Student Engagement

"An experience that I'll never forget'

stuxbury — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 19:59:32 +0000

"An experience that I'll never forget' stuxbury Wed, 09/11/2024 - 15:59

��-Dearborn students get a world-class education that, for many, is close to home. But for those who want to realize their academic goals farther away, the university has options for that too. This year, nearly 70 students traveled through ��-Dearborn’s Study Abroad experiences. They were supported by $110,000 awarded in scholarships and financial aid.

Gaining vital life experiences and learning to navigate the world — in addition to fulfilling graduation requirements — Dearborn Wolverines traveled to Italy, Poland, Puerto Rico and Canada this summer. This article focuses on two of those experiences; two more will be shared in Tuesday’s Reporter.

Want to learn more about upcoming Study Abroad opportunities and financial support to attend the programs? Visit the Study Abroad website or reach out to Global Engagement Director Scott Riggs.

Students in front of the Polish Wall of Solidarity

Gdańsk, Poland

Senior Hope Pacheco, a history major in the Honors Program, had never left the U.S. before. Now she has a new sense of independence and cultural appreciation after traveling to Gdańsk, Poland as part of Dearborn Discovery Core study abroad.

"I got my passport for this trip. I gained confidence in myself," says Pacheco, who adds that the ��-Dearborn faculty advisors on the trip helped support and prepare her for her adventure. "I was truly, for once, just relying on myself and having to get through everything while we were there."

Pacheco wanted to study in Gdańsk in part because of its role in the earliest days of World War II. While she does not have a military background herself, Pacheco wants to teach military history and was curious about how people outside of the United States view the world wars. "Learning World War II history from Poland's perspective and the Polish people's perspective added a lot for me," she says, noting that her education so far has focused almost entirely on the U.S. perspective. “Most Polish people don’t talk about the Second World War on a normal basis, but a realization for me was that they took great care to honor the city again to reconstruct everything to look the way it did before the war. With reconstructing the city to its original form it is able to show people how strong of a country Poland is to come back from being part of the war since the beginning."

Pacheco took three classes at the University of Gdańsk during her two months there. She learned about the engineering principles of human-centered design, as well as significant moments in Polish history including the Solidarity movement of the 1980s. Her favorite was a history course about the city of Gdańsk, which was founded in the 10th century. She learned how it was designed and about the reconstruction efforts due to the world wars and other conflicts in the area.

While in Poland, she saw the 13th-century Malbork Castle, which was damaged during World War II and has since been restored. She walked the grounds of Krakow, Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps. And she visited several museums, including the Main Town Hall Museum and Uphagen's House, a reconstruction of a house from the 18th century. During her free time, Pacheco and her roommates took a train to visit Norway. "We were able to walk around the city of Bergen and compare it to the city of Gdańsk," she says. "We were also able to swim in the North Sea with jellyfish and go hiking."

“There was so much to learn,” she says. “It was an experience I’ll never forget.”

Student Vincent Intrieri and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Ottawa, Canada

Vincent Intrieri has traveled the world through his 13-year career in the U.S. Navy. He’s made a lot of friends, visited several countries and seen the importance of cultural awareness and diplomacy. Intrieri, who’s majoring in international studies, started at ��-Dearborn in 2022 with the goal of becoming a diplomat.

Even with all his travel experiences, what Intrieri hadn’t been able to do is see the inner workings of an international government. The senior was intrigued by ��-Dearborn’s Ottawa Political Internship Program, a five-week study abroad experience where students work as legislative staffers in the Canadian Parliament. Run for 40-plus years, it’s the oldest American internship program operating in Canada.

Intrieri saw the study abroad program as an opportunity to expand upon his experience in the Navy and learn more about the United States’ neighbor to the north. Intrieri worked in the Canadian Parliament's House of Commons. Working for legislative assistant Simon Wood, Intrieri helped review legislation and policies and write policy analyses for Member of Parliament Marcus Powlowski. Intrieri says his favorite part of the study abroad experience was the daily interactions with staff in Powlowski's office. "I really enjoyed the frank conversations about geopolitics or happenings going on within the Canadian government, the American government and the world," Intieri says. Another highlight was experiencing the history of Parliament Hill, the home to Canada’s federal government. "One thing that really stands out to me about that trip is understanding the sacrifices that Canadians have made for democracy," Intrieri says, citing Canadian efforts to secure Berlin during World War II by conducting successful missions north of the city. "That will resonate with me, how many sacrifices the Canadian people have made for democracy and freedom and oftentimes, have never even been thanked."

Outside of his workdays, Intrieri also enjoyed visiting the Canadian War Museum and the Canadian Museum of History, and having dinner with other members of the Ottawa study abroad class, with the restaurant Joey Rideau being a highlight. "I enjoyed the eclectic menu there," he says. "My personal favorite was the sushi. It was very fresh. Also, the Mediterranean Bowl consists of harissa chicken, chickpeas, artichokes, roasted peppers, Kalamata olives, gem tomatoes, jasmine rice, hummus and tzatziki. I especially enjoyed the shawarma in Ottawa; it was easily accessible and delicious."

Intrieri says he can see himself living in Ottawa one day and encourages interested students to consider studying abroad. "It was more than just a great experience, it was transformative,” he says. “I made friendships that will last a lifetime."

Story by Shaun Manning

Experiential Learning

International

Student Engagement

Off

Wed, 09/11/2024 - 19:58

Seniors Hope Pacheco and Vincent Intrieri took part in ��-Dearborn study abroad programs and shared what it was like spending their summer living and studying in different countries.

CASL student Hope Pacheco, far left, is pictured in Poland with History Professor Anna Müller, CECS student Solomiya Pylypiv and History Associate Professor Kristin Poling. Photo courtesy Kristin Poling

Promoting Wolverines at work

stuxbury — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 17:28:50 +0000

Promoting Wolverines at work stuxbury Fri, 08/02/2024 - 13:28

��-Dearborn’s student workers make up 35% of the campus’ workforce. Many of these student workers are Pell-eligible and the first in their families to attend college. Among the Dearborn Wolverines working on campus, nearly all have a 2.5 GPA or higher. But students often find it hard to communicate how their campus work is connected to their career and professional goals.

So what does this data — gathered through a Wolverines@Work pilot program launched by ��-Dearborn’s EXP+ — tell us?

“We need to embark on a major redesign of our campus student employment so students can make these connections to skills they are learning and their future careers,” says Maureen Linker, Associate Provost for undergraduate and experiential learning.

She notes the Wolverines@Work initiative — led by Kelsey Parker, Project Manager for Experiential Learning and Laurel Draudt, Director of Career Services — has the goal of assessing and enhancing the current state of ��-Dearborn student employment from both the student employee and student employee supervisor perspectives. Ultimately, says Linker, campus student employment should be another high impact learning practice like internships, study abroad and capstones.

