UMBS Strategic Planning

The University of Michigan Biological Station Strategic Planning Committee is gathering input to chart a course for the institution’s next several years.

Stakeholders are encouraged to take an anonymous survey to help identify and prioritize goals, focus areas and opportunities for growth.

In addition to the survey, the Strategic Planning Committee will engage members of the UMBS community through a series of town halls scheduled from March through July in Ann Arbor and Pellston and virtually.

Separate one-hour sessions have been set up for different stakeholder groups to focus on their areas of interest.

The strategic planning process launched in 2024 with the goal to have a new, five-year strategic plan in place by Jan. 1, 2025.

The Strategic Planning Committee includes UMBS Director Dr. Aimée Classen, Associate Director Karie Slavik, Operations Specialist Jumanah Saadeh and Marketing Communications Specialist Chrissy Billau. The committee will work with members of the UMBS Advisory Board: Dr. Karen Alofs, assistant professor of ecosystem science and management in the School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS); Dr. Alison Harrington, collection manager in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department’s Division of Fungi, Lichens and Bryophytes; Dr. Claire Pettersen, assistant professor of climate and space science and engineering (CLaSP); and Dr. Marjorie Weber, assistant professor in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department.

The University of Michigan Biological Station has been home to scientific discovery since its founding in 1909. Our core mission is to advance environmental field research, engage students in scientific discovery and provide information needed to understand and sustain ecosystems from local to global scales. In this cross-disciplinary, interactive community, students, faculty and researchers from around the globe come together to learn about and from the natural world and seek solutions to the critical environmental challenges of our time.