The Board of Regents also took the following actions at its Dec. 7 meeting:
Marsal Family School of Education to lease space at Detroit’s Marygrove School
The Marsal Family School of Education will lease approximately 58,300 square feet for an initial term of 10 years within the Marygrove campus at 8425 W. McNichols Road, Detroit. This new location will allow the Marsal School to add dynamic new educational opportunities for its students, will house students in a newly renovated residence hall. The estimated cost of the leasehold improvements is $12.75 million, with $2.9 million funded through the lease as a tenant improvement allowance, and the remainder of the funding will be provided from Marsal Family School of Education resources. The Marygrove campus will house first-year students enrolled in the Marsal School’s new Learning, Equity, And Problem Solving for the Public Good program. The lease includes residential space for the students, visiting faculty and staff, instructional space, communal gathering space, and access to recreational facilities. Construction will be managed by the lessor and is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2024.
— James Iseler, The University Record
Leasehold improvements planned for battery-fabrication facility
The College of Engineering will construct a state-of-the-art dry laboratory facility for battery fabrication equipment in support of U-M’s next-generation Battery Laboratory within the leased building at 1910 E. Ellsworth Rd. The lab facility will provide expansion space for battery research and prototyping that serves academic and industrial users. It will be operated by the Battery Lab and will play a key role in the state-funded Electric Vehicle Center launched in April 2023. The estimated cost of the leasehold improvements is $6.5 million, to be funded through the College of Engineering resources.
— James Iseler, The University Record
ROTC space in the Observatory Hall Building to be renovated
Approximately 30,500 gross square feet of the Observatory Hall Building, which houses the Reserve Officers Training Corps, will be renovated to consolidate critical ROTC program elements for three military branches within one building, update interior finishes, add a new 20-person classroom, create an officers’ fitness and shower area, add gender-inclusive restrooms and add cadet collaboration space for each branch. The project’s estimated $12.5 million cost will be funded from reserves and Office of the Provost resources. The architectural firm Integrated Design Solutions will design the project, and construction is scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2025. There will be no permanent impact on parking from this project.
— James Iseler, The University Record
School of Nursing’s Building 1 renovation to include new classroom
The School of Nursing will renovate approximately 10,000 gross square feet of space on the first floor of Building 1 at 400 N. Ingalls St. The project will include a new 70-person classroom, student collaboration space, breakroom, wellness room, personal room, and updated restrooms including multiple gender-inclusive restrooms. The estimated cost of the project is $5.2 million, with funding provided from School of Nursing resources. The architectural firm of TMP Architecture will design the project, and construction is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2024. There will be no permanent impact on parking from this project.
— James Iseler, The University Record
SMTD’s Department of Voice renamed Department of Voice & Opera
The Department of Voice in the School of Music, Theatre & Dance will be renamed the Department of Voice & Opera, effective Jan. 1, 2024. The request stems from a series of departmental conversations, meetings, surveys and deliberations that transpired over a three-year period. Faculty members believe the change better aligns with the department’s identity and strategic vision, and they reported a significant number of prospective students inquire about opera opportunities, suggesting it is an important component of students’ career aspirations. The name change, along with a significant revamping of the department’s website, which is underway, is intended to enhance the department’s recruitment efforts and highlight SMTD’s reputation as an institution known for excellence in opera.
— Jeff Bleiler, The University Record
UM-Flint creates Department of Technology in College of Innovation and Technology
A Department of Technology will be established in UM-Flint’s College of Innovation and Technology, effective Jan. 1, 2024. The Department of Technology will be housed within the Division of Engineering and Technology, which also includes the Department of Engineering and the Department of Physics within the College of Innovation and Technology. The creation of the Department of Technology will allow the college to better organize its administrative needs. The department will house faculty and staff from the existing programs of Digital Machining & Automation Technology and Sustainable & Renewable Energy Technology.
— Jeff Bleiler, The University Record
UM-Flint’s College of Arts and Sciences renamed College of Arts, Sciences and Education
The College of Arts and Sciences at UM-Flint has been renamed the College of Arts, Sciences and Education, effective Dec. 1. The name change is consistent with advice provided by a branding expert who met with the unit’s Executive Committee, which also collected faculty and staff input. The terms “arts” and “sciences,” commonly used to refer to the liberal arts, are understood to include a variety of disciplines, including the arts, humanities, and social and behavioral sciences. Approval of the new name will necessitate changes to the Regents’ Bylaws Sections 6.02 and 11.18.
— Jeff Bleiler, The University Record
UM-Dearborn’s Renick University Center to undergo renovations
The Renick University Center at UM-Dearborn will undergo renovations to its first floor. The project will add a gender-inclusive restroom and create a branded conference room and welcome center. The renovated administrative office areas will provide interactive space for collaboration, and space throughout the first floor will be reconfigured to activate the public areas for easier access to the services provided. The estimated cost of the project is $7 million, with funding provided by UM-Dearborn resources. The architectural firm of Neumann Smith will design the project, and constructed is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2024.
— Jeff Bleiler, The University Record
Ann Arbor campus
Faculty appointments with tenure
Mihaela Banu, professor of mechanical engineering, College of Engineering, effective Jan. 1, 2024.
Kevin He, associate professor of biostatistics, School of Public Health, effective Jan. 1, 2024.
Julie M. Maslowsky, associate professor of nursing, School of Nursing, effective Jan. 1, 2024.
