The School of Information will host the following events for the Theme Year Winter 2024 term. Events, projects, and programs will have a Great Lakes regional focus.  Registration is required to attend all events at umsi.info/elo-register. 

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Past Events

Nonindigenous Species and the Great Lakes

Thursday, September 7, 2023

3:00-4:00 pm

G005 Dental Building 

University of Michigan School of Dentistry

1011 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

In this talk (part of SI 307: Introduction to User Experience Design), learn about the challenges of nonindigenous or invasive species and the Great Lakes. In addition, NOAA program manager Rochelle Sturtevant will explain how the GLANSIS data portal supports researchers, educators, and the public’s access to local data about this evolving issue that threatens the Great Lakes. This talk is open to UMSI community members.

Speaker: Dr. Rochelle Sturtevant is a program manager for NOAA’s Great Lakes Aquatic Nonindigenous Species Information System (GLANSIS). This searchable database provides species profiles, threat assessments, and maps designed to improve stakeholder education and inform prevention, management, and control of aquatic nonindigenous species (ANS) (also called aquatic invasive species, or AIS). Rochelle’s position allows her to work collaboratively with Michigan Sea Grant, Michigan State University Extension, and the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) to understand and combat Great Lakes invaders.

Drinking Water Access: An Information Perspective

Monday, September 11, 2023

9:00-10:30 am

Robertson Auditorium, Blau Hall

University of Michigan Ross School of Business

701 Tappan Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Kris Donaldson, Clean Water Public Advocate for the State of Michigan, will guide SI 501: Contextual Inquiry and Consulting Foundations students through key issues concerning drinking water for Great Lakes region residents.  This talk will engage the information perspectives related to contaminants, affordability, infrastructure, and conservation, highlighting data collection, system design, and information access-related challenges and endeavors. This talk is open to UM community members.

Speaker: Kris Donaldson serves as the public advocate in the Office of Clean Water Public Advocate (OCWPA) within the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). Her office ensures the public can report drinking water concerns through the statewide concerns reporting system. Kris joined state government as a drinking water engineer, regulating Wayne County community water supplies in accordance with the Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act. She went on to supervise drinking water staff regulating more than 200 community water supplies in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, and St. Clair counties. She previously worked in the private sector as an environmental engineer for an environmental consulting firm. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in environmental engineering from Michigan Technological University and is a licensed professional engineer in Michigan.

UMSI Theme Year Keynote

Thursday, September 28, 2023

4:00-5:00 pm

Ann Arbor, MI

Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist will join the UMSI Community to discuss water-related issues facing Michigan communities and plans for the future. This event is open to the public.

Speaker: Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist has dedicated his career to solving problems. An engineer by training, he uses thoughtful and fact-based practices to solve real problems and make government work better for Michigan families. As part of the Whitmer Administration, Lt. Governor Gilchrist has focused on helping Michiganders in communities across our state realize their full economic and political potential. From co-chairing the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration to helming the Michigan COVID-19 Task Force on Racial Disparities to leading efforts to connect over 23,000 unserved locations in Michigan to affordable high-speed internet, Lt. Governor Gilchrist is committed to building a more just, equitable, prosperous, and connected Michigan where everyone can thrive.

Water and Land Use Design Jam

Friday, September 29, 2023

2:00-6:00 pm

UMSI Engagement Center

University of Michigan School of Information

777 N. University, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 (Above Panera)

In this four-hour event, student teams will learn and apply the design thinking method to design creative information solutions to a community challenge. Students will design innovative ways to leverage information tools to engage residents in the connection between land use and water quality.  This is a fun, fast-paced event working with community partners working on water quality issues in Ann Arbor. Design Jam Partner: City of Ann Arbor

Systems Thinking Workshop

Tuesday, October 3, 2023

4:00-6:00 pm 

3100 North Quad (Ehrlicher Room)

University of Michigan School of Information

105 S. State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Systems thinking is a method used to make sense of the complexity of the world by looking at it in terms of wholes and relationships rather than through evaluating separate parts. It has been used to explore and develop effective action in complex contexts, enabling systems change. In this workshop, students will explore and consider water-related challenges and complex water processes through a systems lens. This workshop will involve an introduction to systems theory, considering patches and connectivity within systems, thinking about what role humans play within systems, and placing systems thinking in the information context. Participants should expect interactive opportunities to apply learning within group activities.

