Thomas Joseph Haas (born March 5, 1951) [1] is an American academic who is a former president of Grand Valley State University (GVSU) [2] and a chemistry professor. He currently holds the title of President Emeritus. [3] Prior to coming to GVSU, Haas served as president of the State University of New York at Cobleskill from 2003 to 2006. In 2018, Haas announced his retirement from the presidency. The GVSU Board of Trustees selected Philomena Mantella as the university's next president, effective July 1, 2019.
Haas graduated with honors in 1973 from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. He earned two M.S. degrees, one in environmental health sciences and the other in chemistry from the University of Michigan and another M.S. degree in human resource management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He also earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from University of Connecticut. Haas has also had fellowship experiences that include Yale University Faculty Fellow and completed executive leadership programs at Harvard University. [2]
Haas served for over twenty years in the United States Coast Guard, most of which was spent at the Coast Guard Academy as a chemistry professor and a member of the Permanent Commissioned Teaching Staff. Prior to serving at the Academy, Haas completed two years service on board the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter ACACIA homeported in Port Huron, Michigan.[ citation needed ]
On March 21, 2010, Haas was named one of the "Michigan Green Leaders for 2010" by the Detroit Free Press, for his leadership in environmental stewardship across GVSU's campus and in the region for conservation, emissions reduction, building practices, local food advocacy and other such environmental efforts. [4]
Allendale is a census-designated place (CDP) in Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 17,579 at the 2010 census. It is located within Allendale Charter Township, occupying approximately the northern two-thirds of the township, from the eastern boundary with the Grand River west along Pierce St., north along 75th Ave., then west along Lake Michigan Drive (M-45) to the western boundary of the township. It is a part of the Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland, Michigan combined statistical area, and is an exurb of Grand Rapids, due to its major commuter routes into the city.
Allendale Charter Township is a charter township of Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 Census, the township population was 26,583. Allendale Charter Township is best known as being home to the main campus of Grand Valley State University.
Grand Valley State University is a public university in Allendale, Michigan. It was established in 1960 as Grand Valley State College. Its main campus is situated on 1,322 acres (5.35 km2) approximately 12 miles (19 km) west of Grand Rapids. The university also features campuses in Grand Rapids and Holland and regional centers in Battle Creek, Detroit, Muskegon, and Traverse City.
The Grand River is a river in the southwestern portion of the southern peninsula of Michigan, United States, that flows into Lake Michigan's southeastern shore. It is the longest river in Michigan, running 252 miles (406 km) from its headwaters in Hillsdale County on the southern border north to Lansing and west to its mouth on the Lake at Grand Haven.
James Herbert Zumberge was a professor of geology and president of Grand Valley State University from 1962 to 1969, of Southern Methodist University from 1975 to 1980, and of the University of Southern California from 1980 to 1991.
Mark Andrew Murray is president of the Meijer chain of stores, based in Michigan. He was the third president of Michigan's Grand Valley State University, serving from 2001 to 2006.
John Hoult Logie was an American attorney and politician who served as mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan from 1992 to 2003, one of the longest-serving in the city's history.
The Grand Valley State Lakers football team represents Grand Valley State University (GVSU) in NCAA Division II football. The team currently competes in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and was once affiliated with the now defunct Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference. The Lakers football team has appeared in six NCAA Division II national title games, winning four championships, since 2001. The team has made the playoffs in 20 seasons. They have also won or shared 17 conference titles.
Lubbers Stadium, or Arend D. Lubbers Stadium, is a stadium on the Grand Valley State University's main campus in Allendale, Michigan, USA. The stadium was named after former university president Arend Lubbers. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the Grand Valley State Lakers. "Lakers Stadium" - as it was originally known - was constructed in 1972, and opened in 1973. It now officially seats 10,444 people - though it almost always holds thousands more fans. The stadium is also home to a football offices and weight training facility.
The Grand Valley State Lakers are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Grand Valley State University, located in Allendale, Michigan, United States. The GVSU Lakers compete at the NCAA Division II level and are members of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC).
Rajiv L. Gupta is an Indian-American businessman, the current chairman of Aptiv, an auto parts company, and a former executive with Rohm and Haas, a manufacturer of specialty chemicals.
Russell G. Mawby was an American academic and philanthropist who served as chairman emeritus of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. He led the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for 25 years, during which he was credited for creativity in programming by providing opportunities for youth and leadership in the field.
Edward Irvin Schalon was a corporate executive who served as the chairman of the board and chief executive officer of SPX Corporation, a Fortune 500 global company. He was also a Naval pilot in World War II and a champion golfer who won two Big Ten Conference individual championships while a student at the University of Michigan. He was also a benefactor of Grand Valley State University and has been inducted into the Grand Valley Hall of Fame, as well as the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor.
Jay Steven Smith is an American college basketball coach. He currently serves in an administrative role for the men's basketball team at the University of Michigan. He was a former head coach at Grand Valley State University (1996–97) and Central Michigan University (1997–2006). He has also been an assistant coach at the University of Michigan and the University of Detroit.
Angela K. Wilson is an American scientist and former (2022) President of the American Chemical Society. She currently serves as the John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, associate dean for strategic initiatives in the College of Natural Sciences, and director of the MSU Center for Quantum Computing, Science, and Engineering (MSU-Q) at Michigan State University.
Donald Laverne Katz was an American chemist and chemical engineer.
Philomena V. Mantella is the current president of Grand Valley State University, in Allendale, Michigan. On January 22, 2019 she was elected by the Grand Valley State University Board of Trustees to be that institution's fifth president. She is the first woman to serve in the position, succeeding Thomas Haas, who announced his retirement in 2018. Her term began July 1, 2019.
Julianne Vanden Wyngaard is a professional carillonist and pianist residing in Grand Rapids, Michigan, who served as vice president of The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America (GCNA), as well as president from 2017 to 2019. In a predominantly male and white field, Vanden Wyngaard has distinguished herself through musical and professional accolades.
Margaret Sellers Walker Morris, born Margaret Elizabeth Regular, was an American city and state official, based in Michigan. She was also a professor at Grand Valley State University. She was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame in 2005.