Sari Reisner, associate professor of epidemiology, School of Public Health, effective Jan. 1, 2024.
Chengzhi Shi, associate professor of mechanical engineering, College of Engineering, effective Jan. 1, 2024.
Named professorships
*Todd R. Allen, Glenn F. and Gladys H. Knoll Department Chair of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, College of Engineering, effective Jan. 1, 2024, through May 31, 2027.
Nicholas Bagley, Thomas G. Long Professor of Law, Law School, effective Dec. 1, 2023, through Nov. 30, 2028.
*Michael M. Bernitsas, Mortimer E. Cooley Collegiate Professor of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, College of Engineering, effective Jan. 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2025.
*David Blaauw, Kensall D. Wise Collegiate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, College of Engineering, effective March 1, 2024, through Feb. 28, 2029.
James S. Burnstein, John H. and Patricia Mitchell Professor of Entertainment, LSA, effective Jan. 1, 2024, through Dec. 1, 2028.
Sarah Buss, James B. and Grace J. Nelson Professor of Philosophy, LSA, effective Jan. 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2028.
*Carlos E. Cesnik, Clarence L. (Kelly) Johnson Collegiate Professor of Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering, effective March 1, 2024, through Feb. 28, 2029.
Kelvin Lin-Yu Chou, Alexander S. and Gabriella Karp Professor of Neurology, Medical School, effective Dec. 1, 2023, through Aug. 31, 2028.
Kristina B. Daugirdas, Francis A. Allen Collegiate Professor of Law, Law School, effective Dec. 1, 2023, through Nov. 30, 2028.
Thomas J. Giordano, Ronald Nishiyama, M.D. Research Professor, Medical School, effective Dec. 1, 2023, through Aug. 31, 2028.
Yuki Kobayashi, William R. Roush Assistant Professor, LSA, effective Jan. 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2026.
*Joerg Lahann, Wolfgang Pauli Collegiate Professor of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, effective March 1, 2024, through Feb. 28, 2029.
Bhramar Mukherjee, Siobán D. Harlow Collegiate Professor of Public Health, School of Public Health, effective Dec. 1, 2023, through Nov. 30, 2025.
*Steven R. Ratner, Bruno Simma Collegiate Professor of Law, Law School, effective Feb. 1, 2024, through Jan. 31, 2029.
*Nadine B. Sarter, Richard W. Pew Collegiate Professor of Industrial and Operations Engineering, College of Engineering, effective March 1, 2024, through May 31, 2024.
Toni M. Whited, Frederick G. L. Huetwell Professor, LSA, effective Jan. 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2028.
Aidan G. C. Wright, Phil F. Jenkins Research Professor of Depression, Medical School, effective Dec. 1, 2023, through Aug. 31, 2028.
Administrative appointments
*Debra Chopp, associate dean for experiential education, Law School, effective July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2027.
**Angela D. Dillard, vice provost for undergraduate education, Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, effective Jan. 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2028.
Ellen D. Katz, associate dean for academic programming, Law School, effective July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2026.
**Ravi Pendse, special advisor to the president for India, Office of the President, effective Nov. 1, 2023, through June 30, 2028.
Mark S. Rosentraub, Bickner Chair of Kinesiology, School of Kinesiology, effective Jan. 1, 2024, through Aug. 31, 2024.
*Steven P. Schwendeman, chair, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, effective Jan. 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2024.
**Scott Shireman, director, University of Michigan Center for Innovation in Detroit, effective Jan. 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2028.
Jan Van den Bulck, chair, Department of Communication and Media, LSA, effective July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2029.
Ekow N. Yankah, associate dean for faculty and research, Law School, effective Jan. 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2025.
Other transactions
Robert C. Hampshire, extension of intergovernmental personnel assignment leave of absence, effective Jan. 20, 2024, through Jan. 19, 2025.
Heidi Huber-Stearns, Theodore Roosevelt Visiting Professor of Ecosystem Management, School for Environment and Sustainability, effective Jan. 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2024.
Young-Ah Seo, promotion to associate professor of nutritional sciences, School of Public Health, effective Sept. 1, 2023.
Dearborn campus
Mahesh K. Agarwal, chair, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters, effective Jan. 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025.
*Bryan C. Dadey, vice chancellor for business affairs, Office of Business Affairs, effective Feb. 1, 2024, through Jan. 31, 2026.
***Lee A. Freeman, interim chair, Department of Management Studies, College of Business, effective Jan. 1, 2024, through June 30, 2024.
**Claudia S. Kocher, interim associate dean, College of Business, effective Jan. 1, 2024, through June 30, 2024.
Joan C. Remski, associate provost for integrative learning and faculty development, Office of the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, effective Jan. 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2028.
Carrie E. Shumaker, vice chancellor for information technology and chief strategy officer, Office of Information Technology, effective Jan. 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2026.
Flint campus
Khalid M. Malik, professor of computer science, College of Innovation and Technology, effective Jan. 1, 2024.
Douglas A. Zytko, associate professor of computer science, College of Innovation and Technology, effective Jan. 1, 2024.
Chris C. Douglas, acting associate dean for faculty affairs, College of Arts and Sciences, effective Jan. 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025.
**Yener Kandogan, interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, Office of the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, effective Jan. 1, 2024.
Keith J. Kelley, associate dean, School of Management, effective Jan. 1, 2024.
