Joe Byers
Professor Emeritus Joe Byers, a dedicated teacher and researcher of educational technology, died on Feb. 21, 2016. Byers served as a faculty member for more than 30 years, retiring in 1998. He was director or co-director of several offices and programs in the college, and set up an endowment along with his wife. The Joe L. and Lucy Bates-Byers Endowment for Technology and Curriculum helps faculty members conduct innovative research on the integration of technology and curriculum across the K-12 spectrum.
Stanley Drobac
Stanley Drobac, a former student, coach and associate professor, died April 3, 2016. While a student, Drobac won the Big Ten Doubles Championship in 1952 and the Big Ten Doubles and Singles titles in 1953. In 1955, he joined the faculty, specializing in intercollegiate athletics, physical education and exercise science until his retirement in 1992. In addition to his teaching duties, Drobac coached the MSU men’s tennis teams from 1958-89 and developed the first wheelchair tennis program at MSU. He was inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Hall of Fame in 1990.
Ted Ward
Ted Ward, professor of Educational Administration from 1956-86, died on Jan. 9, 2016. Ward led many programs while at MSU, including a teacher education center in Pontiac, Mich. and a continuing education center in Detroit. He also administered the doctoral program in education and curriculum development and produced more than 800 publications and audio-visual lectures.
Janet Wessel
Professor Emerita Janet Wessel, a pioneer in the field of adaptive physical education, died on Jan. 29, 2016. She was nationally known for creating the I CAN Achievement Based Curriculum, which set the stage for teachers integrating physical activity into classes for children with disabilities. Among her philanthropic gifts, Wessel funded teaching assistantships and planned an endowment—the Janet A. Wessel Endowed Fund for Research of Physical Activity, Health and Fitness for Girls and Women—which will help fund research for graduate students. She retired in 1984, after more than 24 years in the college.