Faculty, Staff and Administrators

Faculty/Staff Announcements from Campus Connection

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• February 02: President Taylor joins Michigan business and education leaders at Detroit policy conference

  Monday February 02, 2026
  

  

  President Donald B. Taylor served as a panelist at the Detroit Regional Chamber’s 2026 Detroit Policy Conference in January, contributing to a key discussion on Michigan’s education challenges and opportunities.

  Taylor participated in the session titled “The House is on Fire: Solving Michigan’s Education Crisis,” which focused on improving education success rates across all student demographic groups in the state. The panel was moderated by WDET’s Stephen Henderson and brought together leaders from Michigan’s government, business and education sectors to continue this important conversation and explore solutions.

  Joining Taylor on the panel were Michigan Senator Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing); Jeff Donofrio, president and CEO of Business Leaders for Michigan; and Greg Handle, chief education and talent officer for the Detroit Regional Chamber, as well as an esteemed UDM alumnus.

  The discussion centered on strengthening student performance and completion rates in Michigan, while the state faces an alarming decline in per capita income, and the urgency for investment into programs that would reach all demographic groups.

  Taylor emphasized Detroit Mercy’s mission-driven approach to addressing Michigan’s educational gaps, regarding them as opportunities to advance student success and expand access for all students. He highlighted the University’s commitment to innovation in higher education and transformative initiatives that support first-generation and low-income students, such as the Titan Edge program.

  For more on this session, please visit https://www.detroitchamber.com/the-house-is-on-fire-solving-michigans-education-crises/

  The Detroit Policy Conference brings together leaders from across Michigan to address critical policy and economic issues impacting the Detroit region and the state.

• February 02: Interfaith dinner and panel to be celebrated in Student Union, Feb. 4

  Monday February 02, 2026
  

  

  University Ministry will celebrate world interfaith harmony at an interfaith panel and dinner on Wednesday, Feb. 4, from 6-8 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom on the McNichols Campus. All Titans are invited.

  Participants will share food together, hear personal stories from a panel of speakers of various religious perspectives on sustaining hope and enjoy a cultural drumming and singing group that includes one UDM graduate student.

  Free food for all in attendance includes halal, kosher, gluten-free and vegetarian options.

  It is a +1 spiritual opportunity for UDM students in leadership, and students can volunteer at the event as well to count toward service hours.

  For more information, please contact Director of University Ministry Anita Klueg at kluegag@udmercy.edu.

  RSVP here.

   

  

• February 02: Cayden Brown’s ‘Legal Rights in Police Encounters’ training comes to McNichols Campus for Black History Month, Feb. 3

  Monday February 02, 2026
  

  

  As part of Black History Month, Detroit Mercy student Cayden Brown, historian of UDM’s Black Student Union, will give a presentation titled Legal Rights in Police Encounters. This award‑winning lecture and training is designed to empower young people with clear, practical knowledge of their rights during police situations.

  The lecture will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 6:30 p.m., in Room 124 of the Health Professions Facility. All are welcome to attend.

  This engaging presentation offers a step‑by‑step walkthrough of what individuals—especially youth of color—are legally entitled to during police encounters. Brown outlines proven strategies for self‑protection without escalation and equips participants with a ready‑to‑use protocol they can carry into subsequent interactions.

  Brown has delivered this training nationwide, including its debut at Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp, and now comes to Detroit Mercy for this important campus conversation.

  A native of Detroit, Brown is an American child rights defender and award-winning activist, known for his impact on juvenile justice at a notably young age. His work has been featured in Forbes and TIME, and his voice heard before the world’s largest platforms, including the United Nations.

  

• February 02: Mission Week activities planned on McNichols Campus, Feb. 1-6

  Monday February 02, 2026
  

  

  Mission Week (Feb. 1-7) celebrates the gathering of our community to honor, reflect on and learn more about our Detroit Mercy mission and identity through our Mercy heritage and Ignatian traditions.

  A number of activities designed to acknowledge and teach us more about our mission and identity will take place during Mission Week from Sunday, Feb. 1, through Friday, Feb. 6, as follows:

  • Sunday, Feb. 1, at 8 p.m., Sunday Mass (St Ignatius Chapel)
  • Monday, Feb 2, at 3:30 p.m., Rosary for the monthly intentions of Pope Leo (Holy Spirit Chapel)
  • Tuesday, Feb 3, from 12:45-2 p.m., M.U.G. Hour and Conversation (Ministry Office)
  • Tuesday, Feb 3, at 7 p.m., Adoration (St. Ignatius Chapel)
  • Wednesday, Feb 4, from 6-8 p.m., Interfaith dinner and panel discussion (Student Union Ballroom)
  • Thursday, Feb 5, at 12:45 p.m., Mission Mass, sponsored by Office of Mission Integration (St. Ignatius Chapel)
  • Friday, Feb 6, from 1-3 p.m., Jummah Prayer and Social, Theme: The Legacy of Black Muslims in America (Student Union, Fountain Lounge)

  

• February 02: UDM unites for wide-ranging Black History Month celebration

  Monday February 02, 2026
  

  

  A wide variety of events featuring award-winning poets, films, talks and workshops are being planned at all Detroit Mercy Campuses to celebrate Black History Month.

