The Great Lakes surrounding Michigan hold 18 percent of the world's fresh water and 90 percent of the nation's surface freshwater. That represents a major opportunity in the so-called blue economy, and the University Research Corridor (URC) kicked off a statewide tour last week meant to highlight the importance of water to Michigan's economic future. The three universities that make up the URC - Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, and Wayne State University - snagged nearly $300 million in awards for water-related research between 2009 and 2013. The discussion on the tour focused on the group Huron to Erie Alliance for Research and Training (HEART), whose work focuses on improving the ecosystems of Lakes Huron and Erie. It's a collaboration with Wayne State University, Macomb Community College, Huron-Clinton Metroparks, and Macomb County to set up research centers at Lake St. Clair Metro Park and Detroit's Belle Isle.

Wayne State University will honor its student veterans during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. today celebrating the opening of the newly remodeled and expanded Student Veterans Resource Center in the Student Center Building. A 9/11 remembrance also will be held at 10:28 a.m. in front of the flags on Gullen Mall.

Wayne State University Professor of Chemistry Stephanie Brock is among a select group of 99 scientists to be named to the prestigious 2014 American Chemical Society Fellows Program. Brock has been recognized for her research on the synthesis of nanoscale materials - particles with diameters on the order of 1 billionth of a meter - that have functional properties that make them useful to address a number of global technological and societal challenges in the areas of renewable/clean energy, environmental remediation, data storage and refrigeration/microclimate control. Brock's work with Wayne State's Gaining Options-Girls Investigate Real Life program, created to increase the competence and confidence of metro Detroit adolescent girls in the areas of mathematics, technology and scientific thinking, was also recognized by the society.

Two veteran Detroit Police Department officers will get a chance to further their education for free at Wayne State University. The pair - both of whom have been with the department for at least 15 years - are the first two selected for a new Chief's Scholars program. The program was announced today by Wayne State University's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean Wayne Raskind and Detroit Police Chief James Craig. Under the program, Detroit officers will have the chance for a free master's degree in Wayne State's criminal justice program. The scholarships will be awarded annually. Sergeant Michael Dicicco and Sergeant Deana Leath are the first two recipients of the scholarship. "A comprehensive education is one of the core missions of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences," said Raskind. "To have these experienced officers in classrooms with other criminal justice students will vastly deepen the dialogue and learning experience for all involved."

A "Street Beat: Back-to-School" segment featured a discussion with Rasheda Williams, Wayne State University information officer, about the reduced tuition policy for senior students who are 60 or older. Qualifying students receive a 75 percent tuition discount, part of a program that has been in place since the late 1990s. Last fall about 229 students qualified for the discount.

For Lebanese refugee Mirna Haidar, a recent Wayne State graduate and activist, it has been a lifelong struggle to achieve. She is the first person in her family to ever graduate from school. Haidar graduated with a major in political science and a minor in peace studies. Getting to this point, graduation wasn't always easy. Haidar has lived in the Ivory Coast, West Africa and Beirut, Lebanon, for most of her life. Because of constant civil wars and conflicts, getting her education while living there has been tough. She recalls being able to stay in one location for only a few years at most before being forced to move. Once Haidar got into Wayne State University, things got easier. She stayed with many friends, got jobs wherever she could, and still had time to work with ACCESS, a nonprofit Dearborn organization that focuses on Arab philanthropy. When Haidar graduated and got her degree, she felt a strong sense of accomplishment. Haidar said she will always hold Wayne State University and the Detroit area close to her heart. After all, it was the first place she was able to graduate after years of struggle.

Nearly 60 Michigan schools will join a program that helps them work with students to fight childhood obesity and promote healthy eating habits. The program is Building Healthy Communities, which since 2009 has helped more than 83,000 students in 187 schools learn to make healthier choices and be more physically active. Now 58 more schools will join the initiative, which is sponsored by a handful of public and private agencies, including the Michigan Department of Community Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, the Michigan Fitness Foundation, the University of Michigan, the United Dairy Industry of Michigan and Wayne State University. The program focuses on helping schools create healthier environments that support nutrition education, access to healthy food and beverages, physical activity and physical education, according to a news release.

