Retiring Faculty 2021-2022
James Allert, Computer Science, SCSE
James Allert is a UMD alumnus. He received his MSc from the London School of Economics and an Ed.D. from the University of Minnesota. He was a recipient of the Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence in 2019 and is the author of an introductory textbook in computer science and books, journal articles and other publications in a variety of fields. He was an invited speaker at ABET and other national assessment conferences on multiple occasions. In his 44 years at UMD he was associated with a number of research and teaching departments. He says, "It was my pleasure to instruct over 16,000 students."
Stanley Burns, Electrical Engineering, SCSE
Stan Burns received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in EE from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After graduation in 1972, he joined the faculty at Iowa State University in the Microelectronics Research Center where he developed an NSF REU program in semiconductor device processing. His research was in the design and realization of amorphous and microcrystalline silicon thin film transistor-based ULSI circuits fabricated on flexible substrates. He joined the UMD Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, now Electrical Engineering, as department head in 1998 and later served as SCSE associate dean. He was instrumental in multiple ABET accreditation efforts. His research included exploiting the piezoelectric properties of thin-film AlN for high-frequency systems and chemical sensors. He is co-author of Principles of Electronic Circuits. At ISU and UMD, he taught courses in semiconductor physics and device processing and analog electronic circuit design. He is a senior member of the IEEE and ASEE.
Timothy Colburn, Computer Science, SCSE
Tim Colburn graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1974 and went on to receive his Ph.D. in philosophy from Brown University in 1979. He added an M.S. in computer science from Michigan State University in 1981 and worked as a research scientist in aerospace and defense for Honeywell in Minneapolis in the mid-1980s. Wanting to be closer to his cabin on Lake Superior, he joined the fledgling Computer Science department at UMD in 1988 and taught there for 34 years. He developed the honors computer science curriculum, a pivotal course on software analysis and design, and a course on computer ethics. He was the only department career advisor and internship coordinator during his career. He was a journal book review editor for 15 years and published a number of articles and two books at the intersection of philosophy and computer science. He hopes to publish a third book in retirement.
John Goodge, Earth & Environmental Sciences, SCSE
John joined the UMD faculty in 2002. He has a BA from Carleton College, an MS from University of Montana, and a Ph.D. from UCLA, all in geology. John has published widely in the fields of geology, tectonics, petrology, and geochronology, particularly in areas of the North American Cordillera and Antarctica. Over the course of 15 research expeditions to "the ice," he has made fundamental contributions to the geology of Antarctica, including evolution of its Precambrian shield and tectonic development of the Transantarctic Mountains. "Goodge Col", a mountain saddle below the highest point in Antarctica at the summit of Mt. Vinson, is named in recognition of Goodge's contributions to Antarctic geology. John is co-lead investigator of the Rapid Access Ice Drill, a new research drilling platform. He is a fellow of the Geological Society of America, a past editor of Lithosphere and associate editor of Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems. At UMD, he received the Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Research and the Outstanding Teaching Award from the University of Minnesota Center for Educational Innovation.
Sheryl Grana, Anthropology/Sociology/Criminology, CAHSS
Sheryl joined the UMD faculty in the Fall of 1991 after earning her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska Lincoln. Her expertise is in areas of social inequality, and she has taught in her home department (originally Sociology and Anthropology) as well as in Women's Studies and the African African American Studies program. The majority of Sheryl's publications have examined areas within either the sociology of law or the sociology of women and/or the interface of those topics. She has chaired both Soc-Anth and Women's Studies. She has served as associate dean of the (previous) College of Liberal Arts, and has sat on innumerable committees over 30 years. She is proud of her work which brings social justice to the forefront and will continue those efforts in retirement.
