Talent Gateway

College of Business student Adrian Maloy juggles many roles to capitalize on the college experience

rudmehta — Sat, 05 Nov 2022 22:14:05 +0000

College of Business student Adrian Maloy juggles many roles to capitalize on the college experience rudmehta Sat, 11/05/2022 - 18:14

Adrian Maloy is everywhere on campus. From dawn ’til past dusk at least four days a week, the accounting and finance student travels from the Combined Services Building to the Administration Building to the University Center to Fairlane Center to the CASL Building. It’s not always in that order, of course. But, with a campus footprint like that, you may have crossed paths.

Always on the lookout for business experience, the entrepreneurial thinker constantly searches for new titles and new ways to expand his network or develop skills. If you ask Maloy, he doesn’t feel he’s doing anything overly ambitious; he’s just enjoying college. He said there’s so much here — you just need to be open risks and development opportunities.

We recently spent some time with Maloy to see how he makes the most return-on-investment throughout his day.

8:21 a.m. Remembering the important things at Westborn Market.

I try to get up early so I can run errands for my grandma in the mornings, like grab a few things from the grocery store or pick up her prescriptions before I go to school. Today is a little different because I’m shopping for her birthday. I try to get her flowers at least once a month, but she prefers plants. Her birthday is today, so I want to find a plant I think she’d like.

It’s important to honor and care for those who come before you. Showing appreciation is essential. It lets people know that they are valued and that they’re never too far from your mind.

8:45 a.m. Looking for the positive during hectic times.

This morning my car was stuck behind a stalled garbage truck and I was worried about running late. It’s not my style and I feel a bit off my game. I just realized that I didn’t pack a lunch. I have my internship until 3, so I need to grab something.

Maybe it’s a sign the today’s going to be a good one after all. I realized I forgot lunch when I was still at the store. That’s a win.

10:07 a.m. Creating a better process, developing new skills.

I’ve worked as a Business Affairs intern since January. I rotate to the different campus offices like Public Safety, Facilities Operations and the Business Affairs office. The main project I’m working on now is for Facilities Operations. It’s a dashboard project that will help with reporting — there are seven managers in Fac Ops, and my goal is to create a way for them to easily read and review user reports. The dashboard project touches on a lot of data analytics and finding the right way to visualize data so that it’s easy to read.

Sometimes numbers can look like jibberish when you don’t know what you are looking at; so I’m working to create something for the data to make sense at first glance. The work I’m doing at this internship is helping me hone in on how to briefly and concisely present information in an easily understood way. For someone who plans to work with numbers to convey financial information, that’s a good skill to learn.

4:10 p.m. Helping others figure out this college thing.

When I saw that Counseling Services was starting a peer mentor program this year, I signed up and trained to be a facilitator. I listen in a group situation to college students who are facing emotional and mental obstacles. I wanted to do this because I know how that negative energy can take you away from your goals.

When I first got here for college, I had just gone through a breakup. We grew up together, and it was weird to not have that person there anymore. So I was in college, knowing I had a great opportunity to take, and not focusing on school. I went to counseling, they helped me through the process and I’m cool now. I’m in a good place.

I want to help other people get there too.

5:43 p.m. Giving ideas during a transformational time.

As business manager for the Michigan Journal student newspaper, I’ve been helping with getting us into the digital age. Last year the focus was on beginning a website; now we have one. Our goal at the Michigan Journal is to touch people’s lives and get as many eyes on the product as possible. I think a digital medium can get us there faster than paper.

Don’t worry — we aren’t getting rid of the paper version, but hear me out: The overhead cost is lower since there isn’t a physical product to create and deliver, it can always have the latest news since there isn't a cut-off time for digital, it can be shared to a larger audience and you can track the metrics. I think that would help us sell more ads, which would create a better and more profitable product. There is a market for paper and news is important, especially today. So I don’t want to come across as bashing it; I’m proud to be here. But it is important to regularly evaluate a product to make sure it matches the needs of the intended audience.

You can tell I’m the business student, can’t you?

7:35 p.m. Gaining other perspectives.

When I was structuring my degree, I chose to major in accounting to explore the inner workings of business on an intimate level and finance to explore it on a broad scope. I’m also minoring in both economics to focus on trends and psychology to understand the humanistic aspect on why people react the way they do to certain things.

Professor [Suzanne] Bergeron’s Economics Development course was an elective for me, but I wanted to take it because she’s got a great reputation as an econ teacher and I want to better understand economic development from across the globe; this class has really pulled all of my academic interests together. It’s really helped me understand how development works, the options available to foster growth and how global economies interact with each other to create policy.

But the most important thing I learned is: You can’t always throw money on a problem to fix it. There are other variables at work when building economies, like the importance of human capital and investing in the institutions that broaden the skillset and knowledge of people. Money is great; but it’s not always the answer.

9:36 p.m. Knowing that family comes first.

Usually I stay on campus after class to study for a bit in the library. But I’ll do that tomorrow. Grandma should still be up and I want to make sure I get to see her on her birthday.

Campus Life

Careers or Internships

College of Business

Accounting and Finance

Talent Gateway

Off

Mon, 12/10/2018 - 06:00

His goal stays the same — to get the most life experience as possible — but Maloy’s chosen path to success means many location and title changes throughout his typical day.

Leaders and best

rudmehta — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 14:41:49 +0000

Leaders and best rudmehta Thu, 09/08/2022 - 10:41

This article was originally published on October 7, 2019.

While working on Wall Street over the summer, senior Adrian Maloy, spoke to a banking colleague who shared what it was like to attend a Forbes Under 30 Summit.

