Wayne State is mentioned in an article about whether or not Michigan is experiencing a "brain drain." Some demographers say the notion has been oversold to a nervous public. Jim Rogers, manager of data for the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments sees a hopeful sign in the state's growing number of college graduates. And he says southeastern Michigan is "still a very strong center of population and industry." A research analyst at U-M pointed out that 77 percent of graduates who are Michigan natives still live in the state. Writer John Gallagher says Wayne State reported similar figures.

A recap of area college sporting events notes that Kevin Christensen, a member of the Wayne State University men's cross-country team, finished 8th overall with a time of 21:04 at the Northville Tommy Titan Invitational over the weekend. WSU, ranked No. 12 in the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCA) poll, won the 10-team event with a score of 26.

The Wayne State University Department of Music opens its fall 2006 concert season at 9 p.m. Sept. 4. This brief provides an overview of the schedule this season and lists the music department's phone number and Web site.

An AP article about the Detroit Public Schools teachers strike includes comments from Wayne State University visiting labor law professor Margaret Leibowitz. She point out that the fact-finder's job is to consider both sides' positions and the employer's resources before recommending terms of a settlement acceptable to both sides. "Ultimately, labor disputes are settled because everyone has to give a little," she said.

The National Science Foundation has awarded a $499,858 grant to Wayne State University - one of seven awarded nationally - to establish a three-year interdisciplinary program to improve career advancement opportunities for women faculty in sciences and engineering. Escalate, which started Sept. 1, seeks to diversify the academic science and engineering workforce and builds on and applies lessons learned from a prior NSF-funded project at the University of Michigan. Principal Investigator for the project is Allen Batteau, director of the Institute for Information Technology and Culture and associate professor in the Department of Anthropology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Co-investigators are Ece Yaprak, associate professor of Engineering Technology; Karen Tonso, associate professor of Education; research associate Diane Pawlowski and Michele Grimm, associate dean of Engineering. A photo of Wayne State's Old Main building is included in the Why Detroit Works publication.

SenSound has won a $500,000 Phase II Small Business Innovation Research grant from the National Science Foundation to further develop its noise related quality control technology. The two-year grant will allow SenSound to commercialize its proprietary software, which allows manufacturers of noise emitting products and components to conduct quality control testing to verify compliance with noise standards and reduce noise-related product defects.

Detroit Public Schools officials are seeking sanctions against 92 percent of the teachers who defied a court order and didn't return to the classroom Monday. They are requesting that Judge Susan Borman find about 7,000 teachers in contempt of court. WSU law professor Robert Sedler says Borman has the authority to fine the Detroit Federation of Teachers for each day members disobey her ruling. The law also allows those found in contempt to be jailed and assessed a $250 fine for contempt, but judges rarely use the former option because it can be construed as violating the 13th Amendment, which bars involuntary servitude.

In an editorial, Michael Peterson, director of the Whole Schooling Consortium in Wayne State University 's College of Education , opines about the Detroit Public Schools teachers' strike. He believes Judge Susan Borman made a "great mistake" in ordering the teachers back to work. Instead, she should have continued negotiations. He adds that this will only increase the amount of students leaving the district - something Borman wants to prevent. A photo of Peterson is included.

Schoolcraft College in Livonia will discuss partnership opportunities with India on Oct. 25 at 8 a.m. The program will include industry-specific discussions on safety and security, medicine, education, and auto-parts manufacturing. The Wayne State University School of Business Administration will be participating in this discussion.

The West Bloomfield/Lakes Area Democratic Club will hold a panel discussion at the West Bloomfield Library tomorrow from 7-8:45 p.m. on the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative ballot issue and its impact on affirmative action. Casandra E. Ulbrich, senior director of development at Wayne State University, is among the panelists.

The E2Detroit Conference at WSU, Oct. 5-6, is mentioned. Registration information is given.

The Briefly column on the entertainment page notes that playwright Neil Simon, recipient of the Wayne State University and Nederlander Apple Award, will receive the Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize on Oct. 15. The award "focuses on those who create humor from their uniquely American experiences."

The second Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit Conference will be held at Wayne State University , Oct. 20-22. The event is for people seeking solutions on various environmental issues on the local level, including water quality, mass transit, and urban agriculture. Registration information and Web site links are provided.

Wayne State University's College of Nursing will honor several Michigan health professionals with its sixth annual LifeLine Awards on Thursday, Sept. 21. The honorees include Rep. Joe Schwarz, MD, Dr. Phyllis Meadows, and Paul and Patricia Busch. The Busches established a memorial endowment named after their daughter Maggie Lynn Busch, a WSU nursing student. Marybeth Lepczyk, Gerald A. Burns, Stephanie Myers Schim, and Jeanette Wrona Klemczak will be recognized as College of Nursing Alumni of the Year.

Wayne State University and Allied Minds, which specializes in early stage university business ventures, founded a start-up company called GliaGen LLC. The company will specialize in novel diagnostic and therapeutic technologies specifically tailored to treat neuro-degenerative diseases. It has secured platform technology developed by Drs. Leon Carlock and Maria Cypher of the Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics at Wayne State's School of Medicine.

Wayne State University Children's Bridge and Children's Hospital of Michigan will host the Children's Conference, Sept. 28-29, at the McGregor Memorial Conference Center on the WSU campus. The conference will unite researchers, educators and students with care providers, policymakers and advocates. The focus will be on best practices for promoting the well-being of urban children. The Skillman Foundation is providing $10,000 in support of the 2006 annual event.

Wayne State University will dedicate the William Rea Keast Memorial Commons on Sept. 11 in the area behind the Towers Residential Suites. Named in honor of Wayne State's fifth president (1965-1971), Keast is remembered as the "students' president" serving during the Vietnam War.

Michigan 's lack of preparation of children for college could limit the state's access to a competitive workforce and weaken its economy over time, according to a study released by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. Over the past decade, the number of high school students in the state who enroll directly in college has declined by 7 percent, the report says. The national average is 2 percent. The study gave Michigan high marks for giving residents sufficient opportunity to enroll in post-secondary education and for economic and civic benefits the state receives for having a highly educated population. But Michigan received an "F' for affordability of college education and a 'C' in preparation of students for post-secondary education.

Robert Sedler of the Law School was interviewed by Amy Lang for the evening news about the latest legal maneuvers by the Detroit Public Schools in an attempt to force striking teachers back to work while negotiations continue between the school board and the teachers' union.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm has appointed a fact-finder to intervene in the negotiations between the Detroit Public Schools (DPS) and the Detroit Federation of Teachers (DFT), as many teachers refused to return to work yesterday despite a judge's ruling. Margaret Leibowitz, Wayne State visiting professor of labor and employment, says that usually, when union members defy a court order to return to work, the judge holds the leadership of said union - not the members - at fault. Leibowitz adds that the DFT did not order or suggest that teachers defy Judge Susan Borman's order.