Chancellor

Highlights from the 2025 State of the University

lblouin — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 17:41:50 +0000

Highlights from the 2025 State of the University lblouin Mon, 02/03/2025 - 12:41

Chancellor Domenico Grasso hosted his annual State of the University address last Thursday before a standing-room-only audience of more than 250. Grasso shared the university’s progress toward key milestones, as well as some concerns and challenges, before handing the mic over to the offices of the Provost, Institutional Advancement and Facilities Operations, as well as several ��-Dearborn students, to discuss new initiatives and their impact, along with some future plans. Key takeaways from the event are below.

More students are crossing the finish line to graduation.

Several key metrics in the GOBLUEprint for Success — the university’s strategic plan — are well on track. The four-year graduation rate has climbed from 22% in 2018 to 38% in 2024. “That's a 16% increase. That is truly incredible,” Grasso noted. “Many factors have led to this success in graduation rate: our students’ determination, our professors’ skill and mentoring, our campus resources and a community that is dedicated to seeing students across the finish line.”

The transition to a need-based financial aid model means that 94% of ��-Dearborn undergraduate FTIAC students now receive enough aid that their remaining obligations are less than $2,000 a year. And half of classes on campus now include a practice-based learning component. “This approach provides distinctive and creative opportunities for our students to prepare for the next phase of their careers,” Grasso observed. “I commend the faculty who design these courses and the department chairs and deans who support them.”

Faculty continue to excel: In the past two years, faculty and staff annual citations in publications have grown from 13,500 to over 22,000, and ��-Dearborn faculty experts appeared in 119 major local and national media outlets in 2024. Research awards continue to climb as well. While the university aimed for $9.8 million in research support in FY2024, that number actually reached nearly $12 million. Awarded and recommended funding for the first six months of FY25 now exceeds $14 million.

Grasso celebrated last year’s launch of the Office of Holistic Excellence, noting that the office was supporting several storytelling initiatives as a means of building empathy and a sense of inclusion across campus, as recently discussed in Insight into Diversity magazine. He noted that the campus community will see a new set of KPIs related to belonging and inclusion. The latest GOBLUEprint for Success KPI report was emailed to campus following the event.

Overall enrollment is encouraging, but there is still work to do.

Grasso was candid about the fact that the university’s highest hurdle — one shared by nearly every college and university in the state and many across the country — is enrollment. "There are simply fewer college age students today than a decade ago, especially here in Michigan, but there are still growing opportunities,” he said. “We currently enroll 8,100 students, and have challenged ourselves to enroll 10,000 by 2032. We have experienced modest increases in undergraduate students, which is encouraging. More students should experience everything we have to offer here at ��-Dearborn.”

Grasso shared two concerns about graduate enrollment: first, it has declined, and second, the new presidential administration could severely limit the ability of prospective international students to enter the U.S. “The encouraging news is that the Institute of International Education believes enough members of Congress appreciate what international students contribute to our communities and economy,” Grasso observed. “Our university, too, will continue to advocate for this important community.”

He added that he is meeting with executive officers across all three campuses daily to monitor changes in federal policies, and that the university is regularly posting information on federal orders, policies and regulations on the Key Issues section of the ��-Dearborn website. He urged faculty, staff and students to visit this page for the latest information pertaining specifically to the Dearborn campus.

Grasso also addressed enrollment concerns in the College of Arts, Sciences and Letters and the resulting need to collaboratively reimagine the college’s future. “Together, let’s focus on creative and lasting solutions,” he said. “I would love nothing more than for the University of Michigan-Dearborn to create novel approaches for increasing the attractiveness of the arts and humanities that could serve as models for higher education.”

Fundraising is essential to maintaining the mission.

Grasso then passed the mic to Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement Casandra Ulbrich, who shared details about the university’s recently launched five-year “Look to Michigan” fundraising campaign. After announcing the campaign goal of $60 million, she shared short videos from three donors who choose to support ��-Dearborn in diverse ways: Mark Ritz and L. Lee Gorman have made a multi-year gift of $500,000 to install solar panels on the roof of the England Engineering Lab Building; Sadaf Lodhi and Riz Hussain have directed stock to the Student Opportunity and Engagement Fund; and Altair’s corporate contribution created the Altair #OnlyForward Scholarship Fund in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Ulbrich then spoke with two #OnlyForward scholarship recipients, CECS juniors Rehab Jadalla and Jide Owo, about the impact of the award. “Receiving the scholarship, to me, it means that, instead of spending time taking on additional jobs and taking on work to try to make ends meet for each semester, I have the space to take on the opportunities that I'm passionate about and are related to my ultimate career goals,” Jadalla, who is studying software engineering, said.

CECS juniors Rehab Jadalla (right) and Jide Owo (middle) spoke to the crowd about the impact of the #OnlyForward scholarship, sponsored by Altair Engineering.

“I also grew up in Dearborn, so I'm really, really proud to be attending this university," she added. "Just the culture of how encouraging and supportive the faculty and staff here are and the other students, and also the opportunities that I've had over the past three years, I don't think I would find at any other university."

Student success initiatives are having a big impact.

Associate Provosts Maureen Linker and Joan Remski discussed several initiatives led by Experience+ and the Office of Academic Success, all of which are seeing impressive results. These include the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience, the Wolverine Mentor Collective, a new peer-to-peer tutoring program that enables students to get help with their studies 24/7 and the STEM Scholars program, which supports STEM majors from low-income backgrounds throughout their time at ��-Dearborn and boasts a 98% retention rate. Two STEM Scholars, Myriam Hazime and Zahra Alemarah, joined Remski on stage to reflect on their experiences. “I was always provided with a very strong support group that I felt like other students outside of STEM scholars didn't have,” Hazime, a CECS sophomore majoring in software engineering, told the audience.

Alemarah, a CASL junior majoring in biochemistry, echoed her sentiments: “Something that's really important, especially at ��-Dearborn as a commuter campus, is building a relationship your first year, your freshman year. Through STEM Scholars, I had so many different friends, and it was very crucial to keep me going to study when it feels impossible, to ask for help when I need it.”

Great spaces encourage students to stay.

Executive Director for Facilities Carol Glick closed out the event with a quick check-in on the Comprehensive Campus Plan, an overview of the design process, and a look at five priority projects, all in different phases: the Computer and Information Science Building (investigation phase), Mardigian Library (conceptual design), Social Sciences Building renovations for the College of Business (schematic design), Administrative Building renovations to support the move of the College of Education, Health and Human Services (design development) and the Renick University Center first floor, which is currently wrapping up construction. Glick shared a few “before and after” renderings and photos, revealing a significantly transformed space complete with a fireplace where students won’t just pass through, but will want to hang out for hours. After the event, many attendees took advantage of tours led by the facilities team and the University Unions and Events office to see the changes in real life.

Executive Director for Facilities Carol Glick gave an update on the Comprehensive Campus Plan.

Concluding the event, which took place on a nearly 40-degree day, Grasso invited attendees to stick around for the Winter Carnival. “We actually have winter this year,” he’d noted earlier in his address. “Sort of.”

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Story by Kristin Palm. Photos by Annie Barker. Watch the recording of the event here.

Administration & Governance

Institutional Advancement

Off

Mon, 02/03/2025 - 17:40

Chancellor Grasso’s annual address covered enrollment good news and challenges, major research wins, promising student success initiatives and more.

Chancellor Domenico Grasso speaks to a crowd of more than 250 at the 2025 State of the University event.

Takeaways from the Oct. 15 Conversation with the Chancellor

lblouin — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 12:59:47 +0000

Takeaways from the Oct. 15 Conversation with the Chancellor lblouin Mon, 10/21/2024 - 08:59

The past few years have been a historically tough time for higher education, but last week’s Conversation with the Chancellor event was full of good news for ��-Dearborn. Enrollment is up. This year’s budget features a small surplus. The university’s capital campaign is off to a solid start. And the university is taking important steps on new initiatives, like broadening its DEI efforts. If you weren’t able to attend the event, we’ve recapped some of the big takeaways below. Or you can watch the full Conversation with the Chancellor.

