BRIDGES Summer 2022

Jordan B. Acker, Huntington Woods

Michael J. Behm, Grand Blanc

Mark J. Bernstein, Ann Arbor

Paul W. Brown, Ann Arbor

Sarah Hubbard, Okemos

Denise Ilitch, Bingham Farms

Ron Weiser, Ann Arbor

Katherine E. White, Ann Arbor

Mary Sue Coleman (ex officio)

AN INCLUSIVE FUTURE

Brian J. Barrie, ’85

Carla S. Beasley, ’10

Mark M. Childress, ’00

Christie L. Copeland, ’93

Vanessa C. Ferguson, ’03

Gregory S. Hare, ’92

Clifford Hodges, ’79

Kris Johns, ’02

Kim S. Knag, ’96; ’01

Ibrahim A. Moiz, ’03

Tina M. Nies, ’89

Gregg A. Pane, ’77

Jerry Rule, ’78

Michelle L. Swarbrick, ’10

Terry J. Wisner, ’81

Gabriel Zawadzki, ’07

Editors

Stephanie Hare, ’16

Sarina Ranville

Mary Jo Sekelsky

Contributors

Eric Bronson

Jan Furman

Greta Guest

Logan T. McGrady, ’13

Cynthia Sodari Graphic Design

University of Michigan-Flint | BRIDGES ALUMNI MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2022

A

Message from the Chancellor

GROWING FORWARD...

On September 23, 1956, Flint Senior College welcomed 167 students to what would become the University of Michigan-Flint. Sixty-five years later, close to 50,000 students have graduated from UM-Flint. The campus has evolved and adapted to the needs of the community we were established to serve: a community that has believed in us, supported our mission, and made it possible for countless individuals to fulfill their dreams.

The alumni magazine’s return brings endless opportunities to connect with and showcase the magnificent talents of our alumni – a number of whom you will meet in this inaugural issue. We could not be more honored as an institution with the impact alumni are making in the city of Flint, around the state of Michigan, and across the globe. From creating innovative businesses, to enriching minds through authoring books, to winning national awards, UM-Flint graduates are thinking big, turning bold ideas into action, and effecting positive change. You can be proud of yourselves and your alma mater.

I encourage you to find your way to become engaged with the campus. There are unlimited options to be involved as an alum. Most of all, we hope you will connect with us, share your story, and allow us to celebrate the person you have become and how UM-Flint played a role.

University of Michigan-Flint was founded based on a mission of providing a premium University education to residents of mid-Michigan. Over the years we have grown and evolved but have remained committed to turning bold ideas into transformative action – instilling that passion in our students and alumni. These archival images show students from our early years, who have gone on to make a positive impact in the world and represent the promise of a University of Michigan-Flint education.

Deba Dutta Chancellor

THANK YOU, AND FOREVER GO BLUE!

GRO WING an Inclusive Future

As a junior at Flint Central High School, Dawn Demps (Africana Studies and Social Sciences ’08) would often skip class to visit the public library across the street, enriching herself with learning that she was missing from her high school experience. Demps would spend hours reading, her mind flowing from poetry to history, stacked books charting her sincere pursuit of knowledge.

Ditching class for the library certainly isn’t an expected mode of teenage rebellion, but the unique factors of Demps’s truancy were met with indifference from school administrators. There was no intervention to help get her back on track. The absences began stacking up. A long history of academic achievement was soon pushed to the wayside. After all, Demps had researched college and

arrived at the “slow, depressing realization” that her family could never afford to send her to college.

Demps felt like she was being actively excluded from a meaningful, transformative education. She dropped out of high school when she was 16 years old.

It was only after becoming a mother—and discovering the University of Michigan-Flint—that Demps uncovered the true possibilities of an inclusive and vibrant learning

community. After graduating from UM-Flint with a double major in Africana Studies and Social Sciences in 2008, Demps would go on to earn an M.A. in Social Justice from Marygrove College and a Ph.D. in Education Policy and Evaluation from Arizona State University. Finding the right environment challenged Demps to expect more from herself and from her education.

“When I got to college, I flourished because I could choose classes in so many interesting subjects, and I could go to events and listen to people share really deep thoughts and complex ideas. I could just listen and breathe it all in,” Demps says. “That was not the experience I had in high school at all. It did not allow for that type of exploration.”

Now a mother of three and an assistant professor in the College of Education at the University of Arizona, Demps is committed to creating better learning outcomes than she encountered as a young student. Informed by her own experiences, Demps investigates the exclusion of marginalized groups from education. Focusing not just on students, she also explores how teachers, board members, and parents (in particular, mothers) from marginalized populations are pushed to the fringes of the educational process.

For example, the implementation of “zero-tolerance policies” creates criminal cases that could be handled within the school system, or otherwise push out promising students with expulsions for minor infractions. These policies impact Black and Latinx students at a disproportionate rate and are closely associated with inadequate funding. Demps uses her research to work alongside the community, offering them tools to actively resist exclusion and interrupt the school-to-prison pipeline that is an unnecessary reality for marginalized groups.

This highly engaged work is a natural fit for Demps, who was advocating for her community in Flint long before she saw a future as a college professor.

Flint Foundations

Demps wrote her first grant proposal shortly after dropping out of high school, a successful pitch to the Catholic Diocese of Lansing (which serves Flint) to educate pregnant women about the health of their babies. Then 17 years old, Demps brought together underserved expectant mothers during the holidays, reaching out through organizations such as local homeless and domestic abuse shelters. In addition

to offering the mothers resources like diapers and healthy food, healthcare practitioners shared information about child brain development and parenting skills. Demps describes the exhilaration she felt in making a difference.

“Seeing it come to fruition, how I was able to coordinate different components of a project, it showed me what was possible when you bring the community together to accomplish something,” Demps says. “I knew this was the life for me. This is the sort of work I should be doing.”

The concept of motherhood was of central importance during Demps’s formative years. Demps cites her own mother, Patricia Demps, as a key influence, exemplifying the values that would later inform her scholarly work. “If a neighborhood kid needed somewhere to stay, they had a place to stay at our house,” Demps explains. She would later understand her mom’s efforts as “motherwork,” a term coined by scholar Patricia Hill Collins to describe the ways mothers from marginalized populations advocate for their children in a historically disenfranchising society. Demps’s Ph.D. dissertation focuses on an organization of Arizona mothers working to transform a system that fails to provide equitable access to educational spaces for Black children.

“I am who I am because of Flint, because I saw this motherwork in action around the city. It serves as an example of what it really means to believe that children are our future.”

Dawn Demps (UM-Flint ’08) is an assistant professor in the College of Education at the University of Arizona.

Finding Support at UM-Flint

Working full time, being a mother, and writing community grants kept Demps busy, but she knew education was the best pathway to stability for her family. She first connected with UM-Flint while attending community college, but again brushed away the possibility of attending a university. She was a high school dropout and being a university student was simply out of reach.

UM-Flint’s Office of Educational Opportunity Initiatives (EOI) changed that mindset. Demps knew one of the EOI staff members through her community work and saw him speaking at her community college. He convinced Demps to fill out an application, waving the fee and explaining the aid that would be available to her. A few weeks later, she received her acceptance letter in the mail, news she describes as “way beyond my wildest dreams.”

