“Four Years of ‘Making Michigan’ and Four Decades at Michigan: Some Reflections”

Gary Krenz, Director, Judy and Stanley Frankel Detroit Observatory

Thursday, December 7, 2023

7:00 pm

What are some key moments in U-M history over the past four decades?  How did they come about and what might they mean in a larger context?  Gary Krenz has hosted Making Michigan the last four years, and before that, he had a career that included time in the Physics Department during U-M’s concerted efforts to rebuild the physical sciences; a span in the Office of the Vice President for Research which saw significant efforts in undergraduate research and the engagement of several national research issues; seventeen years in the President’s Office, serving presidents and interim presidents from Homer Neal to Mary Sue Coleman; directing the planning for the University’s bicentennial; and recently, working to develop the Detroit Observatory as a center for promoting the understanding of U-M history, science, and research.  In this talk, he will reflect on themes that emerge from Making Michigan and from his career at U-M.  He will also share anecdotes about some of the activities he has been involved with and some of the people he has known.