2008 Woodie Awards
The end of a renaissance
Dean Kohrman retires after four decades of service at CMU
By: Brian McLean
Issue date: 12/7/07 Section: News
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Scholarly journals and charts are not the only decorations in Robert Kohrman's office.
Pictures of streams, fish and idyllic landscapes adorn his walls.
Kohrman, dean of the College of Science and Technology, has interests ranging from organic chemistry to angling. His intellectual ability and breadth has led some to call him a "renaissance man."
After a 39-year CMU career including roles as both professor and administrator, Kohrman will retire at the end of this semester.
"I have no regrets whatsoever," he said.
Kohrman's departure will be celebrated with a farewell reception at 3 p.m. today in the first floor lobby of the Engineering and Technology Building.
His CMU career began in 1968, the same year he earned his doctorate in organic chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Though the chemical industry offered higher salaries, he said, he chose to teach at CMU. The appeal was the chance to live in Michigan, his home state and to join the university at an integral point in its development, he said.
The chemistry department had only been separated from the physics department in 1964.
That year, the university had approximately 6,000 students; in 1976, it had roughly 16,000.
"It's breathtaking to think about the change that has occurred," he said.
In the 1970s, Kohrman became more involved with research, received the university's first patent in its history and became a full professor.
He became department chair in 1987 and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in 1993.
Kohrman was named dean of the College of Science and Technology in 1997 when then-University President Leonard Plachta reorganized the university.
Aside from a stint as interim provost in 2002-03, he has been dean ever since.
Kohrman's career accreditations include CMU's Centennial Award and a teaching award.
Yet when Kohrman looks back on his CMU career, it will be neither the positions nor the awards that stand out most.
It will be the people.
"It's reality that there's more a community of scholars, a community of students, than you might find at other universities," he said.
The university's friendly environment and collaborative spirit stand out from highly competitive schools, he said.
When he retires, he said, he will miss the daily interaction with both students and faculty.
CMU alumnus Jim Anderson described Kohrman as a supportive, enthusiastic mentor and one of the best professors he had ever worked with.
Anderson, who earned his bachelor's in 1980 and his master's in 1982, worked with Kohrman on research.
Kohrman prioritized hands-on learning, Anderson said, and often was extensively involved with laboratory work.
"He was always available to talk about technical problems and stuff like that," Anderson said.
Kohrman said an environment of active learning is essential, be it through laboratory work, field studies or internships.
"We believe that students learn better by being engaged in the subject matter," he said.
But Kohrman's life isn't confined to CMU.
His wife, Dee Kohrman, said her husband is a family person and an extraordinary father to their two kids.
His expanse of interests and impeccable memory gives Kohrman a wealth of detailed knowledge, she said. At times, it can seem even daunting.
"He's got a mind like a sponge that absorbs everything," she said. "Sometimes I think, 'oh my gosh.'"
Darby Gwisdala, special assistant to the provost, worked most closely with Kohrman during his time as interim provost, but also worked with him in his position on the Council of Deans.
"He's a renaissance man," she said.
Gwisdala described his personality as rife with gentleness, wisdom and brilliance - a genius who is constantly self-effacing, constantly seeking to give others credit over himself.
Kohrman's hobbies include a penchant for both history and angling, which has led him to catalog the collection of angling literature at the Clarke Historical Library.
For a recent museum exhibit of the Reed Draper Collection of Angling Books, he prepared a booklet outlining the angling literature and its historical placement and relevance.
Completing the catalog will be one of his first projects after retirement, Kohrman said. He said he intends to remain involved with research, and to some extent, the CMU community.
He said he wants to pursue his own projects, spend time with family and permit the college to grow under different leadership.
Retirement means autonomy, he said.
"You have the opportunity to set your own agenda," he said.
When Kohrman leaves, Gwisdala said, he will take a large part of CMU history with him.
"He's got all these big credentials, but that's not the way I'll remember him," she said. "I'll remember him because he's a kind and gentle man."
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