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Fri, 07/25/2025 - 21:36

Communications senior Bryanna Worthy, who traveled to France for a 2025 Study Abroad program, shares what it was like to explore a country that she's always wanted to see.

In spring 2025, UM-Dearborn students — including Bryanna Worthy, third from right — experienced France through a Study Abroad excursion.

Accessibility or Affordability

Athletics are a big driver of Canadian undergraduate enrollment

lblouin — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 13:06:31 +0000

Athletics are a big driver of Canadian undergraduate enrollment lblouin Mon, 07/14/2025 - 09:06

Senior Cadence Pero, an Ontario native who’s one of the captains of the UM-Dearborn Women’s Ice Hockey team, never thought she’d be playing collegiate hockey. In Canada, the competition is stiff for rosters on professional teams or at Canadian universities, and Pero assumed she simply wasn’t good enough or wouldn’t get noticed. But when she was 16 years old and playing in a league in London, she ended up chatting with one of her teammates, who had just signed to play at UM-Dearborn. Following her teammate’s lead, she set up a profile on a recruiting site, where she discovered that she might have a lot more opportunities to play in college than she thought — if she was willing to go to the United States. There were dozens of schools, both in the NCAA’s Division III and in the American Collegiate Hockey Association, the league in which UM-Dearborn plays, that were looking for players.

To her surprise, Pero started getting recruited by several American colleges and reached out to several more, including UM-Dearborn, which showed interest in her. She eventually narrowed it down to UM-Dearborn and Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where her uncle played NCAA Division I golf and her cousin is currently playing golf as well. Pero says UM-Dearborn won out for a few reasons. For one, it’s only two and a half hours from her home, so her family could “be part of this experience with me.” (Pero says her grandparents come to almost every game.) She was also impressed by the athletic and residential facilities. The women’s team had its own locker room and UM-Dearborn had its own rink, so she could practice anytime. And the Union, where many student-athletes from outside the metro area choose to live, had full apartments rather than the one-room dorms and communal bathrooms she was expecting. Pero also says the University of Michigan name carries more weight back in Ontario. “The Michigan degree, that was a big thing for my parents,” she says. “I thought about schools like Indiana Tech. But if you’re going back home with a degree from Michigan or Michigan State, you’re going to have more opportunities.”

One other big factor was affordability. Pero had excellent grades in high school and thus qualified for UM-Dearborn’s merit-based international undergraduate scholarship, which “basically knocks off the out-of-state fees.” Women’s Ice Hockey Head Coach Carrie Sirola says that’s something she hears a lot from her Canadian players. “We’re not able to offer them athletic scholarships, but the international scholarship that UM-Dearborn offers, which is based on high school GPA, can make a huge difference,” Sirola says. “So if a kid has a 4.0, I know they're going to get $12,500 a year. I can tell them, if you want to play, you’re going to get a fair bit of financial aid here.” Sirola says that scholarship — along with the high level of hockey that the women’s team is earning a reputation for — has been a big reason she can now court more Canadian players. Back when the team was founded in 2019 and Sirola was an assistant coach, she says the team was filling the roster mostly with student-athletes from the metro Detroit area. But she could foresee that building the team would likely require recruiting in Canada. “I would be doing recon on our opponents and every single team in the U.S. now has Canadian kids,” she says. This past year, UM-Dearborn’s team featured 14 Canadians and 10 Americans — the first year the team has had a Canadian majority. Because of the scholarship, Sirola says she’s started to become more “particular” about who she recruits. “I’ve started to mostly recruit kids who have a 3.0 or higher, because I know we’re going to be able to offer them financial aid,” she says.

Sirola says her recruitment doesn’t always resemble how it’s often portrayed in movies or TV, where eager coaches come watch from the sidelines and make a pitch to kids and parents. For starters, Sirola says most of her recruitment activity is online now. Athletes use recruiting websites or YouTube to upload their highlight reels, and if there’s a mutual interest, a lot of the subsequent communication happens via email before the students come for a tour. Interestingly, Sirola says a lot of the Canadian players who end up on the roster actually find her rather than the other way around. She says this is largely due to a substantial supply and demand problem: Because hockey is so popular in Canada, there are simply more players in Canada, especially at the mid-level talent band, than there are spots on Canadian college rosters. So college-bound students who want to keep playing find they have many more opportunities if they reach out to teams in the U.S., where hockey isn’t as popular but college teams are more plentiful. “Occasionally, I’ll find a kid and reach out to them. But it’s going to be harder to get them to come because they’re going to have offers from other coaches,” Sirola says. “I find it’s easier for me to sign kids that really want to come here.”

That an American university close to the Canadian border would be drawing hockey players from Canada, where hockey is a national obsession, isn’t all that surprising. But Craig Cotter, head coach of the UM-Dearborn Baseball team, says a lot of Sirola’s experience rings true for him, too. Cotter and his assistant coaches started to notice more Canadians on their opponents’ rosters, and so they started scouting Canadian kids on recruiting sites. A couple guys from the coaching staff even attended some combines in Canada to scout potential recruits in person. This year, UM-Dearborn had three Canadians on the roster — including a first-year student who Cotter says was the standout player for the team. Cotter says the selling points that seem to be drawing hockey players are pretty similar for his players: Ontario kids like that UM-Dearborn is just across the border (although one of his players came all the way from Alberta); students love the accommodations at the Union; and the international undergraduate scholarship makes the out-of-state tuition much more affordable for students who did well in high school. Interestingly, the supply and demand dynamic that brings hockey players to the U.S. works a little differently for baseball, though it still seems to benefit American colleges. “Baseball in Canada is just not that big a deal compared to a sport like hockey,” Cotter says. “So kids at that sort of mid-talent level, if they want to keep playing through their college years, are going to find way more opportunities in the U.S.”

