Detroit-area companies and business leaders met at Wayne State University to discuss how to bring greater diversity, equity and inclusion to Detroit’s corporate community during the Detroit Equity Symposium on Sept. 27. The group discussed issues like the corporate racial wage gap and cited a recent study that showed Black Detroiters between 2010 and 2019 saw an 8% increase in median income compared to 60% for white Detroiters. In attendance at the symposium were Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II, Bishop Edgar L. Vann and Wayne State University President M. Roy Wilson.  

Beginning October 4 on Detroit Public Television (DPTV), a new series will highlight stories of African Americans in a way that goes beyond a lens that distorts and mischaracterizes the community. Making Black America, hosted by history professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., seeks to demonstrate the vast social networks and organizations created by and for Black people throughout American history. As part of the series, WDET has teamed up with DPTV to host a town hall on Tuesday, September 27 at 7 p.m. The event will occur in Wayne State’s Community Arts Auditorium and focus on the history and future of Black fraternities and sororities, as well as their connection to Detroit. Admission is free.

By Rasha Almulaiki  Economists have long lamented the shrinking of the American middle class. In Detroit, the economic crises of the Great Recession, the COVID-19 pandemic and the persistent instability of an accessible real estate market has exacerbated the strain on the growing socio-economic divide between the top one percent and the struggling majority. In an economic climate that is steadily growing stronger, residents need to think about ways to build generational wealth to sustain themselves and the future of their family’s financial health. Ranjan D’Mello, professor of finance at Wayne State University, discussed how Detroiters can begin securing their future. “The idea is that you have to begin saving early,” said D’Mello. “For those that spend on things they don’t really need, there must be restraint and a long-term goal in mind.”  

Organizers of Detroit Digital Inclusion Week believe Detroit can become a national model for digital inclusion. The group is set to launch five days of events, workshops, and panel discussions aimed at getting more Detroiters connected than ever before. Some of the events, including a keynote panel discussion and academic research symposium will be hosted at Wayne State University’s Student Center Building. The events run October 3-7.  

A non-opioid animal tranquilizer for which there is no antidote is being mixed into Michigan street drugs, making the already deadly supply more dangerous, according to toxicologists and researchers. Xylazine, a fast-acting central nervous system depressant that is not approved for human use, is showing up largely in fentanyl, the ultra-potent synthetic opioid that is mixed into heroin and pressed into counterfeit pills and responsible for more overdose deaths than any other drug. Adding xylazine to fentanyl, which is also a depressant, increases the already high odds of overdose. In Michigan, xylazine has turned up in toxicology screenings of almost 200 people who have died from drug overdoses since 2019, said Varun Vohra, who is director of the Michigan Poison and Drug Information Center at Wayne State University.  

Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II, along with Bishop Edgar L. Vann, Wayne State University President M. Roy Wilson and corporate leaders from some of Detroit’s largest corporations and nonprofits, will speak at the Detroit Equity Symposium on September 27 from 8:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Wayne State University’s Student Center Building. The goal of the event is to discuss ways we can work together to increase equity and inclusion in Detroit’s corporate community and release a report, funded by the Kresge Foundation, that shares best practices to provide a road map for collective efforts moving forward. The Symposium is supported by Henry Ford Health, the Detroit Regional Chamber, The Skillman Foundation, and HAP. Registration is free.  

It doesn’t look like much: Just a sea of tall weeds littered with broken bottles, pieces of smashed china and a wide variety of things that most of us would just call trash. But to a group of Wayne State University students, these are keys to the past. And they can open doors that have been locked for more than 100 years. The 13 students (and a handful of volunteers) armed with shovels, spades, measuring tape, markers and whatever else they need to carefully dig into and document the past are exploring what may be the richest archeological site in Hamtramck. “What we’ve learned through preliminary archival research thus far is that this site was the location of commercial and residential buildings from at least 1881 onwards,” said Krysta Ryzewski, WSU chairperson and professor of anthropology at Wayne State, who is directing the students. This is the third archaeological dig Wayne State has done in Hamtramck.    

Science has proven that exercising on your period is safe, and it could prove to be very beneficial. However, energy levels may be lower. Tamara Hew-Butler, associate professor of exercise physiology at Wayne State University, explains that women and those who menstruate tend to have lower energy levels during the second half of the menstrual cycle, known as the luteal phase which occurs during days 15 to 28. “The second two weeks – after ovulation, called the luteal phase – are characterized by high levels of progesterone and a smaller rise in estrogen. These high levels of progesterone, followed by a sudden drop in progesterone right before your period, seems to trigger an inflammatory response which precedes the onset of the ‘premenstrual’ symptoms,” Hew-Butler said. “Research suggests that the perception of low energy during the second half of the menstrual cycle mostly results from negative moods like irritability, anger and fatigue which increase the perception of fatigue.”  