There’s a lot of good news on enrollment and the university budget

In the past few years, demographic challenges and the pandemic have made it a historically challenging time for higher education, with enrollments declining at hundreds of institutions across the country. ��-Dearborn actually fared better than most universities over the past few years. In 2023, the university even welcomed its largest first-year class. But in 2024, it’s unequivocally good news on enrollment. This year’s incoming class of full-time, first-year students is up 4.7%. Transfer and graduate student enrollment is also up. And for Grasso, the brightest of the bright spots are the 9% increase in the four-year graduation rate over the past three years and the 2% increase in the six-year graduation rate compared to 2023. “Our students are taking more courses, which means that they’re going to graduate faster, which means everything is going in the right direction,” Grasso said.

This encouraging enrollment picture is translating into a healthier university budget. Grasso noted that universities can, and often do, grow enrollment while still losing money because of generous subsidies to student tuition. But at ��-Dearborn, we’ve also increased our net tuition revenue. In fact, for the first time in several years, the university has a small budget surplus.

The capital campaign is off to a solid start

Speaking of money, the university is in the midst of its latest capital campaign, which has been dubbed “Look to Michigan” to highlight the state's potential to solve big-picture societal problems and the vital role higher education plays in that. ��-Dearborn has yet to publicly announce its fundraising goal for the campaign, but Grasso shared that we’ve already raised about $25 million. The public launch of the campaign is Oct. 25 and the university will be hosting a major fundraising event at the newly renovated Michigan Central Station in May 2025.

What ‘institutional neutrality’ means for ��-Dearborn

Grasso also discussed a proposed institutional neutrality bylaw, which the U-M Board of Regents was reviewing at the time of the Oct. 15 Conversation event and ultimately approved at their Oct. 17 meeting. The new policy means the U-M president, members of the president’s leadership team (which includes the Dearborn and Flint chancellors), deans, directors, department chairs and others authorized to speak for the university or an academic unit will not, on behalf of the institution, make public statements on social or political issues that are not directly connected to internal university functions. Grasso noted that his office already has a similar set of principles that inform his public statements, though it has not applied to deans and other university leaders. You can read more about the new institutional neutrality bylaw in this article from The Record. Relatedly, ��-Dearborn recently updated its expressive activities policy, which governs its approaches to things like protests, demonstrations and free speech on campus.

The future of DEI at ��-Dearborn

One of Grasso’s big priorities for 2024-25 is getting the Office of Holistic Excellence off to a good start. Created in early 2024, the office is spearheading diversity, equity and inclusion-related efforts at the university, but Grasso noted its vision is much broader than the traditional scope of DEI. While the university will continue efforts to improve student, staff and faculty demographic diversity on campus, he also wants to focus on measurable initiatives that enable students from diverse backgrounds to develop their full potential and make the university a richer place. “There is a narrative that seems to be on campus that we’re walking away from DEI. Nothing could be further from the truth. We’re doubling down on the essence and foundations of DEI,” Grasso said. “[We want to] understand what individuals are bringing not just by their demographic characteristics, but by their life experiences, their perspectives. This is why this is a more holistic approach.” You can read more about Grasso’s views on DEI in our recent article, “Can we still find a path to civil discourse?”

Other highlights

The Renick University Center’s first floor renovation remains on track to be completed by early next year.
Grasso announced that the Facilities team is putting together a plan for installing natural plantings around the campus parking lots so the front door to the university isn’t a “sea of cars.” You can read more about ideas to improve the front entrance of campus on the comprehensive campus plan.
Could the university’s budget surplus translate into a mid-academic-year bonus? Grasso teased such a possibility (to spontaneous applause). He promised additional details later this year.

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Story by Lou Blouin

Administration & Governance

Enrollment

Inclusion or Diversity

University-wide

Chancellor

Off

Mon, 10/21/2024 - 12:59

Couldn’t make last week’s town hall with Chancellor Domenico Grasso? We have a recap of some of Grasso’s takes on enrollment, the budget, the current capital campaign, institutional neutrality and ��-Dearborn's new Office of Holistic Excellence.

Vice Chancellor for External Relations Ken Kettenbeil (left) talks with Chancellor Domenico Grasso in Kochoff Hall on Oct. 15, 2024.

Can we still find a path to civil discourse?

lblouin — Mon, 20 May 2024 14:01:40 +0000

Can we still find a path to civil discourse? lblouin Mon, 05/20/2024 - 10:01

In his younger days, ��-Dearborn Chancellor Domenico Grasso wasn’t much of a reader, aside from his assigned school readings, like “Lord of the Flies,” “A Tale of Two Cities” and “Julius Caesar.” It’s something he chalks up to a number of factors. His Italian immigrant parents, who didn’t read English, didn’t encourage reading at home. As a teenager, he devoted much of his free time to sports. And his main academic interests were math and science, not disciplines, like literature, that didn’t give the indisputable answers he was interested in. That started to change when Grasso met his now-wife of 35 years. Susan, a fellow engineer who started college in the Honors program in U-M’s College of Literature, Science and the Arts, was the opposite — an adventurous and enthusiastic reader who consumed everything from novels to nonfiction, science to literature. When they started dating, he tried to explain that he simply didn’t have the attention span for reading. But she didn’t buy it. “Then why don’t you just read one or two pages and put the book down?” she said. Such a straightforward and simple solution hadn’t occurred to him. He remembers starting with Sinclair Lewis, a novelist and playwright who wrote prescient social commentaries on topics as diverse as the banality of middle class life and the dangers of American fascism. One or two pages at a time, Grasso made his way through Lewis’ “Main Street,” then “Babbitt,” then book after book. The habit stuck.

Now, Grasso says his enthusiasm for reading matches Susan’s. And he’s equally adventurous. Though he’s an environmental engineer by training, his reading preferences bend toward literature, the social sciences and philosophy — interests you see reflected in his selections for the Chancellor’s Book Club, a campus group he started several years ago. His inaugural pick, “Klara and the Sun,” a dystopian novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, is a commentary on the nature of love that focuses on the life of an artificial being. “When We Cease to Understand the World” by Benjamín Labatut is a novel based on real-life scientists that explores the links between discovery and humanity’s penchant for destruction. Annie Ernaux’s “A Man’s Place” probes the familial tensions that arise from transcending social class. Grasso’s latest selection, “The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion” by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt has been influential in helping us understand important fractures now plaguing society.

Grasso says his motivation for starting the club was straightforward. “To be honest, there are a lot of book clubs out there and I didn’t want to participate in a book club,” he explains. “I just made an offer: If anyone wants to read the same book I’m reading, we can have a discussion.” Grasso hopes the club offers a window into the ideas and perspectives that inform his approach as chancellor. And he believes reading and discussing a really interesting book can, in fact, be entertaining. But the book club is also a gesture toward one of his core values: That we need to have spaces on campus, and in our lives, for discussing provocative, consequential issues and ideas in a thoughtful, open-minded way.

It may sound simple, but the idea that civil dialogue can exist is something that many have, frankly, given up on. Say it out loud, and it sounds a little old school. Some might find it Pollyannaish. Polarization, particularly in the political sphere, along with an accompanying hardening of belief systems, has led many to judge that it’s no longer worth trying to have conversations with colleagues, friends, relatives and neighbors who have different views. Grasso, for one, still thinks such a thing is possible. Or more specifically, he doesn’t have a lot of optimism for a society that completely loses that skill. “I think it is our only hope,” Grasso says. “What I believe isn’t too far from what Thomas Jefferson said about the prerequisite for democracy being an informed electorate. I think you can make the same argument that if you want an inclusive, nurturing, welcoming environment for all the people who live in our society, you need a well-educated group of people who can think through the challenges we have. And we’re losing the ability to have these kinds of conversations.”