Professors from three Michigan universities gathered at Lake St. Clair Metropark last week to discuss the role of water-related research in economic development and the emergence of a statewide "Blue Economy." The gathering marked the kickoff of a five-city tour by Michigan's University Research Corridor - - an alliance between Wayne State University, Michigan State University and the University of Michigan. The discussion focused in part on the Huron to Erie Alliance for Research and Training, or HEART, which seeks to improve the ecosystems of Lakes Huron and Erie. HEART is a collaborative effort between Wayne State University, Macomb Community College, Huron-Clinton Metroparks and Macomb County that is setting up research centers at Lake St. Clair Metropark and Belle Isle. Among those participating in the roundtable discussion was Carol Miller, Wayne State University professor and HEART project leader.

A startup called Detroit Materials is hoping to lead a renaissance for these hardworking metals, backed by technology from Wayne State University. The company finalized a licensing agreement with WSU in June, allowing it to commercialize a kind of high-strength, low-alloy steel and cast iron developed at the university. The technology has possible uses in automotive, defense, and mining. A new way to design steel has emerged that doesn't rely on alloying materials to make them stronger or more flexible. Instead, as WSU chemical engineering professor Susil Putatunda discovered, the chemical process can be tweaked and re-engineered through austempering, a heat treatment process, according to what the customer wants. "We can go back, find out the specs, and fine-tune the chemistry and process in order to create the desired material. That's not being done by any other company in the U.S.," he says.

Online degree programs are more popular than ever, and not just with students. From small community colleges to the most prestigious universities in the world, schools of all shapes and sizes have jumped on the e-learning bandwagon. But with so many programs to choose from, how can students separate the best from the rest? Timothy W. Spannaus, program coordinator for instructional technology at Wayne State University, says the best online degree programs "treat students as individuals, respecting their strengths and addressing with their weaknesses, rather than as an undifferentiated group of learners." Spannaus adds that the best programs "take advantage of learning as an active process, so that students are engaged in activities that foster deep learning."

Whether due to an inch of rain or what has been coined the great flood of 2014, when it rains metro Detroit freeways flood or shut down. "It all depends on how that rainfall is handled by the system," said Carol Miller, Wayne State University professor of civil and environmental engineering. For the third time in a month on Monday night portions of the Southfield freeway, the Lodge freeway and I-75, closed due to rain. "The flood we had a few weeks ago was on the order of a 100-year event," Miller said. "It was something we don't see a whole lot," Miller said. "There should be capacity to take a 100-year event without terrible disruption." Miller said the city needs to examine the problem, but cautioned that it will cost more money.

WDFN's Matt Shepard talked with Paul Winters, Wayne State University Warriors head football coach, about playing night games to start the season, competing with their tough schedule and the benefit of having the Detroit Lions practice on their field.

In the six months that he has been in Detroit, Gabriel Da Silva Gratival has started to figure the city out. "This city is reborn," the 23-year-old Brazilian said last week. "It's coming out of a big crisis. It's got a great opportunity to grow." Gratival understands opportunities - it's why he's in Detroit. He's one of 250 Brazilian students studying at Wayne State University as part of Brazilian government program that sends college students to study in the U.S. The group at WSU is the largest group of the program's participants at any university in the U.S.

Wayne State bankruptcy law professor Laura Bartell addresses key questions about the Detroit bankruptcy trial in an interview with NPR. "These are people, who are not financial institutions," Bartell said. "These are city of Detroit retirees." One of the biggest issues facing the bankruptcy proceeding is whether the plan is even feasible. "That's going to probably be the crux of the confirmation hearing," she said. "Does this plan work? Is the city of Detroit going to be viable?"

