Wayne State celebrates employees’ service and Employee Recognition Week, honors professor for 60 years at university

Lei Juan Stewart-Walker, College of Education administrative support associate, curtsies for the audience after being recognized for 30 years of service at Wayne State's Employee Recognition Ceremony.

DETROIT - Wayne State University celebrated the dedication and achievements of its employees during its annual Employee Recognition Ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at the Community Arts Auditorium. The event honored colleagues whose service has helped shape the university and its impact on Detroit and beyond.

The ceremony recognized employees from its schools, colleges and divisions for milestones ranging from 10 to 60 years of service, along with retirees and recipients of the university's Value Awards.

Wayne State President Richard Bierschbach delivers opening remarks at the Employee Recognition Ceremony. "This is the group that makes Wayne State what it is," he told honorees, thanking employees for their contributions to students and the university.

"The Employee Recognition Ceremony is an opportunity to celebrate the people who make Wayne State such a special place and to thank them for the dedication they bring to our university every day," said Carolyn Hafner, associate vice president and chief human resources officer. "We're proud to recognize colleagues whose years of service reflect a deep commitment to our students, our mission and one another. Having employees who choose to spend their careers at Wayne State speaks to the strength of our community and the lasting impact they make across generations."

Wayne State President Richard Bierschbach emphasized that the university's success depends on employees whose contributions often happen outside the spotlight.

"You teach and you help students navigate challenges. You support faculty and researchers. You keep the place running," Bierschbach told the honorees. "A lot of that work happens outside of the spotlight, but its impact is felt across every corner of the university, and it makes such a difference in the lives of our students."

Gov. Marilyn Kelly, speaking on behalf of the Board of Governors, recognized employees for their ability to adapt through decades of institutional change, including advances in technology, campus expansion and the challenges of a global pandemic.

"Through it all, your perseverance and adaptability have been remarkable," Kelly said. "Your dedication to our institution has been rock solid and your contributions have been instrumental in propelling Wayne State forward."

Alan and Betty Schenk have been married for 64 years. The couple met in Chicago, where both were born and raised, before moving to Detroit, where they raised their three sons.

The ceremony also highlighted an extraordinary milestone: Professor Alan Schenk's six decades of teaching, scholarship and service at the Wayne State Law School.

"I can't believe how fortunate I have been to receive back so much from my students, the Law School and the university," Schenk wrote in reflecting on his career.

Born and raised in Chicago, Schenk joined Wayne State in 1966 after completing a master's in taxation at New York University School of Law. At the time, Wayne Law had just 12 full-time faculty members. Schenk was one of six professors hired that year, increasing the faculty by 50%.

Over the following decades, he helped shape the law school's curriculum, mentored generations of lawyers and established an international reputation as a scholar in value-added taxation, a system used by countries around the world to tax the consumption of goods and services.

In the early 1970s, Schenk and colleague Stephen Schulman developed a yearlong Business Planning course that integrated corporate and tax law classes to prepare students to advise businesses. The course helped students develop expertise sought by major law and accounting firms, where Wayne Law graduates became well represented.

Schenk estimates that he has taught more than 7,000 students during his career. His teaching has earned awards from students, the Law School and the university.

Bierschbach, who previously served as dean of Wayne Law, said Schenk has become synonymous with the Law School through his longevity, his influence on generations of students, and his unwavering commitment to the institution and Detroit.

Wayne State University President Richard Bierschbach embraces Law School professor Alan Schenk during the university's Employee Recognition Ceremony, celebrating Schenk's 60 years of service. Schenk plans to retire Jan. 1.

When Schenk was introduced during the ceremony, he and Bierschbach shared a warm embrace on stage, reflecting the personal connection between the longtime professor and his former dean.

"He has been such an institutionalist and is somebody who was helpful to me in my time as dean, not only in understanding the history and the character and the complexities of the institution, but also in helping to move it forward," Bierschbach said.

Schenk's influence extends well beyond Detroit. His research into value-added taxation began in the late 1960s and led to decades of scholarship, teaching and international work.

The International Monetary Fund enlisted Schenk to review proposed tax legislation and help member countries develop value-added tax systems. He also taught and spoke at law schools in the United States, Canada, Australia and China.

Those experiences reinforced his confidence in Wayne Law students.

"Teaching students at those American law schools persuaded me that our Wayne students could compete quite well at any American law school," Schenk wrote.

Among his proudest accomplishments is the Alan S. Schenk Endowed Chair in Taxation, established through the efforts of former students who proposed the chair and helped raise $1.5 million with support from alumni and others.

Schenk described the endowment as his greatest honor as a teacher and scholar, saying he was astounded that his students had given him such an extraordinary gift while he was still teaching.

His contributions also include documenting the Law School's history. In 2022, Wayne State University Press published his book, Detroit's Wayne State University Law School: Future Leaders in the Legal Community, chronicling the institution's development and its role in the legal profession.

Alan Schenk and his wife, Betty, watch the proceedings at Wayne State's Employee Recognition Ceremony, before Schenk was honored for 60 years of service to the university.

Schenk was named a Wayne State Distinguished Professor in 2011 and elected to the university's Academy of Scholars in 2019. This year, he was inducted into the Wayne Law Alumni Wall of Fame, the law school's highest honor.

Despite opportunities to teach elsewhere and work internationally, Schenk said the reason he remained at Wayne State for six decades was simple.

"Individuals tend to return to the place where they are treated well," he wrote. "Well, I was treated well and stayed at Wayne Law for 60 years."

Schenk and his wife, Betty, have been married for 64 years and raised three sons in Detroit. She accompanied him during a yearlong appointment with the Internal Revenue Service's chief counsel's office in Washington, D.C., as well as sabbaticals and teaching assignments elsewhere in the U.S. and abroad.

As Wayne Law prepares to celebrate its centennial, Schenk said he is honored to be the longest-serving professor in the law school's history and, at least for now, the longest-serving professor at the university.

After 60 years at Wayne State, Schenk plans to retire Jan. 1, leaving a lasting legacy through his teaching, scholarship and dedication to Wayne Law and its students.

The university's recognition of its employees will continue during Employee Recognition Week, Nov. 9-13, providing another opportunity to celebrate the people whose work and commitment strengthen the Wayne State community.