Wayne State's Black Theatre Touring Company produced "Buses," a fictional play about Rosa Parks, on April 26 at the East China Performing Arts Center.

Car crashes happen everyday, but don't typically occur in car ads. Volkswagen AG recently caused some controversy by airing two commercials depicting people who are emotionally spent, but physically unharmed after car crashes in the Jetta. In the past, automakers have included car crashes in their ads, but usually with crash test dummies. "From a pure advertising standpoint, it's very effective execution because it jumps so far out from the ad clutter," said Jeff Stoltman, Wayne State marketing professor. "Some people are taken by it, while others are offended by it."

During the 7 a.m. news report, it was noted that Wayne State University and the Wayne State University American Association of University Professors/American Federation of Teachers reached a tentative three-year collective bargaining agreement.

According to a report from the National Science Foundation, industry support for academic research in science and engineering fell for the third straight year in the 2004 fiscal year. This trend marks the first time since the foundation's surveys began in 1953 that a sector of academic research has shown a multiyear decline. The report, "Industrial Funding of Academic R&D Continues to Decline in FY 2004," shows that industry's support of academic research in science and engineering fell by 2.6 percent in 2004, 1.1 percent in 2003 and 1.5 percent in 2002. Industry support was $2.1-billion in 2004, down from $2.2-billon in 2001. Overall research and development spending at colleges increased by 7.2 percent, to $42.9-billion in 2004 from $40.1-billion in 2003, representing a slowdown from previous years (10.9 percent in 2002 and 10.2 percent in 2003). A sidebar graph of the nation's top 100 institutions in federal research and development expenditures in 2004 ranks Wayne State University 74th with a 10.2 percent increase over 2003.

Wayne State junior golfer Joe Wilson is tied for 26th place after shooting a 77 in the first round at the NCAA Division 2 men's Great Lakes Super Regional at Prairie Bluff Golf Club in Lockport Ill. , on Monday. The top individual qualifies for the NCAA finals May 16-19 at Glade Springs Resort in Daniels, W.Va.

A lecture on Down syndrome will be held at 6 p.m. today at Wayne State's Community Arts Auditorium. Cost is $45 per person. Address, ticket and contact information were included.

A front-page story covers the donation of $3 million by A. Alfred Taubman to the Wayne State University Law School for the Damon J. Keith Classroom Building and Center for Civil Rights. Some information on the proposed new building - to be named for the widely known Detroit federal judge - and its uses is provided. Also mentioned are plans to establish the Damon J. Keith Distinguished Chair in Constitutional and Civil Rights Law. Taubman said the new center will be "a fitting tribute to (Judge Keith's) extraordinary legal career." President Irvin D. Reid said the university is "pleased and proud" that the center will be named after Keith. Taubman and Keith are longtime friends. A photo of the two accompanies the story.

The station reported on last Thursday's "Wayne First" anniversary celebration on campus.

Wayne State University history professor Jose Cuello commented during an immigration rally at Clark Park on Detroit's southwest side Monday. The protesters were outraged over a proposal to toughen immigration laws, and immigrants across the country were also boycotting work and school to show the impact that they have. Cuello told 7 Action News reporter Bill Proctor that the use of 'illegal' is a toxic term. "I think that we could simply, 'say let's register them,' and they would be legal. So I think this is a political decision, I think the economy in this country has far outstripped the laws of the country.\"

TechTown has added four new members to its board of directors, including two from other states. They are: Detroit Renaissance Inc. President Doug Rothwell; Detroit City Council member Kwame Kenyatta; Michael Klass, co-founder of California-based health care information-technology company MD Synergy, and an investment manager with Second Southern Corp. and Ginarra Partners in Los Angeles; and, Mitchell Wonboy, executive director of global fixed-income derivatives for Union Bank of Switzerland in Stamford, Conn.

"How Retailers Choose Where They Will Build Stores" will be presented at 6 p.m. May 8, at Wayne State's Bernath Auditorium in the Adamany Undergraduate Library. Ticket information and a Web site link is included.

Wayne State University is considering adding retiree health coverage benefits for its faculty and academic staff to be competitive with other research and doctoral institutions. A joint faculty-administration committee has been studying the idea since December, shortly after WSU agreed to a one-year contract extension with the Wayne State University American Association of University Professors/American Federation of Teachers, Local 6075 which represents more than 1,900 faculty and academic staff at WSU. At that time, WSU agreed to establish the committee to look into retiree health benefits. The committee is jointly chaired by the dean of the College of Education, Paula Wood, and Charles Parrish, a political science professor and president of the faculty/academic employees union. In evaluating the plan, WSU is assessing the costs, how it would cover those costs, how it will be required to account for that future liability on its current financial statements and whether its competition is offering those benefits, said Nancy Barrett, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. "Right now we are one of the few universities in the state that does not offer retiree health benefits of some sort." "We need to be very careful before we take a position one way or another, to understand what the budgetary impact will be \"we\'re consulting experts on this,\" she said.

