Mark Stanisz, unlike many college freshmen, knows exactly what he wants to do with his life. The 19-year-old is enrolled in a five-year MBA program at Wayne State University, and he's the founder of Love One Another - a clothing line aimed at promoting self-love and positivity among teens. Stanisz said he initially started his business as a way to help his parents pay for tuition at Orchard Lake St. Mary's, a private high school, and then to put himself through college. Since the company's website launched in November, Stanisz has added features aimed at helping teens who may be struggling with things in their

If Michigan State University freshmen don't prove they have health insurance by the end of the month, the university will automatically enroll them in a plan and tack the cost onto their tuition bills. The state's second-largest public university is the first in Michigan to make such a move -- and it isn't going over well with Republicans in the Legislature. They've set a hearing next week on the matter. "It's a one-size-fits-all plan," said state Rep. Kevin Cotter, R-Mt. Pleasant. "The university is saying, 'You are going to have this.' This is mandated coverage." MSU officials say they're simply following about 25 percent of public universities across the nation in mandating health insurance coverage. They say they are trying to protect students who might get sick and have to choose between paying for medical treatment or college. It is noted in the story that Wayne State University only requires health insurance for international students.

A brief notes that Wayne State University is hosting its next Water@Wayne seminar on Thursday, Feb. 9, at 2:30 p.m. in the WSU Welcome Center auditorium. The seminar is free and open to the public and will feature guest speaker Lynn Henning, a Michigan farmer and environmentalist who was awarded the 2010 Goldman Environmental Prize.

The Writers Guild of America East Foundation has tapped Hailey O'Brien, a senior at Wayne State University studying film and psychology, to receive its Michael Collyer Memorial Fellowship. O'Brien's fellowship project, "Losing Grace," is about one woman's struggle and search for penance after an accidental drowning of a young neighbor while in her care. Wayne State is among eight universities and colleges across the country that participated in this year's Collyer Fellowship nominating process.

The Presidents of Michigan's big three research universities, Allan D. Gilmour, Mary Sue Coleman and Lou Anna Simon, wrote a commentary piece about the announcement by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office opening a satellite office in downtown Detroit. They wrote that the move is the latest indicator of our state's economic resurgence. "The location of a federal office that reviews and grants patents may not have the sizzle of a high-tech firm locating to Michigan, or a local start-up company securing millions in venture capital, but in reality it is vital for inventors, and is one more critical piece of the growing innovation infrastructure in our state." They point out that scientists and inventors in Michigan's University Research Corridor - the University of Michigan, Wayne State University and Michigan State University - are responsible for making our state the third-most vibrant university corridor in the country. "The selection of Michigan as the Patent Office's first-ever satellite office sends a powerful signal to the nation that we continue to develop intellectual property and translate it into products that are relevant in today's global marketplace. Not only will this new office benefit the government by the timely processing of patent applications, it also will advance approvals of new creations from inventors both inside and out of our universities."

John Mogk, a Wayne State University law professor who studies land issues, is quoted in an article examining foreclosures in Detroit and a Wayne County plan to sell homes for a little as $500. According to Mogk, 12,300 Detroit parcels were foreclosed because of unpaid taxes last year. "There is no end in sight," he said. "The problem is just so large and overwhelming in Detroit." Mogk also was interviewed on campus by Fox 2 reporter Roop Raj.

A rising number of malignant melanoma cases the past four years at Karmanos Cancer Institute illustrate the need for cutting-edge research into some of the most aggressive forms of the still mostly untreatable skin cancer. Dr. Patricia LoRusso, Karmanos director of Phase I clinical trials and the Eisenberg Center for Experimental Therapeutics, and professor of oncology at Wayne State University's School of Medicine, starts a three-year, $6 million research project as co-leader of a group of 50 cancer researchers at 12 medical centers who will study BRAF Wild-Type metastatic melanoma. BRAF Wild-Type is a more aggressive form of metastatic melanoma that has far fewer treatment options. "We know that there is a desperate need for treatment for those suffering from the most aggressive forms of the disease ... for which there are very few effective treatment options," said LoRusso.

A $2 million federal grant originally aimed at studying how a Detroit light rail project could be extended to Birmingham has been expanded in scope to cover transit options for the entire 27 miles of Woodward Avenue. The money now will pay for an examination of the Woodward corridor from the Detroit River to downtown Pontiac, the nonprofit Woodward Avenue Action Association said in a statement today. The steering committee is working on the study with the Michigan Suburbs Alliance; Wayne State University, which plans to contribute researchers to the project; and the Woodward association. The corridor analysis is expected to begin in the spring. Public opinions will be sought, the association said.

An article notes that Wayne State University President Allan Gilmour is one of four community leaders to be recognized next month during the Urban League of Detroit's 33rd annual Salute to Distinguished Warriors dinner. The honorees are people who have made significant contributions to human and civil rights advancement within the community. A photo of President Gilmour is included.

Wayne State University's new admissions guidelines will create 45 jobs over the next three years. On Wednesday, the Wayne State board of governors unanimously approved a measure to revamp its admissions policy away from traditional grade point average or test score requirements and toward a holistic evaluation of each student's academic and personal history. The new policy, which will go into effect in 2013, is expected to cut WSU's student population 5 percent, according to The Associated Press. A Crain's brief also discusses the admissions changes.

Recruiting students from China is becoming big business. A number of Michigan universities are aiming to diversify their campuses -- and their revenue -- by marketing themselves to Chinese students. Wayne State University's base of Chinese students grew from 271 in 2005 to 335 in 2011. The growth trend is consistent among many universities in Michigan and across the country. Business, engineering and science are the leading fields of study.

A profile piece highlights Dr. Tamam Mohamad, who began doing research at Wayne State University and his internship and residency at Wayne State University's and the Detroit Medical Center. In 2008, he received his first position with the research department at Wayne State University. Then in 2009, he was awarded "Fellow of the Year" by the Detroit Medical Center. Mohamad is a fellowship-trained interventional cardiologist from Wayne State. A photo of Mohamad is included.

Wayne State University professor Steven Stack comments in a story about suicide, particularly among teenagers using social media. Because of an increased sense of anonymity online, teens are more likely to act differently - more bold, aggressive about their opinions and, often, authentic - than they would be in person, according to a study on teen usage of social media conducted by The Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project. Stack, who has conducted extensive research on suicide and media, said there is the added danger of associating with a crowd that shares similar depressive thinking. "You can enforce your own depression by associating with other people who are depressed," Stack said.

Wayne State University President Allan Gilmour joined Craig Fahle to discuss recent changes to the University's admissions policy. The WSU Board of Governors approved revisions to their admissions policy Wednesday.

Jose Fernandez, assistant secretary of state for economic and business affairs, opines about entrepreneurship in the United States. He cites the success of the North African Partnership for Economic Opportunity (Napeo), launched several weeks ago bringing together over 300 entrepreneurs from Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya. Napeo initiative is local control, through advisory boards in each country. While supported by an international advisory board of prominent business and diaspora leaders, the local partners themselves determine priorities and resources for their respective countries. He writes: "Our partnership is already beginning to show results. In October 2011, a delegation of 15 American investors, including potential angel investors from the Maghreb diaspora community, visited Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia to mentor and train over 70 promising start-ups in the Maghreb. Three were selected for training and scholarships at Wayne State University and in TechTown.

Speakers from Wayne State University and a Detroit nonprofit that serves the Hispanic community will talk to more than 400 students at the Hispanic Youth Leadership Conference on Feb. 14. The fourth annual conference is organized by Latin Americans United for Progress and will be at Hope College. Afternoon keynote speaker Ethriam Cash Brammer who is a Chicano writer, artist and scholar focused on helping minority students earn college degrees. He is the associate director of the Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies at Wayne State University. During the conference, students will also participate in workshops on college preparation and career exploration, as well as time and money management. Representatives from colleges and universities will be on hand to speak with students, too.

The ability to think and act like a top-level private sector executive is a quality growing in demand for upper echelon leaders in higher education, according to a recent study. And that is translating into a new kind of leader for a number of top posts at Southeast Michigan institutions. This year, funding to Michigan's 15 public universities was cut by 15 percent, in exchange for keeping tuition increases under 7 percent. Wayne State University, for instance, received $32 million less in state funding for the 2011-2012 academic year. The university cut up to 200 jobs, including 80 jobs in July, blaming the funding cuts. Margaret Williams, interim dean of Wayne State's School of Business Administration, said the new master's business student is "for a little bit more of a just-in-time delivery, not a long, full-time plan of study." Williams, who has a doctorate in organizational behavior, helped spearhead a new program set to roll out in the fall -- a 13-hour graduate certificate for non-business graduates looking for a jump-start in business. The new certificate transfers toward WSU's part-time MBA program. "There's more importance (for business school deans) to focus on environmental scanning," she said. "We can't just put courses on the books and expect students to take them. That may have been the higher-ed model of the past, but we need to work hard to make sure the training is relevant to employers more than ever."

The Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers (PMI) Index made a sharp rebound in January, alleviating concerns about a slowdown for the Michigan economy. The index, which measures activity such as production, new orders, inventories, and employment, rose to 65.9 in January after falling below 50 in December for the first time in more than a year. The PMI is an early indicator of economic activity, often forecasting where the overall economy is heading. "Almost every component of the index improved in this month's survey," said Nitin Paranjpe, an economist and supply chain faculty member at Wayne State University's School of Business Administration, who conducted the analysis. "This bodes extremely well for the future of Michigan's economy."

A grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, administered by the Michigan Department of Community Health, is helping a Wayne State University researcher's effort to promote HIV testing among African-Americans. Dana Rice, adjunct assistant professor of family medicine and public health sciences, has received $166,000 to expand HIV testing in the Wayne County jails to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities. "We have a huge disparity in racial and ethnic HIV rates in the United States," she said, noting that black men and women make up only 14 percent of the general population in Michigan, but 58 percent of people living with HIV or AIDS. "This project helps to at least tackle the primary issue of HIV prevention, which is that most people don't know their status," said Rice. "We are helping to support making individuals more knowledgeable about their HIV status by providing this service in a place where there is a high-risk population."

Everyone knows that it can feel really good to get a massage. Now scientists may have figured out why, by identifying how massage switches genes on and off, thus reducing inflammation and coaxing muscle adaptation to exercise. Thomas Birk, associate professor of physical therapy at Wayne State University, who has studied the physiological effects of massage in patients with HIV, said that a study, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, was the first he had seen that drilled down to cellular basics. "We knew there was something going on, but we couldn't get to it a decade ago," he said, because the technology to probe the smallest structures of the body didn't yet exist. Birk said that more research would be needed for practitioners to figure out the right massage methods, pressures and depths to treat particular conditions.