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Faculty interviews

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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A graphic with a headshot of Melissa Levine and the text "Industry Insights, Melissa Levine: UMSI lecturer, Director of Copyright Office, University of Michigan Library" and the UMSI logo

Industry Insights: Meet copyright expert and UMSI lecturer Melissa Levine

11/18/2024

In this Q&A, Levine shares how emerging technologies like generative AI are making copyright more complicated, and reveals why contracts are anything but boring. 

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Rebecca Frank wearing a maroon sweater, a neckplace and glasses and smiling at the camera.

Meet Rebecca Frank, UMSI’s newest assistant professor

11/14/2024

In her profile, Frank talks about trustworthiness, risk and the preservation of digital repositories. 

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A graphic of Natalie Fang with the text "Industry Insights, Natalie Fang, UMSI lecturer, Founder and CEO, Nochi"

Industry Insights: Meet video game entrepreneur and UMSI lecturer Natalie Fang

09/17/2024

In this Q&A, Fang discusses how UX methods can power the success of a startup and shares the inspiration behind her game-changing video game studio, Nochi. 

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A graphic with the text "Industry Insights," UMSI logo, a headshot of Bill Thompson, and the text "Bill Thompson, UMSI lecturer, director of automotive at Aquent, Former in-vehicle UX manager, General Motors"

Industry Insights: Meet auto UX leader and UMSI lecturer Bill Thompson

08/26/2024

In this Q&A, Thompson reveals what drives his passion for teaching and how he’s preparing UMSI students to lead the way in the rapidly evolving automotive industry. 

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Kristin Fontichiaro sitting cross-legged in colorful cubes at a library, wearing a green sweater and smiling.

From opera stage manager to superstar librarian: 4 questions with UMSI clinical professor Kristin Fontichiaro

02/19/2024

Fontichiaro shares her love of opera, her path to the field of information and how school and public libraries are changing in the midst of a growing parental rights movement in America. 

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