More Faculty Stories

Blenda Wilson
Blenda Wilson was the first African American woman to hold a position as an executive officer at the University. Wilson was appointed Chancellor of the University of Michigan-Dearborn campus in 1988, as well as Professor of Public Administration and Education. She served until 1992.

Women of Color Task Force
Jennie Partee (Affirmative Action Office) and Beulah Sanders (School of Education) began the Women of Color Task Force in 1979 to facilitate professional development and personal growth of minority women and encourage promotion within the academy.  Task force members lead by encouraging education and the development of "coping mechanisms" to be used to combat "racism and sexism."

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Blenda Wilson

Lester Monts
Lester Monts is one of the world's leading scholars on music and culture in the Guinea coast region of West Africa. He was co-founder of the U-M African Studies Center and of the Center for World Performance Studies. "Lester Monts has been nothing short of a guardian angel to the faculty of color on campus..." says Professor Kelly Askew, director of the U-M African Studies Center.

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Lester Monts

Homer A. Neal
In 1996, Homer A. Neal, professor of physics and vice president for research, was appointed interim president of the University. Neal came to the University in 1987 as professor and chair of the Department of Physics. He was committed to the Michigan Mandate, stating that such programs “are as much (perhaps more) about intellectual expansiveness as about social change.”

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Homer Neal

Harold R. Johnson
Professor Johnson joined the faculty of the School of Social Work in 1969. He also taught health behavior and health education in the School of Public Health. From 1975 to 1981 he was the director of the Institute of Gerontology. He served as the Dean at the School of Social work from 1981 to 1995, while also serving as special counsel to the university president and interim secretary of the university.

Professor Johnson has been a very active member of boards and committees on campus. In 1993 he was the recipient of the Dreamkeeper Award in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the university's commitment to cultural diversity.

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Harold R. Johnson

Notable Faculty