The MSU community gathered at the Wharton Center on Sept. 14, 2022, for the investiture of the 2022 class of endowed chairs, endowed professors, and MSU Foundation Professors.
The ceremony was a celebration of their accomplishments, as well as a celebration of the philanthropic support that makes these esteemed positions possible.
Alumnus and donor Dan Van Haften (’70) spoke about what inspired him to create the Van Haften Endowed Professorship in Deductive Literacy—the first endowed position in the Department of Mathematics, which is now held by François Greer.
Kristen Renn, newly named Mildred B. Erickson Chair in Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education, spoke on behalf of her fellow honorees about the duties they hold to the university, to their fields, to their students, and to themselves as MSU’s best and brightest faculty.
President Samuel L. Stanley, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Teresa K. Woodruff, and Executive Vice President for Health Sciences Norman J. Beauchamp presided over the medaling ceremony.
Four from the College of Engineering were congratulated for their efforts in "Opening Doors to New Discoveries." Honored were:
ENGINEERING HELMSMAN
Leo Kempel, Ph.D.
DENNIS P. NYQUIST ENDOWED PROFESSOR IN ELECTROMAGNETICS Established through a gift from NyquistLeo Kempel is the dean of the College of Engineering and a professor of electrical and computer engineering. His primary research interests include conformal antennas, engineered materials for microwave applications, and computational electromagnetics.
POWER CARETAKER
Joydeep Mitra, Ph.D.
MSU FOUNDATION PROFESSOR in the College of EngineeringJoydeep Mitra is a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and director of the Energy Reliability & Security (ERiSe) Laboratory. He has conducted research in power system modeling, analysis, stability, control, planning, and simulation, and he is known for his contributions to power system reliability analysis and reliability-based planning.
SMART TOOL MAKER
Xiaobo Tan, Ph.D.
RICHARD M. HONG ENDOWED CHAIR IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING Established through a gift from Richard M. Hong in honor of MSU Professor Emeritus Kun Mu ChenXiaobo Tan is a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He is also an MSU Foundation Professor. Tan’s research focuses on electroactive polymer sensors and actuators, modeling and control of smart materials, and bio-inspired underwater robots.
FUEL ADAPTOR
Guoming (George) Zhu, Ph.D.
G. GLENN AND MARLENE D. GARDNER ENDOWED CHAIR IN AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERINGEstablished through a gift from G. Glenn and Marlene D. Gardner
A professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Guoming Zhu's research in the automotive control lab uses model-based control techniques to accurately control engine fuel injection timing and mass, charge mixture temperature and composition, and control the valvetrain and other engine subsystems. Work in this area of advanced engine control is foundational for a future that may require engines to have the ability to automatically adapt to multiple fuels and combustion mode.
Read more on other MSU Faculty to Watch at: https://givingto.msu.edu/stories/faculty-to-watch