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LEAPS

Learning, Equity, and Problem Solving for the Public Good

LEAPS Program Credits & Thanks

It takes a (big) village to launch an ambitious new undergraduate program. Below we acknowledge some of those who contributed to bringing LEAPS to life. Our apologies to any who we have overlooked in our attempt to document these efforts.

We thank generous donors for their support of LEAPS, especially the Marsal Family and the Ehrenberg Family.

The Marsal Family School of Education staff provided key guidance and expertise on many elements of LEAPS:

  • Associate Dean Kendra Hearn
  • Deb Peffer and the Office Recruitment and Admissions
  • Shamille Orr and the Office of Student Affairs
  • Joe Gorde and Christian-Jacob Johnson and the Office of Information Technology
  • Mike Napolitan and the Facilities Office
  • Danielle Dimcheff and the Office of Communications
  • Chief of Staff and Strategic Advisor to the Dean Ryan Noel and the Dean’s Office

We also thank numerous staff from across the University of Michigan for their guidance and support:

  • The Office of the Provost
  • The Office of Enrollment Management
  • The Office of the Registrar
  • The Office of Undergraduate Admissions
  • The Office of Financial Aid
  • The Office of the General Counsel
  • The Office of Student Life
  • The Ginsberg Center
  • The Semester in Detroit Program in the LSA Residential College

Many students contributed to ideation and planning for LEAPS. We particularly recognize the dedicated contributions of these students, who began working with LEAPS as undergraduates and continued into the master’s programs and careers:

  • Nando Felten
  • Darrell Tubbs
  • Kingsley Enechukwu

Design Seminars were another place where students contributed to the development of concepts and elements that grew into LEAPS:

2024 Design Seminar Participants

  • Soobin Jeon, Educational Studies PhD
  • Ya Li, Educational Studies MA
  • Tanquarae McCadney, Educational Studies MA
  • Rafee Mirza, LSA Biology, Health, and Society BS, Education for Empowerment Minor
  • Ashleigh Plummer, Educational Studies PhD
  • Azeem Saifee, LSA Neurosciences BS
  • Serafin Taber, LSA Undeclared
  • Qingqing Yan, Educational Studies MA

2023 Design Seminar Participants

  • Timothy Arvan, LSA Public Policy & Political Science PhD
  • Richard-Andre Bachmann, LSA History PhD
  • Myah Bridgewater, SMTD Theatre Performance BFA
  • Lily Carlson, LSA Environment BA and SoE Education for Empowerment Minor
  • Nando Felten, Educational Studies MA
  • Xingjian Gu, Information PhD
  • Soobin Jeon, Educational Studies PhD
  • Ania Lukasinski, Educational Studies MA
  • Rafee Mirza, LSA Undeclared
  • Tamara Nelson-Fromm, Computer Science & Eng Doc - Computer Science PhD
  • Lissette Ramos, Information BS
  • Devon Riter, Educational Studies PhD
  • Christina Schafer, Public Health BS and SoE Educ for Empowerment Minor
  • Maya Shaaban, Educational Studies MA
  • Hilary Simpson, Combined Program in Education and Psychology PhD
  • Madeleine Singh, Information MSI
  • Serafin Taber, LSA Undeclared
  • Lakyla Thomas, Art and Design BFA and SoE Education for Empowerment Minor
  • Ashley Tran, Educational Studies MA and Ross MBA
  • Zanen Van, English and Education PhD
  • Gabryel Wilson, LSA English BA and SoE Education for Empowerment Minor
  • Kuanghong Xu, Information MSI

