Wayne State University invested $6.6 million last month to acquire the NextEnergy Building in Detroit and will use the building in part to create an urban technology innovation consortium.

If you take a quick glance at the big box on the campus of Wayne State University, it doesn't really look like much. But as you get closer, it’ll catch your eye. Other media mentionshttps://www.clickondetroit.com/news/wayne-state-students-adopt-blessing-box-idea-to-help-metro-detroiters-in-need

Materials engineering solutions provider Applied Materials, Inc. and Wayne State University will work together to create new thin film deposition processes for the advancement of semiconductors.

Wayne State University is gearing up to expand TechTown Detroit and boost the school's technology commercialization and business partnerships under its new innovation initiative.

As one of the nation’s preeminent urban research universities, Wayne State consistently generates important innovations and ground-breaking research. At 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 15, in the Student Center Ballroom, the university will launch the Wayne Innovation Hub to coordinate and enhance its programs for entrepreneurship education, technology commercialization, and community partnerships, and to enhance the university’s overall culture of innovation.

Historical materials preserved at the Walter P. Reuther Library are receiving increased exposure and research use through an innovative partnership with the Digital Publishing Unit in the University Library System. The Reuther Library is the largest archival repository in Detroit and preserves primary sources related to the history of organized labor in North America, urban affairs in Southeast Michigan and Wayne State University. 

Cleo, a global leader in managed file transfer and multi-enterprise integration solutions, returns to Detroit this week to sponsor and speak at the 2017 Big Data & Business Analytics symposium at Wayne State University. The annual event, which is hosted by Wayne State’s Big Data & Business Analytics Group and runs Thursday and Friday, March 23 and 24, brings together industry experts to exchange insights on big data strategies and best practices to drive business growth.

DETROIT – Wayne State University will host its fourth annual Big Data and Business Analytics Symposium on March 23 and 24 at the WSU Student Center. More than 100 leading companies in varied fields such as health care, finance, information technology, energy, automotive, manufacturing and supply chain management will converge to discuss how big data strategies can drive business success. As in years past, the conference agenda is built around the case studies of top practitioners and industry leaders. The symposium, which will stretch to two full days of activities this year, also presents keynote addresses from big data and analytics experts as well as tutorials, networking receptions, panel discussions and a startup company showcase — a new feature for the event. “The panel sessions will create some rich discussions that will provide some clarity on big data, and we will complement these conversations with case studies where companies can report on real experiences and share best practices,” said Ratna Babu Chinnam, professor and co-director for the Big Data and Business Analytics Group at Wayne State University. The philosophy of sharing and open discussion is at the core of this year’s event theme, “Doing it Right.” Chinnam explains that many companies launch data analysis initiatives that are not only expensive but also do not provide sufficient insight for developing sound strategies in marketing, product development, distribution sales or service. “It’s not about companies coming in and saying ‘this is the right way to do it,’” said Chinnam. “We want them to tell others what they’ve done, what experiences they had with various projects, and what were the lessons learned so that others can benefit.” Since its inception in 2014, the symposium has provided a platform for businesses and data-intensive individuals to learn new ways to navigate the vastly expanding big data space. It is estimated that more than 90 percent of the world’s data was generated in the last two years. The Big Data and Business Analytics Group at Wayne State was formed to develop innovative answers as to how to manage and leverage this information — as evidenced by the success of the symposium, which saw over 300 attendees in 2016. The group is anticipating up to 400 guests this year. Wayne State’s commitment to leadership in big data was taken a step further when the WSU Board of Governors approved a new Master of Science program in Data Science and Business Analytics, a collaboration between the College of Engineering and the Mike Ilitch School of Business that will launch this fall. Early bird registration for the Big Data and Business Analytics Symposium ends March 5. Learn more about the event at bigdata.wayne.edu/symposium.

Wayne State University has appointed Phillip Levy, a doctor and professor of emergency medicine, to head up its new Translational Science and Clinical Research Innovation program. Housed in WSU’s Integrative Biosciences Center, the Center for Translational Science and Clinical Research Innovation will become the hub of campus-wide clinical research aimed at improving healthcare in Detroit and southeast Michigan.

