In a story about AutoHarvest, a new non-profit planning to help connect the automotive industry and metro Detroit's entrepreneurial ecosystem with intellectual property, Wayne State University and the University of Michigan are noted as major research universities in the region and sources of intellectual property and business accelerators.

A lengthy court battle will likely ensue if the suburbs gain control of Detroit\'s water system under a bill proposed in the state House this week, legal experts said Wednesday. At issue is a proposal by state Rep. Kurt Heise, R-Plymouth, that would give the state the authority to create a regional group to manage the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department. Legal experts said a takeover is a thorny issue because the state constitution gives the city the right to manage its own assets, but also allows the state to change laws for local governments. \"It would likely be a matter that the state Supreme Court would take up,\" said John Mogk, an expert in municipal and state law at the Wayne State University Law School. \"It is questionable whether the water system is protected in the state constitution.\"

A brief highlights recipients of the Wayne State University Office of Government and Community Affairs' 2011 Community Leadership Awards. Winners include the WSU Math Corps and Jeff DeBruyn, president of the Corktown Residents Council.

Detroit's TechTown plans to finish the build-out of its Tech One building after landing additional federal funding. Randal Charlton, TechTown executive director, and Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano on Friday plan to announce an award of $4.1 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Originally, TechTown officials hoped to use the grant - $2 million of it as an outright gift and $2.1 million as a loan guaranteed by Wayne State University - to build out the stem cell center in time for last October's World Stem Cell Summit in Detroit. Instead, TechTown used other funds to open the center.

A blog highlights Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's keynote address at Wayne State University's MLK Tribute on Jan. 18. Abdul-Jabbar stressed the importance of basketball history and how it contributes to today\'s culture. The fund raising luncheon was to benefit Detroit area schools through the Adopt-A-Classroom program.

An article highlights Wayne State's McGregor Memorial Conference Center which recently was added to the National Register of Historic Places. A photo of the building is included. (print only)

More than 200 media outlets reported yesterday that Wayne State University's Board of Governors voted unanimously to appoint former Ford Motor Co. executive Allan Gilmour to a three-year term as president of the university. \"We're happy, very happy, that you decided to come out of retirement," board vice chair Tina Abbott told Gilmour at the start of Tuesday's special meeting. "You're an inspirational leader, a good communicator," she added. \"I can\'t think of a more perfect person,\" board member Gary Pollard said. Seymour Wolfson, president of Wayne State\'s Academic Senate and a member of the presidential search committee, said the Academic Senate Policy Committee recently wrote a memo to the board recommending that it offer Gilmour an extension to stay for at least 2½ more years. "We think he\'s doing a fantastic job," Wolfson said. "The faculty likes him a lot." During a press conference held following the vote, Gilmour told reporters, "I like this job. This is fun and these are interesting people. They do hard work." He wants to make sure that continues, saying his main goal is to ensure Wayne State "stays on track." He said he wants the university to continue to play a key role in moving Detroit forward. He said other goals include improving student retention, and ultimately improving Wayne State's low graduation rate. The university, he said, also must be "effective stewards of the money people give us,\" whether it's tuition, state aid, grants or gifts. Ultimately, he said, Wayne State is an organization that "helps people realize their dreams." http://www.freep.com/article/20110118/NEWS01/110118033/Gilmour-unanimously-named-next-Wayne-State-president http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20110118/FREE/110119835# http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/jan/18/gilmour-gets-wayne-state-job-on-permanent-basis/ http://mms.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?StationID=2785&DateTime=1%2F18%2F2011+4%3A35%3A02+PM&LineNumber=&MediaStationID=2785&playclip=True&RefPage= http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/26531856/detail.html# http://www.detnews.com/article/20110118/SCHOOLS/101180397/-Wayne-State-hires-Gilmour-as-permanent-president-- http://www.detnews.com/article/20110119/SCHOOLS/101190369/1026/SCHOOLS/Gilmour-takes-helm-at-Wayne-State http://mms.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?StationID=999&DateTime=1%2F18%2F2011+5%3A18%3A27+PM&LineNumber=&MediaStationID=999&playclip=True&RefPage= http://mms.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?StationID=2790&DateTime=1%2F18%2F2011+12%3A01%3A58+PM&LineNumber=&MediaStationID=2790&playclip=True&RefPage= http://mms.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?StationID=1009&DateTime=1%2F19%2F2011+5%3A20%3A21+AM&Term=wayne+state&PlayClip=TRUE

Renu A. Kowluru, professor of Ophthalmology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, and Endocrinology for the Wayne State University School of Medicine and the Kresge Eye Institute, has received an additional year of funding from the Thomas Foundation to finance her research into fighting diabetic retinopathy.

