Staff Spotlight

  1. January 16, 2012

    His business students have worked with start-up companies, celebrities

    What moment in the classroom stands out as the most memorable? Having students come back and talk to me about how their lives have changed. If you were selling Ann Arbor to a faculty colleague, how would you describe what it has to offer? It’s always rated one of the best places to raise kids.…
  2. January 9, 2012

    School of Dentistry clerk by day, firefighter by night

    Whether working his day job at the Dental School or serving as a firefighter, Jeremy Towler is a man many depend on for things large and small. The inventory control clerk at the School of Dentistry oversees shipping and receiving lab cases, sorts laundry, tracks invoices and more. Photo by Eric Bronson, U-M Photo Services.…
  3. December 12, 2011

    Design makes a difference for architecture professor

    Karl Daubmann sits in his office at PLY headquarters, adjacent to his home in Ann Arbor, and he points to the light hanging above his head as he describes the research and intent behind its design. The thinly cut plywood, he says, allows for light to shine through the body of the fixture and give…
  4. December 5, 2011

    Dearborn student organizations supervisor helps recreate Detroit

    Volunteer work has been a family endeavor since Jonathan Larson, UM-Dearborn’s student organizations supervisor, was a child. “My family has been very good at giving back … we always did gift baskets for food drives or coat drives,” says Larson, a native of Manistique in the Upper Peninsula. After graduating from Northern Michigan University with…
  5. September 5, 2011

    Mentor role comes naturally to hall director

    Being a hall director suits Joe Colangelo, because mentoring the resident advisers (RAs) who make dorm life comfortable for roughly 1,100 West Quad students comes naturally to him. “I was an uncle when I was 8. I always had kids a little younger than me around, so I was always watching them,” he explains. Photo…
  6. August 15, 2011

    Laundry Services veteran cooks a mean spaghetti sauce

    Mary Bagwell likes to keep it simple, on the job as a laundry feeder folder, and when practicing her love for cooking at home. To perform well at her job, Bagwell says, “You have to make sure it’s clean, and stay busy and keep working until you get it done.” Photo by Eric Bronson, U-M…
  7. July 25, 2011

    Ophthalmic technician by day, children’s book illustrator by night

    While working at Kellogg Eye Center in Livonia four years ago, a patient mentioned to Megan Wellman that she had just written a children’s book and was looking for an illustrator. Wellman said she majored in life drawing in college and asked the patient if she’d like to see some of her work. The author…
  8. July 11, 2011

    Library conservator featured artist for Ann Arbor Street Art Fair

    Julie Fremuth is about the best friend an old piece of paper could have. As a conservator trained in preservation at the William L. Clements Library, her job is to save aged books, manuscripts, letters and documents. But her love for old paper goes beyond the walls of her workplace. Fremuth also likes to incorporate…
  9. June 6, 2011

    Marketing coordinator brings creativity to Ross School, theatre company

    Though Glenn Bugala has been involved in theatre since the ninth grade, one of his most rewarding moments came in 2002 when he directed the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre’s production of “Tommy.” Bugala says he tried a lot of new things with the production, including projecting images and video onto large screens for the audience.…
  10. May 23, 2011

    Financial aid officer has passion for martial arts

    Mike Ross’s natural patience and good humor serve him well in his job in the Office of Financial Aid, where he works closely with students and staff to help them navigate the financial aid process. His welcoming smile puts them at ease. But outside of work, Ross pursues a more confrontational kind of social interaction.…