REGENTS’ ROUNDUP

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Editor’s Note: The following actions were taken by the Regents at their September meeting .

$32 million received in gifts

The Regents accepted a total of $32,084,637 in gifts received by the University in June, July and August of this year.

The total included $16,941,345 from individuals, $7,593,925 from corporations, $4,775,589 from foundations, and $2,773,778 from associations and others.

New faculty hired

The following faculty appointments, with tenure, were approved:

Elfrieda H. Hiebert, a faculty member at the University of Colorado, will be professor of education, effective Sept. 1.

Dennis N. Assanis, a faculty member at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, will be professor of mechanical engineering and applied mechanics, effective Sept. 1.

Kim A. Eagle, a faculty member at Harvard University, will be associate professor of internal medicine, effective Oct. 1.

Voravit Ratanatharathorn, a faculty member at Wayne State University, will be associate professor of internal medicine, effective Jan. 1, 1995.

Administrative appointments approved

Administrative appointments approved included:

Michael G. Parsons, professor of naval architecture and marine engineering, will continue to serve as associate dean for undergraduate education in the College of Engineering for two more years.

Johannes W. Schwank, professor of chemical engineering, was reappointed chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering for the fall term.

E. Benjamin Wylie, professor of civil and environmental engineering, was reappointed chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering for the fall term.

Brian Rowan, professor of education, will be acting associate dean of the School of Education for one year beginning Sept. 1.

Glenn F. Knoll, professor of nuclear engineering, will serve as interim chair of the Department of Nuclear Engineering for the fall term.

William R. Martin, professor of nuclear engineering, was appointed associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Engineering for a five-year term, effective July 1.

A. Lorris Betz, associate dean for faculty affairs in the Medical School, will become senior associate dean for academic affairs. Betz is the Crosby-Kahn Professor of Neurosurgery and Neuro-anatomy, professor of pediatrics and communicable diseases, professor of neurology and professor of surgery.

Janet R. Gilsdorf, associate professor of pediatrics and communicable diseases, will serve as interim chair of the Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, effective Aug. 15.

David Gordon, associate professor of pathology, will serve as assistant dean for faculty affairs in the Medical School, effective Aug. 1.

Anne W. Monterio, director of academic services in the College of Engineering, was appointed assistant dean for students in the College, for a three-year term beginning Sept. 1.

Infrastructure repairs approved

The Regents approved multimillion-dollar maintenance projects that will help reduce the University’s backlog of infrastructure deferred maintenance projects.

“The state of Michigan budget for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 1994, included $25 million in funding for a one-time line item called ‘Special Initiative for State Universities,’ ” Executive Vice President Farris W. Womack said. “The U-M was extremely fortunate that $7,366,546 of the $25 million was made available to accommodate some of its infrastructure projects ($6,446,517 for the Ann Arbor campus, $323,889 for the Dearborn campus, $596,140 for the Flint campus).

“This is tremendous news since this appropriation, coupled with the previously approved student fee designated for infrastructure maintenance items, will allow the University to make real progress in reducing the mammoth backlog of infrastructure deferred maintenance projects.

“These funds will be used for the following types of replacement or repair projects: building safety, Americans with Disabilities Act items, roofs, chillers, cooling towers, and electrical transformers, as well as miscellaneous items.

“The majority of these projects will be accomplished over the next 12-month period.”

Bikepath easements granted

The Regents authorized the Univer-sity to grant to the city of Ann Arbor three easements and a temporary construction permit for the city’s proposed bikepath along Huron Parkway.

“The city of Ann Arbor has requested three small easements and a temporary construction permit for a combined pedestrian walk and bikepath it plans to construct,” Womack said.

“The bikepath will be located parallel to the east side of Huron Parkway from Hubbard Road to the Huron River, almost entirely within the city right-of-way. However, at several points (just north and south of Glazier Way and south of Hubbard Road), in order to avoid removing existing trees or because the city right-of-way is too narrow to accommodate the bikepath, the city proposes to cross some small parcels of University property adjacent to the road.”

U moves ahead on renovations

The following renovation projects on the Ann Arbor campus were approved.

  • The air handling units that ventilate the laboratories and recovery rooms of the first levels of Mott Hospital are at the end of their useful lives and must be replaced, Womack noted. The replacement project is estimated to cost $530,000.

  • “The power source that serves the Mott Hospital Catheterization Labs exists without any form of back-up emergency power,” Womack said. “An automatic transfer switch that will quickly transfer power to an alternate source when disruption occurs will be provided at an estimated cost of $250,000.”

  • “The two entrances to University Hospital accommodate a large volume of pedestrian traffic which, at peak times, can keep the doors open for extended periods. During periods of extremely cold weather, the temperature in the adjacent information areas has dropped to below 40 degrees.

    “We propose to revise the means of entry, which will involve the reworking of the vestibules and the installation of oversized revolving doors. The revolving doors will be designed to accommodate both physically challenged individuals and stretchers.” The project is estimated to cost $495,000.

  • “Inadequate electrical power and poor ventilation, including high temperatures and humidity in the summer, are adversely affecting laboratory procedures in Medical Science Building I. We propose to install an additional chiller and a new transformer/power panel to service the west end of Medical Science I, Pathology wing, at an estimated cost of $650,000.”

  • “Remodeling of the east end of level six of Medical Science I is proposed for the Robert Woods Johnson Clinical Scholars Program. The program enables physicians committed to clinical medicine to acquire new skills and training in the non-biological sciences as part of a post-residency training program.” The project is estimated to cost $1.1 million.

  • “Stone Road on the North Campus was constructed in 1971 in conjunction with the Northwood V Family Housing Development. The heavy bus and other vehicular traffic over the years has taken a toll on the existing pavement to the point where it needs total replacement.” The project’s estimated cost is $300,000.

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