Michael Joseph Schneider

Michael J. Schneider passed away on August 15th at the age of 77. He was born in Saginaw, Michigan, the only child of Michael E. and Jane Schneider. He graduated from Arthur Hill High School (Hill Auditorium benefactor) in 1956. He received his undergraduate degree in Botany from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor in 1960, his master’s degree in Botany from the University of Tennessee in 1962 and his Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Chicago in 1965 where he was a Hutchinson Memorial Fellow. He studied summers at the University of Michigan Biological Station at Pellston ,Michigan, and the Marine Biological Laboratories at Woods Hole, Massachusetts. He was a National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow at the U.S.D.A. in Beltsville Maryland. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison he was a U.S. Public Health Service Fellow. In 1968 he was appointed as an Assistant Professor of Biology at Columbia University in New York. In 1973 he joined the faculty of the University of Michigan-Dearborn as an Associate Professor of Biology. At Dearborn he was appointed Chair of the Department of Natural Sciences on five occasions. In 1990 he was appointed Associate Provost and then Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. In 2003 he was appointed Emeritus Professor of Biology.

He spent sabbatical years at the Plant Research Laboratory at Michigan State University and the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. He held several major committee assignments on both the Dearborn and Ann Arbor campuses. In 1991 he was presented the Best In Class Award in recognition of distinguished service to the University of Michigan-Dearborn. He considered it to be one of his greatest honors to present Rosa Parks with the first University of Michigan – Dearborn honorary doctorate in 1991.

At Dearborn and Ann Arbor he involved several students in his research on phytochromes and their roles in flowering, plant leaflet movements and plant senescence. At Michigan State University his research involved the generation of thermotactic and phototactic mutants of the slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum. He had numerous publications, was an invited s speaker at national and international symposia, a member of several learned societies and was elected to the scientific honorary society, Sigma Xi.

He taught courses in plant physiology, plant biology, introductory biology, and science for non-science majors. He was a popular instructor and took pride in advising students regarding career choices through seminars and on an individual basis.

He was a gregarious person with a positive outlook who saw the best in others. He will be sorely missed by his family and many friends.

He is survived by his loving wife of 47 years, Janet, of Ann Arbor, his son Michael L. (Julie) and two grandchildren, Michael N. and Anna of Superior, CO. He and Janet enjoyed summers in northern Michigan and world travel. The family will receive friends on Thursday, August 20, 2015 from 3-7pm at the Muehlig Funeral Chapel, Ann Arbor. A Memorial Service will take place on Friday the 21st at 11AM at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to the University of Michigan Marching Band, the University of Michigan-Dearborn Environmental Interpretive Center, or a charity of your choice.