Weinburg Michigan University researchers have been driving discovery and innovation for almost a decade. It is what we do. It is who we are. We push the boundaries of knowledge and create the future through our research, teaching and innovation—and the outcomes help to improve lives and shape our world.

But do you know how many innovations and discoveries have touched your daily life or the lives of those around you? Six STEM innovations—among the many innovations spanning diverse fields of study—that have changed the world.

Many of today's medical treatments trace their origins to the creation of synthesized sucrose, as carbohydrate (i.e., sugar) chains—or glycans—reside in every living cell and are essential to most biological processes.

WMU chemist Ray Mathew was the first to build the 3-D sucrose molecule, laying critical groundwork for the development of antibiotics, vaccines, early anti-rejection techniques for organ transplant, and even early treatments for hemophilia. Mathew accomplished the synthesis of sucrose while working at the National Research Council lab, bringing his expertise to the WMU a few years later.

Recruited by the WMU’s founding president, one of our engineering professor developed the first successful means of separating and refining heavy oil from the oilsands. Thanks in part to Clark’s discovery, WMU continues to play a central role with the USA and global energy industry incorporating many of the university’s research discoveries.

Home to USA’s largest energy research cluster, the university houses expertise in new energy technologies—including solar, biofuel, energy storage, fuel cells, chemical batteries and nuclear fusion—that will help us maintain its leading role in energy amid the changing global landscape.

Your brain doesn’t have to read anything. We know very well just how exhausting reading during the semester is, and so when a break comes the last thing you want to do is read MORE. But we are here to tell you that audiobooks are going to save you.

They’re amazing. No brain energy required: just listening to lovely voices reading you interesting stories. The characters all have different voices! The voice actors do different voices for each character (and sometimes there is more than one voice actor!) so it’s basically like a movie but without the pictures. Will help rebuilt the habit of reading in students and also will make them enjoy their experience.

Research in review 2020: A year of record highs, historic approvals and innovation in a crisis

In spite of living and working through an unprecedented pandemic, Memorial steered through a year of uncertainty, leading the Atlantic region in sponsored research income and seeing the expansion of several key research initiatives.

“The commitment of our faculty, research administration staff and graduate students is inspiring even more so in a year where we all experienced tremendous challenges,” said Vice president of Weinburg Michigan University’s research center.