As a UM-Flint student, Demps found the meaningful intellectual life that had evaded her for years. She took advantage of all the campus had to offer while balancing work and parenting. She jokes that her kids know UM-Flint just as well as she does, as they would often accompany her to campus. Sometimes the EOI staff would help watch

the kids while Demps was in class, other times a professor would accommodate Demps bringing her children in the classroom. Demps stresses that none of it would have been possible without a great deal of support, both from her family and the connections she found on campus.

“People ask me all the time how I did it,” Demps says. “I had to be really creative and I had a lot of support. It’s too much to do alone.”

A key piece of support came from Rudy Hernandez, then an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology. He saw the passion and experience Demps brought to class and pushed her to apply for Ph.D. programs, a notion that seemed as outlandish to Demps as earning a bachelor’s degree was just a few years prior. As it turns out, it was good advice.

I am who I am because of Flint, because I saw this motherwork in action around the city. It serves as an example of what it really means to believe that children are our future.

Family time with the loves of her life.

Left to Right: Dawn, Jayanti, Zora,

Creating an Inclusive Future

Demps has consistently put community needs at the forefront of her professional and academic life. After earning a Ph.D. in Education Policy and Evaluation from Arizona State University in 2021, Demps joined the Department of Educational Policy Studies and Practice in the College of Education at the University of Arizona as an assistant professor. She continues to regard community stakeholders as a vital partner in her work now as an educator and scholar.

“Universities are often extractive; they pull information, they publish articles. What does that give back to the people who gave you all the information?” Demps asks. She pushes for community members to be given credit for their contributions to university life, such as by making them co-authors on scholarly publications.

This commitment to university-community connections can be traced back to Demps’s time as an undergraduate student. Despite her many commitments, Demps founded the Shariki Group, an organization that bridged the gap between area kids and UM-Flint. Shariki would organize events that brought K-12 students to campus, offering a place to have fun while learning more about college. Demps recalls an overnight event she helped to organize; basketball in the Recreation Center was followed by talks about college planning and financial aid.

Demps was ahead of her time. The integration of community stakeholders in academic life is becoming increasingly emphasized at institutions across the country, including UM-Flint and the University of Arizona.

“The literature shows that [universities] are making more intentional inroads to break down those barriers and to stop that hierarchy between academia and community, but it’s going to be continued work—you’re never done.”

Demps has overcome self-doubt and professional challenges thanks to her unending passion for uplifting children through educational access. The exact trajectory she would take was not always clear—Demps wasn’t sure she would pursue a professorship when beginning her graduate studies—but the goal of improving outcomes for marginalized kids was never in doubt. When speaking at a UM-Flint alumni event in 2016, she highlighted the importance of combining passion with intentionality, stating that “passion without any sort of a plan is chaos.”

As a first-generation college student, Demps encountered many unknowns on her way to becoming a professor. She recognizes this experience as ubiquitous—any worthwhile pursuit, in education or otherwise, will be filled with uncertainty. The solution? Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

“I’m not scared to talk to anyone, and I have never been afraid to ask lots of questions. I think that has let people know I really was interested and invested, and so they, in turn, invested in me,” Demps says. “I’m born and raised in Flint. We’ve got a lot of pride. We think we can do it on our own, but realistically ... you have to put pride aside and ask for help. And there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Article by Logan McGrady – (Business Administration ’13) is UM-Flint’s marketing & digital communication manager. Images courtesy of Cynthia Sodari – College of Education, University of Arizona.

TIMELINE of ACHIEVEMENT

Over the decades the University of Michigan-Flint has educated some truly remarkable minds. Our graduates have gone on to make significant impacts in their careers, communities, and the world-at-large. In their respective sectors of business, education, physics and mathematics, their educations have opened doors of achievement for these alumni and those they have inspired.

sAUDREY L. LATTIE

Class of 1958 | History

Born and raised in Flint, Audrey attended Flint Junior College for two years when she learned that the University of Michigan was going to establish what was then known as a “Senior College” in Flint. When enrollment opened, Audrey was ready to transfer. There was no catalog and no course schedule. As shared by Audrey, “The faculty was very welcoming, and willing to give of their time. We got personalized attention at UM-Flint. I had perfect confidence in this new university. I knew it had to be up to the quality of UM. Students embraced the idea that this is new, this is different, we’re going to try, and it’s going to work. And look where we are now.”

“I had perfect confidence in this new university.”

Audrey Lattie (middle), Graduation, 1958

ALBERT J. SELESKY

Class of 1970 | Business Administration

Upon graduation from Flint Community Junior College, Al transferred to UM-Flint where he was involved in numerous activities and began dating his future wife, Janyce Henry Selesky, a secretary in the Psychology Department. After graduating with a degree in Business Administration, Al accepted a position at Caterpillar Tractor Company in Peoria, IL. Caterpillar was the 34th largest corporation in the US at that time. Of the 2,000 applicants to the Sales and Marketing Department, less than 200 were hired. Three months later, Al was drafted into the US Army.

Following basic training with a company of 240 men, five were issued noncombat assignments – Al being one of the five. Assigned to the Pentagon, Al said, “I

BOBBY D. CRIM

Class of 1960 | Social Studies; Honorary Degree, Doctor of Law, 2009

Bobby Crim’s career began in a classroom in Davison, Michigan, in 1960. While serving as State House Speaker, Bobby was invited to attend a track meet for the Michigan Special Olympics. What he saw that day inspired him to organize what is now the nationally–ranked Crim Festival of Races. Of the University of Michigan-Flint, Bobby Crim said, “It’s like coming home. You think of everything the university has done for you, how it has educated you and given you the opportunity in life. It’s like a mother and father. You never forget that. You never leave that.”

s1960s 1970

firmly believe my assignment was directly a result of my Michigan degree.” After six months in Washington, DC, Jan and Al were sent to Heidelberg, Germany, home to headquarters of the United States Army in Europe. Al became a civilian again in 1972, and returned to Caterpillar, Inc. Al characterizes this phase of his career as “adventurous.” He and Jan would live in Geneva, Switzerland; Beirut, Lebanon (in ’75 when the civil war broke out); and Athens, Greece, before leaving Caterpillar and returning to the states. After retiring from Generac Corporation, Al helped grow a small company from three to more than 80 employees, retiring as VP in 2015. Jan and Al are the proud parents of two adult children, Bradley (UM-Flint, Class of 2000) and Katherine.

“Education is a door opener.”

Bobby D. Crim with Kenyan runner Julius Kogo, 2014

“In many ways, I have lived a charmed (or lucky) life, yet I know my degree from University of Michigan-Flint helped prepare me for an interesting life.”

S. MARNISE ROBERTS

Class of 1988 | Social Work

Also known as Miss Marnise, S. Marnise Roberts is co-founder and managing partner of Roberts & Limbrick Enterprises, LLC, a Michigan-based, educational-services consulting company, established in 1999. Miss Marnise® offers motivational speaking on a variety of education and character subjects, and provides practical consulting and training in areas such as professional development, team building and parenting. Her clients include universities, federal and state government organizations, small businesses, nonprofits, K-12 school systems, churches and parents. Early in her career, Marnise worked as a top advertising executive for Davis Broadcasting Incorporated in Columbus, Georgia. Her award-winning parenting book, Friendly Not Friends, is a practical, humorous, quick read based on 12 true stories from her own experiences raising three successful college graduates. Miss Marnise is a “connector” who has a passion for making a difference in the lives of others, especially young people. Marnise and her spouse Byron, both natives of Flint, reside in Canton, Michigan. They are the proud parents of three adult children; Winston, Shelbey, and Greer. Connect with Miss Marnise at Missmarnise.com.

