May 1, 2024
Academic and Student Affairs
Provost Briefing
Institutional Priority #1
Promote Student Engagement and Success
Future EMU Students Attend “Flying Home VIP Day”
On Monday, April 22 EMU welcomed 121 Detroit high schoolers to “Flying Home VIP Day”. With bus transport sponsored by Detroit College Access Network (DCAN), this event provided several activities, panels, and presentations to help prime these students for a smooth transition from high school to college life at EMU.
Dr. LaJoyce Brown, Director of Admissions, and Dr. Doris Fields, VP of Academic Programs and Initiatives, gave addresses to personally welcome these students to the EMU community. Students were then invited to engage with college representatives, connect with current EMU students, register for SOAR, and learn about their next steps on their paths to becoming first-year students at Eastern. Students were provided lunch from the Little Caesar's food truck and completed the day by watching the Divine Nine Sororities’ Step Show and by meeting Swoop.
This event marks the first collaboration between EMU and DCAN for incoming college students. The success of the event ensures future collaborations to come.
Summer Computing Camps at EMU
Bits & Bytes
Summer Computing Camp for Middle School Girls
June 24-28, 2024 (on EMU’s campus)
Bits and Bytes is an all-day, week-long, summer computing camp for middle school girls. It introduces computing and technology from theoretical concepts to applied projects. Coding is introduced through educational software and robots with the support of student mentors. The camp concludes with a hackathon and a career discovery event. It is staffed by the Women in Computer Science (WICS) club members at Eastern Michigan University and led by a faculty member.
Register here or scan the QR code.
This session includes a $25 registration fee.
A few scholarships are available for those
who need financial aid.
Gigabytes
Summer Computing Program for High School Girls
July 22-26, 2024 (on EMU’s campus)
Gigabytes is an all-day, week-long, summer computing program for high school girls. It introduces computing and technology through robot-based programming. Coding is introduced through educational robots with the support of student mentors. The program concludes with a hackathon and a career discovery event. It is staffed by the Women in Computer Science (WICS) club members at Eastern Michigan University and led by a faculty member.
Register here or scan the QR code.
This session includes a $25 registration fee.
A few scholarships are available for those
who need financial aid.
Sponsored by:
NASA’s Michigan Space Grant Consortium
Award number: 80NSSC20M0124
The 2024 Japanese Spring Festival
Recap
More than 400 people gathered for the Japanese Spring Festival on April 14 in the EMU Student Center Ballroom. The festival began with the sound of Japanese drums, followed by an opening speech by Deputy Consul General Ogawa of the Consulate General of Japan in Detroit. Other luminaries who attended included President Jim Smith and Dr. Connie Ruhl-Smith who, along with participants from across campus and the local community, enjoyed many cultural events.
Cultural events included:
Japanese Bento (boxed lunches)
Taiko (Drum) Performance by Sakura
Sado (Tea Ceremony)
Kendo (Japanese Fencing)
Shodo (Calligraphy)
Ikebana (Flower arranging)
Study Abroad Consultation
Bamboo rubber-band gun shooting gallery with prizes
Bouncy Ball Scooping (based on traditional goldfish netting)
Origami, Fukuwarai, Kendama, and Karuta (traditional Japanese paper folding and games)
These traditional activities ended with the Lion King musical performed in Japanese by local children. In all, it was a wonderful way to usher in Spring, and we look forward to next year’s Festival!
Institutional Priority #2
High Performing Academic Programs & Quality Research
Therapeutic Recreation Majors attend 6th Annual Great Lakes Recreational Therapy Student Conference
Thirteen Therapeutic Recreation Majors attended the 6th Annual Great Lakes Recreational Therapy Student Conference at Bradford Woods Outdoor Education Center from April 5-7 in Indiana. Dr. Heather Silander, Assistant Professor in Therapeutic Recreation, is the Co-Chair of the conference and Eastern Michigan University is one of the hosts.
The theme this year was "Build Your RT Toolbox". 110 students from across the country attended and networked with other students and professionals, learned about innovative evidence-based interventions, conquered accessible ziplining, canoed, attended an internship and job fair, presented research at the student poster session and so much more!
