College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

Environmental Interpretive Center

College of Education, Health, and Human Services

Student Engagement

Off

Mon, 06/16/2025 - 02:46

51��Ƶ-Dearborn offers more than a career pathway — while on campus, you can also play games, walk nature trails, stargaze and more.

Stephanie and Kenzie Warneck — children of 2006 alums Rachel and Brian Warneck — play a giant Jenga game at last summer's Alumni Picnic. Photo by Sarah Tuxbury

A 30-year family story continues on campus

stuxbury — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 18:16:09 +0000

A 30-year family story continues on campus stuxbury Wed, 06/04/2025 - 14:16

This Father’s Day will be Security Officer Stephen Sersen’s first since retiring from 51��Ƶ-Dearborn. He gave 35 years of service to the university — and, in return, 51��Ƶ-Dearborn became a big part of the Sersen family story.

“This place is my home away from home. I worked with some of the finest officers in public safety, I had a fulfilling career and I watched my daughter grow up here,” said Stephen, who retired in summer 2024. “What’s not to love?”

His daughter Julianne attended the Early Childhood Education Center when it was in the Henry Ford Estate cottages in the 1990s. As Stephen went about his workday, he’d see her playing on campus or getting pulled in a wagon while on walks.

“I have these memories seeing their faces peeking over the side of a wagon with their class. It was pretty incredible that I got to experience that while at work,” he said. After a pause, Stephen continued with a smile, “But I’d have to be careful when I was patrolling that Julianne didn’t see me. If she did, she'd want to come with me.”

While sitting next to her dad at the Renick University Center recently, 2019 alum Julianne added: “I’ve always been a bit of a daddy’s girl. I’m glad that we got the chance to work on campus together before he retired.” Julianne is a 51��Ƶ-Dearborn student enrollment services coordinator.

Shortly before Father’s Day, the father-daughter duo — who worked at the university together before Stephen’s retirement — met up on campus. Stephen saw his daughter’s renovated office area in the Renick University Center. The day of the visit also happened to be his 60th birthday. “I couldn't think of a better way to spend my birthday, I’m at a place that I called home for over 35 years and with my daughter,” he said.

Inspired by her dad’s stories of campus, Julianne said working at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn was a goal of hers. When she was younger, she recalled her dad coming home from work and talking fondly about the people he met on campus. He’d share stories about helping students walk safely to their cars and the friendships he made with the people he worked with, and talk about how both diversity of thought and respect for one another coexisted on campus.

“I love this place. There are so many points of view here,” Stephen said. “We learn so much from each other. Even with different thoughts, cultures and religions, everybody treats each other with respect. I know from being a security officer how safe it is. We all peacefully coexist at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn. There are important lessons that people in power could learn from the students, faculty and staff here. It really is a special place and it really does shape you as an individual.”

Julianne said in addition to her dad’s words and life lessons, she also had many happy memories of heading to A&W for a root beer with her dad, taking walks on EIC trails or having lunch together in the RUC cafeteria. Stephen often chose the pepperoni pizza, while Julianne went for a sandwich and soup combination, especially when the soup du jour was chicken tortilla. And, when off campus, they often attend concerts and sporting events together — U2 is a family favorite — and cheer for the home teams. They plan to watch the Tigers play the Reds on Father’s Day.

Stephen’s wife of 36 years, Patricia, was his original 51��Ƶ-Dearborn connection. “Patricia and I were high school sweethearts at Thurston (in Redford). She is the one who really introduced me to 51��Ƶ-Dearborn. I’d visit her on campus when she was an education student. I’ve been on campus pretty regularly since the early ’80s,” he said. “After we got married in 1989, Patricia saw there was a posting for a security officer on campus. I applied and the rest became a part of my family’s history.”

Julianne said her preschool years and their overlapping work years weren’t the only time she and her father spent time together on campus. In grade school, Julianne and her older sister Rachel attended many Bring Your Child to Work Day events with their dad. And, after high school, Julianne enrolled at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn, graduated, and is currently pursuing her MBA. Prior to starting her job at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn in 2023, Julianne worked at 51��Ƶ-Ann Arbor as a community center manager.

“I couldn’t be more proud of her. I’m proud of both of my daughters,” said Stephen, noting that Julianne helps connect students to college opportunities and Rachel, who graduated from Schoolcraft College, works in special education. “Both of them have careers where they are helping others.”

It’s been nearly 30 years since Julianne held her dad’s hand while walking into preschool on campus. She thinks about his impact on her life regularly. And she credits him with her love for her career and her connection to the university.

“My dad has been my rock, my superhero,” Julianne said. “Throughout life, he has been there every step of the way. Every heartbreak, every celebration. I hope to be just like him.”

After a pause, he replied, “You are like me — only better.”

Article by Sarah Tuxbury

Faculty and Staff

Public Safety (Police)

Staff Senate

Off

Tue, 06/10/2025 - 18:13

Retired Security Officer Stephen Sersen and daughter Julianne’s 51��Ƶ-Dearborn connection has spanned decades — from his 35-year job at the university to hers today.

Father-daughter duo Julianne Sersen and Stephen Sersen are pictured in the Renick University Center. Photo by Annie Barker

President Trump's first 100 days extreme, but not surprising

stuxbury — Mon, 19 May 2025 12:55:27 +0000

President Trump's first 100 days extreme, but not surprising stuxbury Mon, 05/19/2025 - 08:55

President Donald Trump used executive power expansively during his first 100 days in office, but there is little he has done that wasn’t foreshadowed during his first term, observed 51��Ƶ-Dearborn Professor of Political Science Mitchel Sollenberger.

In the below Q&A, conducted on April 30, 2025, Sollenberger discusses what has been predictable — and what has actually defied expectation — in the president’s nascent second term.

Sollenberger is the author of four books examining the reach and limits of executive powers: The Unitary Executive Theory: A Danger to Constitutional Government (with Jeffrey Crouch and Mark J. Rozell), The President’s Czars: Undermining Congress and the Constitution (with Mark J. Rozell), Judicial Appointments and Democratic Controls and The President Shall Nominate: How Congress Trumps Executive Power.

Because you have studied the expansion of executive powers so extensively, you are probably less surprised than many at some of President Trump’s actions in his first 100 days in office. So let’s start with what hasn’t surprised you.