*Reappointments
**Interim approval granted
***Reappointment and interim approval granted
Retirements
Leslie B. Aldrich, associate professor of internal medicine, Medical School, Jan. 2, 2024. Aldrich earned her M.D. from Rush Medical College in Chicago, Illinois in 1982. She then completed her internal medicine internship and residency in 1985 at the U-M Medical Center. She also completed fellowships in endocrinology and metabolism, and gastroenterology at U-M before joining the faculty as an instructor in the Department of Internal Medicine in 1988. Aldrich was appointed a clinical instructor in 1989 and clinical assistant professor in 1993, and was promoted to clinical associate professor in 2022. Aldrich has also served in multiple administrative appointments for Michigan Medicine, most recently as the Division of Gastroenterology service chief since 2020, associate chief of clinical operations for UMMG since 2019, and medical director of the East Ann Arbor Ambulatory Surgery and Medical Procedure Center from 2005-19. Aldrich’s research focused on gastroesophageal reflux disease and inflammatory bowel disease. She has concentrated on health-care delivery and team-based gastroenterology practice with advanced practice providers. She has published multiple book chapters, 11 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals and is a sought-after presenter. Aldrich was inducted into the Department of Internal Medicine’s Clinical Excellence Society in 2019.
Roy C. Barnes, professor of sociology, College of Arts and Sciences, UM-Flint, Dec. 31, 2023. Barnes received his B.A. in anthropology in 1982 from Pomona College, his M.A. in sociology in 1985 from Mississippi State University, and his Ph.D. in sociology in 1995 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Barnes joined the UM-Flint faculty as an assistant professor in 1996, was promoted to associate professor in 2002, and professor in 2015. From 2002-04, Barnes chaired the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice. He was the inaugural assistant dean for CAS from 2004-13 and returned as associate dean from 2013 -22. Barnes is a scholar in corporate social networks and has published and presented numerous papers on interlocking directorates. Barnes has spoken at several conferences and workshops, including the National Institute of Advanced Science in the Netherlands, and the Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University, Scotland. He served on the university’s Institutional Review Board from 2004-15. Barnes was the coordinator of general education for UM-Flint from 2010-16. Since 2022, Barnes has been the faculty co-chair of the DEI Committee. He was the inaugural director of the Accelerated Online Degree Completion program.
Pallab K. Bhattacharya, Charles M. Vest Distinguished University Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, James R. Mellor Professor of Engineering, and professor of electrical engineering and computer science, College of Engineering, Dec. 31, 2023. Bhattacharya received his B.Sc. in 1968, B. Tech. in 1970, and M. Tech. in 1971 from the University of Calcutta, India, and his M. Eng. in 1976, Ph.D. in 1978 and D. Eng.(Hon.) in 2015 from the University of Sheffield, UK. He joined Oregon State University as an assistant professor in 1978, and was promoted to associate professor in 1982. He joined the U-M faculty as an associate professor in 1984, and was promoted to professor in 1987. Bhattacharya has been a leader in developing and commercializing quantum dot lasers and devices. He pioneered technological advances in synthetically modulated semiconductor structures, nanophotonic and spintronic devices, and other optoelectronic device and integrated circuit developments. He published 637 articles and authored four textbooks. His honors include the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Jun-ichi Nishizawa Medal in 2019, the IEEE David Sarnoff Award in 2015, and a Guggenheim fellowship in 1998. He is a fellow of IEEE, the American Physical Society, Optica, the Institute of Physics (UK) and the National Academy of Inventors.
Michael R. Combi, Freeman Devold Miller Collegiate Research Professor, Distinguished Research Scientist, and research professor in climate and space sciences and engineering, College of Engineering, Sept. 30, 2023. Combi received his Ph.D. from the University of Toledo in 1979. He joined U-M as an associate research scientist in 1989, was promoted to research scientist in 1993, and research professor in 2003. Combi’s research focused on the production, distribution, physics and chemistry of tenuous planetary atmospheres including those of comets, planetary satellites and the exospheres of terrestrial planets where fluid conditions breakdown. He was a co-investigator a European Space Agency Rosetta mission to a comet and a participating science on the MAVEN mission to Mars. He has received several NASA achievement awards and ESA recognition certificates. For his contributions to cometary science, Asteroid 17060 (1999 GX7) was named “Mikecombi.” He co-authored more than 200 scholarly refereed publications and edited several monographs and proceedings books. He was editor of the planetary science journal Icarus. For 18 years, He directed the AOSS and then CLASP research experiences for the undergraduate program. He served on the Senate Assembly, SACUA, and search advisory committees for the vice president for research and the College of Engineering dean.
Daniel J. Fischer, clinical associate professor of social work in the School of Social Work and adjunct clinical assistant professor of psychiatry, Medical School, Dec. 31, 2023. Fischer earned his B.A. in 1983 and his M.S.W. in 1984 from U-M. He began at the university as a clinical social worker and field instructor in 1989. In addition to his role as clinical associate professor, Fischer also serves as assistant dean and director of field education at SSW. He is also an adjunct clinical assistant professor at Michigan Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry, and has worked for the university as a researcher, teacher and health-care administrator. He has conducted numerous scientific presentations, workshops and training seminars on a variety of topics, including cognitive-behavioral therapy with child/adolescent anxiety disorders, and leadership development. He has published several peer-reviewed articles and book chapters related to pediatric anxiety disorders and cognitive-behavioral therapy, and interprofessional education. Fischer’s research interests include mental health intervention development, social work field education and interprofessional education, social work pedagogy, and youth and adolescent mental health.
