Faculty, Staff and Administrators

Faculty/Staff Announcements from Campus Connection

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• March 23: University Ministry to hold Day of Witness for Migrants, March 24

  Monday March 23, 2026
  

  

  University Ministry will hold a Public Witness event for migrants on Tuesday, March 24 at 12:45 p.m., by the Jesus Statue, located between the Chemistry Building and Commerce & Finance Building.

  The gathering will include a short interfaith prayer service, a table offering free information and advocacy resources and free baked goods for all attendees.

  All are welcome, and participants will have the opportunity to share their perspectives with government officials.

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

• March 23: Telephone system upgrade at University coming soon

  Monday March 23, 2026
  

  Over the next few months, the ITS department will transition existing UDM phones to the Microsoft Teams Telephony platform. Teams Telephony is a widely used communications solution that provides telephone services integrated with Office 365 contacts and calendars.

  With this transition, calls will be made and received through an employee’s assigned computer. As long as the computer has internet access, phone service will be available, regardless of location. This ensures continuity of communication, including in situations where the University may need to shift to remote work.

  All existing University phone numbers will remain unchanged. Employees who currently use only an extension will be assigned a full direct inward dialing (DID) number.

  Departments will be migrated in phases, with all users within a department transitioning together. ITS will coordinate with departmental leadership to conduct a pre-assessment prior to each migration.

  Common area and shared phones will be transitioned at a later phase. Existing phone trees and call center services will also be migrated to the new system.

  If you would like to learn more about how Teams Telephony works, a YouTube short video series is available that provides an overview, including how to make and receive calls in Microsoft Teams.

• March 23: SACD presents lecture ‘PIVOT Coopérative d’Architecture,’ March 30

  Monday March 23, 2026
  

  

  Detroit Mercy’s School of Architecture & Community Development (SACD) will host Egest Gjinali and Colleen Lashuk from 4:30-6 p.m. Monday, March 30, for the next installment of its lecture series with a presentation titled PIVOT Coopérative d’Architecture.

  It’ll be held in the Loranger Architecture Building Exhibition Space. All are invited to this event.

  This lecture explores what it means to build an architectural practice grounded in collective responsibility, democratic governance and care for existing social and built environments.

  Founded in Montreal in 2017 as Quebec’s first worker-owned architecture cooperative, Pivot operates through shared decision-making and collective stewardship of the practice. Authority and responsibility are distributed among its members, shaping both how projects are designed and how the office itself is run. This structure encourages long-term engagement with partners and a design process rooted in dialogue, negotiation and participation.

  Using the work of Pivot Architecture Cooperative, the lecture frames architecture as a practice of repair—working with existing buildings, institutions and communities while exploring how to operate within and transform the processes shaping our social and built environments. By presenting projects such as social and cooperative housing, community facilities, shelters and cultural spaces, the lecture demonstrates how architectural work can respond to complex social conditions and underserved communities. The speakers will reflect on practicing architecture as a cooperative, and how shared governance influences the design process and promotes participatory design.

  Gjinali is a co-founding architect of Pivot Architecture Cooperative. Trained at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, he began his career in Switzerland before relocating to Montreal, where he helped establish the cooperative model that structures the practice today. Gjinali has also represented Albania as co-commissioner of its national pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale. His work brings an international lens to questions of socially engaged architecture and the role design can play in supporting communities.

  Also a co-founding architect at Pivot, Lashuk’s training bridges architecture and anthropology. With deep roots in community housing work, she has spent her career designing alongside people whose needs are often overlooked, including communities living with mental health and disability-related challenges. A skilled facilitator, Lashuk has developed methods for drawing non-architects meaningfully into the design process, treating community input not as consultation but as a core design tool.

• March 23: All invited to annual Celebration of Scholarly Achievement on April 9

  Monday March 23, 2026
  

  

  The 19th Annual Celebration of Scholarly Achievement & Community Engagement (CSACE) is set for Thursday, April 9, from 12-4:30 p.m., in the Whitty Student Fitness Center on the McNichols Campus.

  UDM friends and family are invited to join the celebration.

