“Coming to the Detroit Center, it’s natural for me to try to take a similar type of approach. What’s the Detroit Center already doing? Every time I hear about something new, I try to ask more because now I have the license to be nosy. That’s a characteristic of sociologists anyway. We want to ask questions. We want to know, what are you doing in that community? What are the results of that study going to be? Who is going to benefit from that? How can we help you with that at the Detroit Center?”

~ Paul Draus, U-M Detroit Center faculty director

“UMCI is essential to our future, and that’s why I’m so excited about today’s decision by the Board of Regents,” President Santa J. Ono said. “I’m also incredibly grateful to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the state of Michigan for its $100 million grant, to Stephen Ross for his generous gift and vision, to Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, who has championed this project from the start, and to our many other supporters and friends and partners who are making this future possible.

~ President Santa J. Ono

From the beginning, the Brightmoor Maker Space’s vision has been centered around community ownership. While U-M played an initial role as a partner, the goal has always been for the youth to manage and operate the space, shifting away from university control. Students run the day-to-day activities while oversight comes from the founder of Detroit Community Schools Bart Eddy.  

“It’s a wonderful fusion of a very rigorous academic approach and providing what residents and businesses really need. It’s the immediate application of world-class research to fix world-class challenges and drive change in neighborhoods. As far as advice, I would say get to know the different departments and units at the university so you can learn how to best leverage all the services U-M has to offer.”
~ Joshua Elling, CEO of Jefferson East Inc.

Jessica Frelinghuysen has a studio in Detroit at ​“Cave,” an artist collective. It is there where she connects with the community through her work as a performance artist. In describing her creative practice, Frelinghuysen explains that it is focused on social dynamics and how human beings operate. Her work has taken on many forms over the years, with many of her creations taking the form of wearables that make a point about the human experience. 

Two University of Michigan researchers are part of a community-based research project to get Detroit- and Dallas-area residents to doctors’ appointments, pharmacies and other health care services that often are skipped or inaccessible due to a lack of transportation.

Dean Elizabeth Moje has been recognized by Crain’s Detroit Business as a 2023 Leader in Higher Education. Moje is among 26 honorees who were nominated by their peers, companies, and community.

A new documentary features the Class of 2023, the first high school students to graduate from The School at Marygrove. Featuring Marsal School Dean Elizabeth Moje, The School at Marygrove Principal Lisa Williams, teachers, and members of the Class of 2023, Detroit Public Television recently aired The Pioneers of Marygrove. Opened in 2019 on the campus of the former Marygrove College in Northwest Detroit, the school offers a unique opportunity for students to engage in project- and placed-based learning with a focus on STEM and social justice.

Elizabeth James, now a program manager with the LSA Department of Afroamerican and African Studies, was nearly three years old when her grandmother packed a lunch for the two of them and set out to join a walk that was part of the Civil Rights Movement. It was June 23, 1963 ,and the event was officially called the Detroit Walk to Freedom.