Taubman College faculty’s home weatherization workshop series awarded 2026 Engage Detroit grant
Republished from The University Record article “Seven projects awarded to promote faculty and student engagement between U-M and Detroit” (April 21, 2026; by Kathleen England)
Now in its fifth year of funding, the 2026 Engage Detroit Workshops grant program has selected seven projects for awards, including a series on cost-effective home weatherizing for Detroit Land Bank Authority homebuyers, organized and led by several faculty members from Taubman College and the School of Information.
The Engage Detroit Workshop program supports small teams of University of Michigan faculty, staff, students, and community partners in organizing workshops that strengthen partnerships between U-M and Detroit.
The grant provides up to $15,000 to support workshops or speaker series that build meaningful relationships and connections around topics linking U-M faculty and staff with Detroit communities. The provosts’ offices on the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses jointly support the program.
“This year, we received a record number of applications, and we’re excited to award seven projects. These proposals continue to inspire because they translate into meaningful, on-the-ground impact in Detroit,” said Morgan Yuncker, assistant vice provost for domestic engagement. “Across our three campuses, faculty, staff, and students are generating ideas with the potential to spark similar efforts in cities across the country.”
This year’s awarded projects include:
From Compliance to Climate Resilience: Public Weatherization Workshops for Detroit Land Bank Homeowners
Description: This workshop series will support Detroit Land Bank Authority homebuyers working toward “compliance” — DLBA’s minimum livable conditions — by demonstrating best practices for cost-effective rehabilitation upgrades that improve energy performance and reduce operating costs. Hosted with the DLBA, the series will live demonstrate high-impact improvements, including air sealing, insulation, and finish upgrades, while clarifying which tasks are appropriate for DIY and which require professionals. By strengthening the path from compliance to climate resilience, the series advances equitable homeownership and collaboration between U-M and Detroit partners.
U-M faculty/staff: Adam Fure, associate professor of architecture, A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning; Scott TenBrink, lecturer III in information, School of Information; Ellie Abrons, associate professor of architecture, Taubman College; Sharon Haar, professor of architecture, Taubman College; Matthew Wizinsky, associate professor of practice in urban technology, Taubman College.
Community partners: Detroit Land Bank Authority
For more on this year’s winners, see the full story in the University Record.
(Photo by Scott C. Soderberg, Michigan Photography)
