Our Vision 2030 comes to life through the inspiring work of our students, staff, faculty, alumni, and partners. Here are stories from across our community that showcase how we're advancing education, research, action, and inclusive culture. These examples demonstrate the power of building tomorrow together and the real-world impact we're creating as we work toward our shared vision.
- Education
- School Culture
I utilize my voice even when it can be uncomfortable and intimidating because it is not only beneficial for self-advocacy, but it will be a valuable skill to use on behalf of the clients and communities I wish to serve.
- Education
I advocate for funding for schools so there is quality education for all students (Student Advocacy Center).
- Research
I support research that improves the health and health care of U.S. veterans.
- Action
I help people — I help addicts not to relapse, and I help immigrants to adjust to life in a new country.
- Education
- Research
Systematically gathering data on the Title IV-E fellowship to inform quality improvement and strengthen the Michigan child welfare workforce.
- Education
- Action
- School Culture
Peace Neighborhood Center provides wraparound services to children, youth, and families throughout Washtenaw County.
- Education
- Action
- School Culture
As an Advocacy Committee Leader and Student Government Representative at the University of Michigan School of Social Work, I live this vision by turning student voices into action.
- Research
- Action
Over the past 15 months, Connie Sung and I have co-led the INITIATE Center, a bold, multidisciplinary initiative in disability justice.
- School Culture
I had an opportunity to share lessons learned and strategies for contract management and operations practices with another unit at the SSW. Shared learning across units will help us grow together faster.
- Research
- Education
- Action
I advocate for suicide prevention in my field placement at the Ann Arbor VA psychiatric inpatient unit and as a research assistant with the Suicide Prevention, Treatment, & Research (STAR) Lab.
- Education
- Action
Participating in the development of the new MS program and building more impactful financial advisory practices.
- Action
I was appointed to the Older Persons Millage Review Committee by the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners this February. With this three-year appointment, I will work to oversee $2 million dollars in millage funds to support older adults per year.
- Action
- Research
I advocate for truly transdisciplinary approaches to cancer care and research at the U-M Rogel Cancer Center and throughout the United States.
- Education
I have started a new line of research focused on the associations between extreme weather and interpersonal violence. This work was inspired by a January 2023 faculty retreat where we collectively identified a gap in our research expertise and work in the area of climate change.
- Education
I am thrilled to be teaching the Introduction to Statistics course to the first-year PhD students. I feel very well-suited to be teaching this class, as I have concentrated on stats throughout my career the last nearly 30 years.
- Education
- Action
- Research
This term, I am teaching SW663, where students are developing grant proposals and fundraising plans for three nonprofit organizations based in Michigan.
- School Culture
One of the ways I build community is by sharing nature photography on the digital signage. I always use photos from U-M campus. People have told me they find the photos calming and welcoming and appreciate the boost when they are entering the building.
- School Culture
The Office of Global Activities runs the Global Meet and Eat event, which provides connection for our international students. School faculty and staff volunteer to host students for a meal, either at their home or at a local restaurant. We ran this last year and will again in April 2026.
- School Culture
One of the ways I live the vision is by building community among students, staff, faculty and alumni through our the School’s monthly meetings of our Undoing Racism workgroup.
- School Culture
Prior to my arrival at the School of Social Work, my primary volunteer actions included participating in food banks, phone banks for political candidates and park clean-ups — none of which were very personal.
- Education
- Action
- School Culture
The work I do to live our vision is also summed up by this year’s theme for Social Work Month: Uplift. Defend. Transform.
- Education
- Action
- Research
Over the past year, I worked with partners in Alaska and Washington to develop five 2-hour workshop sessions to reduce and prevent harmful substance use, based on the PC CARES model.
- Education
- Research
I published a book on Multilevel Modeling, which builds upon my 15 years of teaching this topic. The book is focused on practical and advocacy-based researchers. I argue that multilevel modeling is a principled way of thinking about human variation, human commonality, and universals.