Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan

Stone Center for Inequality Dynamics event featuring a presentation titled “Kinship Interlocks: How the Intimate Exchange of Wealth, Status, and Power Generates Upper-Class Persistence.” Details include date, time, location, and presenter Shay O’Brien, PhD, Postdoctoral Associate. Information about learning more is also provided.

Tomorrow! We're thrilled to welcome @shayobrien.bsky.social, Postdoc @mitshapingwork.bsky.social , to CID as she presents, "Kinship Interlocks: How the Intimate Exchange of Wealth, Status, and Power Generates Upper-Class Persistence.”

Learn more and RSVP: myumi.ch/3RWWp

Next Generation Initiative The Institute for Social Research (ISR) is committed to training the next generation of social scientists by providing funds for exceptional research opportunities. These donor-funded “Next Generation...

Learn more about how the Next Generation Initiative is supporting tomorrow’s research leaders: myumi.ch/G2jJg

graphic with light gray background and faint network line pattern; top left isthe ISR logo; large navy headline reads NEXT GENERATION INITIATIVE; across the upper right is a white paper airplane with a dotted flight path; center row shows three polaroid style photo frames with white borders and navy circular icons above each: left photo shows three students collaborating at a table with a laptop and caption Graduate Training with a graduation cap icon; middle photo shows a woman presenting and pointing to a research poster and caption Research Development with a microscope icon; right photo shows a man speaking in front of a screen and caption Leadership in Social Science with an upward chart icon; below is a wide arrow band with three segments reading 700 +, $300k +, and Since 2001 with the Since 2001 segment in yellow; bottom row has three icon panels with captions: a three person icon with the text Emerging Scholars Supported, a stack of money icon with the text Invested Annually, and a mountain peak with a flag icon with the text Supporting Future Leaders; bottom left shows a yellow lightbulb icon; along the bottom is a badge style circle with the number 25 and surrounding text reading 25 YEARS OF TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF FUTURE SOCIAL SCIENTISTS.

ISR Next Generation Initiative invests in future social science leaders. This year marks Next Gen’s 25th anniversary, celebrating 25 years of supporting scholars.

Since 2001, donor funded awards have supported 700+ graduate students, postdocs and early career faculty at the University of Michigan.

Justice after trauma? Race, red tape keep sexual assault victims from compensation ANN ARBOR—Bureaucratic hurdles and racial disparities restrict access to victim compensation for adult survivors of sexual assault, deepen justice system inequities and compound trauma. The absence of...

Learn more about how this research could help reshape victim compensation policies nationwide: myumi.ch/mR9q1

ISR researcher @jeremylevine.bsky.social studies why victim compensation laws often fail survivors.

His new project evaluates a New York policy change removing the police report requirement to see if it improves access for victims and informs reforms nationwide.

Graphic with blue illustrated ISR building background and faint monochrome portrait silhouette at upper right; large white text reads Sarah Burgard with script subtitle Director of Population Studies Center; left side stacked words read IMPACT. LEADERSHIP. LEGACY.; below is the ISR logo; bottom left script text reads Women's History Month 2026; right side shows a cutout portrait of Sarah Burgard smiling with arms crossed, wearing glasses and a blue patterned blouse.

Graphic with blue illustrated ISR building background and faint monochrome portrait silhouette at upper right; large white text reads Pam Davis-Kean with script subtitle Director of Survey Research Center; left side stacked words read IMPACT. LEADERSHIP. LEGACY.; below is the ISR logo; bottom left script text reads Women's History Month 2026; right side shows a cutout portrait of Pam Davis-Kean smiling, wearing a light gray blazer and short light hair

Poster with blue illustrated ISR building background and faint monochrome portrait silhouette at upper right; large white text reads Pauline Jones with script subtitle Director of Center for Political Studies; left side stacked words read IMPACT. LEADERSHIP. LEGACY.; below is a dark square ISR logo with yellow letter M above white letters ISR; bottom left script text reads Women's History Month 2026; right side shows a cutout portrait of Pauline Jones smiling, wearing red framed glasses and a coral shirt with a necklace.

