On September 16, 1990, the tanker ship Jupiter was unloading gasoline at a pier in Bay City, on the Saginaw River. In the wake of a passing carrier ship, the Jupiter broke free from its moorings, rupturing its discharge hose and pier pipeline and spilling gasoline onto the pier and deck. Sparks from damaged cables ignited the fuel. Spreading flames triggered a series of explosions, killing one and injuring 11 others.

In writing his book, Oliver drew on newspaper archives, Coast Guard investigations and eyewitness accounts to reconstruct how a series of small oversights — in equipment, procedure and human judgment — aligned to produce catastrophe. The book places the Jupiter explosion within a broader history of the Saginaw River, tracing its evolution into a vital artery of Michigan industry.

This lecture is free and open to the public. It is hosted by SVSU’s Center for Public Policy & Services and the Henry Marsh Institute for Public Policy. 

The Gobi Desert in China is vast — roughly 500,000 square miles — and sparsely populated, so when a small Chihuahua mix joined ultrarunner Dion Leonard on day two of a grueling 155-mile, seven-day race across the desert in 2016, it was surprising, to say the least. What is even more surprising is that the dog, which Leonard later named Gobi, ran with him for approximately 80 miles in extreme conditions.

Along the journey, Leonard decided to adopt Gobi and take her back to his home in Edinburgh. While Leonard was making arrangements at home, Gobi went missing in Urumqi, China, a city of three million people. Leonard returned to China at once and formed a search party to find Gobi. Despite long odds, the dog was found, largely unharmed. Following surgery and a four-month quarantine in Beijing, Gobi joined Leonard in Edinburgh.

The “Finding Gobi” lecture is free and open to the public. Doors open one hour before the lecture begins. This event is co-sponsored by SVSU’s Office of International Programs, Zahnow Library, College of Education and Department of Athletics. 

In addition to the Lansing Promise Scholarship and the Promise Guarantee Scholarship awarded by the Lansing Promise Zone Authority, Lansing Promise Scholars will receive SVSU’s Cardinal Commitment Scholarship or other federal, state or external scholarships and grants to cover their entire tuition.

Jayme King, executive director of Lansing Promise: “What excites us most here at Lansing Promise about this partnership with Saginaw Valley State is that it gives our students more options for their future. It expands opportunities and still allows them to dream big.”

“We look forward to a strong partnership with the Lansing Promise and to continuing to welcome Lansing students to our campus,” said Ken Fettig, SVSU’s vice president of enrollment management. “We know SVSU is a great place for Lansing students to come for a world-class education and our top-ranked campus and housing.”

SVSU enrollment this fall stands at 6,849 students. The university’s award-winning residence halls, ranked No. 2 among all public universities in the United States, are filled to capacity, SVSU residence halls are ranked No. 2 among all public universities in the United States, and the campus is ranked No. 3 in Michigan.