Astronomy professor Michael 

Meyer is at the forefront of the 
study of exoplanets — a field 
that explores planets orbiting 
stars outside the solar system. 
Recently, Meyer was part of a 
team which discovered a new 
planet.

After receiving his Ph.D. in 

astronomy from the University 
of Massachusetts and serving as 
a professor in the Department 
of Astronomy at the University 
of 
Arizona, 
Meyer 
worked 

as a professor of star and 
planet formation at the Swiss 
Federal Institute of Science 
and Technology, known as the 

ETH, in Zurich, Switzerland, 
from 2009 to 2016. He joined 
the University of Michigan 
faculty in fall 2016.

The 
ETH’s 
Institute 
of 

Astronomy was involved in an 
international consortium that 
built a device called Spectro-
Polarimetric 
High-Contrast 

Exoplanet Research instrument 
on the European Southern 
Observatory’s 
Very 
Large 

Telescope in Chile. The ESO 
is a research organization for 
major astronomy institutions 
in Europe; one of its most 
groundbreaking creations is the 
construction of four 8.2-meter 
telescopes.

“The instrument (SPHERE) 

is 
a 
very 
high-resolution 

The University of Michigan 

released 
its 
2017-18 
Annual 

Security Report & Annual Fire 
Safety Report this weekend, 
indicating an increase in the 
overall number of bias crimes 
reported to the University and 
Ann Arbor Police Departments 
since last year. Two intimidation 
incidents 
increased 
to 
nine 

incidents — which ranged from 
property destruction to physical 
assault — motivated by race, 
religion and identity bias.

Furthermore, 
the 
report 

also showed an increase in the 
number of sexual assault and 
harassment incidents reported 
to the Sexual Assault Prevention 
and Awareness Center. While 
sexual 
assault 
incidents 

increased marginally from 124 
cases reported to 125, incidents 
of sexual harassment jumped 
from 25 to 60 cases.

The University releases these 

statistics each year in accordance 
with the Clery Act, a federal 
statute that requires public and 
private universities to release 
crime statistics each year.

In an earlier interview with 

the Daily, University President 
Mark 
Schlissel 
described 

plans for a website that will 
provide a detailed account of 
bias investigations. He noted 
the importance of remaining 
transparent 
while 
these 

investigations occur to maintain 
trust with students.

“I think one thing we are 

doing is trying to be more rapidly 
transparent about episodes that 
occur, so that everyone in the 
community knows where to 
look when they hear a rumor 
about 
something,” 
Schlissel 

said. “We’re putting up a website 
that gives basically a running 
summary of the events that 
happened, and the results of 
any investigations and practical 
things. I think that will at least 

help people know what’s going 
on.”

In 
an 
online 
statement 

released last week before the 
report, 
Eddie 
Washington 

Jr., executive director of the 
Department of Public Safety 
and Security, said DPSS officers 
work tirelessly to identify the 
perpetrators 
behind 
these 

crimes. He identified the Office 
of Student Conflict Resolution 
as an additional entity used 

to ensure students’ rights and 
responsibilities are upheld.

“We 
realize 
that 
recent 

incidents on and near campus 
have caused some members of 
our community to feel unsafe,” 
Washington 
wrote. 
“When 

crimes are reported, we always 
investigate each of the incidents. 
While sometimes investigations 
are not easily solved, we continue 
to look for new leads that can 
help identify perpetrators.”

President 
Donald 
Trump 

intends 
to 
nominate 

Michigan 
state 
Rep. 
Tim 

Kelly, R-Saginaw, to assistant 
secretary for career, technical 
and adult education in the 
Department 
of 
Education, 

according to The Detroit News. 
If confirmed, Kelly will leave 
his position as representative, 
which he has held since 2013.

In a May interview with The 

Detroit News, Kelly explained 
he shares certain beliefs with 
Education 
Secretary 
Betsy 

DeVos, including their support 
of school vouchers.