Registration is open for the 2017 Big Data and Business Analytics Symposium hosted by Wayne State University in Detroit. The annual workshop, which will be held March 23-24 at the university's Student Center Building (5221 Gullen Mall #135, Detroit), explores the issues businesses may face with applying big data strategies to marketing, product development, distribution, and other topics.

The Young Entrepreneurs Academy started accepting applications for a 30-week hands-on program that teaches female students how to pitch, start and run their own businesses.

Detroit — The CEO of Microsoft Corp. and the billionaire owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Inc. took subtle swipes during a downtown Wednesday chat at the immigration ban proposed by President Trump. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, born in India, began his conversation with Dan Gilbert by stating he was a product of “American ingenuity” and “American enlightened immigration policy.” The two held a half-hour talk in front of a crowd of downtown tech workers, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Wayne State University M. Roy Wilson.

Innovation is at the heart of engineering and manufacturing - and sometimes these advancements can come from unexpected places. To foster pursuit of these advancements, automotive seating and electrical systems manufacturer Lear has taken over a historic building in downtown Detroit to launch their new Innovation Center. The center is planned as a hub for creativity, automotive advanced concept development and hands-on learning for Detroit college students studying engineering and design. As part of an effort to revitalize the Capitol Park area, the new space will allow for development of new automotive products and technologies, encourage non-automotive business opportunities and foster collaboration with Wayne State University’s College of Engineering  and the College for Creative Studies.

Both Dan Gilbert and Stephen Ross will donate $5 million to Wayne State University’s Law School in honor of outgoing dean Jocelyn Benson, the school will announce today. The pair – each alumni of the school – will give the gifts to establish the Benson Legacy Fund for Wayne Law and the Benson Endowed Enhancement Fund for Wayne Law. The money will be spent at the discretion of the school’s dean to further the school. Benson is leaving the school at the end of the month to work for a new organization headed by Ross. Each gift is the largest single gift ever received by the law school. “I am thrilled to have two of Wayne Law’s most successful and influential alumni unite to make this historic investment in the future of our law school,” Benson said in a written statement. “It is an honor to count them both as members of the Wayne Law family; their accomplishments and leadership are an inspiration for our entire community.” The announcement comes as Gilbert and Ross are inducted, along with 11 others, as part of the inaugural class of the Miller Family Wayne Law Alumni Wall of Fame. The wall of fame – the highest award presented by Wayne Law – is awarded to alumni who have distinguished themselves by contributions they have made in their fields, or in the betterment of humanity, or to former faculty and staff who have had a significant impact on the law school. The gifts from Ross and Gilbert are part of Wayne State’s $750-million Pivotal Moments fund-raising campaign. Including their gifts, the campaign has raised more than $590 million. With their gifts, the law school has raised nearly $24 million of its $30-million goal for the campaign. "Both Mr. Ross and Mr. Gilbert have worked to revitalize development in urban cities and build a sense of community through numerous projects,” Wayne State President M. Roy Wilson said in a statement. “Their generous gifts will help Wayne Law continue to play a significant part in the renaissance of Detroit.”

The MIT Technology Review has named Ann Arbor-based RetroSense Therapeutics LLC, a spinoff from Wayne State University in 2009, to its annual list of the 50 smartest companies in the world. It was the only company based in Michigan to make the list. The editors rank companies based on how their innovative technologies combine with a strong business model. They rated RetroSense, whose drug to treat patients with retinitis pigmentosa began human trials in March, at 37. RetroSense's drug, with the working name of RST-001, was first administered to a patient at the Retina Foundation of the Southwest in Dallas. RST-001 has shown in animal trials that its gene-based therapy can confer light sensitivity to cells in the retina, where previously deterioration of rod and cone photoreceptors had caused blindness. The clinical study is based on the research of Zhuo-Hua Pan, a professor of ophthalmology and cell biology at Wayne State and scientific director of the Ligon Research Center of Vision at the Kresge Eye Institute, and Richard Masland of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston. "This is exciting recognition for RetroSense and all of its efforts in finding a way to restore sight," said Joan Dunbar, associate vice president for technology commercialization at Wayne State. "Without the efforts of Sean Ainsworth, RetroSense's CEO, the company would not be in patient clinical trial stages. It is Sean's critical efforts that are bringing this important research to life, and hopefully they will be successfully taking their clinical trials to the bedside in the near future." "This is another example of the strong innovation ecosystem here in Detroit and at Wayne State University," said Stephen Lanier, vice president for research at Wayne State. "It's very nice to see RetroSense being recognized for moving this technology forward, which has the potential for broad impact."    