Daniel C. Fisher, Claude W. Hibbard Collegiate Professor of Paleontology, professor of earth and environmental sciences, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, and curator of the Museum Paleontology, LSA, Dec. 31, 2023. Fisher attended Harvard University where he earned his B.A. in 1971, his M.A. in 1972, and his doctorate in 1975. He began his instructional career at the University of Rochester as an assistant professor. Fisher joined U-M as an assistant professor in 1979, was promoted to associate professor in 1984, and professor in 1992. He was director of the U-M Museum of Paleontology from 2011-18. Fisher’s research interests spanning diverse taxonomic groups, temporal range and themes. His work on the macroevolution of horseshoe crabs in the early 1980s led to development of stratocladistics and the widespread use of temporal data in phylogenetic inference. His research on the megafaunal extinction of mammoths and mastodons identified in proboscidean tusk samples subtle signals of their environment, diet, health and life history. Fisher is a fellow of the Paleontology Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, was a Senior Fellow in the Michigan Society of Fellows from 2006-10. He received the Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation in 2011.
Donald Freeman, professor of education, Marsal Family School of Education, Dec. 31, 2023. Freeman received his B.A. from Yale University in 1973, his M.A.T. from the School for International Training in 1977, and his Ed.D. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1991. He was a faculty member in the Graduate School for International Training/World Learning in Vermont from 1982-2007. He joined U-M as an associate professor in 2007 and was promoted to professor in 2017. He has held visiting faculty appointments in Australia, England, Italy, Brazil, South Africa and Slovakia. Freeman is a scholar of teacher learning in the contexts of organizational and systemic reform and its influence on student learning. He examines the development and use of teacher knowledge, particularly in the interrelationship between teacher learning and systemic change and the influences of teacher education on student learning. He published two books as well as a four-level student curriculum. Freeman serves on the editorial board of the Modern Language Journal and previously on the boards of the Educational Researcher and the TESOL Journal. He is past president of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, and member of the University of Cambridge ESOL Advisory Council.
Thomas R. George, clinical assistant professor of kinesiology, School of Kinesiology, Dec. 31, 2023. George received his B.A. from Northeastern State University in 1984, his M.S. from Miami University in 1988, and his Ph.D. from Michigan State University in 1993. George joined U-M as a lecturer in1992. He then joined the sport management program as a clinical assistant professor in the Division of Kinesiology in 1998. George served as program chair of health and fitness from 2015-18, applied exercise science from 2021-23, and sport management from 2000-15. He oversaw the initial design of the two-level admissions process currently used in the sport management undergraduate curriculum and assisted the school in creating the Sport Management Advisory Board. George also was the director of global engagement, the School of Kinesiology’s study abroad program, for the past eight years. George has been recognized by his students six times as the most effective teacher in his program, for which he received the School of Kinesiology’s Excellence in Teaching Award. He was nominated seven times for the university’s Golden Apple Award.
Anne Ruggles Gere, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, professor of English language and literature, LSA; Gertrude Buck Collegiate Professor of Education, and professor of education, Marsal Family School of Education, Dec. 31, 2023. Gere received a B.A. in English from Colby College in 1966, an M.A. in English from Colgate University in 1967, and a Ph.D. in English from U-M in 1974. She joined the U-M faculty in 1987 as associate professor of English and education and was promoted to professor in 1989. She chaired the Joint Ph.D. Program in English and Education from 1988-2023 and director of the Sweetland Center for Writing from 2008-19. Gere studies the teaching of writing, literacy development, composition studies, teacher education and the figure of the female teacher. She has published 11 books, six textbooks, and more than 100 articles. She has received the Provost’s Teaching Innovation Prize, the Regents’ Award for Distinguished Public Service, the John H. D’Arms Award for Distinguished Graduate Student Mentoring, the Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award, a Michigan Humanities Award, and a fellowship from the Institute for the Humanities. She has served as president of the National Council of Teachers of English, chair of the Conference on College Composition and Communication, and president of the Modern Language Association.
Ronald M. Gilgenbach, Chihiro Kikuchi Collegiate Professor of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, and professor of nuclear engineering and radiological sciences, College of Engineering, Dec. 31, 2023. Gilgenbach received his B.S. in 1972 and M.S. in 1973 in electrical engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and his Ph.D. in electrical engineering in 1978 from Columbia University. He joined U-M as an assistant professor in 1980, was promoted to associate professor in 1984, and professor in 1989. He founded the university’s Plasma, Pulsed Power, and Microwave Laboratory in 1980 and was director from 1980-2021. He was the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences chair from 2010-18. Gilgenbach’s research spans plasma physics, nuclear fusion, high-power microwave devices and more. He pioneered the use of electron-cyclotron microwave heating in fusion tokamaks before inventing and patenting the recirculating planar magnetron for generating ultrahigh-power microwaves in radar and electronic defense applications. Gilgenbach has published more than 200 peer-reviewed journal articles, several book chapters, four patents, and more than 400 conference papers or abstracts. His honors and awards include life fellow of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers in 2015, fellow of the American Nuclear Society in 2017, and the IEEE Peter Haas Award in 2017.