Told the annual international gathering — a place where well known investors, celebrities, musicians, sports stars, cultural icons and business leaders lead discussions and interactive workshops — allows for students to have networking opportunities with big names, the accounting and finance major was intrigued.

“That sold me,” Maloy says. “But I also like that so many people attend (nearly 10,000 are expected from more than 70 countries) and the idea that I’ll be able to meet students from around the world and get different perspectives.” Looking further into the Summit, he noticed the 2019 national conference is in Detroit.

Not only did Maloy apply for a Forbes scholarship to attend the four-day event, he encouraged his College of Business classmates and Alpha Kappa Psi Business Fraternity members to do the same.

The result? Eight College of Business students — including Maloy — were named to the Forbes Under 30 Scholars Program: Finance major Devon Callaghan, Accounting and Finance major Rosa Gonzalez, Marketing major Kristina Lee, MSA graduate student Ankita Mangal, Accounting and Finance major Deyala Shammout, Digital Marketing and Information Technology Systems major Marta Szkiladz and Accounting major Stephen Zeng.

The scholars will hear from speakers like Athlete/ Serena Ventures CEO Serena Williams, Poshmark CEO Manish Chandra, and Anduril Industries & Oculus VR Founder Palmer Luckey. The College of Business Dean’s office has offered to cover any additional registration costs so selected students can attend for free.

“Who doesn’t read Forbes or know about it?,” says Lee, who’s looking forward to hearing from Williams and others about marketing. “In addition to learning more myself, I plan to bring back any advice shared to AMA (American Marketing Association) and to my classes.”

The Forbes Under 30 Summit is Oct. 27 through 31; the majority of the program takes place at the Masonic Temple, with the last day focusing on community service in and around Detroit. The 2020 and 2021 Forbes Under 30 summits are also in Detroit.

Experiential Learning

Student Success

College of Business

Talent Gateway

Off

Mon, 10/07/2019 - 05:00

Several College of Business students were awarded scholarships to attend first Forbes Under 30 Summit in Detroit

'I've had four amazing years. Coronavirus can't take that from me.'

rudmehta — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 17:55:08 +0000

'I've had four amazing years. Coronavirus can't take that from me.' rudmehta Mon, 07/25/2022 - 13:55

This article was originally published on April 13, 2020.

Rosa Gonzalez has been thinking about her college graduation day since she was a child. Her parents moved to the U.S. from Mexico when she was 7 — they wanted a better life for their family, including access to a quality education.

“My parents came to the U.S. for us to succeed. They left everything behind and had to start over for us,” Gonzalez said. “When I have a hard day, that’s what I remember.”

The College of Business senior looked forward to wearing her cap and gown in family pictures outside of U-M’s Crisler Arena on April 26. She planned to wear her maize (M)Talent stole she earned through presenting at the (M)Talent Showcase. At the graduation party afterward, Gonzalez wanted her mom to make a favorite dish — tacos, with a variety of homemade salsas — for a large crowd of family and friends to enjoy.

But due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Gonzalez— and millions of college students around the world — had those best-laid plans changed. “I know this is not anyone’s fault and people are doing the best they can, but I wanted my parents to see me graduate this month. I worked so hard for this. And so did they.”

Rosa Gonzalez, back row, second from left, and her family

Office of Student Life Interim Associate Director Tyler Guenette, who has known Gonzalez since her freshman year, said a milestone like graduation is important to commemorate. He said it is an especially big deal for ��-Dearborn, a campus where 40-percent of students are first-generation graduates.

“Sometimes families, like mine — I was the first in my family to go to college — think of college as this abstract concept,” Guenette said. “But a graduation ceremony is something tangible that people understand. Some experience it in middle school and most do in high school — it’s universal. Everyone is well aware of its importance. But when that is missing, there can be feelings that there’s been a loss of significance of those accomplishments or a loss of closure. When you walk across the stage, it symbolizes the end of one chapter and the beginning of the next. That’s why it’s important to find ways to honor our students.”

To make sure the Spring Class of 2020 gets their deserved recognition, ��-Dearborn leadership shared alternative graduation plans with students last week. These range from posting experiences virtually this month to a commencement ceremony in December.

Gonzalez said she’s glad campus is giving graduates the option to participate in the winter ceremony. And she’s recently worked through her disappointment over April’s canceled commencement by looking for a silver lining in the abrupt end of her senior year — Gonzalez said she found it by reflecting on her college journey.

Gonzalez said her college success started when she took part in campus’ first group of ��-Dearborn’s Opportunity Scholars, now called Engaged Scholar Community, which is a cohort for high-achieving students from economically disadvantaged high schools. It helped connect her to employment opportunities, scholarships, student organizations and more. “To be honest, college was so confusing at first. It seemed so big and I didn’t know where to go. But I wasn’t going to let that stop me from going to Michigan. Once I got to campus, I learned that I picked a university where people are ready to connect you to whatever you need to graduate. If you have the drive, they will get you there.”

Gonzalez attended the Forbes Under 30 Summit, an international business conference that took place in Detroit last fall with the assistance of a scholarship from Forbes and the College of Business.

She got to travel — one of her most memorable experiences was going to Memphis, Tenn. for the campus’ Alternative Breaks volunteer program, which she helped organize. One of her service projects was teaching young Hispanic children how to read in an after-school program. “When I was growing up, I went to one just like it. It brought me back to when I was in elementary school. I only spoke Spanish and I didn’t know what people were saying. It was so hard. But you never forget the people who help you get to where you are. Because of the people who have helped me, I want to live a life of service.”

And when Gonzalez was concerned that she didn’t have the financial means to continue college full time, she learned of available scholarships — like the College of Business Get to Graduation Fund — that pushed her toward the finish line. Knowing the impact scholarships have made, Gonzalez said a goal of hers is to establish a scholarship.