Vicki Hansen, Earth & Environmental Sciences, SCSE
Vicki joined the UMD faculty in 2002 as McKnight Presidential Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, after 15 years at Southern Methodist University (SMU). She earned a BA from Carleton College, an MS from University of Montana, and a PhD from UCLA. Vicki’s research initially focused on large-scale questions related to plate tectonics, including: How does subduction work? How do mountain belts evolve? Her investigations expanded to the global-scale evolution of sister planets Venus and Earth, including: How did major features on Venus form? How were early Earth and Venus similar? How did their evolutionary paths diverge? How did Earth’s plate tectonics start? How does Venus cool? Vicki involved students at all research levels, sharing awe, excitement, and respect for scientific inquiry. Hansen is a fellow of the Geological Society of America; she was chair of the GSA Structural Geology & Tectonics Division and associate editor for several journals. At SMU Vicki received the Sigma Xi Outstanding Research Award and Phi Beta Kappa Perrine Prize. At UMD she received the Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Research.
Jonathan Maps, Physics, SCSE
Jonathan Maps completed his Ph.D. in physics at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, working on superfluidity in liquid helium. After a post-doctoral stint at the southern branch of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, he joined UMD in 1987. He taught a wide range of courses at all levels, with a particularly sustained involvement in the department's laboratory courses, and piloted efforts in active learning delivery of the general physics sequence. Twenty-five M.S. students completed degrees with him. He received the Jean G. Blehart Distinguished Teaching Award in 2017.
William Payne, Theatre, CAHSS
Bill Payne earned a B.A. in theatre from Ashland University in 1982 and an M.F.A. in stage direction from Northwestern University in 1990. He complete 29 years at UMD as a professor of acting and directing, a champion of civic engagement, an American Democracy Project Global Scholar, and a dean of the School of Fine Arts (now CAHSS). He has produced and directed many theatre productions in Duluth, Chicago, and other national and international venues. He currently serves as a board member of the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council, as a member of the NAACP Economic Committee, and will continue to pursue freelance citizen artistry..
Gerald Pepper, Communication, CAHSS & Academic Affairs
Jerry Pepper earned B.A.A. degrees in communication and English from UMD in 1978, his M.A. in communication from Purdue University in 1981, and his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1987. He taught high school English and in 1986 joined the UMD faculty. He spent 19 years in the Department of Communication, six years as associate dean of College of Liberal Arts (now CAHSS), and 10 years as associate vice chancellor for undergraduate education. His teaching and research focused on organizational communication, group communication, and conflict management. He served as president of the Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota and has been honored with several teaching, advising, research, and service awards. One of his proudest professional accomplishments was helping to develop peer mediation programs in Duluth elementary, middle, and high schools..
Deborah Petersen-Perlman, Communication, CAHSS
Deborah Petersen-Perlman came to UMD in 1988 as an assistant professor in the Department of Communication. She served as the campus director of the Office of Equal Opportunity for 16 years before returning to full time teaching in 2011, later serving as associate department head of communication and the journalism program director. She taught in UMD's Study in England program and co-led a study abroad course to Poland on the history of the Holocaust. She has chaired the Baeumler Kaplan Holocaust Commemoration Committee for over two decades and also chaired UMD's Commission on Women, as well as other committees dedicated to social change. She recently received the Albert Tezla Teacher/Scholar Award.
Alan Roline, Accounting & Finance, LSBE
Alan Roline joined UMD after working as a lawyer at Coopers & Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) in Minneapolis, and the law department of Minnesota Power & Light Co. (now Allete) in Duluth. He retired from UMD after 29 years of teaching Business Law, serving as chair of the Department of Accounting for 14 years, and finally as director of the Labovitz MBA Programs for five years. Over the course of his career, Roline published multiple articles in both law and business journals, encouraged the integration of laptop technology and active learning into the accounting curriculum, and led the MBA program to the No. 2 ranked spot of part time MBA programs in Minnesota (after the Carlson School). During his tenure as director, the Labovitz MBA Program expanded in both Rochester and Duluth and increased the program offerings. He is particularly proud of the expansion of study abroad opportunities for students in LSBE. After having first taught in UMD's Study in England Programme in 2002, Roline subsequently led study abroad experiences for UMD students to Norway, India, and Australia.
Also Retired: Adrian Hanson, Civil Engineering, SCSE