Herbert Smitherman on the "Paul W. Smith Show"

Dr. Herbert Smitherman, Wayne State University assistant dean for community and urban health and associate professor of internal medicine, was a guest on the "Paul W. Smith Show" this morning. He talked about the projected shortage of family medicine physicians pointing out that a combination of factors are contributing to the shortage. Smitherman noted among disincentives is the heavy debt load for medical students' education, and that family medicine physicians are generally the lowest paid of the various specialties.

August 19, 2009

Session offers help to aspiring entrepreneurs

Hundreds of would-be entrepreneurs gathered at Wayne State University yesterday for an all-day session on the basics of networking and business building. The FastTrac to the Future program is organized by TechTown, the non-profit business incubator at WSU that since starting in 2000 has nurtured dozens of businesses.

August 19, 2009

Back to college awareness

An article cautioning students and parents about the importance of being prepared for fire emergencies in buildings mentions a recent laboratory fire at Wayne State that destroyed several years of research material.

August 19, 2009

Banking on our city's youth

A story about the Detroit Summer Finance Institute, a program that provides summer internship opportunities with financial organizations to Detroit high school students, mentions that this year's program included a field trip to the Wayne State campus. WSU MBA student Seneca Williams, a coordinator for the program, is quoted.

August 19, 2009

Detroit is in crisis, but it hasn't given up

A major feature story about Detroit focuses on the city's hope for the future through economic catalysts such as Wayne State University. Ibbitson writes that the future for Detroit perhaps can be found across campus at the College of Engineering where researchers are conducting experiments in alternative energy, nano-science and biotechnology. Ralph Kummler, Dean of WSU's College of Engineering, points to the 98 entrepreneurial startups incubated within TechTown as the driving force that will help stabilize Detroit's future and fuse diversity within the region's economy. Lyke Thompson, director of Wayne State's Center for Urban Studies, said that the auto industry snuffed out all other economic activity over the course of the 20th century, leaving the government and economy exposed when foreign competition and mismanagement permeated the industry. A photo of WSU's Clean Room in the College of Engineering is included with the feature story.

August 18, 2009

$1B in battery grants may revive Mich. talent base

Wayne State University has received $5 million in federal grants to establish training programs for people to work on electric-drive vehicles. The program will include an associate\'s degree track for technicians at Macomb Community College and bachelor\'s and graduate programs at Wayne State.

August 18, 2009

Collaboration comes to Wayne State University

Engineers now have a new way to get a foothold in the burgeoning field of hybrid electric vehicle battery systems engineering at Wayne State University. The school will begin offering a 4-credit, graduate level course in advanced battery systems this fall and in its spring 2010 semesters.

August 18, 2009

Stabenow meets with medical community

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) met Tuesday with members of the Wayne State University Board of Governors, Deans, Chairs of clinical and science departments and students to discuss health care reform. Dr. Herbert Smitherman from the Wayne State School of Medicine said that he has seen not only a rise of uninsured, but also underinsured, or people who have insurance but are not able to afford the co-pays and deductibles.

August 18, 2009

Judy Johncox on WWJ

WWJ's Greg Bowman interviewed Wayne State University Director of Venture Development Judy Johncox about today's third and final FastTrac to the Future entrepreneurial conference.

August 18, 2009

College aid appeals skyrocket

Thousands of Michigan students are getting more federal aid for college this year because their financial situation has worsened over the course of the past year. Al Hermsen, director of the Office of Student Financial Aid at Wayne State University, said that money has been set aside by the school to allow students to tap into university-sponsored grants. \"We are kind of the eyes and ears of what is happening to the families in the Detroit area as they are suffering through losing one or more jobs,\" said Hermsen. WDET also aired an interview this afternoon with Hermsen talking about the Michigan Promise Scholarship.

August 18, 2009

Textbook Rental

In a story about a national publishing company's recent announcement that they will be offering textbook rentals to college students, three students are interviewed on Wayne State's campus. Students were asked to offer their opinion on the rental system, which could save them between 40-70 percent off of the retail price.

