Alumni Association University of Michigan — Winter 2012
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Michigan Journey
Because my own Michigan journey takes place primarily within the University community, it would be easy to become complacent about excellence—it’s all around me. I am surrounded by top scholars, students, alumni, athletes, and others who contribute on a daily basis to the excellence of the University of Michigan. But every once in a while, I take a step back and am awed by what I see.
In paging through this issue of Michigan Alumnus, I’m sure you’ll agree. For example, you’ll see why the University was honored in September when the MacArthur Foundation named three researchers to its list of fellows for 2011. Commonly known as the
“genius grant,” this award is one of the most prestigious in the country. Tiya Miles,Melanie Sanford, and Yukiko Yamashita were among the 22 fellows that the MacArthur Foundation cited for an “extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction.” Get a glimpse into the excellence of their research on page 34.
We receive communications on a daily basis from alumni, their friends, their coworkers, and their families about the accomplishments of our graduates. You’ll see many examples on these pages. They help citizens of earthquake-stricken Haiti build homes, and they help schoolchildren build dreams of a college education.
They advance medical technologies, and they advance the cause of international diplomacy. They assume their places in athletics halls of fame, and they assume their places in history with their travels to
the moon. With accomplishments from the everyday to the extraordinary, our alumni live their lives in excellence.
We profile two of those alumni in our feature stories. James Earl Jones is an icon of the stage and screen who learned his craft while at the University. And now the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences joins the long list of organizations that have recognized his excellence, this time with an honorary Oscar award. Read about him on page 30. And while many people couldn’t imagine tackling the economic problems facing the state of Michigan, one alumnus saw a challenge. On page 22, we look at Gov. Rick Snyder’s first year in office and the route he took to get there. Excellence extends beyond the people
and into the places of this University. Most recently, the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital managed to move 166 patients, even the most critical, from their old to their new facilities. What would be a daunting task within any organization came off without a hitch in a mere eight hours, as you can see on page 26. Efforts like this attest to the fact that U-M’s award-winning hospitals are among the best in the nation.
So as you look through this issue of the magazine, I hope you not only recognize the excellence of your alma mater and fellow alumni, but also that you will value the connection that you have to these members of the Michigan family.
Steve Grafton President and CEO, Alumni Association of the University of Michigan
In paging through this issue of Michigan Alumnus, I’m sure you’ll agree. For example, you’ll see why the University was honored in September when the MacArthur Foundation named three researchers to its list of fellows for 2011. Commonly known as the
“genius grant,” this award is one of the most prestigious in the country. Tiya Miles,Melanie Sanford, and Yukiko Yamashita were among the 22 fellows that the MacArthur Foundation cited for an “extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction.” Get a glimpse into the excellence of their research on page 34.
We receive communications on a daily basis from alumni, their friends, their coworkers, and their families about the accomplishments of our graduates. You’ll see many examples on these pages. They help citizens of earthquake-stricken Haiti build homes, and they help schoolchildren build dreams of a college education.
They advance medical technologies, and they advance the cause of international diplomacy. They assume their places in athletics halls of fame, and they assume their places in history with their travels to
the moon. With accomplishments from the everyday to the extraordinary, our alumni live their lives in excellence.
We profile two of those alumni in our feature stories. James Earl Jones is an icon of the stage and screen who learned his craft while at the University. And now the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences joins the long list of organizations that have recognized his excellence, this time with an honorary Oscar award. Read about him on page 30. And while many people couldn’t imagine tackling the economic problems facing the state of Michigan, one alumnus saw a challenge. On page 22, we look at Gov. Rick Snyder’s first year in office and the route he took to get there. Excellence extends beyond the people
and into the places of this University. Most recently, the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital managed to move 166 patients, even the most critical, from their old to their new facilities. What would be a daunting task within any organization came off without a hitch in a mere eight hours, as you can see on page 26. Efforts like this attest to the fact that U-M’s award-winning hospitals are among the best in the nation.
So as you look through this issue of the magazine, I hope you not only recognize the excellence of your alma mater and fellow alumni, but also that you will value the connection that you have to these members of the Michigan family.
Steve Grafton President and CEO, Alumni Association of the University of Michigan
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