Lynette Rae, administrator of the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, is retiring after more than 30 years with Wayne State University, including 27 years of service to the School of Medicine.

Her department will host a party in her honor Sept. 27 from 2 to 5 p.m. in Scott Hall, Room 7370. All are welcome to stop by and share stories.

Rae graduated with a bachelor's degree from WSU in 1970. After some time working for former Detroit retailer Hudson's, she joined the WSU Department of Purchasing in 1985. She later moved to the School of Medicine, working for many years under Paul Montgomery, Ph.D., in what was then known as the Department of Immunology and Microbiology before the recent melding with the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

"Departmental administrators have complex and challenging jobs. Their responsibilities span finances - both grant and departmental-related - grant submissions, academic and social activities of students, hiring, selective salary and promotions faculty, space management, managing departmental administrative staff, equipment repair, maintenance and more," said Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry Professor and Chair Philip Pellett, Ph.D.

Rae is admired, respected and loved by students and faculty alike, he said, and she is considered a peer leader among department administrators.

"Diplomatic skills are extremely important, an area in which Lynette excelled. Lynette has consistently done her job with high energy and deep consideration of how her activities can best benefit the department and the people in it, as well as doing things in a way that serves the mission and needs of the School of Medicine and the larger university," Dr. Pellett shared.

Joe Fiore, who recently served as the Department of Biochemistry administrator and worked with Rae for the last year, will be the combined department's lead administrator moving forward.