Nearly 30 faculty and senior staff from Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint recently undertook U-M’s 16th annual Michigan Road Scholars traveling seminar.
From May 4 to 8, they engaged with communities as disparate as Detroit and Onaway, Alpena and Battle Creek. After a stop at the Capitol in Lansing, they went on to Traverse City, St. Ignace, Kalkaska, Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. Since its first year, MRS has sparked academic-community collaborations that enhance local assets and solve local issues in the short and long term.
“It was extremely valuable to learn about the successes, opportunities and challenges faced by organizations such as Ponyride, Alpena Community College, Moran Iron Works, and Kalkaska Screw Products,” said Seung-Jin Lee, assistant professor of earth and resource science, and mechanical engineering at UM-Flint. “The overall experience has allowed me to rethink my approach in connecting with students and develop research and service activities that benefit local communities.”