Mitchell M. Goodsitt, professor of radiological sciences, Medical School, Dec. 31, 2023. Goodsitt received his B.S. in 1974, his M.S. in 1976, and his Ph.D. in 1982 from the University of Wisconsin. He joined the Harvard Medical School as an instructor of radiology in 1982. He joined U-M as an associate professor of radiological sciences in 1992 and obtained a secondary appointment in environmental and industrial health from 1995-2009, as well as an additional appointment in biomedical engineering from 2012-19. He was an adjunct professor in nuclear engineering and radiological sciences from 2001-22. Goodsitt was promoted to professor of radiology in 1999. Goodsitt’s research focuses on X-ray and ultrasound imaging. He helped develop the first combined 3D x-ray and 3D ultrasound device for imaging the breast. Goodsitt has been the director of the physics of diagnostic radiology course for radiology residents since 1992, and he was director of the nuclear engineering physics of diagnostic radiology course from 1992-2020. He was the scientific program director/co-director for four annual Association of Physicists in Medicine meetings. He was the imaging physics editor of the journal Medical Physicsfor seven years and was elected a fellow of the AAPM.
John A. Helmuth II, professor of finance, School of Management, UM-Flint, Dec. 31, 2023. Helmuth received his B.A. in 1974 and M.A. in 1975 from Old Dominion University and his Ph.D. in 1981 from the University of South Carolina. He was an associate professor at Rochester Institute of Technology until 1996, when he joined UM-Dearborn as chair of the Department of Accounting and Finance. In 2002, he became dean of the College of Business Administration and professor at Niagara University, serving until becoming dean of the School of Management at UM-Flint in 2007. He was instrumental in developing programs in entrepreneurship and international business, and developing international academic partnerships. He served as dean until 2012 before returning to his role as professor of finance. Helmuth’s research focused on family businesses, international economic systems, capital market efficiency, regulation, power plants and economic impact on local economies. He published in journals including the Review of Financial Economics, Journal of Accounting and Finance Research, Quarterly Journal of Business and Economics, and Southern Business Review. He was president of the New York State Economic Association from 1987-88 and on its board of directors from 1984-92.
Michael J. Imperiale, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor and professor of microbiology and immunology in the Medical School, Dec. 31, 2023. Imperiale received his B.A. and Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1976 and 1981, respectively. Following postdoctoral training at Rockefeller University, he joined U-M as an assistant professor in 1984, was promoted to associate professor in 1990, and professor in 1996. He was associate vice president for research – policy and compliance from 2017-22. Imperiale’s distinguished career involved research focused on the biology adenoviruses and polyomaviruses. His laboratory contributed to the understanding of how these viruses bind to and enter cells, how they assemble progeny viral particles, and how their replication is regulated. He co-authored more than 150 scholarly publications and contributed to various books. He was an editor of Journal of Virologyand PLoS Pathogensand is the founding editor-in-chief of the pan-microbiology journal mSphere. Imperiale has been an active contributor to science policy discussions related to biosecurity and biosafety at the national and international levels. He also participated in several studies under the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine. Imperiale is a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Scott D. Johnson, professor of marketing, School of Management, UM-Flint, Dec. 31, 2023. Johnson received his B.A. in 1977 and M.B.A. in 1981 from the University of Minnesota and his Ph.D. in 1990 from Michigan State University. Johnson joined Minnesota State University, Mankato as dean of the College of Business in 2002, and was later promoted to professor. In 2009, he became dean of the College of Business at Illinois State University and served there until becoming dean of the School of Management at the UM-Flint in 2013. He served as dean for eight years before returning to his role as professor of marketing. Johnson’s research focused on word-of-mouth communication and recommendation-based decision making and later the emerging global middle class. He published in journals including the Journal of Business Research, Business and Professional Ethics Journal and International Business Review. He taught MBA courses in the U.S., Hong Kong and Athens. His students gave him an honorary lifetime membership of the Student Marketing Association. He served on 20 peer review accreditation teams for AACSB International, the premier accrediting body for business schools. He also served on the AACSB Continuous Improvement Review Committee and was president of the MidAmerican Business Deans Association.
Andy Kirshner, associate professor of music, School of Music, Theatre & Dance; associate professor of art and design, Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design, Dec. 31, 2023. Kirshner received a D.M.A. in 1999 and a M.M. in music composition in 1995 from U-M. After two years as an adjunct lecturer, Kirshner became an assistant professor of music in SMTD and an assistant professor of art and design, in the Stamps School. In 2008, he was promoted to associate professor of music, with tenure, in SMTD, and associate professor of art and design, in the Stamps School. A composer, performer, writer and filmmaker, Kirshner draws on an eclectic background in jazz, classical composition, theater, dance, film and the humanities to construct multidisciplinary compositions that explore complex historical and social questions. Kirshner’s compositions and performances have been recognized and funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust, Meet the Composer, the American Music Center, Artserve Michigan, the Institute for Research on Women and Gender, and the U-M Office of Research. He was a fellow at U-M’s Institute for the Humanities and a recipient of the Rogers Edge Award.
John Laitner, professor of economics, LSA; research professor, Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, Dec. 23, 2023. Laitner earned a B.A. from Yale University in 1971, and an M.A. in 1973 and a doctorate in economics in 1976 from Harvard University. He joined U-M faculty an assistant professor of economics in 1975 and rose through the ranks to professor of economics in 1987. He served as associate chair of the Department of Economics from 1984-86 and as director of the undergraduate and the Master of Applied Economics programs at various points in his career. He was a faculty associate in the Survey Research Center from 1992-2001 and was appointed research professor in 2002. From 2002-23, he was director and PI of the Michigan Retirement and Disability Research Center. He is a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Laitner’s research has centered on macroeconomic issues relating to long-run growth. He has studied models of intergenerational transfers within family lines, including bequests, gifts and provision of human capital. He has worked on many aspects of technological progress, including its ability to cause structural change, its implications for financial markets, and the role of the patent system.