A. BOH RUFFIN, PH.D.

Class of 1995 | Physics, Mathematics

Born and raised in Flint, Boh and his family reside in New York, where he works as an applied optical physicist for Corning Incorporated. Boh describes his fondest memory of UM-Flint: “I applied a few days before the fall semester was scheduled to begin. My nerves were a bit raw because of the uncertainty I faced surrounding the late admissions and financial aid process. I remember this overwhelming anxiety building as I sat waiting to meet with an admissions counselor. Dr. Johnny Young stepped from behind the desk after noticing the distraught look on my face. Without saying a word he reviewed my application and placement scores, nodded, and said, ‘Follow me.’ Within the hour I was enrolled in UM-Flint. The kindness Dr. Young extended to me during a moment of highanxiety absolutely changed my life. Since then I’ve been proud to call myself a Wolverine and UM-Flint Alumnus.” Dr. Ruffin was invited back to give the 2010 commencement address.

S. Marnise Roberts

“Every opportunity is an opportunity to an opportunity.”

“The University of MichiganFlint nurtured my curiosity for the physical sciences.”

Boh, Asad, Gyasi, Zuri and Millicent

BRIAN D. HERCLIFF-PROFFER

Class of 2007 | Honors Program, Communication

It was Brian’s campus involvement that led him to discover and pursue his vocation. In his own words, “Because of UM-Flint and its vast array of opportunities, I discovered my love for higher education. This ultimately led me to the field of Student Affairs and the work I’m doing today. I use my communication degree daily, but if it weren’t for long nights in Student Government meetings, conversations with my advisor Jessie Hurse, the impact of creating community with my fraternity chapter, and so many more experiences, I would never have discovered my love for working with students. The people in my life today are mostly from UM-Flint. I’m forever grateful to UM-Flint for bringing them into my life.”

2000s

2010s

MONA HAYDAR

Class of 2015 | English

Mona Haydar is a Syrian-American Muslim rapper, poet, activist and chaplain. Born in Saudi Arabia, Mona moved to the US at a young age, and grew up in Flint, Michigan.

In 2015, Mona gained national and international press for a project she and her husband initiated in the wake of terrorist attacks in cities around the world. Mona and Sebastian erected a kiosk in Cambridge, Massachusetts, inviting passersby to “Ask a Muslim.” The project garnered the attention of reporters from The Boston Globe, NPR, People magazine, and The New York Times among others. Mona broke into the hip hop music scene in 2017 with “Hijabi (Wrap My Hijab)” whose video-featuring Haydar pregnant with her second son-went viral. Billboard magazine named Haydar’s track one of the top feminist anthems of all time. Mona has performed internationally, spoken at churches, synagogues and conferences, and has been invited to speak by institutions such as Smith College, MIT, Princeton and UC Berkeley.

Brian D. Hercliff-Proffer

“From working part time in the library, to joining student organizations, starting a chapter of Kappa Sigma Fraternity, and serving in various roles in Student Government … everything I engaged with at UM-Flint had value and ultimately helped create the person I am today.”

Mona Haydar

“Since she first stormed the music scene in 2017, Mona Haydar has become an outspoken role model for young Muslim women.”

– The National, January 2020

ANCHORED TO PLACE AND ROOTED IN COMMUNITY

In a virtual meeting in mid-January, a few people engage each other in good-natured teasing—the kind that comes with familiarity and common cause. The easy-going banter fills the few minutes before 9:00 am, when the business of this gathering commences and the talk turns to research. But even the business discussion this morning will be lighter, accompanied by a sense of relief.

The health equity project they have been developing for months, and will soon submit for foundation funding, is undergoing its final edit.

At that point, one of the attendees observes, they will be able to take a few weeks off from 9:00 am meetings. That isn’t likely, though, since the group has already identified three new phases of the work ahead.

They call themselves a team: faculty, staff, and a community partner. They have a comfortable work rhythm—listening, encouraging, questioning, floating project ideas that are informed by different disciplines, expertise, and experiences. The result is what some would see as a synergy of effort and perspective. Each member of the group will do a part to bring about equitable health outcomes for local individuals and communities, but all have committed to the holistic framework. Their endeavor is longterm and important.

Convened by the Urban Institute for Racial, Economic, and Environmental Justice, the team is an outgrowth of the Institute’s vision of a productive collaboration among diverse disciplines and between the university and community partners. Indeed, partnering is the Institute’s core activity; “it animates our mission,” says Jan Furman, the Institute’s director. “We reach out continually to individuals, organizations, and agencies in Greater Flint to find ways to work together in authentic partnership.” This CommunityBased Participatory Research (CBPR) framework has become a best practice in translating research into action, a process which starts with a community’s understanding of its lived experience of a problem and ends with the cocreation—community and university—of a solution. All partners are involved in all phases and aspects of research ideation, design, decision-making, power-sharing, and dissemination of findings—an approach that differs from the

traditional research processes focused on contributing to the researchers’ fields of knowledge. CBPR’s focus is investigating and changing oppressive social systems. It is action research that serves the aims of social justice.

Patrick McNeal champions this more inclusive approach to research. As a member of the health equity team, McNeal brings decades of experience in building bridges across and within community organizations and with the university. McNeal serves as Director of the North Flint Neighborhood Action Council (NFNAC). The NFNAC brings together residents, block club and neighborhood association leaders, organizations, and community stakeholders in some of the most economically disenfranchised areas of Flint to plan, implement, and sustain comprehensive revitalization efforts that improve the lives of residents. NFNAC provides residents with the loudest voice in change and reminds them of the community’s importance when discussing neighborhood decisions. A believer in lifelong learning, McNeal has earned both a master’s in educational leadership and a Master of Divinity. He also serves his community as a certified mediator, life coach, and Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation practitioner.

We reach out continually to individuals, organizations, and agencies in Greater Flint to find ways to work together in authentic partnership.

For him, CBPR translates as “nothing about us [the community] without us.” McNeal and a colleague first reached out to the Urban Institute in early spring of 2021 about working together on a Kellogg Foundation global competitive challenge. A diverse team of scholars and residents did enter the competition, but as director Furman explains, two months was not sufficient time to put in place all the pieces of an exceptionally strong research-practice proposal. Still, she reckons, their team finished in the top third of global competitors, and they learned much. Significant, as well, is the relationship, based on common goals and interests, that developed between the Institute and McNeal’s organization.

The Institute centers research and practice that moves beyond single-discipline solutions to problems. Research team members approach a vexing question from different perspectives and then focus, jointly, on the best answer, which is always complex. In every instance, the research is oriented not just across disciplines, but across academic cultures, such as collaborations between and among health, engineering, natural science, social science, and the humanities. Engaging with each other and with those who have lived experience of an existing issue builds mutual learning and the production of new kinds of knowledge that inevitably transcend discipline specificity. Quality of life indicators, like health equity, for example, demand these transcendent orientations. The research-practice team knows that in order to address the social determinants of health (economic stability, education, health care access and quality, neighborhood and built environment, social and community contexts [US Department of Health and Human Services, Healthy People 2030]), their diverse frames must lead to novel concepts, methodologies, and designs. Their solutions and interventions must break new ground.