Grasso is happy to see that kind of thoughtful dialogue happening within the book club and its sister group, the Chancellor's Video Club, where participants watch and then discuss big idea YouTube videos. (The first was the classic 1965 James Baldwin-William F. Buckley debate and the latest was a panel discussion of Francis Fukuyama’s “Liberalism and Its Discontents.”) Perhaps it’s not surprising things are going well. The clubs’ most active participants tend to be faculty members who are well-practiced in debating ideas and coexisting with colleagues who have different opinions. But as he looks across the university, he thinks we are missing out on some opportunities to nurture the open-mindedness, humility and broad curiosity that he thinks are necessary ingredients for civil discourse and thoughtful problem solving. He points to his own discipline, engineering, as an area where he thinks a narrow mindset is undercutting engineering’s broader potential. “We talk about engineering like it’s only an extension of math and science, and unfortunately, I see so many engineering students, like my younger self, who see the humanities, and English and reading as fluff,” he says. “I even remember a celebratory reception for a colleague who was elected to the National Academy of Engineering, where he proudly declared that he had never read a novel! But engineering is rarely simply math and science. It’s taking math and science and applying it to human problems. Robert Pirsig, who wrote ‘Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance,’ observed that technology ends up doing such ugly things because it’s disconnected in any real sense from humanity. Engineers often create things because they can, but without thought as to how their creativity is going to be absorbed and adapted by humanity. And that’s because many engineers are detached from the essence of the human condition.”

Grasso also thinks that, despite the right intentions, we lost the plot when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. “There is no question that whoever is on campus, we want them to represent the whole of human potential,” Grasso says. “But I think we reached a stage with DEI where it started to take on a life independent of what its original objectives were. It was a means that became an end. And we don't have as much to show for it as may have been possible. I do feel like we went down some wrong paths in DEI planning, and I want to go back on the trail a little bit and look for the flashes on the trees and get back on the right trail.” Grasso’s idea for that centers around a new Office of Holistic Excellence, which was recently featured in an article in Learning Well magazine. He concedes it’s an “ambiguous” name — something he says is intentional so the office can become an umbrella for a broad group of initiatives. Specifically, Grasso wants the office to support a more encompassing sense of diversity and inclusivity, which emphasizes a diversity of perspectives and disciplines, in addition to demographic diversity. His thinking is that the capacity for open-minded, thoughtful, cool-headed dialogue — the thing he feels is required to solve a diverse society’s biggest challenges — can be best nurtured by an environment in which members of our campus community encounter views that aren’t their own as a regular part of their lives here. Necessarily, this also means that the university must continue its efforts to ensure that education is accessible and its population is demographically diverse, two of the main goals of prior DEI initiatives. He just doesn't want the effort to be limited to the scope of the traditional DEI playbook.

Grasso isn’t pretending to have all the answers. In fact, his whole point is that he doesn’t — nor does anyone. He believes the best solutions, including in a complex and polarizing area like diversity and inclusion, will require everyone’s involvement. But he feels like, as chancellor, he can help set the tone. “At the end of the day, what I’d like is a community that’s more like the academy of ancient Greece,” he says. “Not that we’re walking around in togas, but that we’re asking important, relevant and deep questions. It’s better to be curious than confident. And I fear that our society is filled with an overabundance of confidence and a scant amount of curiosity. I’d like our campus to be the antidote to that. I’d like it to be a place where people are super curious, and they want to know about other cultures, other disciplines and other ways of thinking about important topics, so we can develop a clearer view for a collectively desirable future.”

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If you’re looking for something to add to your summer reading list, the next Chancellor’s Book Club selection is “The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion” by Jonathan Haidt. The New York Times noted that Haidt’s 2012 book “wants to start a conversation about integrating a better understanding of human nature — our sentiments, sociality and morality — into the ways we debate and govern ourselves.” A discussion will be hosted in the fall. Story by Lou Blouin

Civics Awareness

Inclusion or Diversity

Opinion or Voices

Chancellor

Off

Mon, 05/20/2024 - 14:01

In an era where strong opinions dominate and people are increasingly unwilling to entertain alternative perspectives, Chancellor Domenico Grasso is going old school in his effort to rebuild the foundation for debating big issues.

Credit: Michigan Photography

HLC report: ��-Dearborn educates students to meet 21st-century challenges

stuxbury — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 16:59:28 +0000

HLC report: ��-Dearborn educates students to meet 21st-century challenges stuxbury Mon, 12/11/2023 - 11:59

For the first time in known university history, the Higher Learning Commission says ��-Dearborn met or exceeded all criteria for reaccreditation without any additional steps needed. HLC is a federally recognized agency that conducts a comprehensive evaluation of academic institutions.

The final report, which was shared with the ��-Dearborn HLC Core Committee in late November, is expected to be approved at a 2024 Institutional Actions Council meeting. ��-Dearborn will be up for reaccreditation again in 2033.

The review findings were based on extensive documentation, interviews with members of the university community, and in-person conversations with stakeholders across the campus.

“We’ve been accredited through HLC since 1970. If all goes well, there’s a 10-year period before an institution is reevaluated. To my knowledge, this full clean bill of health is the first time it has happened here,” says Associate Provost for Undergraduate Programs and Integrative Learning Mitchel Sollenberger, who led the university’s reaccreditation process. “We’ve always done great things, but much of the strategy or documentation HLC wanted on those earlier visits was non-existent. Looking back through the paper archive in the Provost’s office, we’ve always had additional steps to do. For example, in 1993, we needed to write yearly reports to HLC as a stipulation to maintain accreditation.”

So what changed? Sollenberger, who’s been on the HLC preparation team since the 2013 HLC visit, says faculty and staff have put systems and processes in place over the past decade to capture data, assess programs and document outcomes. “We’ve had many people make great efforts to improve processes even in the face of less-than-ideal circumstances like budgetary constraints, the pandemic and more. Their work helped us get to this point,” he says. “I want to say thank you.”

Also, the HLC reviewers noted that the university went through an intensive strategic planning process starting in 2018. The 60-page final HLC report notes that ��-Dearborn’s direction is guided by the GO BLUEprint for Success Strategic Plan, a university-wide initiative that began with a strength and weakness situational analysis.

While on campus this November, HLC reviewers noticed students building rockets and cars for competitions. They also saw faculty members, assisted by students, working on a variety of research projects. And they talked to students, staff and faculty about community-engaged courses. “The curriculum and co-curriculum at ��-Dearborn educate students to meet 21st-century challenges,” the report states.

HLC reviewers were also impressed by the dedication of faculty and staff to ��-Dearborn’s mission of excellence in teaching, learning, research and scholarship, as well as access, affordability and community impact.

Reviewers singled out the strong culture of community and mutual respect on campus as well. “Caring for everyone in the campus community is central to ��-Dearborn's mission and it was clear from meetings with administration, faculty, staff, and students that they take this very seriously.” One reviewer, when reflecting on the intentional work done to support underserved and underrepresented students, even told administrators that they would like to work at ��-Dearborn.

To demonstrate how ��-Dearborn outcomes match the mission, the HLC report includes these numbers:

Due to a financial aid model based on need rather than merit, 90% of students have their financial needs met with no more than $2,000 in loans or work study
The four-year completion rate has increased from 22% to 37% in the last four years
24% of faculty received external research funding, and from 2018 to 2022, ��-Dearborn's faculty research awards more than doubled with the federal component rising from 35% to 65%

Director of Academic Success Jess LaGrange, who was on ��-Dearborn’s HLC Core Committee, says she is grateful that an external accreditation agency sees how the campus community works tirelessly to do what’s best for ��-Dearborn students.

The work referenced in the report includes the SURE program, Wolverine Mentor Collective, PALS, Salesforce, transparent financial practices, Degree Works, Dearborn Discovery Core, the START office, career coaching, accessible study abroad opportunities, Dearborn Support, project-based learning courses, the Campus Climate Survey and more.

“We are doing so much that every day can feel like a sprint. We often don’t have the time to stop and take stock of the great things we are doing,” LaGrange says. “So it is nice to have HLC come in and say, ‘Wow, you are doing a lot of amazing work and here is the impact of these great things. Keep it up. What you are doing matters.’”

HLC Coordination Team members are Sollenberger, LaGrange, Assistant Dean for Assessment and Accreditation Susan Everett, Financial Services Director Noel Hornbacher, Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness Director Rick Michalski and History Professor Pam Pennock. For helping get the systems needed in place, Sollenberger also would like to thank retired provost Kate Davy and former CEHHS associate dean Laura Reynolds.

