Congratulations to Paula Malone and Janet Gerson on being granted emerita status form the U-M Board of Regents.

Paula and Janet "are gratified to be given this honor. Having collaborated closely in teaching and advising for nearly twenty years, we are pleased to be recognized together."

Retirement Memoir for Paula A. Malone

Paula A. Malone, M.A., lecturer IV in economics in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, retired from active faculty status on May 31,2014. Ms. Malone received her B.A. (1973) and M.A. (1980) degrees from the University of Toledo. She served as an adjunct lecturer at the University of Toledo from 1982-97. She joined the University of Michigan faculty as a lecturer II in 1998, and was promoted through the ranks to Lecturer IV in 2005.

During her years at the University of Michigan, Ms. Malone was an outstanding instructor of the Principles of Microeconomics, a course that often provided students with their first exposure to economics; Economics and Gender, a course she reintroduced into the undergraduate curriculum; Economics of Crime, a new course that she conceived and designed; and Personal Finance, a new course that she advocated for and developed. She also partnered with the LSA Comprehensive Studies Program to design and teach a section of the principles course. Ms. Malone's service to the department included advising and mentoring over 14,000 undergraduate economics majors. Undergraduate students often reported that Ms. Malone was the reason they became interested in studying economics, that she was an inspiration to them, and that she had impacted their educations. Graduate student instructors on her team learned to more effectively communicate economics and manage projects and people. In both teaching and advising, Ms. Malone's thoughtful advice, insight, compassion, nurturance, and encouragement have made a difference to countless students in pursuit of their academic goals. Ms. Malone continues to be professionally active in her new Portland, Oregon community where she volunteers in a financial literacy program and participates in advocacy work.

The Regents now salute this distinguished scholar by naming Paula A. Malone, lecturer IV emerita in economics.

Retirement Memoir for Janet Gerson

Janet Gerson, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer and lecturer IV in economics in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, retired from active faculty status on December 30, 2016. Dr. Gerson received her B.A. (1975) degree from the University of Missouri and her M.A. (1978) and Ph.D. (1981) degrees from the University of Michigan. She joined the University of Michigan faculty as a lecturer in 1983, and was promoted through the ranks to lecturer IV in 2005. In recognition of her superlative teaching and contributions to curricular development she was appointed Senior Lecturer in 2003.

During her years at the University of Michigan, Dr. Gerson provided exemplary teaching, advising, mentoring, and university service. Although she taught most of the courses in the core undergraduate curriculum, she specialized in microeconomic theory and regularly gave students their first exposure to economics in the Principles of Microeconomics course. Her curricular innovations included the conception, development, and teaching of companion courses that enriched the content of standard principles courses and improved student engagement. For example, Dr. Gerson advocated for and developed Economics at Work, a class featuring presentations by and discussions with alumni guests. The class gave students the opportunity not only to discover the inspirational career paths of successful alumni but also to develop insights into the role economics might play in their own careers.

Always a champion for undergraduate students, Dr. Gerson was honored with an LSA Excellence in Concentration Advising Award and nine LSA Excellence in Education Awards. Undergraduate students regularly reported that Dr. Gerson was by far the best teacher they'd had at the university, noting her enthusiasm for the material, her fun attitude, her use of real world examples they could relate to, her dedication to helping students learn, and her respect for them as learners. They credited her with helping them find their own passion and for making the learning of economics something they could enjoy.

The Regents now salute this distinguished scholar by naming Janet Gerson, lecturer IV emerita in economics.