The following items were approved by the Board of Regents at its meeting Thursday.
Resolution expresses appreciation for Darlow
The Board of Regents extended “heartfelt appreciation” to Regent Julia Donovan Darlow as she concluded “eight years of exemplary service” on the board with the December meeting. Darlow, an attorney, joined the board in January 2007. As a regent, “she has been a tenacious advocate for access and affordability, diversity in all of its forms, need-based financial aid, undocumented students and services for individuals with disabilities,” the resolution reads. Darlow also is an advocate for the arts and has served on the boards of directors of several non-profit organizations. “The regents commend Regent Darlow for her spirited service to the university, her leadership, her tenacity and her friendship,” the resolution concludes.
Procurement bid limit increased to $10,000
Regents approved a recommendation to increase the procurement bid limit from $5,000 to $10,000. This means all university purchases in excess of $10,000 will be competitively bid when competitive vendors can be required. The policy of requiring bids for purchases in excess of $5,000 was put in place in 1996. Procurement services benchmarked bid limits at other Big Ten universities and found that the most common limit was $25,000. Regents will continue to get a quarterly report on non-competitive purchase transactions to $10,000.
North Campus project to be named Eda U. Gerstacker Grove
A $6.9 million project to transform the open lawn area on North Campus will now be called the Eda U. Gerstacker Grove. The Gerstacker Foundation has given U-M more then $12 million to fund professorships and research facilities, including support for the Department of Biomedical Engineering. The foundation made a gift of $1 million for the North Campus grove. The project, approved in April, calls for a new central plaza, new walkways and integrated seating throughout the four-acre area. New trees will be planted, improved lighting will be installed, and infrastructure will be upgraded to support outdoor activities and events. The university will return with a construction schedule when it seeks approval of schematic design.
Master’s in entrepreneurship will be discontinued in 2015
A master’s degree program in entrepreneurship, offered through the Stephen M. Ross School of Business and the College of Engineering, will be discontinued in December 2015. The program, approved in 2011, went through a thorough review, which concluded the program was academically strong but has not generated enough students to remain viable, according to information presented to regents. The 11 students now enrolled will be able to complete the program. The university remains committed to graduate level entrepreneurship education and continues to explore alternative formats for delivering entrepreneurship skills to students. This will include a variety of class offerings, providing incubator experiences and offering an undergraduate entrepreneurship minor and certificate.
AOSS renamed Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering
The Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences in the College of Engineering will be renamed the Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, effective Sept. 1, 2015. The change reflects the department’s evolution, in line with research trends and societal needs. It no longer conducts research in or offers classes in oceanography. And in addition to its space and planetary research, it is a leader in climate science and education. The name change aims to accurately communicate the scope and depth of the faculty’s research, teaching and service.
Runge approved as EVPMA
Regents unanimously approved the appointment of Dr. Marschall Runge as executive vice president for medical affairs. His appointment, as leader of the U-M Hospitals and Health Centers, the Medical School, Shared Services and Michigan Health Corporation, is effective March 1, 2015. Runge currently is executive dean of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.
UM-Dearborn adds dual-degree program
UM-Dearborn will establish a new dual master’s degree program within the College of Business, combining the Master of Business Administration and the Master of Science in Supply Chain Management. The program offers a broad managerial education with specialized training in managing the organizations, people, technology and resources that transform raw materials into deliverable products. The 57- to 66-credit program is open to all students, regardless of undergraduate major.
Design approved for Taubman College project
The design for the new A. Alfred Taubman Wing addition to the Art and Architecture Building was approved. The approximately 36,000-gross-square-foot wing will include new studio space, faculty offices, a new classroom, student support spaces, and a multipurpose space for the presentation of academic projects and events for the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. The project also will renovate approximately 11,000 gross square feet in the Art and Architecture Building to expand studio space and update finishes. The budget has been increased from $28 million to $28.5 million to extend a water line for fire protection around the building perimeter, upgrade the electrical supply equipment, and completely replace the roof. The project is being funded from gifts, investment proceeds, and Taubman College resources, and is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2017.
Michigan League roof to be replaced
A $2.6 million project will replace both the slate tile roofing original to the Michigan League’s construction in 1929 with a new slate roofing system, and the 23- to 28-year-old flat roofing that has reached the end of its useful life with new rubber roofing with insulation added for improved energy performance. The project will be funded from general fund and Student Life resources and is scheduled to be completed next fall.
