ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A new strategic plan will chart the University of Michigan Biological Station’s course for the next five years toward enhanced field-based learning, research discovery, historic data sharing, and community engagement.
UMBS leadership, staff and the Advisory Board gathered on Tuesday, Feb. 25, in Ann Arbor to celebrate the completion and launch of the 2025-2030 Strategic Plan.
“Our vision is to be the leading field research station in the world,” said UMBS Director Aimée Classen. “I want to thank the planning committee and everyone who provided input over the last year through survey responses, town hall meetings and other avenues to create this ambitious plan with clear goals and strategic direction to move us forward and cohesively champion science, our living-learning laboratory and the power of advancing knowledge in our second century of operations.”
Drawing upon the recommendations and reflections gathered from nearly 200 people, the strategic plan is focused on five goals:
- To become a field station that operates year round and leads by example by becoming more environmentally sustainable and accessible.
- Increase scientific discovery, and identify core areas of research excellence.
- Grow the number and diversity of student changemakers with hands-on experience in the environment.
- Generate and share FAIR data to advance thinking and increase discovery. (FAIR stands for Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable.)
- Broaden and deepen relationships across northern Michigan communities with an emphasis on science and the environment.
A set of strategies to accomplish each new goal have been identified.
“UMBS staff members, in particular, played a critical role in the process of building the strategic plan because they carry our mission into action through their daily interactions, decisions and behavior,” Classen said. “I’m proud of this team and excited to work together to achieve our goals.”
The University of Michigan Biological Station in Pellston, Michigan, is one of the nation’s largest and longest continuously operating field research stations.
Laboratories, classrooms and cabins are nestled along Douglas Lake, making up a small portion of the more than 10,000 forested acres surrounded by lakes that UMBS has stewarded since 1909 to support long-term knowledge and education.
The strategic planning process began in January 2024 with the formation of a planning committee: UMBS Director Dr. Aimée Classen, Associate Director Karie Slavik, Operations Specialist Jumanah Saadeh and Marketing Communications Specialist Chrissy Billau.
The strategic planning committee gathered input by engaging the UMBS community. It received 134 survey responses from students, alumni, staff, faculty instructors, researchers, community members, board members, tribal members and neighbors and hosted a series of 11 town hall discussion sessions in Ann Arbor and Pellston and on Zoom.
The committee worked 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); Dr. Marjorie Weber, assistant professor in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department; and Dr. Barbra A. Meek, associate dean for the social sciences in the U-M College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) and professor of anthropology and linguistics.
After gathering feedback through July, UMBS engaged external consultants to create an aggressive yet attainable strategic plan.
The strategic plan includes a new mission statement: University of Michigan Biological Station serves as a gathering place to learn from the natural world, advance research and education, and inspire action. We leverage over a century of research and transformative experiences to drive discoveries and solutions to benefit Michigan and beyond.
The strategic planning process also developed a trio of guiding values:
- Inclusive: UMBS is a place where everyone is welcome. We design our programs and spaces to foster a deep sense of community, life-long relationships, and a feeling of belonging.
- Immersive: Our vast campus (the largest of U-M’s campuses!) engages all of the senses. Its remote, natural setting nurtures deep thought and scientific discovery.
- Stewardly: Our shared experiences strengthen our resolve to responsibly manage our data and facilities, the land and the environment.
To view the full plan including strategies for each goal, go to the UMBS Strategic Plan website.
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