MacKinnon announces 2026 Go Grant awardees

During his First 100 Days event in 2025, Central Michigan University President Neil MacKinnon announced the launch of the Go Grants initiative – a mini-grant program designed to empower students, faculty and staff to make positive progress on the four priorities in CMU’s Strategic Plan. 

This week, MacKinnon and other senior leaders delivered good news – and some big checks – to the individuals and teams behind 29 winning proposals.

New Go Grants for 2026

Eighteen new grants will each receive amounts between $3,000 and $25,000 for projects that align with the four strategic plan priorities. In total, $247,875 has been allocated to support new proposals. Winning submissions are outlined below, with brief descriptions of the proposals pulled from their application materials. 

CMU Rural Innovation Initiative
John Gustincic, Department of Entrepreneurship, College of Business Administration
Priorities One, Two and Four

This pilot program will target high school students in rural Northern Michigan, particularly those in lower-income communities, with a series of Rural Innovation Workshops. These programs will provide hands-on innovation education, exposure to emerging technologies, and structured pathways to higher education and workforce readiness.

Leadership Camp
Steely Pegg, Residence Life in the Division of University Engagement and Student Affairs
Priorities Two and Four

This pilot program will engage high school-aged prospective students in a multi-day camp focused on personal growth and leadership development, based on the Social Change Model of Leadership Development. Participants will experience unique on- and off-campus activities, engaging with local leaders and campus-based students, faculty and staff, to learn more about CMU and the greater Mount Pleasant community.

Enhancing Recruitment with Real-Time Data Collection Technology
Patty Young, Undergraduate Admissions
Priority Four 

This initiative will equip CMU admissions recruiters with digital tablets to be used during visits to schools, recruitment events, and college fairs. These tablets will enable recruiters to collect and share information with prospective students in real time, capturing and storing data more quickly and accurately. This allows CMU to begin more personalized, relevant communication to students more quickly.  

CMU Online Admit Kits: A Scalable Early-Connection Intervention
Nicole Barnes, CMU Online
Priorities One and Four

This initiative will provide CMU Online Admit Kits to at least 90% of newly admitted, fully online undergraduate and graduate students within 10 days of their submission of an admissions reply form. These mailed kits will help online learners by providing clear next-step guidance and direct access to high-impact student success resources including academic advising, online orientation, tutoring, career services and specialized supports. 

Career Development Center Interview Rooms: Enhancing Interview Resources for CMU Students
Erica O’Toole, Career Development Center
Priority One

This grant will enhance CMU’s on-campus interview rooms with professional technology and resources to support students as they prepare for and participate in job and internship interviews. As hiring practices increasingly rely on virtual interviews, students not only need practice participating in virtual mock interviews, many also need access to a private, quiet and professional-looking space to engage with prospective employers. These enhancements will support CMU’s goal to reach and eventually exceed a 95% Career Outcomes Rate. 

Free Menstrual Products Initiative
Harsna Chahal and Carolina Hernandez Ruiz, students
Priorities One, Three and Four

This initiative aims to create a sustainable procurement and restocking system for free eco-friendly menstrual products in 66 campus dispensers. This initiative supports student success by removing a basic health barrier that can impact attendance, academic performance, and student well-being, while also promoting sustainability through the use of biodegradable, plastic-free products.

Lunch Buddies Program
Symantha Datillo, Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center
Priorities One and Two

Lunch Buddies is a school-based mentoring program serving school children in grades K-5. The program pairs trained CMU student mentors with elementary school students for weekly lunch and recess engagements, helping young children develop positive attitudes and behaviors around school, healthy nutrition and physical activity. These mentoring sessions focus on health, social-emotional development, and help to foster a strong sense of belonging and self-esteem. 

Leadership Launch
Brandon Skiles, Sarah R. Opperman Leadership Institute
Priorities Two and Four

The Leadership Launch program will equip CMU student leaders and mentors to take leadership development programming into K-12 schools across the state of Michigan. In collaboration with educators and local leaders, the program will strengthen both youth development opportunities and community ties. The Leadership Launch program will prioritize rural and under-resourced schools, offering free access to leadership learning. The CMU student facilitators will gain real-world experience while engaging with community partners, reinforcing the university’s role as a collaborative, invested leader in supporting Michigan communities.

Mobilizing Outreach Excellence through Technology Enhancements
Kelly Barton, CMU Online
Priorities Two and Four

This initiative will equip members of the CMU Online recruitment team with digital devices that can be used to engage with prospective students during events and visits. These tablets will enable CMU employees to quickly collect and share information with prospective students in real time, improving the application-to-enrollment process for future CMU Chippewas.

