Wayne State University, in cooperation with the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG), is offering a non-degree certificate program designed to provide participants with an in-depth understanding of supply chain topics and issues in the context of the global vehicle industry. "This program is targeted at high-potential staff who may or may not have had formal SCM (supply chain management) training in school," said John Taylor, director of Supply Chain Programs in Wayne State's School of Business Administration, and one of the creators of the partnership. "It covers many of the big issues they face in their current jobs and that they will face as they continue to advance in their careers." The WSU-AIAG program is taught by a combination of academic faculty and seasoned industry professionals. The program begins on Feb. 6, 2014, and is offered over 24 weekly sessions in the winter and fall.

A movement to make chemical manufacturing more environmentally friendly has gained steam and turned Michigan into a national leader. The term "green chemistry" first appeared in the early 1990s, and has gained currency in policy, business and environmental circles, spurring an executive Green Chemistry Program, changes in university courses and influential business initiatives. It's described as chemistry that is benign toward people and the environment, whether during a product's manufacture, consumer use or after it's discarded. It includes anything from corn-based plastic forks to soybean-based inks for printing on paper. Wayne State University, Grand Valley State University, Michigan State University and Kettering University in Flint have all received grants to develop courses around green chemistry.

As Wayne State University's commencement ceremony for the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences got ready to start Saturday night, a soon-to-be graduate got the surprise of her life. As Jeff Block, assistant vice president of special events & services, stood on stage, and announced that he needed to see Jainessa Ada-Caballero Richards on stage. "There's something wrong with your degree," she was told. As she walked across the stage, a video start playing - with her boyfriend, Rodney Wilson talking over photos of them as kids. At the end of the short video, he asks Jainessa to marry him. As she covers her face with her hands, Rodney walked out onto stage carrying a bouquet of roses and the ring. He got down on one knee, and to loud applause from the crowd, proposed. She said yes.

WDET 101.9 FM News Director Jerome Vaughn will become the host of the station's "All Things Considered" program beginning Jan. 2, the news station announced this week. Craig Fahle and Michelle Srbinovich, WDET's interim general managers, said in a statement that Vaughn, who will remain news director, will replace the radio show's current host, Travis Wright, who will become a correspondent in WDET's newsroom. In addition, Fahle and Srbinovich said WDET will expand its digital team in January.

Wayne State University, in cooperation with the Automotive Industry Action Group, is offering a non-degree certificate program designed to provide participants with an in-depth understanding of supply chain topics and issues in the context of the global vehicle industry. "This program is targeted at high-potential staff who may or may not have had formal SCM (supply chain management) training in school," said John Taylor, director of supply chain programs in Wayne State's School of Business Administration, and one of the creators of the partnership. "It covers many of the big issues they face in their current jobs and that they will face as they continue to advance in their careers." The WSU-AIAG program is taught by a team of academic faculty and seasoned industry professionals. This mix of academics and professionals will bring years of SCM auto industry experience to students, along with SCM perspectives from other industries.

Michael Boulus, senior advisor to the Lansing-based President's Council, State Universities of Michigan, was a guest on The Craig Fahle Show discussing higher education funding. According to a new report from the Anderson Economic Group, commissioned by the President's Council, the expenditures and earnings of Michigan's 15 public universities account for $23.9 billion in economic action and provide more than 120,000 jobs.

Motorcycle helmet use has dropped in Michigan to 73 percent since a change in the helmet law last year, according to a survey by the Wayne State University Transportation Group. That's down from 99.4 percent in 2006. Michigan ended mandatory universal helmet use in 2012, letting riders opt out under certain circumstances. The drop in helmet use in Michigan is starting to show up in accident statistics, the researchers said. There were 109 deaths in 2011 and 129 in 2012. "As preliminary crash statistics from the 2012 riding season show significant increases in fatal and serious injuries, it appears that changes to the helmet use legislation has resulted in more severe injury outcomes," they wrote. "Based upon these findings, continued efforts are warranted to encourage the use of both motorcycle helmets and high-visibility gear."

