Theme: Rooted

The phrase "return to your roots" is often used to mean stepping back into your past: returning to the places, people, and identities that shaped who you are now. For plants, roots act as their very foundation, giving them structural support and nutrients from the ground where they were raised. Our 2025 conference theme, Rooted, is a wider exploration of this concept that challenges how applicable the original analogy is to humans.

Over time, some of us do remain closely attached to those people, ideas, and values we grew up with. Other times, however, our environment becomes unhealthy. Like a plant trying to grow in polluted soil, it becomes necessary for us to uproot ourselves and re-root into a healthier community. When a plant uproots, it can be tumultuous and dangerous, but with enough care from a gardener, the plant can recover. When humans uproot and re-root, many times we are our own gardeners, giving ourselves the care we need to thrive.

Whether drawing from your past or separating from it, both pathways are equally valid as a source of personal strength and a celebration of one's roots. We invite speakers to share their personal history of what their roots mean to them, their relationship with their roots over time, and where those roots may lie today. Don't miss this welcoming opportunity to meet and hear from renowned University of Michigan faculty and alumni. Stay tuned for more information about our speaker lineup!

Power Center
121 Fletcher Street
Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48103
United States

Chris Vrenna

Musician and Professor

Chris Vrenna is a Grammy-winning musician, producer, engineer, remixer, and composer. He is best known as a former, founding member of Nine Inch Nails who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020.

Hakem Al-Rustom

Professor of History and Anthropology

Hakem Al-Rustom is an anthropology and history professor at the University of Michigan, who has committed much of his research to Modern Armenian History. He holds multiple identities having grown up in Egypt with family backgrounds from Syria and Armenia.

Joshua Ong

Resident Physician and Researcher

Joshua conducted NASA-funded research that launched into space, published the first textbook on Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome as Associate Editor, and was on Forbes 30 Under 30.

Kunāl Majumder

Journalist

Kunāl Majumder is a journalist, media academic, and press freedom advocate. Currently a Knight-Wallace Fellow at U-M, Kunāl led the India operations of the international press freedom group, the Committee to Protect Journalists and founded news brands like Catch News and InUth.

Madison Krumins

Law Student

Madison is a current J.D. Candidate at the University of Michigan Law School. She is self-described as an avid reader and lifelong learner. She has lived in 14 different places within the last five years, her travels have given her a unique perspective on life.

Tifani Sadek

Law Professor

Tifani Sadek is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan Law School, where she teaches entrepreneurship law and leadership. Before joining academia, she spent over a decade as a corporate lawyer in elite law firms serving Fortune 500 companies.