Transforming Faculty Leaders through Digital Learning & Literacies
Katie Edmiston, CMU Libraries & Troy Hicks, College of Education and Human Services
Priorities One and Three

This initiative builds on the success of the existing Digital Learning and Leadership Faculty Fellows Program, a yearlong skill-building program that has equipped 31 faculty members to better incorporate digital literacy, multimedia and AI into their classrooms. The Go Grant funding will engage faculty from the first fellowship cohort alongside new faculty participants and will include a focus on using Adobe Express as an instructional tool. This program will help to develop faculty leaders in areas directly relevant to students’ next-step success, career outcomes, and readiness to lead in an increasingly digital world.

Social Media Ambassadors Pilot Program
University Marketing and Communications team
Priorities One, Three and Four

This pilot program will recruit, train and engage current CMU students to become CMU-focused social media content creators. Students will gain hands-on learning and resume-building experience in social media strategy, digital content development, multi-department communications collaboration, data analytics and more. Content created will promote CMU’s recruitment, enrollment and retention efforts, and showcase outstanding academic programs and student service offerings university-wide.

Applied Science Workforce Pathways: Portable STEM Demonstrations for Recruiting
Dale LeCaptain, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Priorities One, Two and Four

This initiative aims to help community college students envision a pathway to degree attainment and career success through CMU’s applied science majors. These portable demonstrations provide clear examples of how CMU coursework connects to real-world workforce needs in fields including chemical manufacturing, semiconductor materials, brewing analytics, environmental lab testing, and biotechnology. The program will present clear links to careers with major employers in the region and help prospective students visualize clear career trajectories prior to entering CMU.

Indigenous Storytelling
Chris Ogozaly, WCMU Public Media
Priorities Two and Three

This Go Grant will fund the pilot episode of a television series highlighting Indigenous foods and culture. WCMU, in collaboration with Chef Sam Anglin and CMU’s Allen Foundation Culinary Nutrition Center, will increase awareness of Indigenous cultures and foodways, fostering exploration of diverse ideas, ideologies and perspectives. The visual storytelling will also contribute to the preservation, celebration and sharing of the history and traditions of a valued neighbor and partner: the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe.

CMU-branded Quadruped for Learning, Outreach, and ResearchPatrick Seeling and Patrick Kinnicutt, Department of Computer Science
Priorities One, Two and Four

This initiative will provide a quadruped robotics platform for course-embedded projects, outreach teams, and research, and will provide students experience access to interdisciplinary, future-of-work skills in robotics, AI, and data-driven problem solving. The CMU-branded quadruped robot will also be used in recruitment activities and community engagement activities.

Field Notes and Brush Strokes: an Interdisciplinary Art Exhibition
Emily Guiles, student, InSciTE program
Priorities One and Two

This student-led initiative will establish a new, interdisciplinary wildlife art show to engage broad audiences in the intersection of art, science and conservation. The exhibition will have a local focus on endangered and threatened species and habitats in Michigan, will be open to all CMU students, and will foster connections with community organizations and groups hoping to raise awareness of pressing environmental issues.

Different Minds, One CMU
Cheryl Danner, Kristie Miner and Zulfia Zaher — CMU Counseling Center and the Strategic Communication Program in the College of the Arts and Media
Priorities One, Three and Four

This Go Grant proposal is a neurodiversity-affirming initiative aimed to support current and prospective students, with a consultation piece for faculty and staff. The program will bring mentorship, one-on-one coaching and community support to any student or prospective student who identifies as neurodivergent, helping them make connections with other students, as well as faculty and alumni, who can offer hope and strategies to enhance their college-going experience. Further, the initiative aims to help CMU design experiences that are clear, predictable and accessible to all students, not just those disclose a disability or diagnosis. Developing comprehensive strategies to support all students, including neurodivergent students, will strengthen belonging and make CMU a place all students want to be.

A New Chapter for CMU Supplemental Instruction
Rob Zinger, Office of Student Success
Priority One

This initiative will seek accreditation for CMU’s Supplemental Instruction (SI) program from the International Center for Supplemental Instruction and will add four SI Leaders (peer mentors) to the four colleges currently unsupported by the Office of Student Success’s SI programs: the College of the Arts and Media, the College of Business Administration, the College of Education and Human Services, and the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Stronger, more robust SI offerings will strengthen CMU’s commitment to student success with benefits affirmed by the U.S. Department of Education, and accreditation is a powerful signal of excellence in programming. 

CMU LeadForward Mentoring Program
Jamie Brown and Ann Marie Bjerke, Office of Professional Development Programs – Human Resources 
Priorities Two, Three and Four

The CMU LeadForward initiative will offer learning and professional development opportunities to all faculty and staff interested in pursuing future administrative leadership roles. The program will pair experienced leaders with emerging leaders on campus through a series of networking events with campus, alumni and community leaders; monthly themes connected to the Leadership Standards and shared readings; speakers; coaching sessions focused on Clifton Strengths; and informal sessions between mentors and mentees.

Keep Going Grants

In addition to the new proposals, 11 Go Grants from the 2025 cycle will receive additional funding this year to continue their important work. In total, these projects are receiving $151,000 of “Keep Going” grant funding.