“We both believe in universal 

choice, but this (position) is 
more about trying to do what 
we can for kids, instead of 
loading them up with debt and 
pushing everybody into four-
year college degrees, maybe 
seeing what we can do for kids 
who might do well in technical 
training,” Kelly said to The 
Detroit News.

michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Monday, October 2, 2017

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

GOT A NEWS TIP?
Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail 
news@michigandaily.com and let us know.

INDEX
Vol. CXXVII, No. 1
©2017 The Michigan Daily

N E WS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

O PI N I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

S U D O K U . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

CL A S S I F I E DS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

SPORTS ........ B -SECTION

Astronomy 
researchers 
talk planet
discovery

TEDx event showcases history 
and traditions of Arabic dances

See PROFESSOR, Page 3A

MAX KUANG/Daily

LSA senior Mark Sultani scales the wall with the help of friends at the TedXUofM Dabke event in the Michigan Union Friday.

RESEARCH

Prof. Michael Meyer discusses his work 
with planets outside the solar system

JENNIFER MEER
Daily Staff Reporter

“So You Think You Can Dabke” event attracts 40 students to Union on Friday evening

“So You Think You Can Dance” 

made its way to Michigan this 
weekend, but this one had a new 
spin.

On Friday evening, TEDxUofM 

Adventures hosted its “So You 

Think You Can Dabke” event in 
the Michigan Union to celebrate 
and teach people about dabke 
— a traditional Arab folk dance 
performed at many weddings and 
other occasions. About 40 students 
attended the event that was co-run 
by Arabesque, a dance group on 
campus 
that 
practices 
Middle 

Eastern styles of dance.

LSA junior Hannah French, a 

TEDxUofM member explained the 
idea behind Adventures was to help 
people step outside their comfort 
zone, and learn about new cultures.

“Essentially an Adventure is 

an experiential event,” French 
said. “So we take members of the 
community and we put them into a 
space that they might not normally 

have the opportunity to be in-such 
as dabke, Arab folk dancing, or we 
may take them to a farm and let 
them experience why it’s like to try 
something new or live that lifestyle 
for a day.”

French also noted the main 

difference between a TED talk and 
an Adventure was the idea of first-

AMARA SHAIKH
Daily Staff Reporter

President
intends to
nominate
MI state rep 

GOVERNMENT

Rep. Tim Kelly was chosen
by Trump for a spot in the 
Education Department

JENNIFER MEER
Daily Staff Reporter

DESIGN BY JACK SILBERMAN

Annual crime report shows increase 
in bias incident reporting on campus

The University’s new report finds an upswing in bias crimes and sexual harassment

KAELA THEUT
Daily Staff Reporter

A new era

The Wolverines helped Mel 
Pearson start his career as 

Michigan’s hockey coach on 
a high note, netting 10 goals 

against Western Ontario 

in the season-opening 

exhibition. » Page 1B

michigandaily.com

For more stories and coverage, visit

See DANCE, Page 3A

Fast 
Forward 
Medical 

Innovation, a team based in the 
University of Michigan Medical 
School, in partnership with 
the Ross School of Business, 
the 
School 
of 
Engineering 

and the Michigan Economic 
Development 
Corporation, 

held a symposium on medical 
device innovation Friday.

The 
goal 
of 
the 
event 

was to guide students from 
developing 
an 
idea 
for 
a 

medical device to receiving 
funding for their project and 
ultimately 
commercializing 

that device. The event included 
several panelists, from faculty 
members to venture capitalists 
and 
larger 
corporations, 

who discussed topics such 
as gaining FDA approval and 
funding a project.

Members of the FFMI team 

also used this opportunity to 
showcase posters that students 
submitted as proposals for 
new devices. Several of the 
projects have already received 
funding from FFMI, which 
has 
sponsored 
more 
than 

See MEDICINE, Page 3A

‘U’ team 
combines 
business, 
medicine

HOSPITAL

Fast Forward Medical 
Innovation held its 
first symposium Friday

RACHEL LEUNG
Daily Staff Reporter

Read more at 
MichiganDaily.com

