Louis Stamatakos
Beloved Professor Emeritus Louis Stamatakos died Jan. 25, 2011 at home in Okemos. He was 85.
In 1967, Stamatakos joined the faculty of what is now called the Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education (hale) program and retired 25 years later. Along with a few other professors, he is credited with developing programs in student affairs administration that broke new ground in the ?eld and established MSU as a lasting national leader.
Stamatakos also prepared numerous doctoral students—perhaps more than anyone in the country at the time—who went on to become senior student affairs of?cers and college presidents. He was committed to creating learning environments and practitioner-scholars who would really take the overall well-being of college students seriously.
Each year, the Student Affairs Administration master’s program gives an award in Stamatakos’ name to a student who demonstrates a strong commitment to the student affairs profession and to the ethical standards that epitomize his values. The award is announced at the annual American College Personnel Association (acpa) conference.
Among his many career honors and accomplishments, Stamatakos was named a “Legacy of the Profession” during the 2010 conference of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (naspa). In February, his family surprised him when he was presented with the Silver Star medal for heroic action during World War II.
Thomas C. (Clint) Cobb, professor emeritus of education, died Oct. 31, 2010 at age 90. Cobb joined the faculty in 1957 and worked for a time on a major study of school ?nance issues in Michigan. He oversaw the Graduate Student Affairs Of?ce and served as assistant to the dean under Dean John Ivey. Cobb later became assistant dean under Dean Keith Goldhammer and was in charge of many administrative duties, including budget and facility issues. He retired in 1982.
Nancy Crewe
A scholar devoted to improving lives for individuals with disabilities, Professor Emeritus Nancy Crewe died unexpectedly April 7, 2011 at the age of 71.
Crewe of?cially retired from Michigan State University in 2004 after serving as a leading faculty member in the university’s counseling psychology and rehabilitation counseling programs over 17 years. She has continued contributing to the ?eld as a consultant, author and teacher—participating in major research projects during the most recent (2010–11) academic year.
Crewe made landmark contributions to understanding the disability experience and enhancing the quality of rehabilitation services. This is particularly evident through her pioneering work on the importance of independent living and the need for capacity- rather than de?cit-based assessments. Her 20-year study of persons with spinal cord injury chartered new territory in the understanding of long-term adjustment, health and aging for people with disabilities.
Of her award-winning and in?uential colleague, rehabilitation counseling faculty member Virginia Thielsen writes, “Nancy was the embodiment of leadership with grace. Her balance of gentleness and strength inspired a commitment to individual excellence and a feeling of community for students and colleagues alike.”