November 2, 2026

Michigan's 15 public universities are pleased to share the following news items with you. Stewardship is a monthly update on various activities our universities are engaged in that enrich their communities, regions, and the state of Michigan.

Economic Development – Research, Tech Transfer, & Innovation

Whitmer launches statewide network to grow Michigan space economy [SVSU]

WNEM TV (Oct. 19)

 

MTU receives $16.9M Army contract for development of on-board mobile energy systems

Daily Mining Gazette (Oct. 21)

 

Voters are using A.I. for ballot info, a Flint researcher shares his tips [UM-F]

WJRT TV (Oct. 22)

 

New national security research initiative takes shape in Mt. Pleasant [CMU]

Epicenter (Oct. 22)

 

UM, MSU outline strategies to blunt federal research funding cuts [MTU, WSU]

The Detroit News (Oct. 29)

 

DOE’s BattMan brings four national labs together to de-risk battery scale-up [UM-D]

R&D World (Oct. 30)

 

Environmental & Agricultural Sustainability

USDA awards MSU $16.2 million for greenhouse renovations

WILX TV (Oct. 8)

 

Great Lakes oil spills are usually small but still harm water, study warns [LSSU]

The Detroit News (Oct. 21)

 

Decade-long study finds more than 6,000 oil spills in Great Lakes, calls for better tracking [LSSU, UM]

MLive (Oct. 26)

 

Health Care

Nonprofit led by second-year med student at OUWB lands $25K grant

OUWB School of Medicine (Oct. 12)

 

MSU launches Spartan Shield, emergency aero med service for K-9s

WOOD TV (Oct. 26)

 

K-12 Outreach

GVSU Unified Sports program builds inclusion, friendship through athletics

MLive (Oct. 6)

 

Delta County students immerse themselves in the sciences for Mind Trekkers [MTU]

WLUC TV (Oct. 14)

 

Eastern Michigan University to host Digital Dudes STEM Conference for high school students

Ann Arbor Times (Oct. 24)

 

Global Outreach

Saginaw, Tokushima leaders celebrate decades of cultural ties [SVSU]

WJRT TV (Oct. 24)

 

Military & Veteran Outreach

From military service to college success: UM-Flint earns top veteran-friendly recognition for 12th straight year

WNEM TV (Oct. 27)

 

Civic Engagement and Education 

Olson Library to Host City Clerk Satellite Office Ahead of Election [NMU]

Northern Today (Oct. 9)

 

UP Fall Healthcare Cybersecurity Summit held in Marquette [NMU]

WLUC TV (Oct. 27)

 

Culture & Placemaking

OU workshop Helps Keep the Chaldean Language Alive

Patch (Oct. 20)

 

Student & Faculty Service

'A wonderful feeling' | GVSU men's basketball hosts students with disabilities

WZZM TV (Oct. 1)

 

EMU gives away 3,000 meals to local families, thanks to Kroger grant

WEMU FM (Oct. 27)

 

Faculty Expertise

Why do we love fear? The psychology behind our fascination with scary things [WSU]

WJBK TV (Oct. 6)

 

Meet the ‘independent voters’ who will likely decide which party triumphs in the 2026 midterm elections [UM-D]

The Conversation (Oct. 8)


Experts urge parents to prepare kids for possible livestreamed execution [WSU]

AP (Oct. 13)

 

Who’s the author when AI does the work? Philosophers say the law hasn’t caught up [CMU]

WWTV TV (Oct. 15)

 

Writing the Resistance: A WMU Professor on How Rainforest Action Network Built a Movement

Public Media Network (Oct. 25)

 

These Michigan races could help decide control of Congress [MSU, OU, WMU]

Bridge (Oct. 26)

 

Baby Boomers Are Retiring in Droves. Private Equity Is Waiting. [WMU]

The New York Times (Oct. 28)