Senior associate provost named among Esteemed Women of Michigan

Oakland University's senior associate provost Susan M. Awbrey, Ph.D., was honored at the Esteemed Women of Michigan event on Monday, Sept. 29.

Susan M. Awbrey, Ph.D., senior associate provost at Oakland University has been selected as one of this year’s Esteemed Women of Michigan and was honored at an awards luncheon at the Royal Park Hotel in Rochester on Monday, Sept. 29.

This event honors women of Michigan who have made extraordinary contributions through personal, volunteer and professional avenues. These are women of diverse backgrounds and professions that inspire other women to tackle challenges and make a positive difference. The awards acknowledge these women and their contributions to individuals, communities and the state.

Dr. Awbrey joined Oakland University in 1991. She has been an integral member of the OU community, serving as a faculty member, department chair, vice provost, and senior associate provost prior to becoming interim senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. Dr. Awbrey’s Ph.D. combined the study of education, psychology, neuroscience and mathematics to explore ways of unlocking human creativity.

As a professor of education, her research focuses on effective organizational design, development and change in higher education institutions. She has authored and co-authored numerous publications and conference papers on these topics. Early in her career, she was selected to receive the prestigious, national American Council on Education Fellowship, which she completed at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

The focus of Dr. Awbrey’s career has been on academic quality and student success. Among her achievements at OU are leadership of the renewal of general education, the creation of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, creation of the Office of International Education, leadership of the Foundations of Excellence study of the first college year, expansion of the Honors College and as campus leader of two campus-wide regional accreditations.

Her work with retention and academic officers led her to conceive the extremely successful Student Success Conference led by OU at which Michigan higher education institutions share best practices.

Prior to joining Oakland University, Dr. Awbrey was an administrator and faculty member at University of Illinois, Michigan State University and the University of Texas Medical Branch.

This year’s complete list of Esteemed Women of Michigan includes:

• Jocelyn Allen, GM Communications
• Tanya Allen, Forever Fresh
• Dr. Susan Awbrey, Oakland University
• Connie Beckett, Variety, The Children's Charity
• Joycelyn Benson, Wayne State Law School
• Dr. Carol Bradford, University of Michigan
• Glenda Byers Raye
• Mary Sue Coleman, University of Michigan
• Maureen D'Agostino, Oakwood Hospital
• Susan Foley, U of M Health System
• Karen Fordham, DMC Valley-Sinai Hospital
• Hon. Nanci Grant, Chief Circuit Judge
• Carmen Harlan, WDIV Channel 4
• Shirley Kaigler, Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss
• Betsy Kellman, Consultant Detroit Crime Commission
• Elizabeth Kelly, Hope Warming Center
• Col. Kristie Kibbey Etue, Michigan State Police
• Erin Lawson, Waterford Schools
• Christina Lovio-George, Lovio-George Communications
• Karen Miller, Learning Centers
• Lynn Oates                               
• Nancy Piotrowski, Troy Youth Assistance      
• Hon. Wendy Potts, Oakland County Judge
• Kelly Ramsey, Metro Detroit Juvenile Court Chief Referee
• Hon. Kimberly Small, 48th District Court
• Alicia Smith, WXYZ Channel 7
• Paula Tutman, WDIV Channel 4
• Hon. Deirdre Waterman, Mayor of Pontiac

The Esteemed Women of Michigan event benefits the Dr. Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. This clinic is a self-funded, and self-directed free health clinic serving the uninsured and under-insured. The clinic does not receive any government funding and relies solely on grants, fundraising events and donations. For event ticket information, call 248-630-4389 or visit garyburnsteinclinic.org.