Speaker:  Paul Seelbach is a retired School for Environment and Sustainability Professor of Practice. Professor Seelbach's experiences bridge the academic study of aquatic ecosystems to its application across various resource management agencies. He has worked for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, amongst other state and federal nature resources-oriented organizations. He has helped with major initiatives regarding watershed assessment and management, ecological flows and water allocation policy, water resources monitoring, coastal zone management, and revitalization of Areas of Concern. 

Regarding science, Paul applies a landscape-ecology approach to understanding the structure and function of riverine and nearshore ecosystems. He is interested in system elements such as spatial heterogeneity and context, scales and hierarchy, driving processes, and the human footprint.  Regarding aquatic practice, Paul is interested in promoting effective knowledge transfer to management and governance decision processes and in nurturing the development of professional and leadership skills.

Water Data Physicalization Workshop

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

4:00-7:00 pm 

UMSI Engagement Center

777 N. University, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 (Above Panera)

University of Michigan

In this workshop, you will learn about data physicalization (“the practice of mapping data to physical form”) and create water-related data physicalizations. Participants will engage in data exploration, ideation, and the construction of physicalizations while considering rhetoric, storytelling, and physicality in presenting data. Join us for this collaborative and engaging opportunity!

Speaker: Robert Markum is a PhD Candidate in the UMSI School of Information. His work focuses on the intersection of religion, spirituality, and technology, and he has incorporated aspects of data physicalization / physical visualization into this work. He is a founding member of the Spirituality, Religion, and Interactive Technology Design (SPIRITED) Collective. He has co-organized workshops around these topics at CHI ‘22 (Integrating Faith, Religion, and Spirituality in HCI), NordiCHI ‘22 (Co-imagining Participatory Design in Religious and Spiritual Contexts), and DIS ‘23 (Designing Tangible Interactive Artifacts for Religious and Spiritual Purposes). He also ran a “provotyping” Rapid Design Challenge at the 2023 UX@UM Conference and has helped facilitate several Design Jams offered through the UMSI Engaged Learning Office (ELO).

Water Trivia

Thursday, November 16, 2023

6:00-7:00 pm 

UMSI Engagement Center

University of Michigan School of Information

777 N. University, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 (Above Panera)

Want to test your knowledge about water conservation and access? Join the ELO staff in this fun, yet competitive event to learn more about water. Theme year and UMSI swag will be given out as prizes.  Lunch will be provided. Watch the ELO newsletter for an opportunity to share your own Water trivia question to be asked.

Theme Year Resources and Meet & Greet

Friday, January 12 |12:00-1:00pm | UMSI Engagement Center

Tuesday, January 16 | 4:00-5:00pm | UMSI Engagement Center

Hear from the Engaged Learning Office about resources available to support your Theme Year course or independent project. Learn about topics, organizations, contacts, and funding opportunities. Also, connect with other UMSI students who may be interested in collaborating on project ideas.

Big Bets and Solving the Climate Crisis 

Tuesday, January 30, 2024 | 5 p.m. ET | Rackham Auditorium, 915 E. Washington St.

Dr. Rajiv Shah (BS ’95) is president of the Rockefeller Foundation, a global institution with a mission to promote the well-being of humanity around the world. Shah will discuss his new book, “Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens” (Simon & Schuster, 2023), and how universities can embrace a big bets mindset of transformative change, especially as it relates to solving the climate crisis. In his talk, Shah will share a dynamic new model for creating lasting change, inspired by his own work and that of the Rockefeller Foundation on some of the biggest humanitarian efforts of the 21st century. Shah will draw from his experiences working as the 16th administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development and his leadership roles at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The event will include an audience Q&A session and a book signing immediately following the talk. A limited number of books will be available for purchase. Free and open to the public. 

Theme Year: Self-Care and Sustainability Workshop - CANCELLED

Wednesday, January 31 | 12:00- 1:00pm | UMSI Engagement Center

This workshop, facilitated by U-M Planet Blue staff, covers self-care best practices and resources for sustainability and climate activists, including UMSI students working on Theme Year projects.

