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Events in February 2026
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February 26, 2026
“Biomedical Research & Technology: Creation, Development, and Applications”: U-M Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Thursday Morning Lecture Series
Observer Editor
Every Thurs., Jan. 29–Feb. 26. Series of 5 weekly talks.
Jan. 29: U-M biomedical engineering professor Paul Cederna on “Cyborgs: The Future is Now.”
Feb. 5: U-M neurosurgery professor Maria Castro on “Advances in Cancer Immunotherapy.”
Feb. 12: U-M bioengineering professor Joseph Potkay on “Groundbreaking Advancements in the Robert H. Bartlett Extracorporeal Life Support Laboratory.”
Feb. 19: U-M Institute for Critical Care Research director Kevin Ward on “The Commercialization of Critical Care Technology.”
Feb. 26: U-M biomedical engineering professor Brian Fowlkes on “Tiny Bubbles: Harnessing Their Power in Medicine.”
10–11:30 a.m., Washtenaw Community College Towsley Auditorium (Morris Lawrence Bldg.), 4800 E. Huron River Dr. Preregistration required at olli-umich.org. $105 (members, $70) for the 5-lecture series. $15 per lecture for members. Membership, $35 a year. (734) 998–9351.
“Investigate Labs”: U-M Museum of Natural History
“Division Street Pipes”: St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
Duplicate Bridge: Ann Arbor City Club
Observer Editor
Every Tues., Thurs., & Fri. All invited to play ACBL-sanctioned duplicate bridge (Tues. & Fri.) and a 499er game (Thurs.) for players with no more than 499 ACBL master points. 1–4 p.m. or so (arrive by 12:45 p.m.), City Club, 1830 Washtenaw. $9 per person. If you plan to come without a partner, email [email protected].
“Let’s Be Friends: Mystery Genre Fans”: Ann Arbor District Library
“The Science of Failing Well: How to Change Your Thinking to Lead (and Thrive) in an Uncertain World”: U-M Ross Center for Positive Organizations Positive Links Speaker Series
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Harvard University business school professor Amy C. Edmonds discusses the value of “thinking like a scientist” in order to take effective action in the face of uncertainty. Livestream available. 3–4 p.m., Tauber Colloquium, 6th fl., Ross Business School, 701 Tappan. Free, preregistration required at tinyurl.com/49mxrp8v. michiganross.umich.edu.
Positive Links Speaker Series | The Science of Failing Well: How to Change Your Thinking to Lead (and Thrive) in an Uncertain World: Center for Positive Organizations
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Positive Links Speaker Series: The Science of Failing Well: How to Change Your Thinking to Lead (and Thrive) in an Uncertain World
Amy C. Edmondson
Thursday, February 26, 2026
3:00 - 4:00 p.m. ET
Free, registration required
In-person & online options available
This session explores a mindset shift that supports effective action in the face of uncertainty. This shift is well captured by the short phrase, “think like a scientist,” offered as a deliberate contrast to thinking like a (command-and-control) manager. Classically, managers supplied answers and plans and evaluated how well others executed on them. In contrast, successful leaders of scientific labs offer direction and questions that empower action and help others make sense of data. This is not about being more lenient or laissez-faire, but rather about a new type of discipline. Their model provides an analog that leaders in any industry today can learn from. In short, today’s leaders must abandon the discipline of control to embrace the discipline of learning. Key concepts covered include psychological safety, intelligent failure, and interpersonal skills for high-quality conversations.
About Edmondson:
Amy C. Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, a chair established to support the study of human interactions that lead to the creation of successful enterprises that contribute to the betterment of society.
Edmondson has been recognized by the biannual Thinkers50 global ranking of management thinkers since 2011, and most recently was ranked #1 in 2021 and 2023; she also received that organization’s Breakthrough Idea Award in 2019 and Talent Award in 2017. She studies teaming, psychological safety, and organizational learning, and her articles have been published in numerous academic and management outlets, including Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, Harvard Business Review, and California Management Review.