Article by Sarah Tuxbury

Off

Mon, 12/11/2023 - 16:58

For the first time in known university history, the Higher Learning Commission says ��-Dearborn met or exceeded all criteria for reaccreditation without any additional steps needed.

Honored for Excellence

stuxbury — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 16:49:21 +0000

Honored for Excellence stuxbury Mon, 04/17/2023 - 12:49

Each semester, ��-Dearborn honors a very select group of students with a Medallion Award. Chosen by faculty from their respective colleges, graduates are recognized for their outstanding quality of character, intellect, integrity and academic record.

Three Medallion awards are given per college — with one of those students selected to receive the Chancellor’s Medallion. These students will be recognized during the April 30 commencement celebrations.

Here are the College of Arts, Sciences, & Letters and the College of Education, Health, & Human Services recipients.

The awardees from the College of Business and College of Engineering & Computer Sciences — a CECS grad earned the Chancellor’s Medallion this semester — are listed here.

Diana Nichols, College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

Diana Nichols is receiving her Bachelor of Science in chemistry and received university honors in Fall 2019. During her time at ��-Dearborn, she had an exceptional presence in the classroom and on campus, where she actively pursued various undergraduate research opportunities.

Diana received the 2022 SURE Best Poster award for her research on the synthesis and characterization of B2 vitamin derivatives with applications in vitamin deficiency detection. Diana worked with Chemistry Associate Professor Simona Marincean on the project and presented the results of this research at the Spring 2022 American Chemical Society National Meeting and at the 2022 Central American Chemical Society Regional Meeting. She is currently working on a first-authored manuscript from the research and plans to submit it for peer review.

Diana’s engagement on campus extends beyond the classroom. As a nontraditional student who transferred to the university in 2019, Diana subsequently became the president of ��-Dearborn’s Chemistry Club. In this role, Diana coordinated numerous activities for Dearborn Wolverines.

Diana was accepted into multiple graduate schools for chemistry and will enter the University of Michigan’s organic chemistry doctorate program in the fall.

Elizabeth O’Hotzke, College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

Elizabeth O’Hotzke is receiving a Bachelor of Science in behavioral and biological sciences with a minor in psychology and a certificate in writing. She received university honors four times and was named to the Dean’s List from Fall 2019 through Fall 2022. In addition, Elizabeth is a two-time James B. Angell Scholar, was awarded the William J. Branstrom Prize in 2020, and is this year’s behavioral and biological sciences Honors Scholar.

Elizabeth excelled in challenging courses ranging from organic chemistry and microbiology to cognitive psychology, ethics in research and medical anthropology. She has served as a consultant with ��-Dearborn’s Writing Center and as a supplemental instruction leader for several courses.

Complementing her academic achievements, Elizabeth is actively engaged in student life and volunteer work, both on and off campus. A participant in Alternative Spring Break since her first year on campus, Elizabeth has served as the ASB executive board education and training coordinator since Fall 2021. She has been on two community service trips, where she helped address literacy needs and food insecurity. Elizabeth is an active member of Detroit Catholic Campus Ministry, serving as organization president since 2021. Over the past three years, Elizabeth has participated in numerous tutoring and educational outreach opportunities in Dearborn and Detroit, including volunteering as a middle school math tutor. She is also a volunteer assistant junior varsity softball coach at Manchester High School, her former school.

Elizabeth has been described as an exceptional student and has been praised as being at the top of her class by numerous professors. Upon graduation, Elizabeth plans to pursue a career in the health professions.

Richard Tharrett, College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

Richard Tharrett is receiving his Bachelor of Arts with a double major in political science and journalism and media. He was awarded the Maxwell Gray Film Fellowship through the University of Michigan Eisenberg Family Depression Center, where he directed original videos and worked alongside therapists and other professionals in the field to promote mental health.

Last year, Richard won first place in ��-Dearborn’s writing awards for his documentary film “Second Chance,” which shares the experience of a formerly incarcerated man who served nearly 40 years in prison. Richard also works for ��-Dearborn as a production assistant, producing campus videos and advising journalism students.

Currently, Richard is an intern in Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s communications department, where he works closely with the governor’s speechwriter to draft speeches, facilitate interviews and craft messages to address key problems facing the state of Michigan. Outside of school, Richard is a competitive unicyclist, a hobby and sport that has taken him across the world, most recently to France to serve as the director and chief judge of a competition at the world championships for unicycling in 2022.

After he graduates, Richard plans to pursue a career in multimedia journalism or communications in the public sector.

Katrina M. Chester, College of Education, Health, and Human Services

Katrina M. Chester is receiving her Bachelor of Arts in special education. She received university honors in 2023 and was named to the Dean’s List for five semesters.

For her elementary certification, Katrina student-taught in a second-grade general education classroom, an upper-elementary resource room, and a middle school special education classroom.

To help local students ages six through 11 who needed additional support in mathematics and language arts, Katrina was a volunteer tutor from December 2020 to June 2022. During student teaching, she also participated in the school’s Parent Teacher Association, assisting with Scholastic Book Fairs, holiday events and fundraisers.

Following graduation, Katrina plans to work in an elementary school resource room or a lower elementary general education classroom while pursuing her master’s in special education with an endorsement in autism.

Her hope is to one day work in a self-contained autism classroom, where she can advocate for students who can have such a wide range of abilities, and help others gain knowledge about inclusion efforts with neurodiverse students.

Yasmina Elmeligi, College of Education, Health, and Human Services

Yasmina Elmeligi is receiving her Bachelor of Arts in language arts. She received university honors in 2021 and 2023 and was named to the Dean’s List every semester since Winter 2019. She is a James B. Angell Scholar, a member of the national French honors society Pi Delta Phi and the recipient of a Spanish Honors award. During her ��-Dearborn career, she was awarded a Dean’s Scholarship, a Dearborn Dependent Scholarship and the James and MayBell Loeb Scholarship.

Through her studies, Yasmina participated in an action research capstone project where she tested two different best practices — graphic organizers and PowerPoint presentations — to determine which one is more equipped to increase student understanding and progress. She also completed training through the GLOBE program, which helped her obtain the background needed to lead a class in performing field and lab protocols.

On campus, she served as a tutor in French, Arabic and Spanish, and a lab assistant at the Kochoff Foreign Language Lab. In addition, she has provided tutoring at the language lab since 2019 and she worked as an office assistant in the Department of Language, Culture and the Arts from 2019 to 2022.

Yasmina has also been very active in campus groups. She has served as president of the French Club, the event coordinator of La Mezcla, and a member of the UNICEF Club, Active Minds, buildOn and the Arabic Club. As a member of the French Club, she helped in the co-sponsorship of buildOn’s first annual fundraising dinner.

Yasmina plans to pursue a master’s degree in educational leadership.Once she earns her graduate degree, she plans on working as an ESL coordinator or a classroom teacher.

Bianca Freeman, College of Education, Health, and Human Services

Bianca Freeman is receiving a Bachelor of Science in health and human services with a concentration in public health. She received university honors in 2022 and was named to the Dean’s List for eight semesters. She is the recipient of an Impact Opportunity Scholarship, the Go Blue Guarantee and a DTE E-Challenge Scholarship.

Bianca completed an internship with professors Natalie Sampson and Carmel Price on their research project, “U.S. Clean Air Act Title V Public Notices as Barriers to Environmental Justice: Lessons from a Plain Language Analysis,” for the Environmental Research-to-Action program. She presented the team’s preliminary findings at the 2022 American Public Health Association Conference.

In addition, Bianca is currently working on the DTE E-Challenge, helping to craft an energy savings plan for the ��-Dearborn campus. She also works on the All of Us study — a National Institutes of Health initiative that aims to build a diverse health database — at Henry Ford Health as a research recruitment specialist. In her role, Bianca informs people about Henry Ford Health’s ongoing research and why it is important.

Bianca volunteered in the Student Food Pantry for the Fall 2022 semester. Also, for one of her courses, she assisted with grant writing for the Concerned Residents of South Dearborn, a neighborhood association that focuses on social, economic and environmental concerns.

