Faculty Emeriti
About
The title of "emeritus" or "emerita" can be granted to retired faculty by the University of Michigan Board of Regents at the recommendation of the Provost and Chancellor.
Computer and Information Science
Dr. Kampfner received his M.S. degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science and his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. After serving on the faculty at Wayne State University, Dr. Kampfner joined UM-Dearborn in 1987 as a faculty member in the School of Management and later as an associate professor in the College of Engineering and Computer Science in 1992. Dr. Kampfner’s research areas focused on the application of biological information processing principles and mechanisms to the analysis and design of information systems in modern organizations. He also provided substantial service to the department, college, and the campus.
Dr. Tsui received his B.S. degree from Tamkang University and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Michigan. He joined the UM-Dearborn faculty in 1987. Dr. Tsui was a leading authority in the fields of operations research, engineering, and computer science. A gifted teacher and dedicated mentor, he was a mentor for the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP) and was twice named “Instructor of the Year” by the Dearborn Campus Engineers. Dr. Tsui also served as the director of the Engineering Computer Service as well as acting associate dean.
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Dr. Boffi received his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and joined the UM-Dearborn faculty in 1954. He was an active member of the college and department: he served on many committees throughout his tenure and was instrumental in the development of the master’s program in electrical engineering. Dr. Boffi was held in high regard by students and colleagues, whom he worked with to develop new courses and develop modern laboratory facilities.
Dr. Heim received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Michigan. Before joining the UM-Dearborn faculty in 1961, he worked as a full-time research associate at the Cooley Electronics Laboratory on the Ann Arbor campus. During his time at Dearborn, Dr. Heim served as chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering and as a member of the Dearborn Campus Budget Priorities Committee. He was an active member of professional organizations, including IEEE, Sigma Xi, and Phi Kappa Phi.
Dr. Miller earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Michigan. He joined the university as a faculty member in 1959 and transferred to the UM-Dearborn campus in 1971. During his many years of service, Dr. Miller served as acting chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and was responsible for developing and updating critical instructional laboratories. He was very active in professional organizations and served as the faculty advisor for the student branch of IEEE and received the Tau Beta Pi Eminent Engineer Award in 1982. In addition to co-founding Conductron Corporation, KMS Industries, and Vicom Inc., Dr. Miller holds three U.S. patents.
Dr. Murtuza received his M.S. degree from Oklahoma State University and his Ph.D. degree from Purdue University. Before joining the UM-Dearborn faculty in 1971, he worked at the Engineering Research Center with Western Electric Company. During his time on campus, he served as acting chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering as well as associate director of the manufacturing systems engineering program. Dr. Murtuza was instrumental in establishing the college’s control systems program and introduced computers into control systems education long before it became common practice. Dr. Murtuza was active in many professional organizations and holds three patents in the areas of automotive low-speed-collision mitigation and rotational machine balancing.
Prof. Sullivan earned his B.S. degree from Purdue University and his M.S. degree from the University of Michigan. He joined the UM-Dearborn faculty in 1966 and served the department and School of Engineering in many capacities, including as chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and as the graduate program coordinator. Prof. Sullivan was instrumental in the establishment of the professional development in engineering program and in the development of new curricula and the enhancement of labs. He helped establish a student chapter of IEEE and grow the campus chapter of Eta Kappa Nu.
Professor Miller received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (1968), Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (1971), Master of Science in Engineering Science (1976), and Ph.D. (1983) degrees from the University of Toledo. He joined the University of Michigan-Dearborn in 1987 as an associate professor. He was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 1992.
Professor Miller specialized in machine vision and techniques for high-speed image processing. He taught and developed several courses on circuits and electronics as well as software systems. He has published over 50 papers and book chapters and holds twenty-five U.S. patents.
Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering
A native of Syria, Dr. Aswad immigrated to the United States in 1959, after having worked four years as a mechanical engineer. He earned two master's degrees, in mechanical and industrial engineering, and a Ph.D. in engineering from the UM-Ann Arbor campus. Dr. Adnan Aswad joined the UM-Dearborn faculty in 1965 and was a founding member and first chair of industrial and manufacturing systems engineering. After serving as chair for 10 years, he was appointed to a five-year term as associate dean of the “School of Engineering”. Aswad's research on quality systems has been widely published, and he is an expert on product design and development processes. He is internationally recognized and has conducted research and made presentations around the world. Aswad was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Industrial Engineers in 1991. To learn about the Adnan A. Awad Scholarship, please visit our scholarships page.
Dr. Chang received his undergraduate degree from Chung Chi College and two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. from Oregon State University. He joined the UM-Dearborn faculty in 1978. Dr. Chang’s research focused on information systems engineering, electronic commerce, and intelligent computing. His contributions were critical in the development and implementation of an undergraduate program in information systems as well as many graduate-level programs.
Dr. Kachhal received his master’s and Ph.D. degree from the University of Minnesota. He joined the UM-Dearborn faculty in 1973 and served as chair of the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering from 185-2009. Dr. Kachhal’s research focused on health care systems and facilities design and is nationally recognized for his work in healthcare engineering. He was actively involved in a number of professional societies, including the Institute of Industrial Engineers, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, the Society of Health Systems, and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers.
Dr. Knight received his B.S. degree from Ohio University and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from The Ohio State University. Before joining the UM-Dearborn faculty in 1982, he served as an assistant professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia and as a research engineer at Ford Motor Company. Dr. Knight's area of expertise focused on the design and analysis of experiments; experiential and integrative learning methods in engineering education; and human factors and ergonomics. He was a member of a number of professional associations, including the American Statistical Association, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, and the Institute of Industrial Engineers. Dr. Knight also served as the faculty advisor for UM-Dearborn’s Alpha Pi Mu industrial engineering honor society.
Mechanical Engineering
Dr. Bolling received his M.A.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Toronto. He joined the UM-Dearborn faculty in 1992 following a 30-year career at Ford Motor Company. During his time on campus, he served as the director of the manufacturing systems engineering program and helped establish new programs in engineering management and automotive systems engineering.
Dr. Cairns earned his M.S.E. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. Before joining the faculty at UM-Dearborn, he was an instructor on the Ann Arbor campus and the University of Detroit. Dr. Cairns was involved in engineering education for more than 30 years. He served both as chair of the Division of Engineering and as dean of the School of Engineering. Dr. Cairns was incredibly active in professional societies and on campus committees.
Prof. Conlon received his M.S.M.E degree from Case Institute of Technology and joined the University of Michigan faculty in 1961. He transferred to the new Dearborn Campus in 1964 with the task of revising and upgrading undergraduate course sequences in mechanical engineering. During his time at UM-Dearborn, Prof. Conlon served as undergraduate advisor for mechanical engineering and as director of university planning.
Dr. Despres received his BSE, M.S.E., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Michigan and joined the faculty at UM-Dearborn in 1963. His taught courses in the areas of physical metallurgy, mechanical design, and manufacturing processes and significantly contributed to the laboratory facilities in those areas. Dr. Despres also served as the Mechanical Engineering Discipline Coordinator, a program advisor to the Mechanical Engineering undergraduate program, and as a member of the graduate committee during his tenure on campus.
Dr. Habib earned his M.S.M.E. degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and his Ph.D. from University of California, Berkeley. Before joining the UM-Dearborn faculty in 1969, he worked as a design engineer and later as a group leader at Chrysler Corporation. Dr. Habib dedicated more than 30 years to engineering education and lectured nationally throughout his career.
Prof. Kurajian earned his M.S.E. degree from the University of Michigan and his M.E. degree from the University of Detroit. Before joining the UM-Dearborn faculty he worked as an instructor at the University of Detroit. During his 42 years in engineering education, he has lectured internationally and partnered with a number of industries and businesses. He served as chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering for more than a decade and was very involved in many professional associations.
Dr. P. K. Mallick joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering as an assistant professor in 1979 and retired as a professor in 2023. He served as the Director of the Interdisciplinary Programs in the College of Engineering and Computer Science in 1997-2019, served as the Director of the Center for Lightweighting Automotive Materials and Processing (a DOE-funded university research center), and was the director of the first two PhD programs in the College. He received the Distinguished Faculty Research Award in 1997, Michigan Association of Governing Boards of State Universities Award for Distinguished Faculty in 1998, William E. Stirton Professorship Award in 2007, and Eugene G. Arden Interdisciplinary Teaching and Research Award in 2014. He secured extensive external grants to support research and teaching in the areas of mechanical properties, design, joining, and manufacturing of polymers, polymer matrix composites and lightweight automotive materials. He published 200 journal and conference articles, was the co-recipient of a US patent, and contributed six book chapters in his areas of research. He is the author of two textbooks on composites, “Fiber-Reinforced Composites: Materials, Manufacturing and Design” and “Processing of Polymer Matrix Composites”. He is also the editor and coauthor of two other books on composites that include “Composite Materials Technology” and “Composites Engineering Handbook”, and a book on lightweight automotive materials, titled “Materials, Design and Manufacturing for Lightweight Vehicles”. He is a Life Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and a Fellow of the American Society for Composites. He is also a Professional Engineer in the State of Michigan, USA.
Prof. Mitchell received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Michigan. He joined the UM-Dearborn faculty in 1961 and was promoted to the rank of assistant professor in 1977. He served as assistant to the dean until 1983. With 47 years of service to students, the department, and UM-Dearborn, Prof. Mitchell is one of the campus’ pioneer faculty members. He was instrumental in updating curriculum and laboratories in materials and manufacturing and has been applauded throughout his tenure for excellence in teaching.
Dr. Na earned his M.S. degree from the University of Houston and his Ph.D. degree from the University of Michigan. He joined the faculty at UM-Dearborn in 1964 and was awarded the prestigious William E. Stirton Professorship from 1984-1989. A versatile teacher, Dr. Na also achieved a reputation as a world-class scholar. He was also heavily involved in campus life and served the University on a variety of committees.
Dr. Trojan received his BSE, M.S.E. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Michigan. He joined the UM-Dearborn faculty in 1960 after working as an instructor on the Ann Arbor campus. During his 42 years with the university, Dr. Trojan served as chair of the Engineering Division, acting dean and interim dean of the School of Engineering. He was very active in sponsored research and professional societies and lectured nationally throughout his career.
Dr. Wolf earned his BSE, M.S.E., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Michigan. Before joining the UM-Dearborn faculty in 1962, he worked as a senior engineer for Bendix Corporation, Systems Division and as an instructor on the Ann Arbor campus. Dr. Wolf was instrumental in the introduction of computer-integrated education in mechanical engineering long before it became common place. He also served on several committees within the college and at the campus-level.
Professor Varde received his M.S.E. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Rochester in 1967 and 1971, respectively. He joined the University of Michigan-Dearborn faculty as an assistant professor in 1974, and was promoted to associate professor in 1977, and professor in 1983. He served as chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering (1988-90), interim associate dean of the School of Engineering ( 1989-90), and associate dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science (1990-2014) Professor Varde contributed to the field of mechanical engineering through his research on and teaching in combustion, explosion and fuels, thermodynamics, propulsion and engine systems, and sprays and modeling. He published research papers on emissions, alternative fuels and energy systems, fluid hydraulics, fuel systems, and combustions in a variety of distinguished journals. Over the course of his career, he successfully secured over $1 million in grant funding that enabled him to advance the field of mechanical engineering in a number of important ways.