August 18, 2009

Lottery had 1-in-a-million winning numbers

T.C. Sun, a math professor at Wayne State University, said it\'s a one-in-a-million chance that 4-1-9 would be drawn twice in the same day, which occurred on Sunday's midday and evening Daily 3 lottery drawings.

August 18, 2009

Detroit is in crisis, but it hasn't given up

A major feature story about Detroit focuses on the city's hope for the future through economic catalysts such as Wayne State University. Ibbitson writes that the future for Detroit perhaps can be found across campus at the College of Engineering where researchers are conducting experiments in alternative energy, nano-science and biotechnology. Ralph Kummler, Dean of WSU's College of Engineering, points to the 98 entrepreneurial startups incubated within TechTown as the driving force that will help stabilize Detroit's future and fuse diversity within the region's economy. Lyke Thompson, director of Wayne State's Center for Urban Studies, said that the auto industry snuffed out all other economic activity over the course of the 20th century, leaving the government and economy exposed when foreign competition and mismanagement permeated the industry. A photo of WSU's Clean Room in the College of Engineering is included with the feature story.

August 18, 2009

Wayne State to offer advanced battery class

Wayne State University and the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth are partnering to train hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) engineers as the state's automotive industry transitions to manufacturing more advanced, fuel-efficient vehicles. Graduate-level courses in advanced battery systems for HEVs will be offered at the WSU College of Engineering this fall and will target employed automotive engineers as well as displaced workers who meet the prerequisites.

August 18, 2009

$1B in battery grants may revive Mich. talent base

Wayne State University has received $5 million in federal grants to establish training programs for people to work on electric-drive vehicles. The program will include an associate\'s degree track for technicians at Macomb Community College and bachelor\'s and graduate programs at Wayne State.

August 18, 2009

Stabenow meets with medical community

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) met Tuesday with members of the Wayne State University Board of Governors, Deans, Chairs of clinical and science departments and students to discuss health care reform. Dr. Herbert Smitherman from the Wayne State School of Medicine said that he has seen not only a rise of uninsured, but also underinsured, or people who have insurance but are not able to afford the co-pays and deductibles. http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/health/health_news/Stabenow_Meets_with_Medical_C

August 18, 2009

College aid appeals skyrocket

sThousands of Michigan students are getting more federal aid for college this year because their financial situation has worsened over the course of the past year. Al Hermsen, director of the Office of Student Financial Aid at Wayne State University, said that money has been set aside by the school to allow students to tap into university-sponsored grants. \"We are kind of the eyes and ears of what is happening to the families in the Detroit area as they are suffering through losing one or more jobs,\" said Hermsen. WDET also aired an interview this afternoon with Hermsen talking about the Michigan Promise Scholarship.

August 18, 2009

Textbook rentals on college campuses

In a story about a national publishing company's recent announcement that they will be offering textbook rentals to college students, three students are interviewed on Wayne State's campus. Students were asked to offer their opinion on the rental system, which could save them between 40-70 percent off of the retail price.

August 18, 2009

Wayne State University sets fifth E2 Detroit Conference

Wayne State University and TechTown, WSU's business incubator, will host the fifth annual E2 Detroit conference Thursday, Oct. 15. The event, co-sponsored by WSU, TechTown and WWJ Newsradio 950, provides attendees with the opportunity to network with other entrepreneurs. Business experts and CEOs of local start-ups will share their successes and challenges to provide "real world" insight to entrepreneurs seeking practical knowledge.

August 18, 2009

Wayne State University names new engineering dean

Mumtaz Usmen, associate dean for research and previously chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has been appointed interim dean of the Wayne State University College of Engineering. The appointment, announced by WSU President Jay Noren, is effective Aug. 19. Usmen succeeds Ralph Kummler, who will return to the classroom after a sabbatical.

August 18, 2009