Editor’s Note: The following actions were taken by the Regents at their March meeting.
By Wono Lee
News and Information Services
Fox named to endowed chair
The appointment of law Prof. Merritt B. Fox to the Louis and Myrtle Moskowitz Research Professorship of Business and Law was approved, effective March 1.
The professorship, established in 1990 through a pledge from the Republic Bank of New York to honor former Chairman Louis Moskowitz and in memory of his wife, Myrtle Moskowitz, honors a faculty member from the School of Business Administration and from the Law School on a rotating basis.
“Prof. Fox is widely recognized for his work and influence on the body of knowledge surrounding international corporate and securities law,” said Jeffrey S. Lehman, dean of the Law School, and B. Joseph White, dean of the School of Business Administration. “We wish to honor Prof. Fox for his outstanding achievements and to support his professional endeavors by naming him to the Moskowitz Professorship.”
Fox, who joined the law faculty in 1988, currently is directing the Law School Center for International and Comparative Law. His academic interests are in the areas of corporate and securities law, law and economics, and international law.
Administrative appointments
Administrative appointments approved by the Regents included:
David H. Baum, director of student services at the Law School, will be assistant dean of students, effective March 1.
Charlotte H. Johnson, director of academic services at the Law School, will be assistant dean of students, effective March 1.
William C. Martin, president of First Martin Corp., an Ann Arbor real estate development firm, will be the interim director of athletics, effective March 6.
$15 million in gifts accepted
The Regents accepted $15,005,345 in gifts received during February. The total included $10,415,063 from individuals, $2,188,205 from corporations, $1,726,675 from foundations, and $675,402 from associations and others.
Five faculty members retire
Five faculty members were given the emeritus title.
Those retiring are Robert S. Holbrook, professor of economics; George W. Jourdian, professor of internal medicine and of biological chemistry; Theresa S. Lee, senior associate librarian; Carl H. Rinne, associate professor of education at the U-M-Flint; and James C. Sisson, professor of internal medicine.
Holbrook, who joined the U-M in 1965, specialized in the area of monetary economics. “He distinguished himself by the outstanding quality of his research and writing, which employed advanced techniques to shed light on issues of very practical importance,” the Regents noted. “He served in a number of administrative appointments, including interim vice president for academic affairs, interim provost, and associate provost. In addition to his distinguished academic career, he will be remembered for his major contributions to the development and restructuring of the U-M budget.”
Jourdian joined the U-M in 1961. “His work has focused on the biochemistry of glycoproteins and carbohydrates and the relationship of carbohydrate-containing macromolecules to the biology of cartilage. He is best known for discovering the phosphomannosyl receptor, a molecule that controls the trafficking of lysosomal enzymes between intracellular and extracellular compartments. This discovery, reported in 1981, is a landmark achievement. Prof. Jourdian has been a respected and effective teacher of graduate and professional students. His expertise in the biochemistry of glycoconjugates has been sought by colleagues throughout the University and indeed throughout the world.”
Lee, joining the U-M in 1977, worked as an assistant, then associate librarian in the Undergraduate Library until 1981. She joined the staff of the Engineering Library as an assistant librarian in 1984 and was promoted to associate librarian in 1988 and senior associate librarian in 1997. “Within the Engineering Library, Ms. Lee took on the challenging duties of selection, reference, and departmental liaison for one of the most prestigious professional schools in the country,” the Regents said. “Over the years, Ms. Lee’s role within the Engineering Library grew. When the Engineering Library merged its operations into the Media Union Library, Ms. Lee was named the head of collection management.”
Rinne joined the U-M-Flint faculty in 1972. “An innovator in the area of classroom management, Prof. Rinne coined the term ‘low profile’ teaching methods in teacher education literature. He demonstrated in his own teaching and public lectures just how effectively skilled teachers can focus student attention on lesson content automatically, without coercion or distraction. In 1991, he invented a futuristic training technology called the Skills System, which has been used to train pre-service teachers on the Flint campus and graduate teaching assistants on the Ann Arbor campus.”
Sisson joined the U-M faculty in 1960. “Very early, Dr. Sisson established an outstanding reputation in the new specialty of nuclear medicine, introducing new uses for radioisotopes in the diagnosis and therapeutics of thyroid and adrenal disorders. He attracted patient referrals from distant medical centers and contributed important publications as a leader in the diagnosis of benign and malignant diseases of endocrine organs. At the same time, he filled an important teaching role with medical students and house officers who graded him highly as a model physician. In 1991, the Michigan Chapter of the American College of Physicians honored him with their prestigious Laureate Award.”
Residence hall rates will increase 3%
The Regents approved an average rate increase of 3 percent for residence halls and 2.9 percent for family housing apartments for next year.
The basic rate for a double room in the traditional residence halls, now $5,614, will be $5,780. Other rates will range from $2,308 (now $2,240) for a room-only converted triple unit in a non-traditional hall to $6,878 (now $6,674) for a single room in the traditional halls. Rates in the traditional halls include room and 13 meals per week.
New rates for student tenants in apartments, effective July 1, will range from $380 (now $367) a month for an unfurnished room in the Observatory Lodge to $923 (now $896) for a furnished three-bedroom townhouse unit. All rates include utilities.
Renovation projects
The Regents approved these renovation projects:
“Several options have been studied to correct the problem. An analysis of costs, construction requirements, energy usage and disruption of other services in the area indicates that the most feasible and cost-effective option is to expand storm water pipe capacity north of the East University Plaza area and construct a pump storage basin under the parking deck that will be built behind the Power Plant. The storage basin will require approximately 140,000 cubic feet to store water from peak conditions. As the storm water subsides in the piping systems, the basin will be slowly pumped into the existing pipe underneath Glen Avenue. This system will enhance our storm water management efforts by providing for sedimentation, and we are examining potential uses for the collected water.” The project is estimated to cost $2.9 million.