  CSACE is a university-wide event showcasing more than 200 research posters and presentations, including artistic displays, robotics, 3D models, lightning talks and more. CSACE highlights exemplary work from across all UDM campuses and serves as an opportunity to celebrate the academic, scholarly and creative accomplishments of our University community throughout the academic year.

  Highlights of the event include:

  • Research posters & presentations: 12-2 p.m. — Exhibits, models, robotics,  scholarly publications
  • Lightning-talk presentations: 2:15-4:30 p.m. — Award-winning research & poetry

  A complimentary box lunch from Subway will be provided.

  Guest registration and parking pass are required.

  This event is sponsored by Delta Dental, Alliance Catholic Credit Union and RIIS

  Guests register here.

  

• March 23: DMTC presents ‘I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire,’ April 10-19

  Monday March 23, 2026
  

  

  Detroit Mercy Theatre Company (DMTC) will close the inaugural season of the new Detroit Mercy Black Box Theatre with I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire by Samantha Hurley.

  Six performances will run in back-to-back weekends, Friday through Sunday, April 10-19, in the new Detroit Mercy Black Box Theatre on University of Detroit Mercy’s McNichols Campus.

  I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire is set in 2004 and follows 14-year-old Shelby Hinkley, who is obsessed with Hollywood star Tobey Maguire and creates a play to kidnap and marry him in her basement.

  “This play is as hilarious as it is heartfelt,” said DMTC managing director Sarah Rusk. “Shelby truly believes Tobey Maguire is her destiny, and through her obsession we get a look into the complicated emotions of growing up during the Y2K era.”

  “I absolutely love working with young actors,” said director Cassandra Svacha. “Watching them create and rise to the challenge is thrilling. I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire to college-aged kids is like a period piece; none of them were alive when this story takes place, so it’s extra fun to have them dive into this world in an anthropologic way. They aren’t reminiscing or remembering 2004, they have to study that world and build it for themselves.”

  The DMTC Ticket Office is open Tuesday-Thursday 10 a.m.-2 p.m., with tickets being available for purchase anytime online. Individual tickets are $25 for adults; $18 for seniors and Detroit Mercy faculty, staff and alumni; and $10 for veterans and students (ages 4-college). Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. To schedule your group, contact Sarah Rusk at 313-993-3273.

  Those looking to buy tickets should note that the play is rated R and contains adult language and situations, including drug use, suicidal ideation and sexual situations. See full list of subject matter.

   SPECIAL ENGAGEMENTS

  • April 10: Opening Night Celebration.  Join the cast and crew following the performance for a reception in the Lower Level of the Student Union.
  • April 11: Community Night. All tickets $10.
  • April 12: Detroit Theatre Discussion Project.  Join in the discussion following the first Sunday’s matinee performance as we welcome Professor Erin Henze from the Psychology Department at Detroit Mercy to expand upon themes and ideas from the performance in a talkback.
  • April 17: College of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences (CHASS) at the Theatre. Join CHASS in celebrating the arts on campus with $5 tickets for CHASS students and alumni with coupon code CHASS_5. Free tickets to faculty/staff of CHASS by calling 313-993-3270 or email theatre@udmercy.edu.
  • April 19: Closing Night

  Get tickets here.

  

• March 23: Nominate for the Student Leadership and Service Awards by March 26

  Monday March 23, 2026
  

  Do you know a student who went above and beyond this year? Nominations for the 2025-26 Student Leadership and Service Awards are due by Thursday, March 26!

  An unbiased committee will review all nominations, so please be detailed in your submissions!

  The Student Leadership and Service Awards reception will be held on Thursday, April 16, at 5 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom. More details will be provided to nominees/winners. In conjunction with the awards ceremony, our National Society of Leadership & Success inductees will be honored.

