S. @umichnews.bsky.social @um-src.bsky.social

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Consumer sentiment fell to 48.1 in September, its lowest reading in four months. ISR’s Joanne Hsu says high prices, interest rates, fuel costs and trade tensions are weighing on Americans’ outlook. Explore the latest Surveys of Consumers findings: myumi.ch/QMnVr

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

ISR artist in residence Rick Lowe worked with ISR Director Kate Cagney, @christiandavenport.bsky.social and U-M researchers to transform social science data into public art. “Black Wall Street Journey” opens Sept. 26, drawing on PSID and Anti-Black Index data.

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

ISR’s annual picnic brought colleagues from across the Institute together to reconnect, catch up, and enjoy some time as a community. We’re grateful for the people whose ideas and collaboration keep ISR moving forward.

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Dementia caregiving can intensify long-standing family tensions and expectations. ISR researcher @spattersearch.bsky.social examines how changing family structures shape caregiving and why early planning, communication and broader support networks can help families navigate care.

Dementia caregiving can expose hidden family tensions, but early planning can ease the strain. As featured in The Conversation. Quote: “The makeup of families is changing, and that’s shaking up how caregiving can reverberate through family relationships.” Sarah Patterson, ISR Researcher, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan. Portrait of Patterson appears beside the headline, with a row of photos along the bottom showing older adults and family members spending time together and providing support.

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Join a virtual workshop Oct. 7 at noon EDT to learn how to use ISR’s National Neighborhood Data Archive (NaNDA) in aging research. Explore neighborhood data, geographic identifiers and strategies for linking NaNDA with survey and administrative datasets. Register to attend: myumi.ch/G7q9M

Virtual Workshop: Using Neighborhood Data in Aging Research, The National Neighborhood Data Archive (NaNDA); Live Web Event, 10/07/2025 @ 12:00 PM (EDT). Text reads Learn how to select, access and link NaNDA neighborhood-level data with survey and administrative data for aging and population health research. Featured speakers are Philippa Clarke, Professor; Will Clary, Data Curator; Lindsay Gypin, Data Librarian, NaNDA Senior Project Manager; Robert Melendez, Data Analyst; and Grace Noppert, Research Associate Professor. Illustration shows a U.S. map with a location marker and connecting lines above an older couple walking through a neighborhood; Institute for Social Research appears at top.

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

ISR’s NaNDA has received an $11M National Institute on Aging award to expand its neighborhood data collection by about 30%. Led by Philippa Clarke and Grace Noppert, the project will support new research on respiratory illness, environmental hazards and healthy aging.

Headline reads Neighborhood by Neighborhood: Mapping What Shapes Healthy Aging; text reads NaNDA is expanding national data on how neighborhood conditions affect health as people age; highlighted text reads $11 Million Award from the National Institute on Aging; illustration shows an older couple walking through a neighborhood with trees, a house, a Fresh Foods market, and a map with connected location points; Institute for Social Research and NaNDA appear at the bottom.

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

ISR researcher Pamela Herd is featured in NPR/KFF Health News coverage on Medicaid disability reviews and new work requirements. Herd examines how complex eligibility systems can create barriers for people trying to access public benefits. Read more: myumi.ch/jVNdP *Image credit: Kyla Hailstone

Taya Hailstone has been in remission from Hodgkin lymphoma for five years, but the cancer’s lasting damage to her organs and nerves can make basic tasks hard. Even so, Montana’s health department decided Hailstone is no longer eligible for low-cost disability health coverage through Medicaid.

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

U-M’s Piano Lab Pro uses VR to help piano students understand performance anxiety. ISR researchers Rich Gonzalez, Alicia Carmichael and Natalie Leonard are studying physiological responses to see when anxiety appears and how students experience it. *Photo credit: Robert Coelius

A person seated at a grand piano wears a virtual reality headset while participating in a Piano Lab app demonstration.

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Reposted by Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan

UM SRC @um-src.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

@newsweek.com discussed a @umpsid.bsky.social study which finds older adults struggling to afford food face a higher risk of developing #dementia. @ninsolera.bsky.social says the generosity of #SNAP benefits during the #pandemic was very beneficial to American families myumi.ch/RQQ6W

“If there is one thing I could change, it would be to go back to the generosity of benefits that SNAP was able to provide during the pandemic. The federal government was able to swiftly intervene and help American families in a very successful way.”
Newsweek
August 28, 2026
Noura Insolera, Panel Study of Income Dynamics, Survey Research Center

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Panel Study of Income Dynamics @umpsid.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

@umichnews.bsky.social published an article using # PSIData featuring our own @ninsolera.bsky.social! "Older adults who experienced food insecurity in both midlife and later life had nearly four times the risk of probable dementia as those who remained food secure." myumi.ch/WDDEA

University of Michigan Panel Study of Income Dynamics feature titled “Beyond hunger: Food insecurity in later life linked to dementia.” Below the headline are a portrait of a smiling person with long brown hair and a light blue top, the words “Read the full story,” and a QR code.