Studies have documented disparities in disease occurrence and health outcomes among nonwhite and economically disadvantaged populations, including higher death rates from cardiovascular disease and greater incidence of diabetes, asthma and obesity. These disparities are often acute in urban areas, and Detroit is no exception. Wayne State University has been working to address these disparities through its research and community engagement for many years. Researchers such as Dr. Sylvie Naar­King, Dr. Phillip Levy and Dr. Julie Gleason Comstock have focused much of their work on addressing behavior change, illness management, better patient screening and hospital discharge. The university’s most recent investment in addressing health disparities in Detroit is the new Integrative Biosciences Center (IBio). The $93 million facility, located in Midtown on a previously abandoned 2.7­acre city block, is Wayne State’s largest construction project to date. The building includes laboratories, faculty offices, common areas, a clinical research center, Henry Ford Health System’s bone and joint research program and biomechanics motion laboratory, and the Center for Urban Responses to Environmental Stressors. The university estimates that IBio will bring in nearly $40 million of new earnings annually in Michigan, 98 percent of which will be in metropolitan Detroit. “Rarely does a university get to live its vision and mission on a scale of this magnitude,” said Wayne State University President M. Roy Wilson. “The Integrative Biosciences Center embodies what it means to be a public, urban research university — creating and sharing knowledge that contributes immensely to improving the quality of life for its surrounding community. Research conducted in this center will also have important applications in other urban communities around the world.”  

The University Research Corridor (URC) already holds 93 percent of the academic research and development (R&D) funding in the state. At more than $2 billion, that R&D has increased 50 percent in the past decade, with the reach stretching across Michigan. But the three universities also are continually increasing their efforts in Detroit, prompting the attempt to quantify what they mean to the city. Participants in the URC are: Wayne State University, led by President M. Roy Wilson; University of Michigan, led by President Mark Schlissel and Michigan State University, led by President Lou Anna K. Simon. The study shows: The URC contributed about 11,600 jobs in Detroit, or 1 in 20, that includes direct, indirect and induced employment. Wayne State is the 7th largest employer in the city. The net economic impact from the URC is $958 million, that includes $140 million from students and about $204 million from alumni living in the city. Total Detroit research spending of $263 million. There are at least 300 initiatives in Detroit including 73 community-building programs, 66 public health programs, and 41 community service programs. Billions in investment is pouring into the city, most notably the 7.2 miles in downtown. Another element of the URC's influence on changes in the city is significant new construction on Wayne State's campus. Notable for Midtown's growth are the three dormitories built since 2002 that are prompting WSU's shift from a commuter school to a 24-hour campus. Even Wayne State's police department, which uses a data-drive approach to fighting crime, is influential in economic development, according to the URC report.  

Three University Presidents, M. Roy Wilson, Wayne State University, Lou Anna Simon, Michigan State University and  Mark Schlissel, University of Michigan joined “Detroit Today” host Stephen Henderson at the Mackinac Policy Conference to discuss the University Research Corridor. The economic impact of three universities, in different ways, in the city of Detroit is about $950 million. Although Wayne State is in the center of Detroit, all three universities have a deep, committed relationship with the city. Especially from a research interest and perspective.

More than 100 entrepreneurs and startups gathered May 26-28  at Wayne State University for the Eating Insects Detroit conference. Ben Klayman, Reuters editor in charge for the Midwest, shot footage at WSU’s Community Arts Auditorium from the conference and even sampled on camera some crickets. He also spoke with Robert Nathan Allen, conference attendee and head of Austin, Texas-based Little Herds, a nonprofit founded to educate the public on the nutritional and environmental benefits of edible insects.