Wayne State University and the Wayne State University American Association of University Professors/ American Federation of Teachers late last week reached agreement on a new three-year contract. Under the agreement, the salary budget would increase by 3.25 percent each year for the next three years, said Nancy Barrett, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. Most members are eligible for 2 percent raises. About 38 percent of the budget is set aside for merit raises. A separate pool of money covers raises that accompany promotions. Charles Parrish, a Wayne State political science professor and union president, said a date for a member vote had not yet been set; Barrett said the board of governors is expected to vote at its June 21 meeting.

Michigan\'s three largest research universities are pitching for separate consideration as lawmakers slice up funding for higher education. Wayne State University, the University of Michigan and Michigan State University want lawmakers to consider unique factors at their institutions. Those include the cost of medical schools, their role in state and local economic improvement, and efforts to improve graduation rates relative to comparable national universities, not necessarily their Michigan peers. \"The three universities have cost structures that are astronomically different than the other 12,\" said Harvey Hollins III, Wayne State\'s vice president of government and community affairs. \"It would make sense to put the three universities in one category, and have the state put accountability measures in one category. \"Hold us accountable for producing more doctors, when we have a shortage in the state. Hold us accountable to spin out firms from the university. Hold us accountable to those things that are going to propel the state forward.\" On Wednesday, Wayne State President Irvin D. Reid, U-M President Mary Sue Coleman and MSU President Lou Anna Simon are scheduled to make a joint presentation to the House Appropriations Committee\'s subcommittee on higher education.

Technology and other service companies being looked at to revive Michigan\'s struggling economy are hurt most by the state\'s 30-year-old single-business tax. That\'s because the tax was put in place to encourage capital-intensive investments in Michigan, said experts such as Randy Paschke, chair of the accounting department of the School of Business Administration at Wayne State University. Paschke said the tax was intended to encourage foreign automakers and other manufacturers to look at Michigan when it was first put in place in 1975 to replace seven taxes, including the property tax.

An editorial references a study conducted by Wayne State University researchers finding that more than 80 percent of police chiefs favored mandatory background checks for all handgun, rifle and shotgun purchases; equipping new handguns with trigger locks; and requiring tamper-resistant serial numbers on firearms. The editorial urges politicians to \"listen to the people on the issue of gun control and gun violence, and to those on the front lines of law enforcement, not to the self-serving rants of the gun lobby.\"

Edward King, director of small business services at Wayne State University, comments about the rise in small business startups, particularly in Michigan as its economy continues to sputter. \"While starting a business may be the dream of many, without proper investigation, they may become one of the eight out of ten that will fail within 5 years,\" says King. \"Right now, we\'re seeing all these people getting laid off and getting big chunks of money that they suddenly have available, and we\'re seeing these scam artists trying to sell them business opportunities at 3 a.m.\" via TV advertorials \"or at their local business expo,\" King adds.

Dr. Peter Littrup, professor of Radiology, Urology and Radiation Oncology and director of the Image Guided Therapy Program at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, discusses new pioneering breast cancer detection and treatment equipment. Computerized Ultrasound Risk Evaluation (CURE) is an advanced system that uses ultrasound and thermography to detect breast cancer in women. \"The CURE gives us a nice and clear image of lumps in the breast which helps us to characterize cancer from non-cancer. Most women experience such lumps which are not necessarily cancer. As a result, they end up with oncologists taking sections of the lump and ugly scars on the breast. The CURE, on the other hand, gives images that clearly defines what are cancer and non-cancer lumps. Such tests also cost a fraction of today\'s conventional methods,\" Littrup says.

La Pita Fresh Mediterranean Grill, which just debuted in the heart of the Wayne State University campus, is favorably reviewed by restaurant critic Molly Abraham. A spinoff of La Pita Cafe in Dearborn, Abraham says this new spot has a lot to offer students, faculty and just about anyone else who wanders by its strategic midtown location in search of sustenance. A map showing La Pita\'s location on Wayne State\'s campus is included.

There may still be a chance to hear four Nobel Peace Prize laureates at Wayne State University at 5 p.m. Friday. WSU is working to add seating to its General Lectures Auditorium to accommodate a larger audience for Shirin Ebadi, 2003; Jody Williams, 1997; Rigoberta Menchu Tum, 1992; and Betty Williams, 1976 (who will appear on videotape). More than 900 people have reserved seats for the free event.