What has not surprised me is the use of unilateral executive action. I think Trump's experience during his first term has pushed him even more in this direction. His instincts, I think, have always leaned toward acting alone, and he did that with the travel ban early in his first term. That move drew significant pushback from the federal courts, which helps shed some light on the Trump administration’s hostility to the courts currently.

I think, especially during the last two years of his first term — when he faced a Democratic Congress — Trump saw enemies in all corners of government. That perception helped drive his doubling down on unilateral action, particularly in his efforts to root out what his administration calls the “deep state.” Whether it’s acting through the Department of Government Efficiency, or the removal and firing of officials, these moves seem designed to clear obstacles and smooth the way for implementing the policies he believes that he was elected to achieve.

Whether you like it or not, there's truth to “small d” democracy when it comes to “elections have consequences” and what Trump is currently doing are the consequences. I can't think of anything that he's done that wasn't necessarily hinted at or explicitly stated during his campaign. For example, he was clear where he was going to go with immigration, and while he took aggressive action on it during his first term, it was understood that he would double down, if given the chance.

So, has there been anything that has surprised you?

If there’s one surprise, it's how much more strategic and deliberate the Trump administration has been to achieving policy aims. I assign an article in my presidency class titled “The Random Walk Presidency,” which characterizes Trump’s first term as chaotic and incoherent — a shoot from the hip administration with no plan. That description nicely captures Trump 1.0.

This time, though, there seems to be a more structured approach. You might not like it, but certainly putting forward a border czar, the executive orders framing immigration as an “invasion,” and invoking the Alien Enemies Act — all point to a coordinated effort. Notably, this is the first time a president has used that law in a non-war setting. These moves appear calculated to lay the legal and rhetorical groundwork for the use of more aggressive and controversial forms of executive actions with the full anticipation of challenges in federal courts. And I think that's to me a level of sophistication that you didn't quite see with Trump 1.0.”

Is there anything else that surprised you?

What surprises me is the sheer scale of Trump’s actions, particularly his use of tariffs. While he deployed tariffs during his first term, what we are seeing now is more like “shock and awe,” to borrow a phrase from the Bush era. Previously, tariffs were aimed primarily at our economic rivals like China. Now, Trump is imposing them unilaterally and broadly against our allies. That’s nearly unprecedented in modern U.S. history. You have to go back to Richard Nixon for a president to blanket unilaterally impose a tariff, and Nixon did it for about a year, and then he rescinded it because, as a policy measure, it was ineffective and ultimately harmed the U.S. economy.

I have always understood Trump to be a protectionist president, but I'm surprised by just how far he's taken it. This area of policy, more than any other, could have far-reaching consequences. Since World War II, the United States has led the global economic order on trade. And now we are experiencing this dramatic shift — a U.S. president imposing tariffs on virtually everyone which is forcing allies to rethink their economic strategies. If our allies readjust to a world without the U.S. leading and they decide to come together themselves in different ways, it could have profound implications for not only the U.S. when it comes to trade policy, economic policy, but in international affairs more broadly.

To be fair, there is a valid policy debate about whether our allies have become too reliant on the United States. But Trump’s approach — using confrontation and unilateralism — marks a sharp departure from the post-WWII consensus of diplomacy and engagement. It’s more a “shoot first and ask questions later” approach and seems to signal a fundamental shift in how America engages with the rest of the world.

Many observers have been talking about the risk of a constitutional crisis. Are we on the verge of tipping that far?

Republicans seemed to have largely closed ranks around Trump, effectively shielding his left flank from any sort of legislative-type challenge. So what about his right flank? I think there you have the judiciary as the key point of resistance and a possible place where a constitutional crisis occurs. In Trump’s first term, the legal flashpoint was the travel ban order – this time it’s shaping up to be the deportation cases. We have already seen several rulings and remands from the Supreme Court to the district courts which have pushed back against some of the Trump administration’s actions. This has given the lower courts additional support to not only question the Trump administration’s actions but stop deportations from proceeding. The real crisis would come if the Supreme Court issues a definitive ruling and the president defies it. We are not there yet but we are edging closer to that moment.

Interestingly, the federal courts — including the Supreme Court — have been more willing to push back against presidential power than I expected. One major development has been that the Supreme Court has agreed to hear an emergency appeal on the legality of nationwide injunctions. At least three justices appear skeptical of nationwide injunctions.

This is not some esoteric matter. If the Supreme Court rules that federal judges can only issue injunctions within their own jurisdictions, it could severely limit the ability of the courts to halt executive actions nationwide. That would have major implications, even if Trump’s actions are later found to have been unlawful, because the administration will be able to continue implementing them for weeks or months before a final ruling takes effect. Such a decision would significantly tip the balance of power toward the executive branch by greatly limiting what has become an effective tool of the judiciary to challenge presidential power assertions.

Interview by Kristin Palm

Faculty Research

Social Sciences

Off

Mon, 05/19/2025 - 12:54

Professor of Political Science Mitchel Sollenberger, an expert in executive privilege, weighs in on what he's seen so far with the new administration.

51��Ƶ-Dearborn Professor of Political Science Mitchel Sollenberger. Photo by Annie Barker

‘Persistence is what brought us here’

stuxbury — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 17:54:27 +0000

‘Persistence is what brought us here’ stuxbury Sat, 04/26/2025 - 13:54

“Go Blue! Go Dearborn!” pride filled the 51��Ƶ-Dearborn Fieldhouse over the weekend. At the Class of Spring 2025 Commencement, families cheered as the university’s newest alums walked across the stage. Newly conferred graduates held up decorated graduation caps. And young children clapped for their parents.

On Saturday, April 26, 1,056 Dearborn Wolverines celebrated 1,074 earned degrees over three 90-minute ceremonies. Two undergraduate ceremonies took place at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., and a graduate ceremony was held at 5 p.m. — 687 undergraduate, 378 graduate and nine doctoral degrees were awarded.

Graduates spanned generations, with the youngest aged 17 and the oldest nearing 70. When addressing the graduates at the three ceremonies, Chancellor Domenico Grasso applauded the pursuit of knowledge and encouraged students to continue it beyond graduation day. “We do not stop being curious because we grow old, we grow old because we stop being curious,” he said.

Beyond age range, 51��Ƶ-Dearborn’s diversity encompassed many geographic locations and cultural heritages. Reflecting this, undergraduate student speaker Asil Khanafer’s family is from Lebanon. Alum and undergraduate ceremony keynote speaker James Scapa is the son of Greek immigrants who moved to New York City.

