Eastern Michigan University
Academic and Student Affairs
Provost Briefing
Institutional Priority #1
Promote Student Engagement and Success
Bright Futures serving students through the summer
This summer, EMU Bright Futures is running 25 summer programs across 3 school districts. Each program runs for 6 weeks, and includes Ypsilanti, Romulus, and Wayne-Westland. Bright Futures is serving over 600 students during the summer months focusing on academics, enrichment, community building and positive youth development best practices.
In addition to summer programming, Bright Futures also applied and was awarded renewal funding for 7 sites. For the 23-24 program year, they will serve 22 total sites, 8 in Ypsilanti, 2 in Romulus, and 12 in Wayne-Westland.
Learn more about about EMU Bright Futures School Programs.
Institutional Priority #2
High Performing Academic Programs & Quality Research
MSHROD in China 2023 Graduates
Congratulations to MSHROD in China Graduates
The graduation ceremony for Cohort 17 of the MSHROD in China Program was held on the afternoon of June 16, 2023 at the Tianjin University of Commerce Campus.
The Master of Science in Human Resources and Organizational Development (MSHROD) in China program is a joint program with the Tianjin University of Commerce in China. Students graduate with an EMU MSHROD Degree and are taught by faculty from EMU and TJUC.
One of EMU's most successful International programs, the MSHROD China is getting ready to celebrate its 20th Anniversary in Fall 2024.
Dr. Fraya Wagner-Marsh
During the graduation ceremony, TUC also honored Dr. Fraya Wagner-Marsh for her dedicated service to developing, nurturing and growing the program by awarding her an Honorary Professorship at Tianjin University of Commerce.
Honors College Student Spotlight
Ravel Ray and Hind Al Khashali
2023 Portz Fellowship Recipients
Senior Presidential Scholars and neuroscience majors Ravel Ray and Hind Al Khashali received a $5000 Portz Interdisciplinary Fellowship from the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) to support their research project, Effects of Nicotine on the Levels of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) and Amyloid Beta (Aβ) in Cell Lines Used as Models for Alzheimer’s Disease and Lung Cancer.
Ravel and Hind were among seven recipients of this Fellowship nationwide. The selection committee commented on their thoughtful and relevant purpose, clear research methods, and interdisciplinary approach and was impressed with their preparation, their engagement in Honors, and their evident enthusiasm for their project.
The project is also supported by an NIH-grant to their research mentor, Dr. Hedeel Evans of the Department of Chemistry.
Kyle Martin
2023 James S. Reubel Scholar
Senior Honors student and environmental science major Kyle Martin has been named the 2023 James S. Reubel Scholar by the Mid-East Honors Association (MEHA).
One Reubel Scholar is selected annually from among all MEHA member institutions. Kyle was recognized for his work in leading Honors recruiting efforts and developing a Canvas shell for Honors Kickstart, an orientation for new Honors College members, his commitment to community service, particularly with the Huron River Watershed Council, his research with Dr. Katy Greenwald, and his participation in the EMU track-and-field team.
Coreena Forstner
NSF-Funded research Experience
Senior Honors student, McNair Scholar, and anthropology major Coreena Forstner was one of nine students from across the nation selected to participate in the NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) on Communities, Crime, and Criminal Justice in Detroit (C3JD) at Wayne State University.
Kat is working with Dr. Jennifer Wareham on a study of prior victimization, procedural justice, and neighborhood relationships with the Detroit Police Department. The project will be published in an academic journal and will be presented at the 2024 Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Conference in Chicago, IL.
Institutional Priority #3
Service and Engagement
Ypsilanti Histories
Photos and summary courtesy of Dr. John McCurdy
Ypsilanti Histories cover. Image courtesy of Fifth Avenue Press.
In 2023, the City of Ypsilanti celebrates its bicentennial, and several Eastern Michigan University students, alumni, and professors are helping to commemorate the occasion with a book. Ypsilanti Histories: A Look Back at the Last Fifty Years is the joint effort of nearly forty local historians, and it is edited by EMU History Professor John McCurdy and Ypsilanti Historical Society President Bill Nickels.
Rather than being a single narrative, Ypsilanti Histories is a collection of essays. As befits the rich diversity of the community, the book captures a range of experiences from the university mascot to school consolidation, while also celebrating the city’s oldest African American civic organization and the pioneering Ypsilanti Heritage Foundation.
