Award-winning author to speak tonight
Charles Baxter will read from his newest novel. Baxter, who taught at Wayne State , now teaches at University of Minnesota .
In the news
WSU faculty member granted $725,000 to benefit graduate concentration
Deborah S. Walker of the WSU College of Nursing has been awarded a $725,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to strengthen the newly pre-accredited graduate nurse-midwifery concentration at Wayne State . According to Walker , "Certified nurse-midwives will be educated to provide culturally competent, quality health care to underserved and vulnerable populations, with a focus on specific issues related to the urban environment." The School of Medicine 's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is cooperating in the program.
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Wayne State's College of Engineering's Transportation Research Group, through the Transportation Research Group and the Bioengineering Center, will host a Drive Safely to Wayne State campaign Sept. 26-28. The campaign program, which is free and open to the general public, is designed to make the daily commutes to campus safer and to raise awareness of driving issues such as road rage, distracted driving, drinking and driving, and safety restraint systems.
Mary Kramer: The ultimate communication breakdown
Mary Kramer, Crain's Detroit Business publisher, dedicated a column to Wayne State's Institute for Information Technology and Culture, a four-year-old institute led by Professor Allen Batteau. The institute currently has a $1 million National Science Foundation grant to study what happens among organizations responding to specific crises. Batteau hopes that the NSF will provide additional funding to include Hurricane Katrina research. Ultimately, he said, the research will lead to developing simulations that could be used as training tools for governments and organizations. As a border city, such training could help the Detroit region prepare for the unexpected. "Institutions need maintenance like levees do," Batteau said.
Skin Patch Eases Early and Late Parkinson's Symptoms
Peter LeWitt, M.D., a professor of neurology and psychiatry at Wayne State and colleagues presented data on the efficacy and safety of the patch in 351 patients with late stage Parkinson's who were inadequately controlled with levodopa.
State higher ed budget deal reached
Wayne State's per-student state appropriation of $8,665 is noted in a story about the $1.48 billion higher education deal that was struck last week. Senator Mike Goschka (R-Brandt), a member of the Senate Appropriations Higher Education Subcommittee, said the original difference between schools that were well funded and schools that weren't was unacceptable. "We felt it was important to say that regardless of where you go to school in this state there should be a minimum amount of state dollars that would go to support any of our 15 public universities," Goschka said. The University of Michigan is mentioned as receiving a total allocation of $316.3 million from the state, which represents a $4 million cut from last year's provision.
Students slip past visa check
Students who drop out of school, are expelled or don\'t take a full load of courses are automatically flagged as having broken the terms of their student visas. That happens dozens of times each year at Michigan colleges, often by accident, such as when students drop a class without realizing the consequences for their immigration status, said James Dorsett, who runs Wayne State University \'s Office of International Students and Scholars. The college does what it can to keep students from falling out of status in the first place by warning them if they are about to run afoul of immigration rules, he said. So far, Dorsett said, only one Wayne State student has been arrested for an immigration violation detected by the system.
CAROL CAIN/SMALL BUSINESS: Another step in Tom Watkins' career
Columnist Carol Cain discusses former Michigan schools superintendent Tom Watkins' career move as he leaves Wayne State , where he served as special assistant to President Irvin D. Reid. Since March, when Watkins joined WSU under a six-month contract, he has been putting together a comprehensive report that is about to be released on e-learning for children in the K-12 years. The story also notes that Watkins will be starting an educational consulting firm to work with school districts and other clients.
WSU researcher discuss commute
The Wayne State University College of Engineering Transportation Research Group and the Bioengineering Center will host a Drive Safely to Wayne State campaign, the week of Sept. 25-28. The kick-off ceremony will be Sept. 26, 1 p.m., on Gullen Mall near the Adamany Undergraduate Library. The program will use various devices and displays to promote safe driving.
Imam tells Muslims to explain their faith
Wayne State Professor Muneer Fareed's recent speech before the United Muslim Association of Toledo is highlighted in this story. Fareed said that U.S. Muslim groups must improve their relationships with African-American Muslims. \"We don\'t know how much we enjoy the fruits of their labors, fighting for civil rights in this country." He added that American Muslims not only have the moral responsibility to strengthen ties with African-American Muslims, but also a \"strategic advantage\" to do so in order to protect their civil rights.
FINDING FREEDOM AND MAKING MONEY: Young adults discover appeal of buying a home
A sidebar to a story on buying trends among young adults is attributed to the research of George Galster, Clarence B. Hilberry professor of Urban Affairs. Galster highlights five reasons why young adults purchase instead of rent homes. Also included in the article are comments by Allen Goodman, Wayne State economics professor.
Kozlowski prepares to do time
Kozlowski, along with former Tyco CFO Mark Swartz, was found guilty in June of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from the manufacturing conglomerate. Peter Henning, Wayne State professor of law, says Kozlowski could receive a sentence of as little as 1 to 3 years or as much as 8.3 to 25 years when he faces sentencing on Monday. Henning added that changes to federal sentencing guidelines, which calibrate the sentence to the size of loss created by the crime, have set the parameters for the lengthy sentences, but that public sentiment has played an important role as well.
RC prof fights for free speech with panel discussion
Wayne State Law School Dean Frank Wu led a panel discussion titled "Freedom of Speech in the American University " at the University of Michigan 's Resident College . Wu said the rubric for appropriate free speech is not if it offends the public, rather, appropriate free speech would aim to create dialogue between people of opposing viewpoints.
Business calendar
Fund-raiser: A calendar brief notes that the Wayne State College of Nursing will be holding its 5th Annual LifeLine Awards at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 22, at the Detroit Athletic Club. Tickets begin at $125. Contact information is provided.
Early planning sets up bright future for student
Wayne State University full-time student Danielle Doniver is profiled in a piece examining the financial habits of people from varying occupations and life stages. A photo of Doniver standing in front of Old Main is included.
Education chief targets colleges
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings plans to announce a national strategy for post-secondary education and will tackle issues such as access and affordability. Spellings said she was "not advocating a bigger role for the federal government in higher education" but the country "needs a coordinated approach to meet rising enrollment numbers and new economic demands." The commission will also focus on the lack of solid information about what colleges are and are not doing well.
Affirmative action necessary, effective in advancing opportunity
In an op-ed piece, Dean Frank Wu of the WSU Law School argues that affirmative action programs are both necessary and effective. He counters the argument by UCLA law professor Frank Sander that racially conscious college admissions policies harm rather than help African Americans. "It isn't clear," Wu writes, "why anyone who, like Sander, insists he wished to help African American students would want to abolish a proven means of doing so." A photo of Wu accompanies the piece.
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On his Sunday morning talk show, host Warren Pierce interviewed Wayne State Law School Professor Robert Sedler regarding the Senate confirmation hearings and other aspects of John Roberts' nomination by President Bush for chief justice of the Supreme Court.
Freedom of speech in academia discussed
An event held in recognition of Professor Carl Cohen's 50-year career at U of M included a panel discussion featuring Wayne State Law School Dean Frank Wu among other notables who raised the alarm about what practices are deemed acceptable at universities today.
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Lyke Thompson, professor of political science and director of Wayne State 's Center for Urban Studies, offered comments about the recent Detroit mayoral debate during Sunday's segment of "Action News." Thompson said that Mayor Kilpatrick appears to have adopted an aggressive and tough campaign stance to fight for his political office.