Wayne State University\'s School of Medicine appointed two new department chairpeople: Michael Cher was named chairman of the department of urology, and Suzanne White was named chairwoman of the department of emergency medicine.

Retired Maj. Gen. Kathryn George Frost, who was the highest ranking woman in the Army when she stepped down last year after a 31-year career, died Friday of breast cancer. She was 57. Frost was commander of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, or AAFES, which operates the commissaries and post and base exchanges on military installations nationally and overseas, including Afghanistan and Iraq. She worked in Berlin on the staff of then-Gen. Colin Powell when he was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She also worked as a White House social aide during the administrations of President Reagan and the first President Bush. Mrs. Frost is noted in the obituary as earning a master's degree in counseling from Wayne State University while on active duty with the Army.

The Bush administration pledged to mount a legal challenge after a federal judge struck down a program that secretly intercepts the international phone calls and e-mails of thousands of people in the United States in the pursuit of terrorism suspects. Legal experts called the decision a major setback for Bush. \"It\'s a complete defeat for the Bush administration,\" said Robert Sedler, Wayne State University constitutional law professor. \"Virtually every argument they made was rejected.\" But he and others said Taylor\'s decision may face a chilly reception from the conservative U.S. 6th Circuit. No matter how the appeals court rules, Sedler said, the case is destined for the U.S. Supreme Court. He said both sides would ask the 6th Circuit to expedite its decision.

College of Education Dean Paula Wood was interviewed by WWJ reporter Stephanie Davis regarding Wayne State's NewStart program. The program allows adults displaced by the transitional economy to go back to school and earn a degree or certificate in various areas.

The Wayne State University Law School has created a new scholarship from funds donated by William Davidson for students who played NCAA Intercollegiate or professionally-sanctioned sports. The William Davidson Endowed Scholarship for Student Athletes will recognize scholastic achievement, encourage continued academic progress and provide financial assistance.

WSU political science professor Tim Bledsoe of Grosse Pointe says he's gearing up for "a David and Goliath struggle" this fall against incumbent state Rep. Ed Gaffney for the First District seat in the House of Representatives. Bledsoe is a first-time candidate who says he won the Democratic primary election by focusing on 2,500 likely voters in areas that have tended to vote Democratic. Gaffney ran unopposed in the Republican primary.

Cheryl Deep, director of communications at Wayne State's Institute of Gerontology, commented about the growing number of assisted living facilities changing the way of caring for the elderly. \"They\'ve replaced the nurse\'s station with game rooms and bistros. They\'ve turned their facilities into places that look and feel more like homes and retirement centers and less like hospitals. Residents are obviously more happy in these kinds of environments. Everybody wants to live as independently as possible.\"

Matthew J. Landes, a mortuary science program graduate, recently received the Mary L. Williams Science Award from the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Wayne State. The Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, a founding college of Wayne State University, is committed to advancing the health and well-being of society through the preparation of highly skilled health care practitioners, and through research to improve health care practices and treatment from urban to global levels.

Wayne State University will offer applicants on-site undergraduate admission decisions for the fall 2006 term during sessions scheduled for August 21-September 1. The sessions will be held in the university's Welcome Center . Times and other information, including a contact number, are included in this brief item.

Law Professor Robert Sedler also commented on these television outlets about the federal judge's ruling that declared the National Security Agency\'s program of intercepting international phone calls and e-mails unconstitutional. Sedler was interviewed during the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts on WDIV and Fox 2's 5 p.m. segment.

Michael Peterson, professor in the College of Education, commented about the challenges facing Michigan educators as they grapple with the state's new educational standards and the federal government's "No Child Left Behind\" mandate. Under the "Michigan Merit Curriculum," each student needs to learn specific detailed material before they can advance to the next grade - known as Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCEs). This requirement is challenging to students with varying backgrounds and capabilities. "It is a fact in every classroom, that you get real ranges of students," Peterson said. "There are many schools in Michigan that are well aware of that fact and are working toward (new) instructional strategies. Many, though, have the traditional, shoot-at-the-middle, what I call 'monolithic' type of curriculum." Peterson's solution is an approach called "whole schooling." Teachers assess a child's individual learning abilities, and then challenge him or her to the next level.

