Remarks by U-M President Mary Sue Coleman:
Thank you, and good afternoon.
This morning, Andrew and I participated in a pre-lunch reception, where we met with local high school and college students, and they reinforced why we’re here today, and why this generous gift from Dow means so much.
It’s simple: Students are our future. And tomorrow is why we are here today.
Through this gift, we have the opportunity to accelerate how we prepare future leaders in sustainability – in all areas of study, attacking all aspects of this genuinely thorny challenge.
After chatting with these impressive young people today, I wouldn’t be surprised if down the road, we hear that more than one of them has become a Dow Sustainability Fellow. I saw many “difference makers” in the group.
If you believe that one person can make a difference, consider what 300 can do. That’s a seismic shift. And that’s what this partnership will generate – 300 new leaders from the natural and social sciences, engineering, business, law and numerous other fields.
The uniqueness of this program is that it is not rooted in any one discipline or any single unit in the university – it is as broad and comprehensive as sustainability itself.
And, frankly, that is the only way to solve problems as pervasive as those we face in protecting and sustaining our natural world.
The students we seek for these fellowships will be among the best anywhere, and the presence of this program will likely attract a new type of student to our campus. They’ll be the type of scholars and leaders who make breakthroughs in what we call “wicked problems,” the toughest global sustainability challenges we face – in human behavior, energy, water, mobility, land use and more.
They will be undaunted by such a charge, because they love a challenge. And they’ll make a difference because of it.
I want to thank Andrew and Dow for this historic gift, and for significantly advancing our efforts to develop this next generation of sustainability scholars and leaders, for our state and beyond. From the day Andrew visited U-M’s campus in 2001, he has been passionate about our two organizations working together to make a difference in the world. And under his vision and leadership, Dow’s relationship with the University of Michigan has flourished.
This gift builds on the tremendous foundation of sustainability support provided by the Wege, Erb and Graham families, and I appreciate that John and Debbie Erb are with us today, as are so many of the University’s partners. Taken together, we are stronger in our commitment and practice to a sustainable future.
Sustainability is a top priority at the University of Michigan, and preparing students to tackle this global challenge, in all its dimensions, is paramount. As we approach our bicentennial as a university, we reflect upon our legacy as a leader in reviving Michigan’s forests, protecting our state’s natural resources, and integrating environment and business in our curriculum. And we take pride in the important sustainability work our students and faculty are now pursuing throughout the world – in China, Brazil, Kenya, and elsewhere.
Let me give you a sense of our strengths, and some of the resources these new Dow Fellows will draw upon.
* At Michigan, we have 95 top-ten nationally ranked programs – programs in sciences, technology, economics, human health, social science, public policy and other disciplines that are critical to addressing sustainability concerns from all angles.
* Our research portfolio of $1.25 billion is the largest among our nation’s public universities, it is a reservoir of information and data that can be tapped to gain greater insights into this complex area.
* More than a third of our 100 newest faculty positions are grounded in fields of sustainability, and more than 670 additional faculty have expertise in some aspect of sustainability.
* And among our many world-class institutes and centers, we have a wide range of sustainability-focused units including the Graham and Erb Institutes, the Michigan Energy Institute, and the Center for Sustainable Systems.
And now we proudly add the expanded support of Dow.
Dow has long been a valued partner. During the years, the University of Michigan has benefited greatly from Dow’s service on our advisory boards, its annual support of programs, experiential learning opportunities for students, endowed professorships, facilities and an expanded research relationship.
And we can’t forget the more than 300 U-M graduates now working for Dow. They are a powerful testament to our shared vision and we appreciate Dow looking to U-M to strengthen its workforce and its leadership.
A program like this – unprecedented in its size and scope – will make us a model nationally. It will further shine a light on our state as a place where innovation and scientific leadership change the world.
Thank you again, Andrew, and thank you all for being here today.