Regents approve revisions to academic calendars
The Board of Regents approved a revision to the 2025-26 academic calendar to accommodate the rescheduling of the University Honors Convocation to March 29 at Hill Auditorium. The ceremony will celebrate the academic achievements of students on all three campuses, as well as faculty members whose commitment to undergraduate education enriches and sustains U-M’s academic programs. Regents also approved a change to fall semester dates for the 2025-26 academic year at UM-Dearborn. The updated calendar now has five examination days and four study days.
— Brian Taylor, Public Affairs
School of Social Work will offer Master of Arts in Social Impact Leadership
The School of Social Work will offer a new 30-credit Master of Arts Degree in Social Impact Leadership beginning in fall 2026, following further approval from the Michigan Association of State Universities. The program builds on the school’s more than 100-year history of leadership in educating social impact practitioners in health and social service management, policy advocacy and community change. The new degree aligns with the SSW’s values, mission and strategic vision, which calls for the school to provide innovative education that supports expanding and infusing social work concepts and skills into non-traditional social work employment.
— Brian Taylor, Public Affairs
Ann Arbor campus
Faculty appointment with tenure
Neel U. Sukhatme, professor of law, Law School, effective July 1, 2025.
Chuan Zhou, professor of radiology, Medical School, effective Feb. 1, 2025.
Named professorships
*Sami J. Barmada, Angela Dobson Welch and Lyndon Welch Research Professor, Medical School, effective Sept. 1, 2025, through Aug. 31, 2030.
Carlos E. Cesnik, François-Xavier Bagnoud Professor of Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering, effective March 1, 2025, through Feb. 28, 2030.
Tobias Else, Drew O’Donoghue Research Professor of Adrenal Cancer, Medical School, effective March 1, 2025, through Aug. 31, 2029.
*Patricia E. Hershberger, Rhetaugh G. Dumas Professor of Nursing, School of Nursing, effective Aug. 25, 2025, through Aug. 31, 2028.
Laura D. Hirshbein, the George E. Wantz, M.D. Distinguished Professor of the History of Medicine, Medical School, effective March 1, 2025, through Aug. 31, 2029.
Todd C. Hollon, Joseph R. Novello, M.D. and Alfredo Quiñones- Hinojosa, M.D. Research Professor of Neurosurgery, Medical School, effective March 1, 2025, through Aug. 31, 2029.
Jinsang Kim, Raoul Kopelman Collegiate Professor of Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, effective March 1, 2025, through Feb. 28, 2030.
*Janet L. Larson, Shaké Ketefian Collegiate Professor of Nursing, School of Nursing, effective Sept. 1, 2025, through Aug. 31, 2030.
SangHyun Lee, Robert B. Harris Collegiate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, effective March 1, 2025, through Feb. 28, 2030.
Gary D. Luker, Reed Dunnick Research Professor of Radiology, Medical School, effective March 1, 2025, through Aug. 31, 2029.
Zetian Mi, Pallab K. Bhattacharya Collegiate Professor of Engineering, College of Engineering, effective March 1, 2025, through Feb. 28, 2030.
Sunitha Nagrath, Dwight F. Benton Professor of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, effective March 1, 2025, through Feb. 28, 2030.
Sara A. Pozzi, Donald C. Graham Professor of Engineering, College of Engineering, effective March 1, 2025, through Feb. 28, 2030.
Steven J. Skerlos, J. Reid and Polly Anderson Professor of Manufacturing, College of Engineering, effective March 1, 2025, through Feb. 28, 2030.
Dennis M. Sylvester, Peter and Evelyn Fuss Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2030.
Wenjing Wang, Isabella Karle Collegiate Professor in the Life Sciences, LSA, effective March 1, 2025, through Aug. 31, 2030.
Basit Zafar, Reuben Kempf Professor of Economics, LSA, effective Sept. 1, 2025, through Aug. 31, 2030.
Administrative appointments
*Jason A. Corey, associate dean for graduate studies, School of Music, Theatre & Dance, effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028.
Renee E. Duff, senior associate dean, School of Dentistry, effective June 1, 2025, through May 31, 2030.
Neel U. Sukhatme, David A. Breach Dean of Law, Law School, effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2030
Other transactions
James J. Maskovyak, chair, Army Officer Education Program, effective Aug. 1, 2025, through July 31, 2028.
Anna G. Sirota, change in title to senior associate dean for academic initiatives, A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028.
Dearborn campus
Jie Shen, interim chair, Department of Computer and Information Science, College of Engineering and Computer Science, effective Jan. 1, 2025, through Aug. 31, 2025.
Flint campus
Donna Kay Fry, dean, College of Health Sciences, effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2030.
* Reappointments
Retirements
George A. Garcia, professor of medicinal chemistry, College of Pharmacy, April 3, 2025. Garcia received his B.S. (1982) in chemistry at California State University, Sacramento, and Ph.D. (1988) in pharmaceutical chemistry at the University of California, San Francisco. After a postdoctoral fellowship (1988-89) at Cambridge University, England, he joined U-M as an assistant professor in 1990. He was promoted to associate professor, with tenure, in 1996 and to professor in 2012, and served as chair of the Department of Medicinal Chemistry from 2012-20 and interim chair from 2022-24. A biochemist and an enzymologist, Garcia’s work on RNA synthesis and processing resulted in more than 80 publications and four patent applications. He investigated post-transcriptional RNA modification for more than two decades before pioneering collaborative antibiotic discovery efforts. His team used structure-based and high-throughput screening to develop novel inhibitors for key bacterial and viral targets. Garcia was also a dedicated mentor, guiding 21 Ph.D. students, serving on 69 dissertation committees, and advising approximately 40 Pharm.D. and undergraduate research projects. In 2020, he was recognized with the Rackham Graduate School Distinguished Graduate Mentor Award. During his 35 years at U-M, Garcia’s leadership strengthened the College of Pharmacy’s reputation in higher education.
David Ulrich, Rensis Linkert Collegiate Professor of Business Administration and professor of business administration, Stephen M. Ross School of Business, Dec. 31, 2024. Ulrich received his B.A. (1976) in university studies from Brigham Young University and his M.A. (1977) in organizational behavior and his Ph.D. (1982) in organizations theory from the University of California, Los Angeles. He joined the faculty at U-M in 1982. In 1998, Ulrich co-founded the RBL Group. He has published more than 200 articles and 30-plus books, and served as editor of Human Resource Management. He was on the editorial boards of four journals, the Board of Directors for Herman Miller for 16 years, and was the 2014 Ross School commencement speaker. He has spoken in 90 countries and led workshops for more than half of the Fortune 200. A Distinguished Fellow in the National Academy of Human Resources, he directed the Executive Education Advanced HR Executive Program. Known as the “father of modern HR,” Ulrich has been ranked the top management guru by Business Week and was inducted into the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame. His legacy is honored through the Dave Ulrich Impact Award at the Academy of Management.
— Compiled by Genevieve Monsma, The University Record