And EXP+ isn't doing this work alone, Linker says. Since 2022, EXP+ has collaborated with the Arizona State University-led Work+Collective in designing a new model for on-campus employment. Through the collective, ��-Dearborn partners with nearly 20 universities around the nation, including the University of Connecticut and Virginia Commonwealth University, who are all evaluating their student employment practices and processes.

Maureen Linker, Associate Provost for undergraduate and experiential learning

“��-Dearborn stepped forward and became a regional and statewide leader in this national-reaching Work+Collective. Now that the first phase of the work is complete, we are sharing what we’ve learned so far in the hopes that other Michigan universities will join us,” Linker says. She says the ASU team wanted to work with ��-Dearborn because of the university’s Experience+ structure — which helps connect students’ educational experiences to career goals — along with campus’ project-based learning course focus, the SURE program and the digital storytelling initiative ��-Dearborn Speaks.

Linker says survey data and focus group feedback, which was gathered over the 2023-2024 academic year, showed that campus employment connects students to the university in a way that may help them stay in school and get to graduation. And with more than one-third of the campus workforce likely being new to the work world, university leaders needed to provide more support to student employee’s supervisors. Linker says the feedback also highlighted the importance of helping working Dearborn Wolverines find deeper meaning in these campus roles so they can see how the skills they are learning through university employment directly transfers to post-graduation careers.

To support this work, ��-Dearborn’s pilot program included supervisor and student employee surveys, professional development sessions, regularly scheduled employer-employee check-ins, and the opportunity for students to share their employment stories through photojournalism projects and digital storytelling efforts. The pilot program concluded in June 2024. Now the next phase is underway and these efforts are becoming more visible across the university.

Outcomes from the pilot include:

A better understanding of ��-Dearborn’s student employee landscape and impact through survey data. For example, 660 student workers were employed during the 2023-24 academic year; student respondents shared that if they had a good relationship with their supervisor, they felt more connected to campus
Development of a new student employment handbook
Tips and templates for creating student-employee job descriptions that attract the best candidates by showcasing how a position can tie into future career goals
Creation of supervisor training programs like the upcoming Federal Work Study Virtual Panel from 10-11:30 a.m. Aug. 8 and the Supervisor Spa from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 14. Questions about these events? Reach out to Wolverinesatwork@umich.edu.

To share these and redesign-process lessons learned, ��-Dearborn recently hosted a "Redesigning Campus Student Employment for Student Success and Retention" conference.

Attended by representatives from universities across the state — including several community colleges and more than half of Michigan’s 15 public universities, the day-long event showcased ��-Dearborn's role in an ASU partnership project, which is funded by a $1.5 million grant from the Strada Education Network. Linker also encouraged institutions to join the Work+Collective effort at the conference. After the conference, Eastern Michigan University joined the collective and Western Michigan University offered to host an additional conference around the subject.

“The turnout for the conference was incredible. This tells me that we aren’t the only ones who feel student employment needs more attention,” Linker says. “As universities, we are focused on academic success and working hard to get our students to graduation. That’s crucial, but data also shows us that the student employment experience plays a major role in student success. Historically, universities haven’t invested in making the student employment experience a coordinated process that emphasizes support and learning outcomes. The current student employment experience often depends on their relationship with a supervisor, who may not have had the training or resources to mentor a student employee. We want that to change.”

��-Dearborn Office of TRIO Programs Assistant Director Latresa Rice attended the conference and shared her office’s experiences with the Wolverines@Work pilot program study, The office staff in TRIO Programs — a series of federally-funded and state-funded programs that help students from disadvantaged backgrounds overcome barriers to higher education — supervises 19 student employees.

Rice, a ��-Dearborn alum, says some campus employers, like TRIO, are already observing best practices, like regular check-ins when mentoring student employees. But she looks forward to having a centralized place for student employees to connect and for supervisors to explore training opportunities. She says university support is key and it will benefit everyone.

“As employers, many of us see ourselves in our students and we want to do the best for them. I remember what it felt like being first-gen and coming from a low-income background. It’s not an issue of dedication to our students — that’s always there. But resources for supervisors haven’t always been available in an easy-to-find way. It’s important to remember that these students are learning from us as leaders,” says Rice, who graduated from ��-Dearborn in 2004 and went on to earn graduate degrees in social work and business administration.

“As a ��-Dearborn student, I worked in TRIO,” Rice continues.” My supervisors — William Keener and Perry Boyd II — shaped me. They gave me confidence to try new things. They cleared red tape. They motivated me by showing me what career and education paths were available and modeled what good leadership looks like.”

At the conference, Rice encouraged one of her student employees — Kalaia Jackson, a ��-Dearborn junior —to present their table’s breakout discussion summary. Jackson, who’s majoring in biological sciences, stood confidently in front of the crowd and clearly shared the highlights. Jackson credits that confidence to experiences gained through the support of Rice, who encourages Jackson to publicly speak to groups on behalf of the TRIO programs. Jackson, who plans to attend medical school, sees how this skill can help her in the future when it comes to presenting research. See a video Jackson made about her student employment experience — it’s fourth in the list.

Rice says she regularly finds ways to nudge her student employees out of their comfort zones. “Our ��-Dearborn students are talented. We need to challenge them because if we don’t give them a chance to do it, they won’t know that they can,” she says. “It’s all about learning about their goals and then connecting them with experiences where they can step out and boldly shine.”

��-Dearborn's Student Employment Advisory Council, which assisted in the Wolverines@Work initiative has representation from across campus, including: Career Services, Athletics, University Union and Events, Office of Academic Success, One-Stop, Financial Aid, Human Resources, EXP+ and the Provost Office.

Story by Sarah Tuxbury.

Experiential Learning

Off

Fri, 08/02/2024 - 17:23

University leaders are redesigning the student employment experience at ��-Dearborn. What does that mean for students and their supervisors?

TRIO Assistant Director Latresa Rice encourages her student employee Kalaia Jackson to speak at a recent conference. Photo by Sarah Tuxbury

Bringing fresh perspectives to the Freep Film Festival

stuxbury — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 13:34:11 +0000

Bringing fresh perspectives to the Freep Film Festival stuxbury Wed, 04/03/2024 - 09:34

Growing up queer in a conservative Kansas town, filmmaker Sav Rodgers didn’t realize that the 1997 indie hit “Chasing Amy” was controversial. He regarded the Kevin Smith film, with its lesbian lead character, as lifesaving. It played an important role in Rodgers’ coming out as a trans man.

Filmmaker Sav Rodgers, center, with actor Joey Lauren Adams, left, and director Kevin Smith, right. Photo courtesy/Freep Film Festival

Rodgers has turned his personal experiences with the film, along with some of the difficult feelings around and behind it, into a documentary, which was submitted for consideration for this year’s Freep Film Festival, an all-documentary festival produced by the Detroit Free Press. It was selected by a panel of first-time reviewers who festival organizers say bring a new and welcome perspective to the festival: ��-Dearborn students.