  Awards categories for Student Leadership and Service Awards include:

  • Rising Star Student Leader (First-Year Student or Sophomore): This award is given to a first-year student or sophomore-level student who demonstrates leadership qualities in multiple areas of campus. They consider their community in their everyday decisions and are working for positive change around them. This person may not have a title, but their actions and commitment to the process of leadership are noticeable to their peers and constituents.
  • Student Leader of the Year (Junior or Senior): This award is given to a junior or senior-level student who demonstrates leadership qualities in multiple areas of campus. They consider their community in their everyday decisions and are working for positive change around them. This person may not have a title, but their actions and commitment to the process of leadership are noticeable to their peers and constituents.
  • Titan Spirit Award: This award is given to a student who demonstrates Titan Spirit every day. They love their school, and they are not afraid to show it. Their pride for their school is demonstrated in their involvement, decisions, actions and even the color scheme of their clothes. This person never waivers when choosing to root for the home team!
  • Student Employee of the Year: This award is given to a diligent student who is employed somewhere on campus. This student adds value to the office or department they work in and is dedicated to their role. Without dedicated student employees this campus would not be able to run efficiently. This student is a true model of what it looks like to help keep a workplace moving in a positive direction.
  • Student Organization of the Year: This award is given to the registered student organization that has contributed positively to campus all year. They achieve their organization mission while contributing to the University’s overall mission. They are committed to their members and provide opportunities, initiatives and/or events for campus to see their efforts clearly. This group is driven, excited and displays their positive values.
  • Program/Event of the Year: This award is given to a student or group of students who has hosted a phenomenal program on campus. This program has given students at Detroit Mercy an opportunity to enjoy each other, learn something new or come together for a common purpose. This event adds value to campus and is a positive addition to the campus culture.

  Awards categories for Fraternity and Sorority Leadership and Service Awards include:

  • Fraternity Member of the Year: This award is for a member of a fraternity who has demonstrated continued contribution to his chapter, the Greek community and the Detroit Mercy campus. This person understands and models their values daily and is a positive force. This person stands out from the community for how they demonstrate leadership, loyalty and commitment to making the world around them better for all.
  • Sorority Member of the Year: This award is for a member of a sorority who has demonstrated continued contribution to her chapter, the Greek community and the Detroit Mercy campus. This person understands and models their values daily and is a positive force. This person stands out from the community for how they demonstrate leadership, loyalty and commitment to making the world around them better for all.
  • Chapter President of the Year: This award is given to a person who upheld the values of their own organization and the University. They communicate throughout the community, promote a positive Greek Life experience and uplift their members. This person supports their executive board (if applicable) and completes all duties in a timely and accurate manner. They exemplify what it means to lead by example!
  • Outstanding Philanthropic Event or Community Service Project: This award is given to the Greek chapter that conducted an outstanding philanthropic event and/or an outstanding community service project that served to benefit the local/national community. The program should have been in the 2025-2026 academic year.
  • Chapter of Excellence Award: This award is given to the Greek Letter organization that has demonstrated excellence in multiple categories, including but not limited to academics, campus programming and highlighting their values. This chapter contributes positively to the Greek Life community, campus community and each other. Even if this group is not wearing their letters, they are consistently demonstrating their values.

  For more information or with any questions, please contact Assistant Director of Student Life Emily Johnson at johnsoem6@udmercy.edu or 313-993-1593. Submit nominations here.

   

• March 23: Author Alfred Babo to speak on academic impact of being a professor in exile, March 26

  Monday March 23, 2026
  

  The College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS) will welcome Alfred Babo, professor of Sociology and Anthropology at Fairfield University, to speak about his experiences as a researcher and teacher living in exile.

  The conversation will take place on Thursday, March 26 at 4 p.m., in the Bargman Room of the McNichols Campus Library.

  The event will also feature an introduction to Babo’s recently published book, Exiled Scholars in Western Academia: Refugees or Intellectuals?, which presents experiences of scholars residing in exile and how they experience a paradox of inclusion and exclusion.

  In his talk, Babo will highlight how academics and intellectuals are often among those who must flee their home countries and are rescued during times of crisis. He will explore how those who seek asylum or exile in the United States face challenges of acceptance in ways that shift their research and practice.

  Currently serving on the board of Scholars-at-Risk (SAR), Babo also co-founded the initiative called Share the Platform, which advocates for refugees’ self-representation and expertise. He received the Fairfield University 2023 Martin Luther King Vision Award for his engagement with refugees and vulnerable individuals. Babo is also a member of several professional organizations.

  This talk is sponsored by CHASS and African American Studies and is free and open to the public.