College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

‘Forever built-in best friends’

stuxbury — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 13:02:53 +0000

‘Forever built-in best friends’ stuxbury Wed, 04/09/2025 - 09:02

Quadruplets Elizabeth, Catherine, Gabrielle and Colin Sethi — born in that order — are often in sync. They are all Dearborn Wolverines. They are all in the Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity. They are all creative. “If you follow astrology, that’s the Pisces in us,” says Elizabeth, noting that she enjoys fashion design and Catherine likes crafting, while Gabrielle journals and Colin draws.

But there are times where the four fraternal quadruplets may not be aligned — like when they order pizza from the Renick University Center’s cafeteria. “When we’d be on campus together all day, we’d get lunch. Since there are four of us, we’d get a specialty pizza to share. Except we couldn’t always agree on toppings — so we’d put some things on one half and other toppings on the other half. I think the people at the pizza counter hated to see us coming,” says Elizabeth, laughing.

The four siblings gathered for an afternoon Zoom call in their West Bloomfield home right before April 10’s National Siblings Day — Elizabeth, the oldest, coordinated getting four busy people all together in the same place — to discuss campus life and reflect on what next year might look like with two of them graduating this semester.

Elizabeth says it is rare that they are home together from class, internships, work and study groups before 9 p.m. Congregated in the kitchen, Catherine is making chai. Gabrielle is grabbing Oreos. And Colin is working on homework on his laptop.

"Gabrielle is the person that, if you're having a bad day, you want to go to her because she's just super bubbly and makes you happy. Colin's the funniest and has a sarcastic sense of humor. Catherine's the most athletic and independent. She inspires us to be open to new experiences,” Elizabeth says. “I like to express myself through fashion. And I'd definitely say that I'm the most serious and like to keep everything organized. They like to remind me that I’m not mom.”

Elizabeth, a digital marketing major, and Gabrielle, a psychology major, will celebrate their graduation from the College of Business and the College of Arts, Sciences and Letters at the same ceremony on April 26. Both sisters plan to move out of state to continue their education. Elizabeth will attend graduate school at LIM College in Manhattan for fashion merchandising and retail management and Gabrielle was accepted to a master’s program in social work at Columbia University.

“When we were in high school, we toured universities like Duke and the University of North Carolina, but we weren’t quite ready to leave home. 51��Ƶ-Dearborn is a good school that’s close to home — we all decided to go there together,” Elizabeth says. “It’s going to be a little weird not to be the four of us, but I’m ready to make a big move.” Colin, a finance and supply chain double major, expects to graduate in Fall 2025 and Catherine, a premed major, plans to graduate the semester after Colin.

But, before graduation, they have a couple more Alpha Kappa Psi meetings to attend together. Colin and Elizabeth, who are College of Business students, joined first. Then, after hearing how beneficial the fraternity was with networking and job-skill honing, Catherine and Gabrielle joined.

Even though they do a lot together, people often don’t confuse them — anymore. Elizabeth is 5’2” with curly hair and Catherine is 5’7” with straight hair. However, in grade school, they’d often have to remind their teachers who is who. “We didn’t look alike then either, but I think having us in a class together can be confusing at first,” Elizabeth says. “That hasn’t been a problem at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn.”

Each agreed that their time at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn has helped them further develop their own career interests and make new friends separate from one another. But they also continue to find ways to spend time together. For example, they regularly try new restaurants in downtown Dearborn since it is so close to campus. A current favorite is The Great Commoner on Michigan Avenue.

They were raised to be individuals by their parents — fun fact: mom Carol is a 51��Ƶ-Dearborn alum — and they will continue to grow in their own directions while also sharing their successes with each other.

“We have all different mindsets and perspectives on things, but we all agree that we have a special bond and will be there for each other no matter where we end up in the future,” Elizabeth says. “I am so grateful to have three forever built-in best friends.”

Story by Sarah Tuxbury

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

College of Business

Off

Wed, 04/09/2025 - 13:02

Quadruplets Elizabeth, Catherine, Gabrielle and Colin Sethi will begin to travel different paths after graduation — but they know their bond will continue.

Catherine, Elizabeth, Gabrielle and Colin Sethi — pictured in that order — decided to become Dearborn Wolverines together. Photo courtesy of Sethi family

Three of a kind

stuxbury — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 12:56:45 +0000

Three of a kind stuxbury Wed, 04/09/2025 - 08:56

Three is a lucky number. And the Class of Spring 2025 will be seeing triple at their commencement. During the first of April 26’s three ceremonies, three identical brothers will walk across the stage in honor of their three degrees.

Ali, Elias and Hadi Elzein, born in that order and studying economics, accounting and finance, and biology, respectively, do everything together — and graduation day won’t be different. “I finished last semester, but delayed my graduation so I could walk with my brothers,” Hadi says. “We have a story of family, of love forged through challenge. As brothers, we chose to walk together every step of the way.”

That’s not the only celebration day for the Elzein brothers this month. Today, April 10, is National Siblings Day. Hadi says National Siblings Day could be every day for them. They have a group chat on their phone. They share a room at home. They work together at Habib’s Cuisine. “If something comes up and one of us can’t go in for a shift, we can fill in for each other,” says Hadi, a biology major who's in the process of applying for graduate school.

The brothers’ resemblance is usually the first thing that catches people’s eyes. Speaking at the Renick University Center, they wear matching black shirts. They have a rhythm between them — the way they finish each other’s thoughts, the unspoken understanding — that’s a bond built on more than shared birthdays or DNA.

To help people tell them apart, they do things to physically distinguish themselves. Ali wears a silver necklace and Elias a silver bracelet. And when they are sitting next to each other, you can see their personality differences — Hadi laughs more, Elias chooses his words thoughtfully and Ali is very social. But when they are solo, that’s when the mistakes happen. “People will come up to me thinking that I was one of my brothers. I don’t mind that,” Hadi says. “When it happens to me on campus, it’s a good way to make new friends.”

Chatting in the RUC, they chime in to complete each other’s thoughts. They joke around. And they talk about the future. “No one can tell the future, but I do know that we will always be there for each other in this next part of our lives,” says Elias, who is a Class of Spring 2025 Dean’s Medallion awardee from the College of Business. Through the university’s Accounting 4+1 program, he’ll earn a graduate degree with one more year of college.

When it comes to their closeness, the brothers say there’s a natural bond that comes from being a multiple. But their loyalty to one another goes beyond that — it was forged by persevering through life-changing events.

Born in the United States, the triplets went to Lebanon to visit family for a summer when they were six. While there, their father, Hussein, was admitted to a hospital with a sudden illness and fell into a coma. During the next seven years, they lived with family in Lebanon in hopes of their father’s recovery.

“Our mom would be up early to see us off to school and then would go to the hospital in Beirut to take care of our father the best that she could. She showed us what unconditional love looks like,” says Ali, an economics major who is in the process of lining up a full-time job in the mortgage business. “He was in a coma for a long time. For seven years, we hoped he would wake up and come home. He was our father and our sense of security. Then, when we were 13, there was a new feeling each of us had. The fear left. When we were ready to accept any outcome, he passed away. Our father held on until we were in a place where we were ready to accept it.”

It was a painful moment, but not a defining one, Hadi adds. “His absence became the space in which we learned to rely on each other and on ourselves. The experience didn’t harden us — it united us,” he says.

All three brothers say that their father continues to guide their future, even a decade after his passing. “People come up to us and ask if we are Hussein’s sons,” Ali says. “We continue to have people recognize us because of how loyal of a friend our father was to people in the Dearborn community. It speaks volumes on who he was as a person and it makes our hearts grow.”

Not long after their father’s passing, the boys and their mother, Zanoubia, moved back to Michigan. “Even with the financial and emotional difficulty of moving, we had family supporting us every step of the way,” Elias says. “Just like our family in Lebanon supported us while we were there, we had uncles in Dearborn help us get on our feet so we could hit the ground running.”

The triplets enrolled at Dearborn High School. “People were really nice and thought it was interesting that there were three of us, but it was still hard,” says Ali. “We were born in the U.S., but our memories were of Lebanon. We spoke English, but grew up with a different cultural background. We also had to build from the ground up when we came back. We had a roof over our heads, but it was tough financially. But that was a good thing to experience early too — it showed us that material things are nice, but not essential. What’s most important is family and how it is important to come together to help each other out.”

The brothers, who attended 51��Ƶ-Dearborn with the Go Blue Guarantee scholarship, pooled resources during their four years of college. For example, they saved up money right before their first year and bought a 2011 Buick LaCrosse, which they still use today. Sometimes sharing a car would mean they’d be on campus all day waiting for each other — but, when possible, they coordinated their class schedules. They also had to factor in Hadi’s cell biology research time with Associate Professor of Biology Kalyan Kondapalli, Elias’ Beta Alpha Psi fraternity meetings, Ali’s job shadowing at a law firm and more. Elias says a lot of planning, in addition to online and hybrid classes, made the situation work.

Not too long ago — to accommodate their increasingly busy schedules and because they’ll be on different paths after graduation — they purchased a second car to share. But even when life will lead them down different roads, they know they’ll always find ways to come back together. “We have been through things together that make our bond strong. Distance or busy schedules can’t weaken that,” Elias says. Ali adds, “We might irritate each other at times, but I need to connect with my brothers to recharge. We need each other to push ourselves to be the best version that we can be. It’s all about family and we will continue to prioritize that — it’s just how we do it that might look a little different.”

That next step — or steps, since there’s three of them — includes work and graduate school. But first comes commencement. On April 26, when their names are called, the Elzeins will walk across the stage to uncles, cousins and friends cheering in the audience. But the brothers will focus on one person: Their mother.

Remember the complex class schedule coordination? She’s the one who helped them do it. She cheered them on, made their favorite meals and kept things moving forward in the hardest of times. “Even with all of the challenges in our lives, our mom continued to focus on what would give us a brighter future,” Elias says. “We learned how to be responsible and reliable men from a strong woman.”

His brothers nod in agreement. As much as they are looking forward to graduating, they are even more proud to show their mom what they accomplished thanks to her.

“None of this would have happened without her. She gave everything and now it’s our turn to rise because of it and give back to her. This is not just a story about triplets graduating. It’s a story about resilience, about sacrifice, about the quiet strength that comes from real love,” Hadi says. “And most of all, it’s a story about a family that never let go of each other no matter how far life tried to stretch them.”

Story by Sarah Tuxbury

Student Success

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

College of Business

Off

Wed, 04/09/2025 - 12:55

Today is National Siblings Day. Identical Elzein triplets — Ali, Elias and Hadi — found success at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn by overcoming challenges the best way they know how: Together.

The Elzein triplets — from left, Hadi, Ali and Elias — are graduating together on April 26. Photo by Benjamin Vertin

Congrats to the CASL and COB Medallion winners

stuxbury — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 12:49:14 +0000

Congrats to the CASL and COB Medallion winners stuxbury Wed, 04/02/2025 - 08:49

From conducting melanoma research to advocating for veterans, 51��Ƶ-Dearborn’s Spring Class of 2025’s leaders and best have accomplished many things. Adding to that: Twelve of this year’s top graduates earned the Chancellor’s Medallion or Dean’s Medallion awards.

Three Dean’s Medallion recipients are awarded per college with one of those students receiving the Chancellor’s Medallion. These students will be honored at April 26’s Commencement.

Here are 51��Ƶ-Dearborn’s College of Arts, Sciences and Letters and the College of Business recipients — including the Chancellor’s Medallion winner, who is a CASL graduate. The awardees from the College of Engineering and Computer Science and the College of Education, Health and Human Services will be profiled in an article on Tuesday.

Chancellor’s Medallion

Ayah Farhat
College of Arts, Sciences and Letters

Degree: Bachelor of Science in biochemistry

Awards, Honors and Distinction: University Honors (F22, W23); Dean’s List (F22-F23, F24); James B. Angell Scholar (2024); William J. Branstrom Freshman Prize (2023); SURE Fellowship (2024); Honors Scholar (2025)

Scholarships: Mardigian Library Student Assistant Scholarship; Alumni Legacy Scholarship; Michigan Competitive Scholarship; Excellence Scholarship; CASL Alumni Affiliate Scholarship; Andy and Cheryl Chapekis Scholarship; Dr. Richard A. Potts Endowed Scholarship; William and Alice Jenkins Memorial Scholarship

Academic Achievements and Internships: Ayah is a dedicated researcher who worked with Assistant Professor of Biochemistry Besa Xhabija to conduct cutting-edge research in melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer. She characterized melanoma morphologically, optically and behaviorally to better understand its aggressive nature and metastatic potential. Her research has already resulted in a first-author publication in Advanced Biology and has been featured as the front cover of its February 2025 issue.

Extracurricular and Community Projects: 51��Ƶ-Dearborn Mardigian Library Circulation Desk student assistant; American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and ASBMB student chapter (president); Kumon Math and Reading tutor; Wolverine Mentor Collective mentor; volunteer at Corewell Health, Caroline Kennedy Library, 51��Ƶ-Dearborn Food Pantry and 51��Ƶ-Dearborn Wolverine Wardrobe

Future Plans: Ayah plans to attend and present her research at the national conference of the American Chemical Society this fall. Her long-term goal is to become a physician who serves marginalized and vulnerable populations in metro Detroit.

Dean’s Medallion

College of Arts, Sciences and Letters

Vincent Intrieri

Degree: Bachelor of Arts in international studies

Awards, Honors and Distinction: University Honors (W24, F24); Dean’s List (F22-F24); 51��Ƶ-Dearborn Difference Maker (2024); Honors Scholar (2025)

Scholarships: CASL Alumni Affiliate Scholarship; Hugh M. Archer Veterans Scholarship; John J. Brownfain Endowed Memorial Scholarship; 51��Ƶ-Dearborn Veterans Scholarship

Academic Achievements and Internships: Vincent was the inaugural president of the Wolverine Media Network, uniting the university’s student newspaper, radio, video and arts journal into a single cohesive structure. He completed the Ottawa Internship in Canadian Parliament and participated in a virtual exchange program with the University of El Salvador in which he completed an e-book in Spanish with a Salvadoran partner. He was a work-study employee in the university’s Veterans Affairs office and is a mentor in the Dearborn Veterans Treatment Court, where he supports fellow veterans who are navigating the criminal justice system. Vincent is a nontraditional student and Navy veteran who retired as a petty officer second class logistics specialist.

Extracurricular and Community Projects: Wolverine Media Network (president); Lyceum (editor-in-chief); Student Veterans Association (treasurer); Dearborn Veterans Treatment Court mentor; Veterans of the Game; Dearborn Allied War Veterans Council

Future Plans: Vincent has been admitted to American University’s master’s program in international relations and is considering law school. He is interested in pursuing a career in public interest or international law.

Ahmad Makki

Degrees: Dual Bachelors of Science in mathematics and economics

Awards, Honors and Distinction: University Honors (W21, F21, F24); Honors Scholar in economics (2025); Dean’s List (F20-F24); SURE Fellowship (2022); Outstanding Delegate, Model Arab League (2023-2025); Overall Outstanding Delegation, Model Arab League (2024)

Scholarships: Metropolitan Scholarship; Kochoff Impact Scholarship; Mathematics Scholarship; Dr. Ronald Stockton Scholarship; Dean’s Scholarship (U-M Law School)

Academic Achievements and Internships: Ahmad has conducted research with Associate Professor of Political Science Emily Luxon focused on the attribution of responsibility for climate change in newspaper coverage. As a Summer Undergraduate Research Experience Fellow, Ahmad also researched nationalistic bias within networks related to accusation of chemical weapon use.

Extracurricular and Community Projects: Arab Affairs League Club (founder/president); Model Arab League; violin instructor

Ahmad is also a talented language learner with proficiency in Korean and Arabic and intermediate skill in West African Creole.

Future Plans: Ahmad has been admitted to the University of Michigan Law School and intends to attend starting in Fall 2025.

College of Business

Christian Ankawi

Degree: Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting and finance

Awards, Honors and Distinction: Honors Scholar (2025); James B. Angell Scholar (2023, 2024); University Honors (F21-F22, F23-F24); Dean’s List (F21-F24)

Scholarships: Kris & Ruth Pfaehler Scholarship; Allard Family Trust Scholarship;

51��Ƶ-Dearborn Dean’s Scholarship; COB Undergraduate 4+1 Scholarship

Academic Achievements and Internships: Christian’s career in accounting began in summer 2022 with an internship at Rocket Central, where he collaborated with senior leaders to resolve disputes and developed a review process that resulted in shorter lead times for reimbursements and expense requests. The following summer and fall he worked as a tax intern at Carhartt and performed a variety of tasks. In summer 2024, he was an audit intern at Doeren Mayhew and gained more specialized experience.

Extracurricular and Community Projects: Supplemental instructor for College of Business; Beta Gamma Sigma honor society; Accounting Aid Society volunteer; Forgotten Harvest volunteer; frequent guest speaker for Business Foundations course

Future Plans: This summer, Christian will take the first part of the CPA exam and begin a full-time role as an assurance intern at Ernst & Young. As a 4+1 student, he will return to the College of Business in the fall and work toward his Master of Science in accounting and completing the CPA exam. Upon achieving these goals, Christian plans to work full time with a public accounting firm and currently has an open offer to return to Doeren Mayhew.

Elias Elzein

Degree: Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting and finance

Awards, Honors and Distinction: University Honors (W22, W24, F24); Dean’s List (F21-F22,

F23-F24)

Scholarships: 51��Ƶ-Dearborn Dean’s Scholarship (2021-2024); COB Undergraduate 4+1 Scholarship

Academic Achievements and Internships: In summer 2023, Elias worked as an accounting intern at Varsity Lincoln. In this role, he reconciled bank statements and inventory records, collaborated with the dealership’s CPA on financial statement preparation and gained hands-on experience in several accounting processes.

Extracurricular and Community Projects: Beta Alpha Psi (member since 2022; reporter 2023-2024; co-president April 2024-April 2025); Michigan Model Arab League (team received the 2025 Distinguished Delegation Award)

As an active member and leader of Beta Alpha Psi, an international honors organization for accounting and finance students, Elias has participated in several competitions across the country. He has pursued professional development opportunities through these competitions, including improving his public speaking and presentation skills, and helped lead the 51��Ƶ-Dearborn chapter to a national-level competition.

Future Plans: Elias will spend the summer completing an audit internship at Plante Moran and preparing for the CPA exam. He will return to the College of Business in the fall as part of the 4+1 program to earn his Master of Science in accounting. He hopes to continue working with Plante Moran upon completing his master’s degree and earning his CPA.

Carlos Gonzalez

Degree: Bachelor of Business Administration in digital marketing

Awards, Honors and Distinction: James B. Angell Scholar (2023); University Honors (W22-W23); Dean’s List (W22-F24); Honors Scholar (2025); student speaker at the College of Business Celebration of Excellence (2024); Bill Linn Fiction Prize Honorable Mention (2023)

Scholarships: LEAD Scholarship; 51��Ƶ-Dearborn Dean’s Scholarship; Jeffrey R. & Donna T. Smith Scholarship; Michael & Vana Surmanian Family Scholarship; 51��Ƶ-Dearborn Honors Scholarship; Central Study Abroad Scholarship; College of Business Fast Track Scholarship; Russel J. Ebeid Scholarship; Louanne Sanez Scholarship

Academic Achievements and Internships: Carlos began participating in 51��Ƶ-Dearborn’s Digital Storytelling project as a first-year student when he created his own story. He was promoted to a mentorship role his sophomore year. As a mentor, he guided new participants through the creative process by organizing workshops and helping with technical challenges. Carlos took on more responsibilities over the years, such as assisting with curriculum development, and eventually became a lead strategist for directing faculty members on their own digital stories. He also worked as a digital marketing intern for MedsFinder in summer 2021 and as a digital marketing and business strategy intern for ESOP One from August 2023 to August 2024. Christopher Spilker, head of the Mardigian Library Research Center, observed that Carlos was an integral part of the Digital Storytelling project, stating that “his dedication not only strengthened the program but also inspired those around him.”

Extracurricular and Community Projects: LEAD Scholars member and LEAD Advisory Board member; ISPM-Italy participant; LeaderShape participant; Real Estate Association; Eagle Scout.

Future Plans: Carlos plans to pursue his Master of Business Administration in a specialization that will enable him to utilize his talents for storytelling and strategic thinking, such as marketing management or business analytics. He hopes to work for a multinational corporation and one day advance to an executive leadership position where he can inspire others to create meaningful content.

Awards

Commencement

Student Success

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

College of Business

Off

Wed, 04/02/2025 - 12:48

51��Ƶ-Dearborn recognizes a select group of soon-to-be grads each semester for outstanding achievement.

COB and CASL graduating students were awarded for their high achievement. Graphic by Lou Blouin

Spring 2025 Commencement: A guide to the big day

lblouin — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 11:58:30 +0000

Spring 2025 Commencement: A guide to the big day lblouin Wed, 04/02/2025 - 07:58

More than 1,000 graduates will earn degrees at next month’s commencement ceremony on April 26. As in past years, the full day of spring graduation festivities will be split into three ceremonies. Undergraduates from the College of Arts, Sciences and Letters and College of Business kick things off at 9 a.m., followed by undergrads from the College of Education, Health and Human Services and College of Engineering and Computer Science at 1 p.m. The final ceremony for doctoral and graduate students from all four colleges is at 5 p.m.

Here are a few more good-to-knows for the big day.

Speakers

James Scapa, a graduate of Columbia University and an ’83 U-M MBA grad, will be the featured speaker at both undergraduate ceremonies. Scapa is founder, chair and CEO of Altair, a global leader in computational intelligence software and technology. He founded the company in 1985 with two partners when he was just 25 years old. Altair now employs more than 3,000 scientists, engineers and creative thinkers across 28 countries and serves more than 16,000 customers across a broad range of industries, including automotive, aerospace, government and defense, finance, energy, technology, life sciences, architecture and construction. Under Scapa’s leadership, Altair also sponsored the #OnlyForward Scholarship, which awarded $25,000 scholarships to 51��Ƶ-Dearborn students pursuing a four-year degree in computer science or engineering.

Tim Yerdon, an executive leader with SAE Industry Technologies Consortia, will be the featured speaker at the 5 p.m. ceremony for graduate students. Yerdon is an experienced mobility leader with a track record of driving breakthrough technology change through collaboration and innovative thinking. He holds a key role within SAE International, a global association of more than 128,000 engineers and related technical experts in the automotive, aerospace and commercial vehicle industries. Prior to SAE, Tim ran the consulting firm Plymouth Technology Advisors, after serving in executive positions with Ford Motor Co. and Visteon Corp. At Ford, he served on the company's dedicated team for electric vehicles, which developed the Mustang Mach-E SUV, F-150 Lightning truck and E-Transit van. He also chairs 51��Ƶ-Dearborn’s CECS Industry Advisory Board.

Asil Khanafer, who is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in behavioral and biological sciences, with a minor in applied arts, is the student speaker at the two undergraduate ceremonies. During her time at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn, Khanafer was president of both the Pre-Professional Health Society and the Lebanese Diaspora Relief Organization, as well as vice president of the National Arab American Medical Association student chapter. In addition, she conducted research on bonobo cognition as a research assistant in Associate Professor of Psychology Francine Dollins’ lab. She also served as a chemistry and psychology supplemental instruction leader and vice chair of the Student Organization Allocation Council. Khanafer plans to pursue a career in veterinary medicine and will continue her studies at Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in the fall.

Mohsen Chaaban, who is graduating from 51��Ƶ-Dearborn with a Master of Science in cybersecurity and information assurance, will address his fellow graduate students at the 5 p.m. ceremony. Chaaban earned his bachelor’s at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn in 2023 and currently works as a software controls engineer at General Motors. Throughout his time at the university, he actively engaged in student organizations and mentorship programs. During his undergraduate years, he was a member of Student Organization Account Services, where he helped student organizations with financial services and event planning. He has also been active in community service efforts in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, taking part in initiatives such as toy drives, as well as Easter and Ramadan essential drives.

Commencement stats

This spring, the university is awarding a total of 1,067 degrees to 1,049 graduates. Among undergraduates, the youngest is just 17 years old and the oldest is 68. The average undergraduate GPA is 3.4. Spring graduates represent 26 Michigan counties and 13 states.

Tickets

Each student receives four tickets to their ceremony for guests. Graduating students participating in the ceremony do not need a ticket for themselves. Students can currently pick up tickets at the One Stop, located on the first floor of the Renick University Center, Monday-Wednesday and Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Thursday, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Students must show their Mcard or government-issued ID (driver's license or passport) and a receipt that they purchased their cap and gown to pick up tickets. All guests at the commencement ceremonies must have a ticket, except for children under 2 who will be sitting on the lap of a guest. Tickets can also be placed at Will Call and picked up the day of the ceremony.

Students should email umd-commencement@umich.edu with the number of tickets they would like held (up to four). All tickets must be claimed (either picked up or Will Call request) by Friday, April 11. Those who don’t need all their tickets can pick up their tickets and give them to friends or classmates who need additional tickets. Students can also return tickets they will not need to the One Stop so other students can claim them. Students are not permitted to sell tickets. More information about extra tickets will be shared on Monday, April 14.

Volunteering

If you are a staff member and would like to volunteer at the ceremonies, please email Campus Event Planner Mandy Earl. Tasks include distributing Will Call tickets, checking in graduates, helping direct the crowd and other activities.

How to watch

If you won't be attending commencement in person, you can still watch online on the university’s YouTube page.

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Still have more questions about Spring 2025 Commencement? Check out the university’s commencement page. Story by Lou Blouin

Commencement

University-wide

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

College of Business

College of Education, Health, and Human Services

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Off

Wed, 04/02/2025 - 11:58

Meet the commencement speakers and get ceremony details for the April 26 festivities.

This spring, the university is awarding a total of 1,067 degrees to 1,049 graduates. Photo by Michigan Photography

How postdocs help faculty take research to another level

lblouin — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 16:34:51 +0000

How postdocs help faculty take research to another level lblouin Mon, 03/31/2025 - 12:34

When students complete a doctoral degree, they’re at the top of one of the highest mountains in higher education. But just like undergraduates facing post-graduation anxiety, postdoctoral life can represent a fraught time for recent PhD graduates. For those interested in long-term careers in academia, they’re likely embarking on job searches for highly competitive faculty positions. And if someone wants to work in the private sector, employers in at least some industries seem to balk at hiring highly trained applicants with little industry experience — simply because they generally command higher salaries than those with less-advanced degrees.

Director of Research Development Vessela Vassileva-Clarke
Photo by Julianne Lindsey

But there is another option for recent PhD grads: working as a postdoctoral researcher. As the name suggests, this is a research position at a university, typically lasting one to three years, that someone takes after they finish their PhD. 51��Ƶ-Dearborn Director of Research Development Vessela Vassileva-Clarke says this may be an attractive route for a number of reasons. For example, if a person isn’t quite sure whether they want to go into academia or industry, a postdoc position can simply buy someone a little time to figure it out, while they continue to stay active and build a research portfolio. And for those who are definitely interested in faculty positions, doing a postdoc can help someone burnish their CV if, say, they weren't able to publish as much as they’d liked during their PhD program. In addition, depending on the arrangement between the researcher and their faculty advisor, Vassileva-Clarke says a postdoc position might give someone a chance to log some teaching experience — or even pursue an externally funded grant for a research project that they co-lead with a faculty member. Moreover, a postdoc gives recent PhD grads experiences in other core parts of academic life that they may not have gotten in their doctoral programs, like proposal writing.

51��Ƶ-Dearborn currently has about a dozen postdoctoral researchers working on campus, the vast majority of whom are working with faculty in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Rongheng Li, who finished his PhD at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn under Mechanical Engineering Professor Ben Q. Li in 2019, says the opportunity to do a postdoc actually grew organically out of his doctoral research experience. His research focused on some of the advanced mathematical challenges associated with the use of nanoparticles in photovoltaic systems, which is seen as a promising way of improving output from solar panels. But then one day, toward the end of his PhD program, Li found himself chatting with Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Xuan (Joe) Zhou. The two of them discovered that a lot of the same mathematical methods Li was using in the area of photovoltaics might have interesting applications for battery research, which is Zhou’s specialty. Now, as a postdoc, Li is working on several of Zhou’s funded projects, including one exploring how well used EV batteries perform when used in a grid-tied storage system.

“A lot of my prior work has been very theoretical, so working with Dr. Zhou is giving me a chance to learn in a more experimental setting,” Li says. “I’m learning new instrumentation, and I got to visit the clean room in Ann Arbor, where they are working on a variety of projects. So I think it’s going to be quite valuable for me to get this hands-on experience, including with batteries, which is a technology that’s so important for the future.” Another big payoff for Li: He’s getting to work closely with the research team’s industry partners, which is helping him see how private sector projects are managed and how their teams work. After his postdoc, he thinks he’ll likely be applying for faculty jobs in the United States. But he’s not opposed to a position in the private sector, and he thinks the practical experience he’s logging during his postdoc will make him a more competitive candidate.

Rongheng Li completed his PhD at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn in 2019 and now works as a postdoctoral researcher. Photo by Annie Barker

Gajendra Singh Chawda followed a different path to 51��Ƶ-Dearborn for his postdoc. Chawda finished his PhD in electrical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology in early 2022 and took a postdoctoral research position there after graduation. But he really wanted to get experience at an American university, and when he saw a posting for a postdoctoral research position working with Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor Wencong Su, he felt like it would be a great fit. Chawda’s work focuses on the complexities of integrating renewable energy into the electric grid and renewable energy access for economically disadvantaged communities — which happen to be two of Su’s research interests. Currently, Chawda is working on some foundational research on high-frequency AC microgrids — a technology that many researchers and industry experts see as vital for modernizing the electric grid so it can accommodate more renewable energy and battery storage. Chawda says one of the other big perks of the position is that he gets to work as a lecturer — the first time he’s had the opportunity to teach students outside of a lab setting.

Moreover, it’s also been an exciting time for his family. His wife and daughter accompanied him for this adventure in the United States, and Chawda says his daughter loves her school in Dearborn Heights. “She’s always so excited to come home and show me what she’s done at school,” he says. “The American education system is a lot different. In India, I would say it’s more focused on books and, here, students seem to do a lot of activities. For example, she came home the other day and was so proud to show me the house that she built.” Like Li, Chawda says he’s hoping to find a faculty position at an American university after his postdoc and thinks having that experience on his CV will boost his chances of success.

Aside from the professional benefits to postdoctoral researchers, Vassileva-Clarke says there are huge benefits for their faculty supervisors. “The impact is tremendous. Postdoctoral researchers are just so helpful to faculty members because they are already trained and highly skilled, so they can help a faculty member with so many things that are so time consuming, like proposal writing, hands-on research in the lab, or research training and mentoring of students,” Vassileva-Clarke says. “PhD students are super helpful too, but you still have to train them, advise them, and then some of them find out research is not their calling. So a postdoc really extends the bandwidth of the faculty member.”

Assistant Professor of Organic Chemistry Christos Constantinides
Photo by Annie Barker

Assistant Professor of Organic Chemistry Christos Constantinides can vouch for that. As an early-career faculty member working towards tenure, he was excited to recently land a large grant from the U.S. Department of Energy supporting research that could improve nuclear magnetic resonance-based technologies like MRI. But with a demanding course load teaching organic chemistry to undergraduates, he frankly needs help with the very labor-intensive, advanced chemistry that the DOE-funded project demands. A postdoc was really his only option, since some of the work is too advanced for the undergraduate students he’ll also be hiring for the project, and his department doesn’t have a PhD program he can use to recruit doctoral students.

When he posted the position, Constantinides was surprised to get 65 applicants. He finds that pretty encouraging given that 51��Ƶ-Dearborn just recently earned an R2 designation and he’s still in the process of making his name in the field. But as someone who did a three-year postdoc himself, which he says is a prerequisite to getting a tenure-track position in his discipline, Constantinides gets the logic. “You can go work for a big name at a big university, and if everything goes well, you’ll get your publications and, most importantly, get a letter of recommendation from your mentor. You’re basically going to get a job at that point. But if you don’t get the letter, it can be the kiss of death,” Constantinides says. “That big name — you’re going to see that person maybe one or two hours a week. And, frankly, they don’t need the publications. Me, though? I need the papers. So if you come work with me, you’re going to get more support, more mentorship and hopefully more publications. It’s kind of a gamble either way, but for some people, this postdoc opportunity is going to feel like a good bet.”

###

Story by Lou Blouin

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

Natural Sciences

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Office of Research

Off

Mon, 03/31/2025 - 16:31

Postdoctoral researchers on campus are another sign of 51��Ƶ-Dearborn’s growing research culture. But what exactly do postdocs do, and why can they be a game changer for university research?

Postdoctoral researcher Gajendra Singh Chawda is currently researching high-frequency AC microgrids with Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Wencong Su. Photo by Annie Barker

Preserving student life through film

stuxbury — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 14:07:42 +0000

Preserving student life through film stuxbury Mon, 03/31/2025 - 10:07

The Oscars may be over, but there’s a red-carpet event happening at the university this week. Senior Sydney McKinney-Williams’ documentary debut takes place at a U-M tri-campus event on Friday.

“With group projects, I’ve shown at film festivals before, but this is my first red carpet. It’s a film about university history that, when looking back, will be an important moment in my own history,” says McKinney-Williams, a journalism and media production major who produced and directed the short movie. “There were a lot of people at U-M who helped me make this film happen and I was able to connect with alumni going back to the 1970s.”

The film will premiere at the Inclusive History Project Summit, which explores histories of inclusion and exclusion at U-M, at 3:45 p.m. Friday, April 4. The summit takes place from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn’s Fairlane Center North. This event is free and open to the public but registration is encouraged. Browse the day’s sessions and register.

The Inclusive History Project is a multiyear University of Michigan presidential initiative designed to study and document a comprehensive history of the university’s three campuses and Michigan Medicine that is attentive to previously overlooked, underrepresented voices.

“IHP projects, like Sydney’s, are a way for our campus to find and claim its collective voice in university history,” says Professor of History Cam Amin, who also serves as director of research for the IHP at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn. “Quoting the Whos in Whoville, ‘We are here, we are here, we are here.’ The variety of projects done through IHP feature the good and bad legacies of our past and can help us chart a better future. We have to understand that past and the way it resonates now.”

During the summit, participants can learn about research, engagement and teaching taking place across the three campuses. The event will also include a hands-on archiving workshop l, and presentations on student-led projects. There will be opportunities for members of the U-M community to share stories about the university at a recording booth led by Associate Professor of Journalism and Media Production Jennifer Proctor and Instructional Learning Assistant Rick Marrone.

IHP Co-chair Elizabeth R. Cole says the IHP initiative — and the daylong summit — is about raising up and celebrating all the people who have made the U-M community what it is, while also looking at the full history of the university’s past and present in an effort to build awareness when planning for the future.

“The Inclusive History Project examines the past, but by no means is it backward-facing — it’s an investment in our future. It’s important to keep in mind what people will need 50 years from now when telling the university’s story,” says Cole, who is a 51��Ƶ-Ann Arbor professor of Women's and Gender Studies, psychology and Afroamerican and African Studies “Sydney’s work is one example of how the university community is contributing to this collective effort. She brings her major, her classroom training and her passion together for her film about the BSU. I love Sydney’s project.”

Funded through a $3,000 IHP grant, McKinney-Williams’ 30-minute film features interviews with 51��Ƶ-Dearborn alums from the past 50 years. They discuss their time in the Black Student Union, its beginnings, its purpose for members, traditions and more.

McKinney-Williams, who’s the current BSU vice president, says the organization, which is open to every student, has helped her navigate the stress of the pandemic, political landscape challenges and personal struggles. “The Black Student Union is a welcoming group that brings people together to have fun. It’s also a place where you can go to discuss what you are seeing and/or experiencing in the Black community,” she says.

McKinney-Williams credits a capstone course during her junior year as the spark for “Uncovering.” As her idea was taking shape, McKinney-Williams’ instructor — Assistant Professor of Journalism and Media Production Adam Sekuler — liked the BSU topic, but noticed some gaps in the film’s narrative. “In my proposal, I said I wanted to feature the Black Student Union, talking about what we are currently doing and our future plans. Professor Sekuler let me know that I was missing how it started. I explained that’s because we have no idea,” she says. Sekuler then told her about the IHP grant. “He told me that he found a way for me to expand my project if I wanted to,” McKinney-Williams says. “That’s how this all came to be.”

The IHP grant allowed her to purchase better equipment, cover travel expenses for alums who agreed to be interviewed and cover some production costs. “This documents an important history about a student org at our university that even the members didn’t know. The Black Student Union now has its history preserved so future members can learn about it and we’re so appreciative,” says McKinney-Williams, who joined the IHP team as a student advisory member after receiving the grant.

Through the oral histories collected, McKinney-Williams — who was advised by Sekuler and Journalism and Media Production Teaching Professor Anthony Luckett during the project — learned about the evolution of the BSU, social movements encouraging people to join, and about the campuswide events put on by the student organization. “One was called the Blackout Barbecue and it would take place by the pond. Everyone was invited to come by for food and games and to learn how to do the ‘Hustle’,” McKinney-Williams says. “I’m about to give everyone an inside scoop — the Black Student Union wants to bring that back.”

The film, which debuts on Friday, is one way to document student voices and experiences — which is an important part of the IHP mission. In addition to the red carpet, photo opportunities and screening, there will be a panel discussion, popcorn and refreshments.

McKinney-Williams, who plans to submit “Uncovering” to film festivals, says her motivation was to document life at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn. Through the class project and IHP support, she not only did that — she also made something that will be preserved in the U-M archives.

To McKinney-Williams, that is an ultimate honor. “Sometimes we don’t realize what’s missing until it’s long gone. IHP helped us get our history back and now we are going to take better care of it. Who knows, maybe in 15 or 20 years, someone will see this film and make a part two,” she says. “My hope was to share the story of the Black Student Union and give people something to build upon as time goes on. I hope by people watching it, they can get ideas on how to preserve their histories too.”

51��Ƶ-Dearborn faculty, staff and students speaking at the IHP Summit include Amin, Proctor, McKinney-Williams, Morrone, Professor of Sociology Pamela Aronson, Assistant Professor of Human Services Finn Bell, Associate Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies Amy Brainer, Professor of History Martin Hershock, Digital Humanities Coordinator for IHP-Dearborn Marlaine Magewick, Professor of Health and Human Services Lisa Martin, Professor of Geology Jacob Napieralski and Mardigian Library Assistant Archivist Hannah Zmuda, with 51��Ƶ-Dearborn alum Leah Olijade serving as the emcee.

Story by Sarah Tuxbury

University History

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

Off

Mon, 03/31/2025 - 14:05

Senior Sydney McKinney-Williams explores an important part of university history with her documentary, ‘Uncovering: History of the Black Student Union,’ which debuts at Friday’s Inclusive History Project Summit.

Senior Sydney McKinney-Williams will show her documentary at the Inclusive History Project Summit on Friday. Photo by Annie Barker

Serving women who’ve served their country

stuxbury — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 18:08:46 +0000

Serving women who’ve served their country stuxbury Wed, 03/26/2025 - 14:08

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bipartisan bill to create a Michigan license plate for women veterans last November. The request for the license plate came from women veterans themselves — and grew from a 51��Ƶ-Dearborn-facilitated effort.

Students Katie Dreher and Hannah Stovall participated in the “Same Mission, Many Stories: Dialogues with Women Veterans” project at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn. They helped facilitate conversations with women veterans, giving them opportunities to share their experiences and listen to the stories of others. The students shared their findings at the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency’s Women Veterans Conference in fall 2023.

“We presented a list of what women veterans wanted during a statewide veterans conference, including the license plate,” Dreher says. “These women have already given so much. I was proud to give them a voice in front of all those people.”

“Same Mission, Many Stories” — an initiative of Michigan Humanities’ Community Conversations program — took place at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn and Saginaw Valley State University in 2023 and included women veterans from all branches of the military.

At 51��Ƶ-Dearborn, 25 metro Detroit-area veterans participated in facilitated discussions — led by Professor of Sociology Francine Banner, Professor of Health and Human Services Lisa Martin and students — about challenges they faced while serving in the military. 51��Ƶ-Dearborn’s Veterans Affairs Coordinator Tom Pitock reached out through his many military service-related networks across the state to let women veterans know about this opportunity.

Professor of Sociology Francine Banner

Martin — who is also 51��Ƶ-Dearborn’s Women and Gender Studies program director — says the “Same Mission, Many Stories” project not only reached policymakers, it also documented the history of challenges facing women veterans. “We need to record these narratives to better understand people’s life experiences so that they can be properly addressed. With the erasure that is happening in today’s society, work like this is so important. We don’t want to lose history, even when it’s a difficult topic to look at. We need to learn from it,” says Martin, noting that all participating veterans were assured anonymity since many of them talked about traumatic experiences.

“These veterans have experienced difficult emotional fallouts from their workplace that includes silence, shame and isolation. Sharing stories in a group setting builds connection and trust and reduces isolation,” Martin continues.

Stovall, a senior who transferred to 51��Ƶ-Ann Arbor last year and is majoring in public health, says the six weeks of facilitation training and practice she received prepared her to guide discussions. Stovall learned methods to move conversations forward in engaging and productive ways, such as using open-ended prompts, demonstrating nonverbal cues like nodding, and redirecting discussions when they stray too far from the topic at hand. For example, Stovall and Dreher used a picture of a service person coming home from deployment and being greeted by family to encourage the veterans to open up about their experiences. Martin notes that this technique is one way to spark a deep, complex conversation without making any one person’s feel too vulnerable.

Professor of Health and Human Services Lisa Martin

Banner — who, along with Martin, supported the students during the sessions — says the photo elicited feelings of reconnection and concerns about reacclimation. It also brought up challenges women veterans face after coming home. “The need for child care and women's health care services was frequently brought up,” she says. “Many of the conversations had a similar theme — there need to be more resources that focus on the needs of women veterans.”

There are more than 230,000 women actively serving in the military today. “Women are serving in combat zones in very dangerous situations. When looking at the contemporary military and the women who are actively serving, that’s more than 17 percent, but they are still marginalized and their service is not recognized at the same level,” Banner says. “But they have challenges that men do not because they have to navigate a very masculine environment while in the service and afterward when working with the VA. As more women continue to join the military and serve their country, it’s important to look at ways to help these service members and veterans be supported and seen.”

Other recurring themes in the conversations included sexual harassment and assault, the improper fit of male-designed equipment, the job pressures of post-pregnancy weight loss, a lack of women-focused health care services and interacting with people who assume a male partner is the veteran.

Ashley Ross, the former director of programs and a current facilitator with Michigan Humanities, says the work that took place at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn impacted programming across the state. “During the 2023 conference, the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency took note. They realized that these conversations were getting people to listen and to share their needs. The MVAA became interested in expanding this work,” she says.

A second phase of the project will expand to all 10 of the MVAA’s regions — which covers the entire state — and will include additional underrepresented populations in the military. Banner will continue to be involved with the program as an advisor. “We are going to use the dialogue model we used at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn and expand it so we can bring different voices into the conversation, for example the experiences of African American veterans and LGBTQ veterans,” Banner says.

Ross says the intent is to continue to connect veterans with government agencies and policymakers. “We know that change cannot always be made, especially right away,” Ross says. “But if people listen to each other and a trust is built, more productive conversations can take place that can lead to a place of understanding. This project shows how important it is just to be heard and acknowledged.”

And that is where the license plate — which will be out in November 2025, according to the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency — comes in.

“The women wanted a license plate because it is one tangible way for these veterans to feel seen. One veteran told us about how she has a standard veterans license plate on her car and people often tell her to thank her husband for his service. When she shared her story, others said the same thing had happened to them,” says Dreher, who graduated with a degree in psychology last semester and is preparing for graduate school while working as a Michigan School of Medicine Research Assistant intern in pediatric neuropsychology.

Dreher and Stovall saw how beneficial the “Same Mission, Many Stories” project was and say it was a memorable experience that will guide them as they enter therapy-based careers in health settings.

“With a future career in public health, I want to learn about different interventions that benefit people — and veterans are such a huge part of the population,” Stovall says. “Hearing the experiences these women have had let me know that extra support is needed to lift them up. The ‘Same Mission, Many Stories’ program helped me see how I could do that by creating a community, encouraging people to share their stories and advocating for their needs.”

Story by Sarah Tuxbury

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

Behavioral Sciences

College of Education, Health, and Human Services

Health and Human Services

Off

Wed, 03/26/2025 - 18:08

“Same Mission, Many Stories” gave women veterans a safe place to share their experiences and needs, while providing 51��Ƶ-Dearborn students with therapy-based skills to use in their future careers.

Students Hannah Stovall, left, and Katie Dreher participated in the “Same Mission, Many Stories" project. In this 2023 photo, they presented at the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency’s Women Veterans Conference. Photo by Lisa Martin

Understanding cultural beliefs to bridge mental health literacy gaps

stuxbury — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 18:20:28 +0000

Understanding cultural beliefs to bridge mental health literacy gaps stuxbury Wed, 03/19/2025 - 14:20

Clinical Health Psychology graduate student Abirami Suthan is passionate about mental health. Many times, people can point to an accolade or interest that influenced their career choice. For Suthan, it was a person.

When Suthan was an undergraduate student and a resident assistant at the University of Toronto, she held weekly meetings. One of Suthan’s favorite residents, CJ, who was an international student from India, would always be there and ready to help. Then CJ stopped showing up. “When I noticed a shift in her behavior, I reached out. CJ told me she was having suicidal thoughts, but was fearful to seek help. When she was in high school in India, a teacher she confided in suspended CJ after she shared that she was having these thoughts,” says Suthan, who helped CJ make a counseling appointment and walked her to the first session. “CJ has since graduated and is now doing well. Years later, her experience still affects me. Being from the South Asian culture myself, I know how deeply stigma shapes our responses to suicide. I needed to do something more to address this."

Suthan — who was raised by Sri Lankan parents and grew up in a South Asian American neighborhood in Texas — says there's a pattern of silence and shame around mental health in her community. To address this, Suthan became focused on educating herself and others.