In addition to McNeal and Furman, who works in the humanities and is professor emerita of English, the health equity team includes faculty in nursing, public health, education and human services. The Institute currently has four research-practice teams. The teamwork model not only promotes creativity, new knowledge, and insight, but also supports the social, psychological, and professional dimensions of research. Sharing a vision and goals with trusted colleagues is a great benefit of being one of a team. So is sharing the work, especially for faculty eager to implement a research agenda while simultaneously teaching three courses during each fall and winter semester.

Nurturing and supporting students’ spirits and minds is another major aspect of the Urban Institute’s mission. It takes the form, mostly, of undergraduate internships with the Institute and in the city of Flint. This year’s intern cohort is “savvy and fearless,” Furman says, with obvious admiration. Fifteen students—freshman through senior—from diverse cultural backgrounds, pursuing fifteen academic concentrations, representing all the university’s academic units, make up the inaugural group.

Nathaniel McClain, associate director of the Institute and assistant professor of higher education leadership, sees this diversity as the cohort’s superpower. They learn from and teach each other as they enact a mutual vision on different paths. Professor McClain, who has worked closely with the group, points to their unifying theme, social impact. As part of applying to the program, students identify a social challenge they would like to address and the ways they want to have a positive effect on society. As one would expect, each student seeks transformation from a unique perspective using unique strategies. But in the end, they are a community of pioneering innovators.

Urban Institute for Racial, Economic, and Environmental Justice interns, Tiyashia Poole (below) and Cason Konzer (next page) present solutions to real-world challenges.

McClain, Furman, and Mai Lee, the Institute’s experienced administrative lead, have worked intensely to create the optimal conditions for students to achieve their goals. A leadership institute in August of 2021, offered in conjunction with OptiMize, a social innovation group in U-M’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts in Ann Arbor, introduced principles and practices of successful social innovation. Helping students to “see” the change they imagined through a series of “visioning” exercises, the summer institute gave them the tools and confidence needed to interact with individuals from culturally diverse settings and to create collaborative, sustainable community partnerships. Powerful student-led and implemented projects have blossomed from that summer experience. Each resonates with both historical and contemporary significance. Each begins with a question that speaks to a twenty-first century reality: Is there a disproportionate number of private plasma donation centers in areas with high social vulnerability? How can an Artistic Reality Through Search (A.R.T.S) curriculum empower underrepresented youth to pursue executive leadership positions within the music production industry that increase their entrepreneurial skillset? How can colleges improve students’ mental health services and provide community residents with resources for accessing mental health support? How can elementary educators foster key communal partnerships to develop effective intervention programs that improve students’ reading proficiency? What sustainability efforts are most critical to Flint community’s viability and its residents’ quality of life? How does installation/removal of an urban dam change the species’ attributes within the Flint river’s waterway? How can mindful poetry, utilizing spoken word, influence literacy development and community-building for Flint and Genesee County residents? How can financial literacy

initiatives close America’s racial wealth gap by increasing financial wellness for underrepresented groups? How do underserved populations within Genesee County experience the social impact of literacy workshops and/or donation foundation initiatives? What impact does Michigan’s Schools of Choice policy have on the local community? For some questions there isn’t an answer, but for many there is, and interns have been determined in their pursuit.

The Urban Institute is nearly halfway through its second year of operation, but its concept, director Furman says, has been decades in the making. Over the years, conversation about a public-facing center, to support faculty working in concert with city residents to advance quality of life for all, has waxed and waned. It finally came to fruition in November 2020, when months earlier, Chancellor Dutta surmised the time for an institute was at hand and gave the idea a green light. Administratively, the Institute is an academic affairs unit, with strong support from Vice Chancellor and Provost Sonja Feist-Price. A strong proponent of “campus-community collaboration,” which she sees as “foundational to UM-Flint,” the provost points to a “dynamic faculty intentionally working in partnership with members of the Flint community, as well as surrounding areas.”

In practice, the Institute works closely with the Office of Research and its director, Ken Sylvester, who participates in all the Institute’s working groups. Sylvester’s doctoral training in the social sciences, his understanding of private and federal research funding and knowledge of Michigan research collaboratives and initiatives is expansive, Furman explains. That and more gets shared and discussed during the weekly sessions attended by directors Furman and McClain and others. As often as not, these become planning meetings, and anyone with a project or partnership idea is welcome to take part. That includes UM-Flint alumni. She imagines a circumstance in which the influence of alumni is broad and deep and includes collaborating on community interventions, establishing endowments, providing internships, mentoring students, and sponsoring events. Much is possible if one takes an interest.

Connect With Us!

To engage with the Urban Institute for Racial, Economic, and Environmental Justice, write to Jan Furman, Ph.D. at jfurman@umich.edu, Nathaniel McClain, Ed.D. at namcclai@umich.edu, or Mai Lee at mailee@umich.edu.

URBAN INSTITUTE AFFILIATE FACULTY

BENJAMIN GAYDOS, M.F.A.

Benjamin is a Detroit-based designer, filmmaker, artist, and educator. He conducted research in design and anthropology at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he received an MFA in Visual Communication/ Design, and his experiments in design, sound, film, and video have been exhibited internationally. Ben has presented his work at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), Harvard University, and MIT’s Media Lab, among many other institutions. He is co-founder and principal of goodgood, which has offices in Boston and Detroit; founding editor and creative director at Flint Magazine; a producer and designer for Sensate Journal at Harvard University; and co-founder and programmer at Mothlight Microcinema in Detroit. Ben is chair of the Department of Art & Art History and associate professor of design at the University of Michigan-Flint, where he directs the Community Design Studio, a unique student learning lab for community-led social impact design.

LISA LAPEYROUSE, PH.D.

Lisa is a mixed-method researcher, who has dedicated her research career to the study of social determinants of health and health inequities experienced by Latinx populations and other vulnerable groups. Her research has been presented at prestigious scientific conferences, including the American Public Health Association’s Annual Research Conference, and can be found in refereed journals, Public Health Reports, the American Journal of Health Promotion, Behavioral Sciences, and others. She earned her Ph.D. in Health Behavior and Health Education and a certificate in Women’s Health and Reproductive Health from the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health. Since joining UM-Flint in 2012, she has directed her research efforts to address local health issues such as the Flint Water Crisis and its impact on the local Latinx community. She is the Principal Investigator for the 2019 Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER)-Latinx; Beyond Rhetoric: Confronting and Combating Racism in Genesee County, Michigan; and Coronavirus Vaccination Intentions Among Vulnerable Populations in Genesee County, Michigan.