  The events are designed to show the importance of Black history in the United States.

  You’re sure to find something educational, inspiring and entertaining at these events. Please see full listing of events below. Check back regularly as new events and updates will be added periodically.

  Full BHM info.

• February 02: Winners of 2025 UDM Photography Contest announced

  Monday February 02, 2026
  

  

  The University is pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 Detroit Mercy Photography Contest with a big shout out to Summer Rayess, School of Architecture & Community Development faculty member, for winning the Best of Show award for the photo titled The Ocean Waves, The Sky Stares.

  This event has been a wonderful opportunity to bring the Detroit Mercy community together and share a collective love for photography. At UDM, we celebrate success not only in academics but also in creativity, as part of our commitment to educating the whole person.

  First-place winners and honorable mentions, listed below by category, are as follows:

  • Abstract/Conceptual
    First-place: Pointed Up, Summer Rayess, faculty member, School of Architecture & Community Development
    Honorable Mention: Frozen Lightening, Heyzol Pizarro, student, College of Engineering & Science
    Honorable Mention: Moving Stairs, Karolina Nobis, student, School of Architecture & Community Development
  • Creatures
    First-place: Beauty is in The Eye of the Beholder, Erin Bell, administrator, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
    Honorable Mention: An Eye for Intelligence, Shuvra Das, faculty member, College of Engineering & Science
    Honorable Mention: Kipper, Michele Guyor-Borthwick, administrator, University Advancement
  • Dusk to Dawn
    First-place: Flower Store, Owen Curran, student, School of Architecture & Community Development
    Honorable Mention: Matterhorn at Dawn, Qinghan Yan, faculty member, College of Business Administration
    Honorable Mention: Good Hart Cairn, Joshua Duffy, staff, University Libraries
  • Nature/Scenic
    First-place: Glacier Time, Bryanna Stine, student, College of Engineering & Science
    Honorable Mention: Salt Mines of Maras, Danica Bogdanovic, faculty member, School of Architecture & Community Development
    Honorable Mention: Snow Covered Slopes, Qinghan Yan, faculty member, College of Business Administration
  • People
    First-place: Flyin’ High, Jeff Gorcyca, faculty member, School of Law
    Honorable Mention: Who’s Flying Whom?, Andrew Lapetina, faculty member, College of Engineering & Science
    Honorable Mention: Keep Your Eye on the Ball, Especially in Law School, Sara Sheikh, student, School of Law

  Rayess will receive a $500 gift card and a 20×30 mounted print of the winning photograph. First place winners will receive a $100 gift card and a 16×24 mounted print of their winning photograph.

  The winning photos will be on display in the lobby of the McNichols Campus Library. Be sure to stop by in person to view the photos or visit the UDM Photo Contest website at the link below to view the winners and the honorable mentions.

  Many thanks to all who participated and a special thanks to Anthony Cressey for organizing the contest, as well the community members who generously volunteered their time and effort to judge the entries.

  2025 Detroit Mercy Photography Contest.

  

• February 02: SACD opens Middle Passage exhibition, Feb. 6, for Black History Month

  Monday February 02, 2026
  

  

  In celebration of Black History Month, the School of Architecture & Community Development (SACD), in collaboration with the College of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences at Detroit Mercy, will host a month-long exhibition designed by Elgin Cleckley, NOMA. The exhibition will kick off with a public lecture and exhibition opening on Feb. 6 at 4 p.m. in the Warren Loranger Architecture Building Exhibition Space.

  The exhibition revisits the drawings and methods British abolitionists once used to show the harsh conditions aboard the Brookes Slave Ship (1781-1804). It includes models representing each of the ship’s 11 voyages, along with full-scale sections from its third voyage, which carried 740 enslaved people, based on historical records. These models are paired with drawings that reflect the 43 days spent crossing the Middle Passage.

  At the exhibition opening, Cleckley will join Detroit-based art historian Samantha Noël to discuss the research and creative process behind the exhibition and stories it highlights about the Middle Passage.

  Cleckley is an associate professor of Architecture and the undergraduate program director at Detroit Mercy. He leads _mpathic design, a multi-award-winning pedagogy, initiative and professional practice, and has collaborated on multiple award-winning civic projects. Cleckley was a Muschenheim Fellow at the University of Michigan and has taught at the University of Illinois, Chicago.

  The free exhibition will run from Feb. 6 through 27, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. or by appointment.