StrengthsFinder Coaching
Vernique Jackson, Sarah R. Opperman Leadership Institute
Priorities One through Four
The StrengthsFinder assessment is a coaching tool that helps individuals identify their key strengths, which can help them begin to explore potential career paths. The original Go Grant provided funding to train coaches to deliver coaching sessions and leadership workshops; the Keep Going grant will provide funding to continue the program.

New Faculty Community Cohort
Gabrielle Likavec, Office of Curriculum and Instructional Support
Priorities One and Three
The original Go Grant funds were used to establish cohorts among newly arrived faculty members and equip them with tools, resources, professional development and mentorship to help them find and build community as they achieve their personal and professional goals. The Keep Going grant will provide funding for a second year of cohort development and support. 

Paint the Town Maroon – second annual event
Community Relations Committee
Priorities Two and Three
The original Go Grant provided funding to host the first Paint the Town Maroon initiative, which delivered CMU-themed kits to nearly 200 local businesses in the Mount Pleasant community. The initiative partnered with the Fire Up! Fest to bring more maroon and gold into the community. The Keep Going grant will provide funding to continue the initiative for a second year.

InSciTE STEM Speaker Series and Panel Initiative
Lucille Nobis, student, InSciTE program
Priority One
In the first year of the Go Grant, this initiative provided resources for students in the Integration of Science, Technology and Engineering (InSciTE) program to organize eight seminars and two panel discussions that brought STEM speakers to campus. The Keep Going grant will fund a second year of this student-led initiative and encourage future education and campus engagement for students in the InSciTE program.

Enhancements for the Student Activity Center
Melissa Walton, University Recreation
Priorities One and Three
The original Go Grant funding was used to make enhancements in the Student Activity Center to ensure that people of all abilities could enjoy recreation and fitness activities. The Keep Going grant will fund the purchase of some additional accessible equipment for the SAC.

Intellectual Property Management System
Krista Welke, Office of Research and Graduate Studies
Priority One
The first Go Grant funds were used to purchase technology and software to improve the management of intellectual property at CMU, and to develop a new system to create increased transparency and ease for faculty and staff to learn more about status updates. The Keep Going grant will provide the balance of the funds required to complete the project.

Fire Up! Fest
Dan Gaken, Sarah R. Opperman Leadership Institute
Priorities Two and Three
Originally called the “Campus to Community” initiative, the 2025 Go Grant funded an inaugural Fire Up! Fest event that engaged students, faculty, staff and community members in a fun-filled event in downtown Mount Pleasant. The Keep Going grant will provide some funding to allow campus and community partners to host a second event in 2026.

COMPASS - Building a Community of Peer Support and Connection
Melissa Hutchinson, CMU Counseling Center
Priorities One and Three
In 2025, the initial Go Grant funds provided support for a proposal for “Building Student Resiliency for Healthy Living, Social Engagement, and Improved Academic Performance,” which later became the COMPASS program: Community Outreach Mental Health Persistence And Student Success. The Keep Going grant funds will provide support to continue the program into a second year.

Psychologically Safe CMU
Nikita Murry, The Center for Collaborative Learning and Engagement; Georgina Wilson, College of Education and Human Services; Danny McQuarters, Jr., Student Involvement and Community Engagement
Priorities One and Four
In 2025, Go Grant funding was awarded to the “Improving Student Retention through Trauma-Informed Campus Training” initiative, which became the “Psychologically Safe CMU” program. The initiative developed and began to implement a professional learning community to train CMU faculty and staff in trauma-informed teaching practices. The Keep Going grant funds will support this program for a second year.

Charter to CMU Chippewa Program
Shanese Ross-Pierrie, CMU Center for Charter Schools
Priorities One and Four
Launched in 2025, the Charter to CMU Chippewa program offered comprehensive academic support, college exploration and preparation, career and professional development opportunities, and more to students enrolled in one of the numerous charter schools authorized by CMU. The Keep Going grant will renew some funding for this project in its second year.

Decrease Approval Times for Research Projects
Belinda Adamson, Office of Research and Graduate Studies
Priority One
The 2025 Go Grant provided funding to hire a vendor to revise electronic application forms used by the Office of Research Compliance. The Keep Going grant will help with streamlining the application process, encouraging more faculty and students to initiate future research projects.

Momentum-building projects

Since the inception of the Go Grants project, CMU has seen creative, innovative progress on each of the strategic plan’s four priorities. 

In February 2026, grant recipients shared their successes and lessons learned during the Go Grants Symposium, which featured several panel discussions, videos, performances and interactive poster displays.

During his symposium remarks, President MacKinnon encouraged members of the community to apply for the 2026 round of Go Grants. 

“It is clear that last year’s recipients have done exciting and valuable work that moves CMU closer to achieving the goals of our strategic plan. It’s clear that the very best ideas for CMU are coming from our faculty, staff and students” MacKinnon said.