UM-Dearborn doesn’t keep stats on countries of origin for its student-athletes. But using some back-of-the-envelope math, athletics seems to be driving undergraduate enrollment from Canada, which is now the university’s second-largest source for undergrads, and very close to overtaking the top spot, now held by India. Francisco Lopez, UM-Dearborn’s director of international affairs, says there were 26 Canadian undergraduate students enrolled in 2024-25. So adding Sirola’s 14, Cotter’s three, and the five Canadian student-athletes on the men’s ice hockey team, it’s safe to say that athletes account for the large majority of Canadian undergraduates. Which begs the question: Will the university continue to experience growth in this area? Cotter and Sirola aren’t bullish about that forecast, at least for their teams. One thing that’s on both their minds: the current exchange rate. The Canadian dollar has fallen to its lowest level in a decade relative to the U.S. dollar (right now, it’s 72 cents), which puts Canadian families at a disadvantage when paying for college. Because of this, Sirola says she’s thinking of shifting her recruiting focus away from Canada and to communities in Michigan outside of the metro area. (Interestingly, she says she has trouble recruiting kids in the territory where most of UM-Dearborn’s undergrads hail from.) Meanwhile, Cotter is looking to recruit more out-of-state students, especially in southern states, where baseball can be a year round sport and there is a lot of mid-level talent. As with his Canadian athletes, he says his best recruiting tool is often an academic scholarship the university offers to high-achieving high school graduates from out of state. “The Michigan degree is desirable throughout the country,” Cotter says. “So I’m hopeful we’re going to get kids that, yes, want to keep playing, but come for that degree.”

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Story by Lou Blouin

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Mon, 07/14/2025 - 13:05

Canada is now the university’s second-largest source for international undergraduate students. Sports are often the draw. But coaches say academic scholarships are greasing the wheels.

With stiff competition in Canada, Ontario native Cadence Pero never thought she'd be playing collegiate hockey. She found many more opportunities on the American side of the border. Photo by Annie Barker

Class of Spring 2025: CECS graduate Mahendra Kakad

lblouin — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 13:12:37 +0000

Class of Spring 2025: CECS graduate Mahendra Kakad lblouin Mon, 04/21/2025 - 09:12

Back in his home country of India, UM-Dearborn graduate student Mahendra Kakad already had a good life and a good job. He actually already had a master’s degree and had been working in the automotive industry for eight years as a design engineer, including with a startup that was building electric mopeds as a way to put EVs within reach for more consumers. But a few years ago, Kakad, who describes himself as an “aspirational, self-motivated person,” started to think more strategically about what he wanted the next stage of his career to look like. If he ever wanted to make a bigger impact on a company, say, as a chief technical officer, he knew he’d likely need to complement his advanced technical skills with managerial ones. With two teachers for parents, he says he’s always loved education. And when he learned about the engineering management master’s program at UM-Dearborn, which was located in the heart of one of the world’s biggest automotive centers, he thought it was a good bet to help him take that next step.

Engineers have a reputation for being super analytical thinkers, and Kakad definitely used that mindset to shape his new life in the United States. From the outset, he sought out advice from his fellow students who were in the second year of the program to get a sense of what he needed to do to be successful. One of their first recommendations was to get involved in as many things as possible outside of his studies. So he joined student government; he connected with the vibrant Indian Graduate Student Association; he lent his expertise to MASA, the student rocketry team. “I was on campus almost all the time — even Saturdays and Sundays,” he says. “The only time I was really at my apartment was when I was sleeping and eating dinner.” His on-campus presence helped him check another box on his wishlist: getting an on-campus job. One day, at an event, he bumped into John Cristiano, the College of Engineering and Computer Science assistant dean for research development and strategic initiatives, who remarked that Kakad seemed to be “everywhere.” Kakad mentioned that he wanted to work on campus in order to gain some experience, and Cristiano and CECS Dean Ghassan Kridli scooped him up, creating a program assistant position to help him manage corporate relations. “The system is very different in India. So I sort of saw the job as ‘kindergarten’ for me. I could help support myself financially and also get to know what the work culture is like in the United States,” Kakad says.

At this point, Kakad was still just a few months into his studies, but he was already preparing for a future job search. As an international student, he wasn’t authorized to work off campus, even at an internship, until he’d completed 18 credits, something that was still more than six months away. He started working with a recruiter, noting on his resume when he’d be work-eligible, but he generally found employers weren’t planning that far ahead. So, after getting some advice from his classmates and the staff at Career Services, he used the time to continue tweaking his resume to fit American norms. With his years of experience in industry, Kakad thought he’d be an attractive candidate and set himself what seemed like a reasonable goal: get an internship offer by January 2024. But he saw that target come and go, even as students younger and less experienced than him were lining up their internships. It was disappointing, but like a good engineer, he saw the lack of response as motivation to retool his resume.

One day when he was feeling particularly frustrated, he went to the Tesla website and directly applied for “15 or 20 jobs.” In early February 2024, he finally got a bite. Interestingly, it wasn’t for any of the positions he'd applied for, but a hiring manager had seen his resume in the system and reached out directly to ask him about his interest in another job. He spent the next few days methodically prepping for the half-hour interview. He created a Google doc mapping all the key features of the job description onto his own skill set. He got on LinkedIn and learned as much as he could about the hiring manager. He called a couple of his old colleagues back in India to get their advice. The interview went well, and a couple hours later, he got an email stating he’d made it to the next round of interviews. In a few more days, he finally had an offer.

