Maryjean Schenk, M.D., has resigned as vice dean of medical education at Wayne State University School of Medicine, effective July 31. Schenk cited personal reasons for her departure. Her replacement is Richard Baker, M.D., who will start Aug. 1. An ophthalmologist, Baker was executive director of the Center for Health Services Research and chair of the department of ophthalmology at Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles. "Dr. Baker's experience and credentials will greatly assist us both in our efforts to address the issues cited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education and in our work to improve the School of Medicine as a whole as we move into the future," said Jack Sobel, M.D., dean of Wayne State's medical school, in a statement. Meanwhile, the medical school community is mourning the loss of Silas Norman Jr., M.D., associate dean of admissions, diversity and inclusion, who died last Friday after a battle with cancer. "We have lost a beloved faculty member, a determined leader, and more importantly, a great man," Sobel said in a statement. "In many ways Dr. Norman helped shape our school of medicine. There are hundreds of people who will never forget his contributions to their success in medical school and in life."

A group of volunteers went door to door this past Saturday, blocking doors at vacant homes on Detroit's east side. The group was boarding up doors and windows, hoping to prevent squatters, crime and other activity inside. Wayne State University student Vachal Moore led the group of about a dozen volunteers through Americorps and the Wayne State Urban Safety Project. He had the idea recently after realizing, of the neighborhoods in Detroit with abandoned homes, not all of them have community members to take care of them. "We often times do things in areas where there's a lot of young people," Moore said. "This area is basically just senior citizens, so I wanted to help out." He hopes to do more projects throughout Detroit but needs more volunteers.

WDET's Bankole Thompson talks with Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder about his current goals, his economic and social policies, and whether Michigan is on the right track.

The health care industry in Michigan as a whole is growing as the baby boomer generation ages and requires more care. In Michigan's southeast region, health care jobs have climbed from about 302,000 jobs in 2009 to near 321,000 in 2013, and are projected to hit close to 359,000 by 2019, according to the Detroit Regional Chamber's 2014 annual report. "This isn't just a Michigan phenomenon, but the industry is growing everywhere," said Gail Jensen Summers, a professor in Wayne State University's economics of health care program. Summers said part of the rise is the aging of baby boomers, while the other factor is that more people now have access to health care. "This is the age where baby boomers are experiencing more medical problems," Summers said. "One problem we have is a shortage of primary care physicians in this state. The only way clinics can meet the growing demand for care is by hiring nurse practitioners and physician assistants."

Robert Sestok installed 29 of his welded sculptures in a former empty lot in Midtown, next to several abandoned buildings. Sestok's park, City Sculpture, is the culmination of a career that pivoted around Detroit. Reared in its suburbs, he moved back in the 1960s, affiliating with the Cass Corridor artists, named for a then-dangerous corner of town. (Near Wayne State University, it has since been cleaned up and rebranded Midtown.) They had an artist-run gallery - a dozen partners, a dozen shows a year - and flourishing practices. Like others, Sestok briefly decamped to New York, following the artist Kiki Smith, who was his girlfriend at the time. But "I couldn't acclimate myself," said Sestok, who now lives in a rambling, art-filled house six blocks from where he was born. He refurbished it himself and added a separate studio, built in 1985 with an N.E.A. grant. Until about 12 years ago, he sustained himself by rehabbing houses. His sculptures - abstract, tall industrial pieces incorporating materials like propane tanks and shovels - dot the city and suburbs. "In the last decade or so, he's really found his voice," said Dennis Nawrocki, an adjunct professor at Wayne State University and the author of "Art in Detroit Public Places." Sestok has started a nonprofit and hopes to exhibit other artists there; the opening party, with food trucks and a nine-piece rock band playing on a flatbed truck, drew Cass Corridor artists from New York as well as Detroit's younger generation.

The nuclear accord announced on Tuesday among Iran, the United States, and five other countries faces political hurdles before becoming a done deal. But the possibility of a warmer relationship between America and Iran after more than 30 years of animosity will very likely benefit fledgling efforts to develop links in higher education. Iranian higher-education officials have indicated an interest in working with their American counterparts on water conservation, environmental management, food safety and several other areas. Last month the country hosted a rare delegation from American universities, including Wayne State, to discuss possible collaborations in science and other areas. The trip, which was organized by the Institute of International Education, included meetings with representatives of the University of Tehran and 12 other Iranian universities and research institutes. No new deals were struck, but given the academic ties that existed before 1979, it may be more a matter of restarting old programs rather than inventing new ones.

