Holistic Excellence

UM-Dearborn named an Opportunity University

stuxbury — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 11:18:27 +0000

UM-Dearborn named an Opportunity University stuxbury Mon, 07/21/2025 - 07:18

At UM-Dearborn, 50% of students are Pell-eligible. The university has the second lowest tuition among the state's 15 public universities and ranks No. 4 for student earnings after graduation.

As a result of numbers like these, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education recently named UM-Dearborn a top-tier “Opportunity University” through their new Student Access and Earnings Classification. UM-Dearborn is one of four public Michigan universities on this list, along with Central Michigan University, Ferris State University and UM-Flint.

The Student Access and Earnings Classification is based on data from universities across the U.S. indicating the degree of access for students from lower socioeconomic and historically underrepresented racial/ethnic backgrounds, as well as the wages of Pell-eligible students eight years after enrolling. Here's the methodology.

Annesha Hardy

Annesha Hardy, a Fall 2024 alum who majored in marketing, said she’s not surprised to hear this news — it reflects her story. Hardy, a Pell-eligible student who grew up in Detroit’s Warrendale neighborhood, landed a technical business developer role at Amazon Web Services in Seattle immediately after graduation. “Growing up, you hear the phrase ‘dream big’ — but that’s hard to do when you live in an environment that’s disadvantaged and you don’t know what’s possible for you,” Hardy said. “The people at UM-Dearborn are focused on helping you learn how to do that — and then work to reach what that means to you.”

Hardy — who noted that Amazon was impressed by the AI knowledge she gained through her College of Business curriculum — said that, from the beginning of her educational journey until her graduation, people were there to help. She had mentors from student organizations, like Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Hardy received career coaching and sought internships through Career Services. And, right before graduation when Hardy struggled with financial hardship, UM-Dearborn staff members connected her to a scholarship opportunity. “I was working almost full time and going to school full time, but it wasn’t enough. I was running out of resources. When I shared with Dean of Students Amy Finley that I was worried, she told me about the Edward J. Bagale Difference Makers Scholarship — it couldn’t have come at a better time,” said Hardy, who was a 2024 UM-Dearborn Difference Maker.

When it comes to the accessibility part of the Opportunity University designation, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Melissa Stone said UM-Dearborn’s accessibility and affordability mission is affirmed through the data that the Carnegie Foundation reviewed.

To increase access, the university reworked its financial aid program in 2021 to open doors for more students. The UM-Dearborn Go Blue Guarantee Program, which offers free or reduced tuition to high achieving students from low-income situations, started in 2021. And, in 2025, GBG expanded the scholarship to students whose families make up to $125,000 a year.

“There is immense value in education. There’s the critical thinking skills you gain that will be beneficial to you throughout your life. Education opens doors for career and increased earning opportunities,” Stone said. Among people ages 22 to 27, the average median income in the U.S. is $60,000 for someone with a bachelor’s degree, compared to $36,000 for someone with a high school diploma.

“Looking at lifetime earning numbers, data shows the impact of a college degree can change the trajectory of someone’s life and the lives of people around them. And this extends to their community, region and our state,” Stone adds. And a vast majority of UM-Dearborn students stay in Michigan: 95% of students who accepted employment in 2023-24 remained in the state.

Fatmah Saleh

Alum Fatmah Saleh, a Pell-eligible student who graduated in spring 2025, grew up, went to school and continues to live in Dearborn. Prior to commencement, she accepted a full-time international accounting analyst position at Stellantis. “My degree has helped me build a life where I have a job at a company I care about while living in a community I love. And I’m able to work hybrid, so I have the opportunity to be home with my mom, too,” she said. Saleh, an accounting major, has worked full time since her high school graduation to help support her mom, who has a long-term illness. Saleh is her mom’s caregiver. Her father passed away when she was six.

While the cost of attending UM-Dearborn is among the lowest within Michigan’s public universities, UM-Dearborn grads’ annual earnings are very competitive. According to Student Access and Earnings Classification data, UM-Dearborn Pell grant recipients go on to earn a median income of $57,847, while median earnings in the region are $37,232.

When including both Pell-eligible and non-Pell-eligible students at UM-Dearborn, the average salary earned is just above $62,000, said Career Services Director Laurel Draudt. The Career Services team surveys graduating undergraduate students six months postgraduation for the annual National Association of Colleges and Employers First Destination self-reporting survey.

Both Saleh and Hardy are pleased with the jobs they landed after earning their degrees and the earnings that come with those. They credit UM-Dearborn’s career support offerings — as well as their own tenacity and drive — as instrumental in their achievements. Both had internships that they found after attending career fairs: Hardy at ADP and Amazon, Saleh at Yakuzi and Stellantis.

