Higher Education: Jobs Landed

I am a researcher with PhD degree in the field of Telecommunications / Antennas, working in the Radiation Laboratory of the University of Michigan. The Radiation Laboratory manages world-class academic programs and conducts research on all aspects of applied EM with state-of-art facilities. I am working among professors, researchers and talented students who are doing world class researches.

My research project is design, development and test of novel reflectarray antennas based on Miniaturized Frequency Selective Surfaces. This antenna has many applications in satellite and point-to-point communications as well as terrestrial and avionic radar systems. I really enjoy what I am doing and happy to be in such a scientific and friendly research environment.

As an Admissions/Transfer Counselor, my responsibilities are to manage and evaluate prospect students, recruit and maintain contact with UDM applicants, and present and recruit at  community colleges and community events.  In addition, I am also responsible for guiding prospective students through the admission process, which includes meeting with students to communicate academic requirements, explain financial aid processes, and make admission decisions.

I chose to work in higher education because I enjoy helping and building a relationship with students throughout all stages of their college experience, from admission to graduation.

I am mostly excited about this position because I get to work in the great city of Detroit.  I am excited to work in this city during such an exciting time of change, and because I’m a believer in keeping young, educated professionals in metro-Detroit to help rebuild a struggling economy.

I get asked this question all the time ... "Brad, what do you do?", and it's always difficult for me to answer because we do so much and it's very complex. We essentially serve as liaisons between varsity athletic programs at the University of Michigan and the public. We do this by handling all external activities as it relates to our website, www.mgoblue.com, and accompanying social media applications (Facebook pages, Twitter accounts). We let the public know what's going on. We promote our coaches, student-athletes and our programs at large. The job is writing-intensive at times, but it combines two of my strengths and hobbies - writing and sports.

I still consider myself to be very lucky to be at Michigan. I applied for an internship a few months before I graduated Iowa, and got one of two positions. After spending a year as an intern learning the ropes, I was promoted to full-time status last August and am now starting my second year in the athletic department (third overall in Ann Arbor).

I love it here. I think Ann Arbor is the penultimate college town. Anything you want to do, you can find it here, and that's extremely appealing to me.

My job involves both research and teaching activities on the subject of Operations Research and Optimization. We abstract data from a range of real-world applications, and model decision making problems using mathematical programming tools. For instance, you can think of an optimization problem arising in personal financial management, in which one needs to design an investment portfolio. A mathematical model seeks an optimal solution that tells an investor the amount and the time for selling and purchasing each investment option, such that the overall expected return over a period of time is maximized. Such a model can be applied not only to financial applications, but to model practical problems in health care, military, transportation, public policy, and so on. Thanks to the University, Ann Arbor is a great place that gathers many professionals from a variety of industries, and offers great opportunities for me to cooperate with other people and apply my theoretical findings. I love my role as a researcher and a teacher, and really hope that my work can contribute to make a better society and to inspire younger generations to pursue a career in math and technology.

I work at the University of Michigan Spectrum Center where we work with students, faculty, and staff around sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. I have a lot of the admin, budget, and HR responsibilities and I also do student programming and outreach events. I love my job because I get to work with students on a daily basis, bring in amazing speakers, and be part of the first LGBTQ center at any university in the nation.

I am an employee with Michigan State University Extension. This division is a branch of the pioneering land-grant school Michigan State University. The principles of MSU Extension ensure that the communities served in all 83 counties receive the best! I have been greatly influenced by MSU Extension's principals of Excellence, People, Change, Openness and Integrity, Diversity, Accessibility and Partnerships. On a daily basis, these principals contribute to my professional success and growth in the Wayne County 4-H Mentoring Program!  

MSU Extension reaches out to youth ages 10-17 in Wayne County via the Wayne County 4-H Mentoring Program. I am employed to support the 4-H Mentoring Program. My responsibilities include: case management (Match Specialist), mentor training (Co-Facilitator), program evaluation (Principal Evaluator), and an annual etiquette workshop (Developer & Principal Trainer). Each day offers a new experience! I enjoy sharing my knowledge with the mentors and the mentees. It is exciting when I find or read about articles, activities, scholarships, cultural experiences, and other things to that may be to their benefit. Working for MSU Extension affords me the opportunity to support my community and cultivate my strengths and talents!

