ANN ARBOR—Five University of Michigan faculty members were given the emeritus title by the U-M Regents at their March 20 meeting.

Those retiring are Robert S. Holbrook, professor of economics; George W. Jourdian, professor of internal medicine and of biological chemistry; Theresa S. Lee, senior associate librarian; Carl H. Rinne, associate professor of education at the U-M-Flint; and James C. Sisson, professor of internal medicine.

Holbrook, who joined the U-M faculty in 1965, specialized in the area of monetary economics. “He distinguished himself by the outstanding quality of his research and writing, which employed advanced techniques to shed light on issues of very practical importance,” the Regents noted. “He served in a number of administrative appointments, including interim vice president for academic affairs, interim provost, and associate provost. In addition to his distinguished academic career, he will be remembered for his major contributions to the development and restructuring of the U-M budget.”

Jourdian joined the U-M faculty in 1961. “His work has focused on the biochemistry of glycoproteins and carbohydrates and the relationship of carbohydrate-containing macromolecules to the biology of cartilage. He is best known for discovering the phosphomannosyl receptor, a molecule that controls the trafficking of lysosomal enzymes between intracellular and extracellular compartments. This discovery, reported in 1981, is a landmark achievement. Prof. Jourdian has been a respected and effective teacher of graduate and professional students. His expertise in the biochemistry of glycoconjugates has been sought by colleagues throughout the University and indeed throughout the world.”

Lee, joining the U-M staff in 1977, worked as an assistant, then associate librarian in the Undergraduate Library until 1981. She joined the staff of the Engineering Library as an assistant librarian in 1984 and was promoted to associate librarian in 1988 and senior associate librarian in 1997. “Within the Engineering Library, Ms. Lee took on the challenging duties of selection, reference, and departmental liaison for one of the most prestigious professional schools in the country,” the Regents said. “Over the years, Ms. Lee’s role within the Engineering Library grew. When the Engineering Library merged its operations into the Media Union Library, Ms. Lee was named the head of collection management.”

Rinne joined the U-M-Flint faculty in 1972. “An innovator in the area of classroom management, Prof. Rinne coined the term ‘low profile’ teaching methods in teacher education literature. He demonstrated in his own teaching and public lectures just how effectively skilled teachers can focus student attention on lesson content automatically, without coercion or distraction. In 1991, he invented a futuristic training technology called the Skills System which has been used to train pre-service teachers on the Flint campus and graduate teaching assistants on the Ann Arbor campus.”

Sisson joined the U-M faculty in 1960. “Very early, Dr. Sisson established an outstanding reputation in the new specialty of nuclear medicine, introducing new uses for radioisotopes in the diagnosis and therapeutics of thyroid and adrenal disorders. He attracted patient referrals from distant medical centers and contributed important publications as a leader in the diagnosis of benign and malignant diseases of endocrine organs. At the same time, he filled an important teaching role with medical students and house officers who graded him highly as a model physician. In 1991, the Michigan Chapter of the American College of Physicians honored him with their prestigious Laureate Award.”

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