1. Alchemie advances interactive learning technologies through support of Michigan Economic Development Corporation

    Mark Rivett posted November 18, 2021

    Read Full Story on Michigan Economic Development Corporation Website

    Alchemie co-founder and CEO Julia Winter spent 20 years teaching college-level chemistry courses at Detroit Country Day School. After implementing a successful summer school program, the award-winning educator began looking for a way to expand her face-to-face pedagogy to a more scalable digital format.

    Julia and her co-founders, COO Carl Rundell and CTO Joe Engalan, started Alchemie with a mission to create innovative and intuitive digital learning technologies for students, and to make those tools accessible and affordable for students everywhere.

    Alchemie’s technologies use a game-based approach to present tough science and engineering concepts in an innovative and engaging way, fusing commercial game design with content expertise to create intuitive and personalized learning experiences for students while providing real-time, data-driven insights to instructors.

    From the earliest days of the company, Alchemie leveraged the tools offered by Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) to develop and commercialize its technologies and connect with the resources needed for startup success.

    “When you’re coming up with an idea from scratch and you’ve never done this before it can be difficult to know where to start,” said Julia. “It was incredibly helpful to have MEDC’s resources available along the way to help us move Alchemie forward, and MEDC’s support has made a huge difference for us.”

    Alchemie also utilized the Small Company Innovation Program (SCIP). Funded through the MEDC’s Michigan Corporate Relations Network (MCRN) and overseen by the University of Michigan’s Economic Growth Institute, SCIP helped Alchemie perform critical research around the efficacy of the company’s digital learning technologies. The quality and significance of the findings helped secure two peer-reviewed papers in top education journals.

    Read Full Story on Michigan Economic Development Corporation Website


  2. U-M launches SEAS Sustainability Clinic in Detroit to combat the effects of climate change, including residential flooding

    Mark Rivett posted November 10, 2021

    Read Full Story at SEAS

    Read more on The Detroit Free Press

    Building upon its mission to have a real-world impact for people, communities and businesses, the University of Michigan (U-M) School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) today announced the launch of the SEAS Sustainability Clinic. Its goal: improve the ability of the City of Detroit and nonprofits serving the City to address the impacts of climate change on the natural and built environment, human health, and the city’s finances—while working to enhance sustainability policy and action.

    The SEAS Sustainability Clinic is made possible through support from The Kresge Foundation, which has committed $1 million in funding over the next three years.

    Jonathan T. Overpeck, Ph.D.

    Jonathan T. Overpeck, Ph.D.

    “We are thrilled to partner with the Kresge Foundation, which has a real understanding of the need for capacity and for institutions, such as ours, to help serve as problem solvers and bridge builders. As we begin this new chapter of resident engagement, I know that we will benefit from the Kresge legacy of community-driven collaboration,” said Jonathan Overpeck, the Samuel A. Graham Dean and William B. Stapp Collegiate Professor of Environmental Education at SEAS.

    The SEAS Sustainability Clinic is part of an overarching statewide SEAS initiative. Slated to launch in 2022, the statewide Michigan Sustainability Clinic will work across Michigan with the goal to support the vision that the Great Lakes State lead the nation in the implementation of 21st Century resilientinfrastructures that address climate impact, racial inequity, unemployment, and economic fallout from the global pandemic.

    Read Full Story at SEAS

    Read more on The Detroit Free Press


  3. Gov. Whitmer Announces Grant for U-M Flint to Support Over 300 Jobs and $10.4 Million in Investment in Flint

    Mark Rivett posted October 1, 2021

    Read Full Story Here

    On September 30th, Governor Whitmer announced that the U.S. Secretary of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $3.8 million CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to the University of Michigan-Flint, Flint, Michigan, to construct the university’s new College of Innovation and Technology. This EDA grant, to be matched with $4.9 million in local funds, is expected to create 126 jobs, retain 175 jobs, and generate $10.4 million in private investment.

    University of Michigan-Flint Chancellor Deba Dutta

    “Thank you to the U.S. Economic Development Administration for their support for a new College of Innovation and Technology building at UM-Flint,” said University of Michigan-Flint Chancellor Deba Dutta. “This catalytic investment in support of innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology development will serve as the entryway for industry and community partners to advance economic growth in the region. We are grateful to the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and other UM-Flint partners for their generous financial support of this transformational project. Our industry partners have been instrumental in the success of this proposal, and we continue to benefit from their shared vision and collaboration as we help prepare the Flint region and the state of Michigan with a workforce for Industry 4.0.”

    This project is funded under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (Public Law 116-136), which provided EDA with $1.5 billion for economic assistance programs to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance, which is being administered under the authority of the bureau’s flexible Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) program, provides a wide range of financial assistance to eligible communities and regions as they respond to and recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.