An "Entrepreneur's Roundtable on Business Commercialization" will be held from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, March 28, at the NextEnergy Center in TechTown. The event is part of the Great Lakes Entrepreneurs Quest (GLEQ) statewide program seeking business entrepreneurs. NextEnergy is co-sponsoring the event as the first in several collaboration projects planned in a growing partnership with GLEQ. More at www.gleq.org.

A group of nine Wayne State students recently participated in a spring break mission trip to Tijuana, Mexico. The volunteers helped the Scalabrini Fathers religious order at their mission, La Casa del Migrante, which is a shelter for migrants in Tijuana. In addition to serving at a community shelter, outreach centers and a soup kitchen, the students traveled to a local dump where migrants were living in houses on the inactive part of the dump. Wayne State students comment in the story which also features photos of their activities.

Wayne State University's Matthaei Athletic Complex will be the site for "Let's Play Ball," a city-wide sports and activities registration fair on Saturday, April 8, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Wayne State's Studio Theatre will present "Before There Was Broadway," March 23-April1. The play is an exploration of the first African-American theatrical company, established in Lower Manhattan in 1821.

Wayne State professor and author Fran Shor was the featured speaker at the public forum sponsored by the Pointes for Peace on March 29 at the Harper Woods Public Library. Shor, who teaches history and cultural studies at WSU, spoke on "Prospects for Peace - Beyond Iraq."

Wayne State University 's Hilberry Theatre and the Center for the Study of Citizenship will present a seminar on women and leadership at the Hilberry on Saturday, April 1, at 4:30 p.m. following the production of Shakespeare's " Antony and Cleopatra." Tickets are $10. Additional information and a contact number are provided.

A brief article notes that the WSU Jazz Lab I Big Band, under the direction of Christopher Collins, will pay tribute to Stan Kenton on March 28 at the university's Schaver Music Recital Hall. Additional details of the performance, along with ticket information, are given.

A feature story covers the $3 million gift to Wayne State by Troy businessman and philanthropist Marvin Danto. The gift is earmarked for a new Engineering Development Center that will accommodate educational programs, research and development in the fields of biotech, nano-science and alternative energy technology. Groundbreaking for the $27.3 million center is expected later this year. "I see the people of Michigan as the direct beneficiaries of this new engineering center," said Danto, who studied engineering at Wayne State . President Irvin D. Reid observed that "world events are highlighting the importance of our research in alternative and sustainable energy at our College of Engineering , at NextEnergy and at our research and technology park, TechTown." Ralph Kummler, dean of the College of Engineering , pointed out that "our vision keeps our graduates on the leading edge of the workforce in Michigan and the world." A photo of Danto accompanies the article.

Wayne State University's Technology Commercialization Office honored more than 100 faculty members and staff inventors March 23 for their ingenuity that has led to inventions, new intellectual property, licenses with industry and start-up companies. "These innovative researchers are a part of an impressive national effort at hundreds of universities to make our world a better place through discoveries which benefit society and make our economy stronger and more diversified," said Fred Reinhart, assistant vice president for research and technology commercialization. Sean Wu, distinguished professor of mechanical engineering in the College of Engineering , was honored with the Invention of the Year Award. Wu holds eight U.S. patents and is chief technical officer for SenSound, LLC, which uses specialized software to pinpoint the exact source of noise in a wide range of products, from automobiles to washing machines.

Nearly 200 people packed NextEnergy Center in TechTown last Wednesday for the Michigan Clean Fleet Conference. The event spotlighted technologies, fuels and funding for cleaner air and transportation cost savings. NextEnergy CEO Jim Croce said the gathering was a response to air quality problems in Michigan .

"It would be a dream for a trial lawyer to defend this case and say, 'Whose fault was this, the person who swallowed the pills, or someone down the line?'" said David Moran, associate dean at the Law School . He was referring to a case in which a Harbor Springs man is charged with second-degree murder in the fatal drug overdose of a woman last fall. The defendant allegedly admitted to supplying the victim with methadone. To get a conviction, the state would have to prove that the accused knew that death would likely result from providing the drugs.

The robotic team from the Saginaw Career Complex took home a top award from the Detroit Regional competition at Wayne State University . The team won the Xerox Creativity Award for design of its robot, The Phoenix.

In a letter to the editor, WSU mathematics professor Steven Kahn takes issue with the state of Michigan 's MEAP exam. "The MEAP is driving a curriculum that is not coherent, is a mile wide and an inch deep, and diminishes core subjects at the expense of marginal ones," he charges. "The result will be a continuation of the tragic under-preparedness of our students for college."

This article mentions that Jeffrey A. Brown, M.D, of Wayne State University is a co-investigator for a technique known as "cortical stimulation" that helps stroke survivors regain partial use of a weakened hand. The technique uses electric pulses, in conjunction with aggressive rehabilitation, to a part of the brain that controls motor function. The study was published in the journal Neurosurgery.

An op-ed piece by Berl Falbaum and Maurice Kelman accuses the media of hypocrisy for trumpeting "the public's right to know" while being selective in what information the release themselves. Falbaum is identified as a former political reporter who teaches journalism part time, including First Amendment law, at Wayne State University .

For the first time in school history, both the Wayne State men's and women's swim teams won the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference league championship. The Warriors came in sixth at the men's NCAA Division II championships, their best finish ever. A photo of team member Nick Markou, who was named honorable mention All-America, accompanies the story.

A sports roundup article includes a brief write-up on Wayne State 's double victory in baseball last weekend over Gannon. Derek Ranck hit a grand slam for the Warriors and Anthony Bass struck out 11 in five innings in a 15-1 victory in the opener. WSU rallied from a 7-1 deficit in the second game for a 12-7 win.

President Irvin D. Reid was interviewed during the above-mentioned Michigan Clean Fleet Conference.

Scientists from Wayne State University and the University of Michigan said access to embryonic stem cells is crucial to a realm of experimentation that will change the future of medicine. The researchers said thousands of embryos are discarded at fertility clinics because they aren\'t suitable for implantation to create a pregnancy or because they are left over. Discarding those embryos wastes stem cells scientists could use, they argued.

Rob Fournier, director of athletics, sees a parallel between his Wayne State University Champs Life Skills program and organized labor. "I was reading a mission statement for organized labor and it talks about the economic and social justice," Fournier says. "And I think one of the ways everyone can create economic and social justice is by doing their part." Fournier created Champs Life Skills last year, which included 400 student athletes volunteering over 3,000 hours of community service to make Detroit a better place for everyone. The WSU student-athletes also participate in programs such as clothing drives, soup kitchens, Motor City Makeover, Make A Wish and Shoes for the Homeless.