WINTER 2018 PEOPLE ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS Roz Abrams (AM ’71) arrived at the University Abrams says she’s still grateful for the of Michigan in 1970, a first-generation college scholarship that allowed her many talents student beginning her postgraduate degree to shine at U-M and beyond. She credits on the heels of the civil rights movement. “My the university for providing a world-class father had a fifth grade education. My mother education, a venue for open-minded had a high school education. They were aware discourse, and a sense of community that that their whole lives would have been different helped her succeed later in life. After earning had they been able to go to college,” she recalls. her postgraduate degree in speech in 1971, “I was a part of that first wave of civil rights Abrams went on to enjoy a successful career children who had grown up watching places as an award-winning broadcast journalist, a like Birmingham on television. We knew that celebrated anchorwoman, and a mainstay we were standing on the shoulders of giants.” on New York City television screens for more than two decades. “But when I got to U-M, I saw that there were African Americans in the Law School, African Now, she’s paying those opportunities Americans in the Medical School, African forward for other gifted scholars with a Americans throughout the campus,” she says. $1 million gift for graduate student support. “There was a support system that was built in Her gift to U-M establishes the Rosalyn M. for people like me. I was able to be comfortable, Abrams Fund at the Rackham Graduate but still reach out and enjoy the backgrounds School, with preference for students with of other people.” financial need. Abrams says that the gift is rooted in a longstanding personal Her postgraduate education at the Rackham commitment to supporting education Graduate School was made possible by a full at all levels, tracing back to those scholarship, a gift that she credits as a major formative years at U-M. influence on her own philanthropic activism later in life. “Look at all the millions of people “All I want to do is make sure that in who never got hoisted up,” she says. “Poverty 2017—in dollars, love, support, and can keep you down. Lack of education can activism—I’ve paid the debt going back keep you down. I really feel to this day that to 1970 and 1971,” she says. “It was a very I had the ability, but there’s a whole sea of special time; I got a very special gift. If I people out there to choose from. I was one can pay it forward for a couple of other of the lucky ones.” students, then I’ll be a happy woman.” In November, Abrams met with U-M graduate students at Rackham, including members of the Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society and the Students of Color of Rackham student group. “They were breathtaking in their brilliance, and I mean that sincerely,” she says. In their talks, Abrams stressed the importance of earning a postgraduate degree and using that experience to give back to their communities later in life. “They’re going to do the work. They’re going to do it to the best of their ability. They have an eye on the future in a world that is shifting underneath their feet,” she says. “The future looks bright.” NATIONAL CAMPAIGN LEADERSHIP BOARD MEETING 7 ANN ARBOR, MI | SEPTEMBER 16, 2017 | CRISLER CENTER This fall, members of the Victors for Michigan national campaign 6 4 5 leadership board returned to the Ann Arbor campus for a campaign 1 update. President Mark Schlissel, Provost Martin Philbert, and LSA Dean Andrew D. Martin were on hand to update board members on university initiatives and the progress of the campaign. The board also welcomed its newest members: David Barger (AB ’17), Larry Leinweber (LSA ’60, Ross ’77), and Claudia Babiarz. 2 3 6 8 7 ADVOCARE CLASSIC RECEPTION 1 FRISCO, TX | SEPTEMBER 1, 2017 | THE STAR The Michigan Wolverines kicked off the 2017 football season with the Advocare Classic in sunny Arlington, Texas. On Friday, U-M faculty, friends, and alumni gathered at The Star—the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters—for a special pregame reception hosted by U-M alumni Derek (BSE Aero ’86, MBA ’91) and Carolyn (MBA ’91) Kerr. The following day, the Wolverines earned a hardfought 33-17 victory in a marquee matchup against the Florida Gators at AT&T Stadium. 