“I’ve had four great years of really awesome professors and I’ve met so many amazing people. Coronavirus can’t take that from me. And my education and experiences helped me get a job that I’m excited about.” Gonzalez starts as a financial analyst at Johnson & Johnson in their Pharmaceutical Sector, located in Pennsylvania, in June.

Dean of Students Amy Finley said Gonzalez shows a perseverance that many students on ��-Dearborn’s campus have. “Our students have gone through tough situations before — like balancing work, family responsibilities, job challenges and coursework — and made it to the other side stronger. I wish college didn’t end this way for them, but I know our students are well equipped to handle an extra burden and come out with lessons that will prepare them for success in the future.”

For Gonzalez, who credits Finley and Guenette for guiding her through college, this time has definitely presented obstacles — for example, she can’t prepare for her move to Pennsylvania for her job. And so much feels uncertain and unfinished.

But she’s not going to focus on the negative — instead, Gonzalez realizes spending time with the family she credits for inspiring her is a gift. With the sheltering-in-place order, Gonzalez said she’s reconnecting with her parents. “I’m not just eating, showering and sleeping here. We are actually spending time together now.”

She plans to return to campus in December for graduation. But Gonzalez said she realizes that regardless of when she returns, her ��-Dearborn experience goes wherever she does. And other graduates take theirs with them too.

“The Class of 2020 has earned a Michigan education, made connections and created a lot of memories. That’s something we’ll always have no matter where we are.”

Off

Mon, 04/13/2020 - 05:00

Senior Rosa Gonzalez is a first-generation student whose parents moved to the U.S. from Mexico when she was seven to give her access to a quality education. Even with several life challenges, her diploma determination never wavered.

What Research Surrounding COVID Vaccination Ethics Tells Us

stuxbury — Mon, 20 Sep 2021 14:04:39 +0000

What Research Surrounding COVID Vaccination Ethics Tells Us stuxbury Mon, 09/20/2021 - 10:04

There’s a global pandemic. And scientists have found a solution to overcoming it.

But the COVID-19 vaccine, even when the nation's top immunologist says it’s safe and effective, isn’t receiving the acceptance needed to overcome the contagious respiratory virus.

To explore vaccine hesitancy and the ethics surrounding vaccination, Philosophy Assistant Professor Kriszta Sajber and Health and Human Services major Sarah Khaleefah are working side by side on vaccine-related research projects.

“Vaccination ethics answers questions that look deeper than the efficacy of the vaccine, questions that many of us have,” says Khaleefah, who recently gave an update on their work during the campus’ 2021 Summer Undergraduate Research Experience Showcase.

Their research uses premises based on the scientific findings of epidemiologists, immunologists and virologists and seeks answers to greater questions about what is valuable, beneficial and significant for human communities when it comes to COVID vaccination.

When enough people have immunity against the coronavirus, we reach the stage at which individuals susceptible to an infection become indirectly protected from the virus. This is called herd immunity: virus spread would slow and it would benefit everyone. Not only those who were vaccinated, but those who cannot obtain immunity through vaccination would be better protected, including the immunocompromised and children under the age of 12.

So it’s important to ask the question, “If we know the conditions under which we can create herd immunity, what actions are ethical to take for each of us individually?,” Sajber said. “When people approach this from their individual perspective, they tend to forget that the ‘herd’ can also come together to protect the individual.”

The ��-Dearborn researchers say philosophical research can help people find clarity in complicated situations and any concerns about the ethics of vaccination can be sorted out by looking at the logic of the arguments.

For example, if someone says that it is their right to refuse a vaccine, ethicists begin with the facts — not opinions or emotional reactions — to examine the claim.

“There are documented cases in which one person’s decision to refuse the coronavirus vaccine was the proven cause of coronavirus outbreaks in a nursing home or in family settings leading to deaths or severe illness among vaccinated individuals,” Sajber says.

With that known, Sajber works through the right-to-refuse argument. “When someone medically eligible with access to vaccinations does not accept a vaccine, they reserve to themselves the right to harm others. However, no one has the right to harm others. People do harm others from time to time, but we cannot say that this is their right. Therefore, from an ethical perspective, no one has a ‘right’ to refuse a vaccine. As a medical ethicist, my job is to examine the logic behind a claim like this.”

Sajber said her work isn’t meant to be overly demanding when it comes to vaccination — it’s to help people recognize that there are processes and tools out there to help make sense of our roles in limiting the damage of the coronavirus.

Khaleefah, a junior who plans to have a career in medicine, says she’s personally seen how complicated the issue of vaccination can be. There are discussions occurring at her mosque and in her family both for and against the COVID-19 vaccine.

“Religion is a huge part of my life. (Religious) scholars in my community are advocating for vaccines. But some people are still refusing to vaccinate,” she says. “Upon further investigation through interviews and literature review, I’ve learned that people are genuinely confused, scared, misinformed or haven’t found the answers they are looking for in order to opt in to vaccination. The answers are out and there are people who will listen, but not if you judge what they are feeling or make it about you. From either perspective (for or against), it’s not an individual issue, it’s a collective one.”

For Khaleefah’s research contribution, she’s combined contemporary scholarship in public health ethics with sources on the healthcare-related obligations implicit in the religious worldview of Islam. Her goal? To demonstrate the potential of a religiously-grounded vaccination ethics to assist with patient outreach, improve healthcare provider-patient relationships, and promote individual health and well-being in culturally and religiously diverse communities.

“I am grateful to have had this research experience. Dr. Sajber’s guidance is preparing me to go out and serve my community to the best of my ability.”