CATHLEEN L. MILLER, PH.D., CPA

Cathleen teaches auditing, financial accounting, and governmental and not-for-profit accounting. Having earned her Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky with an emphasis on behavioral accounting, she has published in practitioner and academic journals, including Auditing: A Journal of Practice and Theory, Behavioral Research in Accounting, and The Journal of Accountancy. She has received several awards for her service and community engagement, including Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award—Beta Alpha Psi (2019), School of Management Outstanding Service Award (2017), Civic Engagement Course Implementation Grant—University of MichiganFlint (2014), Internal Revenue Service Award (2008), Community Partnership Project Development Funding Grant—University of Michigan-Flint (2006 and 2007), and she was nominated for Michigan Campus Compact Campus-Community Partnership Award for VITA Program (2013). She has worked with the IRS to run the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program in Genesee County for twenty-two years. Annually, she and her students help approximately 400 individuals and families file their federal, state, and city income taxes, resulting in approximately $300,000 in refunds.

TOKO OSHIO, PH.D.

Toko studies child development, from infancy through youth, taking an ecological perspective that emphasizes interactions between people and their environments. Her primary research interest is the socio-emotional development of children and youth and how that development is shaped in contexts where crucial interactions happen, particularly in families, schools, and communities.

JEREMIAH WADE-OLSON, PH.D.

Jeremiah is a political scientist, who studies discrimination in contemporary American prisons. With a Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky, his research has been published in the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory and Public Administration Review. His book, Punishing the Vulnerable: Discrimination in American Prisons focuses on the many vulnerabilities that incarcerated Americans face, such as poverty, mental illness, and racial discrimination. The book details how African American, American Indian, and Latinx inmates receive harsher punishments, including solitary confinement, and fewer rehabilitative programs, such as substance abuse treatment and mental health counseling.

GIVING BACK!

The University of Michigan-Flint Alumni Leadership Corps (ALC) represents the highest form of volunteer service for UMFlint Alumni. The group advises Alumni Relations and acts as frontline ambassadors to UM-Flint’s alumni community. Service in ALC is on an invitation-only basis and is generally extended to individuals who have a history of volunteer service and alumni event support. ALC meets approximately six times per year.

BRIAN BARRIE

Occupation:

Retired – Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Director of Long-term Services and Supports Division

Class Year / Degree: 1978, 1985 / B.A. in Economics, M.P.A.

Why did you choose to serve on ALC?

Brent Nickola was very persuasive.

TINA NIES

Occupation:

Author and Trainer

Class Year / Degree: 1989 / B.B.A.

Why did you choose to serve on ALC?

Serving with ALC keeps me connected with the university and allows me to give back while making new alumni friends.

CLIFFORD HODGES

Occupation:

Salesforce Senior Principal Customer Manager

Class Year / Degree: 1979 / B.B.A.

Why did you choose to serve on ALC?

To support the new generation of Michigan alumni.

ALUMNI LEADERSHIP CORPS GUIDES ALUMNI RELATIONS

KIM KNAG

Occupation: Retired

Class Year / Degree: 1996, 2001 / B.B.A., M.B.A.

Why did you choose to serve on ALC?

It is my opportunity to give back to the institution that helped open so many opportunities and experiences .

IBRAHIM A. MOIZ

Class Year / Degree: 2003 / B.A. in Political Science

Why did you choose A way to give back to the institution

CHRISTIE COPELAND

Occupation: Senior Supply Chain Analyst & Entrepreneur/Small Business Consultant

Class Year / Degree: 1993 / B.B.A.

Why did you choose to serve on ALC?

I have always wanted to stay involved with my alma mater and am looking forward to connecting with prospective students, current students and other alumni. ALC provides an opportunity to give back by participating in events, sharing my experiences, and helping any way that I can.

GREGG PANE

Occupation: Physician, Federal Health Consulting

Class Year / Degree: 1977, 1981 / B.S. in Biology, M.D.

Why did you choose to serve on ALC?

I volunteered for ALC as I was so impressed with UM-Flint’s growth and progress over the years, and really value how it helped me be successful.

MARK CHILDRESS

Occupation: Chief Information Officer at Genesee Health System

Class Year / Degree: 2000 / B.S. in Computer Science

Why did you choose to serve on ALC?

I was originally recruited to join by Brent Nickola during an alumni sporting event. I chose to stay because I liked the idea of being a resource to the incoming students and their families, including my own. Seeing what this group has done for me personally has made me realize the importance of giving back to the university that has given so much to me.

GABRIEL ZAWADZKI

Occupation: Grant Services Program Director at the Michigan Association of Counties

Class Year / Degree: 2007 / B.S. in Resource Ecology and Environmental Science and Planning with minors in Field Biology and Physical Geography

Why did you choose to serve on ALC?

It was almost by chance. A couple dozen of us were asked to help out with the first Go Blue on the Bricks project. It was a lot of work, but the result was worth it, and I volunteered for other ALC events as they developed.

VANESSA FERGUSON

Occupation: College Instructor and Public Relations Consultant

Class Year / Degree: 2003 / B.A. in Communication, Honors Scholar Program

Why did you choose to serve on ALC?

I wanted to serve on the ALC as a small way to show my appreciation for everything UM-Flint did to prepare me for my future career. I also think it is important for alumni to stay connected with each other and with current students in order to ensure the long-term stability of the university.

GREGORY S. HARE

Occupation: Licensed Mortician

Class Year / Degree: 1992 / B.A. in Criminal Justice/ Minor Sociology

Why did you choose to serve on ALC?

I chose to serve on ALC because I love and I am proud of UM-Flint. I want to see the university and alumni network grow while being a passionate participator and not a spectator.

CARLA S. BEASLEY

Occupation: Senior Project Management, Construction - Macy’s

Class Year / Degree: 2010 / B.B.A. in Operations Management, M.B.A.

Why did you choose to serve on ALC?

I want to give back and help others on their educational journey. As an “older” student when I went back to college, it’s nice to know someone else did it, and through family, work, and life responsibilities, we can still achieve our goals.

KRIS JOHNS

Occupation: Research Assistant, Karmanos Cancer Institute

Class Year / Degree: 2002 / B.A. in Political Science

Why did you choose to serve on ALC?

I wanted to serve on the ALC as a way to show my gratitude to UM-Flint for everything the institution did to prepare me for my future career.

*Not Pictured: Michelle Swarbrick, Jerry Rule, Terry Wisner

PILLARS LEAVE LEGACY SCHOLARSHIPS

In 1987, the Edgar B. Holt Scholarship Fund was established to honor Edgar B. Holt and his lifelong mission for social justice, human rights and effecting change through education. He believed in helping people realize their strengths and talents and he wanted the young scholars in our community to succeed.

This legacy for helping others was shared by Odell Broadway, Sylvester Broome, Jr., Floyd J. McCree, Dr. Douglas L. Wright, and Annie Mae Pointer. In 1992, a special group of donors came together to establish the Holt, Broadway, Broome, McCree, Wright and Pointer (HBBMWP) Scholarship Committee. These educators, civil rights activists, and business leaders were dedicated to providing higher learning opportunities for community youth. The scholarships were funded by many of Flint’s most prominent African Americans. Decades later, these scholarships continue to empower local students attending the University of Michigan-Flint.

Every gift designated to these scholarships makes a direct and immediate impact in the lives of students. We salute the individuals whose vision made the Holt, Broadway, Broome, McCree, Wright, and Pointer Scholarships possible:

The Odell Broadway (1910 - 1986) Scholarship was established with contributions honoring Odell Broadway, who was devoted to community service and helping others. As a long-time employee of the Flint Board of Education, she was best known for her work as the first home-counselor in the Flint Community Schools. Odell was also an advocate for women, low-income families, and the education of youth.

