Vice chair to head SACUA

By Whitney Elliott

Daily Staff Reporter

Jacqueline Lawson, chair of the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs and an associate English professor at the University's Dearborn campus, died last week following a brief illness. She was 49.

SACUA Vice Chair Moji Navvab, an associate Architecture and Urban Planning professor, will take over for Lawson until April, when her term was set to expire.

John Riebesell, an associate biology professor at Dearborn who worked closely with Lawson on the Dearborn Faculty Senate, plans to speak about Lawson next Monday at the monthly meeting of the University's Senate Assembly. Lawson died Jan. 8.

"When I was working with Jackie on Faculty Senate, I was happy to have her to turn to," Riebesell said.

At the Dearborn campus, Lawson taught courses in 18th Century British and 20th Century American literature, media law and ethics and the history of journalism.

Dearborn Chancellor Daniel Little said in an e-mail to students and faculty on campus that Lawson "made a powerful mark on the institution during her years at UM-Dearborn, and profoundly affected all with whom she interacted, including students, faculty, and staff."

"She will be remembered for her clear strong voice. ... It is a real loss for this com munity," Little said yesterday.

University Provost Nancy Cantor said she feels privileged to have worked with Lawson.

"Jackie was a person of intellectual integrity and decency. I will greatly miss her as a colleague and as a friend," Cantor said in a written statement.

At Dearborn, Lawson served on numerous governance campus communities, and was chair of the Faculty Senate in 1995-1996. She served as the campus' representative to the University's Senate Assembly for three years.

Lawson was elected as SACUA chair for the 2000-2001 academic year. Lawson was the first member of the Dearborn or Flint campuses elected to serve as SACUA chair.

"Jackie was a wonderful person and terrific faculty leader. Her death is a tremendous loss," Vice President for Medical Affairs Gil Omenn said in a written statement.

Lawson earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from Western Washington University. She went on to earn her master's degree in English from Simmons College and a doctorate in English from Brown University.

"We will remember her for her intellectual vitality, her concern for the University, and her unflagging willingness to speak her mind about the issues that were important to her," Little said in his e-mail to the Dearborn campus.

Little said Lawson stimulated loyalty and affection from her colleagues and students.

"One of the things I really appreciated was her intellectual ability. She was intense. She cared about the issues. She was able to express her thoughts with great clarity," he said.