The Offices for Faculty and the Senior Vice President's offices hosted a Retirement Brunch on Tuesday, May 9th 2023 to honor and celebrate University faculty who retired between June 2019 and June 2023!
We were so pleased to not only be able to bring back this time-honored tradition of celebrating faculty retiring at the end of the academic year but to also be able to welcome back and honor many of the esteemed faculty whose retirements went previously unacknowledged due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"You have all played a significant role in shaping the lives of our students and contributing to the growth and success of the University of Utah. Your commitment to excellence and dedication in your respective fields has not gone unnoticed. Your legacy will not be forgotten, as your contributions will continue to impact our university for many years to come." - Rob Scott Smith, Emcee for Retirement Brunch
Quick Stats
These numbers represent University of Utah faculty who retired between July 1st 2019 and July 1st 2023
39
Retirees with 40+ years at the U
314
Retirees
64 years
Longest tenure at the U
Words from our Retirees
We asked all the retirees who attended the luncheon to consider their answer for one or more of these three questions:
What are you most proud of in your career?
What is your favorite memory at the U?
What's the best and worst thing about retirement?
See some of their responses below:
Karen Johnson
Education, Culture & SocietyKaren Johnson
Education, Culture & SocietyWhat is your favorite memory at the U?
"Nov. 2015 - Central administration (in particular the admins of Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion) held a public rally to give voice to students to hear their concerns about the U's commitment to EDI issues. Over the years, I saw the UofU implement policies/practices that reflect a commitment to EDI issues."
What's the Best and Worst thing about retirement?
- Best: "I get to sleep long hours; don't have to answer emails or grade papers!"
- "Worst: I'm still trying to figure out my new identity."
Peggy McCandless
Urban Institute of TeacherPeggy McCandless
Urban Institute of TeacherWhat is your favorite memory at the U?
"My favorite memory is watching our teacher candidates grow into amazing leaders in the community."
What's the Best and Worst thing about retirement?
- Best: "The best thing about retirement is enjoying time traveling with family and friends."
- Worst: "The worst is leaving my UITE family."
Erich Peterson
Geology & GeophysicsErich Peterson
Geology & GeophysicsWhat are you most proud of in your career?
"Receiving the Marseden Award from SEG (Society of Economic Geologist) for contribution in taking students from all over the world to all over the world."
What is your favorite memory at the U?
"Hiking and biking with emeriti faculty."
What's the Best thing about retirement?
- Best: "Continuing interaction with former students and going on field trips."
Marlene Egger
Family and Preventive MedicineMarlene Egger
Family and Preventive MedicineWhat are you most proud of in your career?
"Surviving as a women in a medical school to become a Professor Emertus."
What is your favorite memory at the U?
"I'm sure someone else remembers this better, but I recall the September faculty breakfast when Mario Capecchi (not yet a Nobel winner) got up and said something critical or demanding to President Chase Peterson, and Chase said something like "Well, Mario, you can be a difficult person to work with.""
What's the Best and Worst thing about retirement?
- Best: "The license to play!"
- Worst: "Realizing that 20 years from now, I will wish for the body I have now..."
Pierre Sokolsky
Physics & AstronomyPierre Sokolsky
Physics & AstronomyWhat's the Best and Worst thing about retirement?
- Best: "Continuing to work 12 hour days."
- Worst: "Continuing to work 12 hour days."
Peregrine Schwartz-Shea
Political SciencePeregrine Schwartz-Shea
Political ScienceWhat are you most proud of in your career?
"Helping a colleague found an interpretive methodologies & methods community within the political science discipline."
What is your favorite memory at the U?
"I always enjoyed review sessions with undergraduate students before exams - really! Especially in Gender and Politics!"
What's the Best and Worst thing about retirement?
- Best: "Sleep, exercise, & travel as much as I want! Doing academic work that I enjoy!"
- Worst: "Nothing!"
Jan D Miller
Materials Science and EngineeringJan D Miller
Materials Science and EngineeringWhat are you most proud of in your career?
"Able to impact the lives of more than 100 graduate students."
"Receiving the Rosenblatt Award 2015"
What is your favorite memory at the U?
"Opportunity for International Research Collaborations - "Around the World in 55 years""
What's the Worst thing about retirement?
- Worst: "Cleaning out my office after 55 years!"