Host:
Monica Worline, Faculty Director, Center for Positive Organizations
Series Sponsors:
The Center for Positive Organizations thanks the Sanger Leadership Center, Tauber Institute for Global Operations, and the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurship for their support of the 2025-26 Positive Links Speaker Series.
Series Promotional Partners:
Additionally, we thank Ann Arbor SPARK, the Managerial and Organizational Cognition (MOC) Division of the Academy of Management, and the Organization Development and Change (ODC) Division of the Academy of Management for their Positive Links Speaker Series promotional partnerships.
Location TBA upon registration.
https://positiveorgs.bus.umich.edu/events/the-science-of-failing-well-how-to-change-your-thinking-to-lead-and-thrive-in-an-uncertain-world/ ,In-person (location TBA) & online. Register online Free. [email protected] https://positiveorgs.bus.umich.edu/events/the-science-of-failing-well-how-to-change-your-thinking-to-lead-and-thrive-in-an-uncertain-world/“Content Creation and the End of Social Media”: U-M Digital Studies Institute
Observer Editor
Panel discussion via Zoom of Curtin University professor of internet studies Crystal Abidin, Cornell University communication professor Brooke Erin Duffy, and University of Maryland communication professor Catherine Knight Steele about whether, in a digital landscape where we all serve as content creators and/or unwitting sources of valuable data, social media is still a desirable avenue for forming and cultivating community. 4–5:30 p.m., via Zoom. Free; preregister at myumi.ch/NrArW. [26 Thursday]
“Fathers and Sons: Empire, Execution, and Partition in a Revolutionary Age, 1776–1816”: U-M Eisenberg Institute for Historical Studies Lecture Series
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Feb. 12 & 26. Talks by visiting scholars.
Feb. 12: “Labor, Spirit, and Sovereignty: Africa’s Great War.” A talk by MSU history professor Michelle Moyd examining how Africa was affected by WWI.
Feb. 26: “Historicizing Transness Otherwise: Asia Narratives and Decolonial Thought.” A talk by University of California–Santa Barbara East Asian languages & cultures professor Howard Chiang on how to understand gender nonconforming figures in Asian history.
4–6 p.m., 1014 Tisch Hall, 435 State. Free. (734) 615–7400.
“The Trauma of Serfdom: The Psychological Legacy of Unfree Labor in Poland”: U-M Center for Polish Studies
“Intro to Laser Engraving: Glass Tumblers”: Ann Arbor District Library
“Nature Nerds Book Club”: Ann Arbor Parks & Recreation
Observer Editor
All invited to share stories about favorite natural places inspired by J. Drew Lanham’s The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature. 5:30–6:30 p.m., Ann Arbor Senior Center, 1320 Baldwin. Free, preregistration required (space limited) at tinyurl.com/a2parksrec or (734) 794–6250. [email protected].
Jamil Jan Kochai: U-M English Department Zell Visiting Writers Series
Observer Editor
Reading and talk by this Afghanistan-born, California-based writer. His award-winning debut novel, 99 Nights in Logar, borrows its structure from The Arabian Nights and was described by Harper’s as “funny” and “surreal.” His 2022 short story collection, The Haunting of Hajji Hotak and Other Stories, was inspired by a satirical headline in The Onion: “FBI Counterterrorism Agent Wistfully Recalls Watching 20-Year-Old Muslim-American Grow Up.” Q&A. Also, tomorrow Kochai gives a free craft lecture titled “The Sentence” (10–11 a.m., Michigan Union, Anderson Rm.). 5:30–6:30 p.m., UMMA Stern Auditorium, 525 S. State. Free. [email protected].
“Repairsday Thursday”: All Hands Active
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Every Thurs. All invited to drop in with broken electronics, furniture, toys, or any other item they’d like to try to repair or repurpose with the help and guidance of AHA members. Repairs not guaranteed. 6–8 p.m., AHA, basement of 255 E. Liberty, ste. 225. Livestream available at meetup.com/allhandsactive/events. Free; donations welcome. [email protected].
