It is with profound sadness that the Capitol College community announces the loss of Dr. Michael G. Gibbs, who died from valley fever on Tuesday (December 10th).
Dr. Gibbs, 41, served as Capitol’s Vice President of Advancement from 2008 until 2012, building and sustaining philanthropic relations, directing the space science educational and public outreach programs, and helping to move the college forward on many fronts.
He combined his administrative role with faculty duties, teaching graduate level courses in leadership and innovation as well as dissertation development.
More recently, he held positions with the Planetary Sciences Institute in Tucson, AZ and the National Tiger Sanctuary near St. Louis, MO. He continued to teach online for Capitol in the doctoral and MBA programs, and this fall attended an on-campus residency session for doctoral students.
Dr. Gibbs, a Michigan native, graduated from the Valley School of Flint and later attended DePaul University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, a master’s in nonprofit management, and a doctorate in education. He then served as DePaul’s Assistant Vice President, a position that brought him to 36 countries. He went on to become Advancement Director for the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) in San Francisco, and subsequently headed for the East Coast to take up the position at Capitol.
An accomplished writer, Dr. Gibbs contributed significantly to the literature in his fields of expertise, publishing his work in numerous educational magazines, journals and books. He was lead editor and contributing author for the book Science Educators Under the Stars: Amateur Astronomers Engaged in Education and Public Outreach, and was also a co-editor for the ASP’s conference proceedings from the 2007 Chicago national conference and the 2008 St. Louis symposium.
Dr. Gibbs also authored and coauthored published articles on topics such as professional development for in-service teachers, integrating technology into the K-12 classroom, and astronomy/space science education and public outreach.
As a national and international speaker, Dr. Gibbs lectured in countries such as Ireland and Bahrain, and served on the U.S. Development Committee for the 2009 International Year of Astronomy. His passion for community action, advocacy and fundraising led him to membership on the boards of numerous nonprofit organizations across the country, including the National Hispanic Institute.
He is survived by parents Eileen and Richard, and by sister Megan Smiljanich, brother Andrew and their families. In lieu of flowers, the Gibbs family has suggested that contributions be made to The Valley School, 5255 S. Linden Road, Swartz Creek, MI 48473 or to DePaul University, 1 East Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60604. Attn: Mark Burns.