Fire protection system for CPP turbines planned
A dedicated fire containment and suppression system will be installed to protect the three steam turbines at the Central Power Plant. The $1.9 million project will be funded from Utility resources and is scheduled to be completed next fall.
Ann Arbor campus
Faculty appointments and promotions with tenure
Henry A. Sodano, associate professor of aerospace engineering, College of Engineering, effective Sept. 1, 2015.
Named professorships
Dr. John R. Charpie, Amnon Rosenthal Collegiate Professor of Pediatric Cardiology, Medical School, effective Dec. 1, 2014-Aug. 31, 2019.
* Mark S. Daskin, Clyde W. Johnson Collegiate Professor of Industrial and Operations Engineering, CoE, effective Jan. 1, 2015-Dec. 31, 2019.
Prabal Dutta, Morris Wellman Faculty Development Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, CoE, effective Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2015.
Anna C. Gilbert, Herman H. Goldstine Collegiate Professor of Mathematics, LSA, effective Jan. 1, 2015-Dec. 31, 2019.
J. Alex Halderman, Morris Wellman Faculty Development Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, CoE, effective Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2015.
* Panos Y. Papalambros, Donald C. Graham Professor of Engineering, CoE, effective Jan. 1, 2015-Dec. 31, 2019.
* Marita G. Titler, Rhetaugh Graves Dumas Professor of Nursing, School of Nursing, effective Jan. 1, 2015-Aug. 31, 2018.
Administrative appointments
Angela D. Dillard, associate dean for undergraduate education, LSA, effective Jan. 1, 2015-June 30, 2018.
* George A. Garcia, chair, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, effective Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2015.
* Sharon R. Kardia, senior associate dean for administration, School of Public Health, effective Feb. 1- June 30, 2015.
* Jeffrey K. MacKie-Mason, dean, School of Information, effective July 1, 2015-June 30, 2017.
* Martha E. Pollack, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, effective July 1, 2015-June 30, 2018.
Dr. Marschall S. Runge, executive vice president for medical affairs, University of Michigan Health System, effective March 1, 2015.
* Steven P. Schwendeman, chair, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, effective Jan. 1, 2015-Dec. 31, 2015.
Dearborn campus
Ray E. Metz, interim vice chancellor for enrollment management and student life, Office of Enrollment Management and Student Life, effective Jan. 9.
Flint campus
Susan K. Gano-Phillips, associate dean, College of Arts and Sciences, effective Dec. 1, 2014-June 30, 2018.
Keith A. Moreland, interim dean, School of Health Professions and Studies, effective Jan. 1, 2015-June 30, 2015.
Kenneth E. Schilling, chair, Department of Mathematics, College of Arts and Sciences, effective July 1, 2015-Dec. 31, 2018.
* Reappointments
Retirements
Dr. Eric M. Barach, clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine, Medical School, effective Feb. 25. He joined the faculty in 1996. Barach’s clinical and scholarly work focused on emergency medicine, with special expertise in the pathophysiology of gunshot wounds, ballistics and explosives, plant toxicology, aquatic toxicology, and emergency dialysis problems. He published articles in leading journals and was involved in the education and training of physician assistants, nurses and residents. He performed clinical work at Hurley Hospital and served as the physician assistant liaison for the Emergency Department and as presenter of the monthly Morbidity and Mortality Conferences.
Dr. Kyung J. Cho, William Martel Collegiate Professor of Radiology and professor of radiology in the Medical School, effective Dec. 31. Cho joined the faculty in 1973. He served the Department of Radiology in capacities including director of vascular and interventional radiology. His research has focused on gastrointestinal radiography, carbon dioxide as a contrast media, adrenal venous sampling, and interventional procedures in children. His investigations are documented in 166 scientific publications. Cho created an innovative hands-on, continuing medical education program in vascular radiology that continues today. He received several awards and was inducted into the university’s League of Educational Excellence.
Thomas C. Foster, professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, UM-Flint, effective Dec. 31. He joined the faculty in 1987. Foster is a leading scholar of 20th-century English, Irish and American literature, contemporary Irish poetry and more. His teaching and research examined the works of Flann O’Brien, Henry Green, Seamus Heaney and James Joyce. He authored numerous books including “Twenty-five Books that Shaped America” (2011). He served as the first director of the English Department’s Master of English Language and Literature Program, and was a frequent invited speaker at high schools across Michigan.
