by Anitra Budd

THIS PROFESSOR EMERITUS isn’t one to let his passport gather dust. Since retiring last year from the Department of Work and Human Resource Education Gary McLean has continued to travel to locations from France to Taiwan, advising international organizations on their human resource practices. He also serves as principal of McLean Global Consulting, which he operates with two of his grown children who are also human resource development (HRD) consultants.

Additionally, he has worked on two books, one on cross-cultural approaches to HRD and one on using organizational development to drive social development. “I’m a very efficient worker,” McLean says, by way of explaining his frenetic lifestyle. “I type 120 words a minute, and I’m a multitasker.

As a professor I always had anywhere from four to seven articles going at a time. I draw energy from this pace.” McLean also continues to advise and mentor graduate students from around the world, a job the Morse-Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor relishes. His dedication to teaching is so strong, in fact, that he agreed to continue working with Ph.D. students in the college even after his departure. “My number one commitment is to my students, who have also been the number one priority in my entire career. I’m down to advising 22 doctoral students at the University, which of course doesn’t include my advisees in other parts of the country.”

McLean’s passion for guiding students, particularly those from other countries, is longstanding. During his 38-year tenure in CEHD, McLean held monthly potlucks for HRD doctoral students in his home. He also had a standing practice of hosting international students at Thanksgiving every year. “Anyone who had no place to go for Thanksgiving could always come over to our house, which sometimes meant throwing Thanksgiving for 50 people at a time!”

Through a partnership with one of his former international students, Ahmad Ajarimah (Ph.D. ’98), McLean helped bring the college’s M.Ed. program in human resource development to Ajarimah’s home country of Saudi Arabia. The satellite program graduated its first class of 24 students in May 2007, with McLean on hand to toast their achievement.

Ajarimah reflects fondly on his adviser and friend: “Gary was the prime mover behind the … excellent partnership that evolved between the University of Minnesota on one hand and the Arabian Society for Human Resource Management and Saudi Aramco on the other hand. All of the people who’ve met him in our business, including his students,” he continues, “have been touched by his kindness, dedication, [and] understanding of global perspectives.”

But lest you think McLean is all work and no play, the globetrotting consultant is taking time out for relaxation when his new position as senior professor and executive director of international HRD programs at Texas A&M University allows. “My wife accompanies me on most of my trips now,” he notes. “We’re doing lots more vacationing together.”

 

Thanks for the memories

Faculty and alumni from the human resource development program have initiated a graduate fellowship in Gary McLean’s honor.

“We wanted to let him know that people within the HRD profession understand and admire his contributions to the field,” says Lou Quast (Ph.D., ’03), a former mentee of McLean. “Creating a graduate fellowship in his name is consistent with his values of encouraging scholarship and helping the next generation of students.”

Alumni will match the first $10,000 toward an initial $25,000 goal. The University of Minnesota will also match income from the fellowship.

You may contribute online or by sending a check  to: College of Education and Human Development, 48 McNeal Hall, 1985 Buford Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108. Clearly designate that your gift is for the Gary N. McLean Legacy Fellowship. You may also contact Richard Burbach at 612-625-4546 or rburbach@umn.edu for more information.