Upon her retirement this spring, Dr. Brenda Young, professor of natural sciences, concludes her position on the Daemen Board of Trustees as the faculty trustee after serving in this role for four consecutive three-year terms. The Board membership includes a member of the full-time tenured faculty. A nonvoting member of the Board, the faculty trustee is an important aspect of shared governance at Daemen. As the liaison between the faculty and the Board of Trustees, this trustee can report to the faculty senate on the activity of the Board and may be asked to provide the faculty perspective on matters before the Board.
During her 31 years at Daemen, Dr. Young’s service and dedication were far-reaching. In addition to serving on the Board of Trustees, she served as chair of the natural sciences department for two terms, chair of the global and local sustainability department since 2011, terms as president and vice president of the Faculty Senate, as well as many other committees. Dr. Young’s passion has made Daemen a more environmentally friendly and aware campus through multiple initiatives, including the recycling program, the Arbor Day Tree Campus Award, and Enviro-News. In 2004, she was named Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year. Dr. Young holds a B.A. from Miami University Oxford, an M.S. from the University of Central Florida, and a Ph.D. in biology from the University of South Carolina.
Following in her footsteps as the Faculty Trustee is Dr. Michael Ross, whose term begins with the 2024–25 academic year. Dr. Ross was granted tenure and promoted to associate professor in 2020 and since 2023 has been the chair/program director for the physical therapy department. He holds a B.S. from Daemen and a Masters and a Doctorate of Health Science from the University of Indianapolis. He is a board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist from the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties and a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists. Dr. Ross served in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years, maintains an active community-based practice, and has published over 200 abstracts and manuscripts. In 2022–23, he served as the Faculty Development Director, working with the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.