Wayne State law professor Peter Henning commented in a story about Bank of America Corp. which was ordered to return $500 million in deposits to Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and pay $90 million in interest. Bank of America Corp. said it didn't act with "maliciousness" and shouldn't have to pay damages greater than $1.3 million of Lehman's costs for litigating the case. According to Henning, securities laws require Apple to disclose developments that a reasonable investor would consider to be important. The SEC hasn't provided guidance on whether that would include Jobs's medical condition, he said.

Central Collegiate Academy, part of Detroit Public Schools, has begun the University of Subway program to promote financial literacy and entrepreneurship among high school students. Through the program, students will learn steps in production and distribution, using the Subway restaurant chain as a business model, DPS officials said. The alliance includes partnerships between U.S. Foodservice and Wayne State University\'s BizTech summer internship program.

WDET news director Jerome Vaughn interviewed Wayne State University President Allan Gilmour yesterday about his appointment as the university's 11th president. Link to Audio: http://www.wdetfm.org/audio/articles/Gilmour_Interview_011911.mp3

A partnership between U.S. Foodservice and Wayne State University\'s BizTech summer internship program is mentioned in a report highlighting Detroit programs aimed at bringing down obesity rates and promoting healthy lifestyles.

A story highlights Wayne State's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences which is splitting a $500,000 grant with West Virginia University to develop software that will help ease the information overload for computer programmers. Andrian Marcus, associate professor of computer science at Wayne State who is one of the project\'s principal investigators, is quoted.

Wayne State University students disagree There is a new study out that says during the first two years of college students are not learning anything. The study included 2,300 college undergrads with results showing that half of U.S. students are not any better at critical thinking or complex reasoning skills after two years. FOX 2\'s Jason Carr interviewed several students at Wayne State University who disagreed with the study. One WSU student replied, \"You definitely learn if you put the time into it. It might be kids being lazy because it\'s their first year of college.\" Other WSU students, commented that the cost of tuition and books is far too expensive to not pay attention and get something out of the courses.

The second round of this year\'s Clean Energy Prize will take place this weekend as the $100,000 competition stretched into its third year. Twenty-three teams are participating this year with ideas for start-ups that focus on renewable energy, energy efficiency, smart grid technologies, environmental control technologies, plug-in electric vehicles or energy storage. Those teams are made up of students from seven colleges in Michigan, including Wayne State University.

Researchers who designed one experimental breast cancer vaccine say they have fine-tuned the process and have come up with another that they hope will be more effective. \"In our own mind it is a very significant advance because we have put the gene into the cells in the body. The vaccine is produced by your own cells,\" said Wei-Zen Wei of Wayne State University who led the study.\"It is made right in your body.\" http://www.delta-optimist.com/

"Gulf Oil Spill Health Hazards," a report issued by Michael Harbart, professor of internal medicine at Wayne State University, is mentioned in an investigative piece about the long-term exposure of the chemicals released by the ongoing BP Gulf disaster.

Various reports highlight Wayne State University\'s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute Luncheon at the Max M. Fisher Music Center next Tuesday, Jan. 18 with keynote speaker Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. WWJ announced it will broadcast an interview with Abdul-Jabbar on Thursday before the MLK holiday. Registration information is included in both reports.

With Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, the federal agency that helps coordinate and support volunteer efforts across the U.S. is pointing out a handful of local projects providing volunteering opportunities in metro Detroit. One such effort involves hundreds of students from Wayne State University and Henry Ford Community College doing work at local high schools, renovating abandoned buildings and packaging and distributing food through the Forgotten Harvest program.

A study conducted by Wayne State University's School of Social Work and the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan is referenced in a piece by personal fitness columnist Kimberly Garrison. The study, recently published in the American Journal of Health Promotion, found that infants whose weight-height ration was above the 95th percentile on standard growth charts at 9 months old were at higher risk for being obese at age 2.