UMD News Releases

UMD has announced the retirement of six faculty members for the 2006-2007 academic year.

Bo Casserberg, Associate Professor of Physics
Bo Casserberg joined the Physics faculty at UMD in 1968 as an Assistant Professor. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1973 and served as acting department head for several terms during the period of 1988 to 1994. Much of Professor Casserberg's early research focused on experiments with electron spin resonance. More recently his interest has been in electromagnetic theory, especially in fundamental issues associated with the angular momentum of the electromagnetic field. Professor Casserberg received his Ph.D. in Physics from Princeton University in 1968, and an undergraduate physics degree from the University of Minnesota in 1964.

Tom Hedin, Professor of Art History
Tom Hedin began teaching art history at UMD in 1973. A distinguished teacher and scholar, Hedin received the Jean G. Blehart Distinguished Teaching Award in 1985 and the Albert Tezla Teacher-Scholar Award in 1999. He has published widely on the art of the 17th century in France, including a book on the sculptors Gaspard and Balthazard Marsy, and a book on the sculptural program of the Gardens of Versailles. He continues to explore the art of Versailles in a forthcoming book, which will be on the diplomatic function of Versailles' gardens during the reign of Louis XIV. Professor Hedin received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.

Roger Lips, Associate Professor of English
Roger Lips came to UMD in 1970. Over his 37-year career Professor Lips has taught a variety of courses in areas such as American literature, world literature, Asian history and Zen Buddhism. He also served terms as Coordinator of Freshmen Composition and head of the English Department. At UMD, Professor Lips has received the College of Liberal Arts Teaching Award and the Jean G. Blehart Distinguished Teaching Award. He earned his B.A and M.A. degrees from the University of Louisville in English, and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin Madison, where he specialized in colonial American literature.

Jonathan Conant, Associate Professor of German, Department Head
Jonathan Conant came to UMD in 1977. During his 30 years with UMD Conant served as an Associate Professor of German and department head. In addition to the departmental duties, he directed the Program in Linguistics, and served as the Faculty Athletic Representative. Before UMD he was as a visiting professor on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus for two years, and spent six years on the faculty of Brown University. He earned his B.A. in English (1964), and M.Phil. and Ph.D. in Germanic historical linguistics and literature, specializing in Old Icelandic poetry and runology (1968, 1969), from Yale University.

Richard Lichty, Professor of Economics
Richard W. Lichty joined the UMD faculty of the Department of Economics in 1971. He retires as a Professor of Economics from the UMD Labovitz School of Business and Economics (LSBE). His primary areas of teaching were in regional, urban and general economics. Professor Lichty is a past president of the Mid-Continent Regional Science Association. He has co-authored a book on Urban Regional Economics, published numerous articles, and has been active in sponsored research during his career in LSBE. Professor Lichty's awards and recognitions include two Joint Council on Economic Education national citations for innovative teaching of economics, and admission into the University of Minnesota Academy of Distinguished Teachers. He received his B.S.B. degree in Business Administration from Kansas State Teachers College, and M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from Kansas State University.

Jerrold Peterson, Professor of Economics
Jerrold M. Peterson came to the UMD Department of Economics in 1969. He was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 1974, and to full professor in 1980. He retires as a Professor of Economics from the UMD Labovitz School of Business and Economics (LSBE). His research and teaching interests were in the general area of Macroeconomics. Professor Peterson was the first coordinator of the UMD Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) in 1983-1984, and served as director of the LSBE Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) from 1980-1983. He has published numerous articles, and has been active in sponsored research during his career in LSBE. Peterson earned his B.A. degree in Economics from Knox College, and M.A. and Ph.D. degree in Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.