Khaleefah — who stood out as an outstanding student in Sajber’s Medical Ethics (PHIL 442/HHS 442) course and was later approached to take part in this research endeavor — is continuing her work with Sajber into the Fall 2021 semester. She wants healthcare professionals to understand the cultural viewpoint of Muslim patients because cultural literacy helps develop stronger patient-physician relationship and creates better health outcomes.

Sajber said the research Khaleefah’s done on campus will help guide her as she continues her path toward medical school and serving in the healthcare field.

“Sarah is passionate about healthcare and has learned how to develop informed, logically organized, conceptually nuanced and meticulously developed answers to complicated questions,” Sajber said. “Philosophy trains its practitioners to use the logical tools available to clarify bold questions and to apply their rational faculties to submit them to analysis. Medical schools are interested in people with this training because it shows that students are prepared to meet life’s challenges in the broadest possible sense of the term.”

Khaleefah says understanding vaccine ethics also helps us make sense of the vaccine policies and mandates we are beginning to see.

“If a person doesn't understand the ethics of vaccination, they might feel like a decision was unjust, even though it was the best decision for the group and we actually have a moral obligation to protect others,” Khaleefah says. “This research is very relevant and extremely important as we see science attempt to battle more and more infectious diseases with vaccines.”

With all of the divisive confusion about our role in overcoming the pandemic, Sajber says there’s one thing a worldwide virus has made abundantly clear: a newly apparent biological interdependence that characterizes humanity as a whole. The world would be a better place if we’d unite and fight the pandemic instead of each other.

“When I engage with people about vaccine hesitancy, many times their argument is aimed at denying what was revealed so painfully by the pandemic: the biological interdependence that inevitably ties us together. People want to make an individual choice or have autonomy,” she said. “But our vulnerability to have our bodies taken over and used by a virus is the very definition of not being autonomous. Getting vaccinated is, in fact, one of the few choices we have available to free ourselves from the lack of moral or personal agency that the pandemic forced upon us.”

Article by Sarah Tuxbury. If you are a member of the media and would like more information about “The Ethics of COVID Vaccination” research project, contact ��DearbornNews@umich.edu.

Coronavirus

Coronavirus Communications

Research

Undergraduate Research

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

Social Sciences

College of Education, Health, and Human Services

Office of Research

Talent Gateway

Off

Mon, 09/20/2021 - 14:03

Campus researchers explore complex questions regarding COVID vaccination during a Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) project.

Graphic showing The Ethics of COVID researchers Philosophy Assistant Professor Kriszta Sajber and Health and Human Services major Sarah Khaleefah

A SURE thing: Guided education for the future

stuxbury — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 19:47:53 +0000

A SURE thing: Guided education for the future stuxbury Mon, 08/30/2021 - 15:47

The song Oh Happy Day by the Edwin Hawkins Singers became an international hit in 1969, reaching No . 4 on the U.S. Singles Chart, No. 1 in France and Germany, and — 20 years later — transformed parts of Japanese culture. The first Gospel song to hit the secular chart was even featured in movies like Secretariat, BlacKkKlansman and Sister Act 2.

Photo of ��-Dearborn student Davian Bennett

��-Dearborn Junior Davian Bennett remembers hearing the song in his home. But outside of its mainstream presence in pop culture, he didn’t know much about it. That is, until a Summer Undergraduate Research Experience opportunity with English and Humanities Professor Deborah Smith Pollard, a renowned Gospel music scholar, gave the future therapist insight.

“I have a passion for Gospel music, but that song was so overplayed that I didn’t really give the listen, nor time, it truly deserved. But research changes your perspective on everything,” said Bennett, a criminal justice major who plans to attend graduate school for psychology. “During my research, I learned through interviews how that song changed lives. It gave people positive affirmation and inspiration to leave abusive relationships, rethink suicidal thoughts, endure hardships and even break language barriers. It makes people not only happy, but celebrate their accomplishments! If that’s not power through music, I don’t know what is.”

Smith Pollard and Bennett’s project documents the transformative presence and impact of Oh Happy Day — a recording only sold to the choir group’s friends and family in the late 1960s, but went on to sell millions of copies after it was discovered by an underground rock DJ — on individuals and organizations around the world. And that’s just one of 25 projects completed through campus’ four-month SURE Program.

Other projects, which will be featured on the ��-Dearborn news site on Tuesdays in September, include The Ethics of Vaccination, Driver Style Transfer for Autonomous Driving, Supply-Base Concentration and Supply Chain Resilience, and more. Students will present their research at the virtual 2021 SURE Showcase at 1 p.m. Sept. 10.

The program, started in 2018 to highlight and support the undergraduate research work happening across campus, transitioned out of the Office of Research and into Experience+ — which promotes a Dearborn Wolverine's academic, personal and professional growth — to emphasize the student focus of the SURE program.

“SURE is a perfect fit for Experience+ because it brings together research, digital literacy and transferable skills such as communication and critical thinking into one package that students can put in their professional toolbox,” said Experience+ Senior Associate Director Laurie Sutch.

Sutch and Linker said the SURE Program provides ��-Dearborn students with expert guidance in the practice of research and it shares potential educational and research-oriented career paths. Faculty projects and students were matched based on interests and skillsets.

“These are faculty with real research needs serving as mentors to create professional development opportunities for our students,” Linker said. “It’s a well thought out experience that pays our students (up to $3200 for the summer) and offers skill building, an expanded network, and the opportunity for getting experience to put on their resume or CV,” Linker said, noting that several students from previous years had their work published in major industry journals.