Draudt says internships are key because employers use them to find top talent, as was the case for Hardy and Saleh. She says UM-Dearborn makes an effort to get the message out to all students to get involved in internship fairs, mentoring programs and resume workshops starting the first year. “The sooner you get involved, the more competitive you will be,” she said. Draudt said Career Services has had 931 interactions with Pell-eligible students since they began recording student interactions in Fall 2022.

The success of the Pell-eligible students they have worked with is reflected in student testimony and the data gathered in the Opportunity University designation. But Draudt wants to do more: “We need to continue getting the word out to our students, many of whom are first in their families to go to college. It’s especially important to reach them because they may not have someone at home to let them know that these opportunities are right here,” she said. Career Services holds internship and job fairs twice a year, and offers job outlook resources that include average salary numbers, networking events, virtual interview coaching and more.

Hardy said UM-Dearborn offers a supportive community that helped build her skill set, resume and confidence. She’s now eyeing graduate school to understand the more technical side of her field.“I’m dreaming big. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my time at UM-Dearborn,” she said. “Getting into UM-Dearborn got me into the rooms — classrooms, interview rooms, board rooms — that changed my life.”

Article by Sarah Tuxbury

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New Carnegie designation recognizes schools with high access and post-grad earnings.

Alum Annesha Hardy, pictured above, said she’s not surprised to hear that UM-Dearborn was named an Opportunity University for its work with Pell-eligible students — it reflects her story. Photo by Derek Juntunen

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Summer program connects girls to STEM education

stuxbury — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 13:49:59 +0000

Summer program connects girls to STEM education stuxbury Mon, 07/14/2025 - 09:49

UM-Dearborn senior Ayah Bazzi walked around a College of Arts, Sciences and Letters classroom showing high school students how to use math to change the color in digital images, crack codes and create algorithms during a recent June afternoon. It’s apparent that the Mathematics major is dedicated to the subject with every ‘a-ha’ moment the students had. But it wasn’t always that way, Bazzi said. And that’s why she wanted to help mentor students at UM-Dearborn’s GirlsGetMath summer camp, a free weeklong mathematics program that took place in June. In its fifth year, the camp’s goal is to help increase the number of women in STEM fields.

“There is a thought that women may not have many opportunities in the STEM field, when in reality there are a plethora. It’s a subliminal message we get while growing up because we don’t often see as many women in STEM roles. Based on my past experiences in math courses, I also used to believe that mathematics was difficult to master due to my struggles to grasp concepts quickly and perform well on exams,” said Bazzi, who plans to become a math teacher. “When I took a calculus class at UM-Dearborn, I had a teacher who helped change my mindset. The professor gave us an article to read as an assignment. It said anyone could do math, as long as a student is taught the right technique, the right strategy and is shown the tools. I’ve found that to be true and want to spread that message.”

GirlsGetMath — organized by Mathematics and Statistics associate professors Yulia Hristova, Hyejin Kim and Aditya Viswanathan — offers interactive guest lectures, activities and computer lab sessions surrounding mathematics for high school students. In addition to Bazzi, UM-Dearborn students Melia Conners and Tanya Danial assisted with running the program this year.

According to the National Science Foundation the number and percentage of women in STEM occupations has shown modest improvement — between 2011 and 2021, the percentage of women working in STEM increased from 15% to 18%.

UM-Dearborn senior Ayah Bazzi, standing, mentors high school students — from right, Emil Abner III, Evangeline York and Ryan Sullivan— during the GirlsGetMath summer camp.

Hristova said when she first started at UM-Dearborn more than a decade ago, she noticed the more advanced the math classes were, the less women took them. “In any field, if half the population doesn’t participate, you lose a lot. I wanted to find ways to reach girls at a young age, help them feel empowered and see that math leads to interesting career paths,” said Hristova, noting that there are only five female students in her 31-member Discrete Mathematics course this summer. The course is often taken by computer engineering and electrical engineering majors. ” The number of women in my advanced math courses is better than it used to be, but it’s still a concern.”

The 21 GirlsGetMath participants discussed how algorithms — for example, what Amazon suggests to you — work, saw the role mathematics plays in image processing, completed a treasure hunt to learn how to decode messages and more. They also learned the programming language MATLAB, which is used by engineers and scientists to analyze data and develop algorithms.

The program, which was open to all high school students across southeast Michigan, was free to attend, thanks to a grant from the Mathematical Association of America’s Tensor Foundation. It included instruction, guest speakers, lunch and all materials for participants.

