The Past, Present, and Future of Doctoral Research

Join Rackham Graduate School in celebrating 150 years of dissertation research, academic leadership, and societal impact. Explore the breadth and depth of doctoral scholarship at Michigan through lively panel discussions and lightning talks bringing alumni innovators’ stories to life. The program will connect Rackham’s history of doctoral innovation with forward-looking conversations about interdisciplinarity, access, and the future of graduate research at Michigan.

If you have any questions regarding registration or event details, please contact us at [email protected].

8:30 to 9:00 a.m.

Check-In, Registration, and Light Breakfast

Rackham Assembly Hall (Fourth Floor)

Check-in and registration will be available throughout the event.

Buffet-style meal with allergy-friendly options available.

9:00 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.

Morning Sessions

Rackham Amphitheatre (Fourth Floor)

9:00 to 9:20 a.m.: Welcome and Opening Remarks

• Laurie McCauley, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

9:20 to 10:10 a.m.: Innovation and Impact in Doctoral Research

Current students and recent alumni will spotlight Rackham Ph.D. alumni innovators from across disciplines and generations. Through a series of lightning talks, speakers will share stories of discovery, creativity, and impact that bring 150 years of doctoral education at Michigan to life.

• David Sept, Moderator: Professor of Biomedical Engineering (College of Engineering and the Medical School) and Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Initiatives (Rackham Graduate School)

Featured alumni:

• Shiho Sakanishi (Ph.D. 1929, Literature)
• Elzada Clover (Ph.D. 1938, Botany)
• Arthur Burks (Ph.D. 1941, Philosophy )
• Samuel C.C. Ting (Ph.D. 1962, Physics)
• Mary Frances Berry (Ph.D. 1966, American Constitutional History)
• David R. Williams (Ph.D. 1986, Sociology)

10:30 to 11:20 a.m.: Baked In—Interdisciplinarity and the Michigan Approach to Graduate Research

Michigan doctoral education has advanced discovery not only within disciplines, but across them. Join a lively conversation about how interdisciplinary research takes shape—through training models, institutional supports, intellectual communities, and creative tensions—and what U-M should strengthen as it looks toward the next 150 years of cross-disciplinary doctoral education.

• Catherine Sanok, Moderator: Associate Professor of English and Women’s and Gender Studies (College of Literature, Science, and the Arts) and Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Initiatives (Rackham Graduate School)
• Shelly Flagel: Director, Neuroscience Graduate Program (Medical School) Professor of Psychiatry, Research Professor in the Michigan Neuroscience Institute, and Professor of Psychology (College of Literature, Science, and the Arts)
• Andrea Jones-Rooy: (Ph.D. 2012, Political Science) Scientist, Performer, and Founder, the Data Thinking Revolution; former Graduate Coordinator of Rackham Interdisciplinary Workshop
• Ricky Punzalan: Associate Professor of Information (School of Information), former Director, Museum Studies Program (Rackham Graduate School)

11:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.: Breaking Barriers and Broadening Access in Graduate Research—Past, Present, and Future

How should a great public research university expand opportunity, support excellence, and prepare the next generation of scholars? In a conversation featuring President Emerita Mary Sue Coleman and leading U-M scholars, this panel reflects on past efforts to broaden access to doctoral education and looks ahead to the structures, cultures, and commitments needed for graduate research to thrive in the next 150 years.

• Mike Solomon, Moderator: Bernard J. Lucci Professor of Chemical Engineering and Professor of Macromolecular Science and Engineering (College of Engineering), Dean (Rackham Graduate School), and Vice-Provost for Academic Affairs–Graduate Studies
• Elizabeth Cole: Director, Phillip J. Bowman Center for Scholarship to Practice; University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies, Psychology, and Afroamerican and African Studies (College of Literature, Science, and the Arts)
• Mary Sue Coleman: U-M President Emerita and Former President of the Association of American Universities
• Scott Page: John Seely Brown Distinguished University Professor of Complex Systems, Social Science, and Management; Williamson Family Professor of Management (Ross School of Business)

12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

Symposium Lunch

Rackham Assembly Hall (Fourth Floor)

• Remarks by Dean Mike Solomon
• Buffet-style meal with allergy-friendly options available.

1:30 to 4:00 p.m.

Afternoon Sessions

Rackham Amphitheatre, Fourth Floor Conference Rooms, Second Floor

1:30 to 2:30 p.m.: A Conversation, Solving Grand Challenge Problems Through Interdisciplinary Collaboration—AI and Reparative Justice (Rackham Amphitheatre)

U-M faculty and graduate students who are participating in Rackham’s Interdisciplinary Problem Solving Initiative, will discuss how interdisciplinary collaboration has powerfully reshaped their approach to two pressing topics: the ethics and equity implications of artificial intelligence, and pathways for reparative justice.

• Rita Chin, Moderator: Louise Tilly Collegiate Professor of European History, Department of History (College of Literature, Science, and the Arts) and Faculty Director, Rackham Interdisciplinary Problem Solving Initiative (Rackham Graduate School)

2:30 to 4:00 p.m.: Dessert Reception—Toward the Next 150 Years–Celebrating Discovery, Excellence, and Impact

Reception-style gathering featuring a student showcase, student docent-led exhibit visits, interactive activities, photo opportunities, a creative student performance, and a dessert spread inspired by local favorites. A lively opportunity to connect, reflect, and celebrate Rackham’s community.

Student Research Showcase (Fourth Floor)

• Discover the latest research and insights from Rackham’s Interdisciplinary Problem Solving Initiative projects, which address the impact of harmful policies on Black residents in Washtenaw County and provide new data on how U-M undergraduates use and experience AI in their academic and everyday lives. 
• AI Ethics and Equity Research Group (East Conference Room)
• Reparative Justice Research Group (West Conference Room)

Focused Installation (Second Floor) 

• Explore the exhibit with student docents, discover notable Rackham alumni across time and fields, and see the evolution of the dissertation process.

Interactive Activities, Refreshments, and Special Performance (Assembly Hall)