In addition to faculty-mentored research, students regularly met throughout the summer for workshops covering topics such as responsible conduct in research, using library research resources, graduate school applications and successful presentation techniques.

“I learned research isn’t sitting in front of your computer for hours at a time. It’s gaining a respect and a deep understanding of a topic through asking questions, listening, looking through history and knowing how to present what you’ve learned so others can benefit,” Bennett said.

There were also student mentoring sessions with guest speakers. Chancellor Domenico Grasso shared his undergraduate research experiences and lessons learned. Associate Professors Natalie Sampson and Carmel Price spoke about how to get a community engaged with a research project. Business Career Center Director Tuere Wheeler gave insight on the connections between research work and job or educational opportunities. And Associate Professor Will Clarkson, who is a part of an international research team that assembled an extensive map of the Milky Way, spoke about the importance of collaboration and sharing your research in presentations.

The SURE program brings people from across campus together — faculty from all four colleges participated — to keep building upon past SURE achievements and offer a holistic summer research experience.

Bennett called the program “An opportunity of a lifetime.”

“It really was a development process — of both the research project and of myself,” Bennett said. “I want to go to graduate school, but I wasn’t sure exactly how to get there or how to prepare. I had Dr. Pollard, one of the best researchers in her field and a published author, showing me what’s what. I’m better prepared for graduate school. I’m more confident in wanting to be a therapist. And I’m now one of the many people who can say their life has changed because of the song, Oh Happy Day.”

Interview by Sarah Tuxbury.

Student Success

Undergraduate Research

Off

Mon, 08/30/2021 - 19:46

Mentored by faculty, 25 students completed Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) projects in 2021.

SURE Program participants did research over the summer.

Mentorship program gives new way for students to gain friendship and guidance

stuxbury — Mon, 09 Aug 2021 20:13:32 +0000

Mentorship program gives new way for students to gain friendship and guidance stuxbury Mon, 08/09/2021 - 16:13

Students meet on campus to learn more about campus life

Knowing where to go next is essential when heading toward a destination. With college being a journey of sorts, it’s important to have a navigation system. And that’s why ��-Dearborn started the Wolverine Mentor Collective.

The Wolverine Mentor Collective (Wolverine MC) is a new mentoring program for first-year, second-year and transfer undergraduate students.

“With many of our students coming to campus this fall for the first time — that’s our students from Summer 2020 until now — we wanted to welcome them in a meaningful way that immediately helped them make connections,” said Dean of Students Amy Finley. “Campus is their home away from home. We want them to know it and love it.”

To help students get familiar with campus life, each person who signs up for the Wolverine MC will get a junior or senior student mentor. Each person will take a survey so pairs have similarities, which can be personal, academic or identity related — and most often a mixture of all three.

The mentor will help guide newer students throughout the 2021-2022 academic year and will answer questions or provide advice — or steer to the right contact if they are unsure — about classes, getting involved, where to go for assistance and more. In addition to having a go-to resource, students will connect monthly for check-in meetings to see a friendly face and share experiences.

“If you haven’t been on campus, you often don’t know the ropes and haven’t had time to build relationships yet. This way these students have a person they are comfortable reaching out to — through texting, emailing, calling, Zooming — for help,” Finley said. “The mentoring program cuts out the frustration of not knowing, leads to faster solutions and hopefully, over time, builds friendships. These are people with similar interests, so we hope our newer students will gain friend networks through this program.”

Currently more than 100 upper-level students have signed up to be mentors, but Wolverine MC is still seeking additional people interested in the role. Students can sign up to become mentors. After signing up, a ��-Dearborn staff member will reach out to you to give more information. Each mentor will be eligible to be compensated with a $100 stipend.

For students interested in gaining a mentor for the year, you can read more about the Wolverine MC, email questions to wolverine-MC@umich.edu or sign up.

The Wolverine MC program is a partnership between Experience+ and the Division of Student Affairs.

Student Success

New Student Engagement

Student Affairs

Talent Gateway

Off

Mon, 08/09/2021 - 20:10

The Wolverine Mentor Collective is a mentoring program for first-year, second-year and transfer undergraduate students. Students new to in-person campus life — those who enrolled from Summer 2020 to now — are encouraged to sign-up.

More Than A Single Story: ��-Dearborn Speaks

stuxbury — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 09:29:59 +0000

More Than A Single Story: ��-Dearborn Speaks stuxbury Wed, 04/21/2021 - 05:29

Part oral history and part social media, a new digital storytelling project gives ��-Dearborn students the opportunity to share their unique experiences directly with the outside world.

Expanding existing campus resources and technologies through a Coalition for Life-Transformative Education grant, experts in the new Experience Plus program including the Mardigian Library, Career Services, and Global Education, will mentor a cohort of students for its More Than A Single Story: ��-Dearborn Speaks project starting this fall.

More Than a Single Story will create a genuine, sophisticated portrait of the ��-Dearborn community by giving students a way to express their identities and sense of purpose, said Mardigian Library Director and Associate Provost Maureen Linker.

To properly engage with a place or a person, Linker says a multitude of stories is needed. Over the span of two academic years, More Than a Single Story will provide students, who will be paid for their work, with a chance to share their stories while challenging the myths about Dearborn, the Detroit Metropolitan area, regional commuter campuses, the surrounding Muslim-American community, and other social divisions between the city of Detroit and the surrounding suburbs.

“Being defined by a single story can lead to characterizerizations through xenophobic or racist labels. For example, The Simpsons satirically portrayed Dearborn and our campus as being under Sharia Law, reflecting misperceptions and misrepresentations of our community,” Linker says. “Under the proper mentorship, digital storytelling can counterbalance stereotypes and enable students to take agency over the portrayals of their identity and communities. It can foster a cognitive shift that aids students in discovering what drives them and shapes their purpose, which will stay with them long after they graduate.”

