The University Record, January 14, 1998
Editor’s Note: The following actions were taken by the Regents at their December meeting.
McLaughlin named Flint provost
Renate McLaughlin, interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at U-M-Flint, was appointed to the post on a permanent basis. She also is professor of mathematics.
In recommending her appointment, Flint Chancellor Charlie Nelms noted that McLaughlin “is well regarded by her colleagues. She has the full support of key faculty committees as well as numerous individuals who hold Dr. McLaughlin in high esteem. Her record of service to this campus,” Nelms added, “makes her a logical choice to assume this role.”
McLaughlin holds an A.M. and Ph.D. from the U-M and has been at Flint since 1975. She was chair of the Department of Mathematics in 198285, and has served on almost all of Flint’s academic committees at least once.
New VP position created
With the recommendation of President Lee C. Bollinger, the Regents approved the creation of the position of vice president and general counsel, with attendant required changes in the Regents’ Bylaws to be proposed at a later date. The post of general counsel currently is vacant, with Elizabeth M. Barry and Daniel H. Sharphorn serving as interim co-general counsels. The individual filling the post will report to the president and will be appointed by the Regents following recommendation by the president. “The complexity and volume of legal concerns that have major impact on various aspects of the University operation justify such a change,” Bollinger said in recommending the new position.
Barry and Sharphorn will remain in their posts until the position is filled.
Faculty members named to distinguished professorships
The Regents approved several appointments to endowed and named collegiate professorships.
“Recognized as one of the nation’s leading experts in business and marketing, Prof. Kinnear has served the Business School and the University with dedication and distinction since joining the faculty in 1975,” said B. Joseph White, dean of the Business School. “In addition to his academic pursuits as professor of marketing, and his exemplary and continuing administrative service, Prof. Kinnear has helped start, guide and direct a number of small business enterprises. This combination of academic and professional business expertise makes him ideally suited to fulfill the mission and intent of the Applebaum professorship.”
Bucksbaum joined the U-M in 1990. “His research ability and professional reputation place him among the elite in his field, nationally and internationally,” said LS&A Dean Edie N. Goldenberg. “He has been elected Fellow of the American Physical Society and Fellow of the Optical Society of America. In 1995, he was the Rosenthal Lecturer in Physics at Yale University and is currently being honored as Miller Visiting Research Professor at the University of California, Berkeley.”
Smoller joined the U-M in 1963. “His current research interest lies in two areas: shock-waves in general relativity and the coupling of gravity (Einstein’s equations),” Goldenberg said. “He has earned an outstanding international reputation marked by originality and variety. Over the years, his research has grown in depth and significance, providing the opportunity to introduce new ideas, methods, and problems. He is a teacher who infuses students with the beauty of the subject, the excitement of research, and motivates them to their highest level of achievement.”
James joined the faculty in 1989. “Throughout his career, he has been extraordinarily productive and has a well established national and international reputation in epidemiologic aspects of hypertension as it relates to race and stress, among other variables,” said Noreen M. Clark, dean of the School of Public Health. “He is the developer of a theoretical model for explaining the high rates of cardiovascular and other chronic diseases among African American men that has been highly influential in the public health community of scholars. He has received the recognition of his peers in numerous awards and honors by professional societies and organizations.”
13 faculty members retire
Thirteen faculty members were given the emeritus title.
Those retiring are John R. Brown, professor of theatre and drama and of English; Thomas N. Filson, associate professor of education, U-M-Flint; Richard W. Fortner, professor of management, U-M-Flint; Ilene H. Forsyth, the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of History of Art and professor of history of art; Albert I. Hermalin, professor of sociology and research scientist;
Peter B. Kaufman, professor of biology; John H. Lillie, professor of anatomy and cell biology and professor of dentistry; S. Martin Lindenauer, professor of surgery; Paul J. Loos, associate professor of dentistry; Melvin Manis, professor of psychology; George W. Morley, the Norman F. Miller Professor of Gynecology and professor of obstetrics and gynecology; Elizabeth Mutschler, associate professor of social work; and Catherine A. Nadon-Gabrion, professor of music (music education).
Brown came to the U-M in 1985 as professor and chair of the Department of Theatre and Drama and professor of English. “His scholarly work has always been informed by a special awareness of the practical realities of theater, and his orientation has defined his prominence among Shakespeare scholars for 40 years,” the Regents noted. “A vibrant, challenging teacher, Prof. Brown addressed large issues, asked big questions, and wanted expansive responses from students. His excitement and authority could sometimes intimidate at first, but students invariably became Brown enthusiasts.”
Filson, who joined the Flint campus in 1967, “has played a leadership role in establishing the undergraduate foundations block program. The foundations block is an innovative approach to initiating students into teacher education through a coordinated experience involving a fieldwork placement in schools, a reflective seminar and coursework in social foundations of education and educational psychology. Working with other members of the department, Prof. Filson helped establish the foundations block and served for many years as the coordinator of the block experience.”
Fortner joined the Flint campus in 1980 as dean of the School of Management. “During his tenure as dean, he was instrumental in attaining accreditation from the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business for the undergraduate program in 1982 and graduate business programs in 1986, and re-accreditation in 1992,” the Regents said. “His honors include the United States Steel Foundation Fellowship, the Indiana CPA’s Gold Watch Award, and Indiana University Business School’s Senior Rawles Prize. He was awarded the Legion of Merit by the U.S. Air Force for his performance as senior reservist in the U.S.A.F. Systems Command Directorate of Contracting and Manufacturing.”
