The University Record, April 22, 1997
REGENTS’ ROUNDUP
Editor’s Note: The following actions were taken by the Regents at their April meeting.
$7.2 million in gifts accepted
The Regents accepted $7,206,078 in gifts received during March.
The total included $4,350,390 from individuals, $2,083,342 from corporations, $490,946 from foundations, and $281,400 from associations and others.
Faculty appointments approved
Faculty appointments, with tenure, approved by the Regents included:
Patricia M. Dechow, from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, will be associate professor of accounting, effective Sept. 1.
James R. Hines Jr., from Harvard University, will be associate professor of business economics, effective Sept. 1.
Richard G. Sloan, from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, will be associate professor of accounting, effective Sept. 1.
Walter N. Torous, from the University of California, Los Angeles, will be professor of finance, effective Sept. 1.
Amid I. Ismail, from Dalhousie University, Canada, will be professor of dentistry, effective June 1.
Administrative appointments approved
The following administrative appointments were approved by the Regents:
B. Alan Taylor, professor of mathematics, was reappointed as chair of the Department of Mathematics for a three-year term beginning Aug. 1, 1998.
James A. Teeri, professor of biology, was reappointed as director of the Biological Station for a five-year term, effective Sept. 1. He also serves as director of the Matthaei Botanical Gardens.
Anthony H. Francis, the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor and professor of chemistry, also will serve as associate dean for research, computing, and facilities of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, for a three-year term beginning July 1.
Jeffrey B. Rauch, professor of mathematics, will serve as acting chair of the Department of Mathematics for a one-year term, effective Aug. 1.
Richard Candida Smith, assistant professor of history, will serve as director of the Program in American Culture for a three-year term, effective July 1.
Robert E. Whallon Jr., professor of anthropology and curator of Mediterranean prehistory, Museum of Anthropology, will serve as director of the Museum of Anthropology for a five-year term beginning Sept. 1.
M. Anthony Schork, professor of biostatistics, will serve as associate dean for academic affairs of the School of Public Health, for a three-year term, effective June 1.
Carole C. McNamara, collections manager at the Museum of Art, will serve as interim director of the museum, effective May 1.
Appointments to endowed, collegiate professorships approved
Faculty appointments to endowed and/or collegiate professorships approved by the Regents included:
Roger H. Gordon, professor of economics, will hold the Reuben Kempf Professorship of Economics, effective July 1.
Steven L. Kunkel, professor of pathology and Graduate School associate dean for interdisciplinary programs and initiatives, will hold the Endowed Professorship in Pathology Research, effective June 1.
Donald J. Sinta, professor of music (saxophone), will hold the Earl V. Moore Professorship of Music, effective Sept. 1.
“Prof. Gordon’s professional profile is without peer,” said LS&A Dean Edie N. Goldenberg. “He is internationally recognized as one of the top economists in the field of public finance. Most of his research focuses on how firms adjust to changes in domestic and international tax structures. He has also published
widely on issues concerning the transition economies and is recognized as an expert in this field.”
“Dr. Kunkel’s record of scholarly productivity is outstanding,” said A. Lorris Betz, Medical School interim dean. “He is recognized as an international authority on cytokine regulation of inflammatory and immune processes and the role of immune dysregulation in the development of disease. The continued success of his research program is evidenced by his grant support, his extensive publication record, his many invited lectures, and major editorial responsibilities with scientific publications.”
Prof. Sinta is “among the finest concert saxophonists in the world and is also one of that instrument’s most sought-after teachers,” said Paul C. Boylan, Music School dean. “He has a special interest in American music of our time, and the list of works written for and premiered by Donald Sinta is an impressive one. His prowess and dedication as a teacher are no less imposing. His former students have made significant careers in performance and pedagogy, and his institution has rewarded Sinta’s excellence in teaching with the Harold Haugh Award and appointment as a Thurnau Professor.”
Renovation projects OK’d
The Regents approved these renovation projects:
Approximately 16,800 gross square feet of space on the second floor of the Administrative Services Building will be remodeled for a number of Human Resources/Affirmative Action units, including the Office of Human Resource Development, the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program, the Family Care Resources Program, the Employee Rehabilitation Program, and the Consultation and Conciliation Service.
“Completion of this project, estimated to cost $2.1 million, will result in the provision of barrier free access to the south end of Administrative Services and Hoover Buildings A, B, and C,” said Chandler W. Matthews, interim executive vice president and chief financial officer.
A replacement unit substation is required in the School of Education Building to provide adequate electrical power for the increasing electronic equipment loads and for future air conditioning loads. The new substation will replace two existing unit substations that are fully loaded, old and very difficult to maintain. The project is estimated to cost $300,000.
A School of Public Health II energy conservation study concluded that retrofitting the existing building lighting would reduce energy consumption significantly. This project is estimated to cost $300,000.
In the School of Education Building and the School of Social Work Building, there are a number of areas that require cooling year around, even in the winter. In the School of Education Building, these areas are currently being cooled by electric air conditioning units, which are small in size, require high maintenance, and are not energy efficient. The area in the School of Social Work were originally scheduled to be cooled by the absorber chillers, but, since the loads are small, meeting these needs by running the large absorbers results in an inefficient operation.
“By combining these projects, a system will be installed which will provide very efficient cooling in the winter months to all the areas requiring year-round cooling in both buildings,” Matthews said. The project is estimated to cost $465,000. The estimated energy savings are $95,000 per year resulting in a simple payback period of approximately five years.