Jo Yaffe
Social WorkJo Yaffe
Social WorkWhat are you most proud of in your career?
- "Changing the fight song"
- "Getting the U to provide "partner benefits""
- "Negotiating partner benefits"
Steve Roens
School of MusicSteve Roens
School of MusicWhat are you most proud of in your career?
"Creating and having published a CD of my own music."
What is your favorite memory at the U?
"Anyone of many moments in my graduate music theory analysis seminar."
What's the Best and Worst thing about retirement?
- Best: "More time to compose and exercise!"
- Worst: "Less time working with other people."
List of Retirees
-
Name
Department Name
Years of Service
Paul Burgess College of Health 52 years Angela Deneris Nursing 29 years, 6 months Kenneth Embley Political Science 25 years James Graves College of Health 16 years, 2 months Susan Hall Nursing 13 years N Harline School of Accounting 37 years, 4 months Sandra Hasstedt Human Genetics 32 years, 8 months Rosemarie Hunter Social Work 23 years, 8 months Chris Jones Neurology 33 years, 4 months Christopher Lehman Pathology 22 years, 3 months Alan Lindsay Pediatrics 39 years, 5 months Glenn Prestwich Pharmacy 23 years Jackie Smith Nursing 27 years, 4 months Brent Snow Surgery 35 years, 1 month John Sperry School of Biological Sciences 30 years, 6 months Mary Jane Taylor Social Work 32 years, 9 months James Winkler School of Dentistry 5 years -
Name
Department Name
Years of Service
Daniel Adams Mechanical Engineering 23 years David Ailion Physics & Astronomy 55 years, 11 months John Bartley Geology & Geophysics 35 years Richard Barton Surgery 29 years, 7 months Theresa Bernal Nursing 16 years, 4 months David Bjorkman Internal Medicine 35 years, 1 month Susan Bock Biomedical Engineering 23 years, 4 months John Bowman Geology & Geophysics 43 years, 7 months Ellen Bromberg School of Dance 22 years Barbara Brown Family & Consumer Studies 34 years, 3 months Rebecca Buxton Pathology 21 years, 6 months Felipe Calizaya Mining Engineering 18 years, 6 months Grant Cannon Internal Medicine 35 years, 7 months Xinjian Chen Pathology 15 years, 4 months Leonard Chiarelli J Willard Marriott Library 48 years, 8 months Phyllis D. Coley Biological Sciences 39 years Barbara Crouch Pharmacy 29 years, 4 months Weilliam Crowley Pharmacy 20 years, 11 months Amy Cutting Nursing 31 years, 9 months Mary Ann Dresher School of Music 22 years, 9 months Gary Drews Biological Sciences 27 years, 7 months Corwin Edwards Internal Medicine 43 years, 6 months Sherri Evershed Nursing 13 years Karin Fladmoe-Lindquist Entrepreneurship & Strategy 29 years, 8 months Mary Foye College of Health 16 years, 10 months John Funk Urban Institute for Teacher Education 22 years, 9 months Michael Gardner Educational Psychology 37 years, 9 months Martha Glenn Internal Medicine 23 years, 4 months David Goldgar Dermatology 33 years, 6 months Evelyn Gopez Pathology 23 years, 3 months Claudia Goulston Internal Medicine 14 years, 3 months Scott Hagen School of Music 29 years, 3 months Charles Hansen School of Computing 23 years, 6 months Meg Harper LEAP & Early College 20 years, 11 months Tom Hoffman Art & Art History 19 years Russ Isabella Family & Consumer Studies 31 years, 3 months David Kiefer Economics 40 years, 11 months Jerald King Pediatrics 36 years Donald Kohan Internal Medicine 30 years, 3 months William Kutchera Internal Medicine 24 years, 6 months Bernard Lasalle Biomedical Informatics Research 19 years, 4 months Lawrence ("Hank") Liese Social Work 27 years Ralph Mabey S.J. Quinney College of Law 13 years, 10 months Scott Miller Radiology 42 years, 9 months Stephen Morris Surgery 31 years, 1 month Jan Morse Nursing 13 years, 8 months Catherine Nelson Special Education 27 years, 7 months Robert Nelson Department of Theatre 15 years, 3 months Carolan Ownby LEAP & Early College 25 years, 