Faculty, Staff and Administrators

Faculty/Staff Announcements from Campus Connection

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• January 26: UDM Nursing professor stars on FOX show ‘Extracted’

  Monday January 26, 2026
  

  

  

  Longtime UDM Nursing professor Molly McClelland has always shared close bonds with her twin sister Polly.

  Their latest adventure teamed the two of them up with McClelland’s daughter Bailey in a tense survival game.

  This past summer, McClelland, Polly and Bailey, a 2024 graduate from Detroit Mercy’s PA program, spent the summer in the Canadian wilderness as contestants in FOX’s survival reality series, Extracted.

  The first of 10 episodes airs Monday, Jan. 26, at 8 p.m. ET on FOX and streams the next day on Hulu.

  The show produced by Sylvester Stallone pits 12 competitors attempting to survive in the wild with no training, no supplies and only two family members as lifelines. Alliances are formed and tensions mount as families negotiate and compete to send essential resources to their competitors. A $250,000 prize awaits the survivalist and family that outlasts everyone else.

  Polly was one of the 12 “survivalists;” McClelland and Bailey were Polly’s lifelines back at “headquarters,” also in the Canadian wilderness.

  McClelland watched the first season with her family and found out pretty quickly that she would be starring in the second installment.

  “We’re all watching this show and at the end my sister Polly made a comment, ‘that would be fun to do,’” McClelland said. “She didn’t tell us she was applying for it until after she did.

  “They contacted Polly back and said we’re interested in your team, so then she reached out to me and my daughter Bailey and said, ‘oh by the way I applied for us to be on this show and they like us.’ At that point, ‘it’s like here we go.’ We’re all gamers, and we always just try stuff.”

  McClelland, Polly and Bailey began the journey with the show back in April with interviews and headed to the Toronto region in mid-August. After their team was selected as one of the final 12 for the show, they made their way to the wilderness for the beginning of filming.

  “They put you in sequester before the show starts and during that period in our hotel room, we had no access to the outside world, no phones or computers. They brought our meals to us,” McClelland said. “Those nine days we still didn’t know if we were going to be selected as one of the final 12 teams. They did interviews with us. At the end, we were selected.”

  The next day, McClelland and Bailey were separated from Polly and the show began. McClelland and Bailey arrived at their headquarters along with the 11 other teams.

  “We arrived and nobody knew what we were doing. We had a desk assigned to us with a computer where we could see and hear the survivalists, but they couldn’t see or hear us,” McClelland said. “That’show it all started. It was quite the experience.”

  The teams kept an eye on their survivalists, while also competing with the other teams at headquarters in different competitions.

  “My daughter and I have a great relationship and we get along really well,” McClelland said. “Polly was on camera all of the time. There were times I was scared for her and times I was really proud of her.

  “The show pitted the teams against each other, and it became really difficult, because it forced you to backstab each other. Some competitors were ruthless and cutthroat. Others couldn’t do it. Bailey and I had a hard time deliberately sabotaging other teams.”

  McClelland, who teaches graduate and undergraduate Nursing courses, and Bailey were the only contestants on Extracted with medical experience (besides the show’s adequate medical personnel). McClelland said it came in handy several times.

  “There were a couple of situations where people were looking to us for advice,” she said.

  For McClelland’s sister, competing on the show was a chance to prove herself following a health scare.

  “Polly’s the adventurous one,” McClelland said of her twin sister, who lives on a farm in Nebraska. “She’s outdoorsy, has climbed mountains all over the world.

  “Three years ago, she found out she had stage 3 uterine cancer. She and Bailey were climbing the Grand Tetons and Polly started struggling, wasn’t able to summit to the top and she didn’t know it at the time, but she had cancer. Bailey was with her, so they have that bond.

  “Polly went through the whole cancer journey. She’s a survivor. Part of this journey was that Polly wanted to prove to herself that cancer didn’t beat her, cancer didn’t win. She’s always been really physically fit and active and then she’s going through surgery and chemo, it really took her down. So, part of her desire was to show that cancer hasn’t beaten her.”

  She can’t talk much about the show, since it hasn’t aired yet, but McClelland did say she is thankful to the many people who allowed her to take part in the show that took her away from the start of the 2025-26 school year, including College of Health Professions Dean Ahmed Radwan and other colleagues at the University.

  And she’s also thankful that she competed on the show.

  “I never envisioned myself doing this,” she said. “My sister Polly, yes. She’s wanted to do this for awhile. The nature of the show is three people and we like to try stuff. Polly said, ‘we are doing this.’

  “The three of us have a really tight bond, but this really brought us close together.”