As an information officer in the university’s marketing and communications department, I am responsible for responding to local, national and even international media requests and disseminating to the public, stakeholders and influencers information about the people, places and events here at Wayne State. As a WSU graduate, I had always wanted to return to work in the university setting. For eight years I worked in K-12 education. I made it a goal in October of 2009 to transition to higher education. I eventually found the perfect opportunity in August. I saw the information officer position on the Michigan Works website. I then visited WSU’s employment opportunities page and applied.
 
I hadn’t worked in the city of Detroit in eight years. I am excited about the opportunity to be in the hub of the cultural district. Midtown is an exciting area. I look forward to working in an innovative and inspiring environment here at Wayne State.

Thank you for allowing me to introduce myself, my name is James W. Ribbron and I am the Michigan State University St. Clair County Extension Educator where I focus on educating community residents, leaders and policy makers on issues related to Economic Development. My area of expertise is business solutions intervention and retention, product development and innovation, new venture entrepreneurial development and using culture to drive economic development.   I recently worked as a Planner with the City Planning Commission – Detroit. My duties focused on economic development policy analysis for the Detroit City Council. Two major projects, the Paradise Valley/Cultural Entertainment District and the targeting of Community Development Block Grant funds for Economic Development, provide opportunities for continued growth and development professionally.

I served as the Executive Director for Eureka Communities Detroit until the fall of 2002 (October 1998 - October 2002). With over 18 years of community and political service experience in the City of Detroit I hold a Master’s in Community Development with a focus on Economic Development, from the University of Detroit Mercy, a B.A. from Wayne State University and I credit Jarvis Christian College, a historically Black College in Hawkins, Texas, for paving the way for me to complete my education.

My career began with the Detroit City Council’s Youth Advisory Commission as a Special Projects Assistant.  My tasks and duties included identifying issues of concern to Youth in Detroit and report the findings to the Detroit City Council. This was achieved by facilitating the Youth Committee, a group of Youth who met monthly to learn about City Government, analyze the City Budget and make recommendations to City Council on matters affecting youth.  I represented the Youth Commission during the development of the Youth Alert and Legislative Hearing on the Plight of the African American Male Reports commissioned by the Detroit City Council. I wrote and published a manual “Experiencing Government” which is a “how to manual" for youth participation in City Government.

In 1995 I began my political training and went to work for Detroit City Councilman Clyde Cleveland where I served as his Legislative Assistant. My duties included work on many of the Urban Renewal Projects that are now institutions in the City of Detroit, i.e., Comerica Park, the Casino’s and the Detroit Lions Project. I gained valuable experience working in the community with people helping citizens solve problems with city services and programs. Earlier training included work with the Michigan Metro Girl Scout Council, the Northern Area Association (NAA/YouthVille)) and 4-H Youth Programs.

As a Kellogg Youth Development Seminar Participant I represented the Davison Elementary School community in the Kellogg Foundation’s effort to develop Leadership from within the Detroit community. My work with the Kellogg Foundation helped develop my understanding of leadership and personal development. The effort to develop leadership put me on a track to leadership in my community. Additional training included New Detroit Excel 2000 Leadership, Michigan Political Leadership Program and a Eureka Fellow.

My community service includes time on the Michigan State University Extension Council for Wayne County and the Representative on the Statewide Council, Board of Directors for Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice and Detroit Primary Care Network.  Other volunteer activities include terms as a Chairman of the Wayne County Foster Review Board #9 and Community Liaison for the Davison Association of Neighborhood Block Clubs.

I am married to the Valerie Austin (Adrian and Gloria), have two children, a son, Arsenio and a daughter, Kaete and currently reside in Detroit, Michigan.