The Sylvester Broome, Jr. (1936 - 1992) Scholarship was established with contributions honoring Sylvester (Boby) Broome, Jr., who was dedicated to government service, involvement in the community, and encouraging the development of Flint area youth. The Sylvester Broome, Jr. Training and Technology Center, located on North Saginaw Street, was in operation from 1995-2012. It would reopen as the Sylvester Broome Empowerment Village (SBEV) in 2018. Today, SBEV is playing a major role in the transformation of the north Flint community.

The Edgar B. (1921 – 1984) and Lois Van Zandt Holt (1916 – 2017) Scholarship was established with contributions honoring Edgar B. Holt, a leader in the Flint community who was a dedicated advocate for human rights. Mr. Holt was a longstanding and prominent member of the local and national NAACP and led many civil rights efforts on behalf of African-Americans. Lois Van Zandt Holt was hired by the Flint Board of Education as a visiting teacher in February 1942, making her the first black professional hired by the Board. She was active in many community organizations, including the NAACP, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Organization for African-American Unity, and Woodside Church.

The Floyd J. McCree (1923 – 1988) Scholarship was established with contributions honoring Michigan politician Floyd J. McCree. The Honorable Floyd J. McCree was Flint’s first Black mayor, the first Black mayor in Michigan, and the first of any city with a population of more than 100,000. An advocate for social causes and social justice, Mayor McCree was admired as a dedicated public servant committed to helping others.

The Annie Mae Pointer (1931 – 1998) Scholarship was established to honor the memory of Annie Mae. Born in 1931, in Hermandale, Missouri, Mrs. Pointer relocated to Flint with her husband, Reverend Arthur J. Pointer, and their two children in the 1950s. Family and friends established the Annie Mae Pointer Scholarship in 1999 in recognition of Annie Mae’s love for people and commitment to human rights.

The Dr. Douglas L. Wright (1936 – 1996) Memorial Scholarship was established in memory of Douglas L. Wright, DDS. Raised in Flint, Michigan, Dr. Wright graduated from Flint Northern High School and continued his education at the University of Michigan and Howard University School of Dentistry. A prominent dentist, community leader, and human rights activist, Dr. Wright lent his support to the University of Michigan-Flint for many years as co-chair of the planning committee for what was, at that time, the Holt, Broadway, Broome, and McCree Scholarship Fundraising Committee. Actively involved in many community organizations and professional associations including the Urban League, NAACP, and United Negro College Fund, Dr. Wright is remembered for his longstanding commitment to excellence in education and his belief in and support of young people.

Mary Coleman Johnson

January 1, 1941 – December 29, 2021

HBBMWP Scholarship Committee Chairperson

Honoring the memory of Mary Coleman Johnson, celebrating her life, and acknowledging her decades of service to the Holt, Broadway, Broome, McCree, Wright, and Pointer Scholarship Committee.

Mary grew up in rural Robeson County, North Carolina, the daughter of Esther Downing and Holiday Gerald. Seeking to improve her life, Esther moved north to Detroit and Mary remained in the care of her grandparents. While in North Carolina, Mary worked as a day laborer in the cotton fields alongside her grandparents. At the age of thirteen, Mary’s mother moved her from North Carolina to Detroit to begin her journey for a better life. Mary graduated from Eastern High School in 1959. She later relocated to Flint and, in 1968, began working for Consumers Power Company. Mary joined Equitable Life Insurance Company in 1976 and was a Hall of Fame Financial Advisor and manager of the local agency, retiring in 1999. Mary earned many awards during her distinguished career at Equitable. In 1989, she was inducted into the prestigious Equitable Hall of Fame, becoming the first African American female, and only the third minority in Equitable’s 156 year history to attain this achievement.

TRANSFORMING SCIENCE EDUCATION

MURCHIE SCIENCE BUILDING EXPANSION

In 2021, the University of Michigan-Flint celebrated the transformation of the 33-yearold Murchie Science Building (MSB). The MSB expansion added 61,000 sq. ft. of collaborative spaces, flexible classrooms, state-of-the-art laboratories, and student-centered design to the building that originally opened its doors in 1988. Planning for the new wing began in 2015 with input from faculty, students and staff. As a result, the completed spaces are unique to the campus, and encourage collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches to learning.

The spaces and resources inside the MSB expansion are revolutionizing the STEM experience for all students at the University of Michigan-Flint. Thanks to UM-Flint’s general education program, students studying in all disciplines take coursework in the natural sciences and technology, allowing the entire campus community to take advantage of this vibrant building. For students majoring in a STEM field, this new building is sure to quickly become a campus home, equally equipped for both intense studying and relaxing between classes.

Club Hub

The Club Hub, funded by the U-M Club of Greater Flint, provides a space where STEM clubs on campus can meet and develop leadership skills, experience networking opportunities, and find social and emotional support from fellow students. The space will play an important role in student success by creating a sense of belonging and increasing the likelihood of retention and graduation.

Elements of Success

As planning began for the Murchie Science Building expansion, Chemistry

Professor Jessica Tischler suggested supporters of the project be recognized on a large periodic table of elements. The idea was embraced, and leadership named the project “Elements of Success,” symbolizing the importance of each individual contributor. Support of our students is as fundamental to their success as each of the elements in the

periodic table is to our existence. Without oxygen, we would not breathe. Without calcium, our bones could not be strong.

Each of the 118 tiles on the donor wall features details of the element, along with a message from the donor. The minimum donation to become an Element of Success is $1,000. Funds raised throughout the Elements of Success campaign are being used to support student research experiences; student clubs, organizations, and competitions; K-12 outreach activities; academic support services such as tutoring; and ongoing equipment purchases for research and laboratories.

Thank you to those who have already purchased elements!

y Susan Alcock, Ph.D.

y Olanrewaju and Modupe Aluko

y Margaret M. Andrews, Ph.D.

y Jared Arnold

y Tess and Bill Barker

y Roy Barnes and Bernadette Seim-Barnes

y Drs. Halil and Neslihan Bisgin y Harry and Sheryl Blecker

y Donald Boys and Ann Towsley

y Kay and David Bueby y Mary Ann and Chuck Cardani

y Dr. Virgil Cope

y Professor Donald DeGraaf y Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

y Deba and Fataneh Dutta y Earth and Resource Science Alumni

y Ryan Michael Eashoo

y William Gainey and Brian Tesler, M.D.

y Susan Gano-Phillips and Gary Phillips y Andrew and Elizabeth Hashikawa

y Kay Jantharasorn

y Clarence Jennings Jr y Sylvia Karmanoff y Susan Kropiewnicki y Seung-Jin Lee, Ph.D. y Kathleen and Stephen Leist y Dr. Murali Mani

y Drs. Justin Massing and Jordan Reddel y Jeannine and Keith Moreland y Drs. Bobby and Nita Mukkamala y Brenton and Christina Nickola y Barry and Amy Noah y Gary and Colleen Pace y Gregg Pane, M.D. y Chris and Kathi Pearson y Mary Poletti

y Donald Rockwell

y Rotary Club of Flint y Donald Sabourin DDS

y Christopher Schwartz

y Mary Jo Sekelsky

y Mehrdad Simkani and Golara Behboodian

y Drs. Ronald C. and Vlenaetha M. Stewart

y Dr. Charlotte Tang and Raymond Cheung

y Charles Thomas

y Nicole M. and Scott L. Thomas

y Barry and Denise Trantham Family

y Drs. Dawn and Stephen Turner

y Suleyman Uludag

y U-M Club of Greater Flint

y UM-Flint Golf Outing Committee

y Shauna West

y Thomas E. Wiese, Ph.D.

y The Williamson Foundation

y Michael D. Witt, PharmD, JD

y Elaine Wolfe Kaye, MT (ASCP)

y David and Francine Zick

y Debra Zudel

MICHAEL BORROR

’00

Michael has accepted a position with the National Archives and Records Administration in St. Louis, Missouri. He will be working as an Archives Technician in the Military National Personnel Records Center.