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Friends and neighbors can be an important part of older adults’ care networks. ISR researcher Crystal Ng led a national study finding that about 14% of older adults receiving help named a friend or neighbor as a caregiver. Read the NYT feature, "When a Friend Becomes a Caregiver": myumi.ch/Ax31j

Featured in The New York Times; headline reads When a Friend Becomes a Caregiver; 14% of older adults help identified a friend or neighbor as a caregiver; ISR research examines how friends and neighbors help support older adults. A younger caregiver stands beside an older woman outdoors, supporting her arm while pointing into the distance.

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Reposted by Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan

University of Michigan @umich.edu · 01/09/2026

C. Cybele Raver was confirmed as the University of Michigan’s 17th president today at a special meeting of the Board of Regents. Please join us in welcoming President-Elect Raver! myumi.ch/9JJEP

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

CSCAR@ISR is now supporting U-M faculty, staff and graduate students with statistical consulting, workshops and research support. Expertise from ISR, Statistics and Biostatistics. Explore CSCAR@ISR and learn how the team can support your research: cscar.isr.umich.edu @bradytwest.bsky.social

CSCAR@ISR Is Now Open; text reads Statistical consulting, workshops and research support for the U-M community; three people review charts, graphs and data on a laptop beside an illustration of a U-M campus tower. Three areas represent Institute for Social Research (ISR), Department of Statistics, and Department of Biostatistics. Services listed along the bottom are Consultations, Workshops, and Research Support; Institute for Social Research appears in the footer.

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Consumer sentiment fell about 6% in August as concerns about inflation and purchasing power grew. Joanne Hsu director of the Surveys of Consumers says more consumers expect inflation to outpace income gains, while just 10% expect their buying power to increase in the year ahead.

Two older adults stand in the produce section of a grocery store; a woman in a light blue jacket looks down at a card and wallet in her hands while a man beside her holds the handle of a shopping cart

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Researchers are launching a 25-year follow-up to the National Survey of American Life, reconnecting with participants to study health, aging and dementia risk among Black Americans while building a rare longitudinal dataset. Learn about the NSAL 25-year follow-up: myumi.ch/NXXQz

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

U-M researchers Helen Levy and Natasha Pilkauskas are leading a project to track food insufficiency across U.S. households through monthly data collection and quarterly reports. The publicly available data will help researchers and policymakers better understand how vulnerable families are faring.

Headline reads “Monitoring Food Hardship in the U.S.” with supporting text: “Selected funding through the University of Michigan Strategic Initiative Fund.” The design features a shopping cart filled with groceries over a dark blue background with chart lines and data-themed graphics. At the bottom are portraits of Helen Levy, Institute for Social Research, and Natasha Pilkauskas, Poverty Solutions & Ford School of Public Policy.

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Join us Aug 27 for the premiere of Piano Lab Pro, a new Apple Vision Pro app developed by SMTD, Michigan Online and the Institute for Social Research. The project combines immersive technology and biofeedback research to help musicians understand and manage performance anxiety.

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Fake election polls in Wisconsin and California are raising questions about how easily unreliable data can spread. ISR researcher @joshpasek.com explains how low barriers to producing polls can distort perceptions of a race and even influence prediction markets.

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

As prices outpace wage growth, many Americans are losing purchasing power. Joanne Hsu, director of U-M’s Surveys of Consumers, explains how households are spending more cautiously while wealthier consumers may be adjusting far less. Read more: myumi.ch/rwAeb

myumi.ch

U.S. consumers' real earnings have been falling

The rise in oil prices and other commodities is helping to drive inflation up, with price increases outpacing wage gains.

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

More than half of U.S. public parks are within two miles of an industrial facility handling toxic chemicals. ISR researchers helped map where parks, industrial facilities and Superfund sites intersect, adding new context to research on neighborhood environments. @kduchowny.bsky.social

headline reads Beyond the Boundary and subhead reads What surrounds a park can matter, too. Text identifies Philippa Clarke as Research Professor, ISR, and quote reads While communities may experience health benefits from parks, our findings indicate that this does not necessarily occur in isolation from toxic exposures. Key findings say more than half of U.S. public parks are within 2 miles of an active industrial facility that handles toxic chemicals, and nearly 27,000 parks are close to a Superfund site. Illustration shows a person walking a dog from a green park path toward an industrial area with smoke and polluted water; Institute for Social Research appears at top.

