For Thursday 02/06/25, the campus will be closed until 12 noon today due to the severe weather. All classes scheduled after 12 noon will take place as scheduled. Students should check Canvas for details on classes.
Jim Ryan of Bloomfield Hills died on August 17, 2023. Jim was one of Lawrence Tech’s most prominent alumni in the field of architecture. He designed the Somerset Collection in Troy, parts of Bay Harbor in Petoskey, the M1 Concourse in Pontiac, and dozens of other high-profile projects nationwide.
Jim was also a long-time LTU supporter who began his affiliation in 1955 as a student on LTU’s Highland Park campus; in the years following, he attended classes in Southfield. Jim went to night school for 11 years as a full-time student and worked during the day full-time in the offices of various architects. He graduated in 1966 with a BS in architectural engineering.
Jim’s rise to the top was not without challenges. In 2022 he recalled the “very difficult and humble beginnings” in which he and Rose – his high school sweetheart – grew up. In fact, the kids in his neighborhood routinely engaged in criminal behavior, a fate he avoided, perhaps, after his teachers at Cass Technical High School recognized his talent for drawing.
Throughout his career he designed architecture in the retail space and eventually founded his own firm with three other principals. He grew the firm to 110 employees, working with great builders of malls around the world.
Jim’s involvement with his alma mater was considerable – he was a founding member of LEGENDS in 2009, which aimed to foster the entrepreneurial spirit in LTU students. He was also a LTU National Alumni Board Director from 2007 to 2015 and a member of the Architecture and Design Alumni Cabinet from 1997 to 2001. Jim also worked on the Affleck House Restoration Committee from 2010 to 2019.
He received multiple awards from LTU including the Alumni Achievement Award, the Distinguished Architecture Award, the Ray Award for Outstanding Alumni Volunteer of the Year, and the National Philanthropy Volunteer Award. He was also appointed to the College of Engineering Hall of Fame.
Jim never forgot the value of his Lawrence Tech education and established the Jim and Rose Ryan Endowed Scholarship in 1999 to help other talented students earn degrees from the University.
Jim is survived by his wife, Rose, their three children, and five grandchildren.
Use Your Cell Phone as a Document Camera in Zoom
From Computer
Log in and start your Zoom session with participants
From Phone
To use your cell phone as a makeshift document camera