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Contact: Jon Meerdink ([email protected])

ANN ARBOR — The Institute for Social Research (ISR) will host the second Beautiful Minds conference on March 25 and 26, 2025, celebrating and bringing awareness and acceptance to neurodiversity on the University of Michigan campus.

Rooted in the work of the Neurodiversity Project housed at ISR, the conference serves to acknowledge and recognize U-M’s neurodiverse faculty, staff, and students.

“We started the conference last year as a way to bring awareness and acceptance of neurodiversity front and center, and the response was incredible,” said conference co-chair Sandy Zalmout. “There was an overwhelming feeling that our faculty, staff and students that navigate neurodiversity were finally being seen and heard. This year our goal is to continue that momentum by not only highlighting the research that we are launching, but also what researchers are launching across all U-M campuses.”

This year’s conference will feature a mix of panel discussions, presentations, and breakout sessions, along with two keynote addresses. On March 25, David Fink, CEO and founder of the Neurodiversity Alliance, will kick things off, followed by Greg King, CEO and co-founder of TeamNILO, on March 26. Zalmout hopes the entire event will build on last year’s success as the conference continues to support and center the experiences of neurodivergent people at the University of Michigan.

“Last year the community began to convey a sense of acknowledgement and recognition, and we hope to continue to support our UM neurodivergent community, particularly in the current environment where many are feeling unsure about support and resources,” said Zalmout.