The partnership is part of Assistant Professor of Journalism and Media Production Adam Sekuler’s new “Film Festival Programming” course. Working closely with Freep Festival organizers, students reviewed numerous submissions, assessing each for its artistic merit, storytelling prowess and thematic relevance. In addition to “Chasing Chasing Amy,” the group selected “The Herricanes,” the story of the first women’s full tackle football league in the 1970s.

The effort was an exercise in consensus-building, says Natalie Albrecht, a senior majoring in journalism and screen studies. While “Chasing Chasing Amy” was a shoo-in for many students, sentiments about “The Herricanes” were a bit more varied. “It was on a lot of people’s lists, but it wasn't at the top,” Albrecht explains. But broad appeal is a key consideration in curation, so that made the film a strong contender. Also, both films got the students talking, which Albrecht sees as a harbinger of how festival audiences will respond. “I feel like the ones that we chose were ones that we felt we had the most dialogue about,” she says.

Kathy Kieliszewski, the festival’s artistic director and co-founder, says the students’ involvement brought viewpoints she and her colleagues have been seeking for some time. “We've had diversity in the programming pool as a mission, because obviously different people have different perspectives. And so (with the students) we had a different demographic. It was incredibly diverse,” she explains, noting that even the festival’s interns have been a bit older than Sekuler’s students and also that the ��-Dearborn crew brought a range of cultural backgrounds into the mix. The students “came at it with all of their own history and all of their own perspectives,” Kieliszewski observes.

That said, Kieliszewski says she’s thrilled that the two films selected by the students were two of her favorites as well: “Ultimately, a good film is a good film, you know? Is it relating to you on a very human basic level? And in this instance, ‘Chasing Chasing Amy,’ and ‘The Herricanes’ do that very well.”

As a part of a film course, ��-Dearborn student Aaron Vensko, left, records local rapper Esa Mighty for the documentary "Becoming Mighty." The short film was selected to be shown in the Freep Film Festival.

Curation is only one aspect of Sekuler’s course — the students are also learning about event planning, festival logistics, marketing and publicity, and fundraising. Through regular Zoom visits with film industry professionals and filmmakers, including Rodgers, the students are hearing firsthand about filmmaker experiences, compensation and other labor practices, organizational structures, and the often difficult realities of making a living as a film programmer, a job Sekuler himself held for many years.

Sekuler was intentional in exposing his students to the nitty gritty of the industry, even convincing a guest programmer to pull up her budget spreadsheet and share it with the class. Such practical skills have wide application, Sekuler points out. “I mean, the dream job is obviously going into film programming,” he says. “The immediate job is you could work in any sort of event production whatsoever. There are skills that you learn from this that are just about how does a cultural organization work, which is really different than, say, a corporate organization.”

While Albrecht has found much of what she has learned sobering, she is glad to have gained a realistic view of the arts industry as she prepares to enter the job market. Practice-based learning, after all, is not just about acquiring the skills related to a potential career choice, but discovering whether that choice aligns with a student’s goals, financial and otherwise.

As her graduation approaches, Albrecht — who has also been a teaching assistant for the Art & Agency project on campus as well as co-editor of the literary journal, Lyceum — says she is considering communications work, where she envisions stability while applying the skills she’s gained in her courses and extracurricular projects. She plans to continue to pursue her creative interests on the side. “What I think I'm figuring out is that I still feel more complete when I am involved in creative work,” she says. “But I am very much aware of the realism now that, like every creative industry, it is kind of a struggle.”

The Freep Film Festival runs April 10-14 at locations in Midtown Detroit and Birmingham, with some streaming options. In addition to the student-selected films, ��-Dearborn’s involvement includes a panel discussion following ‘Chasing Chasing Amy’ moderated by Associate Professor of Women's and Gender Studies Amy Brainard. “Becoming Mighty,” a short film produced by students in Sekuler’s "Arab American Perspectives" documentary filmmaking course last semester, screens as part of the festival’s Real Fresh University Showcase.

Story by Kristin Palm

Experiential Learning

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

Literature, Philosophy, and the Arts

Student Engagement

Off

Wed, 04/03/2024 - 13:22

Students in a new course designed by CASL Assistant Professor Adam Sekuler helped curate the all-documentary event, now in its 11th year.

Assistant Professor Adam Sekuler and his students discuss "Chasing Chasing Amy," one of their Freep Film Festival selections. Photo/Max Parham

A warm welcome for the newest Dearborn Wolverines!

stuxbury — Mon, 28 Aug 2023 21:37:20 +0000

A warm welcome for the newest Dearborn Wolverines! stuxbury Mon, 08/28/2023 - 17:37

The 2023-24 academic year kicked off on Friday with more than 1,000 incoming students getting their first real taste of campus life at the university. The group consisted of first-year, transfer and graduate students.

On the field outside of the College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters Building, students attended Wolverine Welcome, where they were greeted by campus leaders, learned ��-Dearborn traditions and sang their first round of The Victors as a Wolverine.

While speaking to the crowd, Dean of Students Amy Finley acknowledged how much they had already accomplished to get to this point and how Friday was the start of something new.

“Today is the day where you start to feel transformed. Today is the day where you start reaching for the stars, for your dreams. Today is the day where you start figuring out who you are and what YOU are going to do to help transform our world. Today you truly become a part of our ��-Dearborn community,” she said.

Following the brief speeches, upper-level students presented the incoming group with maize and blue keys, a campus tradition officially welcoming them to their new home.

After an opportunity to explore campus, students finished the day with the Go Blue Bash, which featured outdoor games, carnival food and a DJ. Over 80 student organizations and 40 departments came out to introduce the new Dearborn Wolverines to the many ways to get involved at the university.

New student Kiylee Grinnell transferred to ��-Dearborn from the Flint campus for the 4+1 Applied Behavioral Analysis Accelerated Program.

“When everyone was gathered together and we got to actually meet and talk to people, that’s what I liked most about it,” she said, reflecting on the day. With the start of the new academic year, Grinnell says she’s most looking forward to starting her new program, one that she’s passionate about and is specific to her career goals.

First-year student Kayla Winston comes to ��-Dearborn directly from high school for the university’s electrical engineering program. She found Wolverine Welcome Day to be a fun way to meet new people and find out about clubs and opportunities at the University of Michigan Dearborn.

“I had no idea any of this was here before and this day was a really good way for me to learn about it,” she said.

Want to check out more from the big day? See highlights from Wolverine Welcome Day and the Go Blue Bash on our Instagram page, @umdearborn.

Article by Kathryn Bourlier.