The internship at Tesla was a technical engineering position, similar to the work he’d been doing back in India. But he says it was a great introduction to how an American workplace functions. Americans are often characterized (in contrast with Europeans, presumably) as workaholics who sometimes don’t even exhaust the often meager amount of vacation time their jobs allow. But Kakad says Americans have nothing on people in many Asian countries. In his former position, seven-day work weeks were the expectation and it was hard to ever really turn work off. “For example, in my previous roles, if you’re given an assignment, your manager might come up to you and ask, ‘Have you mailed that guy?’ And if you say ‘yes’ — ‘Have you called that guy?’ If you say ‘yes’ — ‘Have you messaged that guy?’ If you say ‘yes’ — ‘Have you met that guy?’” Kakad says, laughing. Here in the U.S., he was happy to see that people generally took weekends off and that managers gave their employees more agency. Even at Tesla, where he says they “stretch a little bit,” any weekend work is lower-key, and you definitely shouldn’t be bombarding your colleagues with emails and phone calls.

The internship at Tesla went very well. Kakad was the only one in his group who got to travel internationally, and he visited nearly all the Tesla manufacturing facilities in the United States. As it wound down, he started applying for full-time positions within the company. This time, the job search was decidedly less bumpy. “I remember it was Feb. 6 last year that I got the interview call from Tesla for my internship and Feb. 6 this year that I got the offer for my full-time job,” he says. Better still, this new position is more in line with what he was hoping going back to school would lead to. Rather than working as a design engineer, he’ll be working more on the manufacturing side as a supplier industrialization engineer, helping coordinate the production and ensure the quality of components as they pass from the design phase through a complex manufacturing process. He credits his UM-Dearborn professors — particularly Professors Shan Bao and Onur Ulgen and lecturers Roger Klungle and Faisal Khalaf — with preparing him for this new role in which knowledge of quality control processes and systems engineering will be crucial. “The quality of the instructors we have at UM-Dearborn is really next-scale,” he says. “They are working with big companies. They are working with the Department of Defense. And they have years of experience in industry and academia. So it’s been a privilege to get to know them and learn from them.”

Kakad is definitely looking forward to this next chapter, which will involve a move to California. Through the post-completion Optional Practical Training portion of his student visa, which includes a STEM extension, he currently has work authorization through 2028. And he recently got more good news: The application for his H-1B visa, which would allow him to extend his stay in the United States even further, was recently selected in the government’s lottery process and should be active in 2026. But he’s also a little sad to be leaving Dearborn. “When you come to the United States from another country, I think the state where you end up sort of becomes your home away from home,” he says. “I really like Michigan. I’m a nature lover. And I’ve made so many friends here. I’ll miss those days where you’re on campus and you just bump into a professor and have a nice conversation. But my journey at Tesla has also been very good, and as I look ahead, I carry both the values I brought from home and the experiences I’ve gained here. I’m excited to contribute at the intersection of engineering and leadership.”

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Story by Lou Blouin

Careers or Internships

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Mon, 04/21/2025 - 13:12

The spring master’s graduate used an engineer’s mindset to navigate a tricky job market and land a job at Tesla.

Photo by Annie Barker

Helping international students make our region stronger

stuxbury — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 12:09:28 +0000

Helping international students make our region stronger stuxbury Mon, 04/21/2025 - 08:09

UM-Dearborn graduate student Patrick Imoh is a senior network engineer with more than a decade of experience. He’s worked for companies including ExxonMobil and Cisco. As Imoh — who returned to school in 2023 — approaches his Spring 2025 graduation, he’s been interviewing with Fortune 500 companies who have locations around the world.

But with southeast Michigan's strong presence in industries like automotive, mobility and advanced manufacturing, Imoh — an international student from Nigeria who’s earning a Master of Science in cybersecurity and information assurance — has a talent that’s needed in the Detroit area. On the Indeed online job board, so many companies are looking for network and cybersecurity engineers that there are six pages of postings for Michigan alone.

A partnership between UM-Dearborn and Global Detroit, a nonprofit that advocates for immigrant inclusion to drive economic growth across Michigan, is working to keep students like Imoh in the region. Through a four-week Global Talent Accelerator led by the organization, UM-Dearborn graduate students learned how to expand their networks and develop the soft skills needed to succeed in the American workplace.

Through the GTA sessions, a cohort of 20 international students from the College of Engineering and Computer Science and the College of Business visited the Detroit LinkedIn office to learn about networking and personal branding. They also took part in mock interviews, discussed workplace culture in the U.S. with HR experts, attended a job fair and more.

UM-Dearborn international students finished Global Detroit's Global Talent Accelerator program earlier this month.

“In the United States, there is an openness in the recruitment process that isn’t there in other countries. They want to get to know you beyond your skills. It’s different from what I’ve experienced before,” says Imoh, who has had multiple U.S.-based interviews since the program concluded. “While the skills you have are essential to promote, I’ve learned that employers here want to know if you’ll be a good fit for the team. So instead of reciting off a list of projects and experience in an interview, be your authentic self.”

UM-Dearborn Career Services Assistant Director Mai Qazzaz says the U.S. is a global leader in the science and technology field thanks, in part, to the skills the international students bring through education and experience. In southeast Michigan, however, there is a widening gap between the skill sets of students graduating from local universities and the state’s job demand.