Theme Year: Foundations of Community Engagement

Friday, February 2 | 12:00 - 1:00pm | UMSI Engagement Center

Foundations of Community Engagement is an interactive workshop for UMSI students that introduces principles and practices of equitable, ethical community engagement. Participants will develop a deeper understanding of what the term “community engagement” means, as well as the many forms it might take - from research and course-based projects to philanthropy, activism, policy, and direct service. Across all these forms of engagement, participants will learn concepts and actions that promote equitable partnerships, center community-defined priorities, and disrupt entrenched power dynamics between universities and community members. Participants will also discuss real-world community engagement scenarios that ask them to apply what they’ve learned in the workshop to various situations. This session is for any student, but especially for students engaging with external organizations and individuals in Theme Year projects.

View other Ginsberg Center events at https://events.umich.edu/group/1146

Water Theme Year Office Hours

Dates and Times Listed on Registration Form | Zoom

Office hours are for students working on Theme Year related projects. Students can come to office hours to gain advice and learn about resources to help move their project forward.

UMSI Sustainability Board Game Night

Thursday, February 8 | 5:30am-7:30pm | UMSI Engagement Center

Prepare for a fun-filled game night with the UMSI community! Join the Board Game Night hosted by ELO and UMSI Student Life for an evening of strategy, laughter, and friendly competition. Explore sustainability and water-themed board games like Nunami, Cascadia, Solutions, Kyoto, and Tribes of the Wind provided by Planet Blue Ambassadors. Get ready for a memorable experience!

DEI Movie - Thirst for Justice

Tuesday, March 5 | 11:30am-1:00pm | UMSI Engagement Center

The UMSI DEI Office will host a screening of Thirst for Justice, a documentary that follows two communities as they struggle with dangerously contaminated water supplies.

UMSI SDG Week Design Jam - Cancelled

Friday, March 8 | 11:00am-1:00pm | UMSI Engagement Center

This Design Jam focuses on finding creative ways to encourage awareness and action regading the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on campus.  

Water@Michigan Coffee Talks (Register here) 

Wednesday, January 10 | 3:30-5:00pm | Palmer Commons, Great Lakes Room

Indigenous Water Philosophy and Governance

Dr. Matthew Fletcher, Professor, Michigan Law

Wednesday, February 21 | 3:30-5:00pm | Michigan Union, Kuenzel Room

Securing Statewide Water Affordability

Sylvia Orduño, People’s Water Board Coalition

Introduction Speakers: SI 501 Theme Year Project Outcomes

Pedro Pazmino, MSI, "Drinking Water Quality at Michigan Public Schools"

Megan Williams, MSI, "Septic System Codes (or lack thereof)"

Ann Arbor Data Dive

Friday, March 15 | 3:00 - 8:00 PM | North Quad - Space 2435

Ann Arbor Data Dive is a UMSI student-run program that organizes and executes an annual data hackathon for good. The annual service event, Ann Arbor Data Dive, brings together students, faculty, and data professionals to help local nonprofit and civic organizations analyze data, solve problems and develop impactful solutions through data. This year’s Data Dive will take place on March 15, and this year’s partners will be announced closer to the event day. Ann Arbor Data Dive welcomes people of all skill levels and will hold workshops leading up to the event to help prepare you to analyze data and communicate insights. The event and workshops are open to all members of the community.

To learn about past Data Dives, please visit the A2 Data Dive website.

UMSI Exposition

Thursday, April 18 | 12:00pm-5:00pm | U-M League

Students will present Theme Year projects (and other course and independent projects) to the UMSI, U-M, and local community.  Prizes will be awarded to best projects related to the Theme Year and other categories. 

Water@Michigan Coffee Talks (Register here) 

Wednesday, March 27 | 3:30-5:00pm |  Location TBA

The Ethics of Water: From Commodification to Common Ownership

Book talk by author Dr. Cameron Fioret, Natural Resources Canada and United Nations University

2024 Water@Michigan Symposium

Friday, April 5, 2024, 9am - 6pm | Michigan League - Vandenberg Room, 911 N University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI

Join us on April 5 at the Michigan League for the 2024 Water@Michigan Symposium, which will center around water justice, access, and affordability across U-M and Michigan. From ensuring safe drinking water to tackling emerging contaminants and securing equitable access for under-resourced communities, the challenges are significant and the need for change—and action-based research—is urgent. Register today to convene with colleagues and community leaders working to address these challenges.

Learn more and register here.