Graphic with blue illustrated ISR building background and faint monochrome portrait silhouette at upper right; large white text reads Maggie Levenstein with script subtitle Director of ICPSR; left side stacked words read IMPACT. LEADERSHIP. LEGACY.; Below is the ISR logo; bottom left script text reads Women's History Month 2026; right side shows a cutout portrait of Maggie Levenstein smiling, wearing round glasses, a patterned dark scarf, and a striped top.

Kate Cagney directs ISR, @burgards.bsky.social leads the Population Studies Center, @umpamdk.bsky.social directs the Survey Research Center, @profpjones.bsky.social will lead the Center for Political Studies and @maggielevenstein.bsky.social directs ICPSR.

Graphic with blue illustrated background of the ISR building facade, small bird silhouettes in the sky, and the ISR logo near the top. Word Celebrating appears above large white headline text Womens History Month; along the bottom are five cutout heads of Sarah Burgard, Pam Davis-Kean, Kate Cagney, Pauline Jones, and Meggie Levenstein with white outline borders; bottom band contains three large words spaced across: IMPACT. LEADERSHIP. LEGACY.

Graphic with blue illustrated ISR building background and faint monochrome portrait silhouette of Kate Cagney in upper right; large white text reads Kate Cagney with script subtitle Director of ISR; left side stacked words read IMPACT. LEADERSHIP. LEGACY.; below is the ISR logo; bottom left script text reads Women's History Month 2026; right side shows a cutout portrait of Kate Cagney smiling with arms crossed, wearing a dark blazer and a patterned scarf.

This Women’s History Month, we recognize the women leading ISR, the major centers and initiatives at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research.

Their leadership drives research that informs policy and strengthens communities worldwide!

Introducing the Longitudinal Study of Health and Ageing in Kenya (LOSHAK) | Happening @ Michigan

Learn more about the ISR Insights Speaker Series event, "Introducing the Longitudinal Study of Health and Ageing in Kenya (LOSHAK)": events.umich.edu/event/138328

What can Kenya teach us about aging and global health?

Join us for the ISR Insights Speaker Series as Josh Ehrlich introduces LOSHAK, a new longitudinal study of health and aging in sub-Saharan Africa.

Watch the preview video from Josh and learn more this ISR Insight Speaker event: myumi.ch/JPjP7

Why cooling inflation isn't saving your bank account Podcast Episode · Michigan Minds · February 25 · 17m

Listen to the full episode to learn how ISR research informs national economic understanding: myumi.ch/61AZ3

Infographic on a gray textured background with headline text at top reading Why Cooling Inflation and a large bold title over a yellow paint stroke reading Isnt Easing Your Budget; below are three light gray rounded cards: left card title Inflation Rate with a simple chart icon showing a blue line trending downward with an arrow and caption Rate of price increases slowing; middle card title High Prices with an icon of a blue grocery basket containing produce and a bottle next to two receipts labeled BILL and RENT with coin symbols and caption Overall price levels have not fallen; right card title Job Uncertainty with an icon of a blue briefcase next to a yellow warning triangle with an exclamation mark and caption Rising concern about layoffs and income.

Cooling inflation does not mean lower prices.

On the newest Michigan Minds podcast, ISR economist Joanne Hsu explains why consumers remain frustrated with high prices, how labor market concerns are shaping spending decisions, and why consumer sentiment still matters for the broader economy.

Insights talk explores the effects of tax base fragmentation ANN ARBOR — Local government spending makes up about a quarter of all government spending in the United States. This spending funds key services to people across the country, ensuring, as much as poss...

Read more about Robert Manduca's talk on Property tax fragmentation inequality: myumi.ch/797wD

In the latest ISR Insights talk, Robert Manduca examines how property tax base fragmentation drives inequality across U.S. metro areas.

His research shows how jurisdictional boundaries shape tax burdens and public services in neighboring communities.