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Reposted by Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan

University of Michigan @umich.edu · 18/08/2026

The University of Michigan Board of Regents announced Dr. C. Cybele Raver as its choice to become the university’s 17th president. The Board will hold a special meeting on Sept. 1 to take a formal vote. myumi.ch/xjwJm

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Adult substance use patterns continue to shift. ISR researcher @meganepatrick.bsky.social and the @mtfstudy.bsky.social Longitudinal Panel Study found cannabis use near record highs in 2025, while cigarette smoking and several drinking measures remained low.

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Michigan’s U.S. Senate race is heading into the general election after Abdul El-Sayed’s narrow Democratic primary win. ISR researcher Mike Traugott examines the spending, voter coalitions and campaign strategies behind Abdul El-Sayed’s win and what they could mean as he faces Republican Mike Rogers

Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate Abdul El-Sayed speaks at a general election kickoff rally for Michigan Democrats at Renaissance High School in Detroit on Aug. 7, 2026

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

The national racial income gap has changed relatively little, but its geography has shifted considerably. ISR’s @robertmanduca.bsky.social finds disparities narrowed across much of the South while widening in parts of the Northeast and Midwest.

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

How do you understand American voters when fewer people want to answer surveys? ISR’s American National Election Studies is adapting how it collects and analyzes data to keep political voices across the spectrum represented while preserving a research record dating to 1948.

Listening to American Political Voices graphic about how ANES is adapting to keep Americans across the political spectrum represented in research; subhead reads How ANES is adapting to keep Americans across the political spectrum represented in research. Timeline runs from 1948 to today, and labeled research methods include face-to-face conversation, telephone interview, paper survey, and digital research interface. Illustration shows diverse people talking and using phones, a ballot box, survey forms, and a laptop dashboard. Footer reads Institute for Social Research and American National Election Studies.

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Nicotine pouch use is one of the substance-use behaviors tracked by ISR’s Monitoring the Future. In 2025, 4.4% of 12th graders reported past-month use, while lifetime use was 10.0%, compared with 6.8% in 2024.

Infographic showing nicotine pouch use is rising among 12th graders, with Monitoring the Future data showing 10.0% reported lifetime use in 2025 and 4.4% reported past-month use in 2025; headline reads Nicotine Pouch Use Is Rising Among 12th Graders; handwritten-style note reads MTF tracks how nicotine use is changing among young people; footer reads Monitoring the Future, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; image includes students, a pencil, nicotine pouches, and a nicotine molecule icon.

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Why do concerts stay with us? ISR researchers are working with UMS and the Berlin Philharmonic to develop new ways of measuring audience engagement, from silence in the concert hall to how a performance is remembered and shared afterward. Explore the research: myumi.ch/zNX44

Close-up photo of violinists performing, with one violin and bow in sharp focus in the foreground and additional musicians blurred in the background.

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Nearly 1 in 4 U.S. workers may stay in an unwanted job because they need health insurance. In a new podcast, ISR researcher Dr. Helen Levy explains “job lock,” rising coverage costs and why women may be especially affected. Listen to the conversation: myumi.ch/7JPQz

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

As the federal Food Insecurity Report ends, ISR’s @ninsolera.bsky.social and the @umpsid.bsky.social show why long-term data still matter. PSID tracks how policy changes affect families over time. Featured in U-M OVPR’s July research collection.

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Brady West @bradytwest.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Good news from #JSM2026: CSCAR@ISR, a statistical and methodological consulting service designed to support faculty, staff, and graduate students, is now officially open for business at the University of Michigan. This is a rebirth of CSCAR, with new features! Visit cscar.isr.umich.edu for details.

cscar.isr.umich.edu

CSCAR: Consulting for Statistics, Computing, and Analytics Research, University of Michigan Dev |

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David Dunning @daviddunning6.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

A new interview just dropped in Nautilus about frontier issues related to the Dunning Kruger effect: Does AI suffer? Is it complicit? On the statistical critique. What about experts? The Nobel disease. And although education is an overwhelming good, it does have an issue. nautil.us/why-we-think...

nautil.us

Why We Think We Know More Than We Do

Why We Think We Know More Than We Do: Breaking down the famous “Dunning-Kruger effect” with David Dunning himself

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

The New CSCAR@ISR is Open for Business! U-M faculty, staff, and students can schedule statistical consultations, explore workshops, ask research questions and learn about support for funded projects. Connect with CSCAR@ISR: cscar.isr.umich.edu

CSCAR@ISR launch graphic announcing The New CSCAR@ISR Is Now Open for Business; subtext reads Statistical consulting, workshops and research support for the U-M community; call to action reads Explore CSCAR@ISR with URL cscar.isr.umich.edu

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Consumer confidence is moving upward, but many households still do not feel financially secure. The latest findings from ISR’s Surveys of Consumers highlight the continued influence of high prices, purchasing power and concerns about AI. Explore the latest findings: myumi.ch/Mp6pn

myumi.ch

Consumer confidence rises for second straight month; views remain downbeat amid high prices

ANN ARBOR—Consumer sentiment confirmed its early-July reading, landing almost 12% above June, according to the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. Broad-based improvements were seen across al...

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Noura Insolera @ninsolera.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Many thanks to Jon Meerdink @umisr.bsky.social for writing this piece highlighting food insecurity research in the United States. research.umich.edu/research-sto...

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

For 34 years, ISR’s Health and Retirement Study has followed about 20,000 Americans to better understand dementia, retirement and healthy aging. A new feature in the July OVPR collection explore how ISR built a public research resource that now informs aging research around the world.

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Why do Americans experience the same economy so differently? Joanne Hsu, director of Surveys of Consumers, discusses AI, inflation, stock ownership and everyday costs in a new video interview. Watch the video to explore the findings.

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Loneliness affects health, but healthcare cannot rebuild communities. New research from Sofia Hiltner, a predoctoral trainee at ISR’s @um-psc.bsky.social, examines why solutions must also address the social conditions that create isolation.

headline Loneliness Is More Than a Health Issue; subhead reads New research from ISR’s Sofia Hiltner explores why healthcare alone cannot solve social isolation; quote reads Not everything that relates to healthcare belongs in healthcare; Sofia Hiltner is identified as affiliated with the Population Studies Center, Institute for Social Research; image includes Sofia Hiltner’s photo, an illustration of a doctor in an exam room, and an outdoor scene of a person sitting alone on a bench with people walking nearby.

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Congratulations to Vincent L. Hutchings of ISR’s @umisrcps.bsky.social on being named a U-M Distinguished University Professor. His research examines public opinion, elections, voting behavior, and African American politics.

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

New findings from U-M’s Monitoring the Future study show many teens underestimate fentanyl risk. More than half of eighth graders did not see great risk in trying fentanyl once or twice.

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

New research co-authored by ISR’s @spattersearch.bsky.social finds more Americans ages 65 to 74 are reporting activity limitations and unmet care needs than a decade ago, raising questions for families and unpaid caregivers who may need to plan for care sooner.

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

ISR researcher Carina Gronlund studies how extreme weather affects health, housing, and older adults. Her research, recently featured in an article on U-M climate solutions, explores how flooding, heat, weatherization, and cooling centers can shape community health and resilience.

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

It's National Fortune Cookie Day. No fortune-telling required here! ISR research uses rigorous social science to better understand people, communities, and society. Learn more about the Institute for Social Research: isr.umich.edu

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Shinobu Kitayama has been named the next director of ISR’s Research Center for Group Dynamics. His influential work in cultural psychology explores how culture shapes psychological processes across societies. Read more about Shinobu Kitayama to serve as next director of RCGD: myumi.ch/G7k1y

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

New research from @mtfstudy.bsky.social finds most U.S. eighth graders underestimate the dangers of fentanyl use. “Raising awareness of the lethal dangers of fentanyl use among this age group is a key strategy to reduce these deaths,” says Richard Miech, PI of the study myumi.ch/Mp9qn

isr.umich.edu

Awareness gap: Teens underestimate fentanyl threat

ANN ARBOR—Most U.S. eighth graders underestimate the dangers of fentanyl use, according to a new University of Michigan study. More than half, about 52%, did not believe that experimental use of fenta...

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

America’s senior housing shortage is becoming harder for families to ignore. ISR researcher @spattersearch.bsky.social is featured in a Bisnow article on America’s senior housing shortage. As demand rises and construction slows, families face long waits, limited options, and rising costs.

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Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

Consumer sentiment rose 10% in June as gas prices eased, according to the U-M Surveys of Consumers. Joanne Hsu notes that high prices still weigh on household budgets, keeping sentiment below pre-Iran conflict levels. Read more about June Consumer Sentiment: myumi.ch/pgZx

myumi.ch

University of Michigan

University of Michigan is one of the top universities of the world, a public institution of higher learning, fostering excellence in research. U-M provides outstanding undergraduate, graduate and prof...

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Panel Study of Income Dynamics @umpsid.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

ICYMI: The call for papers for the Panel Study of Income Dynamics Annual User Conference is live! Apply by 7/15! Join us on October 1-2, 2026, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Learn more about what to submit to share your work as a presentation or poster: myumi.ch/QMrDy #PSIDdata #PSID #conference

PSID User Conference announcement stating that the call for papers is live, with submissions due Wednesday, July 15.

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