Bianca plans on pursuing a Master of Public Health degree. Before that, she will take a gap year to explore different public health career paths.

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

College of Education, Health, and Human Services

Off

Mon, 04/17/2023 - 16:47

Medallion awards are given to a select group of ��-Dearborn's top graduates — with one of those students receiving the Chancellor's Medallion. Here are the CASL and CEHHS recipients.

Chancellor Grasso on the past — and his next — five years

lblouin — Mon, 20 Feb 2023 17:50:05 +0000

Chancellor Grasso on the past — and his next — five years lblouin Mon, 02/20/2023 - 12:50

Last Thursday, the U-M Board of Regents extended Chancellor Domenico Grasso’s term to another five years. U-M President Santa J. Ono celebrated Grasso’s reappointment with a ��-Dearborn campuswide celebration on Friday. To a standing room-only crowd, Ono said he’s confident ��-Dearborn will continue to thrive with Grasso’s strategic mind and caring heart. “Beyond the accomplishments, which are many, in your first term . . . what resonated with me is how you made people feel,” said Ono, remarking on his time with Chancellor Grasso and the conversations he’s heard from campus community members. “We’re inspired by you, by this campus and by your leadership, Chancellor Grasso.”

Among those accomplishments: Since 2018 ��-Dearborn research funding has grown exponentially, graduation rates increased and there are record-breaking international student enrollment numbers. In addition, ��-Dearborn reorganized its financial aid model to better support students with the most financial need, the campus' Engineering Lab Building opened and we’ve navigated a pandemic.

Looking ahead to the next five years, Grasso shared with Reporter what he’s learned, the challenges he anticipates and a Judy Garland quote he applies to the ��-Dearborn campus.

One of the lines that stood out from your recent State of the University address was this idea of building a “model 21st-century nonresidential campus.” Could you paint us a picture of what that means to you, and in particular, why the nonresidential part is something we could now view as an asset?

That’s a great question, and I’m still queried about it by different people who have different views of what a university should be like. Part of the answer boils down to numbers. We have enough qualified individuals in southeastern Michigan who live within commuting distance and may not need or want a residential experience to populate our campus to its capacity and have a vibrant experience here. At the same time, we’re seeing that we can easily reach beyond our borders with online education. In terms of substance, my thinking about the 21st-century nonresidential campus draws on what I’m seeing, for example, in California, where people are excited to go to work at a place like Google or Amazon or Apple. They go to work there, they don't live there. But those campuses are very visually attractive and provide nourishing and exciting experiences while people are there. So why can’t we do the same thing?

What’s key to making that work is having activities and opportunities on campus that go beyond just taking classes. Of course, the main attraction will always involve outstanding classroom or laboratory experiences with our terrific faculty, but we want to have experiences that enrich our students' lives in other ways. You’re already seeing some of that, whether it's enhancing our outdoor spaces with the new Adirondack chairs, lawn games or student lounges like the Wolverine Commons. I’ve even asked our folks to explore the idea of sleeping pods, so students could take a nap between classes if they needed to. The idea is students can still have a rich experience with us, but they don't have to stay here at night or on weekends, and can live at home to save money, or live in a city like Detroit or Ann Arbor, if that’s more of the experience they’re looking for.

So you’ve been here five years now. Put us in the time machine and talk about how you were approaching the job then, and some ways in which your views have shifted as a result of getting to know the community better.

When I came here, I had some appreciation for the Dearborn campus, but all of my experiences to that point were on residential campuses. I was at UConn, Smith College, the University of Vermont and then the University of Delaware. They all had beautiful residence halls, especially Smith. Smith had this house system where they had dining in each of the houses and seated meals on Thursday nights. It was almost like being at a country club. When I came here, I saw that as something Dearborn didn’t have. Like many of my predecessors and many of the faculty members and even some students, my thinking was that congregate living would be the next evolution of this campus. But I think this is where that famous quote by Judy Garland applies: “Always be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else.” Having been here through the pandemic, seeing the resilience of our students and how they’re successfully fitting this type of college experience into their otherwise full lives, I began to think, why not double down on this? You don’t have to emulate what others are doing to do something great. We can make it an even better experience for the students we serve and differentiate ourselves in ways that appeal to this generation of students.

The other thing I’ve really come to appreciate greatly is the difference that we make in our students' lives. Every president says that — and believes it — but the difference we make in our students' lives is truly remarkable. Because of the demographic groups we serve, when students come in, many seem timid about exploring the potential they have, or maybe even feel like they’re not worthy. By the time they leave, they’re self-confident, they have bright futures ahead of them, they’re changing their lives, the lives of their families, and then giving a hand up to others coming up behind them. That’s just so inspirational. I was somewhat familiar that this was the culture at Dearborn, but to be able to experience that on the day-to-day, that’s just the best feeling.

��-Dearborn Chancellor Domenico Grasso, his wife, Susan Hull Grasso (left), and U-M President Santa Ono (right) pose for a photo at the chancellor's reappointment reception at the Renick University Center. Credit: Michigan Photography

What are some areas you’d point to where we’re in a substantially different place now than five years ago?

Research is certainly one area. I think our faculty have enormous talent, but in the past, we weren’t always supporting them to the extent that they deserved. Now we are, and you’re seeing it pay off in a huge growth in research funding from external sources and in the impact their research is having. I think another area I see a significant shift is student success. We put a lot of new programs in place and our four-year graduation rate grew by 3%. I think we should be extremely proud of that, especially given the challenges universities and students faced over the past few years. Another thing I’m really proud of is the shift in our financial aid strategy to prioritize student need. Affordability is obviously a major factor in whether someone feels like a college experience is within reach, and frankly, I didn’t feel like we were using our financial aid resources most efficiently.

If we were doing this interview five years from now, what’s something you would hope you can add to the list of successes?

I’m hoping we can say that leveraging our 21st century non-residential experience and practice-based learning (PBL) model as differentiators is paying big dividends. I want to be able to say that we’re doing it in the classroom, we’re doing it in communities, and it’s ubiquitous across all disciplines. Our students will still be getting great classroom education, but it’s contextualized in real-world problems and on a beautiful, exciting and engaging campus. Industry and community partners are banging down our doors to be part of our practice-based programs and then hire our students. That’s what I see, and I think we can do it. I think PBL could really become a distinguishing identity of the university. A lot of schools do things like this and call it different things, like co-ops or applied work. Practice-based learning is sort of like that, but it’s a bit different because it’s not just about the experience off campus. Yes, we’ll still have internships and co-ops and other activities off campus. But during classroom time, we’re going to contextualize their work in engaging, collaborative and holistic practical problem solving, so it’s a continuum from the classroom to off-campus and then back to the classroom. This integrated approach is what will differentiate practice-based learning.

It feels like a bit of a tumultuous time for higher education. From your perch, what do you see as our biggest challenge over the next five years, and how can we cope with it?

Without a doubt, the biggest challenge will be the demographic downturn in southeastern Michigan. We’ll simply have fewer college-ready students graduating from high schools, and we, and our peer institutions, will still have the same number of faculty members and seats in our classrooms. We’ll now be competing more directly with each other, and we’ll either fill those seats or some will need to downsize. So we have to offer something that is going to be unique, or, if not unique, something that strongly differentiates us and is going to be worth coming here as opposed to going somewhere else. I think we’re still a terrific bargain, but we’re not that far away from the other public universities in this area in terms of cost. It’s a difference of only a few hundred dollars. So we have to offer something to students that they feel is worth it. Practice-based learning can be that. But of course the other thing that differentiates us is a Michigan degree. That block M is one of the most iconic symbols in all of higher education, in the U.S. and around the world. If you were going to give someone a passport for success, I think a University of Michigan degree would be high on that list of credentials.

###

Interview by Lou Blouin. Introduction by Sarah Tuxbury.

Administration & Governance

University-wide

Chancellor

Off

Mon, 02/20/2023 - 17:49

Fresh off his reappointment by the U-M Board of Regents, the ��-Dearborn Chancellor talks candidly about what we’ve accomplished and where we’re headed next.

