Faculty, Staff and Administrators

Faculty/Staff Announcements from Campus Connection

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• March 25: Donate clothing items for TENN drive, through April 3

  Wednesday March 25, 2026
  

  

  Clear out your closet for a cause! Students, faculty, staff and the Detroit Mercy community are invited to support Titan Equity Nourish Network’s (TENN) Thrift Shop event by donating new or gently used clothing in good condition. Drop-off between March 16 and April 3 to Room 05 of the Commerce & Finance Building or by reaching out to Chelsea Manning at mannincp@udmercy.edu.

  Donated clothing will be sold at TENN’s Thrift event during De-Stress Fest.

  The student or faculty group that donates the most clothing will win a pizza party! To enter, mention your group name when dropping off donations.

  Donate, declutter and make a difference!

  

• March 25: Learn to drive success at Leadership Slam featuring two UDM alumni, April 21

  Wednesday March 25, 2026
  

  

  Hear from two inspiring alumni who have used their education, resilience and vision to lead their industries and drive success at UDM’s Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) Leadership Slam.

  The Leadership Slam is set for Tuesday, April 21. The first session is scheduled for 2-3:45 p.m., and the second slam 5:15-7 p.m., both taking place in Room 208 of the Commerce & Finance Building. Both alumni will be speaking in Slam 1 and Slam 2.

  The slams offer a unique opportunity for students to gain valuable insights. This event counts as [+1 Leadership Development].

  Angelo Vitale ’80, retired general counsel of Rocket Companies, and Michael Birney ’15, CMO of 1 Natural Way, will offer their experiences on their leadership journeys.

  Vitale provided strategic business and legal guidance throughout his career, serving as the first CEO of Rocket Central and EVP/general counsel of Rocket Mortgage, where he specialized in leasing, litigation and regulatory compliance.

  Birney drives business growth with advanced marketing tech, leveraging his experience as a former Google growth strategy manager and MLL champion to apply teamwork and strategy for success.

  For more information, please contact Kathleen Zimmerman-Oster at zimmerka@udmercy.edu.

• March 25: Reception to explore history, architecture of Gesu Catholic Church, May 13

  Wednesday March 25, 2026
  

  

  Join Jesuit friends and alumni on Wednesday, May 13 for a wine and cheese reception at historic Gesu Catholic Church.

  Program Details:

  • 5:30 p.m.: Mass
  • 6 p.m.: Welcome and Reception
  • 6:25 p.m.: Program begins

  The evening will explore the history, families, art and architecture of the parish, founded by Jesuits in 1922 and once home to four Detroit mayors, several congressmen and the renowned Fisher Brothers.

  The event will feature rare architectural drawings and antique stained-glass window designs, some dating to the late 1800s, from two Detroit families who worked closely with the Jesuits and the Archdiocese of Detroit. These families, behind the firms Diehl & Diehl Architects and Detroit Stained Glass Works, helped shape the city’s sacred spaces.

  Special guests include Paul G. Diehl, grandson of original architect George F. Diehl and a descendant of the founders of Detroit Stained Glass Works; Patricia Montemurri, an award-winning journalist; and Mary Clare McCormick, a Detroit sacred art archivist.

  The evening will include Mass, a wine and cheese reception, and a tour of the historic worship site.

  Register online by May 1.

• March 25: Earn service hours at planting day, set for April 11

  Wednesday March 25, 2026
  

  

  For April Service Immersion Day, University Ministry is partnering with Alumni Relations to beautify the Titan Equity Nourish Network (TENN) gardens.

  Planting day is set for Saturday, April 11. Check-in will begin at 9 a.m. at the TENN gardens, located behind the Health Professions Facility, with a light breakfast of coffee and donuts. We will finish around noon with free lunch to follow. All are invited to come out and lend a hand.

  Participants will spend a day of service on the McNichols Campus and neighborhoods, earning three service hours, while learning about the importance of our TENN gardens for food access, sustainability and community building.

  This event is hosted by Laudato Si’ Student Group, University Ministry, TENN, Alumni Relations and the School of Architecture & Community Development and the Detroit Collaborative Design Center.

  Please contact University Minister Sammy Eckrich at seckric@udmercy.edu with any questions or for more information.

  Sign up for April Service Immersion.

• March 25: Submissions to AI AgeWell Challenge due March 30

  Wednesday March 25, 2026
  

  

  The deadline is quickly approaching to submit your idea for the AI AgeWell Challenge.

  The AI Challenge returns for its third year to UDM’s McNichols Campus this April, bringing together students, faculty, community organizations and professionals to tackle real-world challenges using artificial intelligence.

  This is your opportunity to turn a creative concept into an AI-powered solution that helps older adults live healthier, safer and more independent lives.

  Teams will explore AI solutions that help people thrive at every stage of life, in areas such as:

  • Aging in place and independent living
  • Mental health, social connection and loneliness
  • Care coordination and caregiver support
  • Chronic disease management and wellness
  • Community access, equity and inclusion

  Challenge participants can win cash prizes and sponsor-supported awards, including:

  • Innovator Award: $1,000 plus Tejara Innovation Hub Membership — Sponsored by AACC/Tejara, this award honors the most creative and groundbreaking solution. The winning team will also receive mentorship, entrepreneurial support and a media spotlight on the AACC/Tejara platform.
  • Impact Awards: Two $500 prizes — Sponsored by PACE Southeast Michigan, these awards recognize solutions with strong potential for real-world impact, equity, accessibility and measurable benefit for older adults.
  • Feasibility/Market Readiness Award: $500 Prize — Awarded to the team with the clearest path to real-world deployment.

  Participants will work in interdisciplinary teams, receive mentorship, and finalists will be selected to present their ideas in the live pitch competition on Friday, April 10, from 5-9 p.m., in Room 114 of the Chemistry Building. The evening includes prizes, food and networking with campus and community partners. Students, faculty, mentors and sponsors are invited to participate.

  PACE Southeast Michigan’s mission is to keep chronically ill aging adults in their homes by supporting their medical, social, and overall wellbeing. They are a proud to sponsor of the AI AgeWell Challenge, which brings innovative solutions to help older adults live healthier, more independent lives.

  Come for the innovation, stay for the fun, enjoy a guest speaker, great food, fun activities, games, prizes, gift cards, more than $1,000 in giveaways and networking with professionals throughout the event.

  Submit your idea by March 30, 2026, and register now to attend.

  Sign up here.

  

• March 25: DMTC presents ‘I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire,’ April 10-19

  Wednesday March 25, 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 24: Poet Joanne Godley to launch award-winning collection at reading, March 25

  Tuesday March 24, 2026
  

  

  Broadside Lotus Press and the University of Detroit Mercy Press will host a virtual reading and conversation with Joanne Godley, author of How the Black Panthers Fell from the Sky and winner of the 2025 Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award.

  The reading will take place from 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 25. Please register below to obtain Zoom link.

  Godley grew up in Detroit during the city’s industrial heyday and amidst the activism of the labor unions. Her memoir reflects on her teenage years, when, impatient with someday freedom songs and despairing at the horrors of the Vietnam war, she is swept up by the daring promise of those militant “cats” in black leather jackets. The poems remind readers of the hopefulness and exhilaration of Panther Party times as well as provide Godley’s mature reflections on the Party’s dismantlement.

  How the Black Panthers Fell from the Sky is the fourth co-publication of Broadside Lotus Press and UDM Press. It can be purchased at the Detroit Mercy bookstore and online through Hatteras printing.

  Register here.