Campus Life

Student Engagement

Student Life

University Unions & Events

Off

Mon, 08/28/2023 - 21:36

This semester’s 1,000-plus incoming students got their first experience of campus life at Friday’s Wolverine Welcome Day and the Go Blue Bash – complete with traditions, festivities and a whole lot of fun.

Photos by Jose Juarez/Michigan Photography

A way to remember lost loved ones

stuxbury — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 00:30:37 +0000

A way to remember lost loved ones stuxbury Wed, 11/02/2022 - 20:30

Death and loss is universal. So a student organization invites people across campus to share photos of their loved ones in an act of remembrance.

Dia de los Muertos — Day of the Dead — is a holiday that focuses on celebrating deceased loved ones through sharing their favorite foods, displaying items that remind you of the person and storytelling. The celebration is widely observed in Mexico on Nov. 1 and 2.

On Tuesday, Alpha Psi Lambda Latino co-ed fraternity created a Día de los Muertos ofrenda in the University Center’s Wolverine Commons. It will be up through Nov. 8 for people to add framed photos of family and friends. There’s also a digital photo frame — if you want to share an image to include on it.

“No matter your identity, it’s important to celebrate loved ones and remember them. Everyone remembers someone they lost,” said Alpha Psi Lambda President Ivett Facundo, a senior studying anthropology. “We wanted to set up a beautiful space for people to share that loss and celebrate that person.”

Facundo brought three photos to share, ones that are often on her mother’s home ofrenda. In one, she’s a young girl with her grandparents in their rural Mexican town. “I have this photo and remember talking with my great grandfather on the phone. He was really nice. But I don’t have many memories other than what’s been shared with me. That’s why it’s important to talk about people who have died — so future generations can get to know them too.”

There’s also an ofrenda on Mardigian Library’s second floor. But that one is a little different, said Alpha Psi Lambda member Brianna Bryant, a human-centered design engineering major. It commemorates people who’ve fought — and often died — for social justice causes.

“These people were more than the incident that made them a recognizable name. It’s important to remember that. We include joyful images of these advocates, poems and inspirational stories,” Bryant said.

The Center for Social Justice and Inclusion worked on this campus project with the students. The center’s Intercultural & Intersectional Identities Program Manager Jerrard Wheeler said if students want to share their heritage with campus in an interactive way, the center is happy to support them.

“The many cultures and identities make ��-Dearborn a truly amazing place — and students are open to sharing these aspects of themselves,” he said. “They want to learn from us, and want us to learn from them.”

Article by Sarah Tuxbury.

Campus Life

Center for Social Justice and Inclusion

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

Student Engagement

Student Life

Off

Thu, 11/03/2022 - 00:30

Alpha Psi Lambda Latino fraternity created a Día de los Muertos ofrenda in the University Center’s Wolverine Commons. It will be up through Nov. 8 for people to add framed photos of family and friends.

Alpha Psi Lambda members Ivett Facundo, right, and Brianna Bryant set off an ofrenda in the University Center. Photo by Sarah Tuxbury

How a campus storytelling project builds community

stuxbury — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 02:18:53 +0000

How a campus storytelling project builds community stuxbury Mon, 10/17/2022 - 22:18

Communities are built upon shared experiences. Knowing the power of a personal story, a campuswide project focuses on the impact narratives have on the people who tell them — and on those who listen.

“More Than A Single Story: ��-Dearborn Speaks,” now in its second year, documents personal experiences, like nonlinear paths to deciding a major, what it’s like to be a student at “the other Michigan” and dispelling stereotypes. So far 11 students have participated.

People need a multitude of stories to properly engage with a place. So “More Than a Single Story” is providing students, who are compensated for their critical thinking and creative work, with a way 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.

A mix of oral history and digital media, “More Than A Single Story: ��-Dearborn Speaks” allows people curious about campus to see authentic experiences, and gives Dearborn Wolverines the opportunity to learn digital storytelling while discovering what drives them and shapes their purpose.

“This goes beyond being a project. It has made an impact on my life by creating a positive change in me and helping me with social responsibility,” said Robotics Engineering graduate student Ruthvik Sankar, who is an international student. “And it’s teaching me about the community I’m in and the impact I can have on it.”

Sankar’s digital storytelling video focused on international community perspectives of Detroit and Black Americans. “I was told to be afraid, even before arriving in the U.S., about people I had never met. I learned quickly that this fear was very wrong. I want to take accountability and dispel rumors. I had a team member, who is Black, and her dad watched my video before it was posted and her dad said he appreciated what I put out there.”

The 2021-2022 cohort of students, which included Sankar, created short three-to-five-minute videos with narrative, visuals, music and more. You can see their videos.

Now that the first group has completed their work, they are mentoring a second group of students who started this fall. On Fridays, all students meet to discuss their ideas, share updates, give each other constructive criticism, and listen to guidance from campus faculty and staff.

In order to make the project as inclusive as possible, video editing experience isn’t required, and neither is a communications background. To get everyone up to a professional level, ��-Dearborn staff — led by Mardigian Library Associate Director Holly Sorcher and Library Research Center Head Christopher Spilker — teach these skills. Faculty members with storytelling expertise also provide guidance.

“More Than A Single Story” is supported by a Coalition for Life-Transformative Education (CLTE) grant to expand existing campus resources and technologies to teach digital storytelling to a closely mentored cohort. The grant was matched by the Chancellor’s office. This Experience Plus partnership program involved Mardigian Library, Career Services and Global Education.

“It’s great watching the dynamics of our returning students offer new students sound advice and share the value of their experience,” said Spilker, who became a StoryCenter-certified facilitator prior to leading the project. “Our first group says that they surprised themselves with what they are capable of, production aside, because they really allowed themselves to be vulnerable. They learned what they were capable of when it comes to creating meaning out of their own experiences and sharing it in a real and engaging way. There’s power in that.”

College of Business sophomore Carlos Gonzalez, who was part of the first cohort, said reflecting on his own experience for his video made him realize that he’s exactly where he should be. Graduating at the top of his high school, Gonzalez planned to go to ��-Ann Arbor. But, when he was waitlisted, he made a decision to attend ��-Dearborn with a plan to transfer. In his digital story, he explores the conflict he felt when he recognized that he no longer intended on transferring.

“The project was a reflection period for me. There was pressure to go to Ann Arbor from friends. However, I realized that I had everything I wanted right here. I could still go to football games in the Big House and hang out in Ann Arbor, but still save money by living at home when I’m earning a Michigan degree,” he said. "Plus, my professors are great and I really like it here. After I shared my story, I heard from other students who felt the same pressure from outside sources — when you realize that you aren’t alone in something, it opens up a conversation and helps create another layer of community.”

Spilker said community building is a major objective for this initiative. And he’s pleased to see how students picked up on that, along with crafting a compelling narrative and gracefully receiving criticism.