2022 Design Seminar Participants

  • Sam Anderson, Higher Education MA
  • Andrew Appleton Pine, English & Education PhD
  • Evan Chavez, Educational Studies MA
  • Michela Corsi, Higher Education MA
  • Elisa Dornbos, LSA Residential College with Sociology BA and SoE Education for Empowerment Minor
  • Marcel Elkouri, LSA Program in Biomedical Sciences
  • Nando Felten, Educational Studies MA
  • Shivani Gandhi, Educational Studies MA
  • Leah Kanost, Educational Studies MA
  • Winter McLeod, Educational Studies MA
  • Grace Meinke, LSA Residential College with Social Theory and Practice BA and SoE Education for Empowerment Minor
  • Jessie Mitchell, LSA Psychology BA
  • Camacho Parra, Educational Studies PhD
  • Devon Riter, Educational Studies PhD
  • Yael Silver, Higher Education MA
  • Hilary Simpson, Combined Program in Education and Psychology PhD
  • Lydia Thornburg, Health Behavior and Health Education MPH
  • Darrell Tubbs, Health Behavior and Health Education MPH
  • Lu Wang, Educational Studies MA
  • Kara Warnke, LSA Psychology BA with Minors in Writing and English

2020 Design Seminar Participants

  • Alexandra Berube, SMTD Musical Theatre BFA
  • Ashley Bradley, Combined Program in English and Education PhD
  • Dalton Brown, LSA General Studies BA
  • Jay Brown, Information BS
  • Steve Cederquist, Information PhD
  • Navanas Chetsandtikhun, Information BS
  • Jason Godfrey, Combined Program in English and Education PhD
  • Shuang He, Educational Studies MA
  • Alexander Honold, Educational Studies PhDs
  • Reeshma Kumar, Information BS
  • Andrew Moos, Combined Program in English and Education PhD
  • Vincent Qiu, Design Science MS
  • Llave Santos, Design Science MS
  • Sarah Schierberl, Educational Studies MA
  • Griffin Silva, SMTD Musical Theatre BFA
  • Jeff Spencer, LSA Chemistry PhD
  • Tsung-Lin Tsai, Educational Studies MA

An early iteration of LEAPS was called Transforming Residential Undergraduate Education (TRUE), and was supported by the Center for Academic Innovation. Contributors to TRUE included more than 40 faculty, staff, and students from 17 different schools and units across the University of Michigan:

  • Barry Fishman, Information and Education (TRUE Design Team Coordinator)
  • Laurie Alexander, University Library
  • Jamie Blackwell, Information (Class of 2020)
  • Norm Bishara, Business, Undergraduate Programs
  • Mary Jo Callan, Ginsberg Center
  • Bridgette Carr, Law School
  • Steven Cederquist, PhD Student, School of Information
  • Anne Curzan, LSA, English, Linguistics, and Education
  • Tracy de Peralta, Dentistry
  • James DeVaney, Academic Innovation
  • Meg Duffy, LSA, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
  • Cindy Finelli, Engineering, Engineering Education
  • Anita Gonzalez, Music, Theatre, and Dance
  • Melissa Gross, Kinesiology
  • Larry Gruppen, Medical School
  • Matt Harmon, LSA International Studies (Class of 2020)
  • Leslie Rupert Herrenkohl, Education
  • James Hilton, Academic Innovation
  • Paul Kirsch, Business, Undergraduate Programs
  • Courtney Klee, Architecture and Urban Studies (Class of 2020)
  • Mika LaVaque-Manty, LSA, Political Science, Philosophy, Honors
  • Ken Ludwig, LSA, Entrepreneurship and Applied Liberal Arts
  • Tim McKay, LSA, Physics & Astronomy, Education
  • Nigel Melville, Business
  • David Mendez, Public Health
  • Rachel Niemer, Academic Innovation
  • Ken Panko, Duderstadt Center
  • Panos Papalambros, Engineering, Design Science
  • JP Parks, Education (Master's Student)
  • David Porter, LSA, English
  • Andrea Quinn, Law School
  • Paul Robinson, University Registrar
  • Hannah Smotrich, Art and Design
  • Caren Stalburg, Medical School
  • Verity Sturm, School of Information and LSA English (Class of 2020)
  • Stephanie Teasley, Information
  • Nick Tobier, Art and Design
  • Paul Webb, School for Environment and Sustainability
  • Alex Wilf, LSA Computer Science (Class of 2019)
  • Margaret Wooldridge, Engineering, Mechanical and Aerospace

The founding Dean of LEAPS is Elizabeth Birr Moje. The founding faculty co-directors of LEAPS are Barry Fishman and Leslie Rupert Herrenkohl. The founding program manager of LEAPS is Jay Meeks.