Credit: Michigan Photography

Highlights from the 2023 State of the University

lblouin — Mon, 13 Feb 2023 17:02:31 +0000

Highlights from the 2023 State of the University lblouin Mon, 02/13/2023 - 12:02

This is the second straight year ��-Dearborn has hosted a State of the University (SOTU) event, and the 2023 edition broke with some typical traditions of the “state-of-the-X” format. Chancellor Grasso did deliver an executive address full of recent accomplishments and future challenges, but he also passed the mic. Thursday’s hour-long gathering of the campus community featured several short conversations with students and staff, video presentations from faculty in all four colleges, a personal look at the impact of the Go Blue Guarantee, and a warm welcome for the university’s new therapy dog, Moses. In case you weren’t able to make it, we’ve summed up some of the key takeaways from the State of the University below.

Chancellor Grasso says the university is “ready to take off”

Grasso is finishing his fifth year as ��-Dearborn chancellor, and as you’ve likely heard, he’s being officially recommended for reappointment by President Ono at this month’s Regents meeting. In his SOTU remarks, Grasso recapped much of the recent hard work that’s put the university in a strong position for a bright future. For starters, ��-Dearborn is in good financial shape. Despite challenges posed by the pandemic, our financial reserves have grown, philanthropic giving remains a top priority, and we’ve doubled our external research funding. In addition, many core aspects of the GO BLUEprint for Success strategic plan are now in the implementation phase, and several more are set to launch soon. Most recently, the university released and is seeking feedback on a draft strategic enrollment plan. Other metrics, like a 3% boost in the four-year graduation rate, also demonstrate things are heading in the right direction. “Over the past five years, we’ve invested significant efforts in crafting our collective vision for the future,” Grasso said. “We’ve built the runway. We have a flight plan. And now we’re ready to take off.”

The Go Blue Guarantee is having an impact

Thursday’s SOTU was one of the first times campus has had an opportunity to hear personal stories about the impact of the Go Blue Guarantee, ��-Dearborn’s free tuition program for high achieving, in-state students from lower-income backgrounds. In a short video, Business Administration student Valeria Garcia-Lopez and Computer Engineering student Puwadon Sapprasent shared that the program has not only made their college experiences possible, it’s made them more well-rounded students, because it’s given them more time to focus on their studies and explore extracurricular opportunities. This year, 839 students are attending ��-Dearborn on the Go Blue Guarantee.

The Wolverine Mentor Collective is connecting students

The campus community also heard some firsthand experiences from students in a relatively new student-to-student mentoring program. The Wolverine Mentor Collective has three different tracks depending on where a student is in their college journey. For a new program, participation certainly hasn’t been a problem. This year, 693 students are matched with 253 mentors across the three programs, and it’s been a useful experience for both the mentors and mentees. Mentor Nicole Johnson, who is a nontraditional student, says it’s been a nice way to take her life experiences and “pay those lessons forward.” Mentee Victoria Maes credits the program with helping her make the transition from high school, noting the convenience of being able to call or text her mentor with questions she had about academics or campus life.

A new marketing and branding strategy is ready for launch

The university has been working on a new core messaging strategy for the past year-plus, and it’s now ready to roll out. The new marketing plan, which was facilitated by marketing firm Carnegie Darlett, takes into account feedback from faculty, students and staff, information about our competitor institutions, and how we’re viewed in the core communities we serve. Vice Chancellor for External Relations Ken Kettenbeil says the real strength of the plan is “looking at the university as a person” and defining some core “personality traits.” The three core personas — the Empowering Nurturer, the Industrious Creator and the Analytical Explorer — are fleshed out in a new brand toolkit, which includes practical ideas for how to use these personas effectively and blend them with key university differentiators, like practiced-based learning and the Michigan experience. Look for the new brand toolkit in the next few days. Now through the end of August, look for the new messaging to appear in updated multimedia assets, photography, light pole banners, digital ads, billboards and the university website. In addition, expect a mini-campaign to highlight perks of attending ��-Dearborn — the latest being free U-M football season tickets for incoming full-time first-year students this fall.

No surprise, but our faculty are doing lots of cool things

The SOTU also showcased some of the work that our faculty are doing in all four colleges. In a video presentation, Associate Professor of Human Centered Engineering Design Georges Ayoub explained how he and his students are working to solve a fundamental problem in plastics recycling. Assistant Professor of Physics Suvranta Tripathy highlighted a multidisciplinary practice-based learning course he and Biology Associate Professor Kalyan Kondapalli, Assistant Professor of Neurobiology Dr. Zhi (Elena) Zhang, and Chemistry Professor Krisanu Bandyopadhyay have developed to give students learning opportunities in the groundbreaking discipline of nanomedicine. Finance Lecturer Nick Vlisides gave a tour of some of the cool things happening in the Bloomberg Finance Lab, including the inner workings of a student-managed fund with real money that outperformed the S&P 500 last year. And Associate Professor of Public Health Natalie Sampson showcased Environmental Health Research-to-Action, a project that’s helping neighborhoods impacted by heavy industry use data and research to advocate for environmentally just outcomes.

Expanded services for mental health and student support

The university continues to expand its slate of non-academic support services for students. To meet the growing demand for mental health services, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Director Sara Byczek says they’ve not only added more staff, but more options, like peer mentoring and Zoom appointments, which make care more accessible. A new partnership with University Health Services is enabling the university to provide psychiatric services for the first time, and CAPS is also offering students psychological and cognitive assessments for things like learning disabilities or ADHD. In addition, the university recently launched Dearborn Support, which oversees the Student Food Pantry and helps students navigate difficult life circumstances, like a hospitalization or financial emergency. The newest face on the university’s growing wellness team is Moses, the university’s new therapy dog, who made his debut at the tail end of the event. Byczek says group or individual sessions with the 15-month-old mini goldendoodle are “available by request.”

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Still want more details from Thursday’s State of the University event? You can watch the full SOTU event on the university’s YouTube channel. Story by Lou Blouin

University-wide

Chancellor

Off

Mon, 02/13/2023 - 16:59

Couldn’t make this year’s State of the University event? We have you covered with a breakdown of Chancellor Grasso’s remarks, presentations from faculty, staff and students, and the debut of the university's new therapy dog, Moses.

Chancellor Domenico Grasso talks with Dearborn Support Coordinator Maddie Drury (center) and Counseling and Psychological Services Director Sara Byczek (right) at the 2023 State of the University event. Credit: Michigan Photography

Staff contributions in 2019 honored during annual awards

rudmehta — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 19:13:12 +0000

Staff contributions in 2019 honored during annual awards rudmehta Thu, 02/02/2023 - 14:13

M-Dearborn honored more than 120 staff members this summer during the annual Chancellor's Staff Recognition Awards ceremony. The ceremony recognizes staff members for the significant contributions they make toward the university's mission.

Provost Catherine A. Davy greeted nearly 200 staff members and guests — an attendance record — at the awards, which took place Wednesday, June 5, in Fairlane Center.

“Congratulations to all of you. Our staff is dedicated. The people celebrating milestone anniversaries have a combined 1745 years of service to the university,” Davy shared in her welcoming remarks. “And for the five awards given today, there were 40 nominations. That’s a testament to the esteem in which you hold each other.”

In addition to Davy’s remarks, Early Education Associate Professor LaShorage Shaffer spoke on behalf of the Early Childhood Education Center, the community impact partner highlighted during the event.

To further highlight great work done around the university, five awards were presented during the ceremony: Exceptional Service, Exceptional Performance, Exceptional Team Award, Exceptional Long-term Achievement and Outstanding Services to the Metropolitan Community and University.

Award recipients were nominated by faculty, staff and students. The Chancellor’s Staff Recognition Awards committee, co-chaired by Helene Boldarini, Amanda Hill and Jonathan Larson, selected the winners.

2019 Award Winners

Exceptional Service Award winner: Stacy Eglinton, account lead in Financial Services

Stacy received several nominations from a variety of departments in two different categories. To quote some excerpts from her nominations:
- Stacy always does a great job balancing service and education with all her customer groups.
- Stacy is always willing to help staff, faculty and if needed, students. She's built a positive rapport with all departments across campus.
- Stacy really wants to see the campus as a whole succeed.

