UMSI 2025 Philanthropic Impact Report
UMSI 2025 PHILANTHROPIC
IMPACT REPORT
Thanks to your support in 2024-25, students at the University of Michigan School of Information gained the skills and experience to harness information for good.
awarded in donor-funded scholarships
awarded in donor-funded student conference and internship grants
awarded in donor-funded student emergency support
Dean’s Message
This year, UMSI made moves. We settled into our beautiful new home, the Leinweber Computer Science and Information Building, giving students access to dynamic spaces to innovate, collaborate and build lifelong connections. We also launched a capital campaign to support hands-on learning experiences for students, advance information research that solves real-world challenges, and expand access to a UMSI education. Together, these goals position UMSI to drive meaningful change far beyond our own walls. The importance of our work — as information professionals, innovators and educators — has never been clearer. I’m proud to lead a school that does world-changing research, shapes national conversations and teaches students to innovate with purpose. Your gifts and engagement allow UMSI to grow in new and necessary directions — thank you.
Andrea Forte
Dean, School of Information
University of Michigan
Making space for bold ideas
The Leinweber Computer Science and Information Building, UMSI’s new home on North Campus, opened in summer 2025. The state-of-the-art complex creates opportunities for innovative research in information science and computer science, next-generation STEM education, and the development of breakthrough technologies. Its construction was made possible by a $25M gift from the Leinweber Foundation, founded by software engineer Larry Leinweber.
square feet
in capital investment
PLACES OF POSSIBILITY
Blessing Family Maker Lab
Ideas take on a new dimension in the Blessing Family Maker Lab, which provides access to cutting-edge tools for creating, experimenting and prototyping. Here, students can 3D-print prototypes, scan objects for augmented reality scenes, digitally archive historical artifacts, and design wearable tech by sewing electronics into fabric. All of this making is made possible by a generous gift from Jason Blessing (BA ’93).
PLACES OF POSSIBILITY
Kenlee Ray and Susan Quackenbush Student Lounge
What makes a building feel like home? Space to unwind, enjoy a meal or seek a quiet moment. The new student lounge, made possible by a generous gift from Kenlee Ray (AMLS ’68) and Susan Quackenbush (AMLS ’75), features a modern kitchen, day-use lockers and tables with comfortable seating. It provides a dedicated space for UMSI students to start conversations that just might turn into lifelong bonds, like the friendship shared by Ray and Quackenbush.
PLACES OF POSSIBILITY
李廣慧 and Thomas C. Wilson Collaborative Classroom
The world is UMSI students’ classroom, as they develop their skills by engaging with real clients and communities. The Kuang-Hwei “Janet” Lee-Smeltzer and Thomas C. Wilson Collaborative Classroom provides a hub for this hands-on learning, hosting design jams, workshops and industry speakers. Centrally located and filled with natural light, the space invites students to make connections between their studies and society’s needs. This collaborative environment is made possible by a generous gift from Thomas C. Wilson (MILS ’87).
Connecting people and purpose
Core faculty
Active alumni
Current students*
Enrollment by program*
BSI
MSI
MHI
MADS
PHD
*Fiscal year 2025: Enrollment data includes all students who enrolled in a UMSI degree program from July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025.
FEATURED INITIATIVES
Growing the innovation economy in Michigan
UMSI hosted a university-wide competition last fall, inviting student teams to pitch a new product, service or company to boost Michigan’s innovation economy. Students drew inspiration from a keynote talk by U-M alumnus Ben Marchionna, Michigan’s first-ever chief innovation ecosystem officer. The three winning teams earned prizes ranging from $500 to $2,500, with funding provided by the Franklin Innovator Residency Fund.
FEATURED INITIATIVES
Training student leaders who center belonging
Launched in 2024, the Inclusive Leaders in Information program equips UMSI student leaders with the skills to cultivate belonging among their peers in the information science field. At a February retreat, students participated in a design jam and a workshop with UMSI alumna Carrie Sawyer (MSI ’05), an author, speaker, podcaster, design researcher, CEO and nonprofit founder, thanks to support from the Student Leadership Initiatives Fund established by Eric Arnson (BGS ’78).
FEATURED INITIATIVES
Breaking records on Giving Blueday
This year on U-M’s annual day of giving, we asked you to give to support what matters most at UMSI — and our community of students, faculty, staff and alumni showed up, raising a record-breaking $32,988. Gifts from 86 donors will provide support for students facing an emergency, engaged learning programs, scholarships that make a UMSI education possible, programming that encourages belonging, and school-wide needs through the UMSI Annual Fund.