“No matter what you do, there will be criticism, change suggestions and feedback. If you can handle feedback on something that’s so personal like these videos, you will be able to handle anything,” he said. “Storytelling, flexibility and community-building are valuable skills to have now and long after graduation. These are important and transferable skills regardless of career field — engineering, healthcare, business, communications, anything. But don’t just take my word for it, our students are the project’s best ambassadors.”

Sankar, who is now mentoring sophomore Kylie Martin, is helping her hone in on her experience growing up as a child with a parent in the military. He said he enjoys his new role because he knows the impact this digital storytelling project had on him and he’s looking forward to seeing what Martin learns.

“It really has changed how I see myself and how I see the world. In classes, I get lessons about computer science and robotics. Here, I get to learn about myself and how I connect to other people,” he said. “I came to ��-Dearborn for the graduate program, but I’ll leave here with a stronger sense of who I am and how I can contribute to the world — not just as a robotics engineer, but as a human.”

Article by Sarah Tuxbury.

Student Success

Teaching Resource

University-wide

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

College of Business

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Student Engagement

Off

Tue, 10/18/2022 - 02:16

“More Than A Single Story: ��-Dearborn Speaks,” now in its second year, documents unique experiences and reflections of ��-Dearborn students.

"More than a Single Story" student participants Ruthvik Sankar and Kylie Martin are working together to create a digital video.

��-Dearborn’s annual MLK Day of Service draws more than 400 volunteers to 21 work sites

rudmehta — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 17:25:16 +0000

��-Dearborn’s annual MLK Day of Service draws more than 400 volunteers to 21 work sites rudmehta Wed, 08/10/2022 - 13:25

This article was originally published on January 20, 2020.

Retired Mathematics Faculty Helen Santiz has walked in silence across the bridge in Selma, Ala, to remember the peaceful Civil Rights demonstrators who were met with violence. She’s visited the Lorraine Motel in Tennessee where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968. And she’s listened to the recording of King’s March 14, 1968 speech to Grosse Pointe residents, which is now considered the precursor to his “I Have a Dream” speech. But prior to doing any of this, she served on the first ��-Dearborn’s Martin Luther King Day of Service planning committee nearly 30 years ago. And she’s participated in every one since.

Mathematics Professor Emeritus Helen Santiz is a founding committee member of the MLK Day of Service and the last remaining active member from the original planning group.

Santiz observed that the event teaches what Dr. King stood for. It reminds us to pay attention and to not forget about our nation's ugly history. And it's important to get involved so we can do better as a community. “I didn’t know how to get involved in his legacy until I joined the committee; once I did, it encouraged me to find other ways to learn about Dr. King. It all started here at ��-Dearborn.”

Now 80, Santiz is still very involved in ��-Dearborn's MLK Day of Service, continuously greeting volunteers and giving directions. She said it’s encouraging to see the steady stream of people filtering down the University Center hallway.

“(Former) Chancellor Blenda Wilson had the vision for this day. We weren’t sure if it would last beyond that first year — there was a blizzard and 12 inches of snow on the ground,” Santiz said. “But people showed up to do it again the next year. And it continued to grow. I’m confident that the event is here to stay.”

Now in its 27th year, more than 400 volunteers gathered in Kochoff Hall early Monday morning before heading out to one of the 21 MLK Day of Service sites, which ranged from food bank stocking at Gleaners to organizing clothing for a veteran’s thrift store. See photos from the 2020 event.

Students read quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. while waiting in line to check in during the MLK Day of Service.

At the MLK Week Kickoff event, Chancellor Domenico Grasso welcomed the large crowd and had the group read a quote from King on the back of MLK Day of Service T-shirts: There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.

“We are all faced with difficult decisions. It can be easy to go with the flow, but sometimes you have to step out of the flow and do what’s right,” Grasso said. “That’s what’s embodied in all of the work that Dr. Martin Luther King did. And I feel that it’s what distinguishes our campus. People around the country are taking the day off and you are here to do something for others.”

As staff from ��-Dearborn and Henry Ford College — the campus’ co-partner in the event — checked in volunteers, a line of T-shirts hung above the crowd. They were from all of the previous MLK Days of Service; the 2020 shirt will join them soon. It’s been put aside to go up on the wall after the event.

Retired staff Karen Holland has a bit of inside information about that display: Most of them once belonged to her and Santiz. “When we were doing this event for about 20 years, we thought it would be nice to display the shirts in a permanent way — it worked out that between Helen and I, we had shirts that we kept that would cover all of the years,” said Holland, who also serves on the MLK Planning Committee and has volunteered every year since the first one. “Don’t ever take them out of the frames — they are hung strategically because they are used and there might be some paint on some of those.”

Retired staff member Karen Holland has volunteered for the MLK Day of Service since it began; most of the MLK Day of Service T-shirts from the early years of the event on display in the University Center are hers.

Chatting with a student before the kickoff event Monday, Santiz was asked if he’d see her at the Capuchin Community Service Center, the site where he was volunteering. When she remarked being too old for the labor involved there, the student replied, “You don’t look old and any age is the perfect age to volunteer.”

As the night sky became pink with the sunrise, Santiz lit up too. But it wasn’t because of the age compliment, she liked his view on community service.

Staff and students organize art supplies for children at Arts & Scraps in Detroit.

Inclusion or Diversity

Volunteer or Community Service

Student Engagement

University Unions & Events

Off

Mon, 01/20/2020 - 06:00

As the event approaches three decades, retired faculty and staff reflect on how the event has grown and become a campus mainstay.

More than 400 people — faculty, staff, students and community members — came together to volunteer for the campus' annual MLK Day of Service. Volunteer activities included making fleece blankets, which will go to Love A Vet, First Step, Kids Talk, Vista M

'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.

Fun things to do around campus this fall

rudmehta — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 19:49:18 +0000

Fun things to do around campus this fall rudmehta Thu, 06/23/2022 - 15:49

This article was originally published on October 25, 2021.

Fall is a classic campus season. Cool air is perfect for a Michigan hoodie and a warm drink while looking at beautiful scenery in an array of fall colors. And it’s all steps from your office or classroom.

Wander around the woods

Join the Environmental Interpretive Center (EIC) staff naturalists on guided walks through the outdoor Environmental Study Area from noon-1 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays this fall for their "I Wonder Wanders" walks. Don’t worry — they aren’t going for Blair Witch Project realness. These daylight walks are for the EIC experts to give us a bit more information about stunning fall foliage and the creatures that call campus home. No RSVP needed and it's specifically for the ��-Dearborn community. Ready for a quick outdoor adventure? Please gather at the picnic tables behind the EIC a little before noon.