Philip D. Gingerich, professor of earth and environmental sciences, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, professor of anthropology, and curator in the Museum of Paleontology, LSA, effective Dec. 31. Gingerich joined the faculty in 1974. He served as director of the Museum of Paleontology from 1981-87 and 1989-2011. His research led to recognition of global Paleocene-Eocene greenhouse warming and its profound effect on evolution, and documentation of the evolution of whales from land to sea and showing that evolution is much faster than previously recognized. He was elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2001 and member of the American Philosophical Society in 2010.
Lorna G. Goodison, Lemuel A. Johnson Collegiate Professor or English and Afroamerican and African Studies, professor of English language and literature, and professor of Afroamerican and African Studies, LSA, effective Dec. 31. Goodison joined the faculty in 2002. She achieved fame as a poet whose 14 books of verse won awards for their depictions of historical incidents, family and community customs, and the vitality of the Caribbean world. She also wrote fiction, memoirs, plays, film and radio scripts, and produced graphic artworks. She received the university’s Henry Russel Award in 2004 and Jamaica’s Commander of the Order of Distinction in 2013.
Richard Hill-Rowley, associate professor of earth and resource science in the College of Arts and Sciences, UM-Flint, effective Dec. 31. Hill-Rowley joined the University of Michigan-Flint faculty in 1982. He served terms as the director of the Regional Groundwater Center and director of the Center for Applied Environmental Research. He played an instrumental role in the development of the Department of Earth and Resource Science, the Regional Groundwater Center, and the Center for Applied Environmental Research. The Urban Alternatives House is one of his signature achievements. It serves as a real life laboratory for evaluating energy and sustainable systems.
Karen Margot Jordan, librarian in the University Library, effective Dec. 31. She joined the University Library in 2009. She served as an exhibits and outreach librarian from 2009-12 and as a special projects librarian in the Taubman Health Sciences Library since 2012. Her work focused on developing interdisciplinary collaborations with faculty, enhancing experiential learning and teaching opportunities, and fostering community outreach. She played an instrumental role in expanding exhibits and community engagement programs, drawing thousands to the library’s vast resources. Among other work, she co-taught classes at the School of Information and instructed students in the Internet Public Library.
Dr. Alan B. Leichtman, professor of internal medicine in the Medical School, effective Dec. 31. He joined the faculty in 1989. He is an internationally renowned physician scientist in the field of nephrology, with special expertise in kidney and pancreas transplantation and transplantation immunology. He published 116 peer-reviewed journal articles, held key leadership positions including medical director of the Renal Transplantation and Pancreas Transplantation, medical director of Transplant Ambulatory Care Operations, and president of Gift of Life Michigan since 2013. He received the Michigan Secretary of State’s Shining Star Award for his efforts to promote organ donor awareness in 2006.
Lora Bex Lempert, professor of sociology in the College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters, UM-Dearborn, and assistant research scientist in the Institute for Research on Women and Gender, Office of Research, effective Dec. 31. Lempert joined the UM-Dearborn faculty in 1994. As director of the UM-Dearborn Women’s and Gender Studies program, she established an internship program that provided students opportunities to analyze social problems while providing service in shelters for abused women, and children in Head Start, among other initiatives. Her awards include a Fulbright scholarship, UM-Dearborn Distinguished Service Award, and the UM-Dearborn Women’s and Gender Studies Teaching Award.
Dennis E. Lopatin, professor of dentistry and senior associate dean in the School of Dentistry, effective Dec. 31. Lopatin joined the faculty in 1978. He was appointed senior associate dean in the School of Dentistry in 2003. Lopatin is internationally recognized for his research, and has a notable history of successfully securing research funding, and publishing in the leading peer-reviewed journals. He was responsible for the development of the first formal faculty mentoring program in the School of Dentistry, and was an early adopter of innovative technologies to improve faculty-student interactions. He also played an instrumental leadership role in developing emergency preparedness plans.
Dr. Robert M. Merion, professor of surgery in the Medical School, effective Dec. 31. He joined the faculty in 1986. Merion played an instrumental leadership role in the development of one of the premier transplant programs in the nation. He held several leadership positions including chief of the Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, and president of the Arbor Research Collaborative for Health. He is a leader in the fields of solid organ transplantation, the management of immunosuppressive therapy, and vascular access surgery, with special expertise in kidney and pancreas transplantation. Merion is a past president of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons and was the inaugural recipient of its Francis Moore Excellence in Mentorship Award in 2008.