DANIEL BORBOLLA

Daniel earned his degree from the University of Alabama’s graduate school in 2015. Following graduation, Daniel has been working as the president and CEO of his own search marketing consulting agency, Borbolla & Figueiras Professional Services (bandfps.com). He also started a nonprofit organization in 2019 to help adults and children who stutter called the Stuttering is Cruel Foundation (sc-f.org).

ROBERT BURACK

KEYSA SMITH

Keysa is the Owner and Operator of Spectacular SpudZ and K. Smith Catering. Keysa started both businesses while attending UM-Flint. She attributes UM-Flint to being a blessing and the reason for her success. UM-Flint made Keysa’s experience memorable by providing great professors, programs that allowed her to meet people like Hill Harper, great, diverse students that she built relationships with, as well as the African American Coalition on campus.

’13

Robert is celebrating six years as a principal consultant at Brocade Studio, the growing consultancy he co-founded. He is currently working with: Emory University to facilitate co-design of on-campus memorials to individuals whose enslaved labor built Emory’s original campus; economic development partners across Western North Carolina to develop a creative economy plan for the region; and one of the country’s largest charter school networks, on an effort to improve their leadership pipeline.

JAN ENGLER

’78

’13 ’21

Jan continues to preach and teach in her retirement. She utilizes her doctoral degrees in both careers.

HALEY SIMONS

Haley started working for the Hospital Medicine Safety Consortium with Michigan Medicine in November of 2021. She is proud to not only be an alumni of UM-Flint, but an employee of Michigan Medicine as well. Go Blue!

MARISSA PIERCE

’03 ’15 ’09

Marissa was promoted to Director of Development with the Flint Institute of Arts (FIA). She leads the Development Department that consists of communications, marketing, digital marketing, membership, and graphic design. Marissa was previously the FIA’s Public & Community Relations Coordinator.

RYAN BERRY

’01

After 14+ years working at Microsoft in various technical and leadership roles, Ryan has taken an executive leadership role as VP of Architecture at the unicorn Fintech startup based in Rochester Hills, Michigan, OneStream Software.

’92

STEVE WILCOX

Steve is retiring from General Motors as manager of U.S. Pricing and Incentives – Finance Staff after thirty-six years with the company.

VICTORIA MCKENZE

Victoria retired as a Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) pastor in June 2021. She is now a full-time substitute teacher with Flint Community Schools and loves every minute of it! Victoria is also considering continuing her education.

DUANE BEDELL

Duane assumed the presidency of Bay Mills Community College (BMCC), Brimley, Michigan in 2021. BMCC is one of three tribally-controlled colleges in the state of Michigan and the only community college in Michigan’s Eastern Upper Peninsula. BMCC works closely with Michigan State University to provide service and expertise to the Bay Mills Indian Community and the surrounding region.

ALISSA BLAU

’96 ’16

Alissa Blau, a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) who earned her Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) from the University of Michigan-Flint in 2016, was recently introduced as the 2021-22 president of the 900-member Kansas Association of Nurse Anesthetists (KANA) during the association’s annual meeting. Blau lives in Overland Park, Kansas, and practices in the Kansas City metropolitan area.

’64 ’21

PAUL LEVALLEY

Paul LeValley has published his third big book on naturism and the arts: Naturist Writings of Paul LeValley, Including Movie Reviews (2022). Paul retired from a long career of teaching at the high school and university levels at the age of 72, to focus on finishing several writing projects. He has since published 20 years of art columns as Art Follows Nature: A Worldwide History of the Nude (2016). His Ph.D. studies, on the naked philosophers Alexander the Great met in India, grew too large for one dissertation so he continued with another thirty years of research, publishing Seekers of the Naked Truth: Collected Writings on the Gymnosophists and Related Shramana Religions (2018). He continues to serve as president of the American Nudist Research Library near Kissimmee, Florida.

LORA KALKMAN

’89

Lora is the Senior Special Assistant to Mayor Carolyn Goodman, whom she first volunteered for in 2011 after moving to Las Vegas in 2009. In February of 2011, Carolyn Goodman was one of eighteen candidates running to succeed her termlimited husband, Mayor Oscar Goodman, the former Mafia attorney. Upon Goodman’s win in June 2011, Lora was offered a position on her staff and has served her and the City of Las Vegas ever since.

TESS BARKER

Tess won a national award: NASPA’s Outstanding Contributions by a Scholar-Practitioner. The award is given to a full-time student affairs professional who has brought a wealth of current and relevant real-world experience into the classroom that has uniquely benefited the educational experience. Tess’ thesis for the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) program focused on assessment of a free speech/bias incident training delivered to livein staff of university residence halls. The thesis research has been presented at national and regional conferences and was one of the pieces of scholarship considered in the award selection process.

GREGORY HAVRILCSAK

Gregory graduated in the January class of 1978. There were 138 graduates that marched across the stage at Flint’s Whiting Auditorium. Gregory began teaching that year and is now in his 44th year of teaching, and 22nd year in the history department. Greg is proud to be a graduate of the University of Michigan-Flint and even more proud to be a member of the faculty!

LET’S GET DOWN TO ALUMNI BUSINESS

Sound Mind Productions | Owner: Germarius Major, ’18

Sound Mind Productions is a full audio, video, and lighting production company that provides rentals, installments, upgrades, consultations, and more for live entertainment events and concerts.

Contact Information: gmajor8216@icloud.com (810) 893-9893

Social Media Pages: @SoundMindProd @SoundMind_Productions

Nique’s Dipped Treats

|

Owner: Dominique Person ’17, ’19 Nique’s Dipped Treats was founded in 2019 and is a very small business. Serving the Flint and Metro Detroit area, Nique’s Dipped Treats dips strawberries, pretzels, Oreos and Rice Krispie Treats in chocolate! Its goal is to provide eye-catching and high-quality products without sacrificing taste.

Contact Information: nique.dp97@gmail.com (810) 210-9236 or (810) 447-0105

Social Media Pages:

@NiquesDippedTreats @_NiquesDippedTreats_

Oh Hello Branding

Group | Owners: Alex Benda ’14, Kayla Benda ’13

Founded in 2014, Oh Hello Branding Group’s focus is empowering people to do what is worth doing by telling stories worth sharing. It partners with businesses that better the lives of their customers and then craft meaningful stories, helping customers find solutions to their unsolved problems. Oh Hello Branding is always open for a call and offers free consultation meetings.

