John M. Ambrose

The Board of Regents approved a ground lease extension and expansion for the Ronald McDonald House. This action authorizes the lease of approximately 1.15 additional acres of university-owned land, currently used for parking, and extends the existing ground lease of 0.73 acres for an additional 45 years at no rent. The expansion aims to enhance the capacity and services provided to families of seriously ill or injured children receiving medical treatment.

The Committee on Honorary Degrees submitted recommendations to award honorary degrees to five individuals: Shirin Ebadi, Ingeborg Hochmair-Desoyer, Michael Phelps, Jalen Rose, and Ronald Weiser. The proposed recipients include a human-rights lawyer, an electrical engineer and cochlear implant pioneer, a world-champion swimmer, a sports analyst and former professional player, and a businessman and philanthropist.

The Board meeting included an update on the university's partnership for a supercomputing research center, announcements regarding upcoming congressional and science leadership events, and a presentation on the new D. Dan and Betty Kahn Health Care Pavilion. Key committee reports were provided on finance, health affairs, and personnel governance. Additionally, the Board discussed campus transparency and safety protocols regarding law enforcement activity, approved multiple conflict of interest authorizations for various research and commercial contracts, and sanctioned capital improvement projects including chiller replacements at Angell and Tisch Halls and the development of the U-M Health Sparrow Lansing facilities. Student government representatives also provided reports on affordability, student engagement, and campus programming.

This document is a Regents Communication from the University of Michigan, detailing construction activities on its projects during February 2017. It provides updates on projects recently completed, lists new projects in the planning phase with proposed budgets and architectural appointments, and outlines active construction projects with their respective budgets, start dates, completion timelines, and funding sources.

The Regents were requested to authorize the execution of Investment Agreements, under the Accelerate Blue Fund or similar Innovation Partnerships Managed Funds, for financing Ocutheia, Inc., a company focused on developing novel therapeutics for retinal degenerative diseases. The proposed investment falls under the State of Michigan Conflict of Interest Statute because interested individuals (employees of the University) have a pecuniary interest as partial owners and/or senior officers/board members of the Company. Approval by a 2/3 vote of the Board is required for this transaction, which does not obligate University services or facilities.