Detroit resident Sena Segbefia, who will be a high school junior in the fall, wants to be an engineer because it combines her interests of creating and problem-solving. She found the camp after seeking out STEM opportunities at U-M.

“The Michigan name let me know that it would be a good learning experience, but GirlsGetMath has exceeded any expectations that I had,” Segbefia said. “A lot of engineers use programs like Python and MATLAB and this gave me my introduction to these. I don’t have the money to pay for a class to learn how to use these programming languages — but now I have some experience programming and coding. I liked it and am now confident using it in the future. I feel like I have a head start.”

Dearborn resident Raheel Khaled, who will be a high school senior in the fall, wants to be a gynecologist and obstetrician. She knows that STEM education is crucial for her future pre-med path and wanted to find ways to expand her knowledge during the summer.

“Math sometimes feels like a chore. I’m going to need to continue learning math in my studies, so I thought I should do this program to help me take a look at math through a different lens,” Khaled said. “This camp has been so much fun. It’s collaborative, not competitive. The professors are interactive. They put math in real world situations so we can apply it, see it and understand it better. If math was taught this way in a supportive environment regularly, I think there would be more girls interested in STEM fields.”

GirlsGetMath UM-Dearborn student mentors, from left, Tanya Danial, Ayah Bazzi and Melia Conners.

Conners said she wishes there had been a program like GirlsGetMath when she was in high school. The Applied Statistics major said a few great mentors — including her UM-Dearborn professors — helped her realize her love of the subject and her ability to achieve within it.

“At some point, someone tells us along the way that we're not good at math or that we may not succeed in math. I had that in middle school,” she said. “Having professors and teachers along the way who encourage you and show you that math is more than memorization changes everything. My professors have shown me that math is a deep understanding of the world around us. So just because you weren’t great at fractions in third grade, does not mean that you cannot be an engineer one day. Math is much bigger than that — and I hope that’s a lesson these students take with them.”

Article by Sarah Tuxbury

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GirlsGetMath introduces teen girls to programming, coding, algorithms and more. It’s in its fifth year.

High School students Camille Gray, left, and Sena Segbefia work on image processing during a GirlsGetMath lesson. Photos by Annie Barker

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Graduation ceremony honors UM-Dearborn veterans

stuxbury — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 17:43:21 +0000

Graduation ceremony honors UM-Dearborn veterans stuxbury Sat, 04/26/2025 - 13:43

While serving 13 years in the Navy, Vincent Intrieri experienced incredible things. He saw the Indian Ocean sparkle a vibrant blue-green thanks to bioluminescence. He recalls that the boat-filled Port of Singapore looked like “Manhattan on the water.” He’s collected military challenge coins from high-ranking officials as recognition for his work as a Naval logistics specialist.

Adding to his list of memorable life moments: Intrieri graduated from UM-Dearborn this weekend. “The plan all along was to join the military and earn a college degree. It’s taken a little while for me to get here — but I wouldn’t change it. I’m exactly where I need to be at the right time,” says Intrieri, an international studies major who will continue his education at American University in their master’s of international relations program. “This is a moment I’ve been thinking about for years. It opens the door for me to work in geopolitics and diplomacy.”

UM-Dearborn’s Veterans Services office made graduation weekend extra memorable for Intrieri and the 18 additional graduating service members and their families by hosting a ceremony the day before Saturday’s all-campus Commencement ceremonies.

At the Military-Affiliated Graduation, veterans and their families took photos in front of the Block M and were greeted by Chancellor Domenico Grasso, who is a former major in the U.S. Army, and faculty and staff from across the university. They also listened to the keynote speaker, U.S. Navy veteran Anthony Sclafani, a 2015 Master of Public Policy graduate. Sclafani, who works in Michigan at the U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office for Ground Combat Systems, encouraged the audience to continue seeking out knowledge and to look for ways to serve the country through civic engagement.

Graduating veterans were also presented with red, white and blue cords to wear with their cap and gown, along with a UM-Dearborn Challenge Coin. Challenge coins are commemorative medallions with an organization's emblem or insignia that are given to members of the military to recognize achievements. “It’s a military tradition. Unit commanders give it to service members for doing something above and beyond that doesn’t warrant a medal, but still deserves recognition,” says UM-Dearborn Veterans Affairs Coordinator Tom Pitock, a veteran with a 20-plus year career in the Coast Guard.