Student Highlights
Jemone Cochran
Jemone Cochran Earns GEM Fellowship
Graduating senior Honors student, mechanical engineering major, and McNair Scholar Jemone Cochran has earned a GEM Fellowship to attend the Master's program in mechanical engineering at Case Western Reserve University. GEM is a national fellowship program that offers graduate students access to dozens of the top engineering and science firms and universities in the nation. The GEM Fellowship promotes opportunities for individuals to enter the industry at the graduate level in areas such as research and development, product development, and other high-level technical careers.
Sadikshya Shrestha Awarded National AMA Scholarship
Sadikshya Shrestha, president of Eastern's American Marketing Association (AMA) chapter, has been awarded a National AMA scholarship for Diversity Leadership. The diversity leadership scholarship program recognizes underrepresented students who demonstrate leadership in their chapter activities or in other areas of their lives.
Sadikshya Shrestha
Emily Spaedt and Olivia Halverson
COB Students Win 2024 Academic Award
Accounting student Emily Spaedt and Finance student Olivia Halverson were recognized as Financial Executives International Detroit Chapter (FEI) 2024 Academic Award winners. This award recognizes outstanding Business and Finance undergraduate and graduate students at universities in Southeastern Michigan.
EMU Students earn second place at FMA Leaders' Conference
Eastern Michigan University's Financial Management Association (FMA) chapter earned a second-place finish at the recent FMA Leaders' Conference in New York City. Students competed in the conference's highly competitive investment challenge, showcasing their financial knowledge and strategic thinking.
From left to right: Bre Neely, Valentina Calderon Perez, Joel Rushlow, Showan Yasin. Photo Credit: EMU Today
Youssef El Ramy
Youssef El Ramy Receives third place and scholarship from ISACA
CIS student Youssef El Ramy received third place and a scholarship in the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) Detroit Chapter Scholarship Competition. This annual scholarship competition seeks to provide students with an early connection to the ISACA professional network to propel their academic and professional careers forward.
Jessica Lyseng receives Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grant
Presidential Scholar and occupational therapy-intent major Jessica Lyseng was one of 125 students from across the country to receive a Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grant for the 2024-25 academic year. Jessica will use the grant in Fall 2024 while participating in an ISA study abroad program in Valaparaíso and Viña del Mar, Chile. The study-abroad program will allow Jessica to complete requirements for her Spanish minor.
Jessica Lyseng
EMU Offers Two new courses on Cannabis this Fall
As the cannabis industry continues to boom in Michigan, EMU will be offering two unique, groundbreaking courses this Fall.
The first course is URP 479: Canna-planning: Marijuana Legalization and Land-Use in Michigan. This course will explore cannabis prohibition, the war on drugs, rural and urban cultivation, the regulation of legal sales, and the taxes generated from the industry. The class is intended to help students understand local and state marijuana laws.
The second is a Chemistry course which will explore the scientific angle of marijuana. That includes how plant sources are extracted to access the terpenes, cannabinoids (CBD), and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
EMU at MAA and the Machine Learning Conference
The EMU Department of Mathematics and Statistics was involved in two events this past April. Both the Michigan MAA Annual Meeting and the 2024 Machine Learning Conference focused on presenting and investigating the latest findings in mathematics research and education.
The Department of Mathematics and Statistics co-hosted the Centennial Annual Meeting of the Michigan Section of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) on April 5-6, 2024. Locally organized by Dr. Amy Shell-Gallasch, the event took place at both the University of Michigan and at Eastern Michigan University.
The conference presented the latest in mathematical research and education and provided valuable opportunities for students to present their work. Dr. Hortensia Soto, President of the Mathematical Association of America, served as the plenary speaker for the event.
The 2024 Machine Learning Conference at EMU, organized by Dr. Ovidiu Calin, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and Dr. Ourania Spantidi, Department of Computer Science, took place on April 13, 2024. This annual event brought together AI enthusiasts, including students, professors, and professionals. Speakers included faculty and students from EMU, as well as student representatives from Adrian Collage and the University of Michigan.
Institutional Priority #3
Service and Engagement
EMU Department of Mathematics and Statistics Accepted into COME-IN
The EMU Department of Mathematics and Statistics is one of six mathematics departments in the U.S. accepted into Creating Opportunities in Mathematics through Equity & Inclusion (COME-IN), a program by Transforming Post-Secondary Education in Mathematics (TPSE).