Forsyth joined the U-M faculty in 1961. “Her first book, The Throne of Wisdom, received the prestigious Charles Rufus Morey Book Award of the College Art Association of America in 1974. It is a classic in the field, ” the Regents noted, “posing a series of questions about tradition, style, liturgical function and social context that are still the foci of fruitful debate. Students in a wide range of specializations have benefited from the rigorous training provided by Prof. Forsyth. Her status as a board member of many national and international organizations has helped shape the field of art history and has lent special prestige to the University of Michigan.”
Hermalin, who joined the U-M faculty in 1967, served as director of the Population Studies Center in 197787. “Early in his career,” the Regents said, “Prof. Hermalin and his collaborators carried out pioneering investigations of the transition from very high to very low birth rates in Taiwan. Due to these efforts, this demographic change, which has occurred in many nations, is more completely understood and better documented in Taiwan than in any other nation. In 1989, he was awarded the Robert J. Lapham Prize by the Population Association of America for his contributions to the discipline. He served as president of that organization in 1993.”
Kaufman joined the U-M in 1956. “Prof. Kaufman’s early interest in the action of herbicides on weeds expanded into a research program that explored various aspects of plant growth and development, including the roles of hormones and of environmental factors, such as gravity, on plants,” the Regents said. “Prof. Kaufman’s classroom activities included teaching popular courses on the topic of organismal plant biology. Several generations of students have profited from their exposure to ‘Plants and Man’ and to the course he taught on plant biotechnology for a number of years.”
Lillie, who joined the faculty in 1972, “has had a distinguished career as a gross anatomist, having applied his clinical knowledge of dentistry to undergraduate and graduate dental teaching in a number of anatomy courses. He is an acknowledged expert in this field, and his recent book, Sectional Anatomy of the Head and Neck, is a real testimony to his skills and impact in that area,” the Regents noted. “During his tenure as interim assistant dean, Dr. Lillie played a very influential role in the administration of the School of Dentistry. He has also served the University well in the sphere of administration at other levels.”
Lindenauer joined the U-M in 1964 and in 196875 he was chief of the surgical service at the Ann Arbor Veterans Administration Hospital. In 197481 he served that institution as chief of staff. He was also an associate dean of the Medical School in 197481 and was associate chief of clinical affairs at University Hospitals in 198488. “Dr. Lindenauer’s research, evident in over 175 scientific publications, included seminal contributions on the development of both biologic and synthetic vascular grafts. His laboratory studies of the microcirculation were among the first to define the importance and control of arteriovenous anastomoses.”
Loos joined the faculty in 1970. “In 197193, Dr. Loos also held an appointment as an attending staff member at University Hospitals. During this time, he served as chair of Hospital Dentistry in 197987, director of Hospital Dentistry in 198791, and director of the General Practice Residency program in 198386. He also served as interim director of the pediatric dentistry graduate program in the School of Dentistry in 199193. Within the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. Loos has been a strong participant in teaching and clinic activity and has served as chair of the graduate student selection committee,” the Regents said.
Manis, who joined the U-M in 1958, is “one of the leading scholars in the area of attitudes and social judgment,” the Regents said. “He has made outstanding contributions to our understanding of human judgmental processes in two books, numerous chapters, and more than 60 peer-reviewed research articles. His work covers a wide range of judgmental phenomena, including the operation of standards, the emergence of assimilation and contrast effects, the role of stereotypes and prejudice in person perception, and the cognitive processes involved in assessing psychopathology.”
Morley, who joined the U-M faculty in 1956, is “one of America’s most distinguished gynecologic surgeons. He is best known for his work as a surgeon for benign and malignant gynecologic disease. Dr. Morley’s bibliography lists over 110 articles and 15 book chapters, including major contributions on radical hysterectomy and radical vulvectomy,” the Regents said. He served as president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Society of Pelvic Surgeons, the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists, the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons, and the Norman F. Miller Gynecologic Society.”
Mutschler joined the faculty in 1979. “Her scholarly contributions have centered on three areas: analysis of treatment procedures and therapists’ behaviors that facilitate client change; evaluation of factors related to therapists’ use of empirical procedures in clinical practice; and technology-based decision support and information processing to help therapists identify treatment objectives and monitor outcomes. Within the School of Social Work,” the Regents noted, “Prof. Mutschler is known for setting high standards in the classroom and for promoting the use of computers in social work courses and practice.”
Nadon-Gabrion, who joined the U-M in 1977, was “a dedicated teacher of teachingãherself manifesting all of that profession’s generous impulses and controversial history in research universities,” the Regents said. “She well understands the challenges of teaching in the public schools and is committed to providing realism, relevance, and idealism in courses designed for prospective teachers. Prof. Nadon-Gabrion built a formidable reputation on practical applications of strategies for successful teaching in general music classrooms in public schools.”
Personnel actions OK’d
Personnel actions approved by the Regents included:
Stephen W. Raudenbush, from Michigan State University, will be professor of education, with tenure, and senior research scientist, Institute for Social Research, effective Jan. 1.
Frederick R. Amrine, associate professor of Germanic languages, was reappointed chair of the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures, for a two-year term beginning July 1, 1998.
John H. Matlock, assistant vice provost and director of the Office of Academic and Multicultural Initiatives, will be assistant provost and director of the Office of Academic and Multicultural Initiatives, effective Jan. 1.
$6 million in gifts accepted
The Regents accepted $6,171,141 in gifts received during November. The total included $3,954,248 from individuals, $1,586,491 from corporations, $344,565 from foundations, and $285,837 from associations and others.
Renovation projects get go-ahead
The Regents approved the following renovation projects:
