Posted on November 17, 2005 at 9:47 a.m.

BIRMINGHAM, AL — University of Alabama Board of Trustees appointed four former University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) professors to the rank of Professor Emeritus during its Nov. 11 meeting.

The professors honored by the board were Brian Hesse, Ph.D., from the Department of Anthropology and Social Work, Ray H. Liu, Ph.D., and Brent L. Smith, Ph.D., from the Department of Justice Sciences and William C. Yoels, Ph.D., from the departments of Sociology and Health Behavior.

Hesse, an internationally recognized scholar in zooarchaeology, joined the UAB faculty in 1979. He was editor of the scholarly journal Near Eastern Archaeology 1998-2001 and published the book “Animal Bone Archeology.” He retired as chairman of the Department of Anthropology and Social Work in 2003.

Liu joined the Department of Justice Sciences in 1984 and later helped develop the graduate forensic science program. He held secondary appointments in the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. He was editor-in-chief of Forensic Science Review. Liu retired in 2004.

Smith, an internationally renowned expert in domestic terrorism published the book “Terrorism in America.” He joined the UAB Department of Justice Sciences in 1981 and directed the graduate studies in criminal justice program 1985-1994. He was department chairman from 1994 until his retirement from UAB in 2003.

Yoels, an internationally recognized scholar in the field of symbolic interaction, published extensively on social psychology and urban life. He held a joint appointment in the Department of Health Behavior and was a senior scientist in the UAB Injury Control Research Center. He joined the UAB faculty in 1982 and retired in 2004.