The Jazz Fest will be in Detroit this Labor Day weekend, Aug. 29 through Sept. 1. Detroit Today's Laura Weber-Davis and guest host Rochelle Riley talked with Chris Collins, executive director of the Jazz Fest, about this year's event. Collins is a professor and director of jazz studies at Wayne State University.

An extensive "Back To School" feature article focuses on Wayne State University President M. Roy Wilson as he begins his second year leading the University. Dr. Wilson participated in a Q&A with the Jewish News talking about Wayne State's urban mission; reputation as a national research university; five-year goals; and the longstanding relationship between Wayne State and the Jewish community. Also included in the "Back to School" feature is a discussion with Wayne State's Provost Margaret E. Winters.

There's a lot that goes into being a modern university president - including checking the length of the grass on campus. At least that's the view presented in a short Welcome Back to Wayne State University video uploaded to YouTube Tuesday. The video features President M. Roy Wilson and his clipboard full of tasks. He's got to measure the space between desks in classrooms, make sure all the printing paper is neatly stacked and make sure all the coffee cups are rotated so the Wayne State logo faces the correct way. He's also got to make sure the clock on the Old Main building matches the Shinola watch on his wrist. Classes start today on campus.

A cooking school dedicated to nutrition and culinary arts for home cooks is one of the newest startups to spring out of Wayne State University's Blackstone LaunchPad business accelerator program. "Most home cooks are familiar with cooking brown rice or using basil in a recipe," says Vazilyn Poinsetta, the founder of AVC (Art of Vegetarian Cuisine) Kitchens, who is also a nutrition and food science major at WSU. "However, many may not be familiar with preparing nutritious grains such as buckwheat or spelt, or adding cardamom to savory cabbage for a creative flavor change." Primarily offering vegetarian cooking classes, AVC hosts a variety of classes, including the "Eating Outside of the Box" series, which kicked off at Eastern Market in June. "Blackstone LaunchPad has been a tremendous help to me in obtaining and designing a website, teaching me more about computer technology, and helping me with a Facebook page," she says.

Midtown Detroit is home to some of the hottest restaurants, boutique stores - and this weekend - some of the best football players in the state. Sixteen teams from Detroit Cass Tech to Lansing Sexton and Chicago Brother Rice are taking part in the Prep Kickoff Classic at Wayne State University. The season-opening high school football is organized by the Detroit Sports Commission and features an estimated 40 players who have signed to play at Division 1 schools. In addition to showcasing the top talent, the event gives players, bands and cheerleaders to play and perform at a college environment. The event was founded in 2005, and moved to Wayne State University in 2012. The home of Warriors not only is hosting the Kickoff Classic, but will also be the home for De La Salle High School football games and the Michigan-Ohio high school football all-star game in June 2015. The action kicks off 1 p.m. Thursday as West Bloomfield takes on Dearborn, and continues through Saturday with the 2 p.m. game between Birmingham Brother Rice and Chicago Brother Rice.

The storm event that swept through metro Detroit Aug. 11 overwhelmed the sewer and drainage systems throughout the region, causing wastewater to flow out to the surface and mix with the stormwater. That water, in turn, has inevitably found its way into lakes, streams and rivers. Wayne State University professor D. Carl Freeman said the amount of sewage overflow could contribute to algae blooms in Lake Erie or Lake St. Clair, as the contents of the wastewater - along with any nutrients it may have picked up from the surface soil - are effectively fertilizer. Depending on the species of algae, they could produce a toxic side effect that renders the water undrinkable and kills the local wildlife, similar to the bloom that occurred on Lake Erie in July. "We had a lot of sewage overflows, and so what this is going to do is supply a lot of nutrients to the receiving water bodies," Freeman said. "And that can lead to outbreaks of various kinds of algae, not unlike what we saw in Toledo." Researcher Donna Kashian, visiting scientist at the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory and Wayne State University professor, was more optimistic that any problems would be minimal. She said the massive amount of rainfall that hit the region probably diluted the amount of contaminants to some extent.