Three faculty members were granted emeritus status by the Regents at their October meeting. They are:
Lyall H. Powers, professor of English
Powers, who joined the faculty in 1958, has published numerous studies of 20th-century fiction, particularly the work of Henry James and William Faulkner.
“His many essays range widely, from the 18th-century work of Henry Fielding to that of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Mark Twain in the 19th century, and Thornton Wilder and James Baldwin in the present century,” the Regents noted.
“The richness of the resources his work has made available in James studies constitutes a major achievement that will continue to benefit all scholars working on the enormous body of literature left by this master artist.
“Many graduate students studying the genre of fiction have benefited from Prof. Powers’ conscientious and genial guidance on honors essays, master’s theses, and doctoral dissertations,” they added.
John F. Riordan, professor of mathematics and of computer and information science, U-M-Dearborn
Riordan was a member of the Institute of Science and Techonology and the Computing Center staffs in 1961–66. He joined the Dearborn faculty as an associate professor of industrial engineering in 1968 and in 1969 received a joint appointment as associate professor of mathematics.
Professor of mathematics and statistics since 1975, Riordan was awarded the additional title of professor of computer and information science in the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies in 1985. He was nominated for a “Best in Class” award in 1990.
As a teacher, the Regents said, “Prof. Riordan was especially adept at dealing with students on a one-to-one basis. He was responsible for introducing several courses into the mathematics curriculum, was one of the early architects of the computer science program, and served for a number of years as chair of the Computers and Computational Mathematics Committee.”
Harm Buning, professor of aerospace engineering
Buning received his B.S. in 1949 and an M.S. in aerospace engineering in 1951, both from the U-M. He joined the faculty as assistant professor of aerospace engineering in 1956, became associate professor in 1958 and professor in 1963.
“A leading expert in astrodynamics and spacecraft design, Prof. Buning was selected by the Johnson Manned Spacecraft Center to lecture the original groups of astronauts on orbital mechanics,” the Regents noted.
He has been involved in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a member of many accreditation committees for aerospace curricula for departments nationwide. Buning also served as undergraduate program adviser and as associate chair of the Department of Aerospace Engineering in 1966–1992.
“Prof. Buning has provided outstanding educational leadership and has always been willing to share his time and effort on behalf of his faculty colleagues and his students,” the Regents said.