Undergraduate keynote speaker James Scapa

Scapa spoke about how he’s descended from Holocaust survivors and grew up in a “humble upbringing” where his parents – who spoke Greek, French, Italian and Judeo-Spanish, but struggled with English – worked hard to make ends meet. A determined risk-taker, Scapa went to Columbia University, worked at Ford Motor Company after graduation, completed his MBA at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn and — a couple years after that graduation — founded his own dream business, Altair, in 1985 with $1500. He recently sold the software and technology company, after 40 years, for $11 billion. Speaking to the undergraduates, Scapa shared how he sets and achieves goals, which include developing a vision and refining it each year, sticking to set values, making decisions through envisioning the future and embracing diversity. “Life is short and much more interesting if you are learning from people who come from different places physically and intellectually,” he said.

Khanafer, who earned a Bachelor of Science in behavioral and biological sciences, focused on not letting disappointment, loss and failures become defining moments. To illustrate that point, she talked about how her father, who grew up in Lebanon, had a prized coin as a boy and dreamed about what he could use it for. But, while holding it, he tripped, dropped it in the street and couldn’t find it despite extensive searching.

Undergraduate student speaker Asil Khanafer

“There will always be moments when we trip, when we lose something valuable, when we feel like we’re searching for something we’ll never find,” said Khanafer, noting that her father is very successful, despite this frustrating moment in his childhood. “But we are not defined by what we lose. We are defined by what we do next.” Reflecting on her years at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn, Khanafer said to the graduates, “We didn’t let our failures define us. We kept going — driven by determination, a little bit of luck and countless hours spent on the second floor of the library. Whether we were studying late into the night or just catching our breath after the chaos of first-week parking, we were pushing forward. And today that persistence is what brought us here — to this moment, this achievement and to this new beginning.”

Speaking of new beginnings, there was also an important first at the ceremonies. Regent Carl Meyers — the first U-M regent from 51��Ƶ-Dearborn, who was elected in November 2024 — congratulated the graduating class of his alma mater for the first time. “It feels good to be home . . . I hope you remember the lessons Michigan has instilled in you, including searching for the potential in every opportunity and working to overcome roadblocks that may arise along the way,” said Meyers, a 1979 alum.

At the doctoral and graduate ceremony, student speaker Mohsen Chaaban — who earned his Master of Science in cybersecurity and information assurance — acknowledged the Class of Spring 2025’s resilience. He described students who worked long hours while also going to school, who took care of children when they barely had enough energy for themselves, who battled illnesses, who overcame doubt. “This diploma isn’t just a piece of paper — it’s proof that we kept going. It represents every obstacle we faced, every moment of doubt we conquered, and every time we chose to rise instead of retreat,” he said. “The future is ours to shape. Some of us will write the next great innovation. Some of us will build businesses that change lives. Some of us will become leaders, educators, artists or world-changers. And some of us — let’s be honest — will take a very well-earned nap before figuring out what’s next. And that’s OK, too.”

Doctoral and graduate ceremony student speaker Mohsen Chaaban

Graduate ceremony keynote speaker Timothy Yerdon, a College of Engineering and Computer Science alum, has helped shape an era of innovation as executive leader of SAE Industry Technologies Consortia. Looking back at his decades of work, he offered guidance through a “seven-point manifesto to my future self.” Referencing it, Yerdon encouraged 51��Ƶ-Dearborn graduates to keep up with technological advances, learn from the leaders they encounter, find opportunities in moments of crises and problem-solve.

Graduate ceremony keynote speaker Timothy Yerdon

“Graduates, in this era of rapid technology change, remember this: Your uniquely human capacity to think critically and act decisively remains your ultimate compass and the truest measure of your future success. Chart your course with vigor, intellect and intention. Stay true to your personal values. As you progress in your careers, I hope each of you will compile your own manifesto, from your own experiences, to help those coming behind you find purpose and success,” he said. “Congratulations, Class of 2025.”

See more photos from the big day.

Story by Sarah Tuxbury

Commencement

Student Success

College of Education, Health, and Human Services

Off

Sat, 04/26/2025 - 17:47

51��Ƶ-Dearborn awarded 1,074 degrees during three commencement ceremonies on April 26.

51��Ƶ-Dearborn's newest graduates celebrated at the April 26 commencement ceremonies. Photos by Matthew Stephens/Michigan Photography

‘Forever built-in best friends’

stuxbury — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 13:02:53 +0000

‘Forever built-in best friends’ stuxbury Wed, 04/09/2025 - 09:02

Quadruplets Elizabeth, Catherine, Gabrielle and Colin Sethi — born in that order — are often in sync. They are all Dearborn Wolverines. They are all in the Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity. They are all creative. “If you follow astrology, that’s the Pisces in us,” says Elizabeth, noting that she enjoys fashion design and Catherine likes crafting, while Gabrielle journals and Colin draws.

But there are times where the four fraternal quadruplets may not be aligned — like when they order pizza from the Renick University Center’s cafeteria. “When we’d be on campus together all day, we’d get lunch. Since there are four of us, we’d get a specialty pizza to share. Except we couldn’t always agree on toppings — so we’d put some things on one half and other toppings on the other half. I think the people at the pizza counter hated to see us coming,” says Elizabeth, laughing.

The four siblings gathered for an afternoon Zoom call in their West Bloomfield home right before April 10’s National Siblings Day — Elizabeth, the oldest, coordinated getting four busy people all together in the same place — to discuss campus life and reflect on what next year might look like with two of them graduating this semester.

Elizabeth says it is rare that they are home together from class, internships, work and study groups before 9 p.m. Congregated in the kitchen, Catherine is making chai. Gabrielle is grabbing Oreos. And Colin is working on homework on his laptop.

"Gabrielle is the person that, if you're having a bad day, you want to go to her because she's just super bubbly and makes you happy. Colin's the funniest and has a sarcastic sense of humor. Catherine's the most athletic and independent. She inspires us to be open to new experiences,” Elizabeth says. “I like to express myself through fashion. And I'd definitely say that I'm the most serious and like to keep everything organized. They like to remind me that I’m not mom.”

Elizabeth, a digital marketing major, and Gabrielle, a psychology major, will celebrate their graduation from the College of Business and the College of Arts, Sciences and Letters at the same ceremony on April 26. Both sisters plan to move out of state to continue their education. Elizabeth will attend graduate school at LIM College in Manhattan for fashion merchandising and retail management and Gabrielle was accepted to a master’s program in social work at Columbia University.