“The U.S. is one of the leading destinations for international students, and Michigan welcomes a significant number of them,” Qazzaz says. “They offer exceptional and in-demand skill sets that are highly sought after by employers.” In addition to specialized degrees in high-demand fields, international students speak multiple languages and can help businesses better navigate a global market. Michigan has 38,123 international students — the eighth-largest international student population in the country — with 739 currently enrolled at UM-Dearborn.

Attracting and retaining international students benefits not only employers, but the economy of the entire region and state, according to a 2022 Global Detroit study. “International students [across the U.S.] comprise more than 70 percent of all the graduate students in electrical engineering, computer and information sciences, and industrial and manufacturing engineering — fields critical to the future of the Michigan economy,” the report states. In addition to bringing much-needed talent to many of Michigan’s key industries, international students make outsize contributions to university research and technology commercialization, and boost the economy with their tuition dollars and other spending, the report explains.

Imoh and his cohort took part in a GTA graduation ceremony at Fairlane Center South in early April. Priya Pati, who is earning a Master of Science in business analytics, says the program helped her better curate her professional experience on her resume. And Yogendra Sai Pavan Nalam — who goes by Pavan and is finishing his Master of Science in data science — gained more experience and assurance with soft skills like interpersonal communication. “I’m very good at technical stuff, but I was lacking in areas like talking in front of an audience,” he said at the ceremony. “I am up here and speaking with confidence thanks to the Global Detroit team.”

UM-Dearborn Career Services Professional Development Program Manager Devin Johannis says employers across the United States want to hire international students, but are often concerned about student visa or U.S. work sponsorship costs. There are no financial costs to an employer hiring an international student for an internship or for short-term employment post-graduation, however. All international students studying full time in the U.S. are eligible to work for one year in their field of study through a work permit attached to their student visa, known as Optional Practical Training. OPT can be extended an additional two years for those with degrees in STEM-related fields. There are currently 791 UM-Dearborn graduates working in the U.S. through OPT.

The federal government’s recent revocations of international student visas across the U.S. has many international students — and the offices and organizations who support them — very worried. But Wang says the students she has spoken with remain committed to pursuing their education and careers here in the U.S.

“I’ve worked with international students for much of my 30-year career at U-M and I can tell you that they are kind, talented and bring a needed global perspective,” Wang says. “International students are also problem solvers and strategic thinkers. They’ve navigated a lot of difficulties to achieve their goals, and just like Detroit, they are resilient and persistent.”

Imoh wants to work in the U.S. — in southeast Michigan, ideally — because many large, global companies are based here and American workplaces often encourage an open exchange of ideas. “It’s where much of the world’s innovation starts,” he says. “While I was a graduate student at UM-Dearborn, I felt at home here. I like living near Detroit. It’s a welcoming place with a lot of opportunities for growth.”

Story by Sarah Tuxbury

Careers or Internships

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Mon, 04/21/2025 - 12:07

A UM-Dearborn partnership with Global Detroit underscores the integral role international students play in our universities, communities and economy.

UM-Dearborn graduate student Patrick Imoh, left, was recognized by Global Detroit Senior Director of Talent Initiatives Theodore Jones. Photos by Annie Barker

‘UM-Dearborn is a respected institution . . . I feel very lucky to study here’

stuxbury — Sun, 02 Feb 2025 18:08:09 +0000

‘UM-Dearborn is a respected institution . . . I feel very lucky to study here’ stuxbury Sun, 02/02/2025 - 13:08

Sambathchatovong Na is UM-Dearborn’s first Fulbright Scholar studying in a doctoral program. This point of pride can be added to other experiences he’s had. Na, who goes by the first name Vong, is a volunteer researcher with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, commonly known as UNESCO, through their Asia-Pacific Regional Center of the CultureLink Network. Na has also heard President Barack Obama speak — and shook his hand.

Na, who has a reserved, humble nature, appreciates the experiences that he’s had. He sees them as milestones on his path to help others.“President Obama spoke about how we need to work together to effectively solve problems and he encouraged us to not sit back, but to get involved,” says Na, a cybersecurity professional who was selected as a Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative fellow in 2015. This is a still-active program created by the Obama administration that aims to build leadership capabilities and cross-border cooperation for solving global challenges. “I want to be a part of advancing cybersecurity technology — which changes second by second — while also helping shape how it is used through public policy.”

Na is learning to do this through his latest endeavors — studying in the College of Engineering and Computer Science’s Computer Information Systems doctoral program as a Fulbright Scholar, with CIS Professor Di Ma as his advisor. Ma is a cybersecurity and information assurance expert.

Na wants to strengthen his country’s education and legislation in the always-evolving industry by seeing how other nations fight hackers and enforce the safety measures in ways that work for the citizens.“Cambodia, my country, has not passed cybersecurity laws to protect our infrastructure yet. It’s in the process. I’m hoping, with my combined experiences, that I’m a person who can assist with this,” he says. “I am very appreciative that I am here to earn my degree and Dr. Ma is helping me meet my research goals.” His goals include drafting a cybersecurity framework for Cambodia that balances government and citizen needs when it comes to security and privacy, along with appropriate enforcement. Na also hopes that his degree will assist him in contributing to Cambodia’s foreign policy direction in cyber diplomacy.

Na has worked in the cybersecurity field in Cambodia for nearly a decade, both in the private and public sector. He established information technology security and IT governance departments for a bank in his country, Na has served as a cybersecurity-advising official for Cambodia's deputy prime minister cabinet. And Na teaches at two universities — American University of Phnom Penh and Royal University of Phnom Penh — to develop the next generation of Cambodia's cybersecurity experts and grow interest in the field.

