2.28.19 – Britany Affolter-Caine

On May 22, 2018, University Research Corridor (URC), an alliance of Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University, announced the appointment of Britany Affolter­ Caine as executive director. Affolter-Caine oversees all strategic and operational aspects of the URC, one of the nation’s most accomplished and respected academic research clusters.

Affolter-Caine has been with the URC for nearly six years, serving as interim director since July 2017 and as program manager since August 2012. Prior to joining the URC, Affolter-Caine was director of talent enhancement for Ann Arbor SPARK, a regional economic development organization. She has also held positions at the Detroit Chamber of Commerce and the Brookings Institution. She replaces founding URC chief Jeff Mason, who is now CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corp.

Affolter-Caine holds a doctorate in higher education policy from the University of Michigan. She also earned a master’s degree in secondary education from Wright State University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Wittenberg University. She serves on the board of the Ann Arbor Arts Alliance and the consultative panel for the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s University Center for Regional Economic Innovation.

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The URC was formed in 2007 to contribute to a more vibrant Michigan economy by leveraging the intellectual capital of its three major research universities, including their educational excellence, their world-competitive research and graduate studies and their contributions to citizens’ health and quality of life.