“When we were in high school, we toured universities like Duke and the University of North Carolina, but we weren’t quite ready to leave home. 51��Ƶ-Dearborn is a good school that’s close to home — we all decided to go there together,” Elizabeth says. “It’s going to be a little weird not to be the four of us, but I’m ready to make a big move.” Colin, a finance and supply chain double major, expects to graduate in Fall 2025 and Catherine, a premed major, plans to graduate the semester after Colin.

But, before graduation, they have a couple more Alpha Kappa Psi meetings to attend together. Colin and Elizabeth, who are College of Business students, joined first. Then, after hearing how beneficial the fraternity was with networking and job-skill honing, Catherine and Gabrielle joined.

Even though they do a lot together, people often don’t confuse them — anymore. Elizabeth is 5’2” with curly hair and Catherine is 5’7” with straight hair. However, in grade school, they’d often have to remind their teachers who is who. “We didn’t look alike then either, but I think having us in a class together can be confusing at first,” Elizabeth says. “That hasn’t been a problem at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn.”

Each agreed that their time at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn has helped them further develop their own career interests and make new friends separate from one another. But they also continue to find ways to spend time together. For example, they regularly try new restaurants in downtown Dearborn since it is so close to campus. A current favorite is The Great Commoner on Michigan Avenue.

They were raised to be individuals by their parents — fun fact: mom Carol is a 51��Ƶ-Dearborn alum — and they will continue to grow in their own directions while also sharing their successes with each other.

“We have all different mindsets and perspectives on things, but we all agree that we have a special bond and will be there for each other no matter where we end up in the future,” Elizabeth says. “I am so grateful to have three forever built-in best friends.”

Story by Sarah Tuxbury

Off

Wed, 04/09/2025 - 13:02

Quadruplets Elizabeth, Catherine, Gabrielle and Colin Sethi will begin to travel different paths after graduation — but they know their bond will continue.

Catherine, Elizabeth, Gabrielle and Colin Sethi — pictured in that order — decided to become Dearborn Wolverines together. Photo courtesy of Sethi family

Three of a kind

stuxbury — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 12:56:45 +0000

Three of a kind stuxbury Wed, 04/09/2025 - 08:56

Three is a lucky number. And the Class of Spring 2025 will be seeing triple at their commencement. During the first of April 26’s three ceremonies, three identical brothers will walk across the stage in honor of their three degrees.

Ali, Elias and Hadi Elzein, born in that order and studying economics, accounting and finance, and biology, respectively, do everything together — and graduation day won’t be different. “I finished last semester, but delayed my graduation so I could walk with my brothers,” Hadi says. “We have a story of family, of love forged through challenge. As brothers, we chose to walk together every step of the way.”

That’s not the only celebration day for the Elzein brothers this month. Today, April 10, is National Siblings Day. Hadi says National Siblings Day could be every day for them. They have a group chat on their phone. They share a room at home. They work together at Habib’s Cuisine. “If something comes up and one of us can’t go in for a shift, we can fill in for each other,” says Hadi, a biology major who's in the process of applying for graduate school.

The brothers’ resemblance is usually the first thing that catches people’s eyes. Speaking at the Renick University Center, they wear matching black shirts. They have a rhythm between them — the way they finish each other’s thoughts, the unspoken understanding — that’s a bond built on more than shared birthdays or DNA.

To help people tell them apart, they do things to physically distinguish themselves. Ali wears a silver necklace and Elias a silver bracelet. And when they are sitting next to each other, you can see their personality differences — Hadi laughs more, Elias chooses his words thoughtfully and Ali is very social. But when they are solo, that’s when the mistakes happen. “People will come up to me thinking that I was one of my brothers. I don’t mind that,” Hadi says. “When it happens to me on campus, it’s a good way to make new friends.”

Chatting in the RUC, they chime in to complete each other’s thoughts. They joke around. And they talk about the future. “No one can tell the future, but I do know that we will always be there for each other in this next part of our lives,” says Elias, who is a Class of Spring 2025 Dean’s Medallion awardee from the College of Business. Through the university’s Accounting 4+1 program, he’ll earn a graduate degree with one more year of college.

When it comes to their closeness, the brothers say there’s a natural bond that comes from being a multiple. But their loyalty to one another goes beyond that — it was forged by persevering through life-changing events.

Born in the United States, the triplets went to Lebanon to visit family for a summer when they were six. While there, their father, Hussein, was admitted to a hospital with a sudden illness and fell into a coma. During the next seven years, they lived with family in Lebanon in hopes of their father’s recovery.

“Our mom would be up early to see us off to school and then would go to the hospital in Beirut to take care of our father the best that she could. She showed us what unconditional love looks like,” says Ali, an economics major who is in the process of lining up a full-time job in the mortgage business. “He was in a coma for a long time. For seven years, we hoped he would wake up and come home. He was our father and our sense of security. Then, when we were 13, there was a new feeling each of us had. The fear left. When we were ready to accept any outcome, he passed away. Our father held on until we were in a place where we were ready to accept it.”

It was a painful moment, but not a defining one, Hadi adds. “His absence became the space in which we learned to rely on each other and on ourselves. The experience didn’t harden us — it united us,” he says.

All three brothers say that their father continues to guide their future, even a decade after his passing. “People come up to us and ask if we are Hussein’s sons,” Ali says. “We continue to have people recognize us because of how loyal of a friend our father was to people in the Dearborn community. It speaks volumes on who he was as a person and it makes our hearts grow.”

Not long after their father’s passing, the boys and their mother, Zanoubia, moved back to Michigan. “Even with the financial and emotional difficulty of moving, we had family supporting us every step of the way,” Elias says. “Just like our family in Lebanon supported us while we were there, we had uncles in Dearborn help us get on our feet so we could hit the ground running.”

The triplets enrolled at Dearborn High School. “People were really nice and thought it was interesting that there were three of us, but it was still hard,” says Ali. “We were born in the U.S., but our memories were of Lebanon. We spoke English, but grew up with a different cultural background. We also had to build from the ground up when we came back. We had a roof over our heads, but it was tough financially. But that was a good thing to experience early too — it showed us that material things are nice, but not essential. What’s most important is family and how it is important to come together to help each other out.”