Dr. Virginia S. Nelson, clinical professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation in the Medical School, effective Dec. 31. She completed her physical medicine and rehabilitation residency at U-M in 1985 and held several positions before being appointed clinical instructor in 1986. She is a leader and innovator in the field of pediatric rehabilitation medicine, and also specialized in the rehabilitation of ventilator-assisted children and adolescents. Nelson was actively involved in international pediatric rehabilitation medicine and volunteered to work with children with spina bifida in Africa. Her honors include the American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation’s Distinguished Clinician Award in 2009.
Paul E. O’Donnell, professor of foreign languages in the College of Arts and Sciences, UM-Flint, effective Dec. 31. He joined the faculty in 1986, and served as chair of the Department of Foreign Languages from 1999-2001. O’Donnell is a leading scholar in the fields of linguistics, multilingualism and regional language policies, with special expertise in Catalan and French. He authored numerous scholarly publications and translations and was a frequent invited speaker. O’Donnell was an adviser for the French and Spanish Teacher’s Certificate Programs, received numerous Golden Apple Awards and the Lawrence D. Kugler Academic Advising Excellence Award in 2005.
John B. Poster, professor of public administration and education in the College of Education, Health and Human Services, UM-Dearborn, effective Dec. 30. Poster joined UM-Dearborn as dean of the School of Education and professor in 1990. He served as dean from 1990-2005, focusing on excellence in the preparation of K-12 teachers, and professionals working with special needs children. He played an instrumental role in the addition and revision of the Master of Public Administration program and the establishment of the Master of Special Education degree. His honors include the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education’s Recognition Award and the UM-Dearborn Distinguished Service Award.
Glenda Radine, senior associate librarian in the University Library, effective Dec. 5. She joined U-M in 1977. At University Library she also served as assistant director for public affairs, public relations manager and senior public services manager. Radine played an instrumental role in the success of the Digital Media Commons. She was actively involved in operational activities including outreach programs, marketing and promotion campaigns, financial oversight, facilities and staffing. Her scholarly publications include research on transformative learning space design and experiential learning. Radine served on numerous committees including the Academic Services Board and The President’s Council, State Universities of Michigan.
Richard W. Redman, Ada Sue Hinshaw Collegiate Professor of Nursing and professor of nursing in the School of Nursing, effective Dec. 31. Redman came to U-M in 1988 and served in administrative roles including associate dean and interim dean. He is a recognized scholar in quality and patient safety in nursing practice environments and their impact on clinical and organizational outcomes. His research collaborations in China, Ghana and Thailand have been recognized by international organizations. Redman played an instrumental role in the design of four degree programs, served as president of the International Network for Doctoral Education in Nursing, and has been recognized nationally for contributions in service learning.
Dr. Kenneth R. Silk, professor of psychiatry in the Medical School, effective Dec. 31. He joined the faculty in 1975. Silk held positions including associate chair of Clinical and Administrative Affairs and chair of the Faculty Group Practice Board. His clinical and research interests focused on personality disorders, psychodynamic psychotherapy, couples’ therapy and more. He is an author and frequent invited speaker at national symposia. His awards include the Department of Psychiatry’s Teacher of the Year Award in 1980 and ’86, the National Alliance on Mental Illness Exemplary Psychiatrist Award in 2009, and the Medical School Dean’s Award for Lifetime Achievement in Clinical Care in 2013.
Paul W. Webb, professor of natural resources and environment in the School of Natural Resources and Environment; professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, LSA; and professor of environment, Program in the Environment, LSA and SNRE, effective Dec. 31. He joined the faculty in 1972. Webb held several key leadership positions including interim dean and associate dean in SNRE and associate director and director in the Program in the Environment. Webb is a leading authority on energetics and the functional morphology of fishes. A gifted teacher and dedicated mentor, he taught several popular courses and pursued outreach activities, which included teaching at the University of Phnom Penh in Cambodia.
— Nicole Casal Moore of Michigan News, Kara Gavin of UMHS Public Relations, and Kim Broekhuizen of Public Affairs contributed this article.