EIC in the fall

On those rainy fall days, get some history

If the weather isn’t cooperating for a walk around campus’ EIC, stroll around the Henry Ford — the museum is open year round — and see artifacts like Rosa Parks’ bus, cars that date back to the late 1800s, and American toys and music throughout the past 100 years. There are millions of artifacts to see, so there’s something for everyone.

All ��-Dearborn students get a free membership at the Henry Ford if they show their MCard at the museum’s Welcome Center. Student perks include unlimited access to the Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield Village and Giant Screen Experience traditional films.

Exterior of the Henry Ford Museum

Decorate for Hail-o-ween

Add a bit of “Go Boo” to your Halloween decor and pumpkin carving party. There are six unique ��-Dearborn pumpkin carving stencils that you can use to get started, or come up with your own unique design.

Ronen and Rebekah Tuxbury, children of staff member Sarah Tuxbury, chose the "Batty for Michigan" design.. Photo by Scott Piestrak

Watch or read scary stories

Pick up a spooky novel or film while at Mardigian Library. The library also has a selection of horror movies and scary stories that you can enjoy right from your computer like Stephen King’s Carrie and Bram Stoker’s Dracula on e-book, and films like Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, Jordan Peele’s Get Out and Joss Whedon’s The Cabin in the Woods via streaming. Library hours are here and you can browse their selection here.

Mardigian Library offers fall books and movies

Warm up with fall flavors

Maple, pumpkin spice, chai, and caramel are arguably the unofficial ingredients of fall in Michigan. Find these flavors in lattes, hot ciders and pastries on menus across campus, from McKinley Café to Mug Life. Looking for a meeting spot or snack break near campus with autumnal flavors? Try Brome Modern Eatery, where milkshakes are blended with salted caramel and Madagascar vanilla bean, or brunch at The Great Commoner, where brown butter pancakes are topped with burnt cinnamon whipped cream and Michigan maple syrup. Dearborn is also home to a number of Yemeni cafes, like Qahwah House and Romantica Café, where Arabic coffees are brewed with spicy flavors, such as fresh ginger, cardamom and cloves.

Dearborn is also home to a number of Yemeni cafes, like Qahwah House where Arabic coffees are brewed with spicy flavors, such as fresh ginger, cardamom and cloves.

Say ‘Go Boo!’ when you cheer on our athletes

Want to get pumped for your favorite Wolverine team? Check out this Spotify Gameday playlist by the University of Michigan. And there’s tons of upcoming action you can watch. Our Dearborn Wolverines Men’s Ice Hockey team has a home game at 7 p.m. Nov. 5 vs. Concordia in the Fieldhouse. The Women's Ice Hockey team has a game coming up against Ann Arbor at 9 p.m. Nov. 5 at Artic Edge in Canton. Women and Men’s soccer and volleyball have upcoming home matches too. Check out the Dearborn Wolverines schedules.

��-Dearborn home athletics events are free for ��-Dearborn students, faculty and staff.

Photo of Women's Ice Hockey at home

Have a fun fall idea for us to add to this list? Drop us a line at ��Dearborn-News@umich.edu.

Campus Life

Athletics

Environmental Interpretive Center

Student Engagement

Off

Mon, 10/25/2021 - 05:00

Here are a few of our favorite things.

Fall colors on campus on the pathway to the Science Learning and Research Center. Photo by Sarah Tuxbury

Meet the College of Arts, Sciences, & Letters, the College of Education, Health, & Human Services Medallion recipients

stuxbury — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 19:01:46 +0000

Meet the College of Arts, Sciences, & Letters, the College of Education, Health, & Human Services Medallion recipients stuxbury Mon, 04/11/2022 - 15:01

Each semester, ��-Dearborn honors a very select group of students with a medallion. Chosen by faculty from their respective colleges, graduates are recognized for their outstanding quality of character, vitality, intellect, integrity and academic record. Three medallions recipients are awarded per college — with one of those students receiving the top Chancellor’s Medallion.

Meet the College of Arts, Sciences, & Letters, the College of Education, Health, & Human Services recipients — including the Chancellor’s Medallion awardee, who is a CASL grad.

The awardees from the College of Engineering & Computer Sciences and the College of Business can be seen here.

Zenon Sommers is receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Behavioral and Biological Sciences, with three minors in German, Women’s and Gender Studies and Sociology. He has earned certificates in both LGBTQ Studies and Professional Language and Cross-Cultural Competency, and is in both the Psychology and ��-Dearborn Honors Programs. During his time at the university, he has completed 167 semester hours and earned the Chancellor’s Scholarship for four years. In 2021, Zenon was selected as a ��-Dearborn Difference Maker and Honors Scholar for Psychology. He has also been on the Dean’s List for seven consecutive semesters and been named a James B. Angell Scholar for six consecutive semesters.

Zenon has outstanding research experience. He completed his honors thesis, “Cognitive elaboration and the formation of false memories from fake news,” with Professors Pam McAuslan and Marie Waung, and presented his findings at 2021 APA and APS conventions. He also worked in Associate Professor Harmony Reppond’s Social Psychology and Economic Justice Lab on a research project related to food insecurity. Currently, Zenon is working with Associate Professor Arlo Clark-Foos to investigate cognitive processing and fake news, and with Associate Professor Robert Hymes on COVID-19 conspiracy belief measurement. He has received the Student Independent Research Grant (2021), the Undergraduate Student Research Grant (2021), and the Undergraduate Student Research Travel Grant (2019). He is also part of the Research Advisory Committee at ��-Dearborn Faculty Senate as a student representative.

Since 2019, Zenon has been a peer tutor at the Office of Academic Success and provided individual support for ESL students and students with severe disabilities. He also works in the Kochoff Foreign Language Media Lab as a German tutor and lab assistant. Moreover, Zenon has been a supplementary instruction (SI) leader since 2018 and provided 570 student hours of support to 131 different students across 163 SI sessions.

Zenon has also contributed tremendously to the operation of the SI program during the pandemic. He almost single-handedly transformed the pre-pandemic procedure into an online format for the hiring and training of new SI leaders. Zenon has been an assistant SI supervisor, developing and leading online training for 60 SI leaders in 2020 and 80 SI leaders in 2021. As Lecturer Deborah Roundtree commented, “Without Zenon, SI wouldn’t have been able to negotiate the technological mountains they were forced to conquer throughout the pandemic.”

Outside of the classroom, Zenon has participated in a wide variety of campus and community activities. He is the co-host and producer for the Pre-Occupied podcast about careers in psychology. He has interviewed 22 professional psychologists in practice, industry and academia from Stanford University, Harvard Medical School and the University of Michigan. He is also the co-host and producer of the Nonbinary Gender: Scholarship and Experience podcast. He founded Ratio Christi as well as the Photography Club at ��-Dearborn and is the president of the German Club and the Locke and Lewis Society for the Integration of Faith and Reason. He is also a passionate volunteer for Joy2Read.

