Faculty members recognized for years of dedication
From left to right: Elizabeth Campbell, Steven Egler, and Peter Orlik.
With the semester coming to a close, 117 faculty members were recognized on Nov. 19.
Those who were recognized were applauded for either retirement or years of service.
Of those retiring at the end of the semester, 36 faculty members were recognized and honored for their services to the school. the gropu has 980 years of combined service between them.
Provost Michael Gealt said the point of the recognition ceremony was to celebrate all that the faculty has already done, and what they have been able to do for the future of Central Michigan University.
“As the university moves forward, one thing that impresses me is that we’re moving forward because of faculty achievements,” Gealt said.
Among those retiring, service awards were also given to faculty members who have been with the school for 20 years or more. Between them 3,000 years of service was accumulated. Gealt said he believes that because of the generosity the faculty shows, it sets them apart from other universities.
There were 20 faculty recognized for 30 years, 18 recognized for 35 years, 6 recognized for 40 years and two were recognized for 45 years of service at the university.
“We’re moving forward with a foundation that is amazingly strong because of everything they’ve done throughout the years, those 3,000 combined years,” Gealt said.
Barrie Wilkes, vice president for Finance and Administrative Services, said that the CMU is only growing.
“We hear about all these people that have all these years of service and I think to myself I must be getting older,” Wilkes said. “ I know that’s not true, it’s that we’re getting better.”
Gealt said whether a member was retiring or being recognized for their service, they have contributed a great deal to the university.
“For those who were honored for your services, for those of you who were honored for your retirement, for many of you who were being honored for both, please accept our sincere gratitude for the passion of dedication you’ve given so freely over the years and made Central Michigan University what it is today," he said.
