When Edward Mears discovered a photo, dated 1933, of his grandmother and her friends at U-M’s Alpha Lambda Chinese fraternity, his imagination lit up. One of his grandmother’s friends, an Asian man, had inscribed the photo ‘To Veronica, with love, Ben.’ The inscription inspired a deep dive at the Bentley and took Mears across continents. The story is still unfolding.

For 50 years, Enoch Brater shared his passion for literature and the theatre with thousands of like-minded students at U-M. The University’s Kenneth T. Rowe Collegiate Professor Emeritus of Dramatic Literature retired in spring 2025. As a renowned expert on Samuel Beckett and Arthur Miller, he viewed plays as ‘literature meant to be performed.’

On June 6, Judge Claudia Wilken gave final approval of the House vs. NCAA case, which will drastically change the landscape of college athletics. The settlement results have a significant impact on the financial model at Michigan Athletics, not to mention the way all college athletics are structured.

Before 1886, U-M had never granted a doctoral degree to a female student. But the University had never admitted a female student like June Rose Colby before. “From the time it opened to women when I was 14 and knew I was to go to Michigan, it gave a settled purpose and wider outlook,” this passionate lifelong educator would write. “The work in the University was sound, hard, enlightening, creating or feeding a never-ceasing hunger for things of the mind.”

The New York Yankees legend shared bold choices and life lessons with U-M’s Class of 2025 at Commencement May 3. In this interview with Michigan Today, he reflects on his relationship with Bill Freehan and his enduring affection for the University.

In 1967, a collective panic was rising over illicit drug use in American society. Just then, John C. Pollard, a scientist in the Medical School’s Mental Health Research Institute, made headlines for his research into the widespread use and abuse of consciousness-altering substances among young people.

The Board of Regents has named Domenico Grasso, PhD ‘87, as the University’s interim president, effective immediately. Grasso has been chancellor at UM-Dearborn since 2018. “We have full confidence that President Grasso will provide steady leadership during this critical time of transition,” the regents noted in a campus-wide email.

The Michigan Men’s Gymnastics team dominated the collegiate scene in 2025, capturing both the NCAA Championship and their fifth consecutive Big Ten title. They closed out the season ranked first in the nation. At the heart of this success were three engineering seniors who successfully balanced their academics and intense training.

U-M’s 15th president, Santa J. Ono, announced May 5 that he was the sole finalist for the presidency of the University of Florida. Once the appointment is approved by Florida’s Board of Governors, he is expected to assume the role.