Linker says data from a 2018 Gallup survey of college graduates shows people who reported meaningful experiential learning opportunities and having “someone who cared about me as a person” were more than twice as likely to also report high levels of well-being and work engagement later in life.

Chancellor Domenico Grasso looks forward to hearing student stories and says campus continuously explores how to best offer high-impact experiential learning.

“The Coalition for Life-Transformative Education grant, which is awarded to a small and select number of institutions such as University of Virginia, and University of Southern California, Wellesley College, Bucknell University and Olin College, demonstrates our commitment to the success and well-being of our student while on campus and beyond,” Grasso says. “We hope that this pilot initiative will help ��-Dearborn students better define their identity, embrace agency and identify purpose. The public manifestation of this project will be a transformation of the single story of our community into a dynamic, complex tapestry of who our students are, what drives them and where they want to be in the future.”

The first cohort will begin work in the fall — interested students can apply via ��-Dearborn’s Career Connections l in summer semester — and stories will be exhibited at the Mardigian Library in fall 2022.

Following the digital storytelling exhibit, campus organizers will invite Henry Ford College and local high school students to participate in a digital storytelling event. Linker says they’d also like to host a monthly live storytelling event and offer digital storytelling workshops led by ��-Dearborn students.

With the multifaceted nature of the project, Linker says students will develop important professional skills like critical speaking, thinking and listening, while also having the space to work creatively.

“Digital storytelling literacy can serve as an effective means for students to discover and articulate their values and make the connection between their values and career readiness,“ Linker says. “As the world continues to become more digital, experience in digital storytelling will be more and more valuable across all fields from art to engineering, from business to biology.”

Linker says sharing multiple stories creates connections, provides inspiration and promotes education.

“Classmates may find that they share similar experiences or interesting differences from which to learn. First-generation Americans will have a toolset to share a piece of their lives with relatives halfway across the globe. Students trying to express themselves to older family members will have another avenue to do so,” Linker says. “Communities will not merely be defended or strengthened by this project; they will be built.”

The More Than a Single Story team includes Mardigian Library Director and Associate Provost Maureen Linker, Experience+ Executive Director Laurie Sutch, Mardigian Library Associate Director Holly Sorscher, Global Engagement Director Scott Riggs, Mardigian Library Research Center Head Christopher Spilker, Mardigian Library User Services Head Monica Adams, Mardigian Library Strategic Initiatives Manager Kelsey Parker and Experience+ Assistant Director Britta Roan.

Experiential Learning

Inclusion or Diversity

Mardigian Library

Talent Gateway

Off

Wed, 04/21/2021 - 09:27

��-Dearborn received a $25,000 Coalition for Life-Transformative Education grant for a new digital storytelling project.

Graphic featuring IAVS

��-Dearborn’s new Experience+ program, explained

lblouin — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 16:58:43 +0000

��-Dearborn’s new Experience+ program, explained lblouin Mon, 02/08/2021 - 11:58

It's become a fact of modern university culture that preparing students for life after graduation requires programs and services that extend beyond academics. ��-Dearborn has a healthy menu of such personal development options, including co-ops and internships, student research, Career Services, the Talent Gateway and study abroad — just to name a few. Now, many of those "cocurriculars,” which are dispersed throughout the university, are uniting under a new umbrella called Experience+. Associate Provost and Mardigian Library Director Maureen Linker, who’s spearheading the effort, says the primary goals are to better coordinate these kinds of experiences for students and help staff collaborate on new initiatives.

“Through conversations we were having with the Provost, we realized we had some programs that really complimented each other, and we thought they could be enriched if we joined forces,” Linker explains. “For example, the folks at Talent Gateway and Career Services are helping students build those so-called ‘soft skills.’ The library is doing a lot of cool programming around information literacy. And Director of Global Engagement Scott Riggs is working on study abroad and other programs involving global understanding and global learning. We just thought: These are the kinds of skills that make a good citizen or a great employee or great co-worker. And we can really take this up a notch if we think of it as a coordinated effort.”

In addition to coordinating existing cocurricular programs, the new Experience+ collaborative will focus on new initiatives. For example, this month, they’re looking forward to launching Tech Tutors — a new student worker-powered support service that’ll be managed by Talent Gateway Executive Director and librarian Laurie Sutch, who will serve as senior associate director of Experience+. Sutch coordinated a similar tech program at ��-Ann Arbor.

“When we look at technology literacy, we know students face a huge range of challenges, and often their questions are very specific to a particular class or opportunity,” Sutch explains. “For example, a professor might assign a project that requires knowledge of a certain software program; or students might need help with a feature of Canvas they don’t understand. That’s the ‘sweet spot’ of support that we thought we needed to add to the mix — especially right now in this virtual learning environment, where we’re all being asked to learn new technologies quickly.”

Sutch says they’ll be launching Tech Tutors as a drop-in and by-appointment virtual service, with a staff of four student workers. Post-pandemic, the service will continue with both face-to-face and virtual support.

This year, Linker says Experience+ will also emphasize two additional initiatives: A virtual version of the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) that includes a revamped slate of professional development programming; and a digital storytelling project focused on debunking myths and stereotypes about cities and communities in metro Detroit.

Administratively, staff and student workers from the Mardigian Library, Talent Gateway, Career Services and Global Learning will form the backbone of the Experience+ collaborative, and they’ll coordinate closely with the college’s co-op and internship teams, which will continue to oversee their own programs. Linker noted that faculty will also be key to turning Experience+ into something students see as a valuable part of their time at the university.