To write the essays, McCurdy and Nickels asked community members to lend their experience and expertise to the project. Former mayors and city councilors contributed essays, as did several community leaders, entrepreneurs, and business owners. EMU is well represented in Ypsilanti Histories. John McCurdy contributed an essay as did History faculty members Kathy Chamberlain, Mary-Elizabeth Murphy, and Steven Ramold. Several authors are EMU alumni including Tom Warner, Evan Milan, and Janice Anschuetz, and one, Connor Ashley, is currently completing his master’s degree in History and Preservation Studies at EMU.
Left to Right: The Detroit Wheels quarterback Bubba Wyche, 1975. From “When Pro(?) Football Came to Ypsilanti” by Steven J. Ramold. Image courtesy of Steven J. Ramold. Retired Lt. Col. Charles Kettles receiving the Medal of Honor from President Barack Obama, 2016. From “Among Ypsilanti’s Finest: The Life and Legacy of Medal of Honor Recipient Lt. Col. Charles Seymour Kettles” by Connor K. Ashley. Image courtesy of the Office of the White House Press Secretary.
Copies of Ypsilanti Histories will be available for purchase at the Book Release Party at the Ypsilanti District Library (5577 Whittaker Rd, Ypsilanti, MI 48197) on July 16, from 2-4 p.m. Books can also be obtained from the Ypsilanti Historical Society and John McCurdy. Ypsilanti Histories is available for $20, and all proceeds from the sale of the book will go to the Ypsilanti Historical Society.
Upward Bound Summer Academy Commences
Upward Bound Summer Academy returned to campus on Monday, June 19th. This year's iteration of the federally-funded residential program for Ypsilanti high school students has the theme of "The Gold Standard," as students sharpen skills and collaborative efforts in preparation for a new school year.
Partners like Corner Health, Elevation Youth Corp, and OptiMIze are providing workshops on-campus for students in areas like mental health peer support, poetry, and personal finance.
Engage@EMU Hosted 2023 Washtenaw County Elected Officials Visit
In collaboration with Government Relations, Engage@EMU hosted over 50 Washtenaw County (state, federal, city, and county) elected officials and University staff for their first Political Meet and Greet on June 16th, 2023.
Caroline Sanders
Speakers and presenters included:
- Event MC: Caroline Sanders, Assoc. Director, Community Relations
- President Smith
- Congresswoman Debbie Dingell
- Misty Sparrow, Admissions
- Anthony Webster, TRiO 3S
- Decky Alexander, Engage@EMU
- Lamarr Mitchell, Graduate Student/GA, Engage
- Tray McGuire, Alumni
- Scott Storrar, Physical Plant
The goals of the event were:
- To open up and orient our elected officials to EMU and primarily dedication to being a community engaged institution
- To orient elected officials to the 'Who of EMU' the types of EMU students that are served by EMU
- To introduce the community to student supportive services such as TRiO, Swoops and Career Closet to support our students
- To familiarize elected officials with EMU /Community programs such as Bright Futures, Family Empowerment Program, Prevention@EMU and Navigation: Returning CItizens AmeriCorps Program which are supported through federal, state and local funding sources.
President Smith
Faculty Development Center
Date/Time: August 24, 2023 @8:30am-1pm
The Faculty Development Center and the Office of Campus and Community Writing invite you to join us and be inspired by new ideas- especially small ones- that can enhance teaching and learning across our campus. Reflecting the FDC’s “Try One Thing” initiative, programming will include an innovative keynote address, interactive concurrent sessions, and a Gallery of Ideas. Join us to engage with colleagues, learn new things, and get the fall 2023 semester off to a great start. Click here to see our call for proposals, here for the proposal form, and here to register.
Date/Time: 2023-24 Academic Year, Register
This learning community will bring together educators to explore topics around providing accessibility for students with documented or undocumented disabilities in order to work towards creating universal design for learning on our campus. Participants will work to become change agents and begin or continue disability accessibility work in their home colleges or departments. Membership in this learning community is open to part-time lecturers, full-time lecturers, staff, or faculty. Participants who persist in the learning community throughout the two semesters and develop a plan for implementing the lessons they learned in their departments or programs will receive $400 for their time and work.
Location: Zoom
Date/Time: July 17, 2023 @12-1pm
Join Jeffrey Bernstein and Ann Blakeslee in the final part of a three-part discussion series focusing on the book Small Teaching, 2nd ed., by James M. Lang. In Section III of this book, Lang delves into strategies of small change that can be used to enhance student learning experiences. Readers will learn easy-to-use techniques to help inspire students to connect to course content, and how to find meaning in their college education.
Date/Time: Applications due 8:00 PM on September 7, 2023
In CCRD, you and one of your former students work together collaboratively to redesign portions of a course that you want to update and improve. Faculty benefit from engaging in the CCRD process as it increases insights into student learning, and student collaborators benefit from engaging in the CCRD process as they develop insights into the teaching and learning process. We welcome applicants from faculty members, full-time lecturers, and part-time lecturers in all programs. Click here for the call for applicants, and click here to apply.
Date/Time: Fall 2023 Semester, Register
This seminar will bring together a number of interested faculty and lecturers to develop EMU’s curricular offerings in Jewish Studies and to support faculty research on topics involving some Jewish Studies component. It will promote Jewish Studies content across the curriculum and in the research activity of faculty on campus, as well as to develop the capacity of the university to deal with questions of Judaism and inclusion (including matters of religious diversity and antisemitism). Participants in this semester-long seminar will receive an honorarium of $300.
Location: Zoom
Date/Time: Varies, check website
This three part program, hosted by the Faculty Development Center and facilitated by Kate Pittsley-Sousa, Julia Nims, and Sara Memmott, hopes to encourage, assist, and develop skills in EMU instructors related to the adoption of free or more affordable course materials. EMU instructors will share strategies they have used to address the problem, be introduced to key concepts of open educational resources and other alternatives, and practice different methods of finding affordable reading materials. A small honorarium will be paid to participants, who will also be eligible for enhanced funding for library eBooks.
Institutional Priority #4
Institutional Effectiveness
Barbara Patrick
MI-ACE Distinguished Woman in Higher Education Leadership Award
Department Head and Associate Professor of Political Science Barbara Patrick is the newly named recipient of the Distinguished Woman in Higher Education Leadership Award by the Michigan American Council on Education Women’s Network – known as Michigan ACE.
This award honors Michigan women who have distinguished themselves by providing outstanding leadership to women in their institutions, in their profession and in society at large. The award recognizes groundbreaking work on behalf of women that is outside the scope of the nominee’s formal faculty or staff responsibilities. Honorees have distinguished themselves as advocates for women and catalysts for change.
Career Closet Moved to New Location
EMU Career Closet, which provides students and alumni with FREE and equitable access to professional clothing and accessories needed for conferences, internships, interviews, networking events, job fairs, student teaching, and more, has been relocated.
The new location is 251 McKenny Hall, which is in the main floor hallway in the old café space. Career Closet is currently open for summer hours Monday through Thursday from 11am-4:30pm.
Progress on New 3D Arts Complex
Construction in progress on the 3D Arts Complex
Conceptual rendering
With additional funding from the Windgate Foundation, construction on the new 3D Arts Complex for the School of Art and Design is well under way.
The new 3D Arts Complex is designed to advance opportunities in several arts disciplines by providing a new and expanded space that establishes a collaborative, creative environment for artmaking. The new facility will house the following programs: sculpture, ceramics, furniture design, digital fabrication, 3D design, and metalsmithing. Currently, these programs operate in several buildings across campus.
The estimated 24,000 sq. ft. facility will be constructed on the northwest corner of campus as a major expansion to the University’s current Sculpture Studio. It is scheduled for completion by the end of 2023.
Engage@EMU Welcomes New Communications Coordinator
After her recent graduation in the previous winter semester, Denise Jimenez has recently taken on the new role of Communications Coordinator.
Denise has been with Engage@EMU since 2018—working both as a student office assistant and with the COVID-19 Check-in team.
Within this new position, Denise is excited to learn and grow her skills to broaden the outreach of Engage@EMU within the community. Denise also looks forward to the connections and experiences of working in the Ypsilanti community and EMU.
Denise Jimenez (bottom left corner)
EMU Master in Construction Management Degree Program ranked No. 7 in the Nation
Eastern Michigan University’s Master of Science in Construction Management program has been ranked among the best in the nation by Intelligent.com. Eastern placed No. 7 among 40 other colleges around the country. Additionally, the program received the Best Faculty award.
According to Intelligent.com, the ranking is based on faculty, flexibility, cost, course strength, and reputation. The rankings are based on data from U.S. News & World Report, BestColleges.com, and other pertinent ranking sites. Data is also pulled from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard, the National Center of Education Statistics’ College Navigator, College Board, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Prepared by: Andi Pontiff & Karen Peacock
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Office of the Provost
Academic and Student Affairs