By Alexander Davidson  Alexander Davidson, assistant professor of marketing at Wayne State University, wrote an article for The Conversation about disparities in Airbnb earnings between male and female hosts. He highlights recent research that found female Airbnb hosts in the United States earn on average about 25% less per year than their male counterparts for their rentals, and that, in general, women offer lower rental prices than men on the site. “It’s not yet clear whether or why male and female hosts take different approaches to setting Airbnb rates – although other research suggests some clues,” he writes. “A 2007 study found that compared to women, men negotiate for higher payments in bargaining situations. And a 2009 study of gender differences in setting professional fees found that women typically charge less than men for the same services because they tend to be more relationship-oriented toward their clients, which can lead them to charge lower prices.”  

By Robin Erb  Birth control pills, patches and vaginal rings could soon be available through more Michigan pharmacists, bypassing a doctor’s appointment. Under “long-standing” authority in Michigan, pharmacists have been able to enter into collaborative practice agreements with doctors to obtain prescribing rights, said Mary Beth O’Connell, a professor of pharmacy practice at Wyane State University. But most community-based pharmacists do not have such collaborative practice agreements in place to cover birth control, she said. O’Connell said that, ideally, the Michigan Pharmacists Association wants a law change that would give pharmacists prescribing authority for birth control without collaborative agreements. For the Pharmacists Association, changing Michigan law would be preferable because it would be less vulnerable to politics and changing administrations. “Bottom line, we want this as a service that can be provided at all community pharmacies,” she said.

By Louis Aguilar If things go as planned, the area north of downtown Detroit will see the rise of four major new university and medical projects that could greatly expand the power of “Eds and Meds” in the city. Eds and Meds refer to higher educational institutions like Wayne State University and such medical facilities as Henry Ford Health System and the Detroit Medical Center. The three are part of an economic engine that helps drive Midtown, something the four Eds and Meds projects would bolster further. Michigan State University is planning to locate a new medical school near Henry Ford Health’s headquarters that would be a major boost to the New Center area. The University of Michigan’s new business school venture with billionaire Stephen M. Ross on land donated by the Ilitch organization’s Olympia Development of Michigan would breathe new hope into the Ilitch group’s long-deferred dream of transforming blocks of land north of downtown in what is called District Detroit. The other projects include a new theater and dance complex and jazz center at Wayne State and a new cancer research center and medical school facility by Wayne State University’s School of Medicine and the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute somewhere near the DMC or WSU’s main campus. The projects also set up potential competition for funding among Michigan’s top three research universities on Wayne State’s home turf. But one urban development expert expects the strong track records of the institutions in raising money not to result in a loss of money for Wayne State. Dr. Wael Sakr, dean of the Wayne State University School of Medicine, acknowledged the competition with UM and MSU for money, but also expressed faith in the strength of WSU’s plans for the Karmanos Cancer Institute. “We have an experienced team of fundraisers that is working intensely on the funding,” he said. WSU President M. Roy Wilson stated earlier that the university would also consider raising money through bonds for the School of Medicine/Karmanos venture. The Karmonos Cancer Institute’s elite designation will likely help raise money from new and national funders. “There may be more competition, but each of these plans can be successful,” said John Mogk, a distinguished service professor of law at Wayne State who has followed urban planning issues for decades and has been an adviser on numerous urban development projects in Detroit and around the state. “All of these projects can show the tremendous benefits and impact they will bring to the community,” Mogk said. “Every institution involved has a proven track record. Projects that have a great chance of being a success usually find the money they need.”   

By Elizabeth Washington Like many college campuses, buildings are named after important local figures or donors to the school. But ever walk around campus and wonder, who are these people? Alumna Elizabeth Washington shares an overview of Wayne State’s buildings and the history of their namesakes.