7 months Scott Parker Operations & Information Systems 11 years, 8 months Kristen Paul Special Education 17 years, 10 months Erich Petersen Geology & Geophysics 37 years, 1 months (Phyllis) Kathy Pope School of Music 30 years, 8 months Elizabeth Prystas Internal Medicine 5 years, 1 month John S. Reed History 19 years, 10 months Jo-Anna Reems Internal Medicine 8 years William Richards S.J. Quinney College of Law 32 years, 5 months Steven Roens School of Music 30 years Brenda Scheer City & Metropolitan Planning 18 years Gary Schoenwolf Neurobiology Labs 40 years, 6 months Peregrine Schwartz-Shea Political Science 36 years Harry Senekjian Internal Medicine 36 years, 7 months Dinesh Shetty Materials Science and Engineering 35 years, 1 months Nathan Smale Mathematics 32 years Pierre Sokolsky Physics & Astronomy 39 years, 1 months Kenneth Spitzer Internal Medicine 40 years, 6 months Mark de St. Aubin Social Work 24 years, 5 months Diana Stafforini Internal Medicine 30 years, 2 months Russell Stewart Biomedical Engineering 26 years Randall Stewart World Languages & Cultures 33 years David Stillman Pathology 33 years, 11 months Aster Tecle Social Work 8 years Melanie Thon English 20 years Christopher Tietze Internal Medicine 29 years, 6 months Donald Vernon Pediatrics 32 years, 6 months Karl Voelkerding Pathology 16 years, 6 months John Weis Internal Medicine 29 years, 4 months Clayton Williams Physics & Astronomy 29 years, 11 months Carl Wittwer Pathology 32 years Dan Woltz Educational Psychology 29 years, 11 months Robert Wood School of Dance 22 years, 4 months Hassan Yaish Pediatrics 16 years, 8 months Joe Zachary School of Computing 33 years -
Name
Department Name
Years of Service
Kurt Bernhisel Emergency Medicine 36 years, 7 months Denny Berry Barton Department of Theatre 9 years, 2 months Cihan Bilginsoy Economics 27 years, 6 months Jeffrey Botkin Pediatrics 29 years Sandra Brunvand Art & Art History 17 years, 6 months Lowry Bushnell Psychiatry 35 years, 11 months Nilufer Cagatay Economics 30 years, 6 months John Carey Pediatrics 42 years Douglas Carrell Surgery 24 years, 8 months George Cassiday Physics & Astronomy 51 years, 6 months Margaret Clayton Nursing 16 years Daniel Clegg Internal Medicine 38 years, 6 months Julia Corbett Communication 27 years Danny Crouse DFPM 26 years, 1 month Jacques D'Astous Orthopedic Surgery Operations 25 years, 10 months Edward Davies History 44 years David Derezotes Social Work 31 years, 11 months Janice Dole Educational Psychology 33 years Daniel Dustin Health 15 years Marlenne Egger DFPM 42 years, 3 months Martha Eining School of Accounting 33 years, 10 months Richard Ernst Chemistry 44 years Monica Ferguson Urban Institute of Teacher Education 21 years, 10 months Robert Flores S.J. Quinney College of Law 30 years, 9 months Carol Foster Pediatrics 15 years, 11 months Laurie Fue Health 23 years Daniel Fults Neurosurgery 34 years, 1 month Robert Goldberg History 41 years Constance Goldgar DFPM 13 years, 4 months Edgar Goldston Neurosurgery 24 years, 7 months Franz Goller Biological Sciences 22 years, 10 months Douglas Gray Psychiatry 30 years, 6 months Douglas Hacker Educational Psychology 22 years Michael Hardman Special Education 46 years, 10 months H Harnsberger Radiology 38 years, 6 months Frank Harris Physics & Astronomy 53 years Marouf Hasian Communication 22 years, 6 months Harry Hill Pathology 47 years, 2 months William Hoffmann The Honors College 28 years, 9 months Ann Hutton Nursing 52 years, 8 months William Jenson Educational Psychology 37 years, 9 months Jamie Kamm Pathology 32 years, 7 months Michael Kane Health 19 years, 4 months Cheng-Hua Kerr World Languages & Cultures 25 years Terry Kogan S.J. Quinney College of Law 37 years Nicholas Korevaar Mathematics 33 years Evert Lawton Civil & Environmental Engineering 30 years, 