$14.8 million in gifts accepted

The Regents accepted $14,871,649 in gifts received during November. The total included $10,692,081 from individuals, $1,836,575 from corporations, $1,305,151 from foundations, and $1,037,842 from associations and others.

Nine faculty members retire

Nine faculty members were given the emeritus title.

Those retiring are C. William Colburn, associate professor of communication studies; Phillip A. Fellin, professor of social work; Gary W. Fowler, the George Willis Pack Professor of Forestry and professor of biometry; Ward D. Getty, professor of electrical engineering and computer science;

Irwin J. Goldstein, professor of biological chemistry; William R.D. Martin, professor of business administration at U-M-Dearborn; Frederick C. Neidhardt, the Frederick G. Novy Distinguished University Professor of Microbiology and Immunology; William B. Ribbens, professor of electrical engineering and computer science and of aerospace engineering; and Dietrich W. Roloff, professor of pediatrics and communicable diseases.

Colburn joined the U-M as an assistant professor of speech in 1965 and was promoted to associate professor in 1970. “Prof. Colburn taught courses in organizational communication and directed numerous doctoral dissertations,” the Regents noted. “Prof. Colburn became the assistant director of the Alumni Association on July 1, 1984; he was promoted to associate director on April 1, 1988, and held that position until June 30, 1995.”

Fellin joined the U-M in 1965. In 1969, he was appointed assistant dean of the School of Social Work and was named dean of the School in 1971, a post that he held for 10 years. “He attained national prominence as a social work educator and scholar. He systematized field instruction and created a much closer relationship between classroom content and students’ field activities. He increased the use of social science content and research in social work education to the benefit of his students. His research and scholarly writing focused on issues of policy, community-based care, the evaluation of diversity within schools of social work and equal opportunities for women in social work education.”

Fowler, who joined the U-M in 1969, “is known for his use of Monte Carlo simulation in investigating the statistical properties of estimators of natural resource population parameters. He investigated the errors associated with various sequential sampling procedures and developed a truncated sequential t-test. He also developed sampling procedures for estimating insect populations and their damage, examined the effects of statistical edge effect bias in estimating forest stand parameters, developed new volume and volume-basal ratio equations for tree species in Michigan, and investigated the statistical properties of various measures of species diversity. He authored more than 80 scientific papers.”

Getty, who joined the U-M in 1966, “has been recognized for the breadth of his interests and achievements in a field where the pressure toward narrow specialization is intense,” the Regents said. “His research on plasma physics led to close collaboration with faculty in the Department of Nuclear Engineering, and his early work was cited as a model of interdepartmental cooperation. He is internationally recognized for his work on radio frequency wave interactions with magnetized plasma. He has made important contributions to the field of plasma-fusion research by his experimental investigations of fundamental processes in plasma wave propagation and heating.”

Goldstein, who joined the U-M in 1965, served as associate dean for research and graduate studies at the Medical School in 1986–99. “As a research investigator, he is known for his work on the isolation, characterization and biomedical application of a class of carbohydrate binding proteins known as lectins. He enjoys an international reputation for his contributions to this field, encompassed in 250 scientific papers, books and book chapters. Allied studies include research on carbohydrate cleaving and synthesizing enzymes and the involvement of complex carbohydrates in cellular adhesion.”

Martin joined U-M-Dearborn in 1976 as dean and professor of management, serving as dean until 1985. “Numerous leading companies,” the Regents said, “such as General Motors, Owens-Illinois, Dow Chemicals, AT&T, U.S. Steel, Kent Moore, Detroit Edison, ESSO and Massey-Ferguson, have called on the business expertise of Prof. Martin in the development of marketing, sales and executive development programs. Prof. Martin has also served on the boards of many companies. As an administrator, Prof. Martin played a critical role in the progress of the School of Management. As faculty, Prof. Martin was among the most admired and well-recognized teachers.”

Neidhardt came to the U-M as professor and chair of the Department of Microbiology in 1970. In 1991–93, he was associate dean for faculty affairs in the Medical School and in 1993 he was named as the U-M’s associate vice president for research. He served as acting vice president for research in 1996–97, interim vice president for research in 1997 and vice president for research in 1998. “His research focused on the molecular physiology of growth of the bacterium Escherichia coli. He introduced the use of temperature-sensitive mutants to study regulation of bacterial genes with growth essential functions, discovered the bacterial heat shock response, and initiated the first global studies of the proteome of E. coli.”

Ribbens joined the U-M as a research engineer in 1962 and joined the faculty in 1969. “His research most recently has focused on electronic systems and devices that are applicable to all vehicles. His particular emphasis has been on engine control applications, mathematical models for drive train systems, computer-assisted diagnostics for electronically controlled engines, and failure detection systems. His work in these areas has substantially advanced the art of automotive electronics, and he is recognized as a world leader in this area. Prof. Ribbens worked with many students on individual and group projects and served as faculty adviser to the student Society of Automotive Engineers organization.”

Roloff joined the U-M in 1968. “Dr. Roloff’s career has combined the subspecialties of neonatology and pulmonology. He was responsible for establishing the Holden Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Perinatal Research Laboratories, one of the first NICUs in existence. He has made contributions in the areas of apnea, cystic fibrosis and asthma, and founded the Hospitals’ pediatric home ventilator program. Dr. Roloff’s research has focused on management of neonatal respiratory illness and has contributed to our understanding of fetal lung development. Other research areas have included development of a microprocessor-based apnea monitor and the effects of extracorporeal membrane exygenation on newborns.”