Advancing Research and Solutions for Society

1
Advancing Research and Solutions for Society

• David L. Featherman, Ph.D.
• Director and Professor
• Center for Advancing Research and Solutions for
  Society

2
Ellis Islands New Americans
3
1886 HayMarket Riot
4
New York NAACP 1936
5
Louis Pasteur

6
(No Transcript)
7
Transnational Terrorism
Worldwide use of Suicide Terror has grown
exponentially over the last two decades.
8
Leaving No Child Behind
9
Finding Sustainable Access and Mobility
10
Chronic Disease and Poverty Abound Despite
Cumulating Wealth
11

• Going beyond academic business as usual.
• Outside the box thinking and doing.
• Research-based solutions, novel insights from
  many fields.
• Thinkers and doers as partners.
• Translate acceptable solutions into action.

12
The World's First Atomic Blast
J. Robert Oppenheimer, who had directed the
project, said "We waited until the blast had
passed, walked out of the shelter and then it was
extremely solemn. We knew the world would not be
the same. A few people laughed, a few people
cried. Most people were silent.
13
Transnational Terrorism
Worldwide use of Suicide Terror has grown
exponentially over the last two decades.
14
Suicide terrorists account for more than 50 of
the casualties from attacks
15
Al Qaeda Superceded by Jihadist Websites?

• Bin Ladens Al Qaeda has not organized an attack
  in nearly 3 years.
• Jihadist websites swelled from 20 to over 4000
  within the past 5 years.
• Websites are now a common means of global
  communication and recruitment of scattered
  disaffected Jihadists seeking community.
• Source Atran and Stern, 2005

16
Going beyond business as usual with Michigans
assets

• Faculty strength in social science, LSA
• ISR, CARSS
• U-Ms convening power internationally
• An honored tradition of open debate about deeply
  held issues

17
Are our schools failing?
18
The Productivity Problem in American Education
Costs are Rising
19
The Productivity Problem in American Education
Student Achievement is Not Rising
20
Poor and Minority Students Achievement Lags
Behind Their Peers
21
Improving Instruction Is Not Enough

• American society seems committed to better
  educational outcomes for students in poverty.
• One route is clearly to invest in instructional
  improvements inside schools.
• But given what we know about the difficulties
  involved, it makes sense to consider non-school
  solutions to the achievement problem, including
• Re-allocation of funds from new or existing
  education initiatives to other social programs
  (e.g. early health nutrition).
• Coupling educational and non-educational
  interventions to produce synergies in educational
  effects.

22
(No Transcript)
23
How You Can Contact CARSS
Center for Advancing Research and Solutions for
Society (CARSS) Amy Sheon, Ph.D. Associate
Director University of Michigan 426 Thompson
Street Ann Arbor, MI 48104-1248 Telephone
[phone] Email for inquiries UM-CARSS_at_umich
.edu