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Âé¶čAPP News for our Neighbors

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  • English Department to welcome Cal Freeman for poetry reading, Oct. 23

    Monday October 20, 2025

    Detroit Mercy’s will welcome poet (and alumnus) Cal Freeman for a reading from his new book, The Weather of Our Names, on Thursday, Oct. 23, at 12:45 p.m., in the Bargman Room, second floor of the McNichols Campus Library.

    This event is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase.

    Chicago Review of Books recently praised The Weather of Our Names: “Cal Freeman is the type of poet whose precision is surgical, but whose scope is more like NASA’s Terra satellite. Capable of capturing the finite details of a moment in relation to the broader societal context, Freeman’s newest book, The Weather of Our Names, seamlessly weaves hyper-specific environments with deep understanding of memory, place, and self.”

    A graphic for Cal Freeman Poetry reading and conversation on Oct. 23 from 12:45-1:45 in the McNichols Campus Library, 2nd Floor Bargman Room. The event is free and open to the public. There is an image of Cal Freeman in the denter of the page

     

  • Black Freedom, Religious Excitement and the Invention of a Public Health Crisis, lecture set for Oct. 29

    Monday October 20, 2025

    Headshot of Judith WeisenfeldThe presents “Black Freedom, Religious Excitement and the Invention of a Public Health Crisis,” a lecture by Judith Weisenfeld, the Agate Brown and George L. Collard Professor of Religion at Princeton University.

    This event will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 6:30 p.m., in the Architecture Exhibition Space, inside the Loranger Architecture Building. The talk is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be available.

    Weisenfeld will examine the rise of mental institutions as public institutions in the late 19th Century and the increasing prominence of a racialized understanding of “religious excitement” as a public health crisis that served as justification for the institutionalization of the formerly enslaved and their descendants.

    Weisenfeld’s research and teaching focus on African American religious history, religion and race, and religion in modern American culture. She is the author most recently of Black Religion in the Madhouse: Race and American Psychiatry in Slavery’s Wake andÌęNew World A-Coming: Black Religion and Racial Identity during the Great Migration, which was awarded the 2017 Albert J. Raboteau Prize for the Best Book in Africana Religions. She is also the director of The Crossroads Project: Black Religious Histories, Cultures, and Communities, which is funded by the Henry Luce Foundation and supported by Princeton’s Center for Culture, Society and Religion.

    For any questions, please contact Chair of the Department of Religious Studies Todd Hibbard at hibbarja@udmercy.edu.

    The event is co-sponsored by University of Detroit Mercy College of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences, the African American Studies Program and the Department of Religious Studies.

  • Celebrate community at TENN’s third annual meal, Oct. 30

    Wednesday October 15, 2025

    A graphic inviting all to a community dinner on Thursday, Oct. 30 at 5 p.m. in the Fountain Lounge of Student Center. The UD Mercy TENN logos is at the top of the page. There is a QR code to register at the bottom of the page. The verbiage on the page is bordered by fall foliage.Join Titan Equity Nourish Network (TENN) in celebrating our community at the third annual community meal on Thursday, Oct. 30, from 5-7 p.m. in the Fountain Lounge inside the Student Union. All are welcome to come together to share a meal, connect and celebrate what makes our community so special.

    Volunteer Chef Bob from RĂłBear Culinary will be preparing a delicious meal for all to share.

    This event is free, but please help us plan and ensure there’s plenty of food, by registering using the link below.

    For any questions, please email tenn@udmercy.edu.

  • DMTC presents ‘Twelfth Night’ in new Detroit Mercy Black Box Theatre, Nov. 7-16

    Wednesday October 15, 2025

    Two students sit on a bench near the Fisher Fountain, one holding an old radio.A fresh adaptation of a Shakespearean classic, Twelfth Night, opens Detroit Mercy Theatre Company’s 55th season and celebrates the company’s return to University of Detroit Mercy’s McNichols Campus with the opening of the new Detroit Mercy Black Box Theatre.

    Six performances will run in back-to-back weekends, Friday through Sunday, Nov. 7-16.