Lynn Bahena
COME-IN provides resources for departments to conduct a holistic self-assessment of its policies, practices, and outcomes related to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Department teams work with COME-IN consultants to analyze their institution’s data, brainstorm possible DEI improvement projects, and utilize COME-IN resources to focus on implementing the projects.
The EMU Math/Stat COME-IN team will be led by Lynn Bahena, Program Administrator for Math Pathways Support. The department’s acceptance into TPSE COME-IN is a welcome addition to the department’s ongoing activities to implement inclusive teaching strategies and curriculum that address barriers to student belonging, persistence, and success.
Upcoming Events
The Fulbright Scholar Program is a life-changing opportunity for faculty, staff, and administrators to teach, conduct research, and carry out professional projects in over 135 countries. Previous Fulbrighters report that the experience has been one of the most fulfilling in their careers, with profound effects on how they approach their teaching and scholarship in years to come. Please join us for this informational workshop. Participants will hear several experts talk about the various types of Fulbright grants and how to navigate the application process through EMU, as well as personal success stories of recent EMU faculty Fulbright grantees.
Summer Research Writing Sprint
Location: The Student Center
Time/Date: Wednesday, May 22 and Thursday, May 23, 9AM - 3:30PM
Join us for a two-day writing retreat on Wednesday, May 22nd and Thursday, May 23rd. You bring your laptop and your work in progress. We’ll bring the snacks and the supportive environment to keep you focused and productive. Take two days away from the usual distractions and demands on your time. Reconnect with your writing practice and finally finish that manuscript (or book proposal or grant application or…)!
EMU Alum Awarded 2024 Mary Starkweather Award
EMU Alum Natalie Holbrook-Combs awarded the 2024 Mary Starkweather Award by Women's and Gender Studies. The Mary Starkweather Award honors an outstanding woman from the local community who advocates for social justice issues and demonstrates traits of generosity, selflessness, progressiveness and risk-taking.
Natalie Holbrook-Combs is a queer mama, wife and liberation and racial justice activist. She has dedicated her life to disrupting prisons and punishment practices. Her work has focused on ending life and long sentences and people serving life sentences at Michigan’s only women’s prison, Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility.
She has also organized with Liberate Don’t Incarcerate (LDI) and Care Based Safety (CBS), both Washtenaw county abolitionist organizations, committed to dreaming and working into existence a county rooted in healing and transformation, not punishment, vengeance, and cages.
Natalie Holbrook-Combs
COE Staff Learn about Tea Traditions at Staff Appreciation Luncheon
During their Staff Appreciation Week, the College of Education featured an educational staff luncheon focusing on the history of afternoon tea in Britain and tea ceremony in Japan.
While staff were treated to lunch, they were also led through a presentation and tea ceremony demonstration with Dr. Yukari Amos.
The College of Education’s Staff Appreciation Week occurred the week of April 22, with the luncheon hosted on Wednesday, April 24.
Institutional Priority #4
Institutional Effectiveness
Do you need to complete Minors on Campus Training?
As we gear up for summer programming here on campus, please be aware that any program in which young people under the age of 18 will be in contact with EMU students or employees in an unsupervised space should complete Minors on Campus Registration for the program, and will need to complete Minors on Campus Training. The training is a 60 minute online course, and must be completed by everyone involved with the program prior to the program's start date.
If you have any questions about compliance or training, please email Olivia Allen.
You are invited to collaborate and share what your area has planned for the 2024-25 academic year!
Event planning summit
Event planning summit
Sponsored by:
The Student Life Programming Committee
Schedule Overview
Schedule Overview
Learning from Mistakes
10:00am
10:30am
Lifecycle of a Student
Inclusive Mindset
11:00am
*Universal Design as a tool for engaging Students with Disabilities
12:00pm
Lunch & Calendar Contributions
1:00pm
Calendar Review
2:00pm
Breakout Sessions
*Choose Your Own Adventure
May 9, 2024
Mckenny Ballroom
3:30pm
Putting it All Together
Attend as much or little as you like, though we strongly encourage the FREE LUNCH and 1:00PM Calendaring session where we will build a collective events calendar for the 2024-25 year.
Let Your Voice be Heard!