“As a faculty member, I know I’ve really changed my own thinking about the importance of cocurriculars over the years,” Linker says. “I teach philosophy, which is the ‘love of knowledge.’ But my students, they’re like, ‘yeah, but what am I going to do with this?’ I know that when I was able to direct them to practical career opportunities or co-ops and internships, where they were able to use the argumentative skills they were learning, it was a real breakthrough for me and for them. So I think of this as a partnership with faculty. They’re often the ones who know our students best, know their dreams, and can route them to those extra opportunities that can help them grow into the people they want to be.”

###

You can learn more about Experience+ at their new website. One other note: Applications for the 2021 SURE program are being accepted through March 15, and interested faculty can read through the application guidelines at the SURE website. There’s also a faculty info session about SURE on Wednesday, Feb. 24. You can RSVP.

Careers or Internships

Off

Mon, 02/08/2021 - 16:41

The university's cocurricular programs are uniting and expanding under a new banner.

A collage graphic featuring three students working laptops

Making the most out of a virtual career fair

stuxbury — Mon, 21 Sep 2020 18:51:36 +0000

Making the most out of a virtual career fair stuxbury Mon, 09/21/2020 - 14:51

Months away from finishing his degree, graduating senior Omar Oouda already has a full-time position lined up at a top Fortune 500 company.

When talking about how he landed the position, Oouda gives credit to opportunities at ��-Dearborn. “I expanded my network by going to different campus career events.” The cybersecurity major says he first obtained a Co-op experience at Denso International by attending the ��-Dearborn spring career fair, and later attracted the attention of Ford Motor Company by doing two internships — whom he also connected with at Ford Day on campus.

“It’s all about getting your name out there and talking to as many employers as you can to learn about the company culture,” Oouda says.

This fall the campus career fairs will look a little different from the ones Oouda attended — they’re virtual — but Ford Day, College of Business career fairs and the Fall Career Fair are still bringing employers directly, but virtually, to ��-Dearborn students and alumni.

“Employers are looking for the right people to join their teams,” says Career Services Associate Director, Britta Roan. “The pandemic may have shifted how companies do things, but it hasn’t changed their need for qualified talent.” Roan says company postings are for internships, co-ops and full-time employment.

Together Roan, Career Services Assistant Director Mai Qazzaz and Talent Gateway Executive Director Laurie Sutch — campus’ career readiness experts — talked tips on how to make an impression and land that job from your home computer.

Use being virtual to your advantage.

Learning something new can be challenging. But there are benefits to the virtual environment, says Talent Gateway Director Laurie Sutch. For example, you can write yourself reminders — and use them. “Write your talking points, strengths or other important information on Post-It notes. Then put them at eye level on your computer so you can see those reminders while speaking to a potential employer.”

Another bonus? With many employers planning to stay virtual for the foreseeable future, you can expand your search. Before students may have had to limit their opportunities to locally based ones for expense reasons. “When location is no longer a major factor, it allows for you to check out more organizations when finding the right fit for you.”

Get that resume ready, reviewed and uploaded.

Writing and updating a resume and cover letter can be one of the most daunting steps in career fair prep. But that’s why there are ��-Dearborn staff to assist in the process. Take a cover letter workshop or get your resume reviewed before sending these professional docs over to employers.

Once you’re happy with how the cover letter and resume highlight your talents, sign into ��-Dearborn's Career Connections and update the profile section to add your resume. Employers at the Fall Career Fair will have access to it and it’s something to check off on the career prep to-do list. For students seeking the (M)Talent designation: Career prep steps are Talent Gateway challenges you can complete.

Know where you want to go.

Once registered for a campus career fair, check out the employers profiles and open positions. Do this before the event and make note of your go-to companies. Doing this will give you a game plan if there is a virtual wait to get one-on-one time with a company representative. You can choose to wait in multiple lines at a time. However, you won’t be able to attend all employer booths — so get in line for your top picks first.

Practice your elevator pitch.

To keep the lines moving, and to meet as many students as possible, employers are giving a limited amount of one-on-one time per person: typically 5-10 minutes. To make every minute count, have an elevator pitch ready, says Career Services Assistant Director Mai Qazzaz. That means introducing yourself and why you’d be a good fit for the company or position in 60 seconds or less — the length of a short elevator ride.

When practicing this prior to the fairs, don’t rush. “If you feel like you’re beginning to trip over your words, take a deep breath and start over again,” Qazzaz says. “You know your experiences and abilities more than anyone else. You are the expert on you.”

Set yourself up for success and check your tech.

Home is a comfortable space — but leave the pajama pants in the drawer until the interviews are done. “Dress professionally from head to toe to get mentally prepared,” Sutch says. “When you are done, your pjs will be waiting for you.”

For a physical space, find a (mostly) quiet room in the house and set up your computer/laptop. Before deciding on a location, look to see what’s behind you in the camera; if it looks cluttered or unprofessional, consider changing location or straightening the area. Also check the computer’s microphone, Internet connection, and do a trial run with a friend or with a Career Services staff member.

Oouda, the senior who’s starting his post-college career at Ford, said he’s glad he reached out to Career Services for help — above all, it’s increased his confidence. “Putting yourself out there can be tough, but it will expand your network and the opportunities that you have. It will also help you see your value and what you want in a company’s culture as you get closer to graduation.”

Students and alumni are invited to participate in Ford Day (Sept. 24), College of Business career fairs (now-Sept. 28) and the Fall Career Fair 2020 (Oct. 8).