Sentiment stagnates, wealth gaps grow ANN ARBOR—Consumer sentiment stagnated this month with very little change, just 0.2 index points higher than January, according to the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers.  All index component...

Read more about the latest consumer sentiment data: myumi.ch/MkPV5

photo split scene: at left, a smiling man with short dark hair and glasses in a blue shirt sits at a desk and looks toward the camera beside a laptop and a large monitor displaying multiple stock market charts and price lines; at right, two people sit at a wooden table with an open laptop and papers, appearing stressed with heads in hands, in a bright room with large windows showing greenery outside.

Consumer sentiment was largely unchanged in February at 56.6, per the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers.

ISR economist Joanne Hsu highlights persistent frustration over high prices and sharp divides by wealth and income in how Americans see the economy.

Researchers use data from Health and Retirement Study to create new health-tracking index for older Americans ANN ARBOR — Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), researchers at the University of Michigan and Florida State University have developed a new, 10-item health survey to assess a variet...

Read more about the IAM+ index and its implications for healthy aging: myumi.ch/G2nG1

Tracking Healthy Aging in Midlife and Beyond. Left column header Areas Assessed lists: Overall Health; Vision & Hearing; Memory; Chronic Conditions; Daily Activities; Functional Ability, each with a checkmark icon. Right column header Score Range shows Better Health to Worse Health with a left to right color bar from green to red, a white arrow pointing right, and endpoints labeled 0.8 and 10. Key Findings box states: Physically demanding jobs linked to worse scores in retirement; Higher scores tied to greater healthcare needs, with a key icon. Bottom banner reads Policy, Practice, and Research Applications with three panels: Early Identification in Midlife, Detecting health decline before severe disability; Workplace and Retirement Policy, Addressing long term effects of physically demanding work; Targeted Public Health Strategies, Reducing inequities in aging outcomes.

A new health tracking index built from Health and Retirement Study data is helping researchers understand aging in the U.S.

ISR research scientist Amanda Sonnega helped develop the 10 item IAM+ index with partners at Florida State, Tufts, University of Washington, and the Urban Institute.

Michigan governor signs classroom cell phone ban: U-M experts available to comment Expert advisory: Brian Jacob is available to discuss a new policy that will ban cell phone use in Michigan's K-12 classrooms.

Read about what Brian says about Michigan’s classroom cell phone policy: myumi.ch/P3MPx

Infographic titled Classroom Phone Use and Student Outcomes on a navy and maize header; main panel shows a smartphone icon with a warning triangle and arrows pointing down to two outcomes; left text reads Frequent phone use during instruction leads to: with a downward arrow and an open book icon labeled Lower academic engagement; right shows a brain with a heart icon, a downward arrow, and the label Poorer mental health; ISR department logo centered at the bottom.

Michigan signed a new K–12 classroom cell phone policy into law.

U-M’s Brian Jacob says research links phone and social media use to lower academic engagement and poorer youth mental health. He calls the law a step forward, but stresses that strong implementation will determine its impact.

Graphic on a light gray, crumpled paper background with five pastel candy hearts around centered text; center text reads Sweet words every social researcher wants to hear.; top left blue heart reads Survey Says Yes; top right tan heart reads Evidence Based Love; bottom left green heart reads Powered by Data; bottom center lavender heart reads Statistically Yours; bottom right yellow heart reads Sampled with Love; ISR logo appears in the bottom right.

Candy (and research) you can trust 💙💚🧡💛💜

Not all gigs are equal: Informal self-employment linked to lower pay, poorer health and instability ANN ARBOR—Not all self-employment guarantees financial security, with informal arrangements posing the greatest risks to well-being for many workers.  Using machine learning to classify self-employmen...

Learn more about this study on informal self-employment and worker well-being: myumi.ch/P3gVe

Three-column infographic comparing Business owners, Formal self-employed, and Informal self-employed, each with an icon at the top (buildings, briefcase, and a bicycle courier) and a list of outcomes; Business owners column lists Higher earnings, More stable, Best health, and Highest life satisfaction with corresponding icons, Formal self-employed lists Moderate earnings, Some stability, Better health, and Higher life satisfaction, and Informal self-employed lists Lower earnings, Less stable, Poorer health, and Lower life satisfaction; footer text reads Based on PSID data from 2003 to 2019.

