WWJ CBS automotive reporter Jeff Gilbert talked about Wayne State University's EcoCar2 Team project as a forerunner to today's scheduled press conference announcing the transformation of their car of the future - a traditional Chevrolet Malibu into a hybrid. Students from 11 different nations are involved in the WSU's team, which is the only team competing from Michigan. A press conference is scheduled at 8:45 a.m. this morning at NextEnergy.

On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Hansen Clarke (D-Mich.) joined students from a classroom at Wayne State University to discuss his plan to ease student loan debt. Taking advantage of Google's video conferencing service Google+ Hangout, Clarke explained the details of his Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012 to a physical audience at as well as a virtual one comprising students from across Michigan and the country. H.R. 4170 would forgive student loan debt for those who have paid 10 percent of their discretionary income toward their loans for 10 years and would cap interest on federal student loans at the current rate of 3.4 percent. Individuals who go into teaching, public service or practice medicine in underserved areas would have their debt forgiven after only five years.

A drive to let students who live in Michigan, but lack citizenship or a green card, pay in-state tuition at the University of Michigan has gained the interest of some of the school's regents in recent weeks. The Board of Regents asked U-M Provost Phil Hanlon to prepare a report on tuition equality for undocumented students, which could be presented as soon as its meeting next week. It's unclear whether that will lead to a policy change at U-M, which currently charges students without citizenship or a green card out-of-state tuition. Most schools charge the out-of-state rate. But at Western Michigan University, anyone who can prove residency in Michigan gets the in-state rate. Wayne State University does not ask for citizenship documentation. Saginaw Valley State University allows its president to approve waivers and allow migrant workers' children to receive in-state tuition.

Wayne State University will unveil a plaque in recognition of the Marvin I. Danto Engineering Development Center's LEED Silver certification as designated by the U.S. Green Building Council. A ceremony will be held at 11 a.m., Monday, April 23, in the 82,500-square-foot facility, the first on Wayne State's Midtown campus to receive the honor. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification is achieved by meeting specific requirements in five environmental categories, including sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

State officials have engaged a Wayne State University College of Engineering researcher in their effort to make roads and highways safer. The Michigan Department of Transportation has awarded a two-year, $278,000 grant to Chris Eamon, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering. MDOT inspection reports have noted diagonal cracks near the supports of prestressed concrete girders on a few bridges in the state. Officials solicited proposals to analyze the significance of the cracks and develop a procedure to mitigate the issue, as well as to prevent such cracking from occurring in future bridges. Eamon and his fellow researchers will review inspection data on a sample of bridges provided by MDOT. "Clearly, you don't want the concrete cracking," he said. "That allows water to penetrate and deterioration to occur. It also indicates that previous design methods might not be properly accounting for the actual strength of or expected loads on the structure." A photo of Eamon is included.

Louis Lessem, Wayne State University vice president and general counsel, has been named a finalist for Crain's Detroit Business "Nonprofits and Public Institutions: General and In-House Counsel Awards 2012." Lessem is profiled among the group of 2011's most distinguished general counsel attorneys for businesses and nonprofit organizations. Winners and finalists will be honored April 25 at an evening reception and strolling dinner following an afternoon summit with speakers, panels and educational sessions. The event will be held at the Inn at St. John's in Plymouth. A photo of Lessem is included.

Victor Green, director of community relations at Wayne State University, was a guest on "The Craig Fahle Show" discussing the upcoming event to clean-up Cass Corridor. Green noted that a record number of RSVP's have been received for this year's effort.

During the morning drive-time reports, WWJ anchor Roberta Jasina talked about Wayne State University's May 7 commencement ceremony featuring WSU School of Medicine grad Capt. Jerry Linenger. More than 3,500 students will participate in Wayne State's spring commencement ceremony which will conclude the university's 144th academic year. It will be the first ever held at Ford Field in downtown Detroit. Linenger, retired United States Navy flight surgeon and NASA astronaut will give the keynote address. A naval academy graduate, Linenger holds doctorates in both medicine and research methodology, as well as dual master's degrees in policy and systems management. He has also been awarded three honorary doctorate degrees in science.

Lisa Whitmore Davis, AARP Michigan's associate state director for multicultural outreach, notes in her commentary piece that AARP Michigan is hosting a conference on multiculturalism and aging at the Wayne State University Student Center from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on April 27, and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on April 28. She writes: "This event promises to be the launch of a multicultural aging alliance in Metro Detroit, with the goal of strengthening relationships among and between African-American, Hispanic-Latino, Asian and Arab-American populations."

Detroit News business columnist Daniel Howes lauds the efforts of Wayne State University to aid in the resurgence of Detroit and midtown. He writes that the University is enhancing its residential space and embracing its neighborhood. He adds: "One net result: The supply of Class-A rental space downtown is struggling to keep pace with accelerating demand, and demand so far appears to be relatively undeterred by the critical financial problems causing gridlock in City Hall."