“I started with an interest in the technology aspect, but the more we learn and things change — like AI and data-science mining — the more I’ve become interested in the public policy surrounding it,” he says, noting that the U.S. is a good place to study because there are many U.S. protection laws related to cybersecurity.

When applying for the Fulbright award, Na had his sights set on UM-Dearborn after reading about the university’s faculty expertise in the computer science field and seeing the number of research publications. “I looked for the best programs in the United States. UM-Dearborn is a respected institution in my field with professors who have published research in prestigious journals and have connections to industry. I feel very lucky to study here,” he says.

Na earned his undergraduate degree from Royal University of Phnom Penh and a master’s degree in cybersecurity from the University of Southampton in England, where he attended as a Chevening Scholar, which is a fully funded award to study in the United Kingdom.

“I had dreams to study in other countries for programming skills, networking and learning how other countries do things so I can help my country build a framework for cybersecurity. The resources for education in cybersecurity are limited in Cambodia, so I kept looking for ways to go out and bring what I learn back with me so I can teach others,” Na says. “It’s hard to study abroad when you don’t have the money. I kept applying even when I didn’t have success at first. You don’t give up on your dreams.”

Na’s parents must have known about their son’s commitment and drive from the beginning — as evidenced by his name. “My first name, ‘Sambathachatovong,’ is three words put together,” Na says. “‘Sambath’ symbolizes a richness or a wealth. ‘Chato’ is because I am the fourth born. ‘Vong,’ which is short for ‘Vong Trokaul', is for family tree. It’s about working together to bring about a richness. It doesn’t need to be about money, it can be about knowledge or community.”

Now in his second semester at UM-Dearborn, Na says he has met friends, enjoys the campus and has the best of all worlds by being a part of the U-M system. “Both campuses are beautiful and provide very good, but different, things. Going to Ann Arbor is great for being in a busy place and meeting up with friends. Staying in Dearborn is nice because it is peaceful and welcoming and your professors and colleagues look out for you.”

In addition to traveling to Ann Arbor — Na first took the train, which is walking distance from campus, but now has a car — he’s planning to see other parts of Michigan. He especially wants to travel to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to see its forests, rock formations and waterfalls.

Na shares his fun Michigan adventures and plans with his family and friends in Cambodia and looks forward to the day when he can share his completed research work too.“I’ve been building layers of education for many years to help me become a qualified person to help advise my country,” he says. “I am grateful for all of my experiences, but my time at UM-Dearborn is especially important. Earning my PhD here is a big step forward when it comes to reaching my goals.”

Story by Sarah Tuxbury

Graduate Research

Off

Sun, 02/02/2025 - 18:07

Meet Sambathchatovong Na, UM-Dearborn’s first doctoral Fulbright Scholar. He’s a cybersecurity professional from Cambodia who’s in CECS’ computer information systems program.

Sambathchatovong Na, who goes by Vong, is UM-Dearborn's first doctoral Fulbright student. Photo by Annie Barker

‘Students from around the world thrive here’

stuxbury — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 13:40:51 +0000

‘Students from around the world thrive here’ stuxbury Mon, 01/27/2025 - 08:40

College of Business graduate student Mohamed Almajed's long-time dream was to study in the United States. He heard stories from his father, Bader, about how the experience changed his life.

“My father studied computer science in the U.S.in the 1980s and told me how it helped him make life-long connections and become a more independent person. He was very successful,” Almajed says. “Hearing him talk about life in the United States, I’ve wanted to study here since I was a child.”

For the past 10 years, the 28-year-old finance professional from Bahrain — Almajed works in Bahrain’s Ministry of Finance and National Economy, where he’s issued loans on the international and domestic side — looked for opportunities. Last year, he found one. Almajed applied and was selected as a Fulbright Scholar to study at UM-Dearborn in the College of Business’ Master in Finance program. He moved to Dearborn and started his classes in the fall.

“Out of the 100 applicants in my country, I was selected. I feel so lucky to have this opportunity to study at UM-Dearborn. My courses have been challenging, but they are led by professors who treat you well and give you the information needed to be successful. I expected my classes to be challenging, but what I didn’t prepare for is how cold it would be. How do people do it?,” asks Almajed, noting that Bahrain's coldest month of the year, January, averages 65 degrees. “You wake up to all this ice and snow on your car. It is beautiful, but it has taken some getting used to.”

Almajed is one of the Fulbright Scholars studying at UM-Dearborn this semester. Office of International Affairs Assistant Director Emlly Wang says, in the past, the university typically had one or two international Fulbright students at a time — but this academic year there are four. In addition to Bahrain, current Fulbright Scholars are from Cambodia, Kenya and Panama. They all started in the fall and will be on campus until they complete their degree programs. Reporter will be sharing these students’ stories in the next three Tuesday editions.

Fulbright applicants hoping to study in the U.S. list their top university choices, with the Fulbright organization matching them based on academic fit.

“We are becoming more noticed as a destination for Fulbright Scholars to study,” Wang says. “I attribute this to UM-Dearborn’s diverse community, our growing graduate programs and the faculty research happening here. It makes the university attractive for students to list us as a top choice.”

With budget being a major consideration for Fulbright university applicants, she adds that the affordability of the region, along with UM-Dearborn’s tuition costs and scholarship packages, make it attainable. According to a January 2025 Apartments.com comparison, the cost of rent in Dearborn is 21% lower than the national average.