Not all self-employment offers the same security.

New U-M research using PSID data on about 10,000 U.S. families finds informal gig and odd-job work is tied to lower earnings, poorer health, and more instability. ISR researcher Joelle Abramowitz explains why these distinctions matter.

Denmark’s generous child care and parental leave policies erase 80% of the ‘motherhood penalty’ for working moms Two researchers found that Danish government benefits do not fully offset moms’ lost earnings. But they do help offset lost income for working women with kids.

Read more about how Denmark’s child care and parental leave policies reduce the motherhood wage penalty: myumi.ch/n1m99

Graphic on a dark blue background with the ISR logo at top left, a yellow silhouette map of Denmark on the left with a dark blue silhouette of an adult lifting a child, and large yellow text on the right that reads Denmark policies offset about 80% of the motherhood earnings penalty with the 80% circled in red; along the bottom are three labeled icons reading Child Allowances (stacked coins with a person symbol), Paid Leave (calendar with a check mark), and Subsidized Child Care (house with a baby stroller).

Denmark shows how policy can reduce the motherhood earnings penalty.

ISR researcher @sashakillewald.bsky.social finds paid leave, child allowances, and subsidized child care offset about 80% of mothers’ earnings losses.

Elizabeth F.S. Roberts: In Praise of Addiction, or How We can Learn to Love Dependency in a Damaged World. Book event is at Literati bookstore, 124 E Washington St. in Ann arbor on 2/11/26 at 6:30 pm

"What if addiction could bind us together instead of tearing us apart?" TOMORROW at @literatibookstore.bsky.social: RCGD medical anthropologist Liz Roberts joins @ulabeast.bsky.social for a talk on her book, In Praise of Addiction. literatibookstore.com/event/2026-0...

Red Valentine-style graphic with large white text Our love passes peer review Valentine; lower left has the labels to: and from: with blank space; right side shows an illustration of a hand holding a magnifying glass over a paper with black lines and a green approval stamp; bottom right includes ISR’s logo.

Purple Valentine-style graphic with large white text Our connection is well beyond the margin of error Valentine; lower left has the labels to: and from: with blank space; right side shows hands using a calculator with a screen displaying z x (s divided by square root of n) and two small red hearts floating above; bottom center includes ISR’s logo.

Brown Valentine-style graphic with large white text You are the qualitative insight to my quantitative heart; lower left has the labels to: and from: with blank space; lower right shows two overlapping hearts, one white with a light gray grid pattern and one solid pink; bottom right includes ISR’s logo.

Purple Valentine-style graphic with large white text I would share my dataset with you; lower left has the labels to: and from: with blank space; center shows two hands, one light-skinned and one dark-skinned, holding a note that reads f(x)= followed by a red heart symbol; bottom right includes ISR’s logo.

If you haven't been asked yet, here is your sign to be our ISR Valentine ❤️

Property Tax Base Fragmentation and Metropolitan Inequality in the United States | Happening @ Michigan

Learn more about this event featuring Robert Manduca: myumi.ch/g3d4D

ISR Insights preview: Robert Manduca on property tax fragmentation and inequality Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Property taxes fund local services, but fragmented tax bases can create stark inequality across neighboring jurisdictions. Join us Feb 12 for ISR Insights with Robert Manduca on 138M geocoded tax records and municipal tax havens.

Watch the preview video: myumi.ch/Xyede

Graphic reading Black History Month with each word stacked in red, gold, and green on a dark gray background; below, 2026 appears in four colored blocks (red, gold, green, red) with black numerals; the right half shows a quilt like geometric pattern of interlocking triangles and diamonds in red, gold, and green with dark gray negative space.

Black History Month at ISR means advancing research that documents inequities and supports Black lives and futures.

Happy Black History Month!

More photos from the Organizational Insights from the Berlin Philharmonic event: