Community
UDM News for our Neighbors
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Becoming A Better U takes place on March 22
Thursday February 20, 2025
Cultivate a culture of lifelong learning at Detroit Mercy’s Becoming a Better U.
This annual event hosted by Alumni Relations takes place on March 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom on the McNichols Campus and is created for the entire Detroit Mercy community to expand their horizons within their professional careers and personal lives.
The cost of this event is $10.
The schedule of events is as follows:
Breakfast Keynote: 9 a.m.
- Addiction Policy: What Actually Works? America’s addiction epidemic has been an unrelenting assault upon all communities–rich and poor alike–and has been getting progressively worse for over two decades. This keynote presentation will help attendees to understand what the different interventions are, how they work, who they work for and how we can make changes in our national strategy to better apply what the data tells us.
Session 1: 10:15-11:15 a.m.
- Local Food Sources and Their Local Impact: Learn how locally grown food can positively impact Detroit’s food supply and why it is important to support local farming efforts. This discussion will also provide tips for improving the yield of your own garden.
- Say Yes to Sustainability: An interactive discussion on things anyone can do in their everyday lives to help reduce their carbon footprint.
- The Michigan Opioid Crisis — Responding with Narcan: Discover the origins of the opioid crisis and take a look at the latest statistics of opioid overdose in Michigan. You will also learn how to detect a potential opioid overdose and save a life through the administration of Narcan (naloxone). All attendees will receive a free Narcan kit.
Session 2: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- What is the Meaning of Lent in Catholic Christianity? Ascetic practices are a common feature in almost all major world religions. This session offers you a chance to reflect on the meaning and significance of Lent in Catholic Christianity and help you have an appreciation for fasting, prayer, abstinence, penance and alms giving, which are the main practices and rituals associated with Lenten observance.
- Staying Active Longer: Discuss the latest developments in effective ways to improve your health and reduce your risk so you can live a healthy, long life.
- Demystifying AI: Simplifying Tasks and Elevating Your Life: Unlock the potential of Artificial Intelligence to make your daily life more productive, efficient and enjoyable. This interactive session breaks down the basics of AI and demonstrates how it can be used to simplify everyday tasks and bring a touch of fun into your routine. Whether you’re new to AI or curious about how it works, you’ll discover practical tips to harness the power of this transformative technology in ways that matter to you.
A photographer will also be available throughout the morning to take professional headshots for all participants. Please only one sitting for each.
The Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry will provide 2 CEU’s for any participant attending both the Keynote and the Narcan Presentations.
For any questions please reach out to Alumni Relations at 313-993-1540 or alumni@udmercy.edu.
Register here!
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PRIME Center’s sixth speaker series event features Mike Kaufmann, March 12
Thursday February 20, 2025
Join the Detroit Mercy College of Business Administration‘s Center for Practice & Research in Management & Ethics (PRIME Center) for “Perspectives on Leadership,” featuring Mike Kaufmann, former CEO of the pharmaceutical segment of Cardinal Health. Kaufmann was the 2023 recipient of the Nexus Award for Lifetime Achievement, the healthcare distribution industry’s highest individual achievement. He will share lessons on leadership and advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).This event will take place on March 12 at 5 p.m. in the Student Union Fountain Lounge on the McNichols Campus. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and learn from a respected leader in the field.
This event is free and open to the public with advanced registration. Refreshments will be provided.
Register Here! -
Second Creative Writing Collective of winter term set for Feb. 26
Thursday February 20, 2025
Detroit Mercy students, staff, faculty, alumni and friends are invited to join a special online gathering of UDM’s Creative Writing Collective (CWC) on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 5:30 p.m. Please register below and a Zoom link will be provided.Associate Professor of English Rosemary Weatherston will lead a conversation on “Monsters and the Monstrous.”
No writing experience is necessary to join the CWC! You are welcome if you have an interest in exploring or developing your creative inclinations.
Save the date for future Creative Writing Collective dates this semester: Monday, March 24, 5:30 p.m., Briggs Building, Room 301.
Please contact english@udmercy.edu with questions or to join the CWC mailing list. Keep up with the Detroit Mercy English Department on Instagram and Facebook @detroitmercyenglish.
Register here! -
Triptych reading series features poet K-Ming Chang on Feb. 27
Thursday February 20, 2025
Detroit Mercy’s English Department welcomes poet K-Ming Chang, who will read for the 2025 Triptych series on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom.
Chang is a Lambda Literary Award winner, a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree and an O. Henry Prize Winner. Chang is the author of the New York Times Book Review Editors’ choice novel Bestiary, which was long-listed for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award and the Otherwise Award. Chang’s books have been translated into Spanish, Chinese, Korean, German, Turkish and other languages.
Chang’s next two books, a horror novel and short story collection, are forthcoming. Chang’s writing is most frequently described as “not for everybody” and occasionally described as “for the freaks.”
Now in its third year, Triptych is a virtual reading series featuring award-winning poets in conversation with Detroit Mercy’s poet-in-residence, Stacy Gnall. Triptych events are held via Zoom on Thursdays from 6:30-8 p.m. Triptych readings are free and open to the community!
SAVE THE DATE for author Aracelis Girmay on March 20.
Register here!
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CBA alumni week features keynote event with Eric Hespenheide ’75
Wednesday February 19, 2025
Eric Hespenheide ’75, a Marketing and Accounting graduate and former CEO and chair of the Board of the Global Reporting Initiative, responsible for creating measurement standards for a sustainable planet, will be the keynote speaker during the College of Business Administration‘s alumni week.Hespenheide will provide a presentation on “Accounting for Climate Change.”
The FREE event is set for Thursday, March 20 at 5:30 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom. This event is open to the public, and refreshments will be available at 5 p.m.
Interested participants are asked to reserve tickets at the link below by March 12.
REGISTER HERE!
Resources, Centers and Clinics
Center for Social Entrepreneurship
The Center provides business expertise and acumen as well as mentors to assist local entrepreneurs, beginning with the “Boost” workshop that aids entrepreneurs in developing business plans to achieve a greater social impact.
Counseling Clinic
The clinic provides no-cost counseling services to Detroit residents who otherwise may not have access to mental health services.
Dental Center
Detroit Mercy Dental offers dental services and education through two clinics, nine outreach clinics, a mobile dental clinic and a school-based dental sealant program.
Titan Equity Nourish Network (TENN)
TENN is a student-led and community-driven food justice program that delivers fresh produce to 60 families in New Martin Park Neighborhood and 80 seniors at Theresa Maxis Senior Apartments.
Detroit Collaborative Design Center
The design center provides design services to non-profit community and civic organizations to engage communities and enhance neighborhoods.
Detroit Mercy Eye Institute
The Detroit Mercy Eye Institute includes the state-of-the-art equipment and technology needed to diagnose, monitor, and treat numerous eye conditions. The clinic will also provide affordable eyecare to the uninsured and vulnerable populations.
Law Clinics
Detroit Mercy Law provides legal assistance to Detroit area residents through six clinics: Immigration Law Clinic, SADO Criminal Appellate Clinic, Criminal Trial Clinic, Veterans Law Clinic, Juvenile Law Appellate Clinic and Intellectual Property Law Clinic.
Pre-College Programs
Detroit area students in grades 4-12 participate in more than 15 outreach programs annually through Saturday classes, summer camps, and innovative curricula in the sciences, technology engineering, mathematics, architecture and design.
Psychology Clinic
The Psychology Clinic provides assessment and counseling services for approximately 300 clients annually. Fees are based on ability to pay.
Rx for Reading Program
This program increases access to children’s books and supports families in reading to their children. The program has distributed more than 2,000 children’s books a month at a variety of locations, including low-income health, dental and WIC clinics; homeless shelters; and Head Start programs.
Alliances and Initiatives
Reimagining the Civic Commons
University of Detroit Mercy serves as one of the institutional anchors for the “Reimaging the Civic Commons” initiative, which is funded through the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation grant. The initiative focuses on the City of Detroit’s neighborhood revitalization priority: the Livernois/McNichols area. The project’s goal is to revitalize the neighborhoods between its two anchor institutions, Detroit Mercy and Marygrove College, creating a denser and more diverse urban community.
Live6 Alliance
University of Detroit Mercy helped to launch the Live6 Alliance in August 2015 to strengthen the Livernois Avenue and McNichols Road commercial corridor in northwest Detroit.
Directories
Media Experts Guide
Detroit Mercy scholars are experts in their fields and many have agreed to be available to media. Note that experts' views are their own and may not reflect the views of their colleagues or University of Detroit Mercy.
Migration Research Directory
The AJCU Migration Research Directory is an open-access resource for high-quality research on migration, provided by the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. Faculty members from Jesuit universities around the world provide important migration and refugee research from a wide variety of perspectives.