Wayne State University police report 10 percent of its calls to dispatchers stem from people experiencing a psychiatric crisis. Such calls can lead to transports to a crisis center or jail before the mentally ill person returns to the street. Valerie Guerriero, a Wayne State University police officer, and Donna Ronan, an outreach worker and case manager for Cass Community Social Services' PATH program, which places mentally ill people in stable housing, have worked together to get community services to mentally ill people as part of Detroit Performance Improvement, one of five Bazelon Center pilot programs around the country. The local project involves Guerriero and four other Wayne State police officers riding with an outreach worker for three hours, two or three times a month. Guerriero, a 32-year veteran, enjoys working with people in ways police officers normally don't. Photos of Guerriero are included.

Dr. Moriah Thomason, a resident of Birmingham and faculty member at Wayne State University, talked about her cutting-edge work in scanning the brains of fetuses in utero during a "Sunday Morning Chat" Q&A feature. Thomason describes her work as quite different involving the study of human fetal functional development, making it a pioneering work. The majority of work, she says, has been done looking at human fetal brain development looking at anatomical development. "We are going to open a window into the fetal period that has never been opened. We are going to peer inside and take a look at brain function before birth." A photo of Thomason is included.

Students, retirees, people living on disability and those laid off, too discouraged to look anymore, are among the 1 of every 2 Detroit adults neither holding a job nor looking - the worst percentage for 2010 among 41 major U.S. cities. This vast segment - some 174,000 Detroiters ages 16-64 do not work - poses a serious challenge for the city. It is mentioned in this story that potential entrepreneurs who need guidance in starting a business can find help at a number of business accelerators in southeast Michigan, including TechTown at Wayne State University. Readers are directed to http://techtownwsu.org for more information.

Wayne State University is convening a group of experts Saturday to examine the achievements and setbacks of the protests and upheavals across the Middle East known as the Arab Spring. The conference titled "A Year in Tahrir: The Future of the Arab Spring and its Implications in the U.S." will cover topics including the origins and status of the reform movements, the role of external governments and organizations and the Arab Spring's effect on the U.S. Speakers include Marc Lynch of George Washington University and Radwan Ziadeh of the Syrian National Council opposition group in exile. The conference is organized by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, National Security Network and the Wayne State's Program for International Legal Studies.

Barbara McQuade, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan WDET reporter Quinn Klinefelter interviewed U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade about various issues, including her noon appearance today at Wayne State University's Spencer M. Partrich Auditorium for the Arthur L. Johnson Urban Perspectives Lecture Series.

NASA astronaut, Wayne State alum, to offer commencement address More than 3,500 students will participate in Wayne State University's spring commencement ceremony at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 7. The ceremony, which will conclude the university's 144th academic year, will be the first ever held at Ford Field in downtown Detroit. Capt. Jerry Linenger, retired United States Navy flight surgeon, NASA astronaut and WSU School of Medicine alumnus ('81) will give the keynote address. A naval academy graduate, Linenger holds doctorates in both medicine and research methodology, as well as dual master's degrees in policy and systems management. He has also been awarded three honorary doctorate degrees in science.

A feature story highlights SEED Wayne, a university initiative to build sustainable food systems on campus and in the community. Kami Pothukuchi, associate professor of urban planning at Wayne State, and founder of SEED Wayne, comments extensively in the piece. In 2008, she found a funding opportunity in the Ford Fund's College Community Challenge and started one on-campus garden. SEED Wayne now includes three different gardens including one on the roof of a parking structure - a 22-week farmers' market, a corner grocery store initiative, educational outreach and a newsletter. Several photos of SEED Wayne activities are included. (print edition only)

John Mogk, law professor at Wayne State University Law School specializing in urban law and policy, opined about the consent agreement that the Detroit City council approved last week. Mogk wrote that the consent agreement is an important first step in putting Detroit's financial house in order, but, if it works, it will not be enough to turn the city around. "Unless the city's economy expands and its population stabilizes, Detroit cannot survive." He notes that the city faces two different crises: severe financial stress and severe economic stress. "The consent agreement will eliminate severe financial stress and avoid insolvency, but it will not alleviate conditions of severe economic stress that are the root cause of unemployment, poverty, hunger and abandonment." A photo of Mogk is included.

Robin Boyle, Wayne State University Department of Urban Studies and Planning chair, participated in a roundtable discussion on "Flashpoint" hosted by WDIV anchor Devin Scillian. The discussion focused on land use planning in the Detroit area.

Another funding option for aspiring entrepreneurs is launching out of Midtown, Detroit: the Warrior Fund. The Warrior Fund is a new pre-seed investment fund focused on providing small amounts of cash (three- and four-figure loans) to Wayne State University students who want to launch tech start-ups. "It's focused on Wayne State No. 1," says Andrew Olson, commercialization principal of Wayne State University's Office of Technology Commercialization. "We have a number of entrepreneurial programs on campus, like Blackstone LaunchPad. But like a lot of entrepreneurial programs, they can't write checks." The plan is to distribute the $25,000 fund over the next 12 months to help a handful of aspiring studentpreneurs.