Universities Weblog

Dr. Irvin D. Reid has changed Wayne State University. Now, at the age of 66 and after a decade of service to the institution, Dr. Reid is leaving the institution for retirement.

Reid's is widely credited for taking the institution from a commuter college to a major academic institution. His resignation is not effective until 2008.

A press statement release by the university quoted the Chairman of the university's board of governors, Eugene Driker:

President Reid will leave us with a great deal of positive momentum, and his impact is evident throughout our campus, the city of Detroit and the state of Michigan. Among his most important accomplishments are: a significant growth in student enrollment-more than doubling the number of residential students; the strengthening of both our teaching and research missions; establishment of the Perinatology Research Branch of the National Institutes of Health; expansion of our Honors Program; the launch of TechTown, home to dozens of high-tech businesses that are bringing new jobs and investments to the city; major improvements in the university's technological infrastructure; and the addition of many new buildings to the campus, making it the linchpin for the remarkable revitalization of Midtown Detroit.

Student enrollment grew by over two thousand students while Reid was president and he oversaw a billion dollars worth of construction in his time at Wayne State – including three new dorms.

Frank Wu, dean of the University's law school, said that Reid had been "an inspiring leader" for the institution. "He has had vision and an ability to realize that vision. He transformed the campus, while making the institution a catalyst for economic growth in the area and throughout the city. He has been a phenomenal fundraiser. He also has established good relationships between the administration and the faculty. His example is admirable."

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