The brothers, who attended 51��Ƶ-Dearborn with the Go Blue Guarantee scholarship, pooled resources during their four years of college. For example, they saved up money right before their first year and bought a 2011 Buick LaCrosse, which they still use today. Sometimes sharing a car would mean they’d be on campus all day waiting for each other — but, when possible, they coordinated their class schedules. They also had to factor in Hadi’s cell biology research time with Associate Professor of Biology Kalyan Kondapalli, Elias’ Beta Alpha Psi fraternity meetings, Ali’s job shadowing at a law firm and more. Elias says a lot of planning, in addition to online and hybrid classes, made the situation work.

Not too long ago — to accommodate their increasingly busy schedules and because they’ll be on different paths after graduation — they purchased a second car to share. But even when life will lead them down different roads, they know they’ll always find ways to come back together. “We have been through things together that make our bond strong. Distance or busy schedules can’t weaken that,” Elias says. Ali adds, “We might irritate each other at times, but I need to connect with my brothers to recharge. We need each other to push ourselves to be the best version that we can be. It’s all about family and we will continue to prioritize that — it’s just how we do it that might look a little different.”

That next step — or steps, since there’s three of them — includes work and graduate school. But first comes commencement. On April 26, when their names are called, the Elzeins will walk across the stage to uncles, cousins and friends cheering in the audience. But the brothers will focus on one person: Their mother.

Remember the complex class schedule coordination? She’s the one who helped them do it. She cheered them on, made their favorite meals and kept things moving forward in the hardest of times. “Even with all of the challenges in our lives, our mom continued to focus on what would give us a brighter future,” Elias says. “We learned how to be responsible and reliable men from a strong woman.”

His brothers nod in agreement. As much as they are looking forward to graduating, they are even more proud to show their mom what they accomplished thanks to her.

“None of this would have happened without her. She gave everything and now it’s our turn to rise because of it and give back to her. This is not just a story about triplets graduating. It’s a story about resilience, about sacrifice, about the quiet strength that comes from real love,” Hadi says. “And most of all, it’s a story about a family that never let go of each other no matter how far life tried to stretch them.”

Story by Sarah Tuxbury

Student Success

Off

Wed, 04/09/2025 - 12:55

Today is National Siblings Day. Identical Elzein triplets — Ali, Elias and Hadi — found success at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn by overcoming challenges the best way they know how: Together.

The Elzein triplets — from left, Hadi, Ali and Elias — are graduating together on April 26. Photo by Benjamin Vertin

Congrats to the CASL and COB Medallion winners

stuxbury — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 12:49:14 +0000

Congrats to the CASL and COB Medallion winners stuxbury Wed, 04/02/2025 - 08:49

From conducting melanoma research to advocating for veterans, 51��Ƶ-Dearborn’s Spring Class of 2025’s leaders and best have accomplished many things. Adding to that: Twelve of this year’s top graduates earned the Chancellor’s Medallion or Dean’s Medallion awards.

Three Dean’s Medallion recipients are awarded per college with one of those students receiving the Chancellor’s Medallion. These students will be honored at April 26’s Commencement.

Here are 51��Ƶ-Dearborn’s College of Arts, Sciences and Letters and the College of Business recipients — including the Chancellor’s Medallion winner, who is a CASL graduate. The awardees from the College of Engineering and Computer Science and the College of Education, Health and Human Services will be profiled in an article on Tuesday.

Chancellor’s Medallion

Ayah Farhat
College of Arts, Sciences and Letters

Degree: Bachelor of Science in biochemistry

Awards, Honors and Distinction: University Honors (F22, W23); Dean’s List (F22-F23, F24); James B. Angell Scholar (2024); William J. Branstrom Freshman Prize (2023); SURE Fellowship (2024); Honors Scholar (2025)

Scholarships: Mardigian Library Student Assistant Scholarship; Alumni Legacy Scholarship; Michigan Competitive Scholarship; Excellence Scholarship; CASL Alumni Affiliate Scholarship; Andy and Cheryl Chapekis Scholarship; Dr. Richard A. Potts Endowed Scholarship; William and Alice Jenkins Memorial Scholarship

Academic Achievements and Internships: Ayah is a dedicated researcher who worked with Assistant Professor of Biochemistry Besa Xhabija to conduct cutting-edge research in melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer. She characterized melanoma morphologically, optically and behaviorally to better understand its aggressive nature and metastatic potential. Her research has already resulted in a first-author publication in Advanced Biology and has been featured as the front cover of its February 2025 issue.

Extracurricular and Community Projects: 51��Ƶ-Dearborn Mardigian Library Circulation Desk student assistant; American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and ASBMB student chapter (president); Kumon Math and Reading tutor; Wolverine Mentor Collective mentor; volunteer at Corewell Health, Caroline Kennedy Library, 51��Ƶ-Dearborn Food Pantry and 51��Ƶ-Dearborn Wolverine Wardrobe

Future Plans: Ayah plans to attend and present her research at the national conference of the American Chemical Society this fall. Her long-term goal is to become a physician who serves marginalized and vulnerable populations in metro Detroit.

Dean’s Medallion

College of Arts, Sciences and Letters

Vincent Intrieri

Degree: Bachelor of Arts in international studies

Awards, Honors and Distinction: University Honors (W24, F24); Dean’s List (F22-F24); 51��Ƶ-Dearborn Difference Maker (2024); Honors Scholar (2025)

Scholarships: CASL Alumni Affiliate Scholarship; Hugh M. Archer Veterans Scholarship; John J. Brownfain Endowed Memorial Scholarship; 51��Ƶ-Dearborn Veterans Scholarship

Academic Achievements and Internships: Vincent was the inaugural president of the Wolverine Media Network, uniting the university’s student newspaper, radio, video and arts journal into a single cohesive structure. He completed the Ottawa Internship in Canadian Parliament and participated in a virtual exchange program with the University of El Salvador in which he completed an e-book in Spanish with a Salvadoran partner. He was a work-study employee in the university’s Veterans Affairs office and is a mentor in the Dearborn Veterans Treatment Court, where he supports fellow veterans who are navigating the criminal justice system. Vincent is a nontraditional student and Navy veteran who retired as a petty officer second class logistics specialist.

Extracurricular and Community Projects: Wolverine Media Network (president); Lyceum (editor-in-chief); Student Veterans Association (treasurer); Dearborn Veterans Treatment Court mentor; Veterans of the Game; Dearborn Allied War Veterans Council

Future Plans: Vincent has been admitted to American University’s master’s program in international relations and is considering law school. He is interested in pursuing a career in public interest or international law.