After graduation, Zenon plans to pursue a Ph.D. in psychology and a career in academia.

Tejas Athavale is receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry with a minor in Hispanic Studies, and is graduating with high distinction. Tejas has appeared on the Dean’s List every semester of his ��-Dearborn career, has received University Honors in five different terms, is a three-time James B. Angell Scholar (2020, 2021, 2022), and is a William J. Branstrom Prize recipient (2019). Tejas was chosen as the 2022 Honors Scholar in the Biochemistry program.

Faculty who have taught Tejas across several disciplines consistently cite his academic talent, enthusiasm and propensity for serving as a peer mentor in the classroom. Professor Jorge Gonzalez del Pozo says Tejas’ energy and desire to learn positively affects the Hispanic Studies program, noting his “optimistic and productive impact” on both classes and classmates. Chemistry Professor Krisanu Bandyopadhyay describes him as belonging to the “top 1%” of students.

Tejas has been very active in academic research with Professor Bandyopadhyay and Assistant Professor Dr. Elena Zhang, including as a 2021 SURE researcher. His project is focused on the study of the efficacy of nanoparticles used for delivery of drugs to treat traumatic brain injuries. Tejas has presented preliminary results of this work at the Fall 2021 American Chemical Society national meeting and has had an abstract accepted to present at the 2022 National Neurotrauma Society Symposium. A manuscript based on this work is also in progress.

Tejas is the president of the campus Biochemistry Society and, in this role, has provided valuable student perspectives on topics relating to the Biochemistry degree program, including a recent faculty search. He is also active in the campus Spanish Club, La Mezcla, and is a regular presence in the Language Laboratory. Off campus, Tejas’ service-oriented outlook took him to Nagpur, India, where he spent time completing an internship in local hospitals. After graduation, he intends to attend medical school.

Katarina Moore is receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in English and Secondary Education and a minor in Speech. She is also graduating with an Honors Program certificate and with high distinction. Katarina was named a James B. Angell Scholar, was awarded University Honors, and had a four-year run on the Dean’s List. Her scholarships include the CASL Alumni Affiliate Scholarship, Descendants of Vietnam Veterans Scholarship, Sidney Warschausky Scholarship, Jeanette P. Myers Scholarship, John J. Brownfain Honors Scholarship, Dr. Carole A. and Mr. Anthony C. Fielek Scholarship, a Phi Delta Kappa Prospective Educator Award, Michigan Speech Coaches Grant, and an Honors Program Stipend.

Katarina has been an award-wining student in the Honors Program, where she served as an Honors Program mentorship team leader. Her research essay in COMP 220 received First Place in the Honors Category of the ��-Dearborn Writing Awards in 2019, and is now housed in the public collection of the Royal Oak Public Library. In 2021, she was named a ��-Dearborn Difference Maker.

Katarina was involved in the Writing Center After Dark creative writing club on campus and she read from her poetry at the One Mic: Student-Faculty Reading Series in Fall 2019. She received the Branstrom Book Prize in 2019. In 2020, she participated in the Poetry in the Classroom, Project VOICE in New York City, led by Phil Kaye and Sarah Kay, two award-winning spoken word poets and authors. These activities are a testament to her participation in the campus poetic and creative writing community and beyond.

She is actively engaged in the local theatrical arts community, demonstrating impressive leadership skills. Between Jan. 2019 and Jan. 2022, Katarina served as a children’s drama teacher and assistant at the Dramakids of Oakland County in Birmingham, where she taught extracurricular elementary grade classes in drama and speech and summer camp activities. Since Jan. 2022, she has been serving as director of education at the Shakespeare Royal Oak/Waterworks Theatre Company.

During the same time, she began work at Mason County Central High School. As a part of the secondary education program at ��-Dearborn, she provides emotional and mental support to nearly 100 students, teaching 9th grade English/Language Arts classes, a 9-12th grade Script Analysis elective, and an extracurricular Forensics program.

She also volunteers at the University of Michigan Forensics organization, of which she is a founder and executive board member, and at TEDx ��-Dearborn as head of communications and volunteer coordinator.

Katarina’s academic excellence, her versatility, and immediate application of her academic skills in a real-world environment are truly exemplary. After graduation, she plans to enter the education field.

Amani Abuelenain is receiving a Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Services with a concentration in Pre-Health Professions. She was named a James B. Angell Scholar in 2021 and has been on the Dean’s List every semester starting from Fall 2019 through Fall 2021. Amani was the recipient of the Victor’s Scholarship as well as the Burger King Scholarship.

As an undergrad, Amani has been an active member of the Student Activities Board, Pre-Dental Association, Engaged Scholars, and the Talent Gateway. Amani also serves as the vice president of the Public Health Society (PHS), where she helped lead a panel of public health ��-Dearborn alumni that provided PHS members with advice and insight about their future career paths. Amani also helped facilitate a partnership with ACCESS and Henry Ford Health Systems on the NIH All of Us research initiative, which is attempting to collect data from a wide range of individuals to help move the U.S. healthcare system to a precision medicine format.

Amani serves as the project coordinator for the MA Foundation, which works to boost the morale of cancer patients at Karmanos Cancer Center and Beaumont Hospital by providing head scarves for those enduring chemotherapy. She also volunteers with her local mosque, working with refugees to identify needed items, collect donations, and distribute them. In addition, she secures supervision for children when parents attend doctor’s appointments and job interviews.

During the Summer 2021 semester, Amani participated in the SURE program and worked with Associate Professors Carmel Price and Natalie Sampson on the Environmental Health Research-to-Action Project. Through this opportunity, she assisted in designing and running the summer youth academy, led a panel discussion with community experts and partners, constructed an air monitoring infographic, and gave a presentation on community air monitoring. Following the summer of 2021, she assisted in adapting the summer youth academy curriculum and has been working on a research project that seeks to interview Arab American female environmental activists in the metro Detroit area.

Amani completed an internship with Trinity Health’s Community Health and Wellbeing Department in the fall of 2021. As part of this experience, she constructed a patient satisfaction survey to connect individuals with resources. She also co-facilitated a presentation called “Racism: A Public Health Crisis” with their Diversity and Inclusion Department. In addition, Amani worked with Associate Professor Nick Iannarino in the fall to review transcriptions from interviews with cancer patients.

In her future career, Amani hopes to bridge public health with primary care to mitigate health inequities, especially in the immediate and surrounding community. She plans to take the next year to work in an organization that aligns with these goals to gain experience and determine whether to pursue a graduate program in public health or dentistry.

Miraaj al-Haque is receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education with a concentration in Early Childhood Education. He was on the Dean’s List in Fall 2018, Winter 2019, Fall 2019, Summer 2020, Fall 2020 and Winter 2021. Miraaj was also the recipient of the Academic Internship Tuition Scholarship.