Careers or Internships

Student Success

Career Services

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

College of Business

College of Education, Health, and Human Services

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Talent Gateway

Off

Mon, 09/21/2020 - 18:49

To attract the leaders and best, 30-plus organizations — like DTE Energy, the Department of State, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles — are coming to ��-Dearborn’s virtual fall career fairs. Here are tips on making a great impression from a distance.

Graphic showing how students can gain experience through virtual career fairs.

CASL graduate Meera Martin uses campus experiences to better understand the criminal justice system

jmcheat — Fri, 07 Dec 2018 20:52:49 +0000

CASL graduate Meera Martin uses campus experiences to better understand the criminal justice system jmcheat Fri, 12/07/2018 - 15:52

Meera Martin

Like many, Meera Martin found inspiration in Paris. But it didn’t come from the art or the food. Instead, it came from the sounds of the city streets.

And, more specifically, the police sirens — fitting for a criminal justice and criminology major.

“It was a frequent sound, just like in our big cities here. That’s when I started to think: ‘How do they do their police report writing? What are their procedures?’” said Martin, a French minor who took the France: Sites of Memory study abroad course. “With the U.S.’s high incarceration rate, some say the U.S. has the worst criminal justice system in the world. There’s never been a golden age of criminal justice, but there’s definitely room for improvement.”

Martin, who will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree this month, said researching how the international community conducts police report writing is a topic she plans to study at the City University of New York’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where there is an international crime and justice graduate program.

“I do know that the U.S. has its own system, and I’m not trying to override that entirely; but I do think it’s important to see how other countries handle processing crime, especially with police report writing,” Martin said. “Reporting is such a huge part of our policing system. And there is not an enforced structured reporting system in place here. This can create a mess.

“As someone going into the field, I need to seek out solutions. I wondered what other countries are doing that can help us here. I want to travel, study other systems and see what we can apply to ours to improve what we have.”

Her research idea may be new, but Martin’s interest in the criminal justice field isn’t. It began with a Nate the Great book that an elementary teacher thought Martin might find interesting. She claims she wasn’t an avid reader until the detective book series.

“But I read those books carefully to make sure I didn’t miss any details. It was my introduction to criminal justice and led me to see it as a career. It also told me to always have a trusty pen at my side, to do my best and — just like Nate had his dog, Sludge — to have someone furry and fluffy that you can depend on,” said Martin, sharing that her cat’s name is Miss Maggie.

But Miss Maggie hasn’t been her only support. Martin said her professors have been an encouraging force from before enrolling on campus through today. Case in point: Sociology Associate Professor Francine Banner, who met Martin at an undergraduate open house, wrote her a letter of recommendation for graduate school.

“Dr. Banner and I had such a great conversation about law before I came here; I had such a positive impression of the program. Later, after I enrolled, I emailed her and she remembered me, recalled our conversation and asked how everything was going,” Martin said.

“I can’t say enough about the professors here. They are exceptional and come from diverse personal and professional backgrounds — women and men, different cultural backgrounds, people who have seen the system from inside the prison and out, lawyers, judges, addiction specialists, psychotherapists, federal agents. And that was important to me because all these different perspectives matter when looking at the criminal justice system as a whole.”

Martin said campus-connected experiences through student organizations like the Criminology and Criminal Justice Collective, her internship at the Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency, completed challenges throughout the Talent Gateway and her study abroad course helped her better understand herself and her professional path.

“This campus has offered me so much,” said Martin, who will graduate with the Talent Gateway’s MTalent distinction and is a recipient of the CASL Get to Graduation Fund Scholarship. “But the most important thing that I’ve learned here is to never be afraid to ask for help. In any field, your ideas will be judged. But that’s not a negative thing. When you get feedback, ask for help on ways to improve. Show that you are committed to becoming better and people will invest in you and your ideas.”

Martin said her current focus is graduate school, but her long-term goal is to make the U.S. a more just place to live. And from the lessons she’s learned from her soon-to-be alma mater, she feels that she has a strong foundation to do that.

“Depending who you ask, the criminal justice system is either working perfectly or it is so broken that it can’t be fixed. But, just like nearly everything, it falls somewhere in between,” she said. “I know I’ll face unique challenges with both bureaucracy and the public scrutiny the system is under; but with the incredible people I’ve met and the experiences I’ve had here, I now have the tools to navigate this field in an innovative way.”

Commencement

International

Victors for ��-Dearborn

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

Talent Gateway

Off

Fri, 12/07/2018 - 20:50

Martin, a criminal justice and criminology major with a French minor, will enroll in the international crime and justice graduate program at City University of New York’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice after graduating this month.

Talent Gateway

College of Business student Adrian Maloy juggles many roles to capitalize on the college experience

8:21 a.m. Remembering the important things at Westborn Market.

8:45 a.m. Looking for the positive during hectic times.

10:07 a.m. Creating a better process, developing new skills.

4:10 p.m. Helping others figure out this college thing.

5:43 p.m. Giving ideas during a transformational time.

7:35 p.m. Gaining other perspectives.

9:36 p.m. Knowing that family comes first.

Leaders and best

'I've had four amazing years. Coronavirus can't take that from me.'

What Research Surrounding COVID Vaccination Ethics Tells Us

A SURE thing: Guided education for the future

Mentorship program gives new way for students to gain friendship and guidance

More Than A Single Story: ������-Dearborn Speaks

������-Dearborn’s new Experience+ program, explained

Making the most out of a virtual career fair

Use being virtual to your advantage.

Get that resume ready, reviewed and uploaded.

Know where you want to go.

Practice your elevator pitch.

Set yourself up for success and check your tech.

CASL graduate Meera Martin uses campus experiences to better understand the criminal justice system

More Than A Single Story: ��-Dearborn Speaks

��-Dearborn’s new Experience+ program, explained