Ahmad Makki

Degrees: Dual Bachelors of Science in mathematics and economics

Awards, Honors and Distinction: University Honors (W21, F21, F24); Honors Scholar in economics (2025); Dean’s List (F20-F24); SURE Fellowship (2022); Outstanding Delegate, Model Arab League (2023-2025); Overall Outstanding Delegation, Model Arab League (2024)

Scholarships: Metropolitan Scholarship; Kochoff Impact Scholarship; Mathematics Scholarship; Dr. Ronald Stockton Scholarship; Dean’s Scholarship (U-M Law School)

Academic Achievements and Internships: Ahmad has conducted research with Associate Professor of Political Science Emily Luxon focused on the attribution of responsibility for climate change in newspaper coverage. As a Summer Undergraduate Research Experience Fellow, Ahmad also researched nationalistic bias within networks related to accusation of chemical weapon use.

Extracurricular and Community Projects: Arab Affairs League Club (founder/president); Model Arab League; violin instructor

Ahmad is also a talented language learner with proficiency in Korean and Arabic and intermediate skill in West African Creole.

Future Plans: Ahmad has been admitted to the University of Michigan Law School and intends to attend starting in Fall 2025.

College of Business

Christian Ankawi

Degree: Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting and finance

Awards, Honors and Distinction: Honors Scholar (2025); James B. Angell Scholar (2023, 2024); University Honors (F21-F22, F23-F24); Dean’s List (F21-F24)

Scholarships: Kris & Ruth Pfaehler Scholarship; Allard Family Trust Scholarship;

51��Ƶ-Dearborn Dean’s Scholarship; COB Undergraduate 4+1 Scholarship

Academic Achievements and Internships: Christian’s career in accounting began in summer 2022 with an internship at Rocket Central, where he collaborated with senior leaders to resolve disputes and developed a review process that resulted in shorter lead times for reimbursements and expense requests. The following summer and fall he worked as a tax intern at Carhartt and performed a variety of tasks. In summer 2024, he was an audit intern at Doeren Mayhew and gained more specialized experience.

Extracurricular and Community Projects: Supplemental instructor for College of Business; Beta Gamma Sigma honor society; Accounting Aid Society volunteer; Forgotten Harvest volunteer; frequent guest speaker for Business Foundations course

Future Plans: This summer, Christian will take the first part of the CPA exam and begin a full-time role as an assurance intern at Ernst & Young. As a 4+1 student, he will return to the College of Business in the fall and work toward his Master of Science in accounting and completing the CPA exam. Upon achieving these goals, Christian plans to work full time with a public accounting firm and currently has an open offer to return to Doeren Mayhew.

Elias Elzein

Degree: Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting and finance

Awards, Honors and Distinction: University Honors (W22, W24, F24); Dean’s List (F21-F22,

F23-F24)

Scholarships: 51��Ƶ-Dearborn Dean’s Scholarship (2021-2024); COB Undergraduate 4+1 Scholarship

Academic Achievements and Internships: In summer 2023, Elias worked as an accounting intern at Varsity Lincoln. In this role, he reconciled bank statements and inventory records, collaborated with the dealership’s CPA on financial statement preparation and gained hands-on experience in several accounting processes.

Extracurricular and Community Projects: Beta Alpha Psi (member since 2022; reporter 2023-2024; co-president April 2024-April 2025); Michigan Model Arab League (team received the 2025 Distinguished Delegation Award)

As an active member and leader of Beta Alpha Psi, an international honors organization for accounting and finance students, Elias has participated in several competitions across the country. He has pursued professional development opportunities through these competitions, including improving his public speaking and presentation skills, and helped lead the 51��Ƶ-Dearborn chapter to a national-level competition.

Future Plans: Elias will spend the summer completing an audit internship at Plante Moran and preparing for the CPA exam. He will return to the College of Business in the fall as part of the 4+1 program to earn his Master of Science in accounting. He hopes to continue working with Plante Moran upon completing his master’s degree and earning his CPA.

Carlos Gonzalez

Degree: Bachelor of Business Administration in digital marketing

Awards, Honors and Distinction: James B. Angell Scholar (2023); University Honors (W22-W23); Dean’s List (W22-F24); Honors Scholar (2025); student speaker at the College of Business Celebration of Excellence (2024); Bill Linn Fiction Prize Honorable Mention (2023)

Scholarships: LEAD Scholarship; 51��Ƶ-Dearborn Dean’s Scholarship; Jeffrey R. & Donna T. Smith Scholarship; Michael & Vana Surmanian Family Scholarship; 51��Ƶ-Dearborn Honors Scholarship; Central Study Abroad Scholarship; College of Business Fast Track Scholarship; Russel J. Ebeid Scholarship; Louanne Sanez Scholarship

Academic Achievements and Internships: Carlos began participating in 51��Ƶ-Dearborn’s Digital Storytelling project as a first-year student when he created his own story. He was promoted to a mentorship role his sophomore year. As a mentor, he guided new participants through the creative process by organizing workshops and helping with technical challenges. Carlos took on more responsibilities over the years, such as assisting with curriculum development, and eventually became a lead strategist for directing faculty members on their own digital stories. He also worked as a digital marketing intern for MedsFinder in summer 2021 and as a digital marketing and business strategy intern for ESOP One from August 2023 to August 2024. Christopher Spilker, head of the Mardigian Library Research Center, observed that Carlos was an integral part of the Digital Storytelling project, stating that “his dedication not only strengthened the program but also inspired those around him.”

Extracurricular and Community Projects: LEAD Scholars member and LEAD Advisory Board member; ISPM-Italy participant; LeaderShape participant; Real Estate Association; Eagle Scout.

Future Plans: Carlos plans to pursue his Master of Business Administration in a specialization that will enable him to utilize his talents for storytelling and strategic thinking, such as marketing management or business analytics. He hopes to work for a multinational corporation and one day advance to an executive leadership position where he can inspire others to create meaningful content.

Awards

Commencement

Student Success

Off

Wed, 04/02/2025 - 12:48

51��Ƶ-Dearborn recognizes a select group of soon-to-be grads each semester for outstanding achievement.