J. Rebecca Liu, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, Medical School, Dec. 31, 2023. Liu received her M.D. from Vanderbilt University in 1991 and completed her obstetrics and gynecology residency at Duke University in 1995. Liu completed her gynecologic oncology fellowship at U-M in 1999 and joined the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology as a lecturer. She was promoted to assistant professor in 2001 and associate professor in 2008. Liu has provided didactic and practical instruction in cancer biology, clinical gynecologic oncology and surgical techniques for learners. She received the Howard R. Williams, M.D. Award for being an outstanding women’s health educator within an APGO/CREOG department at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in 2017, and the Charles W. Newton Medical Student Educator Award at SJMH in 2022. Her research focused on elucidating the mechanism of chemoresistance and alterations in apoptotic pathways in epithelial ovarian cancer. She received funding from several institutions including the American Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. In 2016, Liu took the lead in the collaborative Michigan Medicine/Trinity gynecologic oncology service at SJMH and served as PI for the Michigan Cancer Research Consortium. In 2022, she received the SILVER Certificate of Excellence from MCRC and the NCI Community Oncology Research Program.
Marie Lozon, clinical professor of emergency medicine and of pediatrics, Medical School, Jan. 14, 2024. Lozon completed her M.D. at Wayne State University School of Medicine in 1986. She completed a residency in pediatrics at the University of Chicago-Wyler Children’s Hospital in 1989 and a fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine at the University of Chicago-Wyler Children’s Hospital in 1991. That same year she began her career at U-M as a lecturer in the Department of Pediatrics. She was appointed clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine and of pediatrics in 1994, clinical associate professor in 2002, and clinical professor in 2017. Lozon has served as chief of staff since 2019. She served as the associate chief clinical officer of C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital from 2017-18, and currently is the associate chief for emergency management operations. As chief of staff, she serves as a leader in the Office of Clinical Affairs and has helped further their goals and mission.
Pankaj K. Mallick, professor of mechanical engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, UM-Dearborn, Dec. 31, 2023. Mallick received his B.E. in mechanical engineering in 1966 from Calcutta University in India. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1970 and 1973, respectively. He joined UM-Dearborn as an assistant professor of mechanical engineering in 1979, and was promoted to associate professor in 1984, and professor in 1991. Mallick specialized in automotive engineering and materials and material processing. Prior to joining the university, he was a senior research scientist at Ford Motor Co. He has supervised multiple graduate students and researchers and published five books and more than 80 high-impact papers in research journals. Mallick was the director of interdisciplinary programs from 1997-2017 and director of the Center for Lightweighting Automotive Materials and Processing since 1998. He was named the William E. Stirton Professor from 2007-12 and earned the Eugene Arden Interdisciplinary Teaching/Research Award in 2014 as well as the Michigan Association of Governing Boards of State Universities Award for Distinguished Faculty in 1998. Mallick is a Life Fellow with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and a fellow of the American Society for Composites.
Donna J. Marvicsin, clinical associate professor of nursing, School of Nursing, Jan. 6, 2024. Marvicsin received her B.S. in nursing from Michigan State University in 1981. She received her M.S. and Ph.D. in nursing from Wayne State University in 1987 and 2007, respectively. Marvicsin is a registered nurse, pediatric nurse practitioner and certified diabetes educator. She was appointed a clinical assistant professor at the School of Nursing in 2008 and was later promoted to clinical associate professor. Marvicsin has contributed to the pediatric components of the undergraduate program and the Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program. She has taught the didactic portion of the undergraduate pediatric courses and was co-program lead for the primary care PNP program. Marvicsin disseminates her scholarly work and promotes the use of evidence in clinical practice by presenting at professional meetings, publishing in clinical journals and in media that targets the general public. Marvicsin is a member of seven nursing associations, and she is currently the chair of the Practice Committee for the International Family Nursing Association. She serves at the national level by reviewing manuscripts for five journals. She is a member of the U-M Nutrition Obesity Research Center and Child Obesity Center.
Semyon M. Meerkov, professor of electrical engineering and computer science, College of Engineering, Dec. 31, 2023. Meerkov received an M.S.E.E. in 1962 from the Polytechnic of Kharkov in Ukraine and a Ph.D. in 1966 from the Institute of Control Sciences in Moscow, Russia. He was automation engineer from 1962-63 at the Research Institute for Power Systems Automation in Kharkov, Ukraine, and a research fellow from 1966-69 and senior research fellow from 1969-77 at the Institute of Control Sciences in Moscow, Russia. He joined the Illinois Institute of Technology in the electrical engineering department as an associate professor from 1979-82 and was promoted to professor from 1982-84. He joined U-M as a professor in 1984. Meerkov’s research interests include nonlinear and resilient control systems, communication networks, mathematical theory of rational behavior, and smart production systems. He co-authored two textbooks and published 140 articles in refereed journals. He served in the Senate Assembly from 2003-06 and on the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs from 2004-07. Meerkov has held visiting positions at UCLA, Stanford University, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Tsinghua University and Ben Gurion University. His awards include the U-M Distinguished Faculty Governance Award in 2008 and the Eta Kappa Nu Professor of the Year Award in 1997.
