The Automotive Industry Education Foundation (AIEF) presented Dr. Robert W. Serum with the 2007 Automotive Education Excellence Award. This prestigious award recognizes individuals whose dedication and innovative spirit have revolutionized the field of automotive education in the United States and around the globe. The award was presented to Dr. Serum by Arzu Algan, CFO and board member of the Foundation and dean of Education at Automotive Dealership Institute.
Dr. Serum was chosen from among many accomplished candidates during an exhaustive deliberation process by the board of directors and ambassadors of the AIEF, a public charitable foundation and endowment fund. Even among the many impressive nominees, Dr. Serum’s remarkable tenure at Northwood University proved distinctive. Northwood University has been considered the worlds’ leading institution in Automotive Management for more than 50 years. Since 1974, Dr. Serum has been an integral part of that fine reputation.
Two years after joining Northwood University, Dr. Serum was already a department chair. By 1980, he oversaw the entire Michigan campus as academic dean, and his momentum was only increasing. He continued his work in developing Northwood’s automotive programs, and was vital in the creation of the distance education program known as University College. He simultaneously served as dean of University College and as a corporate officer of Northwood University.
A year after taking on this dual responsibility, Dr. Serum became dean of Northwood University’s newly-formed Graduate Studies program. A short time later, he was appointed dean and COO of the Richard DeVos Graduate School of Management.
Dr. Serum then lent his considerable talents to expanding Northwood University’s programs beyond the borders of the United States. He became vice president of Academics and International Programs in 1993, and led in the establishment of overseas programs in Bahrain, China, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Switzerland. He also forged automotive partnerships between Northwood University and Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Thailand.
His career at Northwood University was distinguished by constant dedication and a willingness to undertake additional responsibilities. He chaired national advisory boards, as well as the Academic Management and Dean’s Councils. Dr. Serum’s support for improvement in the field of automotive education even extended beyond the realm of Northwood University: Dr. Serum penned the introduction to the Encyclopedia of Finance and Insurance Management, the innovative text from Automotive Dealership Institute.
Dr. Serum retired from Northwood University on Aug. 31, 2007, after more than 33 years of service and innovation. He was honored with the Automotive Education Excellence Award at the recent F&I Conference in Las Vegas.
