Faculty and staff have plenty of opportunities to get flu vaccine

It’s easy to get annual vaccines on the U-M Ann Arbor campus through a collaboration with University Health & Counseling and MHealthy. Currently all clinics offer the influenza vaccine; select clinics will also offer the COVID-19 vaccine. Eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine has some restrictions. No appointment is necessary, and clinics are drop-in only. U-M students, faculty and staff can participate. Michigan Medicine employees, learners and volunteers should contact Occupational Health Services. The next flu vaccine clinic is from 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Sept. 29 at the Duderstadt Connector, Rooms 1120B and 1120D. The next flu and COVID-19 vaccine clinic is from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Sept. 30 in the Kuenzel Room of the Michigan Union. For more information on flu and COVID-19 vaccines and a complete schedule of clinics.

$500K awarded to project aimed at transforming Detroit substation

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has awarded $500,000 to rootoftwo, co-founded by John Marshall and Cézanne Charles, to transform a decommissioned electrical substation in Detroit’s Islandview neighborhood into The Transformer Building — a civic studio for participatory governance and design. Marshall is a professor of art and design in the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design and professor of architecture and urban planning in the A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, and Charles is a U-M alumna. Building on their 2024 Knight New Work grant and successful collaborations with Michigan Central, the Detroit Cultural Center, and Design Core Detroit, rootoftwo will create a dynamic hub for civic tech labs, public workshops, and innovative public space programming. This catalytic investment anchors their nationally-recognized practice in a permanent home and directly supports Knight’s commitment to revitalizing public spaces and neighborhoods through civic engagement. The award was announced recently as part of a series of new investments in a community celebration that marked the Knight Foundation’s $215 million-plus investment in Detroit over the last 25 years.

Program on Intergroup Relations preparing for move back to campus

The Program on Intergroup Relations will move its student space and offices to the heart of campus in the coming year, relocating from its current home on South University Avenue to the 1100 North University Building. The move comes as IGR’s leased space is changing to private ownership with a planned, years-long demolition and redevelopment. IGR’s expected final day in the Galleria at 1214 S. University Ave. is Nov. 28, although the exact date is subject to change. IGR will share more details about the transition and opening through its “We’re on the move” landing page online at igr.umich.edu/move, IGR newsletters and social media channels. IGR’s new hub will be renovated with a warm, lively and contemporary design throughout. Students and visitors seeking accessible spaces for collaboration and focus will find them in a flexible common area, meeting rooms, the Mark Chesler Library Collection, and staff and faculty offices. Up-to-date videoconference and presentation tech, computer and printer workstations, and mobile whiteboards will offer versatile meeting options for all. For more information, visit igr.umich.edu.

UM-Flint commencement moving to Dort Financial Center to welcome more guests

UM-Flint is relocating its commencement ceremonies from its Riverfront Conference Center to the Dort Financial Center, a move designed to attract more family and friends eager to celebrate graduates’ achievements. For years, space constraints at the Riverfront Conference Center limited the number of supporters who could attend. That won’t be the case going forward. “We wanted to ensure that graduates felt that they had the opportunity to celebrate commencement with the family and friends who supported them through their educational journey,” said Chelsea Duncan, chief of staff in the Office of the Chancellor. “This move to the event center will allow each graduate to bring more guests than we could accommodate on campus.” The Dort Financial Center, located just across town from campus at 3501 Lapeer Road, seats about 4,000 people — compared with fewer than 1,000 at Riverfront. The increased capacity means UM-Flint will no longer ticket the ceremonies or impose guest limits, though Duncan said the venue could comfortably welcome about eight guests per graduate. Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Graduates and their families will notice several other benefits at the new location, including the return of a student processional and graduates seated together on the arena floor for a more traditional commencement experience. The expanded capacity also means fewer ceremonies: one in December and just two in April, down from the previous four.

— Compiled by Jeff Bleiler, The University Record