Class of Spring 2024: CECS graduate Issa Hachem
One of three siblings to graduate from UM-Dearborn, computer engineering graduate Issa Hachem says getting to the commencement stage has been a family affair....
May will speak at the morning ceremony, beginning at 10 a.m., for graduates of the university’s College of Business and College of Engineering and Computer Science. Brown will speak at the afternoon ceremony, which begins at 3 p.m., for graduates of the College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters and College of Education, Health, and Human Services.
Student Courtney Ford, alumna Maria Welborne (’90 B.S.E.) and Professor Charu Chandra also will give remarks during the morning ceremony, while student Katrina Stack, alumna Tracy L. Thompson (’92 M.A.) and Associate Professor Nehal Patel will speak during the afternoon ceremony. Additional speakers include UM-Dearborn Chancellor Daniel Little and Provost Kate Davy.
Entry to the Fieldhouse and all venues is by ticket only. Additional commencement information is available on UM-Dearborn’s website.
Ron May
May is executive vice president of Major Enterprise Projects for DTE Energy. May is responsible for major generation construction and environmental projects at DTE Energy’s power plants, the company’s new nuclear power plant development project, FERMI 2 modifications, gas projects, development of renewable, metering and distribution assets, along with strategic facilities and service projects including business revitalization. Major Enterprise Projects was recognized by the Project Management Institute as a Project Management Organization finalist for PMO of the Year in 2014.
May previously served as senior vice president of DTE2, an enterprise resource planning project. Prior to that, he served as senior vice president of Energy Distribution, responsible for engineering, operation, construction and maintenance of the company’s electric distribution and transmission system. Additional responsibilities included customer service, corporate facilities, and security. He also held a variety of nuclear leadership positions at DTE Energy, including in materials management, maintenance and administration. Prior to joining the company, May was vice president at Project Management Associates, a project controls consulting business. Earlier in his career, he held leadership positions at Townsend and Bottum, Inc., a heavy utility construction business.
May earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from University of Michigan and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University. Additionally, he completed graduate course work at Eastern Michigan University, Youngstown State University and Pennsylvania State University. May also is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt project management professional and holds a Michigan real estate license.
May serves as chairman of the Oakland University School of Engineering and Computer Science Advisory Council and the past chairman of the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion. He serves on the board of directors of numerous educational and civic organizations, including the University of Michigan Engineering Advisory Council, Think Detroit PAL and United Way 2‐1‐1. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Engineering Society of Detroit. Formerly, May was a board member of the Warren Conner Development Coalition, Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services, and the campaign for the United Negro College Fund.
Dr. David J. Brown
Brown is the associate vice president and associate dean for health equity and inclusion at the University of Michigan Health System (UMHS). He is the UMHS lead to increase diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) in the Academic Medical Center in congruence with U-M President Mark Schlissel’s DE&I charge across the University of Michigan campus.
His primary role is to increase diversity, inclusion and equity throughout the medical pipeline, including pre-medical college, medical school, residency and faculty. He leads the Office for Health Equity and Inclusion, which has numerous pipeline and mentorship programs to increase diversity at UMHS. He has successfully recruited medical students, house officers and faculty to the University of Michigan Medical School. He is also a member of the AAMC Group on Faculty Affairs and the Group on Diversity and Inclusion.
Brown attended Brown University and Harvard Medical School, where he co-chaired the Third World Caucus and the Harvard University Black Graduate Student Conference. He completed his otolaryngology-head and neck surgery residency at U-M in 2003 and a pediatric otolaryngology fellowship at Children’s Hospital, Boston/Harvard in 2004.
His first academic appointment was in 2004 at Johns Hopkins University, where he was an associate program director of the otolaryngology residency, faculty member and student adviser for the Helen Taussig College.
Brown has held several roles within the U-M Department of Otolaryngology. He was chief resident for medical student education and development, and director of the department’s Diversity Committee and of faculty professional development. He also has served as director of professional development for U-M’s Office for Health and Equity Inclusion.