Complete the Community Engagement Survey
Dear Faculty, Lecturers, and Administrators,
We would like to request that you please complete the Community Engagement Survey 2024. We ask that you complete this survey, which should take no more than 20 minutes of your time, by May 24, 2024, and we thank you for your participation.
Please check your inboxes for an email from Engage and IRIM that contains an individualized link to the survey.
The results from this survey will be used in our application to renew EMU's Carnegie Community Engagement Certification. Our intent is to gather current data on the scope of community engagement activities at EMU, which will help us better identify, define, coordinate, and institutionalize community engagement across the university.
Carnegie re-classification legitimizes EMU's community engagement work as critical to our present and future identity and mission. The process for reclassification affords EMU a vital opportunity to reflect on our current practices and to work toward improved community engagement practices in the future.
Again, thank you for participating in this important work.
Eastern Michigan University Professors Receive Disability Advocacy Hall of Fame Award
EMU professors Christina Marsack-Topolewski and Annemarie Kelly were recently awarded the Disability Advocacy Hall of Fame Award from The Arc of Oakland County Michigan. This award recognizes Kelly and Marsack-Topolewski’s compassion, determination, and resilience in support of Michigan’s Justice for Allie Law (House Bills 4320 and 4387), which was enacted December 2023. The new law adds legal protections to Vulnerable Adults against online abuse.
Staff & Faculty Highlights
Dr. Cara Shillington
Dr. Cara Shillington to Receive William Fennel Faculty Mentor Award
Following nominations submitted by two previous students, Dr. Cara Shillington (Biology) has been selected to receive the 12th annual William Fennel Symposium Faculty Mentor Award. This honor, in memory of emeritus biology professor Dr. William Fennel, is given to recognize EMU faculty members who provide extraordinary leadership and guidance to undergraduate students in their research experience, including mentorship of the student’s work for the Undergraduate Symposium.
New Ombuds Officer Katheryn Farkas
As of this April, Kathryn Farkas has joined the university as the new Ombuds Officer. Kathryn is an experienced and effective higher education leadership professional with an understanding of the university and departmental policies/procedures, program development and implementation, data analysis, and risk/case management. In addition, Kathryn is skilled in working with individuals from diverse backgrounds and identities to support, coach and empower students across campus.
As the Ombuds, Kathryn will serve as confidential, non-judgmental advocate for students seeking guidance with academic, interpersonal or administrative concerns.
Kathryn Farkas
Stephanie Casey and Ovidiu Calin
Two EMU Mathematics Faculty Selected for Fulbright Scholarship
Eastern Michigan University’s Ovidiu Calin, professor of mathematics, and Stephanie Casey, professor of secondary education mathematics, have been selected as recipients of the Fulbright Scholarship.
The Fulbright Program, a flagship U.S. initiative for international educational and cultural exchange, fosters connections between scholars and a global network of leaders and educators. Calin’s research project explores the potential link between physics and deep learning. More specifically, he investigates novel architectures for neural networks that draw inspiration from physical principles. He will conduct his research at the University of Bucharest.
Casey's research proposal, "Secondary Students' Interpretations of Modern Big Data Visualizations," focuses on analyzing secondary students' understanding of data visualizations, a critical skill in today's data-driven world. Her research aims to develop effective techniques for teaching data literacy globally. She will conduct her research at the STEM Education Research Center at the University of Canberra, Australia.
Dr. Anne Casper
Dr. Anne Casper Named 2024 Honors Faculty Member of the Year
Dr. Anne Casper of the Department of Biology has been named the 2024 Honors Faculty Member of the Year. Dr. Casper was recognized for her efforts in teaching Honors Introductory Biology I and Honors Genetics. As one of the students who nominated Dr. Casper said, “Dr. Casper made me feel wholeheartedly cared for. She goes above and beyond to answer any question. I have the pleasure of doing research with her, too, and she explains things in a way that makes you feel like a scientist. She collaborates with every student, regardless of their background. She fosters a desire for success in her class by offering second chances. She consistently maintains a positive attitude and is always ready to assist. Dr. Casper is the perfect candidate for this award.”
Office of the Provost
Academic and Student Affairs
Prepared by: Andi Pontiff & Karen Peacock
734.487.3200