Look to Michigan: The ‘defining public university of the future’

President Ono bends down to shake the hand of a student seated with a study group. Casual, fun interaction.

U-M’s blueprint for the next decade — Vision 2034 — leverages the community’s excellence at scale to confront the future’s most significant challenges, from AI and precision medicine to campus well-being and carbon neutrality. 

  1. President Obama to deliver commencement address

    President Barack Obama will deliver the spring 2010 commencement address at the University of Michigan, President Mary Sue Coleman announced today. The ceremony will be held on May 1 in Michigan Stadium. Obama will receive an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree, and he will be the fourth sitting president to visit U-M in Ann Arbor, following George H.W. Bush, Gerald R. Ford and Lyndon B. Johnson; former president Bill Clinton spoke at the 2007 commencement.

  2. This year's Olympians

    U-M students and alums will be skating for their country in the Vancouver games.

  3. Haiti and beyond

    U-M experts on how communities, nations and the world can prepare for and respond to the Haitian earthquake, and to similar disasters in the future.

    Related: U-M Nursing students in Liberia

  4. Drum major with kids

    Ode to Joy

    The great photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt came to Ann Arbor in 1950 for Life magazine. His goal: to capture the flawless precision and wild exuberance of the Michigan Marching Band. He succeeded.

  5. Facing the end

    The best time for seniors and their adult children to talk about the future is before a health or financial crisis, when effective plans can be set in place, and difficult questions resolved with patience. Here’s a helpful guide.

  6. Millimeter-scale, energy-harvesting sensor system developed

    A 9-cubic millimeter solar-powered sensor system developed at U-M—1,000 times smaller than comparable commercial counterparts—is the smallest that can harvest energy from its surroundings to operate nearly perpetually.

‘Gateway for innovation’

The December groundbreaking at the U-M Center for Innovation (UMCI) in Detroit helped kick off Vision 2034, the University’s 10-year blueprint for the future. Preliminary site work has been ongoing with a projected opening in 2027. “The UMCI is a catalyst for positive change and, as such, presents itself along Grand River Avenue as a ‘gateway for innovation,’” said Hana Kassem, FAIA, design principal, Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF). The first two floors will house public programs, a cafe, and shared office space for the U-M Detroit Center, Admissions Office, School of Environment and Sustainability Clinic, and others. Levels three through six are planned for multidisciplinary graduate research. Watch: UMCI design approved, construction ramps up. (All images by Kohn Pedersen Fox.)

  • Engaging the passerby

    “The UMCI design proudly bears the University of Michigan spirit focusing on progress and inclusivity, which is embodied in its dynamic forward-leaning form and the portal that cuts through it, inviting access to all,” said KPF’s Kassem. “Its transparent facade at street level engages the passerby, showcasing innovation, by putting making and research on display.”

     

    Modern office building

  • Ground breaking

    The project broke ground in December at the intersection of Grand River Avenue and West Columbia Street. The proposed 200,000-gross-square-foot building will be the first of three buildings to be constructed on the site, with the other two — an incubator space and a residential building — developed at a future date.

    Aerial view of proposed UMCI

  • Mixed models

    UMCI will be a world-class research, education, and entrepreneurship center designed to advance innovation and community development that will propel  job creation and inclusive economic growth. Programming at the UMCI will offer a mixed-model approach that includes both master’s degrees and workforce development programs that focus on technology and innovation.

    People sit at tables in modern courtyard

  • Open doors

    UMCI also will host a multitude of community engagement activities for the residents of Detroit, ranging from K-12 programs like the Michigan Engineering Zone to the Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project and many more.

    Interactive, creative lab

  • Catalyst for growth

    “UMCI will bring together the best of the University of Michigan to catalyze economic development in the city of Detroit,” said U-M Provost Laurie McCauley. “It will house a robust portfolio of academic programs, including new interdisciplinary graduate degrees and certificate programs aligned to the skills of the future.” The ultimate goal is to attract startups as well as major employers to the region, she said. Read more about the UMCI.

    Atrium filled with people in a modern office building