Pitock, who came to UM-Dearborn in 2017, designed the UM-Dearborn Challenge Coin. He also started the tradition of the Military-Affiliated Graduation, which is held prior to both the fall and spring commencement ceremonies.

Knowing that veterans have their own unique set of challenges — from experiencing war to returning to school at an older age — Pitock wanted to create a space where they could hear words of inspiration from an armed services leader, network with each other and alums for job leads, and reflect on their collegiate journeys together.

Pitock used his G.I. Bill to earn his degree. He recalls how difficult it was to transition from the disciplined world of military life to a more flexible civilian-student one. “Even something as simple as learning how to take tests, learning how to be a student again, is difficult. It can be frustrating when that is difficult after you’ve already had so much life experience — especially when you combine it with not knowing who to ask because there is not a chain of command like in the military,” he says. “I had to take remedial classes to get into the swing of things when I returned to college. I’ve found that overcoming obstacles makes success even more of an accomplishment. I want to recognize these men and women, along with their families, for their service and their perseverance.”

Class of Spring 2025 graduates at the Military-Affiliated Graduation on April 25.

Frank Carter, a 2023 College of Engineering and Computer Science alum, says the Military-Affiliated Graduation was a highlight for him. He served in the Army as an intelligence specialist and now works as an electrical engineer for Brunswick Corporation. At UM-Dearborn, Carter was active in the Student Veterans Association and he used his engineering skills to create a challenge coin holder on the 3D printer at the university’s MSEL machine shop so that grads could wear the coins on cords around their neck. “I love challenge coins and I was proud to wear my coin from UM-Dearborn,” Carter says. “Typically you only see them in offices or on a desk. This way, we had a different way to display them.”

Carter says Pitock’s guidance was instrumental in helping him find his place in college. “Tom motivated me and kept me on track when things got hard. If you need guidance, all the student veterans know that Tom is the guy to turn to. He does so much for our community, including planning a special graduation for veterans twice a year, which is not an easy task,” he says.

Carter says having a special recognition for veterans gives a needed feeling of appreciation. “No words can express how grateful I am for this event. It’s a way you can celebrate with your blood family and your brothers and sisters in arms — you can watch the people you’ve gotten to know during your years together on campus cross the finish line up close and personal,” he says. “It is also a way to honor older veterans, like those from the Vietnam or Gulf War era, who often didn’t get a positive reception when they came home from war.”

Reflecting on his time at UM-Dearborn, Intrieri says he’s grateful for the opportunities he’s had, including working at the Veterans Services office and answering questions for incoming students, serving as a Veterans Treatment Court mentor in the City of Dearborn's 19th District Court and organizing a welcome tent for the U-M Athletics Veteran of the Game at football home games. He’s also a UM-Dearborn Difference Maker and a Dean's Medallion recipient, two university top honors.

And Pitock was present for it all, Intrieri says. “I came here for college and expected to get a good education — but UM-Dearborn pulled something out of me that I didn’t know I had. Tom had a lot to do with that and has opened so many doors for me. I knew I could do it, but I didn't know I could do it with being so involved and with all of the accolades and awards,” he says. “I’m glad to celebrate this step with the veteran community. We just accomplished an important milestone — but this is only the beginning.”

Story by Sarah Tuxbury

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Veteran Services

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After traveling the world and serving our country, 19 Dearborn Wolverine service members added another life experience — earning a diploma.

Veterans Affairs Coordinator Tom Pitock, grad Vincent Intrieri and Student Veterans Association member Nathan Petrat take photos after the ceremony. Photos by Scott Soderberg/Michigan Photography

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New partnership leads to credits — and confidence

stuxbury — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 15:06:16 +0000

New partnership leads to credits — and confidence stuxbury Mon, 04/14/2025 - 11:06

Students Eileen Bustillo-Cruz and Camila Casa-Reyes do almost everything together. They walk to school, share their favorite snacks and discuss the latest music.

They also started college together — as 16-year-old high school juniors.

Thanks to a dual-enrollment partnership between Detroit Public Schools Community District and UM-Dearborn, the Cass Tech High School students began as Dearborn Wolverines last fall, working on college credits and toward a certificate.

“Since I was little, I’ve wanted to go to college. It’s just something I’ve wanted to do, but I wasn’t sure what it would take or what it would look like,” Bustillo-Cruz says. “Now that I have a better idea, I am excited. I like the discussion, the critical thinking, the ideas we share. And I like seeing how I’m growing academically and getting prepared for what’s next in my life.”