Suthan, who started at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn in Fall 2023 and has an undergraduate degree in psychology and anthropology, is working on her thesis, "Cultural Identity and Suicide in South Asian Americans." She’s looking at age, cultural perspectives, mental health literacy, societal stigma and more.

To do this, Suthan — who’s advised by Psychology Professor Nancy Wrobel — created a survey that asks a variety of questions aimed at South Asian American-identifying adults aged 18 to 60 to gauge what people believe about mental health and suicide and how it’s tied to their cultural identities. Her research work is funded by an EXP+ Graduate Student Independent Research grant, which allows Suthan to compensate survey participants for their time.

“I believe suicide prevention work in a community starts with destigmatization and understanding cultural beliefs,” says Suthan, who chose 51��Ƶ-Dearborn for graduate school because of the faculty expertise and its clinical-based experiences. “For example, if someone believes depression is due to laziness and can be fixed through working harder — that’s one belief I’ve heard in my community — mental health literacy efforts can be made to explain how conditions are biological and psychological.” She’s also looking at how South Asian and American identities can be at odds with one another — one is more of a collective mindset and the other is more about the individual, respectively — and ways to bring those closer together. “I want to know, ‘How can we balance the norms of both cultures?’”

Suthan says her research didn’t start with suicide in mind. It began with a curiosity about mental health resources and how much they were accessed by South Asian Americans. “There was quite a bit of research on this and it says access is minimal because there are lots of stigma barriers,” she says. “Then I noticed a huge literature gap on South Asian American beliefs about suicide — there’s barely anything out there. I wanted to help find answers.” Data about South Asian Americans and suicide was so scarce that she looked to the United Kingdom, a comparable Western society to the United States, for statistics. Suthan found that South Asians in the UK were three times more likely to commit suicide and South Asian women were 7.8 times more likely to inflict self-harm than their white counterparts. “I’m not entirely sure why there is a lack of data in the U.S.,” Suthan says. “But it’s an issue that needs to be addressed.”

Suthan and her research took first place at the recent Three Minute Thesis Competition at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn. The competition, run by the Office of Graduate Studies, provides an opportunity for graduate-level students to share their research in three minutes or less in an uncomplicated and easy-to-understand way. Suthan will represent the university at the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools regional competition from April 2 to 4 in Indianapolis. “I’m looking forward to representing 51��Ƶ-Dearborn and having a larger audience to talk with about this research gap in the South Asian American community and what I plan to do about it,” she says.

Suthan says she has identified participants for her survey, which will be sent out soon. And she’s hoping the answers show trends that will give insight for next steps in building bridges between the South Asian American community and mental health literacy.

Suthan has seen how education can open conversations to create change in her own family. When she first told her parents — who lived through the Sri Lankan Civil War — that she wanted to pursue a career in psychology, they had negative feelings about her working in mental health. But, knowing her parents' story about leaving their country because of a war and relocating nearly 10,000 miles away with nothing but hope for a better life, puts things in perspective. “Honestly, it helps me understand why mental health was put on the back burner for them. It was just about survival — it’s hard to think beyond that when your basic needs aren’t being met. Many people from South Asian communities have this type of trauma,” Suthan says. “But once things have stabilized, there is an opportunity to go beyond the physical needs.”

Now, Suthan says her mother sends her journal and magazine clippings about careers in suicide prevention and mental health. “It was once a topic that wasn’t discussed and now she is sending me articles and making comments on how interesting they are. She is now my biggest supporter. And my father, even though he was skeptical when I first chose this career path, is one of my biggest cheerleaders,” she says.

Suthan says she has hopes that educating the South Asian American community in a way that embraces cultural awareness will open doors for more South Asian therapists, more research studies and an increased acceptance of mental health needs.

These would all help to realize the ultimate goal of suicide prevention. “I love my community and I come from some very resilient people. But, even when we don’t talk about it, trauma still exists,” she says. “Imagine how much better life would be if we took care of each other now — before it is too late.”

Story by Sarah Tuxbury

Research

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

Behavioral Sciences

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Wed, 03/19/2025 - 18:18

Three Minute Thesis Competition winner Abirami Suthan’s research looks to open doors for mental health care acceptance in South Asian American communities.

Graduate student Abirami Suthan won the 2025 Three Minute Thesis Competition at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn. Photo by Annie Barker

Reconstructing a life through letters

stuxbury — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 15:13:37 +0000

Reconstructing a life through letters stuxbury Mon, 03/17/2025 - 11:13

Surrounded by nearly 1,000 handwritten letters in an attic, History Professor Anna Müller got a front-row seat to what it was like to live throughout the historic turmoil of the 20th century.

The letters — written by a Polish Jewish woman named Tonia Lechtman — documented wars, prisons and the efforts to rebuild Poland through the eyes of someone who experienced all of these things. The letters included the ways Lechtman’s life was connected to anti-British actions in Palestine during the 1930s, as well as the Spanish Civil War, the Nazi occupation of France, Auschwitz, the Cold War and more.

“Tonia just tried to live day to day, just like you and me. She was an ordinary person. But the world around her was not ordinary. It was collapsing. Even through adversity, she made decisions influenced by kindness and care,” says Müller, recalling that Lechtman, who lived from 1918 to 1996, helped reconnect war orphans with surviving family members

After nearly a decade working with Lechtman’s children, reading the letters from the attic and tracing the government paper trail Lechtman left behind, Müller documented Lechtman’s life in her most recent book, “An Ordinary Life? The Journeys of Tonia Lechtman.” In it, Müller follows Lechtman’s life through multiple countries — Poland, Palestine, Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland and Israel — during some of the most pivotal and cataclysmal decades of the 20th century.

The book cover for "An Ordinary Life? The Journeys of Tonia Lechtman"

“In most of those places, she lived on the margins of society,” Müller says. “She wanted a better world than the one she saw around her. She wanted to create a safe space for her small children. She wanted to do what she could to help others. I think many of us can identify with that.”

However, Lechtman’s efforts came at a personal cost. “Tonia’s decisions, along with her identity, got her followed by governments, imprisoned and tortured,” says Müller, who shares that Lechtman identified as a Jewish woman, feminist, communist, refugee and migrant. “Tonia lived into her 70s and later reflected on if the struggle was worth it. She never said it wasn't.”

Born in Lodz, Poland, Lechtman moved to Palestine with her parents in the 1930s as a teen because of rising antisemitism in Poland. In Palestine, when Lechtman was aged about 19, she advocated for Palestinians, who were displaced due to immigration waves — and she was imprisoned and later exiled by the British, who controlled the land at the time.

With a man she met and married in Palestine, Lechtman relocated to France in 1937. Her husband then left to join the Spanish Civil War, leaving her with two young children. After the Nazis occupied Paris in 1940, Lechtman was sent to Nexon, a French internment camp near Limoges. She was rounded up for transport to Auschwitz in 1942. But a June 15, 1942 memorandum from SS Captain Theodor Dannecker said children under 16 should be excluded from the Final Solution. And Lechtman had two. “From my research, there isn't a more direct answer on why Tonia eluded Auschwitz, but we know she was excluded from being sent there,” Müller says.

Lechtman’s husband, Sioma, was sent to Auschwitz after fighting on the losing side during the Spanish Civil War. He died there. After Lechtman’s release from the Nexon internment camp, she fled to Switzerland as a refugee in 1942 and returned to her homeland of Poland in 1946 to help rebuild the country.

Tonia and Sioma Lechtman, circa 1937

Once back in Poland, Lechtman was impacted by the Cold War, Müller says. Suspicious of American influences, the Soviet-controlled Polish government imprisoned Lechtman from 1949 to 1954 because of the American ties she made through her humanitarian work. For example, Lechtman helped set up a hospital in southern Poland with the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Aid.