FEATURED INITIATIVES
Creating new pathways to a four-year degree
Every summer, UMSI hosts the Community College Summer Institute to introduce Michigan community college students to the possibilities within information science. This year, 38 students attended from eight colleges. They departed CCSI with comprehensive resources for the transfer process and a newfound awareness that U-M is an option for them, thanks to the John, Karen and Casey Cameron Community College Fund and additional support from David Choi (MSI ’06).
As an international student, when I left home to pursue this program, I found another home in the UMSI community — a home where people from different backgrounds are invited to view the world from their own perspective, their own ‘window,’ and collaborate to make a difference in the world of information.
Turning information into impact
STUDENT PROJECT EXPOSITION
Expo ’25
Hope is in the prototype. At this year’s UMSI Student Project Exposition, more than 500 students shared solutions to issues that matter. Their projects addressed challenges faced by nonprofit organizations, companies across industries, communities in Michigan and beyond, and even their own friend groups. Winning projects were selected by a panel of UMSI Advisory Board members, alumni and partners, with funding provided by the Hoffman Family Engaged Learning Fund and the UMSI Culture and Community Fund.
WINNING PROJECTS
UnityPhilly: Community-Driven Response to the Opioid Overdose Crisis
Community partnerships lead to more fitting solutions. Master of Science in Information students Hamza Naveed and Sheza Naveed earned first prize in the Civic and Community Engagement category at Expo for their work to prevent deaths from opioid overdoses through community-driven response. UnityPhilly is a smartphone app funded by the National Institute of Health that equips trained community members to respond to nearby opioid overdoses. When an app user signals an overdose, the app alerts nearby volunteers, calls EMS and provides guidance for administering naloxone. “We're looking into scaling this across the U.S.,” Sheza says.
WINNING PROJECTS
Detecting and Mitigating Implicit and Explicit Bias on Social Networks Using ML and Generative AI
Master of Applied Data Science student Celia Banks’ capstone project, which earned second prize in its Expo category, is a machine learning algorithm that detects and mitigates biases in social networks. Leveraging generative AI, it aims to reduce implicit biases in user interactions, minimizing harmful or offensive content while limiting the need for human oversight. Banks, founder and CEO of big data and analytics company I-Meta, chose the MADS program because of its emphasis on the practical application of data science techniques to solve real-world problems.
WINNING PROJECTS
Reimagining Eviction Court Forms
Nearly 200,000 eviction cases are filed in Michigan each year, with all but 2% of those tenants lacking an attorney. For her work to reimagine eviction court forms in Michigan, MSI student Rachael Zuppke earned second prize in the Access, Belonging and Inclusion category. “When I came to the School of Information, what I really wanted to do was change court processes through user experience design,” she says. Zuppke’s redesigned forms, shaped by two user testing sessions and a civic design workshop she hosted, go beyond plain language to feature a visual representation of the entire eviction process.
Guiding the next generation
UMSI Mentor Match is a new program designed to address the barriers many first-generation, transfer and low-income students face in building social capital. The semester-long program, launched this year, pairs participating students with successful alumni for one-on-one mentorship. Through regular meetings, students build their networks, develop career skills and gain professional advice that shapes their paths. Thank you to our alumni mentors for this meaningful engagement.
mentor/mentee pairs in pilot cohort
of mentees would recommend the program
Being introduced to my mentor has truly changed my life. She introduced me to tech consulting, a world I didn't even know existed. Not only was she able to guide me — she was able to inspire and mentor me. I have been looking for this experience the entire time I was at the university, to have a meaningful connection with someone who understands my background and knows where you can go from there.
The future begins where you come in.
Total production*
Dollars raised*
Donors
First-time donors
Fiscal year 2025: Numbers include all gifts made from July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025.
*Total production includes all expectations committed to the school during the fiscal year, including pledges and unrealized bequests. Dollars raised represent the revenue received, including realized bequests and pledge payments from pledges established in previous years.
PRIORITY FUND ACCOUNTS
281 donors
40 donors
8 donors
34 donors
62 donors
39 donors
HOW DOLLARS WERE APPLIED
212 donors
457 gifts
3 donors
4 gifts
2 donors
3 gifts
280 donors
542 gifts
51 donors
125 gifts