I develop, cultivate and maintain relationships with businesses and employers in Southeastern Michigan and out of state employers to provide career opportunities for Specs Howard students and alumni. I support, offer guidance and advise students in making career choices which include education, training and work-related plans within the corporate, non-profit and new business initiatives. I meet, and develop relationships with employers and businesses about workplace and employment opportunities and internships. I assist students to develop their goals and action plans to progress their career decisions which includes locating information for internships,, summer, and part-time and full-time job searches. I plan, develop, coordinate facilitate and job workshops, job fairs, coordinate alumni/advisory career board panels and organize special events and initiatives to advance media related career opportunities for students and graduates.  I coordinate and implement advertising and marketing strategies of services and programs of the Career Services department through various mediums. Finally, I instruct, coach and teach students how to develop effective cover letters, letters of intent, resumes, letters of recommendations, career portfolio profiles, interviewing skills and effective job search strategies for employment opportunities.

At the University of Michigan, Life Sciences Institute, I am in charge of investigating the link between obesity and the development of metabolic complications, such as diabetes.

In my current position, I provide insight to University of Detroit Mercy architecture students in their endeavors to gain professional experience through internships and entry-level positions.  As the fall academic term begins in September, I will be teaching students the value of networking, professional branding, volunteering, and professional growth by achieving accomplishments throughout their career path.  I look upon my five years post-graduate experience in the field of architecture with local firms Kraemer Design Group and Archive DS as a tremendous resource toward mentoring the future of the profession.
 
My past experiences include collaborating with fellow peers, professionals, and consultants as part of the architectural design and project development team for projects including: Eastern Market’s Shed 3 Renovation; Nine on Third Townhomes in Midtown; The Detroit Non-Motorized Path Master Plan; and various historic renovation, and façade improvement projects around Metro Detroit. 

Furthermore, my six years of volunteer experience with the non-profit organization Detroit Synergy has helped me gain the experience needed to become a leader within my community.  As project leader of Detroit Bikes!, I have organized over 50 bike tours of Detroit’s historic neighborhoods and unique cultural landmarks since 2005.  In addition, I have planned the annual Bike to Work Day events along the Woodward, Michigan, and East Jefferson Avenue Corridors since 2006.  During these professional experiences, I have gained skills which have improved my outlook on project management, leadership, marketing and branding, user experience, collaboration, and community awareness.

I continue to look forward to reaching my professional goals of becoming a licensed architect, and using my knowledge of environmentally sustainable design as a LEED AP (accredited professional).  I have a strong interest in making a difference in Metro Detroit communities by building personal relationships with peers, and assisting in the creation and appreciation of great architectural space for all users.  I am dedicated to the architecture students at UDM and will continue to provide my efforts in helping them reach their career goals.

As an information officer at Wayne State, I do everything from write press releases to craft social media campaigns promoting university stories and events. I adore Wayne State and its place in the heart of Detroit's cultural district and don't think I would get the same job satisfaction if I were writing copy for a traditional PR firm. It's wonderful to come to work every morning and highlight our hardworking students and the other great stories happening right here in Detroit.

I oversee a team that manages the external facing web sites for Wayne State University. We act like a mini agency within the institution and build sites from the ground up. From the department and users needs to the design, user testing, programming and training for the department staff. I started and maintain with the help of the web team the social media initiatives for the university. We also maintain a centralized content management system and events calendar that we built in house.

I work with high school students as well as the adult population looking to get back in to school. I first, encourage them that during this time in our society education is something no one can take from you, and that inevitably it will assist you in accomplishing the dreams and goals you have for yourself. I go to high schools, Churches, and community colleges and talk to individuals and educate them about the many opportunities education can provide you with. I love my job, and I love interacting with so many different people. Everyday is different and I love the travel.

As an information officer at Wayne State, I do everything from write press releases to craft social media campaigns promoting university stories and events. I adore Wayne State and its place in the heart of Detroit's cultural district and don't think I would get the same job satisfaction if I were writing copy for a traditional PR firm. It's wonderful to come to work every morning and highlight our hardworking students and the other great stories happening right here in Detroit.