“Even when she made it back to her homeland, dictatorships continued to deprive her of freedom. While in that prison, she was severely beaten, lost all of her teeth and, after prison, she was subjected to electroshock therapy for mental health treatment,” Müller says. “In a letter Tonia wrote after she got out, she said that she didn’t regret the choices that she made.” She stayed in Poland to support her country following her release until 1971, when Lechtman moved to Israel to be closer to her grandchildren and daughter, Vera, who relocated there as an adult. During that time, Poland was experiencing another wave of antisemitism.

“It’s incredible what Tonia lived through,” Müller says. “Even after she was released from prison, she maintained this calm, positive outlook and talked about helping people in her letters. She kept saying that it was going to be OK.”

Müller, who is from Poland, learned about Lechtman in 2010 while doing research about women in Polish prisons. One of the former female prisoners Müller spoke with for that research work mentioned Lechtman and Müller wanted to learn more about her.

Müller knew that Lechtman had died, but she reached out to Lechtman’s children. During a conversation with Lechtman’s daughter Vera, Müller learned there were letters in Vera’s attic written by her mother that spanned more than 50 years. The first one was written when she was a child, around age 8, while vacationing in Poland. Letters continued throughout her life, on average of three or four a month. They were from prisons, the Swiss refugee camp, the French internment camp and more.

Müller says the source material drew her into the project. But getting to know Lechtman through the letters — which were written in Polish, French, German and Hebrew — encouraged her to write the book.

“We often hear interesting family stories during historic times that were passed down, but we often don’t have documentation to back them up,” Müller says. “Famous people are written about more because their lives are documented in the news or very often they write their histories themselves. Ordinary people usually don’t have that, even when things are extraordinary. However, in this case, because all these letters were saved, I was able to connect the dots and reconstruct her story.”

Now Lechtman’s life, which was once remembered through family stories and letters in an attic, is out there for the world to read.

Interested in learning more about Müller’s book or having her speak at an event regarding her research? Contact Müller here.

Story by Sarah Tuxbury

Faculty Research

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

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Mon, 03/17/2025 - 15:11

History Professor Anna Müller read through handwritten letters that spanned 50-plus years and several countries to share the story of an ordinary woman who lived during an extraordinary time.

History Professor Anna Müller documented Tonia Lechtman’s life in Müller most recent book, “An Ordinary Life? The Journeys of Tonia Lechtman.” Photo by Sarah Tuxbury

51��Ƶ-Dearborn earns R2 research designation

lblouin — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 12:34:13 +0000

51��Ƶ-Dearborn earns R2 research designation lblouin Wed, 02/26/2025 - 07:34

By every big metric that Vice Provost for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies Armen Zakarian tracks, 51��Ƶ-Dearborn’s research enterprise is on a tear. The big top line stat: Since 2018, externally funded research expenditures have nearly tripled, increasing from $4.8 million to a projected $13.2 million for FY25. Earlier this month, that growth led to a reclassification of 51��Ƶ-Dearborn as an R2 institution, a designation from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education for universities that award at least 20 research doctorates and have $5 million average annual research spending. It’s the first time the university has received this designation. 51��Ƶ-Dearborn Chancellor Domenico Grasso says the honorific is, without a doubt, an important new feather in the cap for the university. But, for him, the real achievement is all the work that it’s a reflection of. “This recognizes something which we already accomplished — and that is great and I’m very proud of that — but we were going to do it anyway. And honestly, we’re not even satisfied with where we are. There remains enormous untapped potential, so this is really just the start for us,” Grasso says.

So how did we get here? Zakarian and Grasso point to a number of contributing factors. Flash back to 2018 and Zakarian says you’d see an institution where research was “recognized but not prioritized.” The tone changed when Grasso came in and made growing the university’s research and scholarly output one of his top priorities. “In my view, distinguished universities are defined by a faculty comprising scholar-teachers. To my mind, the definition of a professor is someone who is a scholar at the forefront of their field, sharing their passion, knowledge and discoveries with their students,” Grasso says. “Even in the elite small liberal arts schools in New England, where they are known for their focus on educating undergraduate students, the faculty are active scholars.” Zakarian says the administration endorsed that model and supported faculty with larger investments in research development and pre- and post-award support, so researchers could get assistance securing and administering grants.

Aside from the messaging and support from leadership, Zakarian thinks three other things helped set the stage for the explosive research growth the university has seen over the past few years. First, he says faculty consistently cite a shortage of time as their biggest impediment to building their research careers. So some departments decided to lighten the teaching load from three to two courses per semester. The second big factor: the sanctioning of the College of Engineering and Computer Science doctoral programs by U-M’s Rackham Graduate School in 2019. That affiliation meant the programs had to meet the same rigorous standards as doctoral programs on the Ann Arbor campus, which boosted 51��Ƶ-Dearborn’s prestige and ability to recruit top PhD students. This helped faculty recruit valuable talent to power their labs, which further eased their time/labor burden. Finally, Zakarian says when filling faculty vacancies, colleges prioritized hiring ambitious, early-career, research-focused scholars who had the potential to become leaders in their fields.

Then, of course, there’s something to be said for momentum. As some of the above changes started to take root, a few faculty started landing bigger grants, and a larger share of the awards were coming from federal funders, like the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy and Department of Defense. “We used to get very few million dollar grants. But it just took a few teams to do that and then we started getting more,” Zakarian says. “You basically reach a point where I think people are looking at what each other are doing, and the mood shifts. Now, we are approaching $85 million in submitted proposals, which I think is just incredible. And the number of proposals hasn’t gone up by a whole lot. That means faculty are more confident going for bigger and bigger grants. Frankly, that’s what it’s going to take. It would be difficult for us to reach the next level, $200,000 at a time.”

Zakarian says the university has also reached a point where the research enterprise has a fairly broad base. “When I think about how sustainable this is, I’m basically looking at whether this is just a handful of people bringing in the big dollar amounts. But it’s much broader than that,” he says. Moreover, while engineering disciplines are responsible for the largest share of the research growth, Zakarian says other disciplines, particularly in the natural sciences, are starting to develop the same momentum. Last year, with engineering in a good spot, the Office of Research made it a priority to assist faculty in the natural sciences. That resulted in several big research grants in biology and chemistry from national funders, including the National Institutes of Health and Department of Energy. Looking ahead, Zakarian and Grasso say the most untapped potential lies in those disciplines, along with computer science, artificial intelligence, and health and human services — the latter of which could also be targeting NIH grants, one of the national funders with the biggest budget.

Grasso notes, however, that realizing that potential now faces some new political hurdles. The Trump administration has pursued several measures that directly disrupt university research, including attempting to severely cut the amount of indirect costs covered by NIH grants, layoffs at the National Science Foundation and pauses by grant review committees. “This is a significant threat,” Grasso says. “I understand the desire to be cost conscious and efficient. But research has been the fuel in the engine that has powered this country, whether you’re talking about revolutionary medications, transistors, AI or practically everything that has changed the world — it all has roots in research — and many of those roots found a home in American soil. To hamper this is incredibly reckless and foolhardy.”

Even within the climate, Zakarian says the R2 designation and what it represents should help keep the momentum going. “Obviously, a lot of this goes back to our ability to recruit and retain top faculty, and I think this designation really does help us communicate that if you are really ambitious and you want to build a strong research program, you can do it here. It says, ‘We’re open for business. We have the resources and the vision. Others have done it, you can do it too.’”

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Story by Lou Blouin

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

College of Business

College of Education, Health, and Human Services

College of Engineering and Computer Science

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Wed, 02/26/2025 - 12:33

The recognition follows six years of rapid growth in which externally funded research spending at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn has nearly tripled. So how did we get here? And what’s next?

Associate Professor Dr. Zhi Zhang (not pictured) and Assistant Professor Jie Fan (pictured, middle) recently landed a $465,000 grant from the NIH. Large federal grants helped power 51��Ƶ-Dearborn to an R2 designation in 2025. Photo by Julianne Lindsay