Two Arab-American men originally charged with supporting terrorism after buying large numbers of cell phones are planning to return to college this fall. Prosecutors in Ohio dropped the terror charges saying they couldn\'t prove a terrorism link. The men, Ali Houssaiky and Osama Sabhi Abulhassan, say their experience should draw attention to the nation\'s fear and paranoia about terrorism and they hope law enforcement and the media won\'t be as swift to label Arab-Americans as terrorists in the future. Houssaiky is noted as returning to Wayne State University.

Wayne State University softball coach Gary Bryce announced today that all individuals interested in trying out for the 2006-07 Warrior softball squad must contact him by September 1st. Contact information and details about the tryouts are provided in the story.

Alicia Nails, director of Wayne State's Journalism Institute for Minorities, commented about controversial comedian Mike Chappelle who opted out of his highly successful show and a $50 million contract with Comedy Central last year. He recently discussed his reasons for dropping out of the limelight to Oprah Winfrey saying that some of his comedy began to seem "socially irresponsible" to him. Nails said it\'s a cautionary tale that Chappelle is telling himself. \"For a culture that\'s into bling and name brands and labels, this is a person who made another choice. It\'s \'I don\'t want to be a sellout to this huge dollar figure.\' That\'s a powerful, powerful commentary on....the power of personal integrity.\" Nails added that she hopes he stays in tune with the hip-hop generation, to share what he's learned so far. "By quitting his show at his peak, Chappelle decided some things are more important than money."

Wayne State tops the list of seven higher education Institutions in Michigan that will receive funds through the federal TRIO Talent Search Program, which assists persons from disadvantaged backgrounds toward success in higher education. WSU will receive $566,772. Grand Valley State is second on the list, with $317,960.

A profile piece on James Croce, CEO of NextEnergy in TechTown, notes that TechTown is located between Wayne State University and the New Center area. The article mentions that Croce was inducted in 2004 into the WSU Engineering Hall of Fame, and in 2005 he was named TechTown Developer of the Year.

Wayne State's Math Corps, an intensive math study program for middle and high school students in the Detroit area, will honor this year\'s students at graduation ceremonies on Aug. 18. A grant from the Toyota USA Foundation doubled the size of this year's program, adding a second six-week Math Corps summer camp, serving an additional 200 students. Contact information is provided.

Wayne State's Law School has launched a new scholarship program for students who have played NCAA Intercollegiate or professionally sanctioned sports. The William Davidson Endowed Scholarship for Student Athletes was funded with a donation from William Davidson, president and CEO of Guardian Industries and owner of the Detroit Pistons. Davidson graduated from the WSU Law School in 1949.

Wayne State University law professor Peter Henning commented about the federal government's intention to keep the late Enron founder Ken Lay's conviction in place. The lawyers representing Lay\'s estate filed a motion Wednesday to have his criminal record erased. Prior to Lay\'s death, prosecutors had sought to have him forfeit $43 million through criminal court, a move that continues against Lay's co-defendant, former Enron chief Jeff Skilling, for $183 million. Henning said the prosecutors "can't really care much about the conviction because he's not going to be sentenced. But the concern may be - and the argument may be - that the estate is going to receive a windfall." He also said that Lay\'s wife, Linda, will likely be able to keep some assets that the government could have taken through criminal forfeiture.

An editorial lauds a new graduation requirement at Goucher College in Towson, Md. requiring all students to study abroad at some point during their program. "Study abroad is no longer a matter of individual growth, but of national strategic importance," the editorial suggests. This summer, Sens. Richard Durbin (D) of Illinois, and Norm Coleman (R) of Minnesota, introduced legislation to encourage 1 million students to study abroad annually in 10 years' time. In 2003-2004, the latest years for which data is available, 191,321 American students studied in other countries. That\'s roughly 1 percent of the total undergraduate student body. The editorial further suggests that American colleges and universities can facilitate study abroad now by making it easier to transfer credits, and by offering shorter programs and financial aid.