What is race? It's a single question that elicits hundreds, perhaps thousands, of answers and even more questions. Wayne State University law school professor Peter Hammer has started the discussion in Detroit, asking questions about race and racial equity and getting others to do so with him in a unique setting around the Motor City. Hammer readily admits he and his fellow cohorts in the Detroit Equity Action Lab don't have all the answers to the complicated questions they are asking. Hammer and nonprofit leaders from across Metro Detroit are doing their work in a laboratory environment - on campus and around sites in the city - where they have the freedom to ask difficult questions, try out new ideas, fail from time to time and make the entire experience about learning. Hammer is leading the lab, which was established at WSU in 2014 with a three-year, $1.3 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Small business owners who have completed the educational components of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, a program with Detroit offices at Wayne State University, grew revenue and added jobs at a rate that outperformed the national economy, says a new report commissioned by Goldman Sachs. "We are seeing the results of the 10,000 Small Businesses program in all corners of Detroit," says M. Roy Wilson, president of Wayne State University. "Alumni are growing their businesses, creating new jobs, and hiring locally, helping to bring back our neighborhoods and creating economic opportunity in Detroit and in southeast Michigan." In the metro Detroit, more than 125 small business owners have completed the program at Wayne State. Nearly 74 percent of participants surveyed in the region saw increased revenue six months after graduating from the program, compared to about 67 percent of program participants nationally. Additionally, nearly 52 percent of participants surveyed in the Detroit region added new jobs six months after graduating from the program, compared to about 46 percent of program participants nationally.

A series of studies at Wayne State University is bringing into focus the vulnerability of elderly people not only to con artists and mail scams - but also to loved ones and trusted caregivers. And the lead researcher, as well as other experts agree: Part of the problem is the ability of the perpetrators to rationalize their deeds. "After a period of time, family members ... often feel entitled to take some of the money as sort of compensation for what they're doing, but also just of a sense (that) it's their money, too," said Peter Lichtenberg, director of Wayne State's Institute of Gerontology and lead author on the recent studies. Lichtenberg has designed two screening tools - one a 77-question version, the other an abbreviated, 10-question survey to gauge seniors' abilities to make financial decisions. Both also test for the presence of risk factors - trusted relatives or friends who appear predatory, for example. In one study, experts found that eight of the 69 elderly Detroit …participants had "decision-making incapacity," meaning that they no longer fully understand the risks and benefits of financial choices. Among those eight, five reported they had been financially exploited in the past year. None of the incidents had been reported to authorities, Lichtenberg said.

Three of the four Monday qualifiers this week will be making their PGA Tour debuts including Joseph Juszczyk who carded rounds of 6-under 66 at Pinnacle Country Club to earn medalist honors and a spot into this week's John Deere Classic. Juszczyk, who played golf at Wayne State University, turned pro after ending his collegiate career in 2010. He played two Web.com Tour events in 2012 and one in 2013. He currently holds three of WSU's top eight single-season scoring averages.

Dr. Farid Fata was back in a Detroit courthouse again on Wednesday and will have to face more victims of his health care fraud. Prosecutors say Fata gave unnecessary chemotherapy to patients, and some of Fata's 553 victims were never sick. Fata pleaded guilty to 23 counts of health care fraud, conspiracy and money laundering. Former federal prosecutor and Wayne State University law professor Peter Henning said Fata was "looking people in the eye and telling them you need to have this treatment when it was completely unnecessary." He said he has never expected that out of a doctor. "Who's more trusted than your own doctor, especially when you get a cancer diagnosis?" Henning said. (cue to 1:50)

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources estimates that millions of ash trees across the state have been wiped out by the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). It is now considered established in Michigan's Lower Peninsula, and its spread is being watched in the Upper Peninsula. Currently, the beetles have been detected in 25 states nationwide, as well as in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Wayne State University professor Dan Kashian, a zoology and forest ecology expert, has been researching the issue of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) for several years. He says it could be worse. Contrary to early doomsday talk, Kashian points out that while EAB has ravaged local ash trees, it hasn't wiped out Michigan's mixed-tree forests. What's more, the ash population appears to be rebounding. Some trees are springing back up out of trunks like bushes, and others are living long enough to sow replacements. "I'm starting to suspect ash is going to be around," Kashian says. "We're not going to find big beautiful ash trees anymore, but they'll be a lot of small and scrawny ones, because they are able to produce seeds before they are completely wiped out." Kashian says the best approach for communities dealing with invasive situations like EAB is planting a diversity of different trees.

Stephen Henderson spoke with Marc Kruman, director of the Center for the Study of Citizenship and history professor at Wayne State University, about the state of America today. The conversation focused on opportunity, political participation and American ideals. Regarding the role of race, Kruman said that the founding fathers would likely be surprised at the degree of racial equality in the U.S. today and that they never got far enough to conceptualize it. He added that the black vote in the south since 1965 has changed the region and that black elected officials were unthinkable before.

Wayne State University Law School student Jaspreet Singh, 23, has created the company 5 Water Socks introducing water resistant athletic socks that are breathable, comfortable and soft. His socks resist low pressures of water through a patent-pending Rain Armor technology. The socks aren't waterproof - and he doesn't claim that they are. If you do fully saturate them or submerge them, they will get wet. But the point is to keep your feet dry and fresh when you're on a run or doing any other activity. Jaspreet is raising money on Kickstarter right now to help market his socks. He's already raised more than $14,000. Jaspreet hopes to grow his company in the city of Detroit and bring more creative design jobs to the city.