2 4 5 8 1. Brian Levine (BS ’95), Alexander Granet, Jason Granet (AB ’00) 2. Lizette (AB ’05) and Morgan (BGS ’08) Trent 3. Fred Lacy and Cece Smith (BBA ’66) 4. Derek Kerr 5. Scott DeRue, the Edward J. Frey Dean 1. Nate Forbes (AB ’85) 2. Jim Wigginton, Peter C. Mertz (BS ’74, MBA ’81) of Business at the Ross School of Business and the Stephen M. Ross Professor of Business 6. David 3. David Frey, David Barger 4. Susan Rogel 5. Victors for Michigan campaign Newman (SMTD Class of 2018), Frank Newman and Regent Andrea Fischer Newman (AB ’79); Andrew chair Stephen M. Ross (BBA ’62, LLD Hon ’11), Victors for Michigan campaign D. Martin, dean of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts and professor of political science and vice chair Regent Ron Weiser (BBA ’66), President Schlissel 6. Victors for statistics 7. Carol Bradford (BS ’82, MD ’86, MS ’88, MedRes ’92), executive vice dean for academic Michigan campaign deputy chair Donald Graham (BSE ’55, MSE ’65, D Eng Hon affairs, chief academic officer, and the Charles J. Krause, M.D., Collegiate Professor of Otolaryngology ’09) 7. Judith Frey (ABEd ’59, TeachCert ’59) 8. Victors for Michigan campaign at the U-M Medical School; Dave Bradford (BSECiv ’80) 8. Carolyn Kerr, Bev Goulet (AB ’76, JD ’79) vice chair Rich Rogel (BBA ’70, LLD Hon ’09) For more photos, check out ldrsnb.st/AdvoCareClassicReception 3 For more photos, visit ldrsnb.st/LeadershipMeeting2017 UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN BICENTENNIAL UMICH200 EVENTS IN DETROIT 1 3 4 2 5 6 7 8 9 10 DETROIT SEMINARS DETROIT, MI | SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 | WESTIN BOOK CADILLAC HOTEL The Act of 1817 was signed into Michigan territorial law on August 26, 1. Tonya Allen (AB ’94, MSW ’96, MPH ’96), David Merritt (AB ’08), Kuhu Saha 1817. It established the Catholepistemiad—or University of Michigania— (AB ’08), Cedric Small (AB ’93, TeachCert ’93), Alycia Meriweather (ABEd ’95, and deemed it would be organized into 13 professorships. The fledgling TeachCert ’95) 2. Regent Emerita Julia Darlow 3. L’Oreal Hawkes-Williams university’s first home: a two-story wooden building in the territorial (LSA Class of 2019) 4. Ralph Gerson (JD ’75) 5. Earl Bell, associate director of capital, near the intersection of Bates Street and East Congress Street. business operations for MHealthy 6. Regent Andrew Richner (BBA ’82, JD ’86) With that, the University of Michigan was born in Detroit. 7. Gary Krenz, executive director of the U-M Bicentennial Office 8. Elisabeth Gerber (AB ’86, AM ’89, PhD ’91), associate dean for research and policy Two centuries later, U-M commemorated its 1817 founding with a festive day of engagement at the Ford School of Public Policy, the Jack L. Walker, Jr. Collegiate The Spirit of Detroit by Marshall Fredericks reflection and celebration in downtown Detroit. Faculty, friends, students, and Professor of Public Policy, and a professor of political science 9. Elizabeth Birr dons a decorative U-M Bicentennial jersey to alumni gathered for a daylong festival observing the 200-year history of service, Moje, dean of the School of Education, the George Herbert Mead Collegiate commemorate the 200th anniversary of U-M's collaboration, and cultural exchange between U-M and the state’s largest city. Professor of Education, and an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor 10. Dennis Archer establishment in Detroit on August 26, 1817. Jr. (AB ’91, JD ’94), Matt Cullen (AB ’78), David Di Rita (BBA ’86, JD ’89), Nate The Bicentennial Detroit Festival began with a series of seminars reflecting Forbes (AB ’85), Anika Goss-Foster (MSW ’94) Watch as the Spirit of Detroit gets into the on the long history between U-M and Detroit. Faculty and alumni joined U-M spirit ldrsnb.st/UMSpiritofDetroit city leaders to discuss the university’s founding, its investment in Detroit’s future, and the outlook for education and innovation in Detroit. See more seminar photos at ldrsnb.st/BicentennialDetroitSeminars BICENTENNIAL DETROIT AFTERGLOW DETROIT, MI | SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 | DAVID WHITNEY BUILDING The day’s events wrapped with a special afterglow reception at the David Whitney Building, hosted by U-M alumni David Di Rita (BBA ’86, JD ’89) and Stacy Fox (BS ’74, JD ’83) of the Roxbury Group. Alumni, faculty, and friends joined together to toast to 200 years of U-M history in Detroit and beyond. 1. Lynn Videka, dean of the School of Social Work and the Carol T. Mowbray Professor of Social Work 2. Rob Pollock (AB ’86), Kathleen Van Sumeren (AB ’80), Karen Luther (AB ’80), Marc Schechter (BGS ’88) 3. Tom Varbedian (BS ’52, MD ’56) 4. Paula Di Rita Wishart (AB ’86), Tim Kay (BGS ’83) 8 9 5. Nate Forbes (AB ’85) 6. Kawana Smith, Regent Emerita Nellie Mae Varner (PhD ’68) 7. James Van Dyke (AB ’02) 8. David Di Rita See the event at ldrsnb.st/BicentennialDetroitAfterglow 1 2 3 12 BICENTENNIAL DETROIT FESTIVAL DETROIT, MI | SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 | GRAND CIRCUS PARK 1 2 The celebration continued with a ceremony commemorating the university’s 1817 founding in Detroit, led by master of ceremonies Carmen Harlan (AB ’75), an Emmy Award-winning journalist 10 and retired anchorwoman of WDIV-TV in Detroit.