A Message from the Chancellor STEPPING FORWARD “A

ccording to Darwin’s Origin of Species , it is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself.”

~ Leon C. Megginson

In 1956, Flint was changed forever.

In a town more than 50 miles to the south was one of the top universities in the world. The University of Michigan was established in 1817, and while it would, over the course of a couple of centuries, earn a reputation for national championships and celebrity alumni, its core mission of applying knowledge to address real human concerns remained. And, in 1956, it was time to grow and expand the reach of that mission. To Flint.

Flint was a different city then, the epicenter of a booming auto industry that drew people from across the country to take advantage of plentiful jobs and the best schools. Visionary leaders including Charles Stewart Mott knew that at the core of a great city is also a great university. The community rallied, passed a bond issue, and successfully brought higher education to Flint.

For more than six decades, the University of Michigan-Flint has been a place of academic excellence that combines vision with action and results. Our faculty, staff, students and alumni have worked to make our community – and our world – a better place. As our seventh decade approaches, we must commit to being an academically strong and financially viable institution that is an undisputed engine for economic growth and social mobility in the region.

When I came to UM-Flint in 2019, I found it inspiring to witness how the campus and community worked together in support of residents in and around Genesee County. I continue to be inspired by stories of Wolverines stepping forward to help one another in service to the greater good. In this issue of Bridges, you will meet several such individuals who, through their service, seek to improve the human condition.

Thank You, and Forever Go Blue!