2 months Thomas Lund S.J. Quinney College of Law 22 years, 5 months Connie Madden Nursing 21 years, 10 months Michael Magill DFPM 26 years, 5 months John McDonnell Special Education 36 years, 11 months Laurence Meyer Dermatology 33 years David Moody Pharmacy 34 years, 11 months Tariq Mughal Operations & Information Systems 22 years, 3 months Sean Mulvihill Surgery 20 years, 8 months Harlan Muntz Otolaryngology Division 20 years, 6 months Mary Murray Pediatrics 19 years Nalini Nadkarni Biological Sciences 9 years, 10 months Ernest Norlin Pediatrics 34 years, 3 months Lenora Olson Pediatrics 22 years, 2 months Leon Pahler DFPM 15 years, 9 months Cheryl Palmer Pathology 8 years, 11 months Sherrie Perkins Pathology 31 years, 1 month Kristina Pierce Pathology 3 years, 2 months Leissa Roberts Nursing 28 years Wes Sasaki-Uemura History 28 years Clough Shelton Otolaryngology Division 27 years Ken Smith Family & Consumer Studies 39 years Larry Smith Social Work 49 years, 6 months Linda Smith School of Dance 30 years, 3 months Alan Smith School of Dentistry 37 years, 8 months Scott Sorensen Social Work 19 years, 4 months Peter Stevens Orthopedic Surgery Operations 42 years, 4 months Robert Tatum English 39 years Stephen Tatum English 39 years Gregory Thompson J Willard Marriott Library 54 years, 3 months Yanqi Tong Political Science 31 years Barbara Wilson Nursing 9 years, 1 month Madolin Witte Pediatrics 33 years, 2 months Joanne Yaffe Social Work 33 years, 10 months Cathleen Zick Family & Consumer Studies 39 years -
Name
Department Name
Years of Service
Robert Adler S.J. Quinney College of Law 28 years Zeinab A. Afify Pediatrics 20 years, 1 month Sharon Aiken-Wisniewski Educational Policy & Leadership 19 years, 10 months Peggy Allen Nursing 22 years, 8 months Larry Bench Sociology 29 years, 3 months Joe Biskupiak Pharmacy 20 years, 3 months Don Blumenthal Pharmacy 32 years, 2 months Philip Bossart Emergency Medicine 37 years, 8 months Lisa Cannon-Albright Internal Medicine 33 years, 8 months Mark Cantor Health 17 years, 3 months Mike Caserta Nursing 32 years, 11 months Elaine Cohen School of Computing 48 years, 1 month Ronald Day Pediatrics 32 years, 2 months Willard Dere Internal Medicine 7 years, 8 months Carleton DeTar Physics & Astronomy 44 years David Dinter Geology & Geophysics 26 years, 8 months John Doane Internal Medicine 23 years Harold Dunn Orthopaedics 52 years, 11 months Marcia Feldkamp Pediatrics 20 years, 6 months Norman Foster Neurology 16 years, 11 months Lorise Gahring Internal Medicine 28 years, 3 months Michael Edward Gilbert Internal Medicine 34 years Richard Green Political Science 20 years, 6 months John Greenlee Neurology 35 years, 6 months Joan Gregory Eccles Health Science Library 34 years, 6 months Bradford Hare Anesthesiology 42 years, 6 months Stephen Hartsell Emergency Medicine 36 years, 1 month John Hoffman Radiology 17 years, 4 months John Hoidal Internal Medicine 34 years, 5 months Rod Hopkins Social Work 31 years, 2 months John Houchins Family and Preventive Medicine 34 years Christopher Jackson Internal Medicine 32 years, 8 months William Jackson Pediatrics 32 years, 6 months Karen Johnson Education, Culture & Society 21 years Richard Kanner Internal Medicine 51 years, 7 months Lynne Kerr Pediatrics 28 years, 10 months Susan Kirby Nursing 23 years, 11 months Paul Lastayo Health 18 years, 11 months Howard. Lehman Political Science 35 years, 11 months Alan Light Anesthesiology 22 years, 6 months April Love J Willard Marriott Library 18 years Duane Luptak Social Work 16 years, 8 months Kimberly Mangun Communication 16 years, 6 months Pamela Mathy Health 9 years Wayne McCormack S.J. Quinney College of Law 44 years Sanford Meek Mechanical Engineering 47 years, 3 months Joel S. Miller Chemistry 29 years, 7 months Paul Morris Political Science 30 