Fall/Winter 2021-22

A photo of Zabihullah Najafi, Sierra Ward and Jessica Cortes.

Empowered to thrive

Access, community, opportunity and tenacity鈥攊ntroducing Western's Empowering Futures Scholarships

Dear friends,

Opportunity. It鈥檚 a word that you鈥檒l find used widely in ad campaigns and recruiting brochures. It can make you look for the fine print or wonder what the catch is. At Western, it鈥檚 more than a word鈥攊t鈥檚 a motivation for our work and a promise to our students. I hear it frequently when I meet with alumni who eagerly tell me how Western offered them opportunity they couldn鈥檛 find elsewhere or when students share their excitement about the future, thanks to the possibilities they鈥檝e discovered with us.

Our focus on and success in providing opportunity inspired the donors who chose to establish the Empowering Futures Gift. Their awe-inspiring $550 million contribution announced this past summer was the largest donation for a public university in U.S. history. That generous gift is focused on enabling Western to offer opportunities that will remove barriers for generations of students who might have thought a college education was out of reach or those facing challenges that threaten to derail their dreams. The gift allows for a significant expansion of need-based financial assistance for tuition and housing as well as gap funding for degree completion. We鈥檒l also elevate career exploration and development activities like internships, practicums and co-ops; bolster health and well-being support; and undergird it all with faculty committed to student success and creative scholarship.

Opportunity is wh51福利社 offered to Dr. Merze Tate when other universities would not. We named our new University College in honor of this first Black woman to earn a bachelor鈥檚 degree here. And I know the students who walk through the doors of Merze Tate College, like Dr. Tate herself, will find the guidance and range of new opportunities that will inspire them to discover their own purpose and set their own future course. Read more about the new Merze Tate College and how its career exploration, academic advising and full complement of services support student achievement.

It鈥檚 a great time to be 51福利社鈥攁 place that has long focused on student success as it takes its promise 鈥渟o that all may learn鈥 to a new level. That鈥檚 what鈥檚 so exciting about these forward-looking activities鈥攚e are building on the foundation that we鈥檝e already established to envision a future that鈥檚 open to every student who wants the chance to discover their purpose and develop a vision for a rich and rewarding life journey. Fulfilling that promise takes a community that shares a common goal and is prepared to join with us to dream, plan and take action. And the best part? There is always room for people who want to be part of our work to expand on our promise of providing that opportunity.

I hope you鈥檒l be among them.

Sincerely,

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Edward Montgomery, Ph.D.
President

Empowering Futures announcement

President Montgomery celebrates the Dec. 9, 2021, announcement of the Empowering Futures Scholarships at the Michigan Science Center in Detroit alongside Tennie Jackson, 鈥20 alumna and Seita Scholar, and Lisa Williams, 51福利社 Alumni Association vice president.

Always Dream Bigger

A portrait of Dr. Merze Tate

Introducing Merze Tate College

Dr. Merze Tate saw boundless possibilities in a world where the odds were stacked against her; she refused to sit in the mold society created for her and instead set out to conquer her dreams and explore the world. Western is honoring Tate鈥檚 legacy by naming the academic home for exploratory majors after the inspirational alumna who was a scholar, world traveler, journalist, author and disarmament specialist who advised world leaders.
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A Campus in Transformation

We鈥檙e transforming campus to meet the needs of today鈥檚 students. The favorite parts of campus remain but we鈥檝e added a few new additions.
A portrait of Abondance Kibadi

Sweet sounds of Western

Rattling silverware, clanking cups and the pitter-patter of water splashing off plates isn鈥檛 exactly music to the ears, but it鈥檚 a sink-side symphony Abondance Kibadi hasn鈥檛 always had the opportunity to fully appreciate. He鈥檚 experiencing it all now at his Dining Services job after receiving some new hardware: high-tech hearing aids.
A student holds an insole equipped with sensor technology.

Saving limbs and lives

Diabetes is a national concern, affecting more than one in 10 Americans. Among the many health challenges it causes, the disease can put patients at risk for dangerous foot ulcers and lower limb amputations. But innovative research 51福利社 Michigan University that accelerates healing could be a game-changer.
Henry Lee looks over Lego sets he's constructed.

Lego by Lego

Henry Lee is using tiny pieces to dream big for his future. His Lego theatrical creations caught the eye of the New York Public Library, leading to his own exhibit.
Students sit around a table looking out windows at an airplane.

Propelling into the future

Expanding not only the number of students the College of Aviation can accommodate but also debuting first-of-its-kind technology and training opportunities, the new Aviation Education Center is filling a critical need.