By Lindsey Paterson
University Record Intern

Faculty members will have an opportunity to discover how the University is connected to the state, learn about communities many students call home and develop long-lasting connections when the annual Michigan Road Scholars (MRS) tour hits the highways next spring.

Applications for the educational tour, which will run May 1-5, are available on the MRS Web site at http://www.mrs.umich.edu and are due Nov. 30. A faculty advisory committee chaired by School of Information Dean John King will select 24 participants in December.

“The Michigan Road Scholars tour is a very unique opportunity for faculty at U-M to experience the State of Michigan from a connected, thoughtful and interdisciplinary approach,” says David Lossing, project director and associate director of state outreach. “We attempt to show the value to our faculty and the enormous need in the state for their time, talent, research and service.”

Goals of the program include developing faculty awareness of Michigan’s geography, economy, culture, government, politics, history, educational systems, health and social issues, Lossing says. In addition, Road Scholars are encouraged to provide service to the public and perform research to address state problems.

“We are always looking for new opportunities each year to focus on, so the trip changes from year to year,” Lossing says, adding that some scholars may be asked to give informal presentations about their fields of expertise.

The MRS tour includes meals, accommodations and transportation on a tour bus equipped with video monitors, snacks and a small library of materials featuring the State of Michigan.

Prior to embarking on the tour, each participant will receive a notebook with relevant information on state issues, tour-stop destinations and descriptions of community people with whom they will meet.

“For many faculty, this is the first time for them to travel through the state and see the great wonders that Michigan has to offer,” Lossing says. “Additionally, they are able to interact with peers from different disciplines from across the campus in a way that they are not afforded during the academic year.

“Many different research ideas have sprouted from the interaction between our faculty participants over the years.”

Lossing says there have been 175 participants from all three campuses since the program’s inception in 1999. Those alumni are engaged in community projects, including Habitat for Humanity in Detroit, and reunite for an annual reception, which this year is
Nov. 29. Past participants can RSVP on the Web site.

For more information, contact Lossing at (734) 764-8029 or dalossin@umich.edu.