“Students from around the world thrive here,” Wang says. “We at UM-Dearborn believe in providing opportunities for all students. As a community, we ensure that we can make a difference in people's lives here and around the world.” She says faculty and staff from across the university look for ways to make Fulbright students feel at home in a new country. For example, members of the UM-Dearborn community typically help students find furniture and transportation, along with helping them navigate grocery stores and find events to attend like the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Almajed says he’s felt this hospitality, especially in the classroom. Even with the rigor of his graduate-level finance courses, he says his professors — especially COB faculty Vivek Singh, Mercedes Miranda and Zhixin (Jason) Liu — are very supportive and welcoming.

“In addition to my professors being experts in the fields, they are also very patient and understanding. They also have lived and studied in other countries before coming to the U.S. They understand what it is like to move somewhere new that’s away from your family to build a life,” he says. “Their kindness helped make the transition easier.”

With the first semester in the books, Almajed says he did well in his classes and passed the Bloomberg Market Concepts Certification through his course with Singh. Almajed looks forward to branching out beyond studies for the winter semester and plans to find a finance internship for the summer and take a trip to Chicago in the spring.

Almajed says his experience has been personally fulfilling and he expects it to help him professionally too. He believes understanding finance from a U.S. perspective and learning how other countries handle debt will help him as the Bahrain Ministry of Finance’s head of domestic issuance, as his home country is currently looking at ways to curb inflation.

“I plan to build relationships and gain knowledge that I will take back with me to Bahrain. I want to help build connections between these two homes of mine, just like my father did. I wish I could live this moment with him. My father passed in 2013 when I was 16 years old,” Almajed says. “But he's always with me because he continues to guide me. I know he’s seeing all the things I am accomplishing. I hope he’s proud.”

Not only is this experience beneficial to Fulbright students like Almajed — it also brings another layer of international experience at the university. For example, Wang says, a UM-Dearborn undergraduate student recently spoke with Almajed about what it’s like to live in Bahrain. The student has family history in Bahrain and wants to teach there, but has not traveled internationally.

“For our UM-Dearborn students who haven’t had the opportunity to travel yet, these students open windows into what life is like somewhere else. The Fulbright program fosters mutual understanding between nations and advances knowledge across communities. The world would have fewer conflicts with more understanding among nations and people if we had more exchanges like this,” Wang says. “The Fulbright program gives us an opportunity to live and learn with people from different cultures so we can all become a part of a wider global network.”

Story by Sarah Tuxbury

Awards

Student Success

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Mon, 01/27/2025 - 13:40

UM-Dearborn hosts Fulbright Scholars from Bahrain, Cambodia, Kenya and Panama this academic year. Meet Mohamed Almajed, a finance professional from Bahrain who’s studying in the College of Business.

Fulbright student Mohamed Almajed, pictured in Fairlane Center South's Bloomberg Finance Lab, is a COB student in the Master of Finance program. Photo by Annie Barker

The (solar) power of teamwork

lblouin — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 14:46:29 +0000

The (solar) power of teamwork lblouin Wed, 11/13/2024 - 09:46

Sustainable energy is a growing field, with opportunities for students working toward a number of different majors, especially in engineering. But when two students saw a need for more ways to develop hands-on experience on the ÿ�մ�� campus, they took the lead to launch a collaboration with a national organization providing just that.

Christian Cannon and Alexis Thompson not only brought GRID Alternatives to UM-Dearborn but — as co-presidents of the university's student chapter — united the group with the Ann Arbor campus to provide meaningful experiences installing solar energy systems in San Diego County, Los Angeles and even Nepal. Cannon — a 2024 environmental science graduate — now works as a clean energy business development intern at Walker-Miller Energy Services in Detroit. Thompson has been working as a consultant for sustainability projects while completing her degree in mathematics, with a certificate in geographic information systems.

Cannon and Thompson began exploring a partnership with GRID Alternatives, the largest nonprofit solar installer in the United States, out of a shared interest in gaining hands-on experience in the clean energy field. While attending the Solar Power International conference in Las Vegas in 2017, they met Tim Sears and Erica Mackie, the co-founders of GRID Alternatives, who helped connect Cannon and Thompson with the then-leaders of their affiliated student group chapter — GRID Alternatives Students for Sustainable Energy — on the UM-Ann Arbor campus. Soon after that meeting, Cannon and Thompson became the co-presidents of a newly united U-M chapter under the guidance of faculty advisor Tony Reames, an associate professor in U-M’s School of Environment and Sustainability, and Eva Gogola, UM-Dearborn’s director of annual giving and advancement services.

Students participating in GRID take part in an immersive service-learning opportunity called Solar Spring Break, providing students with hands-on experience at GRID locations in different regions throughout the country and abroad. The students also volunteer to install solar panels in low-income neighborhoods. "This work represents an invaluable opportunity for students to gain real-world experience in the clean energy industry," Cannon says.

One challenge student-run organizations face, however, is funding. Like GRID-affiliated chapters across the U.S., the U-M chapter had to raise money for the solar installation equipment, travel and other expenses. Thompson stressed the need for equity in these efforts, pushing back against the trend that the students who are able to participate in such opportunities are only those who can personally afford to do so. "One of the things we wanted, which has not always been the case with other GRID campus groups, was to send people to work in these communities who look like those communities," Thompson says.

Cannon and Thompson worked closely with Mariah Fiumara, director of U-M’s Engineering Center for Student Organizations, to raise funds through competitive grants, business sponsorships and local fundraising efforts, while Ann Arbor GRID member Camille Burke, a 2020 grad, rallied support from other student-run organizations. The group raised more than $100,000, which supported a dedicated team of 100 students from both campuses. "I want to stress that this is something students can do, that it is possible," Thompson says. "We want this work to continue for UM-Dearborn and Ann Arbor students."

