The University of Michigan’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been shaped by many members of the community. The expertise and insights shared by thousands of U-M faculty, staff and students have helped to ensure that the core elements of the university’s mission continue amid the global pandemic.
This page includes groups that are currently active and have universitywide representation and scope. Many university units have also established committees or conducted engagement to assess and respond to the challenges of the pandemic.
COVID-19 Campus Health Response Committee
The COVID-19 Campus Health Response Committee was established to support the health of the university community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This committee is responsible for the timely triage of information, coordinating key U-M offices, and providing expert advice and recommendations to university leaders. Its members design and implement public health and safety measures and policies, analyze data, and serve as a resource to our schools, colleges and units. U-M’s size and scope often makes one-size-fits-all solutions impractical, and this committee will help resolve questions from different campus areas.
The committee’s work covers all three U-M campuses and their activities, excluding the clinical activities of Michigan Medicine.
Robert Ernst, Associate Vice President for Student Life, Executive Director of University Health Service, and Director of COVID-19 Campus Health Response
James Behm, Executive Director of Enterprise Application Services, Information and Technology Services
Andrew Burchfield, Director, Emergency Management, Division of Public Safety and Security
Sarah Daniels, Associate Dean of Students, Office of the Vice President for Student Life
Amy Dittmar, Senior Vice Provost for Academic and Budgetary Affairs, Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dana Elger, Senior Public Affairs Representative, Office of the Vice President for Communications
Preeti Malani, University Chief Health Officer
Emily Martin, Associate Professor of Epidemiology, School of Public Health
Lindsey Mortenson, Medical Director, University Health Service
Oluwaferanmi Okanlami, Director of Student Accessibility and Accommodation Services, Office of the Vice President for Student Life
Danielle Sheen, Executive Director, Environment, Health & Safety
Emily Stoneman, Director, Occupational Health Services
Riccardo Valdez, Director of Clinical Laboratories
Laraine Washer, Medical Director of Infection Control, Michigan Medicine
Dyan Jenkins-Ali, Senior Staff Lead
Amy Cohn, Expert Consultant; Professor of Industrial and Operations Engineering, College of Engineering; Professor of Health Management and Policy, School of Public Health; Chief Industrial Engineer, Office of the Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs
Marisa Eisenberg, Expert Consultant; Associate Professor of Epidemiology, School of Public Health; Associate Professor of Mathematics and Complex Systems, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
JoLynn Montgomery, Expert Consultant; Adjunct Assistant Research Scientist, School of Public Health
COVID-19 Faculty Council
Provost Susan M. Collins asked the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs to select members of a council to bring forward ideas, discuss concerns and offer suggestions about the university’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Solomon Adera
Assistant professor of mechanical engineering, College of Engineering
Patricia Anderson
Librarian for health sciences, University Library
Eric Beuerlein
Lecturer II, romance languages and literatures, LSA
Tom Braun
Professor of biostatistics, School of Public Health
Matthew Collette
Associate professor of naval architecture and marine engineering, College of Engineering
Theodora Danciu
Clinical professor of periodontics and oral medicine, School of Dentistry
Rachel S. Goldman
Professor of materials science and engineering, and of electrical engineering and computer science, College of Engineering, and professor of physics, LSA
Kirsten Herold
Lecturer IV in health behavior and health education, School of Public Health
Christian Matijas-Mecca
Professor of dance, School of Music, Theatre & Dance
Mary O’Riordan
Frederick C. Neidhardt Collegiate Professor and professor of microbiology and immunology, Medical School
Frank Pelosi
Clinical associate professor of internal medicine-cardiology, Medical School
John Pottow
John Philip Dawson Collegiate Professor of Law and professor of law, Law School
Stephanie D. Preston
Professor of psychology, LSA
Thomas Schwarz
Associate professor of physics, LSA
Deirdre Spencer
Librarian for arts and humanities, University Library
Joanna Spencer-Segal
Assistant professor of internal medicine-endocrinology, Medical School
Luis Zaman
Assistant professor of complex systems, and of ecology and evolutionary biology, LSA
Emergency Operations Center COVID-19 Planning Team
The Emergency Operations Center COVID-19 Planning Team was convened by the Division of Public Safety and Security on March 3, 2020, and has been meeting daily or several times a week throughout the pandemic. It includes staff representing multiple units from all three campuses and Michigan Medicine.
