Wright State campus planner Michael Schulze dies while trail biking

Michael Schulze

Michael Schulze, who was instrumental in helping design new buildings and plan growth at Wright State University, died while trail biking at a park near the university.

Schulze, of Beavercreek, worked at Wright State for 37 years. He was 58.

“There isn’t a square inch of this campus that Mike Schulze didn’t help to shape,” said Wright State President David R. Hopkins. “This is a huge loss to all of us.”

Schulze had been biking in the MetroParks Mountain Biking Area at Huffman MetroPark in Fairborn on March 17. Some fellow bicyclists found Schulze lying in the Moonscape area of the Hawk’s Lair Trail. Attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. Family members said cardiac arrest was determined to be cause of death.

Schulze was senior university planner in Facilities Planning and Development at Wright State. He helped plan the construction of the Wright State Nutter Center and the Russ Engineering building. He was also involved in the extensive renovation of Allyn, Millett, Oelman halls and the biosciences buildings.

“What you see at Wright State, he’s been a part of,” Hopkins said of Schulze.

Vicky Davidson, associate vice-president, Facilities Planning and Development, said Schulze left his imprint on the campus, “but more importantly on each of us.”

“He was so much more than an architectural planner; he was a negotiator, a historian and a friend,” Davidson said. “With his ready smile and willingness to help, he made the sun shine brighter.”

Engineering professor Mateen Rizki, chair of the Faculty Senate’s Building and Grounds Committee, worked with Schulze. Rizki said Schulze was involved in the university’s Master Plan, which provides a framework for campus growth.

“He was always eager to help the faculty and staff understand what was going on around the campus in terms of construction and renovation,” Rizki said. “He tried very hard to help people come up with good ideas that would make the university a better place.”

Jeffrey Vernooy, director of the Office of Disability Services, said Schulze made architectural accessibility a priority on campus.

“He always took an interest in making sure we had both accessibility and functionality in all of our designs,” Vernooy said.

Schulze was an avid mountain biker and often biked at Huffman MetroPark. The MetroParks Mountain Biking Area is an eight-mile system of trails specifically designed for mountain-bike use both for novices and the most advanced riders. It features wooded areas, hills, a ridge and a rock-bottom creek.

Schulze is survived by his wife, Jackie. Funeral arrangements are pending.