Associate Professor of Kresge Library
Area of Recognition: Service
In her more than 30 years at Oakland University, Mildred Merz has achieved a distinguished record of service, including longstanding contributions to the Graduate Council, the University Committee on Undergraduate Instruction (UCUI), and the Library Committee on Appointment and Promotion, chairing that body through numerous searches and revisions of the review criteria. She also has served on the Faculty Reemployment Committee (FRPC) (including multiple terms as chair). Her energy, grasp of detail and willingness to go the extra mile are always evident. At the state level, Merz is an influential voice for Oakland University in the statewide Collection Development in Academic Libraries Group. By cultivating good relationships with other libraries in the state she furthered statewide cooperation in collection development. In an era when group collaboration on electronic resource purchases is ever more important for ensuring our ability to meet the research needs of students, Merz’s statewide service gives Oakland an important voice in the shaping of these collaborative endeavors. Her exemplary record of service at Oakland, her standing among the faculty and her organizational skills made her the obvious choice to serve as associate coordinator of the Higher Learning Commission/North Central Association Self-Study for Accreditation, a vital process at this critical juncture of Oakland’s evolution. Within the library, across the state, and within OU, Merz’s dedication to service always makes a difference.