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Rebecca Cunningham, interim vice president for research

The Institute for Research on Innovation and Science, based at the U-M Institute for Social Research, recently released a report that details how university research spending impacts the economy.

“Research led by the University of Michigan not only serves the world through groundbreaking discoveries and technologies, but it also plays a critical role in accelerating the economy,” said Rebecca Cunningham, interim vice president for research.

The report outlines the geographic distribution of vendors that, between fiscal years 2002 and 2019, supplied goods and services to support the U-M research enterprise.

Companies based in Washtenaw County, for example, received more than $976 million in research contracts from U-M over the 17-year span — the most of any Michigan county. Vendors in Marquette County received more than $53 million between FY ’02 and FY ’19 for their work in supporting the U-M research enterprise, while those in Kent County netted $17 million.

The report also shows the university contributed $5.6 billion to the national economy through vendor contracts and subcontracts between FY ’02 and FY ’19 — $1.8 billion of which was spent in Michigan.

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From Left to Right: Executive Director of Federal Relations for U-M, Michael Waring; President of The Science Coalition, Lauren Brookmeyer; Michigan’s 11th District Congresswoman, Haley Stevens; Assistant Director of the U-M Washington Office, Madeline Nykaza; Assistant Vice President Federal Relations for Research, Kristina Ko; and Government Relations Associate, David Bluhm.

On Wednesday, January 15th, at U-M’s invitation, Congresswoman Haley Stevens addressed The Science Coalition at a Headliner Breakfast event. Congresswoman Haley Stevens serves on both the House Education and Labor Committee and House Space, Science and Technology Committee, where she serves as Chairwoman of the Research and Technology Subcommittee. In addition, Congresswoman Stevens’ is a founding co-chair of the Women in STEM Caucus, which The Science Coalition helps to support. At the event, Congresswoman Stevens provided remarks on her efforts in Congress to support research universities and the federal research and development enterprise.

Riley Parrish with her work “Deterioration”

UM student artist Riley Parrish, who attended the Art in the Legislature Reception on Wednesday, October 23, 2019 in the Mackinac Room, Anderson House Office Building, took a photo beside her artwork “Deterioration”. She was also congratulated by State Senator Peter J. Lucido, 8th District, as he paused to admire her artwork which is displayed near his office in the Binsfeld Senate Office Building. Riley writes of her artwork:

“This 18 x 24 inch linoleum block print is a self-portrait of intentional disfigurement. I wanted to illustrate the struggles of my relationship with my body. The media constantly tells us that there is only one way to be beautiful. Although many companies in the beauty and fashion industries have begun to be more inclusive of all shapes and sizes, I still have a hard time loving my body. Through this piece, I explored my feelings more deeply about this subject to better understand what holds me back from loving who I am.”

Riley Parrish’s artwork is displayed on the 3rd floor of the Senate Binsfeld Building. All are welcome to visit the House and Senate office buildings to see all of the 2019-20 artists’ work through September 2020.

The Art in the Legislature Program displays and celebrates the work of amazing student artists from Michigan’s 15 public universities each year, and their work will adorn the walls of the Anderson House Office Building, or the Binsfeld Senate Building, for one year. UM proudly has seven 2019-2020 student artists:

Vanessa with Flowers
Elizabeth Hungerman

The Red Coat (Version II)
Olivia Arau-McSweeney

Feeling in the Dark
Eliana Harrison

Sounds Like a Personal Problem
Aditi Kannan

Sunset Over Burton
The late Atharva Kharkar

Deterioration
Riley Parrish

Bounding Hope
Karson Schenk