Bad Decisions Track Club
Observer Editor
Every Thurs. Runners of all abilities invited to join this eclectic group of runners ranging from people training for their first 5K to ultramarathoners. Sessions are typically interval-based track workouts, followed by socializing at a nearby brewery. 6 p.m. Ferry Field, State at Hoover. May meet elsewhere if the weather is bad. Free. See walline.wixsite.com/bdtc to sign up for email updates on each week’s workout.
Group Runs: Ann Arbor Running Company (AARC)
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Every Mon., Tues., Thurs., & Sat. (different AARC locations). Runners of all abilities invited to join a 5K mapped route (Mon. & Thurs.), an interval-based training run (Tues.), or either a beginner or advanced group run (Sat.). 6 p.m. (Mon.), Corner Brewery, 720 Norris, Ypsi; 6 p.m. (Tues.) & 7 a.m. (Sat.), AARC Downtown, 209 S. Ashley; and 6 p.m. (Thurs.), AARC Colonnade, 901 W. Eisenhower. Free. annarborrunningcompany.com.
U-M Ice Hockey
Observer Editor
Match vs. MSU. Sold out. The U-M team, ranked 1st nationally as of mid-January, faces off against 3rd-ranked MSU. This month’s home schedule also features sold-out double-headers against Penn State (Feb. 13, 6:30 p.m. & Feb. 14, 5 p.m.) and Minnesota (Feb. 26, 6:30 p.m. & Feb 27, 6 p.m.). 7 p.m., Yost Ice Arena, 1016 S. State. (734) 764–0247.
“Seek Your Reflection in the Glint of the Water Fountain”: Forge Theater
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Poet and Pioneer High School English teacher Jeff Kass presents his one-man poetry show, a lyrical journey through baseball, teaching, marriage, fatherhood, and Marvel Comics. Also, readings by high school student poets. 7 p.m. FT, 3000 Packard, ste. B (entrance on Platt). Tickets $15 (students, $5) in advance at forgetheatercollaborative.com & at the door. (734) 219–9434.
Detroit Irish Music Association Seisiún
Observer Editor
Every Thurs. All invited to join members of this local chapter of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann for an informal evening playing traditional Irish music on various instruments. Lessons offered. 7–9 p.m., Grace Church, main bldg., 3150 Glazier Way. Free. [email protected], detroitirishmusic.org.
Damien Lemon: Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase
Observer Editor
Feb. 26–28. Brooklyn-born stand-up comic, actor, & writer. The host of the TruTV game show Comedy Knockout, Lemon is known for his easygoing, casually profane observational comedy about experiences like attempting to buy branded sneakers and being recognized on the street. 7:15 p.m. (Thurs.–Sat.) & 9:45 p.m. (Sat.), AACS, 212 S. Fourth Ave. $20 (Thurs., $15) in advance at aacomedy.com and (if available) at the door. (734) 996–9080.
“The Classic King”: Purple Rose Theatre Company
Observer Editor
Every Wed.–Sun., Jan. 29–Mar. 8. Purple Rose founder Jeff Daniels directs the world premiere of Michigan playwright Richard Johnson’s poignant comedy about three veteran used car salesmen at a Metro Detroit dealership, struggling to cope with a changing industry and customers who are digital natives. When a sharp Gen Z salesman joins the team, he proposes a daring scheme to save the dealership—and its “dinosaur” salesmen—from extinction. Adult language and subject matter. 7:30 p.m. (Thurs.), & 8 p.m. (Fri. & Sat.). Purple Rose Theatre, 137 Park St., Chelsea. Tickets $30–$60 in advance at purplerosetheatre.org & by phone, and (if available) at the door. Discounts available. (734) 433–7673.
“Punch Drunk Love”: Michigan Theater
Observer Editor
Film screenings every day. Tickets $10.50 unless otherwise noted (children under 12, students, seniors age 65 and older, & U.S. veterans, $8.50; Marquee Arts members, $8) in advance online (recommended) & at the door. For updated schedule, see marquee-arts.org/calendar.
Feb. 26: “Punch Drunk Love” (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2002). Darkly absurdist romantic comedy drama starring Adam Sandler as an entrepreneur with social anxiety who falls in love with his sister’s coworker, played by Emily Watson. 8 p.m.