The University of Michigan has launched a new program designed to establish equitable, sustainable and mutually beneficial research collaborations with minority-serving institutions.
The program aims to enhance faculty research capabilities while reinforcing the university’s role as a leader in fostering equity and excellence through strategic partnerships.
In an effort to engage with the evolving priorities of federal funders, who are increasingly emphasizing collaborations with MSIs, the initiative is committed to help faculty build meaningful relationships with MSI partners.
The program, inspired by President Santa J. Ono’s Strategy to Amplify Research and Scholarship, creates new opportunities for U-M researchers to pursue groundbreaking research.
“At the University of Michigan, we believe in the power of collaboration to propel innovative research,” said Arthur Lupia, interim vice president for research and innovation. “With the establishment of the MSI Partnerships team, we are cultivating a community that amplifies diverse perspectives and fortifies the societal impact of our research.”
A critical component of the strategy is the formation of a specialized team dedicated to serving researchers at U-M’s Dearborn, Flint and Ann Arbor campuses. This team will facilitate essential support functions, including matchmaking, responsive team building, proposal assistance and community empowerment.
“This initiative lies at the core of our vision for inclusive excellence at U-M,” said Trachette Jackson, University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor, professor of mathematics in LSA and associate vice president for research-DEI initiatives.
“Through strong ties with MSIs, we are expanding the scope of research opportunities and creating a fertile environment where diversity underpins the very essence of groundbreaking research, scholarship and creative practice.”
Employing a “triple helix” approach with three strands of action — cultivate, activate and advocate — the MSI Partnerships initiative aims to invigorate research collaborations.
The cultivation phase focuses on establishing MSI relationships centered on equity in research partnerships. The activation phase leverages institutional data to spark new connections among researchers. Success will be measured by the quantity and quality of partnerships, their influence on research funding and the depth of relationships established.
“As this ambitious program nears its rollout, U-M aspires to set a standard that prioritizes opportunity creation and equitable partnerships at every stage of the research enterprise. In doing so, U-M continues to position itself at the forefront of academic innovation,” Lupia said.
The fifth annual Juneteenth Symposium will take place June 20-21 at the Michigan League, showcasing two days of visual art, performances and thought-provoking discussions, all celebrating Black activism and progress.
The free event is hosted by the Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives in partnership with the Juneteenth Planning Committee.
“Juneteenth represents a pivotal step in integrating Black people as full citizens of the United States. This year’s symposium will explore the power of art to challenge authority and advance equality, sparking discussions about how African American activism and creative expression go hand in hand to advance social justice on our campus and beyond,” said Rachel Dawson, director of OAMI.
Juneteenth is a federal holiday celebrated on June 19 to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. On that date in 1865, in the aftermath of the Civil War, federal troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, and announced that the state’s enslaved Blacks were free by executive decree.
The U-M symposium will kick off June 20 with a Juneteenth Interfaith Prayer Breakfast at the Trotter Multicultural Center, followed by an Activist Art Display at the Michigan League Concourse and Vandenberg Room.
The opening keynote address, titled “Effective Activism in the Age of Hate and Divisiveness,” will be delivered by Loretta J. Ross, activist, 2022 MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Award recipient and an associate professor at Smith College, in the Michigan League Ballroom. It will be followed by a panel discussion on “The Activist Artist Engaging with Community.”
The evening will feature a Negro League Baseball Display at the Ann Arbor Top of the Park – KidZone Tent and the Activist Art Display at the Ann Arbor Top of the Park Exhibit Tent.
The June 21 closing keynote will feature Debbie Mitchell Covington, director of strategic partnerships and equity initiatives in the College of Engineering, and post-disciplinary artist Damon Davis, who co-directed the documentary “Whose Streets?” about the 2014 uprisings in Ferguson, Missouri. They will speak on “Using Art as an Effective Means of Activism” in the Michigan League Ballroom, followed by “Activist Art in Action Live Performances.”
The event concludes with a Juneteenth Block Party at Regents Plaza.
Besides Ross and Davis, featured speakers include Harold Green, an artist, poet, and event producer; Sherrie Nunn-Berry, a renowned gospel singer; and U-M alumna Erika “Red” Stowall, who will perform an original dance for the event.
More Information: Event schedule – Register for events
This article originally appeared in The University Record on June 10, 2024
At the 2024 Celebración Latina, one of seven multicultural graduations hosted by the Office of Academic and Multicultural Initiatives (OAMI) at the University of Michigan, graduates of Latinx heritage gathered together with their families and fellow community members to honor their achievements and contributions to the U-M campus.
Marking the occasion was invited speaker and U-M alum Robert L. Santos, director of the U.S. Census Bureau — the first Latino to hold the position. His speech reflected his personal journey and served as an inspirational message that resonated deeply with the audience.
With more than four decades of experience in survey research, statistical design and analysis, Santos recounted his beginnings as a graduate student at the University of Michigan.
Born and raised in San Antonio, TX, he admitted feeling out of place when he first arrived in Ann Arbor in 1976, where he was one of very few Latinx students. “I was just another vato loco in San Antonio. I came here, and I was learning all these mathematical proofs and doing this and that, and I was scared. I was really scared.” Despite these initial fears and culture shock, these experiences shaped his academic and professional life.
One of the most powerful aspects of his speech was his reflection on the support he found within the small Latinx community on campus. “There were so few of us that if we found each other, we’d race over and give abrazos. I was like, we found each other. We ended up getting together, working with each other, and helping each other out. We weren’t all in sociology or this or that — I was in statistics, we had folks in law school. We had folks everywhere, [which] instilled in me the values of nosotros, helping each other.” This sense of community, Santos emphasized, was not just helpful but crucial in helping him navigate his early years at the university.
However, Santos also noted that Latinos “…are not monolithic in our identity. Latinos can be Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, and so on. Hispanics can also be Catholic or Evangelical or Muslim; male, female, or some other gender; impoverished, middle-income, even wealthy; and, yes, monolingual, bilingual, or multilingual. I love that about us.”
Santos also discussed a significant turning point in his career while participating in a federal study. While acknowledging that his statistical training was invaluable, his personal experiences and cultural background enriched his professional contributions. This realization underscored the importance of diversity in academic and professional settings, highlighting how personal background can bring unique perspectives that enhance collective understanding and progress. “I believe our collective diversity — Latino or otherwise — makes our nation and communities stronger and more special. When we take our own journeys of identity and grow from the paths we have chosen, we’ll all be better professionals and better human beings for it,” he said.
Santos noted that there were far more Latino students in the room than when he graduated, a fact punctuated by statistics from Census Bureau data that confirms the United States is increasingly more diverse. He encouraged the graduates to embrace their identities and backgrounds, that each individual’s personal identity will help them succeed.
His words were a powerful reminder that true success comes from authenticity and the courage to bring one’s whole self to every endeavor, a message sure to resonate with the Class of 2024.