Regents roundup




Updated 12:31 PM November 11, 2002
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Regents Roundup

By Diane Brown, Facilities and Operations, and
Laura Lessnau, News Service

This feature is update monthly following the Boards of Regents meetings.

The regents will meet on the following dates between Nov. 2002 and Dec. 2003: Nov. 14, Dec. 12, Jan. 16, Feb. 20, March 20, April 17, May 15 at U-M–Dearborn, June 19, July 17, Sept. 18, Oct. 16 at U-M–Flint, Nov. 20 and Dec. 18.

The following actions were taken by the Board of Regents at the Oct. 17 meeting:

Three CoE projects approved
A new instructional building and two major facility additions for the College of Engineering (CoE) were approved after having been previewed in a September presentation to the regents. The regents also gave authorization to appoint the project architects.

A four-floor, 100,000-square-foot Computer Science and Engineering Building will be designed by Diamond and Schmitt Architects of Toronto. To be built west of the Herbert H. Dow Building, the new building will provide offices, research labs, instructional space and common core facilities for the college's computer science and information technology activities. The estimated cost of the project is $40 million, which will be provided from the CoE reserves and gifts.

Space for the new undergraduate degree program in biomedical engineering will be provided after completion of a 38,000-square-foot addition and a 29,000-square-foot renovation to the Advanced Technology Laboratories building. The project will be designed by Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership of Portland, Ore., and is estimated to cost $20 million. The money will come from CoE reserves, gifts and a grant from the Whitaker Foundation.

The Solid State Electronics Lab in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Building will be expanded and renovated. The lab, established in 1986, is in need of infrastructure updates and space for testing and prototype development. The $28-million project, to be designed by the SmithGroup of Detroit, will provide a new clean room and support space as well as architectural, mechanical and electrical improvements.

Once the three projects have been designed, the plans and construction schedules will be submitted to the regents for their approval.

Med School to obtain new cyclotron
The architectural firm of Lord, Aeck & Sargent will design a 7,000-square-foot, below-grade addition to the Medical Science I Building that will house a new cyclotron facility. The cyclotron will provide positron emission tomography (PET) for research projects of more than 200 investigators. Radio-chemistry laboratories, as well as additional support and office space, will be included in the facility. The $8 million project cost estimate includes approximately $3 million for the new equipment. Funding will be provided from a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health and other Medical School sources.

Bentley project authorized for bids
The regents authorized issuing bids for the Bentley Historical Library addition project and awarding the construction contracts, as long as the bids are within the approved budget. The schematic design for the 34,000-square-foot addition was approved in June. Construction is scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2004.

ULAM offices to be renovated
New offices for veterinary faculty in the Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine (ULAM) will be added and lab preparation space will be updated through a 2,900-square-foot renovation in the Animal Research Facility. The project, estimated to cost $615,000, also will include infrastructure upgrades as necessary and will be completed by next summer.

Piping in utility tunnel to be replaced
Water and steam pipes in the utility tunnel loop through the medical campus will be replaced during the next six months with little disruption due to road closures. The $1.2 million project will be funded from the Plant Operations Utilities department.

Appointments and promotions
In addition to the appointments of Paul N. Courant as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs; Glenda L. Haskell as assistant provost; and Earl Lewis as dean, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies and vice provost for academic affairs (see 'Provost and dean picks get regents' nod'), regents approved the following appointments and promotions, with tenure:

• Michele Hannoosh, professor of French, LS&A, effective Jan. 1, 2003.

• Richard C. M. Janko, professor of classical studies, and chair, Department of Classical Studies, LS&A, effective Jan. 1, 2003.

• Thad A. Polk, associate professor of psychology, LS&A, and associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science, College of Engineering, effective Sept. 1, 2003.

• Christine M. Waters, associate dean, effective July 1, 2002June 30, 2004, Flint campus.

Endowed professorships
Faculty appointments to endowed and titled professorships approved by the regents include:

• Tommaso de Fernex, T. H. Hildebrandt Research Assistant Professor of Mathematics, LS&A, effective Sept. 1, 2002May 31, 2005.

• Bogdan Ion, T. H. Hildebrandt Research Assistant Professor of Mathematics, LS&A, effective Sept. 1, 2002May 31, 2005.

Retirements
Four faculty members were given the emeritus title. Those retiring are:

• Donald W. Boys, associate professor of physics in the College of Arts and Sciences at U-MFlint, retired June 30. He taught courses that included introductory physics, electronic measurements, medical physics and solid state physics. He was responsible for introducing computer-based instruction on the Flint campus.

• Elizabeth A. Duell, assistant professor of dermatology in the Medical School, retired July 31. Her research focused on defining the normal control mechanisms in the epidermis to determine what abnormalities occur in various diseases, such as psoriasis. The goal was to provide specific and improved treatment of diseases of the skin.

• Daniel G. Green, professor of physiological optics in the Medical School, professor of electrical engineering and computer science and professor of biomedical engineering in the College of Engineering and professor of psychology in LS&A, retired Sept. 30. His electrophysiological studies are critical to understanding how humans see at night, during the day and in very bright light.

• Roger F. Meyer, professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences in the Medical School, retired June 30. His research into more efficacious treatment for corneal diseases and ocular surface disorders has improved the quality of life and vision for people who are plagued with pain and vision loss due to corneal injury, infection and cellular deterioration.

Regents Roundup

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