In this program, students move through as a cohort, earning 16 college credits and graduating with the same certificate in community-based leadership and development that traditional UM-Dearborn students can earn. The DPSCD dual enrollment program admits students from Cass Tech, East English Village Preparatory Academy, Southeastern, Western International and The School at Marygrove who meet collegiate-level academic requirements.

“DPSCD administration shared that many of the students are highly involved in their communities, so we chose a program that focused on community engagement and the leadership needed within it,” says UM-Dearborn Undergraduate Enrollment Management Director Urana Pridemore.

The program, now in its third year, began online in Fall 2022. This academic year, it is hybrid, with in-person classes at the UM-Detroit Center. Although some students walk to the center, transportation is provided for those who need it. A new cohort starts each fall, which means about 60 students are enrolled at any given time. Pridemore is working with DPSCD to hold the classes on campus in the near future. There is no cost to the students — UM-Dearborn offers every student a 50% tuition scholarship and DPSCD is paying the remaining half. Students can use UM-Dearborn services like the Mardigian Library, academic advising and tutoring at the Writing Center.

Professor of Sociology Paul Draus

In Professor of Sociology Paul Draus’ introductory-level sociology course last semester, Bustillo-Cruz sat next to her friend Casa-Reyes — they often walked to the Detroit Center from Cass Tech together — and they reviewed their notes from the prior week while snacking on oranges. Both say the class gave them a glimpse into a future they want for themselves.

Bustillo-Cruz, who will be the first in her immediate family to attend college and plans to study engineering, says she took the class to test her abilities and learn more about what it takes to get a Michigan degree. What has she found? Each class is confirming that the college pathway is right for her.

To give students this experience, Pridemore worked closely with DPSCD and many others on campus over three years to develop the partnership, which is UM-Dearborn’s only dual enrollment program serving students from multiple schools and using a cohort model.

“Detroit Public Schools is focused on their students getting an education that will give them a head start into the next step in their lives. Working together, we came up with a pathway right for the students that will give them a college-going experience so they can see what it is like and if it’s a good fit for them. It’s also to help build confidence so they see they can succeed in college and give them confidence to know that a Michigan degree is within reach,” Pridemore says.

The partnership is part of a concerted effort to encourage more DPSCD graduates to attend UM-Dearborn. “We're so close to the city of Detroit, and we want to give students in the city of Detroit options. We want the ÿ�մ�� to be a school that they're considering, and one of the ways that you consider a school is by experiencing their academics, their campus, their community, their faculty, their staff,” Pridemore explains. “It's also another way for us to engage a lot more closely with their staff or their instructors in their high schools that may not have had a strong relationship with UM-Dearborn. Dual enrollment is part of our commitment to increasing relationships in the public schools. But it is really a way for students to be able to engage with us in a meaningful way.”

UM-Dearborn also runs a dual enrollment program on-site at Grosse Ile High School and is developing a similar one with Ferndale Public Schools. In addition, about 80 high school students each year attend classes on campus.

Casa-Reyes says she is proud to be one of the dual-enrolled students. She looks forward to attending class.

“I really enjoy speaking up in class. Professor Draus listens to what we have to say and tailors his responses to our ideas and questions instead of continuing to only focus on the lesson,” Casa-Reyes says, speaking of her sociology course last semester. “I’m also learning a lot about where I live. Because of how Professor Draus teaches the class, many of us share what’s going on in our lives. I’ve learned that we might all be the same age and from Detroit, but our backgrounds and experiences are very different. But even with differences, we all share a similar goal to live good lives and succeed.”

Lecturer of Language, Culture and the Arts Mark Douglass

Lecturer of Language, Culture and the Arts Mark Douglass — who is also a composer and conductor — taught a class he developed called “Exploring the Soundtrack of your Identity” for the second-year Detroit students last semester. The online class explored music composition while focusing on African culture and the importance of music within it. Students examined the role of music in resistance movements. created their own musical pieces by pulling in parts of their everyday life — a sibling’s yell, beatboxing, traffic noises or the church choir — and used those samples in a piece they developed using music editing software. Working in groups, students wrote lyrics in addition to making the musical composition.

“My philosophy is that if you are going to take someone somewhere, you first need to meet them where they are. I want them to know that you don’t have to be Mozart to be a composer,” Douglass says of his students. “I want them to know that there are Black conductors and composers. It wasn’t something I saw much growing up and I would have liked to have seen someone else who looks like me. Once you see someone who looks like you doing something you are interested in, it mentally opens a realm of possibilities.”

He says he’s learned from his students, just as much as they’ve learned from him.

“Education is not listening to a sage on a stage. It’s an exchange of ideas and the growth that happens from that exchange,” Douglass says. “It’s a privilege to teach these talented students and get insight into what’s happening in their lives, along with their goals and dreams.”

Story by Sarah Tuxbury and Kristin Palm

UM-Dearborn faculty who helped develop the DPSCD dual enrollment program include Douglass, Draus, Associate Professor of Sociology Kevin Early, Associate Professor of Communication Troy Murphy, Associate Professor of Political Science Lara Rusch and Associate Professor of Public Health Natalie Sampson.

Community partners for this program include Detroit Public Schools, Urban Neighborhood Initiatives, Eastside Community Network, Congress of Communities and Community Development Advocates of Detroit, and the Wilson Foundation.

If your school district is interested in a dual enrollment partnership with UM-Dearborn, please reach out to Urana Pridemore.

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UM-Dearborn and the Detroit Public Schools Community District are working together to help high school students learn about college and their community.

Cass Tech juniors Camila Casa-Reyes, left, and Eileen Bustillo-Cruz listen to Sociology Professor Paul Draus' SOC 200 lecture in their UM-Dearborn dual-enrollment course. Photo by Sarah Tuxbury

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Preserving student life through film

stuxbury — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 14:07:42 +0000

Preserving student life through film stuxbury Mon, 03/31/2025 - 10:07

The Oscars may be over, but there’s a red-carpet event happening at the university this week. Senior Sydney McKinney-Williams’ documentary debut takes place at a U-M tri-campus event on Friday.

“With group projects, I’ve shown at film festivals before, but this is my first red carpet. It’s a film about university history that, when looking back, will be an important moment in my own history,” says McKinney-Williams, a journalism and media production major who produced and directed the short movie. “There were a lot of people at U-M who helped me make this film happen and I was able to connect with alumni going back to the 1970s.”

The film will premiere at the Inclusive History Project Summit, which explores histories of inclusion and exclusion at U-M, at 3:45 p.m. Friday, April 4. The summit takes place from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at UM-Dearborn’s Fairlane Center North. This event is free and open to the public but registration is encouraged. Browse the day’s sessions and register.

The Inclusive History Project is a multiyear University of Michigan presidential initiative designed to study and document a comprehensive history of the university’s three campuses and Michigan Medicine that is attentive to previously overlooked, underrepresented voices.

“IHP projects, like Sydney’s, are a way for our campus to find and claim its collective voice in university history,” says Professor of History Cam Amin, who also serves as director of research for the IHP at UM-Dearborn. “Quoting the Whos in Whoville, ‘We are here, we are here, we are here.’ The variety of projects done through IHP feature the good and bad legacies of our past and can help us chart a better future. We have to understand that past and the way it resonates now.”

During the summit, participants can learn about research, engagement and teaching taking place across the three campuses. The event will also include a hands-on archiving workshop l, and presentations on student-led projects. There will be opportunities for members of the U-M community to share stories about the university at a recording booth led by Associate Professor of Journalism and Media Production Jennifer Proctor and Instructional Learning Assistant Rick Marrone.

IHP Co-chair Elizabeth R. Cole says the IHP initiative — and the daylong summit — is about raising up and celebrating all the people who have made the U-M community what it is, while also looking at the full history of the university’s past and present in an effort to build awareness when planning for the future.

“The Inclusive History Project examines the past, but by no means is it backward-facing — it’s an investment in our future. It’s important to keep in mind what people will need 50 years from now when telling the university’s story,” says Cole, who is a UM-Ann Arbor professor of Women's and Gender Studies, psychology and Afroamerican and African Studies “Sydney’s work is one example of how the university community is contributing to this collective effort. She brings her major, her classroom training and her passion together for her film about the BSU. I love Sydney’s project.”

Funded through a $3,000 IHP grant, McKinney-Williams’ 30-minute film features interviews with UM-Dearborn alums from the past 50 years. They discuss their time in the Black Student Union, its beginnings, its purpose for members, traditions and more.

McKinney-Williams, who’s the current BSU vice president, says the organization, which is open to every student, has helped her navigate the stress of the pandemic, political landscape challenges and personal struggles. “The Black Student Union is a welcoming group that brings people together to have fun. It’s also a place where you can go to discuss what you are seeing and/or experiencing in the Black community,” she says.

McKinney-Williams credits a capstone course during her junior year as the spark for “Uncovering.” As her idea was taking shape, McKinney-Williams’ instructor — Assistant Professor of Journalism and Media Production Adam Sekuler — liked the BSU topic, but noticed some gaps in the film’s narrative. “In my proposal, I said I wanted to feature the Black Student Union, talking about what we are currently doing and our future plans. Professor Sekuler let me know that I was missing how it started. I explained that’s because we have no idea,” she says. Sekuler then told her about the IHP grant. “He told me that he found a way for me to expand my project if I wanted to,” McKinney-Williams says. “That’s how this all came to be.”

The IHP grant allowed her to purchase better equipment, cover travel expenses for alums who agreed to be interviewed and cover some production costs. “This documents an important history about a student org at our university that even the members didn’t know. The Black Student Union now has its history preserved so future members can learn about it and we’re so appreciative,” says McKinney-Williams, who joined the IHP team as a student advisory member after receiving the grant.

Through the oral histories collected, McKinney-Williams — who was advised by Sekuler and Journalism and Media Production Teaching Professor Anthony Luckett during the project — learned about the evolution of the BSU, social movements encouraging people to join, and about the campuswide events put on by the student organization. “One was called the Blackout Barbecue and it would take place by the pond. Everyone was invited to come by for food and games and to learn how to do the ‘Hustle’,” McKinney-Williams says. “I’m about to give everyone an inside scoop — the Black Student Union wants to bring that back.”

The film, which debuts on Friday, is one way to document student voices and experiences — which is an important part of the IHP mission. In addition to the red carpet, photo opportunities and screening, there will be a panel discussion, popcorn and refreshments.

McKinney-Williams, who plans to submit “Uncovering” to film festivals, says her motivation was to document life at UM-Dearborn. Through the class project and IHP support, she not only did that — she also made something that will be preserved in the U-M archives.

To McKinney-Williams, that is an ultimate honor. “Sometimes we don’t realize what’s missing until it’s long gone. IHP helped us get our history back and now we are going to take better care of it. Who knows, maybe in 15 or 20 years, someone will see this film and make a part two,” she says. “My hope was to share the story of the Black Student Union and give people something to build upon as time goes on. I hope by people watching it, they can get ideas on how to preserve their histories too.”

UM-Dearborn faculty, staff and students speaking at the IHP Summit include Amin, Proctor, McKinney-Williams, Morrone, Professor of Sociology Pamela Aronson, Assistant Professor of Human Services Finn Bell, Associate Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies Amy Brainer, Professor of History Martin Hershock, Digital Humanities Coordinator for IHP-Dearborn Marlaine Magewick, Professor of Health and Human Services Lisa Martin, Professor of Geology Jacob Napieralski and Mardigian Library Assistant Archivist Hannah Zmuda, with UM-Dearborn alum Leah Olijade serving as the emcee.

Story by Sarah Tuxbury

Holistic Excellence

University History

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

Off

Mon, 03/31/2025 - 14:05

Senior Sydney McKinney-Williams explores an important part of university history with her documentary, ‘Uncovering: History of the Black Student Union,’ which debuts at Friday’s Inclusive History Project Summit.

Senior Sydney McKinney-Williams will show her documentary at the Inclusive History Project Summit on Friday. Photo by Annie Barker

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Serving women who’ve served their country

stuxbury — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 18:08:46 +0000

Serving women who’ve served their country stuxbury Wed, 03/26/2025 - 14:08

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bipartisan bill to create a Michigan license plate for women veterans last November. The request for the license plate came from women veterans themselves — and grew from a UM-Dearborn-facilitated effort.

Students Katie Dreher and Hannah Stovall participated in the “Same Mission, Many Stories: Dialogues with Women Veterans” project at UM-Dearborn. They helped facilitate conversations with women veterans, giving them opportunities to share their experiences and listen to the stories of others. The students shared their findings at the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency’s Women Veterans Conference in fall 2023.

“We presented a list of what women veterans wanted during a statewide veterans conference, including the license plate,” Dreher says. “These women have already given so much. I was proud to give them a voice in front of all those people.”

“Same Mission, Many Stories” — an initiative of Michigan Humanities’ Community Conversations program — took place at UM-Dearborn and Saginaw Valley State University in 2023 and included women veterans from all branches of the military.

At UM-Dearborn, 25 metro Detroit-area veterans participated in facilitated discussions — led by Professor of Sociology Francine Banner, Professor of Health and Human Services Lisa Martin and students — about challenges they faced while serving in the military. UM-Dearborn’s Veterans Affairs Coordinator Tom Pitock reached out through his many military service-related networks across the state to let women veterans know about this opportunity.

