Regents Report (October 18, 2018)

It is with pride that I provide the Board with a brief summary of recent noteworthy activities that have taken place on the Dearborn campus.

We hosted three welcome receptions throughout metro Detroit this month. Receptions took place at the Detroit Athletic Club, the Inn at St. John’s in Plymouth and the Birmingham Country Club. All three events were very well attended. I had the opportunity to provide campus updates to alumni, donors and community leaders and engage in meaningful conversations about how they would like to strengthen their relationship with UM-Dearborn. The passion and excitement for the Dearborn campus was infectious, and I was encouraged by a sincere willingness to help move the university forward. It was clear to me that UM-Dearborn made a real difference in their lives. 

Just this week I met with Ed Krause, Global Manager for External Alliances, at Ford Motor Company. Our campus was forged out of a pioneering experiment with the Ford Motor Company, nearly 60 years ago, to blend the excellence of a University of Michigan education with Ford Motor Company innovation. During the meeting we discussed re-establishing stronger research ties between the university and Ford. Ed reminded me of the Pro Trailer Backup Assist project, that allows a driver to easily back up a trailer by simply turning a knob to steer the vehicle and trailer. This technology was developed by a UM-Dearborn faculty member. Ed shared that this project has sparked 74 patents related to the technology and this project remains one of the biggest wins between the two organizations to date. 

Thank you and Go Blue!