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. The semiconductor nanosheets in the water-cooled copper mount turn an infrared laser pulse into an effectively unipolar terahertz pulse. The team says that their terahertz emitter could be made to fit inside a matchbox. Image credit: Christian Meineke, Huber Lab, University of Regensburg

    Emulating impossible ‘unipolar’ laser pulses paves the way for processing quantum information

    A laser pulse that sidesteps the inherent symmetry of light waves could manipulate quantum information, potentially bringing us closer to room temperature quantum computing. The study could also accelerate conventional computing

  2. Laura Motta, University of Michigan paleoethnobotanist, shows lupins excavated from the Karanis site in Egypt. Image credit: Eric Bronson, Michigan Photography

    Ancient grains: Grant will help U-M researchers rethink Roman diets

    A U-M pilot study on crops grown in Egypt during Roman times suggests that ancient grains were more nutrient-dense than grains grown in the same region today.

  3. Roger Wilkins, BA '53/JD '56/HLHD '93

    The action was affirmative

    Roger Wilkins, BA ’53/JD ’56/HLHD ’93, was a civil rights activist, professor, journalist, and member of the LBJ administration. But as a U-M student, this future leader’s grades were unimpressive, so he asked why he’d been admitted to the Law School. The answer surprised him.

  4. House of David Ladies Band

    Crowdsourcing a time machine

    U-M’s Clements Library holds some 60,000 picture postcards dating to the late-19th/early-20th centuries. Vintage photos and scrawled notes open a fascinating window into Michigan’s past. Help make this historic trove digitally searchable.

  5. Happy graduate at Commencement 2022

    Money magazine ranks U-M No. 1 for value

    U-M is only the second public university to place first in the history of the magazine’s rankings. The University’s high graduation rate and strong financial aid for in-state students contributed to its top score on the 2022 list.

  6. Teen in a graveyard -- stock image

    Firearms are now the top cause of death among U.S. youth

    Firearms have surpassed motor vehicles as the leading cause of death among children and adolescents in the United States, according to new federal data analyzed by researchers at the University of Michigan.

‘Gateway for innovation’

The University of Michigan Center for Innovation (UMCI) in Detroit is expected to open in spring 2027. The building broke ground in December and preliminary site work has been ongoing. “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