When Detroit Public Schools (DPS) launched its Safe Routes to School initiative in 2011, it singled out the neighborhoods around three high school campuses - Cody, Osborn and Denby - for stepped-up police patrols, volunteer patrols and increased blight removal. In the four years since, DPS has expanded Safe Routes to School across the city, and it now covers both DPS schools and those run by the Education Achievement Authority. The district divided the city into 33 school hub zones in 2013. Each hub zone has at least one school, and a Detroit police officer is now assigned to each zone. DPS officials acknowledge troubles remain, but they say the efforts are paying off. Officers from other jurisdictions are helping DPS and Detroit officers patrol the hub zones. The help includes a lieutenant and 12 troopers from the Michigan State Police, reserve deputies from the Wayne County Sheriff's Department, and officers from the Wayne State University Police Department.

Wayne State University Philosophy Professor John Corvino submitted a guest column regarding the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges that the U.S. Constitution requires all states to recognize and provide marriage for same-sex couples. Corvino noted that in his dissent, which was joined by two other justices, Chief Justice John Roberts argued that the court's logic would apply equally well to polygamous couples: "[F]rom the standpoint of history and tradition, a leap from opposite-sex marriage to same-sex marriage is much greater than one from a two-person union to plural unions, which have deep roots in some cultures around the world. If the majority is willing to take the big leap, it is hard to see how it can say no to the shorter one." Corvino explained in video comments that it really is not hard to say no to the shorter one.

For more than 20 years, New York's Complexions dance company has sought to redefine ballet for a contemporary audience. Each year, the company brings its Summer Intensive program to Wayne State University, where students learn Complexions repertoire. Complexions has a long history with the Motor City - when the company lost funding due to Sept. 11's wake of financial turmoil, Wayne State benefactor Maggie Allesee helped out. The two-week program doesn't hold auditions - dancers are placed in one of four studios depending on ability. The Complexions Detroit Summer Intensive Student Showcase starts at 3 p.m. on Friday, July 3 at the Music Hall Center for The Performing Arts.

Stephen Henderson talked with Kadida Williams, associate professor of African American history at Wayne State University, and Danielle McGuire, assistant professor of history at Wayne State, about the history of violence at southern black churches and the aftermath of the Charleston, South Carolina massacre. Williams said African American churches have historically been a rallying point for the spiritual, political, and economic well-being for African Americans in the South and this has made them vulnerable to racist attacks. McGuire noted that attacks on black churches may be the result of white people feeling threatened by a perceived loss of privilege as America's racial demographics shift.

Leon Atchison, Wayne State University's longest-serving member of its Board of Governors died Monday, the school announced Friday. Atchison, who completed his last term in 2002 after 32 years of service, was 87. In 2008, the university renamed South University Hall - one of WSU's two undergraduate residence halls - Leon H. Atchison Hall. In a news release, the university credited Atchison's vision with the creation of the College of Urban, Labor and Metropolitan Affairs and the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts. WSU also said he led the reorganization of the College of Liberal Arts and the establishment of the College of Science. During his decades on the board, more than $1 billion in capital improvements were made. Atchison's death is "a major loss of a valued friend and a treasured colleague," Gary Pollard, chair of the Board of Governors, said in a statement. "Leon was an exceptional member of the Wayne State board and a wonderful person," Diane Dunaskiss, a member of the Board of Governors, said in a statement. "He was committed to the mission of the university. His wisdom and experience were valued by his colleagues and the university community. Leon's passing is a tremendous loss and he will be greatly missed, but he will be remembered with great fondness and appreciation." http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20150626/NEWS/150629863/leon-atchison-32-year-wsu-board-veteran-dies-at-87 http://www.freep.com/story/money/business/michigan/2015/06/26/detroit-wsu-atchison-obituary-naacp/29323815/

Urban farming has been growing in popularity in Detroit and other postindustrial cities, but a lingering concern is over the soil where city farms are sprouting. With virtually all urban farms planted on land that once held houses, shops, or factories, the safety of fruits and vegetables raised in Detroit dirt has remained a question. Urban farmers have addressed this concern by testing their soil for lead, arsenic and other metals and pollutants before they plant. And so far, this testing has shown that most sites in Detroit are safe for growing food. Now, a new study by Wayne State University aims to take this testing a step further and develop a more detailed method for assessing the safety of local urban farm sites. What's different, said Lawrence Lemke, associate professor of geology at WSU and a coprincipal investigator in the study team, is that the new effort is sampling soil from many more spots within each farm. "Our work will open up new research directions tailored to an urban institution, yet still address important agricultural issues," said Yifan Zhang, assistant professor of nutrition and food science in Wayne State's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the other coprincipal investigator in the study. "In addition, our work will provide us with an opportunity to develop outreach materials based on our research findings to provide communities with guidance on how to grow food safely and in a sustainable manner." http://www.freep.com/story/money/business/michigan/2015/06/27/detroit-farming-agriculture-wsu-soil-earthworks/29327963/ http://www.bloomberg.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201506280505KRTRIB__BUSNEWS_15006_27480-1 http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/70dc745cf1384268976cdb435ef1b884/MI--Urban-Gardens-Soil-Tests