years, 6 months Kathryn Morton Radiology 35 years, 1 month Richard Moss Dermatology 35 years, 6 months Daureen Nesdill J Willard Marriott Library 19 years, 10 months Teresa Pavia Marketing 34 years, 2 months Debra Penney Nursing 21 years, 3 months Charles Peterson Obstetrics And Gynecology 32 years, 6 months Terry Ring Chemical Engineering 30 years Scott Rogers Neurobiology 28 years, 6 months Susan Sanderson Pediatrics 22 years, 4 months Richard Schmidt Neurosurgery 28 years, 4 months Mary Sheetz Pediatrics 23 years, 6 months Dinesh Shetty Materials Science & Engineering 36 years, 10 months Phil Smith Chemical Engineering 32 years Richard Sperry Anesthesiology 35 years Thomas Stillinger English 29 years, 9 months Anne Sturrock Internal Medicine 33 years, 4 months Wade Sumowitz Pathology 34 years, 11 months Audrey Thompson Education, Culture & Society 32 years Thanh N. Truong Chemistry 30 years Don Tucker Mathematics 64 years Kent Udell Mechanical Engineering 16 years, 10 months Charlene Weir Biomedical Informatics 27 years, 11 months Christof Westenfelder Internal Medicine 38 years, 6 months Thomas Winter Radiology and Imaging Sciences 13 years, 9 months Yong-Shi Wu Physics & Astronomy 37 years, 4 months -
Name
Department Name
Years of Service
Michael Bastiani School of Biological Sciences 36 years Gunseli Berik Economics 28 years, 11 months Robert Blaylock Pathology 32 years, 8 months Kelly S. Bricker Parks, Recreation, and Tourism 16 Years Elizabeth Cashdan Anthropology 34 years, 11 months Richard Cawthon Human Genetics 30 years, 8 months Judy Daly Pathology 38 years, 10 months Ann Darling Communication 40 years, 11 months Tamara Ekker Nursing 10 years, 8 months Don Feener Biological Sciences 33 years, 8 months Robert Fujinami Pathology 32 Years, 9 months Ed Gappmaier Physical Therapy and Athletic Training 30 years, 9 months Jerry Gardner Department of Theatre 26 years, 9 months Vladimir Hlady Biomedical Engineering 30 Years, 9 months Howard Horwitz English 33 years John Hurdle Biomedical Informatics 26 years, 10 months Chris Ireland Pharmacy 40 years Xan Johnson Department of Theatre 41 years Nancy Lombardo Eccles Health Science Library 28 years, 2 months Gerald G. Krueger Dermatology 50 years, 6 months Robin Marcus Physical Therapy and Athletic Training 37 years Frank Margonis Education, Culture & Society 25 years Richard Martini Psychiatry 14 years, 10 months Peggy McCandless Urban Institute of Teacher Education 31 years, 10 months Julie Metos Nutrition and Integrative Physiology 29 years, 9 months Jan Miller Department of Materials Science and Engineering 55 years Mohammad Mirfakhrai J Willard Marriott Library 35 years, 4 months Michael G Nelson Mining Engineering 23 years, 11 months Rob O’Neill Special Education 28 year, 10 months Lance Olsen English 16 years Adrian Palmer Linguistics 48 years James Pechmann Geology & Geophysics 40 years, 3 months Janiece Pompa Educational Psychology 37 years G. Lynn Powell School of Dentistry 39 years, 4 months Pollie Marie Price Occupational and Recreational Therapies 18 years, 11 months Alan Rogers Anthropology 34 years, 11 months Robert S Richards School of Dentistry 37 years, 8 months Gerald "Jerry" Root World Languages & Cultures 32 years, 6 months Vincent Salomonson Geography 18 years Debra Scammon Marketing 47 years, 11 months Brent Schneider School of Dance 26 years, 11 months Jon Seger School of Biological Sciences 37 years Geoffrey Silcox Chemical Engineering 35 years, 6 months Alexander Skibine S.J. Quinney College of Law 34 years Barbara Smith Department of Theatre 29 years Brian Snapp Art & Art History 24 years Catherine Staes Nursing 16 years, 6 months Weiya Tsai Operations & Information Systems 19 years, 8 months Michael W. Varner Obstetrics/Gynecology 35 years, 9 months Johanna Watzinger-Tharp Linguistics 33 years