By Simon Shayket  An alarming national shortage of a commonly used prescription drug to treat ADHD comes as students are now back in class, and experts warn there could be further challenges impacting learning. At Wayne State University, students are hard at work pursuing their education. But now, a nationwide Adderall shortage has attention of those, some who’ve used the prescription drug to help them focus. “Students are going to need it and not be able to get it,” said Collin Houston, a senior at Wayne State University. “It makes me think easier. Less distractions in my head. My thoughts won’t wander,” he said. Dr. David Rosenberg, professor and chair of psychiatry, discussed the effect on those unable to treat their attention deficit hyperactivity disorder due to supply issues. “We know that ADHD is the most common diagnosis in children and adolescents, but guess what, it’s not limited to children and the biggest age increase for ADHD is in adulthood,” he said. “First and foremost, if you’re concerned, reach out to your physician, they can be of a lot of help.”  

By Patrick Williams   Wayne State University is one of three institutions that has been given the green light by the state of Michigan to evaluate the efficacy of cannabis in treating PTSD and preventing suicide in veterans. Dr. Leslie Lundahl, associate professor and clinical psychologist in Wayne State’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, will take a leading role in much of that research. “Public perception and acceptance of cannabis as a pharmacotherapeutic, I think, has outpaced the science at this point,” she said. “So, we’re hoping to start this conversation, and we’re in a good position to do this because we have studied cannabis for a couple of decades now, and we’re quite well-versed in the risks that can be associated; looking at the possible therapeutics I think requires a balance of understanding what those risks could be.”  

As parents recorded them, big smiles, giggles and tears filled the eyes of young Black girls as they reacted to seeing Halle Bailey as Ariel in the teaser trailer of the new live action adaptation of Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Bailey, a Grammy-award winning artist marks Disney’s first Black live-action princess. In Disney’s 100-year history, there has been one Black Disney princess. As some praised Disney’s bold move, there has also been criticism over Disney’s decision to cast Bailey. Lisa Doris Alexander, a professor in the African American Studies department at Wayne State University, says she believes seeing this clip of a Black Ariel shows why it’s so important for children to see representation. “You only have to look at the TikTok videos of little Black and Brown girls seeing the trailer for the first time beaming with joy to know my thoughts,” Alexander said. “That’s why representation is so important because those little children are saying ‘she looks like me,’ ‘an undersea princess looks like me’ and that brings them joy. The story of the ‘The Little Mermaid’ is a bit problematic, but we should let the little ones have their joy.”     

By Sue Suchyta Theatre and Dance at Wayne launches its 2022-2023 theatre season with the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning Jonathan Larson rock musical “Rent,” which runs Sept. 23 to Oct. 2 at the Hilberry Theater. Set in 1989 in New York City’s East Village during the first wave of the AIDS crisis, “Rent” is about falling in love, finding one’s voice and living for today, as a group of diverse artists and friends struggle to follow their dreams. Director Michael Barnes said “Rent” has developed a large following. “In many ways, it was the first rock opera that was written about Generation X but it has continued to reverberate with young people because all the characters are 20-somethings,” he said. “The music would not sound out-of-place on popular radio today.” X. Alexander Durden, who plays Roger, said the show still resonates with audiences more than three decades after it debuted. “This show still rings true in its themes of wealth disparity, classism and following one’s passions,” he said. “I hope it inspires everyone to be the change they want to see and fight for the things all people should be granted as a right.” Jessica Annuziata, who plays Joanne, said the show’s music is filled with energy and passion. “’Rent’ is a story about really living live, striving to make the best out of bad news and being there for our fellow human beings,” she said.

Hunter Brown has attended more games at Comerica Park than he can count. He grew up cheering for Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander. He attended college down the street at Wayne State. He lived down the street as recently as least offseason. On Tuesday, the 24-year-old St. Clair Shores native and Houston Astros right-hander will come home to make the second big-league start of his career. “This was where the dream started that I could be out there one day,” Brown said from the visiting clubhouse at Comerica Park. “It really good. I’m really excited. I mean, I feel at home.” Brown went from being a scarcely recruited high school player to a top pitcher for Wayne State to a fifth-round draft pick and then ultimately an intriguing prospect for the playoff-bound Astros. Brown allowed just three hits in six scoreless innings in his debut Sept. 5 against Texas. “I’m going to do my homework and try my best to deliver a win for us,” Brown said. “(Detroit) prides itself on hard work, and I think I’ve done that for a while. But now I’m an Astro and that’s where my mindset is at. I’m excited to be here and be back and represent my hometown, but at the same time, I’m representing the name on the front of my jersey and that’s Houston Astros.”  https://www.mlive.com/tigers/2022/09/astros-hunter-brown-ready-for-return-to-detroit-this-is-where-the-dream-started.html