Dear Alumni and Friends,

Summer is a special time of year here in Michigan.

From the beauty of the windswept sand dunes along Lake Michigan’s shore to an exciting night out at a festival or ball game in Detroit to a quiet trek amid the vast wilderness of the Upper Peninsula, so many of our state’s greatest assets are available for us to explore.

At the University of Michigan, this summer marks the beginning of a new season of change as our Board of Regents voted last week to appoint Dr. Santa J. Ono as the university’s 15th president. He will officially take over in October.

I’m thrilled to welcome Dr. Ono and his family to U-M, and I’m even more eager to see what lies ahead for our very special community of leaders and best. Dr. Ono will soon discover that the University of Michigan is exhilarating, competitive, forward-thinking and committed to the public good. 

I wish him the very best. 

The University of Michigan is Heading North

I look forward to enjoying some of our state’s beauty this week as the Board of Regents hosts its July 21 meeting in St. Ignace, marking the first-ever gathering of the university’s governing board in the U.P.

The meeting is a good reminder that the University of Michigan’s impact stretches well beyond our campuses in Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint to every corner of the Great Lakes State. It can be found in the students we educate and the patients we treat. It can be found in resources like the U-M Biological Station near Pellston and programs like Project Healthy Schools, which works in collaboration with community partners in more than 20 Upper Peninsula and seven northern Michigan schools. It can be found in our research that addresses some of the state’s most pressing economic, environmental and public health issues while contributing tens of millions of dollars to Michigan’s economy each year. 

Since 2017, Michigan-based companies have received more than $517 million to supply goods and services for U-M research projects. That includes more than $9.4 million to support employment across large and small businesses in northern Michigan.

We are proud of that impact. From Ann Arbor to Detroit, Dearborn to Marquette, and Flint to Traverse City, the University of Michigan is committed to the continued prosperity of our state and its people. 

Have a great summer,