Kenneth G. Powell, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, professor of aerospace engineering, College of Engineering, Dec. 31, 2023. Powell received S.B. in mathematics and aeronautics & astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1982. He received a S.M. in 1984 and Sc.D. in 1987, both in aeronautics & astronautics from MIT. He joined U-M as an assistant professor in 1987, and was promoted to associate professor in 1993, and professor in 2000. He researched scientific computing for aerodynamics and plasmadynamics. He co-founded the W.M. Keck Foundation Computational Fluid Dynamics Laboratory in 1993, the Center for Space Environment Modeling in 2001, and the Center for Radiative Shock Hydrodynamics in 2007. He was named the Tau Beta Pi Outstanding Professor in 1988, 1999, and 2005. He contributed to Multimedia Fluid Mechanics, a teaching tool in wide use throughout engineering. He served the university in student services, research computing, and diversity, equity and inclusion roles. He served as undergraduate program advisor for aerospace engineering and established the first campus-wide research computing cluster in 2011. He served as graduate chair of the Scientific Computing Ph.D. program and as a member of STRIDE. Powell also served as faculty ombuds for the College of Engineering. He also co-founded U-M’s Ballroom Dance club in 1990.
Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy, Robert W. Parry Collegiate Professor of Chemistry and Biophysics, professor of chemistry, professor of biophysics, LSA; professor of macromolecular science and engineering, College of Engineering, June 30, 2023. Ramamoorthy earned his B.Sc. in 1982 and M.Sc. in 1984 from Madurai Kamaraj University. He received his doctorate from the Indian Institute of Technology in 1989. In 1993, he became a research associate at the University of Pennsylvania. Ramamoorthy joined U-M as an assistant professor in 1996, and was promoted to associate professor in 2002, and professor in 2008. Ramamoorthy’s research foci include the development and use of lipid-nanodiscs to study membrane proteins, amyloidosis-related protein aggregation and anticancer peptides. He has received several honors and recognitions, including election as an American Association for the Advancement of Science fellow in 2009, a Faculty Recognition Award in 2012, a Rackham Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award in 2016, and election as a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2018, the Michigan Society of Fellows in 2021, and the ISMAR in 2023. Ramamoorthy was co-director of the Biomolecular NMR Facility from 2000-16 and the associate chair of biophysics from 2012-14. His service to the community includes a long-running online seminar series on proteinopathies and membrane proteins.
Audrey F. Seasholtz, professor of biological chemistry, Medical School; research professor, Michigan Neuroscience Institute, Dec. 31, 2023. Seasholtz received her B.S. from Juniata College in 1978 and her Ph.D. in biological chemistry from U-M in 1983. After postdoctoral studies at the University of Oregon and Oregon Health Sciences University, she returned to U-M as an assistant professor of biological chemistry and assistant research scientist in the Mental Health Research Institute in 1988. She was promoted to associate professor and senior associate research scientist in 1997, and then to professor and research professor at the Michigan Neuroscience Institute in 2003. Seasholtz was appointed a research associate professor for the reproductive sciences program from 2004-12. Seasholtz’s research interests centered on the mammalian stress response. This research resulted in numerous multiyear National Institutes of Health grants and multiple young investigator and independent investigator awards from the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, more than 75 peer-reviewed publications, chapters in books and presentations at national and international meetings. Seasholtz received the Kaiser Permanente Pre-clinical Award for Teaching Excellence in medical school curriculum in 2015. She served as the associate director of the neuroscience Ph.D. graduate program from 2014-18, 2019-20 and 2021-present. She received U-M’s Research Scientist Recognition Award in 2000.
Subrata Sengupta, professor of mechanical engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, UM-Dearborn, Dec. 31, 2023. Sengupta received his Bachelor of Technology in 1969 with honors at the Indian Institute of Technology in India. He earned his M.S. in mechanical engineering and his Ph.D. in fluid thermal sciences at Case Western Reserve University in 1972 and 1974, respectively. He joined UM-Dearborn in 1990 and was dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science from 1990-2012. Sengupta was the founding co-director of the Institute for Advanced Vehicle Systems from 2000-03 and the founding director of the Center for Engineering Education and Practice from 1991-97. He specialized in thermal fluid sciences with applications in energy technology, environmental systems, and other areas and published more than 150 papers in research journals. Sengupta was a member of the Emerging Technology Advisory Board of the Society of Automotive Engineers and a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He chaired National Science Foundation delegations to India in 1983 and Japan in 1995. He was awarded a Distinguished Alumnus recognition in 2012 from the Indian Institute of Technology and the Chancellor’s Recognition for Funded Research in 1996, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.
Louise K. Stein, professor of music, School of Music, Theatre & Dance, Dec. 31, 2023. Stein received her Ph.D. from The University of Chicago in 1987 and her B.M. degree from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music in 1975. She taught at the University of North Carolina from 1984-85 and The University of Chicago from 1986-87 before joining U-M as assistant professor in 1987. She became an associate professor in 1994 and professor in 2000. Stein researches early modern European and colonial Latin American music, opera, and theater music. She has performed and presented lectures and seminars internationally and published around 60 articles and essays. Her first book “Songs of Mortals, Dialogues of the Gods: Music and Theatre in Seventeenth-Century Spain,” received an American Musicological Society subvention and the 1995 First Book Prize from Society for Spanish and Portuguese Historical Studies. Her research twice earned American Council of Learned Societies, National Endowment for the Humanities, and Institute for the Humanities fellowships, as well as grants from the Institute for Research on Women and Gender, the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, and the American Philosophical Society. The Rackham Graduate School awarded her the John H. D’Arms Award for Distinguished Mentoring in the Humanities in 2013.