    Twelfth Night, by William Shakespeare and adapted by Marc Palmieri, follows twins Viola and Sebastian, separated by a shipwreck and stranded on the peculiar land of Illyria. Disguising herself as a young man, Viola finds employment in the service of the noble Duke Orsino, only to fall hopelessly in love with him. But Orsino has his sights set on the enigmatic Countess Olivia and enlists Viola—unaware of her identity—to carry his amorous pleas. In an unexpected twist, Olivia finds herself smitten with the disguised Viola instead.

    “Shakespeare is always relevant to today’s world, which is why his plays have remained with us for so long,” said Andrew Papa, chair of the . “Not only that, Twelfth Night is one of his best comedies, and it’s in times like these that comedies are just the reprieve the world needs.”

    This production marks the debut of the new Detroit Mercy Black Box Theatre on Âé¶čAPP’s McNichols Campus. This modern performance space will give students the opportunity to develop their craft and share their work with audiences, while also providing a welcoming place for cultural and artistic events that will benefit both the campus and the wider community.

    “After more than a decade away, Detroit Mercy Theatre Company is thrilled to be returning home to McNichols Campus,” said Sarah Hawkins Rusk, managing director of DMTC and director of Twelfth Night. “Our new theatre will be a dynamic hub for creativity on campus, offering students a professional-caliber space to learn and grow.”

    Joining the students on stage for this celebratory production are chair Andrew Papa and Âé¶čAPP alumni Peter Prouty ’00 and Kaelyn Johnson ’22. “As an actor in the show, it’s refreshing to perform alongside our eager students and our stellar alumni,” Papa said. “Getting the opportunity to perform with our students and some of our top alumni has been an incomparable experience, and I look forward to bringing this text to life in our brand-new, permanent home for the arts at University of Detroit Mercy.”

    The DMTC Ticket Office is open Tuesday-Thursday 10 a.m.- 2 p.m., with . Individual tickets are $25 for adults, $18 for seniors and Detroit Mercy faculty, staff and alumni, and $10 for veterans and students (ages 4-college). Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. To schedule your group, contact Sarah Rusk at 313-993-3273.

    SPECIAL ENGAGEMENTS
    • Nov. 7: Friends and Family Night. Sponsored by Thomas E. Page ’71, ’76. This performance is invitation only.
    • Nov. 8: Celebration of the Grand Opening of the Detroit Mercy Black Box Theatre. This performance is invitation only.
    • Nov. 9: College of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences (CHASS) & University of Detroit Mercy at the Theatre. Free tickets for students, faculty and staff of University of Detroit Mercy with valid I.D. A talkback following the performance led by a CHASS faculty member is presented as a part of the Detroit Theatre Discussion Project.
    • Nov. 14: High School Night. Free tickets and talkback with student cast and crew following the performance for high school students and their families. Call 313-993-3270 or email theatre@udmercy.edu for details and reservations.
    • Nov. 15: Community Night. $10 ticket for all patrons.
    • Nov. 16: Closing Night

    A poster for Detroit Mercy Theatre Company producvtion of Twelfth Night at the new Black Box Theatre. Performances run from Nov. 7 through 16.

  • Associates of Sisters of Mercy to share efforts to support Honduran women, Oct. 27

    Tuesday October 14, 2025

    Two images of women, Martha Sandoval and Noemi DubonAll are welcome to an evening in support of Honduran women at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 27 in the Health Professions Facility (CHP), Room 124, on the McNichols Campus.

    Speakers will share news on a project to address women’s needs–the purchase and renovation of a new headquarters in San Pedro Sula, which will expand the capacity of Foro de Mujeres (The Women’s Forum).

    Many Honduran women dream of staying in their home country, but the recurring threats of domestic violence and femicide often force them to flee. Foro de Mujeres is group of women who have come together to change that narrative by creating a community of mutual support, safety and solidarity.

    The organization was founded by the Associates of the Sisters of Mercy, who “respond to the Gospel call to holiness by engaging in the spiritual and corporal works of Mercy, deepening their spirituality, partnering in prayer and action with the sisters and responding in their own personal lives to the critical needs of our time–care of Earth, anti-racism advocacy, justice for women, justice for immigrants and nonviolence.”