Professor of Sociology Francine Banner

Martin — who is also UM-Dearborn’s Women and Gender Studies program director — says the “Same Mission, Many Stories” project not only reached policymakers, it also documented the history of challenges facing women veterans. “We need to record these narratives to better understand people’s life experiences so that they can be properly addressed. With the erasure that is happening in today’s society, work like this is so important. We don’t want to lose history, even when it’s a difficult topic to look at. We need to learn from it,” says Martin, noting that all participating veterans were assured anonymity since many of them talked about traumatic experiences.

“These veterans have experienced difficult emotional fallouts from their workplace that includes silence, shame and isolation. Sharing stories in a group setting builds connection and trust and reduces isolation,” Martin continues.

Stovall, a senior who transferred to UM-Ann Arbor last year and is majoring in public health, says the six weeks of facilitation training and practice she received prepared her to guide discussions. Stovall learned methods to move conversations forward in engaging and productive ways, such as using open-ended prompts, demonstrating nonverbal cues like nodding, and redirecting discussions when they stray too far from the topic at hand. For example, Stovall and Dreher used a picture of a service person coming home from deployment and being greeted by family to encourage the veterans to open up about their experiences. Martin notes that this technique is one way to spark a deep, complex conversation without making any one person’s feel too vulnerable.

Professor of Health and Human Services Lisa Martin

Banner — who, along with Martin, supported the students during the sessions — says the photo elicited feelings of reconnection and concerns about reacclimation. It also brought up challenges women veterans face after coming home. “The need for child care and women's health care services was frequently brought up,” she says. “Many of the conversations had a similar theme — there need to be more resources that focus on the needs of women veterans.”

There are more than 230,000 women actively serving in the military today. “Women are serving in combat zones in very dangerous situations. When looking at the contemporary military and the women who are actively serving, that’s more than 17 percent, but they are still marginalized and their service is not recognized at the same level,” Banner says. “But they have challenges that men do not because they have to navigate a very masculine environment while in the service and afterward when working with the VA. As more women continue to join the military and serve their country, it’s important to look at ways to help these service members and veterans be supported and seen.”

Other recurring themes in the conversations included sexual harassment and assault, the improper fit of male-designed equipment, the job pressures of post-pregnancy weight loss, a lack of women-focused health care services and interacting with people who assume a male partner is the veteran.

Ashley Ross, the former director of programs and a current facilitator with Michigan Humanities, says the work that took place at UM-Dearborn impacted programming across the state. “During the 2023 conference, the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency took note. They realized that these conversations were getting people to listen and to share their needs. The MVAA became interested in expanding this work,” she says.

A second phase of the project will expand to all 10 of the MVAA’s regions — which covers the entire state — and will include additional underrepresented populations in the military. Banner will continue to be involved with the program as an advisor. “We are going to use the dialogue model we used at UM-Dearborn and expand it so we can bring different voices into the conversation, for example the experiences of African American veterans and LGBTQ veterans,” Banner says.

Ross says the intent is to continue to connect veterans with government agencies and policymakers. “We know that change cannot always be made, especially right away,” Ross says. “But if people listen to each other and a trust is built, more productive conversations can take place that can lead to a place of understanding. This project shows how important it is just to be heard and acknowledged.”

And that is where the license plate — which will be out in November 2025, according to the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency — comes in.

“The women wanted a license plate because it is one tangible way for these veterans to feel seen. One veteran told us about how she has a standard veterans license plate on her car and people often tell her to thank her husband for his service. When she shared her story, others said the same thing had happened to them,” says Dreher, who graduated with a degree in psychology last semester and is preparing for graduate school while working as a Michigan School of Medicine Research Assistant intern in pediatric neuropsychology.

Dreher and Stovall saw how beneficial the “Same Mission, Many Stories” project was and say it was a memorable experience that will guide them as they enter therapy-based careers in health settings.

“With a future career in public health, I want to learn about different interventions that benefit people — and veterans are such a huge part of the population,” Stovall says. “Hearing the experiences these women have had let me know that extra support is needed to lift them up. The ‘Same Mission, Many Stories’ program helped me see how I could do that by creating a community, encouraging people to share their stories and advocating for their needs.”

Story by Sarah Tuxbury

Holistic Excellence

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

Behavioral Sciences

College of Education, Health, and Human Services

Health and Human Services

Off

Wed, 03/26/2025 - 18:08

“Same Mission, Many Stories” gave women veterans a safe place to share their experiences and needs, while providing UM-Dearborn students with therapy-based skills to use in their future careers.

Students Hannah Stovall, left, and Katie Dreher participated in the “Same Mission, Many Stories" project. In this 2023 photo, they presented at the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency’s Women Veterans Conference. Photo by Lisa Martin

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