COB and CASL graduating students were awarded for their high achievement. Graphic by Lou Blouin

Spring 2025 Commencement: A guide to the big day

lblouin — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 11:58:30 +0000

Spring 2025 Commencement: A guide to the big day lblouin Wed, 04/02/2025 - 07:58

More than 1,000 graduates will earn degrees at next month’s commencement ceremony on April 26. As in past years, the full day of spring graduation festivities will be split into three ceremonies. Undergraduates from the College of Arts, Sciences and Letters and College of Business kick things off at 9 a.m., followed by undergrads from the College of Education, Health and Human Services and College of Engineering and Computer Science at 1 p.m. The final ceremony for doctoral and graduate students from all four colleges is at 5 p.m.

Here are a few more good-to-knows for the big day.

Speakers

James Scapa, a graduate of Columbia University and an ’83 U-M MBA grad, will be the featured speaker at both undergraduate ceremonies. Scapa is founder, chair and CEO of Altair, a global leader in computational intelligence software and technology. He founded the company in 1985 with two partners when he was just 25 years old. Altair now employs more than 3,000 scientists, engineers and creative thinkers across 28 countries and serves more than 16,000 customers across a broad range of industries, including automotive, aerospace, government and defense, finance, energy, technology, life sciences, architecture and construction. Under Scapa’s leadership, Altair also sponsored the #OnlyForward Scholarship, which awarded $25,000 scholarships to 51��Ƶ-Dearborn students pursuing a four-year degree in computer science or engineering.

Tim Yerdon, an executive leader with SAE Industry Technologies Consortia, will be the featured speaker at the 5 p.m. ceremony for graduate students. Yerdon is an experienced mobility leader with a track record of driving breakthrough technology change through collaboration and innovative thinking. He holds a key role within SAE International, a global association of more than 128,000 engineers and related technical experts in the automotive, aerospace and commercial vehicle industries. Prior to SAE, Tim ran the consulting firm Plymouth Technology Advisors, after serving in executive positions with Ford Motor Co. and Visteon Corp. At Ford, he served on the company's dedicated team for electric vehicles, which developed the Mustang Mach-E SUV, F-150 Lightning truck and E-Transit van. He also chairs 51��Ƶ-Dearborn’s CECS Industry Advisory Board.

Asil Khanafer, who is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in behavioral and biological sciences, with a minor in applied arts, is the student speaker at the two undergraduate ceremonies. During her time at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn, Khanafer was president of both the Pre-Professional Health Society and the Lebanese Diaspora Relief Organization, as well as vice president of the National Arab American Medical Association student chapter. In addition, she conducted research on bonobo cognition as a research assistant in Associate Professor of Psychology Francine Dollins’ lab. She also served as a chemistry and psychology supplemental instruction leader and vice chair of the Student Organization Allocation Council. Khanafer plans to pursue a career in veterinary medicine and will continue her studies at Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in the fall.

Mohsen Chaaban, who is graduating from 51��Ƶ-Dearborn with a Master of Science in cybersecurity and information assurance, will address his fellow graduate students at the 5 p.m. ceremony. Chaaban earned his bachelor’s at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn in 2023 and currently works as a software controls engineer at General Motors. Throughout his time at the university, he actively engaged in student organizations and mentorship programs. During his undergraduate years, he was a member of Student Organization Account Services, where he helped student organizations with financial services and event planning. He has also been active in community service efforts in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, taking part in initiatives such as toy drives, as well as Easter and Ramadan essential drives.

Commencement stats

This spring, the university is awarding a total of 1,067 degrees to 1,049 graduates. Among undergraduates, the youngest is just 17 years old and the oldest is 68. The average undergraduate GPA is 3.4. Spring graduates represent 26 Michigan counties and 13 states.

Tickets

Each student receives four tickets to their ceremony for guests. Graduating students participating in the ceremony do not need a ticket for themselves. Students can currently pick up tickets at the One Stop, located on the first floor of the Renick University Center, Monday-Wednesday and Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Thursday, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Students must show their Mcard or government-issued ID (driver's license or passport) and a receipt that they purchased their cap and gown to pick up tickets. All guests at the commencement ceremonies must have a ticket, except for children under 2 who will be sitting on the lap of a guest. Tickets can also be placed at Will Call and picked up the day of the ceremony.

Students should email umd-commencement@umich.edu with the number of tickets they would like held (up to four). All tickets must be claimed (either picked up or Will Call request) by Friday, April 11. Those who don’t need all their tickets can pick up their tickets and give them to friends or classmates who need additional tickets. Students can also return tickets they will not need to the One Stop so other students can claim them. Students are not permitted to sell tickets. More information about extra tickets will be shared on Monday, April 14.

Volunteering

If you are a staff member and would like to volunteer at the ceremonies, please email Campus Event Planner Mandy Earl. Tasks include distributing Will Call tickets, checking in graduates, helping direct the crowd and other activities.

How to watch

If you won't be attending commencement in person, you can still watch online on the university’s YouTube page.

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Still have more questions about Spring 2025 Commencement? Check out the university’s commencement page. Story by Lou Blouin

Commencement

University-wide

College of Education, Health, and Human Services

Off

Wed, 04/02/2025 - 11:58

Meet the commencement speakers and get ceremony details for the April 26 festivities.

This spring, the university is awarding a total of 1,067 degrees to 1,049 graduates. Photo by Michigan Photography

How postdocs help faculty take research to another level

lblouin — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 16:34:51 +0000

How postdocs help faculty take research to another level lblouin Mon, 03/31/2025 - 12:34

When students complete a doctoral degree, they’re at the top of one of the highest mountains in higher education. But just like undergraduates facing post-graduation anxiety, postdoctoral life can represent a fraught time for recent PhD graduates. For those interested in long-term careers in academia, they’re likely embarking on job searches for highly competitive faculty positions. And if someone wants to work in the private sector, employers in at least some industries seem to balk at hiring highly trained applicants with little industry experience — simply because they generally command higher salaries than those with less-advanced degrees.