Exceptional Performance Award winner:
Sue Flannery, administrative specialist in the Mardigian Library

Here is an excerpt from Sue’s nomination:
Susan Flannery has been an absolutely exceptional Administrative Specialist (and the only administrative specialist for a staff of 22). With Sue's help, the library has expanded research and writing opportunities for faculty and increased the number of events for students in the gallery.

Exceptional Team Award winner:
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

Team members include senior staff Bernadette Trisko, Sara Byczek, Vivian Stovall, Vivian Saroki-Keller, Lusine Hambardzumyan, Jimmy Vuang and Judy Walker, and externs Carmen Cochran, Ellen Hard, Jessica Ryder, Joseph Mitchell, Scott Tomey and Shelby Flanagan.

Here’s an excerpt from the team’s nomination:
The staff has been able to counsel students with severe mental health issues, including suicidal ideation, self-injurious behaviors, depression, personality disorders, and much more. Those initiatives have helped provide more resources for students on campus - outside of individual counseling - and in the community so that students have access to services.

Long-term Service Award winner: Renee Mainor, senior human resources consultant

Here is an excerpt from Renee’s nomination:
In the most recent ‘call to action’ from Chancellor Grasso, the core values for our campus included the ability to create and sustain a culture of respect, inclusion and diversity. No one is better poised to model this behavior for our campus than Renee Mainor. She exemplifies respect for every single person who walks in the door and makes everyone feel welcome when they arrive at our office. She has established a reputation for herself that sets her apart from others, making her extraordinarily kind and a positive energy to be around all the time.

Outstanding Service to the Metropolitan Community and University Award winner: Rick Simek, program supervisor for the Environmental Interpretive Center’s Natural Areas

Here is an excerpt from Rick’s nomination:
Richard develops and oversees the educational interpretive programs for area schools. 12,000-15,000 school children visit the EIC annually. This is often their first experience with the university, and many come back as students. He holds regular Stewardship Saturdays to involve local residents, community groups and businesses such as Ford Motor and local scout troops to help with projects such as maintaining trails, developing boardwalks, and removing invasive species. He also manages the community organic garden which is available to the public.

Milestone anniversaries

The Class of 2014, celebrating 5 years of service includes
Larry Arpi, Matthew Beaudry, Jason Bolton, Danielle Carardese, Rex Chang, Elizabeth Clark, Lisa Copeland, Meg Daniels, Randy Dillard, Chelsea Doyle, Susan Estep, Dana Fennessey, Christina Frendo, Rachael Gibbs, Eva Gogola, Kevin Headrick, John Howes, Charlene Hughes, Marvelena James, Bradley Jones, Alyssa Kata, Natalie Kuhn, Taylor Langley, Dragan Lazin, Nina Loveberry, Molly Manley, Daniel Merian, Danielle Muelenbein, Lanie Offman, Ryan Rafko, David Reynolds, Becky Richardson, Kristen Sanchez, Jason Sands, Shayna Sell, Ann Serra, Brittnie Smith, Jesse Stanghini, Eric Stark, Thomas Stockwell, Timothy Streasick, Paquenia Suggs, Sarah Tuxbury, Jerry Van Couwenberghe, Robert Ward, Nikki Wasilius, Tuere Wheeler and Cynthia Williams.

The Class of 2009, celebrating 10 years of service includes
Deidra Berry, Maria Cheatham, Sarah Dorchak, Bill Fluharty, Benjamin Goraj, Shirley Greene, Tracy Hall, Emily Hamilton, Ian Hawkins, Christina Hu, Ellen Judge-Gonzalez, Christine Kelly-Williams, Jonathan Larson, Michael Ogozaly, Cameron Parkins, Lee Savage, Kelly Schester, Catherine Stone and Steve Williams.

The Class of 2004, celebrating 15 years of service includes
Bryan Earl, Jeff Evans, Amy Finley, Tamarah Hawkins, Jeremie McCoy,
Patricia Raredon, James Shearer and Wren Yarber.

The Class of 1999, celebrating 20 years of service includes:
Sherry Boyd, Andretta Bozeman, Tammy Casey, John Cristiano,
Karen Cunningham, Stacy Eglinton, Susan Flannery, Sherie Modelski, Michael Perrin, Britta Roan and Karen Stone.

The Class of 1994, celebrating 25 years of services includes
Scott Alexander, Sherri Frost, Sabrina Guyton, Patricia Jones, Eric Kirk, Vanessa Maxwell, Leigh McGrath, Kathleen Milligan, Richard Simek, Emily Wang and Elizabeth Woodson.

The Class of 1989, celebrating 30 years of service includes
Joanne Bond, Linda Burt, Julie Dunckel, Mark Hostetter, Randy Meyer, Jody Pear and Stephen Sersen.

The Class of 1984, celebrating 35 years of service includes
Sandra Beck, Marlene Dupre, Geoffrey Hosker, Harry Johnson, Renee Mainor and Melisa Wilson.

The Class of 1979, celebrating 40 years of service includes
Linda Grimm and Patricia Schlaff.

The Class of 1974, celebrating 45 years of service includes
John Kaszewski, Carolyn Kraus and Linda McLachlan.

Awards

Faculty and Staff

Chancellor

Off

Wed, 06/19/2019 - 05:00

The Chancellor’s Staff Recognition Awards ceremony honored more than 120 staff members for their contributions to campus.

��-Dearborn celebrates 30th Annual MLK Day of Service

stuxbury — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 22:03:45 +0000

��-Dearborn celebrates 30th Annual MLK Day of Service stuxbury Mon, 01/16/2023 - 17:03

On Monday, athletes, academics, alumni and others came together as advocates. For the 30th year at ��-Dearborn, hundreds of people went out to help others in the name and memory of Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.

During that 30 years, Chancellor Domenico Grasso said 8500 people have volunteered 42,000 hours in Detroit and the surrounding areas.

“This year is especially important to us because a few months ago we dedicated our University Center after James Renick, who was the chancellor that started this MLK Day of Service,” Grasso said. “We are indebted to him, not only for starting this, but for reaching out to our community and building stronger partnerships.”

Volunteers from ��-Dearborn, Henry Ford College and throughout the community lent a helping hand and inspired positive change. They had the option to serve in person or work remotely to support community agencies like the Capuchin Services Center, Gleaners, Eternal Light and Forgotten Harvest.

At the Arts & Scraps table in ��-Dearborn’s Fairlane Center, Delta Sigma Theta sorority chapter President Destiny Proffett sorted craft supplies to be used in schools and community programs. Proffett said she looks forward to volunteering on MLK Day because of the solidarity she sees.

“It’s important to get out and give of yourself to help others,” said Proffett, who volunteered with members from her organization. “Dr. King strongly believed in service. Hopefully a day like today creates a spark that lights the way for a lifelong commitment to service.”

During welcome remarks, ��-Dearborn Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Keisha Blevins talked about the power of voice. She said people honor Dr. King’s legacy by getting involved and by speaking up — not just on MLK Day or this week, but every day.

“Dr. King’s determination for equal rights and service to others should speak to all of us as human beings. He believed that we had a responsibility to not only use our own voices but to also speak on behalf of those whose voices are being silenced and to make room for them,” she said. “We are fortunate to be a part of a university that believes in inclusion and community impact.”

See what ��-Dearborn and Henry Ford College volunteers did during the 30th Annual MLK Day of Service.

Chancellor Domenico Grasso works with Brooke Garland at the Arts & Scraps table in campus' Fairlane Center North to create bags of materials to send to local schools and community organizations.

��-Dearborn students Jack Meyers and Allyssa Decato sorted boxes of craft supplies at Arts & Scraps in Detroit.

Fairlane Center was set up to pack meals for Kids Against Hunger, which has provided a total of 162 million meals to children and families in need in 65 countries.

��-Dearborn Chief Officer for Inclusion and Diversity Keisha Blevins and graduate student Alvita Yathati package the nutrient mix, which will be sent to hungry families.

MLK Day of Service volunteers spent the day at the Capuchin Services Center in Detroit.

