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her own research, including funded cancer
research.
In her early years as a chemist, she pioneered a technique for analyzing solids by
means of infrared absorption. In 1953, she
lectured at the International Colloquium in
Spectroscopy held at the Sorbonne in Paris,
only the second woman invited to lecture at
the Sorbonne; the first was Madame Marie
Curie. Later, she was invited to Rome for an
audience with the Pope.
In 1968, Miriam left Siena for research and
an eventual teaching assignment at Keuka
College in New York; but she returned to
Siena Heights 10 years later, serving as
director of graduate programs from 1978 to
1991 and developing a graduate program in
addiction counseling. Her research in those
years took her to Leningrad, Azerbaijan,
Armenia and Moscow. In 1989, she was
invited to lecture at Jilin University, Manchuria, in the People’s Republic of China.
A continuing presence at Siena
Upon retirement in 1991, Miriam was named
professor emerita. For the next decade, she
kept an office in Sacred Heart Hall which
she visited daily, reading scientific journals, following national and international
news, corresponding with former students,
conversing with faculty, and keeping Siena
Heights administrators on their toes with her
proofreading and policy ideas.
When the college changed its name in 1998,
it was Miriam—whom President Artman
introduced as “an institution herself”—who
unveiled the new sign for Siena Heights
University.
Until moving to the Dominican Life Center
a year ago, she was a reliable participant in
the intellectual life of the University, attending student presentations, faculty lectures,
presidential forums and alumni activities—
always wearing one of her trademark hats.
A pioneer among women
Miriam entered chemistry at a time when
women were not readily welcomed into the
field. In her master’s and doctoral studies at
Institutum Divi Thomae in Cincinnati, OH,
she often found herself the only woman.
In 1953, the same year she spoke at the Sorbonne, she also was the first woman invited
to lecture at the University of Notre Dame.
When her early accomplishments merited
national recognition, she was included
(despite her gender!) in several editions
of American Men of Science. Later when
“Miriam is at rest, but I imagine that heaven
is astir and will never be the same!”
Marcine Klemm, OP
women were less rare in scientific fields, she
was included in several editions of American
Men and Women of Science. She was listed
as one of the Foremost Women of the 20th
Century in 1985.
a lively intellectual life, traveling to professional seminars into her 80s. And her joy in
living never diminished. “Isn’t this a beautiful day?” she said often as she made her way
slowly to her office.
A lively and enduring legend
“Heaven is astir”
After Vatican II, Alumni Weekend returnees met a new M-squared (“Just call me
Miriam”) in slacks, hair flying, welcoming
former students to her home for snacks and
conversation.
In announcing her death to the Siena Heights
community, Sister Marcine Klemm, another
of Miriam’s former students, paid homage to
her mentor’s untiring curiosity, directness
and zest: “Miriam is at rest,” she said, “but
I imagine that heaven is astir and will never
be the same!”
Alumnae from the ‘40s and ‘50s remember
Sister Miriam Michael in the chemistry lab
in full habit, an imposing, demanding but
deeply caring mentor. They also remember
her patrolling the residence hall; she was
unbending if she caught a young woman
smoking!
Over the past decade, as health problems
slowed her down physically, Miriam still led
Biology Professor Jun Tsuji, who introduced
Miriam for the Siena Medal is writing a
biography of Dr. Stimson.
Sharon Weber, OP ’69, dean of the College
of Arts and Sciences and one of Miriam’s
many protégées, used to tell her own chemistry students that even the chairs in the science lecture hall could explain chemistry if
they would just listen….Miriam was that
good as a teacher.