Jacqueline Wilson was at a reception at Wayne State University when she heard about a graduate student who was homeless and living out of her car. Wilson, who married WSU President M. Roy Wilson on Dec. 7, couldn't believe it. Soon after, she decided to find ways to ease the challenges homeless students face so they could get their degrees and turn their lives around. With the support of her husband and others, Jacqueline Wilson intends to champion the cause of homelessness on campus and in Detroit as Wayne State's first lady. "It says a lot about the character of people who are trying to get an education and better themselves with the odds against them," said Wilson. "I believe we are all a paycheck away from being homeless." Last month, at the Max Jacob House on WSU's campus, doors opened on Thanksgiving for about 40 students to eat and celebrate the holiday with Jacqueline Wilson. It was the first event to launch her project, known as Wayne State HIGH, which stands for Helping Individuals Go Higher. The project is expected to evolve and include a food pantry and other services to help homeless students complete their education, such as helping them get books and prepaid cellphones. M. Roy Wilson said he's always known his new wife to be passionate about helping others, especially the homeless. He said he's pleased his wife will be assisting him during his tenure as the school's 12th president. "Two people are always better than one," he said. "We're a team."

Elizabeth Barrios, who participated in Wayne State University's December commencement ceremonies on Saturday, spoke with WWJ about one of her internship projects with NASA. Barrios hopes for a fellowship at NASA, but first it's off to graduate school.

Since David Greer has been head coach of Wayne State University's men's basketball team, the Warriors have made four appearances in the Division II NCAA tournament. Two of those appearances have come in the last three years, including one last season, after Wayne State won a Co-GLIAC (Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) championship and earned an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament. Wayne State (1-1) is going to be making its title run this season without the services of Mike Hollingsworth, who Greer said has been medically ruled out. Aside from losing Hollingsworth, the Warriors have also sustained other injuries. While losing players to injury isn't exactly how Greer would have planned things, the minutes and experience other players may get as a result could turn out to be beneficial for Wayne State later on.

The new lighting installed at Wayne State's stadium is featured during a segment on Fox 2. Equipped with Green Star Technology, the lights burn brighter while using less power, and are able to be controlled from a smart phone.

The state's 15 public universities are responsible for more than 120,000 jobs and $23.9 billion in economic activity in the state, a report released Tuesday by the Presidents Council, State Universities of Michigan said. Among the economic benefits of the universities are wages for staff and other spending by the institutions, but also spending by students and wages for alumni, the report by the Anderson Economic Group said. As would be expected, the largest portion of non-payroll spending for universities was in Wayne County ($547.2 billion), which houses Wayne State University and University of Michigan-Dearborn. Ingham County, home of Michigan State University, was second at $513.4 million. Washtenaw County, location for University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University, was third at $355.6 million.

The National Science Foundation has awarded a $1.32 million grant to five Michigan universities for a project that will increase the academic success of underrepresented minority graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in STEM (science, technology , engineering, and mathematics) fields, as well as women graduate students in gender-imbalanced fields. The project, Michigan Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate, is comprised of Wayne State University, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Western Michigan University and Michigan Technological University. The alliance aims to strengthen the academic identity of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows by improving their mentoring relationships and engaging them in interdisciplinary learning communities. "The alliance aims to improve mentoring of our students and fellows by providing new programs for our faculty in evidence-based strategies for effective mentoring, as well as design individual mentoring tailored to the discipline and circumstances of each pair of faculty and student or postdoc," said Joseph Dunbar, associate vice president for research and associate dean of the Graduate School at Wayne State University, and principal investigator of Wayne State's part in the project.

