Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Engineering and Science
2018
Bio:
Professor Schlick has been with University of Detroit (now University of Detroit Mercy) Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry since 1983. Her world-renowned reputation led to Visiting Professorships in the Department of Chemistry, University of Florence Italy, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel, Max-Planck Institute for Polymer Research Mainz Germany, Department of Chemistry, University of Bologna Italy, Department of Polymer Chemistry, Tokyo Institute of Technology, and Centre d’Ethudes Nucleaires de Grenoble.
Chemistry courses taught by Professor Schlick have included physical chemistry, chemical thermodynamics, physical chemistry of polymers, polymer science and engineering, molecular spectroscopy, introductory chemistry, survey of chemical literature with an ethical component, as well as physical chemistry laboratory and graduate seminars. As was noted by Profess Schlick in her nomination “My role as an Instructor is to inform the students on the topic of interest to them; stimulate their curiosity; enhance their analytical capabilities; and encourage them to enter into a dialog with me on questions related to their course or to their future….As most of my classes usually have a small number of students…I manage to know the students well, and can help them clarify problems and work on their weaknesses.”
As written by Katherine Snyder, Dean, College of Engineering and Science, University of Detroit Mercy, Dr. Schlick “has been a consistently prolific funded researcher for the College of Engineering and Science, earning grants totaling more than 3 million dollars – far exceeding any other faculties’ efforts in the college. Besides her very good teaching evaluations, Dr. Schlick has also distinguished herself in her field….”
Since 2001 Professor Schick has received eight major grants from the National Science Foundation, 3M corporation, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and The Dow Chemical Company. The grants cover studies on Degradation and Stabilization of Ionomeric Membranes Used in Fuel Cells, Degradation and Stabilization of Proton Exchange Membranes Used in Fuel Cells, Assessing and Enhancing the Stability of Proton Exchange Membranes Used in Fuel Cells, Morphological and Spatial Effects in Polymer Degradation, Random and Clock Ionomers, and Heterogeneity in Superabsorbent Polymer Gels Based on Paramagnetic and Fluorescent Probes. As written by Professor Schlick “Our collaboration with scientists and engineers from 3M, Ford Laboratories, and GM on the degradation and stabilization of membranes used in fuel cells is an example of the connectivity between fundamental research and application: Understanding the mechanism of membrane degradation enables work on better membranes. The exchange of knowledge between our group and scientists from academic institutions and industrial labs is beneficial and a source of extensive intellectual exchange….”
Publication of Professor Schlick’s research has resulted in numerous journal articles and books. Just since 2010 publications are included in Macromolecules, Journal of Physical Chemistry, American Chemical Society, Division of Fuel Cells, Polymer Science: a Comprehensive Reference, Journal of Power Sources, Characterization Techniques for Polymer Nanocomposites, ACS Macro Letters, Polymer Degradation and Stability, Molecular Physics, and Journal of Membrane Science.
Honored with awards and fellowships has been a consistent aspect of Professor Schlick’s academic career. She was awarded the J. Heyrovsky Honorary Medal of the Czech Academy of Science for Merit in the Chemical Science (1996), an Honorary Doctorate from Linkoping University, Sweden (2003), the Maria Sklodowska-Curie Medal of the Polish Radiation Research Society (2007), and the National Science foundation Awards for Exceptional Creativity in Research in 1990, 1998, and 2008. She received the Foreign Collaborator Fellowship of the French Atomic Energy Commission, CEA Grenoble France (1989), Founders’ Fellowship of the American Association of University Women (1991/92), National Science Foundation Center for Global Partnership at the Tokyo Institute of Technology (1997), University of Detroit Mercy President’s Award for Faculty Excellence (1990), University of Detroit Mercy Distinguished Faculty Award (2007), and the first Distinguished Professor honor at University of Detroit Mercy in 2012.
Service to the university is an important component to a faculty member’s responsibilities. Dr. Schlick has served on the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department’s Graduate Student Status Committee, Rank and Tenure Committee, Grievance Committee, and as Library Coordinator to recommend and evaluate new chemistry resources to be purchased by the library system. She severed on the University Graduate Program Review Committee, Faculty Awards Committee, and was a Mentor for the UDM Claire Boothe Luce Fellowship Program.
Professor Schlick earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, a Master of Science in Polymer Chemistry, and a Doctor of Science in Physical Chemistry from Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa Israel.
The nomination of Professor Schlick for Professor Emeritus was approved and conferred by Dr. Antoine M. Garibaldi, President of University of Detroit Mercy on August 16, 2018.