Read full interview at U-M Public Engagement and Impact

One of this year’s Road Scholars, Shanna Kattari, is an assistant professor in the School of Social Work with a courtesy appointment in Women’s Studies. She researches health disparities among transgender and nonbinary people, disability and ableism, and examines sexuality in marginalized communities, particularly in LGBTQIA individuals and people with disabilities.

In this Q&A, Kattari reveals her motivation for joining the Road Scholars, and what she hopes to learn.

Shanna K. Kattari, PhD, MEd, ACS; University of Michigan School of Social Work faculty, board certified sexologist, experienced sexuality educator, and social justice advocate.

What interested you in the Road Scholar tour?

As someone relatively new to Michigan — I’m just finishing up my second year at U-M — it’s really important to me to learn about my new state and all of the different facets that make up Michigan. I do community-based research and it is incredibly difficult to know what type of research is needed when I don’t know much about the communities in my new home, and what their needs are. Plus, I haven’t been further north than Lansing and really wanted to get to see more of the state.
– Shanna Kattari

The Michigan Road Scholars Tour — an annual five-day traveling seminar that takes U-M faculty through the state — increases mutual knowledge and understanding between the university and the people and communities of Michigan.

You can keep up with the happenings on the tour May 6–10 by following #MIRoadScholars on Twitter.

Read full interview at U-M Public Engagement and Impact

Read Washington Post Article

Read Story at U-M School of Music, Theater, and Dance

The Flint water crisis has been the subject of several documentaries and even a network drama, but now the issue is taking center stage in a new play at the University of Michigan.

Playwright José Casas spent nearly three years interviewing more than 80 people in order to create his new play, “Flint,” which tells the story of the water crisis through the voices of residents, activists, scientists and politicians.

Jose Casas
Assistant Professor of Theatre, Drama, and Playwriting

I consider myself an issue-driven writer,” he said. “I’m very much about social justice and telling stories of communities that have been traditionally underserved or marginalized.

José Casas was a 2018 Michigan Road Scholar.

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

MI Senate Binsfeld Office Building, 5th Floor, Room 5550
201 Townsend St, Lansing, MI 48933
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

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The opioid epidemic continues to be a national emergency. Michigan set a new record for overdose deaths in 2018—an alarming trend that is predicted to continue for several years to come. Opioids are commonly prescribed after both minor and major surgical proce- dures for pain management. Overprescribing is a widespread problem and contributes to the opioid crisis currently claiming 134 American lives every day. With up to 92% of patients having leftover opioids after common operations, millions of pills are left vulner- able to diversion into our communities. The impact is acute in urban, suburban and rural communities alike. Understanding the many complex issues related to opioid overuse and overdose is extremely important in developing effective policy. Please join us to hear from an informative panel of experts from the University of Michigan who will discuss their research and recommendations for policy changes that could help Michigan stem the tide in this growing opioid crisis.

Featured speakers:

Dr. Romesh Nalliah is the Director for Clinical Education at the U-M School of Dentistry and Clinical Associate Professor of Dentistry. He will discuss trends in opioid prescribing and overuse in dentistry and state and national level research related to prescribing and treatment. He will also discuss how opioid prescribing during the acute care period among those patients not using opioids has the greatest potential to reduce the number of new chronic opioid users and minimize unintended distribution of prescription opioids into communities.

Dr. Michael Englesbe co-directs the Michigan Opioid Prescribing Engagement Network, Michigan OPEN. He will discuss the unique opportunities provided by collaborative quality initiatives (CQIs) in Michigan. CQIs are statewide, physician-led networks that are devoted to improving the care of patients in Michigan’s major hospitals and surgical specialties. Michigan OPEN partners with them to gather data and implement change to transform surgical pain management and curb opioid misuse.

Dr. Rebecca Haffajee is the Policy Analysis Activities Lead, Policy Workgroup, Outreach and Translation Core, at the U-M Injury Prevention Center. She will discuss trends in state and national- level policies related to opioid prescribing and treatment, and the evidence base for several prominent state policies that target opioid misuse and overdose, prescription drug monitoring programs, pain clinic regulation and naloxone access laws.

Panel Moderator: Dr. Chad Brummett is Associate professor of Anesthesiology and co-director of the Michigan Opioid Prescribing Engagement Network, Michigan OPEN