• January 23: Submit nominations for 2026 Alumni Achievement Spirit Awards

  Friday January 23, 2026
  

  

  Detroit Mercy’s Alumni Relations Office is accepting nominations for the 2026 Alumni Achievement Spirit Awards. This annual event during Homecoming recognizes seven alumni — one from each college and school at the University — for their significant accomplishments in both their professional careers and in their commitment to community. Nominations will be accepted through Feb. 28.

  If you know of any alumni who are making or have made extraordinary achievements in their careers, please nominate them for this prestigious recognition.

  Award criteria includes:

  • Nominee should be a respected member of his/her chosen profession (active or recently retired).
  • Nominee has been recognized in their industry for exemplary professional achievements.
  • Nominee should be engaged in the community, either with Detroit Mercy or another civic/community organization.
  • Nominee has demonstrated a willingness to financially support Detroit Mercy at some level either in the past or in the future.
  • Nominee must be available to accept the award in person.
  • Nominee shall not have received any University of School/College award in the last five years.

  The Spirit Awards are held annually during Homecoming weekend. You may view honorees of past awards HERE.

  For more information or any questions, please contact Director of Alumni Relations Peggy Pattison at 313-578-0327 or pattisma@udmercy.edu.

  Submit nominations here.

  

• January 23: Clinical psychology MA virtual open house set for Jan. 26

  Friday January 23, 2026
  

  

  An information virtual open house for Detroit Mercy’s Clinical Psychology Master of Arts program will take place on Monday, Jan. 26, from 6-7 p.m. A Zoom link will be provided upon registration.

  This interactive session is an opportunity to:

  • Meet Program Director Lee Eshelman and get your questions answered directly
  • Learn about the program’s focus on training mental health care providers in psychotherapy and psychological assessment
  • Discover career opportunities for graduates, including roles in hospitals, mental health clinics and outpatient care centers

  For those considering a career in mental health, this is a great opportunity to learn more about how our program can help you achieve your goals.

  Please contact Lee Eshelman at eshelmlr@udmercy.edu for more information or with any questions.

  Register here

  

• January 23: UDM to host presentation on ‘Justice, Violence and Social Determinants of Health,’ Jan. 29

  Friday January 23, 2026
  

  

  Detroit Mercy’s Women’s and Gender Studies Program will host a presentation and discussion by Julisa Abad titled “Justice, Violence and Social Determinants of Health.” The event will take place on Thursday, Jan. 29, from 4-5:30 p.m. in Room 124 of the Health Professions Facility, on the McNichols Campus. All are welcome to attend this free event.

  Abad is the LGBTQ community engagement liaison for the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and an advocate for justice for transgender people.

  This event is co-hosted by the College of Health Professions and Office of Equal Opportunity.

  With any questions, please email Mary Liz Valesano at valesame@udmercy.edu.

• January 23: Service in the City returns for winter semester, signup deadline Jan. 26

  Friday January 23, 2026
  

  

  Service in the City, sponsored by University Ministry, is back for winter 2026. This program connects UDM students with local education-focused nonprofits in Detroit, giving students the opportunity to make a real impact in the community with a commitment of just one hour per week.

  Through this integrated immersion program, students can earn 10-plus service hours and participate in formation opportunities that deepen understanding of community engagement. The deadline to sign up is Jan. 26.

  Service opportunities are designed to help students get to know the local Detroit community, and learn how resilient community leaders are supporting each other and co-creating a better future.

  Loyola High School, Brilliant Detroit and La Casa Guadalupana are educational non-profits impacting Detroit youth. With just one hour per week, UDM students build relationships in the community, support the next generation and fulfill class requirements, all while developing new skills.

  This program is especially popular with students in the Leadership Minor, Honors Program and CEL-integrated classes, but all students who want to make the world a better place are encouraged to sign up.

  Please contact Gray La Fond at glafond@udmercy.edu with any questions.

  Sign up here.

  

• January 23: University Ministry to celebrate world interfaith harmony at panel discussion and dinner, Feb. 4

  Friday January 23, 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.

  

• January 23: Register for Celebration of Scholarly Achievement until March 9

  Friday January 23, 2026
  

  

  Celebration of Scholarly Achievement & Community Engagement (CSACE) is a University-wide event featuring research posters, artistic displays, performances, lightning talks and much more. This year’s CSACE symposium is set for Thursday, April 9.

  CSACE is an opportunity to recognize the exemplary work across all campuses throughout the academic year and to learn about and support the research achievements of fellow colleagues and students.

  All students, staff and faculty from all disciplines are encouraged to register for an opportunity to display or present their academic achievements, scholarly research and publications, community service, artistic creations and talents.

  Presenter registration is required to secure a position at the event.

  The deadline to register to be a presenter is Monday, March 9, by 6 p.m.

  Learn more and register here.