And, after a successful and illuminating trip with visits along the western Lower Peninsula of Michigan in the fall of 2024, this May, the Spartan Bus Tour headed to Detroit.
Just as the inaugural Spartan Bus Tour demonstrated how Spartans are making a difference across the state, a tour of metro Detroit illustrated how the partnerships between the city and Michigan State are changing our state for the better.
Taking place May 5 and 6 with stops at 12 locations in the Detroit area, the tour was led by MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz, and included a delegation of 50 faculty and administrators who explored the breadth and depth of the university’s research, outreach and education impact in a city that, like MSU, values resilience, hard work and a commitment to solving problems and empowering people for better lives.
Conversation Highlights:
(1:20) - President Guskiewicz sets the scene.
(2:00) - The Zekelman Holocaust Center opened its doors in 1984 in West Bloomfield and relocated to the current Farmington Hills location in 2004. It was the first stop on the tour. The center is home to the Holocaust Museum exhibit and an extensive research library, archives and special exhibit galleries. Each year, more than 150,000 people visit the center, whose mission is to engage, educate and empower by remembering the Holocaust. Eli Mayerfeld is CEO of the Holocaust Museum.
(6:35) - The second stop on Day 1 was at the Detroit Partnership for Food, Learning and Innovation, or DPFLI: The DPFLI was founded in 2017 and is MSU’s first urban agriculture center. Housed within MSU Extension, the partnership in northwest Detroit focuses on research and education to improve the lives of Detroiters and serves as a community space for residents. Naim Edwards directs DPFLI, George Smith directs MSU AgBioResearch and Dave Ivan directs the Community Food and Environment Institute.
(16:07) - The third stop on Day 1 was at The Shepherd and LANTERN, which are part of Library Street Collective’s ongoing artistic commitment to Detroit’s Little Village neighborhood. Anthony Curis is co-founder of The Shepherd and Library Street Collective.
(21:30) - The fourth stop on Day 1 was a visit to Magna International: Magna International is the largest automobile parts manufacturer in North America with its U.S. headquarters in Troy. Heather Holm is talent attraction and employer brand manager.
(23:44) - Stop five on Day 1 was at the Apple Developer Academy: Partnering with MSU, Apple’s first U.S.-based academy was launched in 2021 in Detroit where participants learn the essentials of coding, design and business with Apple tools. The academy offers free programs of 10 months and four weeks, and, to date, has graduated more than 1,000 learners from the metro Detroit area. Sarah Gretter is director of the academy, and Anny Staten is assistant director.
(27:10) - The final stop on Day 1 was at the iconic Motown Museum: Founded in 1985 the Motown Museum is home to the iconic Hitsville U.S.A. studio and an extensive array of Motown artifacts, photographs, apparel and memorabilia. The museum is dedicated to celebrating, promoting and preserving the Motown story, from its humble beginnings in a private home to being an international movement. Shelia Spencer is museum services director.
(29:50) - President Guskiewicz reflects on Day 1.
(31:22) - The first stop on Day 2 was at the MSU Detroit Center and Community Music School-Detroit: MSU opened its Detroit Center in 2009 on Woodward Avenue, providing spaces for several MSU units and colleges and solidifying the university’s relationship with the city. The MSU Community Music School-Detroit, which is housed at the center, offers music education and programming to individuals of all ages, from early childhood classes to group instruction to private lessons. Paola Smith is assistant director of CMS-D. Jauron Perry is a CMS-D alumnus and current senior at MSU. Luke Sittard is an alumnus of and current faculty member at CMS-D. He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in jazz studies from MSU. Jena Baker-Calloway is director of the MSU Detroit Center.
(38:47) - Stop two on Day 2 was at Henry Ford Health: MSU and Henry Ford Health System announced a 30-year partnership in 2021, solidifying a relationship focused on joint research initiatives, cancer prevention and outcomes, new education opportunities and a Health Sciences Research Center that is set to open in 2027. Bob Riney is president and CEO of Henry Ford Health.
(43:26) - Lunch on Day 2 was at the Fisher Building: The Fisher Building is a landmark Detroit skyscraper in the New Center area, built in 1928. Then the group proceeded to the Detroit Institute of Arts: Located in Midtown Detroit and opened in 1927, the Detroit Institute of Arts boasts one of the largest art collections in the United States, with more than 65,000 works, including the first Van Gogh painting to enter a U.S. collection. Participants got to see the Diego Rivera murals.
(46:41) - After a stroll through the grounds of Henry Ford Academy, the group visited the Arab American National Museum. Henry Ford Academy is a charter high school in Dearborn sponsored by the Ford Motor Company, Wayne County Regional Educational Service Agency and The Henry Ford Museum. Located on the campus of the museum, the school uses spaces and artifacts from the museum and next-door Greenfield Village in its educational experience.
The Arab American National Museum is the first and only museum of its kind in the United States devoted to recording the Arab American experience. Established in 2005 in Dearborn, its goal is to document, preserve and present the history, culture and contributions of Arab Americans, with one of the most extensive archives of historical documents, oral histories and artifacts.
(48:49) - President Guskiewicz shares his reflections as the tour ends.
Listen to “MSU Today with Russ White” on the radio and through Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your shows.