    At the event, you’ll enjoy authentic Honduran snacks and drinks and have the opportunity to support this important work through donations and by purchasing handicrafts made by women in the Honduran community.

    This event is co-sponsored by Detroit Mercy’s Titan Dreamers and Women’s & Gender Studies.

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Resources, Centers and Clinics

Center for Social Entrepreneurship

The Center provides business expertise and acumen as well as mentors to assist local entrepreneurs, beginning with the “Boost” workshop that aids entrepreneurs in developing business plans to achieve a greater social impact.

Counseling Clinic

The clinic provides no-cost counseling services to Detroit residents who otherwise may not have access to mental health services.

Dental Center

Detroit Mercy Dental offers dental services and education through two clinics, nine outreach clinics, a mobile dental clinic and a school-based dental sealant program.

Dental Mobile Clinic

The clinic travels to local participating schools in Detroit and Wayne County to provide comprehensive care for K-12 children. 

Detroit Collaborative Design Center

The design center provides design services to non-profit community and civic organizations to engage communities and enhance neighborhoods.

Detroit Mercy Eye Institute

The Detroit Mercy Eye Institute includes the state-of-the-art equipment and technology needed to diagnose, monitor, and treat numerous eye conditions. The clinic will also provide affordable eyecare to the uninsured and vulnerable populations.

Law Clinics

Detroit Mercy Law provides legal assistance to Detroit area residents through six clinics: Immigration Law Clinic, SADO Criminal Appellate Clinic, Criminal Trial Clinic, Veterans Law Clinic, Juvenile Law Appellate Clinic and Intellectual Property Law Clinic.

Pre-College Programs

Detroit area students in grades 4-12 participate in more than 15 outreach programs annually through Saturday classes, summer camps, and innovative curricula in the sciences, technology engineering, mathematics, architecture and design.

Psychology Clinic

The Psychology Clinic provides assessment and counseling services for approximately 300 clients annually. Fees are based on ability to pay.

Rx for Reading Program

This program increases access to children’s books and supports families in reading to their children.  The program has distributed more than 2,000 children’s books a month at a variety of locations, including low-income health, dental and WIC clinics; homeless shelters; and Head Start programs.

Summer Camps

kids and science camp A variety of summer activities available on Âé¶čAPP Campuses. Some are hosted by Âé¶čAPP; some are simply located on our campuses.

Summer Camps

Titan Equity Nourish Network (TENN)

students carrying bags of groceries

TENN is a student-led and community-driven food justice program that delivers fresh produce to 60 families in New Martin Park Neighborhood and 80 seniors at Theresa Maxis Senior Apartments.

TENN

Alliances and Initiatives

Reimagining the Civic Commons

University of Detroit Mercy serves as one of the institutional anchors for the “Reimaging the Civic Commons” initiative, which is funded through the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation grant. The initiative focuses on the City of Detroit’s neighborhood revitalization priority: the Livernois/McNichols area. The project’s goal is to revitalize the neighborhoods between its two anchor institutions, Detroit Mercy and Marygrove College, creating a denser and more diverse urban community.

Live6 Alliance

University of Detroit Mercy helped to launch the Live6 Alliance in August 2015 to strengthen the Livernois Avenue and McNichols Road commercial corridor in northwest Detroit.

Service Immersion Days / Trips

students building a platform during a service immersion trip These experiences give students opportunities to serve in shelters, soup kitchens, after school projects, urban farms and many other important community based projects both locally and nationally.

Service Immersion

Directories

Media Experts Guide

Image of media experts page

Detroit Mercy scholars are experts in their fields and many have agreed to be available to media. Note that experts' views are their own and may not reflect the views of their colleagues or University of Detroit Mercy. 

Detroit Mercy Media Experts

Migration Research Directory

The is an open-access resource for high-quality research on migration, provided by the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. Faculty members from Jesuit universities around the world provide important migration and refugee research from a wide variety of perspectives.

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