Michigan's public universities have a $24 billion economic impact on the state including $14.4 billion in direct spending and 71,000 full-time-equivalent jobs, according to a study by East Lansing-based Anderson Economic Group LLC. The study, released yesterday and commissioned by the Presidents Council, State Universities of Michigan, found the state's 15 public universities in fiscal 2012 were responsible for $7 billion in payroll spending plus $3.1 billion in non-payroll goods and services, and their collective student body spent a combined $4.3 billion over the same period. That includes about $4.7 billion in payroll and non-payroll spending for the five-county region of Southeast Michigan, which was home to just under 128,000 of Michigan's 301,470 students in fall 2012, according to the Anderson report. Public universities in that region include Wayne State University, Oakland University, Eastern Michigan University, University of Michigan and the University of Michigan-Dearborn. "Whether it's the investment of Wayne State in student housing spurring growth in Detroit's Cass Corridor, alumni creating jobs in Marquette, research at (UM) encouraging entrepreneurial professors to create new companies or new classroom facilities in downtown Grand Rapids…Michigan's investment in higher education pays off all over our state," council Executive Director Mike Boulus said in a statement today. The report also estimates the universities indirectly support about $9.5 billion in spending and 51,000 jobs, over and above their own payrolls, for 122,000 jobs statewide.

Tonight is "Ugly Christmas Sweater Night" at Matthaei during the basketball game. Fans are encouraged to wear their most hideous get-up to the game in celebration of the event. It's also "Silent Night" where fans are asked to not cheer at all until the Warriors put 10 points on the board.

Elizabeth Barrios says her career dream officially began when she was just 10 years old. She and her family had taken a trip to the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. As of Dec. 14, she'll be another step closer to making her dreams come true. Barrios will walk across the stage during Wayne State University's commencement ceremony to celebrate the completion of her bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Wayne State's College of Engineering. Earning a degree is just one item checked off the list, however. She will graduate with a vast amount of internship and co-op experience under her belt. She has worked with R&D heavyweights BASF and the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center, and she had no less than four separate internships with NASA.

A Channel 4 News report highlighted events across the nation in honor of Nelson Mandela. In Detroit, a special tribute was held for Mandela at Wayne State University. The event was hosted by the Wayne African Student Society. Several professors spoke about Mandela's legacy and impact on the world, and some students even read quotes from the former South African president that inspired their lives and hope to inspire others.

A three-day orientation for Detroit's new City Council is under way on the campus of Wayne State University. The program kicked off Monday morning, providing attendees with an overview of the council's divisions, commissions and boards and legal policies. The orientation, at the Wayne State University Public Safety building on Cass, is set to resume Tuesday with presentations from the City Council's Legislative Policy Division on contract procurement and approval processes, ordinances and resolutions, zoning, economic development and Community Development Block Grant funding. Other topics to be touched on include emergency manager orders, budgeting processes and ethics. The event will culminate Wednesday at the university's Alumni House with remarks from Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr and Mayor-elect Mike Duggan prior to the new City Council being sworn in by City Clerk Janice Winfrey.

The Presidents of Michigan's three research universities opined about the threat of sequestration to the state's research efforts. "If Congress does not restore rationality to America's budgeting process, first by ending the reckless across-the-board sequestration cuts that became the budget default in March, the engine of America's quality of life will begin to seize…Today, it is innovation and talent that fuel our economy, secure our freedom and ensure an improved future. They are vital components of America's success, and we in Michigan take a backseat to none in producing them. But as presidents of Michigan's top three research universities, we must tell you that the warning light is on." The three universities, which comprise the University Research Corridor (URC), enroll a quarter of the state's college students and conducts more than $2 billion annually in research and development. "One of the nation's top innovation clusters, the URC helps bring some of the world's most talented people to our state and equips our own students to compete globally." The writers warned: "If Congress can't stop digging this hole by Friday, yet another round of across-the-board sequestration cuts takes effect in January. That means deserving new research projects going unfunded and, perhaps, some existing programs gutted. Promising young researchers could be cut loose, program infrastructure would start to unravel and more hard-won ground would be lost."

Wayne State University President M. Roy Wilson and his fiancee, Jacqueline Page, flew to Los Angeles this weekend for a celebration of their milestone birthdays: He turned 60 on Nov. 28; she turned 50 earlier this week. They planned Friday night, while hosting friends and family for pizza and wine in their hotel suite, to announce another milestone: They're getting married Saturday during a 10 a.m. ceremony. "Since everybody has been asking (when we are getting married) and a lot of people will be present anyway, we thought it would probably be as good a time as any," said Wilson, who began his term as WSU's 12th president in August. "I feel very fortunate that we found each and we're together," Wilson said. "We both feel that way."