‘Her legacy lives on through all of us’

Tutoring Services Coordinator Sharon Lobdell worked at UM-Dearborn for nearly 30 years until her retirement last September. During those decades on campus, Lobdell — who passed away on Dec. 19, 2025 after a long illness — left a legacy of unlocking students’ potential.

Two-time UM-Dearborn alum Harry Rahn, a STEM success coordinator at Michigan Technological University, says he’s one of those students. He worked with Lobdell as a student tutor and supplemental instructor for several years. “Sharon saw something in me and helped me figure out how to take my love of science and my love of teaching and turn it into a career that I enjoy,” says Rahn, who holds both a bachelor's in biology and a master's in environmental science from UM-Dearborn.“Sharon was an excellent teacher and her lessons guide me when I work with my students today.” Rahn graduated in 2021 and 2024, respectively.

Lobdell, 60, was an advocate for connecting students with differing abilities to resources across the university to help them reach their academic goals. Her accolades include U-M Distinguished Diversity Leaders Awards in 2017 (team award) and 2013 (individual award), and a CEW+ 50 Years of Scholarships scholarship selection committee member. She worked with students and tailored her lessons to their learning styles, and she gave presentations to help educators understand learning styles.

Lobdell’s time at UM-Dearborn began as a student in the 1980s — she graduated in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and landed her full-time role at UM-Dearborn that same year — and it culminated in her long-standing tutoring role in the Office of Academic Success. “Sharon understood firsthand the transformative power of education. She spent 29 years helping others unlock their potential, touching countless lives through her caring guidance, leadership and steadfast support,” Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education and Experiential Learning Maureen Linker says. 

Director of Assessment, Accreditation and Academic Success Jess LaGrange has worked with Lobdell for the past seven years. LaGrange says she learned how to effectively lead with compassion through Lobdell’s example — even when tough conversations need to happen.

“She cared so deeply about everyone and, because of this, wasn’t afraid to tackle tough conversations and navigate people to find the best outcome,” LaGrange says. “She’d listen and give all the help and resources she could, but she’d also call out when people weren’t on the path they needed to be on to be successful. She’d call those ‘come to Jesus moments.’ I saw how Sharon’s honesty helped students realize they needed to be an active part of the process if they wanted better grades and to get more out of their time here.”

Not only was Lobdell patient and helpful with students, she was also an avid reader and lover of pop culture — and she’d often use pop culture references in her tutoring lessons. For example, she’d joke that a great example of  data-driven hands-on learning style is Star Trek: The Next Generation’s The Borg, an alien species in the tv series who seeks out technology and knowledge to improve their collective group. And she’d sing jingles to help auditory learners retain information.

Always looking to lift others up, Lobdell would celebrate her colleague’s milestones with thoughtful actions. For example, when LaGrange’s son was born in 2020, Lobdell crocheted him a blanket. “He still uses it today,” LaGrange says.

On a recent Wednesday morning, La Grange shared photos of Lobdell at the office. There’s one where she’s posing like a superhero in front of a door decorated as a GameBoy system for a 2018 Homecoming contest. Another shows Lobdell smiling at a Commission for Women event in 2019. “Look how happy she is,” LaGrange says. “I hope Sharon knew how much we loved her. I miss her — sometimes words aren’t enough to express how you feel.”

From his office at Michigan Tech, Rahn says Lobdell also was among those who congratulated him when started his new role in the Upper Peninsula. “She told me that she was beyond proud of me,” he says. “When I work with my students, I think about what Sharon might do. I have my own way of doing things, but Sharon has definitely influenced how I work with students. She influenced so many student outcomes for the better. Her legacy lives on through all of us.”

Story by Sarah Tuxbury