The group took part in three Solar Spring Breaks, the first installing solar energy systems on the La Jolla Indian Reservation near San Diego, the second installing in residential homes in Los Angeles and the most recent on the Kumal Tower in Nepal's Chitwan National Park. Together, these initiatives represent more than 40 kW of solar capacity — an amount that can typically supply electricity to about 10 average U.S. homes while offsetting 40 tons of carbon dioxide.

Camille Burke, Christian Cannon and Alexis Thompson (top row, second, third and fourth from left) with fellow GRID members on the Kumal Tower.

"Our campus was the first university to conduct an international trip through GRID Alternatives’ Solar Spring Break program," Cannon says of the group's work in Nepal. The idea for an international installation took root with the group's first experience on the La Jolla Reservation, where the proximity to Tijuana, Mexico, inspired the team to provide sustainable energy to lower-income areas beyond U.S. borders. While the logistics were unfavorable for a Solar Spring Break in Mexico, the students found an ideal opportunity to do meaningful work rehabilitating Nepal’s Kumal Tower, a disused watchtower that previously did not have a functioning power supply, converting it into a fully functional wildlife observation center.

Members of GRID Alternatives Students for Sustainable Energy found their experiences installing solar energy systems meaningful on both professional and personal levels. “Working with GRID Alternatives taught me how my engineering skills could make sustainable energy accessible to those who need it most," says Yesha Lester, a 2019 UM-Ann Arbor grad. "I gained hands-on experience with solar technology and saw the power of community-focused projects. Knowing our work would lower a family’s bills made the project rewarding and showed me that engineering is about improving lives, not just solving technical problems.”

While GRID has not been active at UM-Dearborn since 2022 because Solar Spring Break programs were paused for the pandemic, Cannon has been speaking with other sustainability groups on campus about adopting solar work and leading more sustainability-focused international projects in the future. He says the rewards for interested students are well worth the effort: "Working with GRID Alternatives has deepened my academic learning and shaped me into a leader within the clean energy industry.”

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Story by Shaun Manning. Photos courtesy of Christian Cannon.

Careers or Internships

Sustainability

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Wed, 11/13/2024 - 14:43

Alum Christian Cannon and student Alexis Thompson led GRID Alternatives Students for Sustainable Energy, an inter-campus student group providing hands-on experience in renewable energy.

Christian Cannon, left, helps install solar panels on the roof of the Kumal Tower, a disused watchtower in Nepal.

‘You see how integrated we are globally’

stuxbury — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 13:09:44 +0000

‘You see how integrated we are globally’ stuxbury Mon, 09/16/2024 - 09:09

UM-Dearborn students who study abroad have unique reasons for choosing their destination country and different goals for their experiences. Some students may feel financial or other obstacles to working toward their degree in another country — but among this year's nearly 70 students who traveled through UM-Dearborn’s Study Abroad experiences, many were able to access financial aid and other resources that allowed them to fulfill their goals.

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 proudly hold up a UM-Dearborn flag while exploring Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico

Christian Cannon graduated from UM-Dearborn in spring 2024 with a BS in environmental science and a minor in business management. He’s currently working as a clean energy business development intern at Walker-Miller Energy Services, one of the largest Black, woman-owned energy firms in the United States. Before he started his position, he traveled to Puerto Rico, thanks to financial support from the Go-Global Guarantee program.

"I've actually been aware of the study abroad program for a while, but I didn't have the financial ability to do it in the past," Cannon says. As a rising senior, Cannon reached out to Geology Professor Jacob Napieralski to inquire about an upcoming environmental field course to Puerto Rico and what it would take for him to attend it. “I was able to afford the cost of the trip thanks to the generous Go-Global Scholarship," Cannon says.

Cannon says he enjoys traveling with his wife, and has previously spent time in Mexico, Jamaica, Belize. He’s also and has conducted solar installation projects in Nepal when he served as co-president of U-M’s GRID Alternatives Students for Sustainable Energy.

During his nine days in Puerto Rico, Cannon and his team joined University of Puerto Rico Physical Science and Geology Professor Pablo Llerandi-Roman and his team of researchers in the field, learning about rare wildlife like fluorescent insects and Puerto Rico’s national animal, the Coqui frog. They also had the opportunity to visit Sandra Farms, one of the largest family-owned sustainable coffee farms in the country. "They gave us a VIP experience from start to finish," Cannon says, which included tasting several varieties of the Adjuntas-grown hand-picked coffee with the owners of the estate. Adjuntas is a small mountainside town in the territory.

His field experience in Puerto Rico also emphasized for Cannon the ways that habitats are affected and endangered by climate change. "I think that anybody that travels internationally, you see how integrated we are globally," Cannon says. "The one thing I noticed as a common issue is that the natural environment and landscape in these areas are increasingly being destroyed by human activities like pollution, deforestation and other consequences accumulating to higher levels of global warming. Reducing our carbon footprint and addressing the causes of climate change is a global concern that demands a unified effort, with proactive solutions from every individual.”

Throughout his study abroad experience, Cannon packed a lot into his nine days on the islands. "Our environmental field course in Puerto Rico focused on observing the overall regional geology, studying the ecology of subtropical environments, conducting coral reef health assessments, and identifying environmental hazards," he says. Cannon and other students in his cohort served as scientific researchers, engaging in everything from "climbing the mountains in the El Yunque National Rainforest to swimming with endangered species like sea turtles in the ocean."

Cannon plans to build on his experience in Puerto Rico as he begins his career as an environmental scientist in the clean energy industry. He also hopes to collaborate with UM-Dearborn's Natural Sciences Department to develop a similar study abroad fieldwork course in Belize.

"Belize is home to the world’s largest living coral reef system, which serves as a vital model of sustainability and conservation," Cannon says. "The country’s efforts in preserving this natural wonder highlight how strategic environmental management can protect biodiversity while supporting local economies and combating climate change."

Dan Kimura explored Italy during his summer study abroad experience.

Padua, Italy

This summer's journey to Padua, Italy, was not marketing major Dan Kimura's first study abroad experience — he comes to UM-Dearborn from Brazil. "In the beginning, I thought that it would not be possible for me to study abroad while I'm studying abroad," he says. "But doing some research, I realized that it was plausible and it was attainable."

Kimura says he chose Italy for his study abroad program — the International Summer Program in Management — in part because it offered an organizational behavior class, which he had wanted to take to fulfill degree requirements. "It worked perfectly in my schedule," he says. "The class was really dynamic, it was almost like a psychology class." Kimura and other students, led by College of Business faculty Diana Smrt, studied at the University of Padua.

More significant to his choice of locale, Kimura visited Italy as a young child and wanted to spend more time with the culture. "I remember going to Rome and to other famous places, but not deeply going inside the culture and the way people think there," he says. "This program was a good experience for me to get to know the country, truly."

Along these lines, Kimura says he was striving for "the most local experience possible."

"I played soccer once with some of my friends there. I tried to eat somewhere different every day and go to really traditional places and not only the touristic things," he says. "I think the lifestyle that I had in Italy was really valuable for me, even more than the class itself and the knowledge that I got from the class."

Perhaps unsurprisingly, then, one of Kimura's favorite aspects of the study abroad program was the people he met in his journey.

"I made really good friends there," he says. He described the European students he met as "eager to know different cultures" and having "a curiosity to do different things," which understandably resonated with the well-traveled UM-Dearborn senior.

Last week, Reporter featured seniors Hope Pacheco and Vincent Intrieri, who shared their own experiences traveling to Poland and Canada.

Students took classes at the University of Padua while on COB's International Summer Program in Management.

Story by Shaun Manning

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Mon, 09/16/2024 - 13:08

Senior Dan Kimura and ’24 grad Christian Cannon crafted unique and meaningful experiences for their study abroad journeys.

Christian Cannon visited Puerto Rico on a summer Study Abroad trip. Photo courtesy of Christian Cannon

"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

UM-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 UM-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 UM-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 UM-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 UM-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

Off

Wed, 09/11/2024 - 19:58

Seniors Hope Pacheco and Vincent Intrieri took part in UM-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

Thank you, UM-Dearborn!

stuxbury — Mon, 01 May 2023 15:41:40 +0000

Thank you, UM-Dearborn! stuxbury Mon, 05/01/2023 - 11:41

I barely knew anyone when I arrived here from India in August 2021 to prepare for the first semester of my master’s program in Automotive Systems Engineering. Leaving my family and friends behind and moving to a new country to study and grow was practically restarting my life from scratch. I did have the support of my family and loved ones that kept me going, and I am fortunate enough to have had it from day one.

To my fellow international students: I commend your bravery and resolve to move so far away from home and be determined to grow your career exactly the way you want. I also commend your faith that you can create a home wherever you go.

To incoming international students: I want to tell you that it gets easier with time. I still remember spending my first week or so understanding just how “cheap” or “expensive” things are based on dollar amounts and using my absolute willpower not to convert currencies. Pro tip: Don’t convert dollars to your money. Ever. The sooner you start living like an American, at least in my opinion, the easier it will be to integrate yourself into the American culture and way of life. As long as your focus is clear, the results will show in whatever you pursue — even simple things like grocery shopping, figuring out utilities and getting around town to explore.

With every new experience, you learn and grow more confident — which makes you want to learn and explore more. One of my favorite memories was taking a road trip with friends where we covered six states in just a week. I also went to Mackinac Island and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Both were very beautiful. I’m also proud to have earned the (M)Talent honor, maintaining a high GPA and landing a job in the automotive industry where I’m working on driver assistance systems and autonomous vehicles.

To all students: Even though there’s stress from exams and projects, you will fondly reflect on the fun instances in your story when you look back. I would change nothing if I had to go back and redo my chapter here in Dearborn, from living here to studying, to the classes I took, the friends I made and the opportunities I dove headfirst into. I didn’t know what the outcome would be — I was in it for the experience. Everything you decide to partake in is worth the effort. You can only gain as much from your student experience as the effort you put into it.

UM-Dearborn has something for everyone. You need only try to find what resonates with you, be it clubs, organizations, academic and cultural programs, research opportunities and more. UM-Dearborn truly provides the potential to make your journey here unique.

This rollercoaster ride has been nothing short of an exhilarating one. I got jobs in the U.S., first on campus and then in the “real world.” And I collaborated and worked on a dozen projects and research over two years, trying out different programs to help me prepare for my career and more. As I leave my school behind, I remind myself that I am and will be a lifelong Wolverine.

To my friends, professors and staff: You’ve made a difference in my life. I bid adieu for now, but it will never be a goodbye. There will always be a “see you next time.” Go Blue! Go Dearborn!

Commencement

Off

Mon, 05/01/2023 - 15:41

Class of 2023 graduate Rudra Mehta, a Reporter editorial assistant, reflects on his experiences that he gained as an international student and Dearborn Wolverine.

Rudra Mehta earned his graduate degree on April 30.