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The Mackinac Center hosted its first annual Scholars Summit in August. The 17 attendees included professors from different Michigan universities and other scholars with Michigan ties. The group gathered at the Center’s Freedom Embassy, kitty-corner from the Capitol in downtown Lansing.
The summit gave Center staffers a chance to develop closer relationships with scholars who support our work and mission. Many attendees were members of our Board of Scholars. Others were new to the Mackinac Center but interested in partnering with us. We currently have 47 members, but incoming members will push that number over 50.
Another purpose for the event was to allow attendees to develop new relationships or enhance existing ones. The summit was a smashing success from this standpoint: Scholars have already informed us of several collaborations that came directly from their interactions at the meeting.
The group of scholars represented 11 different Michigan schools, including Hillsdale College, Northwood University, Michigan State University, Kalamazoo College, Northern Michigan University and Central Michigan University.
Attendees learned about the history of the Mackinac Center and how we influence policy change. A core function of the Center is to translate the findings of academic research, especially in the field of economics, for the broader public. There’s a clear symbiotic opportunity for the Center and scholars who want their research to reach a wider audience and shape Michigan policy.
Scholars attending the summit also learned how to work more effectively with the media. Holly Wetzel, our director of public relations, led this training. The Center has decades of experience delivering its message through major media outlets in the state, while most professors never receive training from their universities in these matters.
This was the inaugural edition of what will become an annual event for the Mackinac Center. We hope to grow the number of attendees next year and keep building relationships with scholars in Michigan.