Laura M. Struble, clinical professor of nursing, School of Nursing, Dec. 31, 2023. Struble received her B.S.N. from Northern Michigan University in 1979. She received her M.S.N. and Ph.D. in nursing from U-M in 1983 and 1995, respectively. Struble is a registered nurse and gerontological nurse practitioner. She was appointed a lecturer in the School of Nursing in 2001 and later accepted a position as clinical assistant professor in 2007. She was promoted to clinical associate professor in 2015 and clinical professor in 2021. Struble maintains a collaborative clinical practice at the Turner Geriatric Clinic and at an assisted living facility where she treats older adults with mental illness and dementia and provides support and education to both professional and family caregivers. Struble offers interdisciplinary clinical experiences to nurse practitioner students, medical students and psychiatry fellows using innovative dementia care interventions. Struble has established a program of scholarship in the areas of neurology, dementia and the care of older adults. She is the gerontology curriculum expert for the advanced practice nursing programs and is on the geriatric psychiatry team at Michigan Medicine. Her practice research emphasizes non-pharmacological interventions. She translates clinical research into real-world practice settings.
Twila Tardif, professor of psychology and of Asian languages and cultures, LSA, Dec. 31, 2023. Tardif received her B.Sc. in 1986 from the University of Toronto and her M.S. in 1988 and Ph.D. in 1993 from Yale University. She joined U-M as a fellow in the Michigan Society of Fellows and visiting assistant professor of psychology from 1993-96. She served on the faculty of the Chinese University of Hong Kong from 1996-2002. She returned to U-M as an associate professor in 2002 and was promoted to professor in 2007. She served as the LSA associate dean for social sciences from 2011-14. She became a faculty associate in the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies in 2002, associate director from 2019-20 and was named the Kenneth G. Lieberthal and Richard H. Rogel Professor of Chinese Studies from 2020-21 while serving as the academic program director. In 2021, she was appointed professor of Asian languages and cultures. Tardif’s research examines children growing up in different cultural contexts, with special expertise in China. She has authored nearly 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers and her research sponsors have included the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development and the National Science Foundation.
Mary E. van der Velde, clinical professor of pediatrics, Medical School, Nov. 8, 2023. Van der Velde received her M.D. from Yale University in 1982, and completed her residency training in pediatrics at Stanford University Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital from 1982-85. She spent a year working in an underserved area in West Africa. From 1986-90, she was a fellow and chief fellow in pediatric cardiology at Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, where she was appointed instructor in pediatrics in 1990 and promoted to assistant professor in 1994. In 2003, van der Velde joined U-M as a lecturer and was promoted to clinical associate professor in 2004. In 2016, van der Velde was promoted to clinical professor of pediatrics. A nationally recognized clinical scholar in pediatric echocardiography, van der Velde has collaborated with multiple centers to develop a large national database of normal echocardiographic measures for fetal and pediatric patients to enhance pediatric cardiologists’ ability to identify normal variants and distinguish between normal and abnormal echocardiographic findings in the fetus and pediatric population. She was co-director of the Echocardiography Laboratory in the Congenital Heart Center from 2003-18 and she has published over 45 peer-reviewed articles.
Joel M. Weinberg, professor of internal medicine, Medical School, Jan. 3, 2024. Weinberg received his B.A. from New York University in 1972 and his M.D. from Harvard Medical School in 1976. He completed an internal medicine residency and clinical fellowship in nephrology at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston in 1979, followed by a research fellowship in nephrology at U-M in 1980. He then joined U-M as an instructor of internal medicine in 1980, and was promoted to assistant professor in 1981, associate professor in 1984, and professor in 1992. He served as acting chief and then chief of Nephrology Section at the VA Medical Center Ann Arbor from 1983-85 and as director of Outpatient Nephrology Clinics at U-M from 1992-93. Weinberg’s research efforts to understand the cellular basis for proximal tubule damage during acute kidney injury has shaped current understanding of this process and of cell death in all organ systems. He has served for more than 12 years on the renal pathophysiology National Institutes of Health study sections, and multiple terms on the editorial boards of the major kidney journals. Since 2000, he has been responsible for directing the preclinical teaching in renal diseases for the Medical School.
Dongming Zhao, professor of electrical and computer engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, UM-Dearborn, Dec. 31, 2023. Zhao received his B.S.E. and M.S.E. in electronics and information engineering from Huazhong University of Science Technology in China in 1978 and 1982, respectively. He earned an M.S.E. in electrical engineering in 1983 from U-M and his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Rutgers University in 1990. He joined the UM-Dearborn faculty as an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering in 1990, and was promoted to associate professor in 1996, and professor in 2011. Zhao specialized in 3D imaging, laser radar imaging, machine vision, pattern recognition, datamining, data processing and analysis, and statistical pattern analysis. Through research grants, he established the 3D Imaging Lab and the Computer Vision Lab. He published more than 90 refereed journal articles, conference papers and presentations and received grants from the National Science Foundation, Ford Motor Co., and the National Institute of Standards and Technology: Advanced Technology Program. Zhao served for several years on the Executive Committee and led college efforts to establish 3+2 programs and international undergraduate student visiting programs. He received UM-Dearborn’s Distinguished Faculty Research Award in 1995.
— Compiled by Katie Kelton, The University Record
