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University of Michigan School of Information

Faculty interviews

Professor of Information Sile O’Modhrain uses the Codex, a refreshable braille display, to edit audio in a studio at the U-M School of Music, Theater and Dance.

From sound to touch: How Sile O’Modhrain designs accessible futures through her research, teaching and entrepreneurship

05/15/2026

Spanning haptics, AI and music, O’Modhrain’s work is grounded in a lifelong mission to make complex information accessible. 

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Overhead view of Kentaro Toyama standing at the center of a circular spiral staircase, looking up.

Are we doomed by AI? Kentaro Toyama says it depends on our choices

03/30/2026

UMSI professor Kentaro Toyama has spent decades building, critiquing and rethinking artificial intelligence. His conclusion: The future of AI won’t be decided by machines, but by what kind of humans we choose to be.

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Ricky Punzalan stands in a library in low lighting looking afar and holding a book.

Ricky Punzalan’s journey toward reparative curation

11/24/2025

UMSI associate professor Ricky Punzalan has been on a lifelong journey to reimagine what ethical care, collaboration, and repair can look like in libraries, archives and museums. 

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Sophia Bruckner stands in her workshop surrounded by electronics and tools. She wears a black long-sleeve top tucked into a blue and green plaid skirt with tan high heels. One hand rests on a workbench covered with wires, power supplies, and instruments, while the other is on her hip. A window reveals sunlight and trees outside.

Art, algorithms and imagining alternative futures with Sophia Brueckner

10/06/2025

UMSI associate professor and Stamps associate professor Sophia Brueckner blends art, algorithms and imagination to challenge the future of technology.

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Venkatesh Potluri, a man with short dark hair, wearing a maroon button-up shirt and dark pants, stands indoors leaning casually against a glass railing. He is smiling and has one hand in his pocket, with the other resting on the railing. Soft natural light filters in through large windows behind him.

Venkatesh Potluri is building a more equitable and accessible future

09/03/2025

UMSI assistant professor Venkatesh Potluri discusses the “transformative power of accessibility technology” and his passion for empowering disabled people to gain the skills and support they need. 

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A graphic with a headshot of Ki Hyun Ahn, UMSI lecturer and creative director at General Motors, with branding for the Industry Insights series and the UMSI logo

Industry Insights: Meet Ki Hyun Ahn, creative director behind iconic cars

07/14/2025

Ahn has led the successful launches of award-winning vehicles like the Cadillac Lyriq and Hummer EV. At UMSI, he’s equally passionate about helping students launch their careers. 

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A headshot of Elizabeth Yakel posing in front of the glass entrance to a building, smiling in a navy linen blouse

‘Archival intelligence’: A retrospective on retiring faculty member Elizabeth Yakel

05/27/2025

Yakel will retire this June, concluding a 25-year chapter at UMSI that has shaped the school’s direction and the archival field more broadly.

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A graphic with the title Industry Insights and a headshot of John Thompson, identified as an AI and analytics author and innovator, intermittent lecturer in information, and UMSI Advisory Board Member. A UMSI logo appears at the top

Industry Insights: Meet author and AI leader John Thompson

04/16/2025

Thompson wrote the book on what’s coming next in artificial intelligence. In his course at UMSI, he’s preparing students to do what he loves most: use data to drive change. 

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Jiayu Zhou wears a sweater and a black pair of glasses and looks at the camera.

Jiayu Zhou on opening the ‘Black Box’ of data and exploring the mystery of algorithms

02/19/2025

UMSI associate professor Jiayu Zhou shares his love of data, his research on the opportunities for artificial intelligence to revolutionize the healthcare industry and his love of Ann Arbor.

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Kishonna sitting in front of a video game, mid-laugh and holding a copy of her book, Woke Gaming. She is surrounded by red light.

How Kishonna Gray turned her passion for gaming into a tool for connection and social justice

11/21/2024

UMSI’s newest professor, Kishonna Gray, explores how gaming can reshape how we think about technology, community and inclusion. 

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