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Using Information to Solve Michigan’s Water Challenges: 
UMSI Theme Year Keynote with Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II

Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II will join the University of Michigan School of Information community to discuss water-related issues facing Michigan communities and plans for the future.

Lt. Governor Gilchrist and Governor Gretchen Whitmer have made transformational investments in Michigan’s water infrastructure since taking office in 2019. State leadership has demonstrated a commitment to clean water through the Building Michigan Together and MI Clean Water plans. The State of Michigan Governor’s Office has invested more resources into water infrastructure than the previous eight years combined; these investments support good-paying jobs and ensure every parent can give their kid a glass of drinking water and know it’s safe.

As the founding executive director of the Center for Social Media Responsibility at UMSI in 2018 and an alumnus of the University of Michigan, Lt. Governor Gilchrist understands the importance of UMSI's work. He will address how students, faculty, and staff have a social responsibility for using their knowledge and skills to address policy issues, such as the water infrastructure and access crisis. His talk will focus on the importance of innovation and creative solutions to address the water needs of Michigan residents.

This keynote talk is part of UMSI's 2023-2024 theme year on water conservation and access. This year’s theme brings together UMSI community members; water advocacy organizations; local, state and federal government organizations; and industry organizations to explore this topic deeply and generate novel ideas and approaches to societal concerns around water conservation and access.

Speaker: Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II has dedicated his career to solving problems. An engineer by training, he uses thoughtful and fact-based practices to solve real problems and make government work better for Michigan families. As part of the Whitmer Administration, Lt. Governor Gilchrist has focused on helping Michiganders in communities across our state realize their full economic and political potential. From co-chairing the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration to helming the Michigan COVID-19 Task Force on Racial Disparities to leading efforts to connect over 23,000 unserved locations in Michigan to affordable high-speed internet, Lt. Governor Gilchrist is committed to building a more just, equitable, prosperous and connected Michigan where everyone can thrive. Lt. Governor Gilchrist is an alumnus of the University of Michigan and was the founding executive director of the Center for Social Media Responsibility at the University of Michigan School of Information in 2018.