Director of Research Development Vessela Vassileva-Clarke
Photo by Julianne Lindsey

But there is another option for recent PhD grads: working as a postdoctoral researcher. As the name suggests, this is a research position at a university, typically lasting one to three years, that someone takes after they finish their PhD. 51��Ƶ-Dearborn Director of Research Development Vessela Vassileva-Clarke says this may be an attractive route for a number of reasons. For example, if a person isn’t quite sure whether they want to go into academia or industry, a postdoc position can simply buy someone a little time to figure it out, while they continue to stay active and build a research portfolio. And for those who are definitely interested in faculty positions, doing a postdoc can help someone burnish their CV if, say, they weren't able to publish as much as they’d liked during their PhD program. In addition, depending on the arrangement between the researcher and their faculty advisor, Vassileva-Clarke says a postdoc position might give someone a chance to log some teaching experience — or even pursue an externally funded grant for a research project that they co-lead with a faculty member. Moreover, a postdoc gives recent PhD grads experiences in other core parts of academic life that they may not have gotten in their doctoral programs, like proposal writing.

51��Ƶ-Dearborn currently has about a dozen postdoctoral researchers working on campus, the vast majority of whom are working with faculty in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Rongheng Li, who finished his PhD at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn under Mechanical Engineering Professor Ben Q. Li in 2019, says the opportunity to do a postdoc actually grew organically out of his doctoral research experience. His research focused on some of the advanced mathematical challenges associated with the use of nanoparticles in photovoltaic systems, which is seen as a promising way of improving output from solar panels. But then one day, toward the end of his PhD program, Li found himself chatting with Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Xuan (Joe) Zhou. The two of them discovered that a lot of the same mathematical methods Li was using in the area of photovoltaics might have interesting applications for battery research, which is Zhou’s specialty. Now, as a postdoc, Li is working on several of Zhou’s funded projects, including one exploring how well used EV batteries perform when used in a grid-tied storage system.

“A lot of my prior work has been very theoretical, so working with Dr. Zhou is giving me a chance to learn in a more experimental setting,” Li says. “I’m learning new instrumentation, and I got to visit the clean room in Ann Arbor, where they are working on a variety of projects. So I think it’s going to be quite valuable for me to get this hands-on experience, including with batteries, which is a technology that’s so important for the future.” Another big payoff for Li: He’s getting to work closely with the research team’s industry partners, which is helping him see how private sector projects are managed and how their teams work. After his postdoc, he thinks he’ll likely be applying for faculty jobs in the United States. But he’s not opposed to a position in the private sector, and he thinks the practical experience he’s logging during his postdoc will make him a more competitive candidate.

Rongheng Li completed his PhD at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn in 2019 and now works as a postdoctoral researcher. Photo by Annie Barker

Gajendra Singh Chawda followed a different path to 51��Ƶ-Dearborn for his postdoc. Chawda finished his PhD in electrical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology in early 2022 and took a postdoctoral research position there after graduation. But he really wanted to get experience at an American university, and when he saw a posting for a postdoctoral research position working with Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor Wencong Su, he felt like it would be a great fit. Chawda’s work focuses on the complexities of integrating renewable energy into the electric grid and renewable energy access for economically disadvantaged communities — which happen to be two of Su’s research interests. Currently, Chawda is working on some foundational research on high-frequency AC microgrids — a technology that many researchers and industry experts see as vital for modernizing the electric grid so it can accommodate more renewable energy and battery storage. Chawda says one of the other big perks of the position is that he gets to work as a lecturer — the first time he’s had the opportunity to teach students outside of a lab setting.

Moreover, it’s also been an exciting time for his family. His wife and daughter accompanied him for this adventure in the United States, and Chawda says his daughter loves her school in Dearborn Heights. “She’s always so excited to come home and show me what she’s done at school,” he says. “The American education system is a lot different. In India, I would say it’s more focused on books and, here, students seem to do a lot of activities. For example, she came home the other day and was so proud to show me the house that she built.” Like Li, Chawda says he’s hoping to find a faculty position at an American university after his postdoc and thinks having that experience on his CV will boost his chances of success.

Aside from the professional benefits to postdoctoral researchers, Vassileva-Clarke says there are huge benefits for their faculty supervisors. “The impact is tremendous. Postdoctoral researchers are just so helpful to faculty members because they are already trained and highly skilled, so they can help a faculty member with so many things that are so time consuming, like proposal writing, hands-on research in the lab, or research training and mentoring of students,” Vassileva-Clarke says. “PhD students are super helpful too, but you still have to train them, advise them, and then some of them find out research is not their calling. So a postdoc really extends the bandwidth of the faculty member.”

Assistant Professor of Organic Chemistry Christos Constantinides
Photo by Annie Barker

Assistant Professor of Organic Chemistry Christos Constantinides can vouch for that. As an early-career faculty member working towards tenure, he was excited to recently land a large grant from the U.S. Department of Energy supporting research that could improve nuclear magnetic resonance-based technologies like MRI. But with a demanding course load teaching organic chemistry to undergraduates, he frankly needs help with the very labor-intensive, advanced chemistry that the DOE-funded project demands. A postdoc was really his only option, since some of the work is too advanced for the undergraduate students he’ll also be hiring for the project, and his department doesn’t have a PhD program he can use to recruit doctoral students.

When he posted the position, Constantinides was surprised to get 65 applicants. He finds that pretty encouraging given that 51��Ƶ-Dearborn just recently earned an R2 designation and he’s still in the process of making his name in the field. But as someone who did a three-year postdoc himself, which he says is a prerequisite to getting a tenure-track position in his discipline, Constantinides gets the logic. “You can go work for a big name at a big university, and if everything goes well, you’ll get your publications and, most importantly, get a letter of recommendation from your mentor. You’re basically going to get a job at that point. But if you don’t get the letter, it can be the kiss of death,” Constantinides says. “That big name — you’re going to see that person maybe one or two hours a week. And, frankly, they don’t need the publications. Me, though? I need the papers. So if you come work with me, you’re going to get more support, more mentorship and hopefully more publications. It’s kind of a gamble either way, but for some people, this postdoc opportunity is going to feel like a good bet.”

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Story by Lou Blouin

Natural Sciences

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Office of Research

Off

Mon, 03/31/2025 - 16:31

Postdoctoral researchers on campus are another sign of 51��Ƶ-Dearborn’s growing research culture. But what exactly do postdocs do, and why can they be a game changer for university research?

Postdoctoral researcher Gajendra Singh Chawda is currently researching high-frequency AC microgrids with Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Wencong Su. Photo by Annie Barker

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 51��Ƶ-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 51��Ƶ-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 51��Ƶ-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 51��Ƶ-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 51��Ƶ-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.”

51��Ƶ-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 51��Ƶ-Dearborn alum Leah Olijade serving as the emcee.

Story by Sarah Tuxbury

University History