To be filled by Irvin D. Reid when he steps down as president later this year

Wayne State University alumnus and major benefactor Eugene Applebaum, for whom the university’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is named, has pledged $2.1 million through his philanthropic foundation in support of a new urban issues initiative at the university. The initiative will be headed by WSU President Irvin D. Reid after he steps down from the presidency later this year. Establishment of the Eugene Applebaum Chair of Community Engagement was announced at the Jan. 30 meeting of the university’s Board of Governors.

The chair will allow Reid to lead a variety of scholarly and public service activities targeting critical urban concerns from regional, national and global perspectives. These areas of concentration include sustainability and other environmental topics; health disparities in the urban environment; children’s issues; and urban economic development. Among these activities will be the continuation of the Forum on Contemporary Issues in Society, or FOCIS program, a high-level lecture series which Reid launched last fall. The chair also is expected to include mechanisms for promoting student research projects and sponsoring a faculty fellowship program.

“Throughout our history Wayne State has sought to be a good neighbor and an active partner with Detroit and its surrounding communities,” Reid said. “As president I have tried to strengthen these relationships by diversifying and enriching the university’s contributions to this area’s social, cultural and economic life. I think we have much to learn from the city, and much to give back in return. This chair is the logical next step for me, as a way to continue serving the people of Detroit and Southeast Michigan through the university’s unique resources while helping accelerate Wayne State’s emergence as a leading urban center for scholarship and community service.

“I am especially grateful to Eugene Applebaum for his friendship and his continuing generosity to both the university and the city. This chair, which is named in his honor, symbolizes his continuing confidence in the city’s future and in the university’s ability to be a positive force in that future.”

In a letter to Susan Burns, WSU vice president for development and alumni affairs, Applebaum noted that he and Reid share optimism about Detroit’s future and that he has been impressed by the president’s accomplishments at Wayne State.

“President Reid has established a solid foundation for his presidency through careful planning, creative thinking and strategic decision-making that has been a catalyst for change,” Applebaum said. “Time and again, he has shown the way through his leadership and vision.

“My confidence in President Reid and my firm belief that there is still more he can do to foster Wayne State University’s engagement with the city of Detroit, prompted my support for this new chair. I know he is up to the challenge, and I am excited about the possibilities that lie ahead.”

Added Eugene Driker, chair of Wayne State’s Board of Governors, “I am delighted that Irv is remaining with the university where he can continue to make his vision a reality.”

As holder of the Applebaum Chair, Reid will help the university develop programs that encourage both scholarship on urban issues and service to the city by faculty and students. He also will expand strategic partnerships with local business and community organizations to support economic development in Detroit and help train new leadership for the city’s future.

Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 11 schools and colleges to more than 33,000 students.