Students, alumni, staff and children spent time knitting hats and scarves to donate to homeless shelters. Abigail Awood, 10, crocheted with her mother ��-Dearborn Graduate Programs Coordinator Rebekah Awood.

��-Dearborn cross country runners Gavin Llewelyn and Luke Kaferle made rollable plastic mats with carrying handles for homeless shelters.

MLK Day of Service volunteers spent time at Gleaners in Taylor, where they sorted food items, packaged boxes that will be distributed to people in need in the southeastern Michigan region.

Office of TRIO Programs Adviser Rachel Leonard, right, and ��-Dearborn TRIO tutor/mentors Gigi Nassir, left, and Austin Kipfmiller, center, finish making a fleece blanket. The blankets made will be send to nonprofit organizations like Vista Maria.

Have photos of the MLK Day of Service that you'd like us to add? Reach out to umdearborn-news@umich.edu.

Campus Life

Volunteer or Community Service

Center for Social Justice and Inclusion

Chancellor

Off

Mon, 01/16/2023 - 22:01

The MLK Day of Service hosted nearly 400 volunteers who served at 10 sites at ��-Dearborn and in the community.

��-Dearborn students Vanessa Coly, Savannah Welch and Morgan Jones making roll up mats out of plastic bags that will be donated to organizations like Vista Maria. Photos by Sarah Tuxbury

Campus building debuts new name: the James C. Renick University Center

stuxbury — Mon, 21 Nov 2022 18:13:10 +0000

Campus building debuts new name: the James C. Renick University Center stuxbury Mon, 11/21/2022 - 13:13

There’s a name across the top of the wall when you walk into ��-Dearborn’s most frequented building: James C. Renick University Center.

Chancellor Domenico Grasso recommended this honor for the university’s fourth chancellor, James C. Renick, and his lasting impact on campus as a way to outwardly celebrate Renick’s legacy. Renick, who passed away at age 72 in 2021, served ��-Dearborn from 1993 through 1999.

“This is the first honorific named building on our campus. It’s fitting for it to be named for James C. Renick because he lived up to our moniker of ‘Leaders and Best.’ He was committed to helping people gain access to earning a quality education like a Michigan degree,” Grasso said during a Nov. 17 naming ceremony, which was attended by Renick’s wife of 43 years, Peggy, daughter Karinda, son-in-law Nicholas and grandchildren Kasch, 11, and Kruz, 8.

Under Renick’s guidance, Grasso said the university experienced record enrollment growth and completed its first capital campaign. The Management, Engineering and the Center for Corporate and Professional Development buildings were completed. And construction on the Environmental Interpretive Center, the Wellness Center, and the new College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters buildings were started.

But, most importantly, Renick laid important groundwork to be inclusive in practice and responsive to community needs. There is already a nearly 30-year tribute in the UC to Renick’s contributions to campus — although his name isn’t on it — the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service T-shirt display, which is prominently visible on the wall near the Bookstore.

With a focus on building relationships with business, political leaders, local schools and social communities, Renick initiated a Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service at the university. Now an annual campus tradition, students, faculty, staff and alumni work together to make an impact in Detroit, Dearborn and other Southeastern Michigan communities in positive ways.

“Chancellor Renick held a strong commitment to student success while positioning the campus to be more responsive to the cultural, social, economic and intellectual issues of southeast Michigan,” Grasso said.

Humanities Professor Deborah Smith Pollard, an internationally renowned researcher on the origins and evolution of Gospel music, said Renick’s time on campus profoundly impacted her career. She said his support of Black artists — sculptor Elizabeth Catlett, poet Nikki Giovanni, artist Jacob Lawrence and novelist Margaret Walker came to campus — and inclusive practices lifted the ��-Dearborn community up and provided an environment where people could thrive.

After I applied to be an assistant professor of English and Humanities and then was offered the position here at University of Michigan-Dearborn (in 1995), a friend of mine told me not to take the job because she did not think it would be a safe city to work in for someone who looks like me," Smith Pollard said. "Well, things have worked out fairly well for this full professor in part because an African American chancellor was in charge when I came in, and he had several things in place that made me feel welcomed and seen."

As well-connected as Renick was — even President Bill Clinton made a stop on campus while Renick was here — his family shared another side of the chancellor with people gathered at the celebration: the polished professional let loose a bit when it came to his grandsons. He took them golfing and “spoiled them,” said Peggy Renick.

As a tribute video played, grandson Kruz laid his head on his dad’s shoulder. Daughter Karinda Renick took photos of Kasch — who said he misses his “Chacho” — next to her father’s engraved image, which is prominently displayed in the Renick UC hall.

At the conclusion of the naming ceremony, Peggy Renick gave hugs and thanks to people in attendance who she hasn’t seen in years, including Smith Pollard, Custodian Vanessa Maxwell, Renick’s former Administrative Assistant Adele Henry and retired Athletics and Recreation Director Peggy Foss.

"Dr. Renick was one of a kind. He made a difference in the campus atmosphere,” Foss said in video-recorded comments. “Knowing him, he would have been very humbled. It’s well deserved. I’m so excited that this is happening for him.”

Peggy Renick said the time spent at ��-Dearborn and in the Dearborn community felt like a return home. "It’s been so wonderful seeing everyone. It’s like we never left,” she said. “I’m so thankful to the Board of Regents and Chancellor Grasso for honoring Jim in this way. I can’t even express how much I wish he was here to see it.”

Grasso said the Renick UC is the heart of the campus. And it's a fitting tribute for a leader who made such a strong impact — still felt decades later — in the university community.

Article by Sarah Tuxbury.

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Mon, 11/21/2022 - 18:12

The fourth chancellor’s legacy of campus growth, inclusive strides and community partnerships is recognized through naming the “heart of campus” in his honor.

Chancellor

Highlights from the 2025 State of the University

More students are crossing the finish line to graduation.

Overall enrollment is encouraging, but there is still work to do.

Fundraising is essential to maintaining the mission.

Student success initiatives are having a big impact.

Great spaces encourage students to stay.

Takeaways from the Oct. 15 Conversation with the Chancellor

There’s a lot of good news on enrollment and the university budget

The capital campaign is off to a solid start

What ‘institutional neutrality’ means for ������-Dearborn

The future of DEI at ������-Dearborn

Other highlights

Can we still find a path to civil discourse?

HLC report: ������-Dearborn educates students to meet 21st-century challenges

Honored for Excellence

Diana Nichols, College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

Elizabeth O’Hotzke, College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

Richard Tharrett, College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

Katrina M. Chester, College of Education, Health, and Human Services

Yasmina Elmeligi, College of Education, Health, and Human Services

Bianca Freeman, College of Education, Health, and Human Services

Chancellor Grasso on the past — and his next — five years

Highlights from the 2023 State of the University

Chancellor Grasso says the university is “ready to take off”

The Go Blue Guarantee is having an impact

The Wolverine Mentor Collective is connecting students

A new marketing and branding strategy is ready for launch

No surprise, but our faculty are doing lots of cool things

Expanded services for mental health and student support

Staff contributions in 2019 honored during annual awards

2019 Award Winners

Exceptional Service Award winner: Stacy Eglinton, account lead in Financial Services

Exceptional Performance Award winner: Sue Flannery, administrative specialist in the Mardigian Library

Exceptional Team Award winner: Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

Long-term Service Award winner: Renee Mainor, senior human resources consultant

Outstanding Service to the Metropolitan Community and University Award winner: Rick Simek, program supervisor for the Environmental Interpretive Center’s Natural Areas

Milestone anniversaries

������-Dearborn celebrates 30th Annual MLK Day of Service

See what ������-Dearborn and Henry Ford College volunteers did during the 30th Annual MLK Day of Service.

Campus building debuts new name: the James C. Renick University Center

What ‘institutional neutrality’ means for ��-Dearborn

The future of DEI at ��-Dearborn

HLC report: ��-Dearborn educates students to meet 21st-century challenges

Exceptional Performance Award winner:
Sue Flannery, administrative specialist in the Mardigian Library

Exceptional Team Award winner:
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

��-Dearborn celebrates 30th Annual MLK Day of Service

See what ��-Dearborn and Henry Ford College volunteers did during the 30th Annual MLK Day of Service.