Farewell and thank you, Chancellor Borrego

When Susan E. Borrego concludes her term as the University of Michigan-Flint's seventh chancellor, the impact of her work, care, and commitment will continue to be felt.

Accomplished under Borrego's leadership, these initiatives and achievements will benefit UM-Flint and the broader community far into the future:

• Chancellor Borrego led the effort to expand the Freshman Merit Scholarship Program. It now awards up to $7,000 a year per student, with additional awards to cover tuition and fees.

• Borrego established the Chancellor's Scholarship for top local students. The scholarship is valued at more than $9,000 each year and covers full tuition and fees for four years for each recipient.

• The quality of incoming UM-Flint students improved under Borrego, with the incoming class showing an overall increase in GPA and SAT scores each of the last two years.

• Crim Fitness Foundation and UM-Flint agreed to form a strategic partnership to develop health and wellness programs and evidenced-based practices.

• UM-Flint formally established and expanded its partnership with University of Wuppartal, Germany.

• UM-Flint created a Community Impact Fund to support efforts undertaken by students, faculty, and staff with community partners to protect the health of residents in the region.

• The ice rink re-opened in January 2016. It first opened in 1985 as part of the Water Street Pavilion.

• During Borrego's term, at least 16 new areas of study were introduced, not including those that were modified or updated.

• The School of Management (SOM) received a $2 million gift from Phil and Jocelyn Hagerman to create the Hagerman Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the largest gift in SOM history.

• UM-Flint helped establish the Healthy Flint Research Coordinating Center. This new initiative brings together a central coordinating group from community-based organizations, UM-Flint and Ann Arbor campuses, and Michigan State University to identify the most pressing health needs in the Flint area, effectively coordinating activities, and sharing information to work toward the best possible health outcomes for the community.

• Uptown Reinvestment Corporation (URC) donated the 340,000-square-foot Riverfront Residence Hall & Banquet Center to UM-Flint in 2015 — one of the largest donations ever given to the university. Campus also added the FirstMerit Bank Building that year, purchasing it for $6 million. Combined, the two buildings add 500,000 square feet to campus, increasing the cumulative square footage of campus buildings by more than 25 percent. It is the first addition of academic space since 2002, when the William S. White Building opened.

• The U-M Board of Regents approved the creation of the School of Nursing, the fifth school within the University of Michigan-Flint.

• In 2016, UM-Flint received an $11-million grant from the C.S. Mott Foundation to support the university's continued growth of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) studies, add faculty support, create more research opportunities, and develop additional strategies to recruit and retain students.

• On March 6, 2016 UM-Flint hosted one of the Democratic Party's Presidential Debates between Hilary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

• UM-Flint's work with the business community was enhanced with a $400,000, 5-year grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration. The grant enabled UM-Flint to establish a University Center for Community and Economic Development to serve as a hub for entrepreneurial support across a seven-county region.

• University Pavilion received a "go blue" paint job, including the exteriors of the main building, the adjacent rink, and the annex by the rink and the parking deck.

• The Greater Flint Community Leadership Scholarship was established to cultivate the next generation of local leaders. The scholarship covers the cost of up to two consecutive, full academic years of tuition and fees. Eligible applicants must reside in and be employed by an organization that has a physical location in Genesee County.

• The $39 million expansion of the Murchie Science Building, scheduled to be completed Fall 2020, broke ground in October 2018.

• In 2018, the university celebrated the most successful capital campaign in the history of the University of Michigan-Flint, including more than $13 million for student support and over $5 million for faculty and research.