Faculty, Staff and Administrators

The College of Engineering & Science will host its 13th annual Undergraduate and Graduate Student E&S Research Symposium on Friday, Nov. 20, in the Student Union Ballroom and Fountain Lounge on the McNichols Campus.

This annual event showcases the work of UDM undergraduate and graduate students, with more than 100 research posters representing a wide range of disciplines taught at the University. Students can also highlight their work through SMORE videos, which present their research in 90 seconds or less.

Save the date and watch for more details about the symposium coming soon.

The Center for Career & Professional Development will host a career panel featuring several members of the Corewell Health team, offering students an inside look at the many ways to build a career and make an impact within a leading healthcare organization.

The panel will take place on Monday, Oct. 26, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., in the Student Union Ballroom. Panelists will share how their diverse roles contribute to Corewell Health’s mission to improve health, instill humanity and inspire hope.

Panelists include the following:

• Andreise De Souza – Staff physician
• Jan Harrington-Davis – SVP of Talent Attraction and UDM alumna
• Imana Minard – Director of Nursing, Emergency Services
• Jerry Price – Advisor, Belonging Partner
• Emani Jacobs – Clinical specialist lead and licensed medical social worker

Students and alumni from all UDM majors are encouraged to attend to explore career possibilities, hear firsthand advice from professionals in a variety of fields and learn how Corewell Health invests in the growth and development of its people.

With any questions, please contact careerlink@udmercy.edu or 313-993-1017.

The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) started the Michigan Veteran Friendly Schools (VFS) program in 2015-16, and Detroit Mercy has once again been awarded Gold Friendly Status for 2026-27.

The program formally recognizes higher education institutions that provide support for veterans, service members and military connected students. UDM’s Gold Status designation demonstrates the University’s ongoing efforts to improve the academic experience of these students through veteran-focused services.

In 2026, a record-breaking 73 universities, colleges, trade schools and apprenticeship programs were enrolled in the program. The increase in participation reflects Michigan’s commitment to being one of the nation’s most veteran-friendly states.

Any academic or training facility in Michigan eligible to receive veteran education benefits can apply for the program.

Headshot photographs taken during MarCom’s headshot event on Oct. 5-6 are now available for the University community to download.

The photos can be downloaded from this OneDrive folder. 

Want to use your headshot on your person page? After downloading it from the OneDrive folder, employees can submit the photograph and any additional updates through MarCom’s web request form by clicking “Create/Update a bio (person) page.” 

Person pages are biographies for employees who are in public facing positions such as full-time faculty at the University.

Detroit Mercy’s College of Health Professions Student Engagement Committee, MEAGN Program and Optometry Department will host a Trunk-or-Treat community event on Tuesday, Oct. 27, from 4-6 p.m. at the Novi Campus parking lot.

This safe, fun and family-friendly event will feature treats, games, activities and community resources for attendees of all ages. Costumes are encouraged.

All are welcome to stop by for some Halloween fun!

Detroit Mercy will host the 21st annual Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit (GLBD) Conference on Thursday, Oct. 15, in the Student Union Ballroom on the McNichols Campus.

This year, students, staff, administrators and faculty are invited to attend the environment-centered event for free.

The redesigned one-day conference will bring together community members of all ages to discuss critical environmental and social challenges and explore ideas for addressing them. This year’s theme is “Revolution from the Heart of Nature: Change Makers.” 

Conference topics include:

• The science behind sustainable living
• How pollution and renewable energy affect public health, especially in communities of color
• Youth leadership and environmental responsibility for community change
• Social justice and eco-spirituality
• Storm water management and flood prevention
• Water affordability and justice

The program features pre-recorded keynote presentations from nationally recognized thought leaders, including:

• Samantha Skenandore – Re-Evolving Indigeneity to Save Our Planet
• Brett KenCairn – Nature-based Climate Solutions: Centering Life to Heal the Planet
• Nina Simons – Living Between Paradigms
• Leah Penniman – Free the People! Free the Land!
• Julian Brave NoiseCat – The Epic Misadventures of the Trickster Coyote

Pre-recorded performances by Destani Wolf, the Destiny Arts Youth Performance Company, and Garth Stevenson, along with inspiring youth leadership presentations by Coley Kakols Miller and Kyle Trefny, highlight the important role young leaders play in creating a more sustainable and equitable future. 

The Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit conference is a platform for community members to network and highlight innovative approaches to environmental and social challenges. The conference is for people of all ages who are interested in exploring topics, developing skills and motivating action for the betterment of our One Earth Community.

Detroit Mercy’s McAuley School of Nursing will offer an immersion trip to Ireland from May 4-14, providing participants with the opportunity to learn about the life and work of Catherine McAuley (Foundress of the Sisters of Mercy).

Those interested in this experience are encouraged to register for an upcoming virtual information session on Monday, Oct. 12, at 6 p.m. A confirmation email with meeting details will be sent upon registration.

This immersion program is being offered as an interprofessional experience that will expose participants to not only the life and work of McAuley but also Irish culture, healthcare and history through the lens of the critical concerns of Mercy.

This opportunity is offered to UDM faculty, staff, administrators and students (third year and above).

For more information, contact Andrea Kwasky at kwaskyan@udmercy.edu.

The Detroit Mercy English Department will host poet and writer Keith Taylor for a poetry reading and conversation on Thursday, Oct. 22, from 12:45-1:45 p.m. in the Bargman Room on the second floor of the McNichols Campus Library.

Keith Taylor is the author, editor or translator of 20 books, and is the A.L. Becker Collegiate Lecturer in English, Emeritus, at the University of Michigan.

This event is free, and all are welcome.

The Carney Latin American Solidarity Archive (CLASA) will co-sponsor, along with the Nurse Anesthesia Program and the Psychology Department, presentations by members of the Torture Abolition Survivors Support Coalition (TASSC) on Friday, Oct. 9, from 1-2:30 p.m. in the Briggs Building, Room 317.

During the program, participants will hear directly from TASSC survivors. Their stories will shed light on the 1.3 million survivors of torture in the U.S., including their holistic needs. Future clinicians and communities partnering with survivor-led initiatives are an ideal model to address this rapidly evolving issue.

The program will consist of four speakers, two of whom are:

• Aymen Tabir — Torture survivor and executive director of TASSC International. Tabir is also a certified human rights consultant.
• Sara Bauman ’02, ’06 — A trauma survivor and certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), Bauman serves as the board secretary of TASSC International and a founding member of the Detroit Chapter of TASSC. Also, a founder of Ether and Thread, she works to ensure that survivors are the primary voices in identifying their physical, psychological and spiritual needs.

The Jesuit Friends and Alumni Network (JFAN) will host a presentation on Thursday, Oct. 15, featuring Ryan Duns, S.J., on Horror: From Rupture to Revelation. On the cusp of Halloween, a time often dismissed as rooted in ancient, pagan rituals, this discussion enables attendees to take a deeper look.

The event will take place in the Fountain Lounge of the Student Union. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. for check-in and registration with lunch beginning at 12 p.m. and program to follow at 12:15 p.m.

Fr. Duns will discuss how modern horror films and scary movies serve as a powerful lens for deep spiritual truths, exposing our universal struggle with fear, evil and ultimate grace.

A Jesuit priest and theologian, Fr. Duns works at the intersection of philosophy and systematic theology as an associate professor of theology at Marquette University. He is the author of Theology of Horror: The Hidden Depths of Popular Films and co-author with Conor Kelly of Who Will You Become? An Ignatian Introduction to Catholic Theology.

All are welcome, and registration is required. Deadline for registration is Oct. 9.

For more information, please visit the JFAN-Detroit website.