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Stories by Martha Spall

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Side-by-side images: Right image shows Gabriela Lagraba holding an award certificate and a giant check reading "1st Place Winner" made out to InStride for $2,000; left image shows Simranjeet Singh standing in front of a backdrop with repeated MIT Hacking Medicine logos.

At MIT Hacking Medicine GrandHack, UMSI students show what health informatics can do

04/29/2026

MIT Hacking Medicine GrandHack brings together the brightest minds in healthcare innovation. Two Master of Health Informatics students showed they belong in that room.

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Lydia Schrandt smiling as she takes a selfie while running a race in a city amid other runners wearing race bibs. Onlookers cheer racers on from the sidelines.

UMSI alumna Lydia Schrandt wasn't looking for data science. Data science found her.

04/22/2026

Lydia Schrandt (MADS '24) was a travel writer who had never written a line of code. Then a pandemic pivot led her to Coursera — and to UMSI. Now she leads a data-driven marketing team and is running the Boston Marathon for a cause close to her heart.

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Katie McCurdy stands with another person in a rocky landscape with rolling hills, a body of water and a vast blue sky with billowing clouds stretching far behind them. They are both wearing sunglasses and hiking gear.

UMSI alumna Katie McCurdy is building for the AI era on UMSI foundations

03/26/2026

McCurdy (MSI '10) reflects on building a resilient career in design, embracing AI-era tools and drawing on foundational UMSI training to stay agile in a rapidly evolving profession.

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Action shot of Carolann Decasiano holding a rugby ball in the midst of a match, with teammates emoting on the sidelines behind her. They are dressed in matching striped uniforms.

UMSI alumna Carolann Decasiano is using data to help employees thrive

01/16/2026

Carolann Decasiano (MADS '23) is part of a growing group of data scientists applying modern analytics to one of the most people-centered fields: human resources.

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Students walk into brick university building, some wearing UMSI backpacks. Banner on building reads "Welcome to Michigan." Text on image reads "11 ICYMI news stories of 2024."

ICYMI in 2024: Top stories at UMSI

12/20/2024

Look back at some of UMSI’s most-read stories from 2024, and see where we’re headed next.

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A pile of UMichVotes buttons sit on a table near someone filling out a form.

Student voter? Start here

09/25/2024

Find voting info, events and resources — including a new quiz that helps students make a plan to register and vote that fits their schedule and style. 

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About 10 students walk into an outdoor brick passageway that is decorated with a maize and blue banner that reads "Welcome to Michigan." Two of the students wear UMSI-branded backpacks.

How to make the most of your time at UMSI

08/23/2024

Get advice from alumni on charting a successful path through any University of Michigan School of Information degree program.

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Jean Applys Cherizol poses at the 2024 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

A trip to the future of sports: MADS student attends 2024 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

04/30/2024

UMSI Master of Applied Data Science student Jean Applys Cherizol was selected to attend the 2024 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, where he encountered awesome innovations and spoke with professionals working in the field.

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Construction site of Leinweber Computer Science and Information Building with exterior in progress.

5 reasons to get excited about UMSI’s future home

03/06/2024

UMSI is moving to the Leinweber Computer Science and Information Building next year! Get facts and updates about the building and its construction.

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Figure kicking a ball in illustrative style suggesting data points and graphs

UMSI and U-M students attending 2024 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

02/29/2024

Five U-M students are attending the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference through its mentorship program, and 11 more are attending with support from UMSI. 

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