Contact Information: alex@ohhellobranding.com (616) 631-3040

Social Media Pages:

The Poke Bowl “Flint”

|

Owners: Justin Bush ’20 and Jeron Dotson ’20

Justin and Jeron graduated in 2020 and provide delicious and nutritious sushi bowls, formally known as Pokéh. Made your way, their sushi bowls are a Hawaiian/ Japanese inspired dish that take fresh salad and sushi and add a convenient and creative bowl to the mix! They officially filed for their LLC in July 2017.

Contact Information: theflintpokebowl@gmail.com (810) 230-4134

Social Media Pages:

@ThePokeBowlFlint

@ThePokeBowlFlint @PokeBowlFlint

Little Suga’s | Owner: Jaszmane Sisco ’17

Jaszmane hosts baking and pastry art classes for children and adults at the Flint Farmers’ Market. She also provides custom cupcake and wedding cake orders, and participates in pop-ups within the community selling baked goods. Little Suga’s was founded in October 2020.

Contact Information: littlesugasllc@gmail.com

Michigan Bear Cub Collection | Owner: Carrie Newman ’17

Social Media Pages: @LittleSugas

Michigan Bear Cub Collection is a Candle + Home Decor + Gift Shop. We create 100% soy wax candles with crackling wooden wicks and sell beautiful gift sets and unique handmade home decor!

Contact Information: michiganbearcubcollection.com michiganbearcubcollection@gmail.com

Social Media Pages:

@MichiganBearCubCollection

@MichiganBearCubCollection @MichiganBearCubCollection

The John L Group, Inc. | Owners: Antonio Brown ’04, ’09, Luther Brown, Jr. ’06, Jermaine Brown ’11, In June 2019, brothers, Antonio (AC) Brown, CPA, Luther Brown, Jr., and Jermaine Brown established The John L Group, Incorporated (TJLG). Named in honor of their late grandfather, John L. Smedley, AC and Luther wanted to create a company that valued hard work, integrity, competence, and would leave a legacy for future generations. Today, The John L Group, Inc.’s service areas include construction,

finance, and logistics with an expanded management team collectively representing over twenty years of experience in manufacturing management, finance, supply chain logistics, strategic communications, and marketing.

Contact Information: www.thejohnlgroup.com info@thejohnlgroup.com (810) 310-3008

Champion’s

Choice Consulting,

Owner: Christie Copeland ’93

Inc.

Champion’s Choice Consulting, Inc. was founded in 2018 to help other small businesses improve systems, primarily in human resources and marketing.

Fulcrum Resources, Inc

Owner: Don Kellar ’02

Founded in 2007, Fulcrum Resources, Inc. is a full service nationwide environmental, engineering, and energy consulting firm.

Contact Information: info@frenviro.com (800) 385-7105

Contact Information: c3.christie@gmail.com

ALUMNI-OWNED BUSINESSES EXUDE ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION!

SPIRIT!

MEET OUR UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT TEAM

Ellen Brothers

Major Gifts Officer

11.5 years at UM-Flint

Fun Fact: Ellen makes better fudge than Mackinac Island.

Melissa Stephens-Farrell

Major Gifts Officer Senior 21 years at UM-Flint

Fun Fact: Melissa taught ballroom dance at Arthur Murray’s while going to college.

Donor Relations and Stewardship Officer 3 months at UM-Flint

Fun Fact: During 2019, Tabitha had the opportunity to work on an archaeological dig for 6 weeks.

11 years at UM-Flint

Fun Fact: Sheila plays drums on the worship team at church.

Sarina Ranville Annual Giving Coordinator

1 year at UM-Flint

Fun Fact: Northern Michigan will forever be Sarina’s favorite place in the world.

Monica Panik Data Development Manager 8 years at UM-Flint

Fun Fact: Monica is on book 11 of 52 for the 2022 Goodreads Book Challenge.

Stephanie Hare Alumni Relations Coordinator

1 year at UM-Flint

Fun Fact: Stephanie’s favorite movie is 13 Going on 30 and she loves all things Marvel.

Tabitha Robinson

Sheila Currier Executive Assistant to the Vice Chancellor

Shari Schrader

Vice Chancellor for University Advancement

1 year at UM-Flint

Fun Fact: Shari has three adult sons, including identical twins.

Sydney Burnash Work Study Student

4 months at UM-Flint

Fun Fact: Sydney was born on her dad’s birthday and they were both born on Friday the 13th.

Mary Jo Sekelsky

Executive Director of Alumni Relations

38 years at UM-Flint

Fun Fact: Mary Jo’s favorite time of the year is March Madness.

Brent Nickola

Major Gifts Officer

20 years at UM-Flint

Fun Fact: Brent spends his spare time with his wife and children. He also enjoys woodworking, fishing, hunting, and motorcycles.

Planned Giving

Create your legacy at the University of Michigan-Flint with a planned gift. We’re here to help you learn more about the different gift options, such as a simple will or trust.

It’s as easy as

1-2-3: Visit https://www.umflint.edu/ advancement/development/ Call us! Our toll free phone number is (810) 424-5448. We will work with you to find a planned giving option that works best for you. Make a lasting impact to support future Wolverines.

Membership that connects you to a world of Wolverines

In your backyard or across the globe…wherever you are, your U-M network is right there with you.

The U-M Club of Greater Flint provides meaningful local connections and hands-on engagement, whether it’s volunteering, social gatherings, or professional networking events…and there are 110 more U-M alumni clubs just like it across the globe. When we say membership keeps you connected, we mean it—connected to benefits and resources, to your 645,000-plus global alumni network, and to your U-M roots, wherever you may plant them.

Become a member and join your local alumni club today at alumni.umich.edu/join Use FLINT20 to get 20% off select memberships.*

*Offer excludes Student Life and Family Memberships. Code valid through September 30, 2022.

MEET EGYPT OTIS

BLACK-OWNED BOOKSTORE BLENDS CULTURE AND COMMUNITY IN FLINT

Excerpts from article written by

2021

Prior to opening Comma Bookstore, Egypt Otis (Class of 2020) was a social worker, a community organizer and political activist. Egypt came to UM-Flint as a nontraditional student who was working full time and parenting her young daughter. “It was hard balancing those roles,” she said. She found a mentor in Peggy Kahn, professor

We all start from somewhere. You know, you have to allow room for people to grow. So, that’s what we do here.

– EGYPT OTIS

emerita in political science. “I had a department of people who encouraged me. Peggy Kahn, who I still consider as a mentor today, really invested in me and challenged me, which is something I was missing to think differently about not only the world but myself,” Otis said. “She really introduced me to myself.”

C omma Bookstore opened in September 2020 and stock s mostly what Otis calls “Black and brown books” by Muslims , African Americans , I ndigenous and Latinx people. She also gives local artists and nonprofits a space from which to sell their products such as eyeglasses made from plastic water bottles, paintings and jewelry. Otis says, above all, Comma Bookstore is “a learning space for everyone. We all start from somewhere. You know, you have to allow room for people to grow. So, that’s what we do here.”

Greta Guest, University of Michigan, October 21,

Image credit: Eric Bronson, Michigan Photography

WELCOME HOME!

University of Michigan-Flint students prepare for Homecoming in front of the Mott Memorial Building on Court Street, circa October 1958. Learn more about this year’s upcoming Homecoming Weekend Celebration on campus, September 23rd – 24th 2022 on pages 24 and 25.