As an undergrad, Miraaj has been an active member of the South Asian Students Association and the Michigan Journal. In addition, he has served as a peer advisor for the Peer Advisors for Learning and Success (PALS) program, which provides ��-Dearborn students with a peer-to-peer professional connection to augment current advising practices.

Miraaj has participated in several different internship and field experiences while at ��-Dearborn. As part of his teacher preparation program, he completed practicums in a third-grade classroom at the Dearborn Academy and in a preschool room at ��-Dearborn’s Early Childhood Education Center. In 2019, he was a summer research intern at Aurora International School in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where he conducted research and initial planning for a character education program and created a digital media and technology course for first and second graders. During the summer of 2020, he served as an intern for Child’s Hope in Detroit, where he assisted with fundraising, adapting an after-school program to adhere to COVID-19 protocols, and introducing new online learning tools. Most recently, Miraaj spent the summer of 2021 working as a teaching fellow for Uncommon Schools in Brooklyn, New York. During the fellowship, he learned different teaching taxonomies, participated in rigorous professional development sessions, and taught lessons via Zoom.

After graduation, Miraaj plans to work as an elementary school teacher in Brooklyn for Uncommon Schools, while also pursuing his master’s degree. After three or four years of teaching in Brooklyn, he would like to teach internationally, travel the world, experience new cultures, and live in new environments. Eventually, he wants to take his knowledge and experience to his home country of Bangladesh and open schools for underprivileged children.

Ranya Srour is receiving a Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Services with a concentration in Pre-Health Professions and a double minor in Psychology and Biology. She was named a James B. Angell Scholar in 2021 and has been on the Dean’s List every semester from Fall 2019 through Fall 2021. Ranya also earned University Honors each semester from Fall 2019 through Winter 2021 and was the recipient of the Impact Wolverine Scholarship.

Ranya has been an active member of the Pre-Professional Health Society, Engaged Scholars, and the Talent Gateway. She also serves as the secretary for the Society of Microbiology and Immunology Club. Ranya has worked as a student mentor through the Wolverine Mentor Collective, providing guidance and support to first-year students. In addition, Ranya joined the Cruise to Success Program as a freshman and later supported the program by serving as a facilitator.

Ranya has volunteered extensively while at ��-Dearborn. She has served in the emergency room at Beaumont Hospital in Dearborn and worked as a STEM tutor for K-12 students through Dearborn Tutoring. In addition, she gives her time to the ��-Dearborn Food Pantry. During finals week, she put together care packages filled with snacks and hygiene items to pass out at the library. During the pandemic, she helped organize a no-contact food drive with her peers. This effort generated over 400 pounds of donations for the food pantry in the summer of 2020.

Ranya works as a research assistant with the Emergency Medical Research Associates Program (EMRAP), which explores health inequities and system flaws in the Saint Mary Mercy Hospital emergency room. As a result of this research, she has worked closely with the malnutrition team and the hospital dieticians to implement strategies that can improve the elderly’s access to complete care. In addition, Ranya recently began microbiology research in Assistant Professor Christopher Alteri’s lab.

Ranya interned with the C-ASSIST free clinic and outreach organization through her HHS 402 class. As an intern, she served as a grant writer and helped write a winning grant awarded by the CDC Foundation. She also wrote newsletters addressing the pandemic and organized and facilitated a mobile clinic at Capuchin Soup Kitchen in Detroit to provide general health screenings and vaccinations to the community. On top of all her other responsibilities, Ranya found time to work as a medical assistant at a primary care office. There, she collected patient vital signs and translated Arabic for patients as needed.

After graduation, Ranya plans to take a gap year and devote more time to her outreach work and research on geriatric malnutrition, and contribute more to the microbiology lab. She plans to apply to medical school in the next cycle, with the ultimate goal of returning to her community as a physician.

Awards

Commencement

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

College of Education, Health, and Human Services

Student Engagement

Off

Mon, 04/11/2022 - 19:01

To acknowledge the number of strong medallion candidates among ��-Dearborn's top graduates, three medallions recipients are awarded per college — with one of those students receiving the top Chancellor's Medallion.

Student Engagement

"An experience that I'll never forget'

Gdańsk, Poland

Ottawa, Canada

Promoting Wolverines at work

Bringing fresh perspectives to the Freep Film Festival

A warm welcome for the newest Dearborn Wolverines!

A way to remember lost loved ones

How a campus storytelling project builds community

��-Dearborn’s annual MLK Day of Service draws more than 400 volunteers to 21 work sites

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

Fun things to do around campus this fall

Wander around the woods

On those rainy fall days, get some history

Decorate for Hail-o-ween

Watch or read scary stories

Warm up with fall flavors

Say ‘Go Boo!’ when you cheer on our athletes

Meet the College of Arts, Sciences, & Letters, the College of Education, Health, & Human Services Medallion recipients

Chancellor's Medallion recipient Zenon Sommers, College of Arts, Sciences, & Letters

Dean’s Medallion recipient Tejas Athavale, College of Arts, Sciences, & Letters

Dean’s Medallion recipient Katarina Moore, College of Arts, Sciences, & Letters

Dean’s Medallion recipient Amani Abuelenain, College of Education, Health, & Human Services

Dean’s Medallion recipient Miraaj al-Haque, College of Education, Health, & Human Services

Dean’s Medallion recipient Ranya Srour, College of Education, Health, & Human Services

Student Engagement

"An experience that I'll never forget'

Gdańsk, Poland

Ottawa, Canada

Promoting Wolverines at work

Bringing fresh perspectives to the Freep Film Festival

A warm welcome for the newest Dearborn Wolverines!

A way to remember lost loved ones

How a campus storytelling project builds community

������-Dearborn’s annual MLK Day of Service draws more than 400 volunteers to 21 work sites

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

Fun things to do around campus this fall

Wander around the woods

On those rainy fall days, get some history

Decorate for Hail-o-ween

Watch or read scary stories

Warm up with fall flavors

Say ‘Go Boo!’ when you cheer on our athletes

Meet the College of Arts, Sciences, & Letters, the College of Education, Health, & Human Services Medallion recipients

Chancellor's Medallion recipient Zenon Sommers, College of Arts, Sciences, & Letters

Dean’s Medallion recipient Tejas Athavale, College of Arts, Sciences, & Letters

Dean’s Medallion recipient Katarina Moore, College of Arts, Sciences, & Letters

Dean’s Medallion recipient Amani Abuelenain, College of Education, Health, & Human Services

Dean’s Medallion recipient Miraaj al-Haque, College of Education, Health, & Human Services

Dean’s Medallion recipient Ranya Srour, College of Education, Health, & Human Services

��-Dearborn’s annual MLK Day of Service draws more than 400 volunteers to 21 work sites