Patriece Campbell-Palmer, EdD

Class of 2004 | BA Class of 2007 | MPA

Class of 2017 | EdD, UNE

Dr. Campbell-Palmer was among the first international students to enroll at the University of Michigan-Flint. Instrumental in the development of the campus's International Center, Patriece spent 12 years on staff at UM-Flint following her graduation. Currently, the director of graduate admissions and enrollment management at the University of Louisville, Patriece says UM-Flint made her the professional she is today. “UM-Flint gave me the opportunity to ask why, but also the responsibility to be part of the solution. Serving on various committees, I learned to understand, appreciate, and work through institutional policies. I learned about intergroup dynamics and how to work with people whose backgrounds and perspectives were different from mine. I learned how to be innovative and how to build innovative teams.”

“I came to the U.S. as a 17-year-old international student from Jamaica. Since then I have been helping others take advantage of the same opportunities I was afforded. I am committed to cultivating globally competent graduates from our universities, and I have devoted my education, work and volunteer experiences to this cause.”

While Patriece has many memories of campus, her communication classes, taught by Professors Dottie Filak, Chuck Apple, and Tony McGill, remain at the top of her list. She is quick to point out that a lot of their material is still incorporated into her day-to-day life. Some of her fondest memories involve socializing with fellow international students, including celebrating holidays together, traveling to Cedar Point or Mackinac Island, and attending football games at the Big House!

Ayana Ghosh, PhD

Class of 2015 | BS

Class of 2019 | MS, UConn

Class of 2020 | PhD, UConn

All it took was a conversation with UM-Flint Associate Professor of physics James Alsup for Ayana Ghosh to begin studying simulated black holes and higher dimensions during her freshman year. Dr. Alsup and Ayana would collaborate on theoretical research for the next three years.

Ayana describes UM-Flint as her first ‘port of entry’ after coming to the U.S. from India in 2011. In her own words, “I was a girl from a small town of age 18 who had never traveled abroad. I never lived alone without my parents. English was not my first language.” These days,

Dr. Ghosh is often an invited speaker at research conferences. These engagements remind Ayana of her very first conference, Meeting of Minds (MOM), in 2012. This annual undergraduate conference, a collaboration between UM-Flint, UM-Dearborn and Oakland University, has provided a forum for the presentation and publication of undergraduate research and creative activities.

“During my four years at UM-Flint, the institution embraced me with open arms, providing the support I needed to become successful in my academic endeavors while creating a ‘home away from home’ for me.”

MOM showcases the results of student-faculty collaboration from across all academic disciplines. “I was nervous back then, and while those feelings remain similar, along the way I picked up confidence and skills which wouldn’t have been possible without the contributions of my alma mater, UM-Flint."