Andy Burchfield
Director Emergency Management, Division of Public Safety & Security
Anjali Anturkar
Associate Vice President for Student Affairs
Hank Baier
Associate Vice President for Facilities and Operations, Office of the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Jim Behm
Executive Director of Enterprise Application Services
Valeria Bertacco
Arthur F Thurnau Professor, Vice Provost, Engaged Learning, Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, College of Engineering
Laura Blake Jones
Dean of Students
Kim Broekhuizen
Associate Director Public Affairs
Amy Conger
Associate Vice Provost and Director of Global Engagement, Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Austin Conway
Lead Security Officer
Darryl Conway
Senior Associate Athletic Director and Chief Health and Welfare Officer
Lorraine Currie
Director Enterprise Strategic Risk Management
Linda Dintenfass
Emergency Management Specialist
Amy Dittmar
Senior Vice Provost for Academic and Budgetary Affairs, Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Professor of Finance, Stephen M Ross School of Business and Professor of Economics, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
Laura Drabczyk
Division of Public Safety and Security Director of Emergency Management, The University of Michigan-Dearborn and Associate Director of Emergency Management, Division of Public Safety and Security, The University of Michigan
Jessica Durkin
Chief of Staff, Office of Research
Dana Elger
Public Affairs Representative
Robert Ernst
Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine, Medical School, Associate Vice President for Student Life, and Executive Director, University Health Services, Student Life
Rick Fitzgerald
Assistant Vice President for Public Affairs
Christine Gerdes
Associate General Counsel and Special Counsel to the Provost
Gary Gorski
Director of Public Safety
Raymond Hall
Director of Public Safety
Karen Halliday
Program Manager, Division of Public Safety and Security
Michael Hague
Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance, Office of the Chancellor
Jennifer Hogan
Director Flint Event and Building Services
Rich Holcomb
Associate Vice President for Human Resources, Office of the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Nikki Hollandsworth
Administrative Assistant, Division of Public Safety and Security
Kedra Ishop
Vice Provost for Enrollment Management, Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Floyd Johnson
Emergency Preparedness Manager, Division of Public Safety and Security
Jessica Johnson
Continuity of Operations Planning Specialist, Division of Public Safety and Security
John Kepley
Director of Executive Communications
Kambiz Khalili
Associate Vice President for Student Life, AVP Auxiliary Operations
Hilary King
Associate Health System Director for Operations
Mike Lane
Director Environmental Health and Safety & Emergency Preparedness, UM Flint
Preeti Malani
Chief Health Officer and Professor of Internal Medicine
Jeffrey McDole
Communications and Technology Director, Division of Public Safety and Security
Patrick Morgan
Chief International Safety Officer
Kara Morgenstern
Associate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Office of the Vice President and General Counsel
Lindsey Mortenson
Medical Director MD and Adjunct Clinical Instructor in Psychiatry, Medical School
Robert Neumann
Chief of Police, University of Michigan Police Department
Shelby Newport
Associate Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Office of the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Associate Professor of Theatre, College of Arts and Sciences, The University of Michigan-Flint
Teresa Oesterle
Deputy Director, Division of Public Safety and Security
Andrew Palms
Executive Director of Infrastructure, ITS
Sydney Parmenter
Emergency Management Specialist, Division of Public Safety and Security
Judith Pennywell
International Center Director
Patricia Petrowski
Associate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Office of the Vice President and General Counsel and Adjunct Lecturer in Law, Law School
Rob Rademacher
Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director and Chief Operating Officer
Stephanie Riegle
Executive Director for Enrollment Operations and Strategic Initiatives
Pamela Rutter
Manager – Operational Health & Safety
Kathleen Rychlinski
Assistant Director Risk Management
John Seto
Division of Public Safety and Security Deputy Director and Director of Housing Security
Peggy Sheagren
Director of University Human Resources Operations
Danielle Sheen
Executive Director, Environment, Health & Safety
Julie Snyder
Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Campus Inclusion and Student Life, University of Michigan-Flint
Nicole Sunstrum
Director of Social Media & Public Engagement
Brian Uridge
Division of Public Safety and Security Deputy Director and Michigan Medicine Security Director
Tim Wood
Senior Director Human Resources Recruitment and Retention
Carrie Wright
Project Intermediate Manager, Michigan Medicine
Heather Young
Division of Public Safety and Security Communications Director and Associate Director of Strategic Planning & Organizational Development
Previous COVID-19 planning, engagement and response information
Provost Susan M. Collins and other university leaders convened groups and conducted engagement to inform the planning for the Fall 2020 term. That information can be viewed on the Previous COVID-19 Committees page.
The University of Michigan developed a comprehensive plan for the Winter 2021 term incorporating public health guidance, lessons learned from the Fall Semester and extensive feedback and engagement with the community. The surveys, reports and recommendations for Winter 2021 are available on the Campus Maize and Blueprint site.
