A brief notes that Detroit native Lily Tomlin sent a letter on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals urging the University of Michigan to stop using animals in some of its medical training courses. In a letter to U-M President Mary Sue Coleman, Tomlin, who studied medicine at Wayne State University before leaving to pursue theater and comedy, said she felt compelled to write after learning from PETA that cats and pigs are still killed in U-M\'s survival flight courses for prospective nurses.

Leslie Lynn Smith, general manager of TechTown, Wayne State University\'s business incubator, comments in a column that examines Detroit as a great place to start a business. Smith talked about how the auto industry impacted the entrepreneur mindset in Detroit. \"We got a little bit fat and sassy with an industry that sustained us ... for 100 years,\" she said.

In 2009, Loreen Niewenhuis, a graduate of Wayne State University, set off from Navy Pier in Chicago and walked the full circumference of Lake Michigan. The 1,019-mile-trek took her 64 days, spread out over a period of seven months, at an average rate of 16 miles per day. The Battle Creek resident has written a book titled "A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach: One Woman's Trek of the Perimeter of Lake Michigan" describing what her hike taught her about the lake and about herself.

Robin Boyle, chair of Wayne State's Department of Urban Planning, offered a futuristic perspective of the senior population of large metropolitan areas in 2035.

The Think Detroit/PAL girls' volleyball team will play their championship tournament at Wayne State University March 26. Steve Makowski, a former coach at Youthville, says the Think Detroit/PAL girls' volleyball is a good program. Makowski added that the championship tournament helps the program to grow and helps Wayne State give back to the community. "Some of the WSU players are involved in the league as coaches and the girls like that," Makowski said.

Wayne State won its first GLIAC men\'s basketball tournament championship since 1999 with 73-71 win over Ferris State in Big Rapids on Sunday. Wayne State is 22-7 and will learn later Sunday know where it will play in the NCAA Division II tournament\'s Midwest Regional.

Marie Osborne spoke with Wayne State University graduate student and urban planner John Crews about what Detroit officials need to do before right sizing the city. Crews said that the city needs to first tackle some important social and economic issues and also capitalize on areas that are stable and growing, including Midtown and southwest Detroit.

Ronald Charlton, executive director of TechTown at Wayne State University, talked about the Belle Isle winery proposal saying that it is one idea that has the potential to have several different outcomes. \"It would change people\'s perceptions of what this city is all about,\" he said. \"People who visit Belle Isle, and they will be in the thousands, will be able to walk around the vineyards.\"

Dr. Kertia Black, associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Wayne State University, offered tips to help individuals caring for loved ones recovering from stroke.

In a letter to the editor, WDET general manager J. Mikel Ellcessor responded to Crain's editor-in-chief Keith Crain's Feb. 21 column opposing funding for public television. Ellcessor wrote, "WDET and other locally focused public radio stations have impact and relevance because our reports address critical issues and our work fills numerous gaps in the media landscape." He pointed out that in 2010 WDET\'s Support The Arts Program delivered more than $600,000 in free promotional airtime to regional not-for-profit arts organizations because "we are committed to a vibrant regional arts community."

University officials are upset a projected 15 percent cut in state aid is really much more - and some say Gov. Rick Snyder misled them. As colleges poured through the fine print of the budget plan released two weeks ago, they discovered the cuts will be an average 21 percent - possibly the biggest cut ever to higher education in the state. Since 1979, the largest cut in state aid was 8.5 percent, according to the Senate Fiscal Agency . Snyder told lawmakers there would be an across-the-board 15 percent cut to Michigan\'s 15 state universities. He also recommended $83 million in \"tuition incentive grants\" accessible to universities who hold a cap on tuition hikes. But universities have learned the incentive is more stick than carrot: If they hold tuition hikes at or below 7.1 percent, an incentive grant will reduce their cut to 15 percent. Wayne State University has reduced operating expenses by more than $50 million over the past several years, according to a statement from President Allan Gilmour. The cut \"equals the tuition paid per year by nearly 5,000 students and is the largest single-year budget cut for this university since we began receiving state support. … \"Such a cut would negatively impact both our teaching and our research.\"

In an effort to help forge and enhance ties between Detroit's Chaldean and Jewish communities, Arthur Horwitz, publisher of the Detroit Jewish News and Chaldean leaders developed the Building Community Initiative last year. It is being funded with more than $150,000 from business, government and academic sponsors. The initiative continues to grow with programs aimed at drawing the groups together at community events -- from teen forums to cultural tours and business workshops. As a result of the initiative, Chaldeans are working to set up a fund that will finance start-up businesses in metro Detroit. The idea stems from a meeting last year with Jewish business leaders at TechTown at Wayne State University.

Peter Henning, Wayne State University law professor and former federal prosecutor, commented about the Securities and Exchange Commission's inquiry into the Allen Park's failed deal to open Unity Studios film production and training institute in 2009. He said that two years ago such an inquiry was unheard of. But the SEC is now focusing on government bonds.

At an annual address to the business community, held Friday at the Westin Book Cadillac, Mayor Dave Bing said that Midtown will be the focus of a lot of development efforts as the area continues to attract young people who want to live near good restaurants, galleries and an intellectual environment fostered, in part, by Wayne State University. \"Midtown is going to be the hot spot,\" Bing said. \"We\'ll see a lot of activity there.\"

The expansion of the local economy sped up last month as the Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) jumped eight points in February to a four-month high of 63.5. In addition, the Production Index increased by more than 10 points in February, to 68.2, indicating that more producers are expanding their output at an increasing rate. "Like the composite PMI, the Production Index also has expanded for 13 consecutive months," said Timothy Butler, associate professor of global supply chain management at Wayne State's business school, who analyzed the results of the survey.

A brief highlights Wayne State University's Department of Theatre which hosted its sixth annual Subscriber Party and Open House on March 6. A preview performance kicked off the event held at the Hilberry Theatre. (print edition only)

The Wayne State University men\'s basketball team (20-7 overall) advanced to the GLIAC semifinals for the first time since 2005 with Wednesday\'s 79-62 victory over Hillsdale College (20-6 overall) at the Matthaei. WSU will play Findlay at 3 p.m. in Saturday\'s second GLIAC semifinal contest.

Various media outlets reported on the "Save Our City" rally organized by Detroit students, workers and members of BAMN. The groups gathered on the campus of Wayne State University on Tuesday to protest recently proposed budgets that affect public education and jobs. The group planned to march down Woodward and gather for an afternoon rally at the Spirit of Detroit.

Controversy was sparked this week within Michigan\'s higher education system when the chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education said that some public universities may be shuttered due to the state\'s bloating deficit. But after telling Crain\'s on Monday and Friday that closing one or two public universities was \"a real possibility,\" Rep. Bob Genetski, R-Saugatuck, backpedaled on the idea. By Tuesday, Genetski had changed his comments, telling Gongwer News Service in Lansing that he is not proposing to defund any universities. \"Heavens no,\" he told Gongwer of the idea. On Monday, Genetski told Crain\'s, \"unless the economy turns around big time, it\'s a very real possibility,\" he said. The state\'s regional universities - Oakland University, Eastern Michigan University, University of Michigan-Flint, Ferris State University, etc. - could be on the chopping block as the state moves forward with budget cuts, he said Monday. Michigan\'s three research universities - Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University - are safe, he said.

Wayne State University's OCD Clinical Research Program is ranked ninth on a list of the top ten treatment centers.