Wayne State University Law School professor David A. Moran appeared on the Sept. 16 edition of the nationally televised "Dateline NBC" investigative news program. Moran talked about a murder case in which he was involved as an attorney. The 1974 case involved a college student who was found raped and strangled in her apartment in Saginaw . No arrests were made until 1995. Dateline reporter Chris Hansen interviewed Moran about the case, which is again before the courts because of an appeal by the defendant.

WWJ morning anchors mentioned the panel discussion being held at Wayne State titled "Building New Orleans: The Issues, the Challenges and the Opportunities." Wayne State 's efforts to assist college students from the New Orleans area were noted.

WDET provided on-site coverage of the "Building New Orleans: The Issues, the Challenges and the Opportunities" campus dialogue held at the Student Center Building on Friday, Sept. 16. A panel of Wayne State faculty provided presentations on the challenges facing the federal government as the process of rebuilding New Orleans begins.

The United Way for Southeastern Michigan has hired Wayne State University researcher Kurt Metzger to direct its own research, effective Oct. 1. He joins the nonprofit after serving the past 15 years as director of Wayne State 's Michigan Metropolitan Information Center . The United Way 's move toward a community-impact model is what attracted him to the organization, Metzger said.

Wayne State is mentioned as a member of the collaborative team of universities with the Michigan Center for Structural Biology. The center recently dedicated a new 900 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, a device that enables scientists to study the structure and interaction of proteins and other biological molecules of central importance in biomedical research.

A brief notes that the Sept. 28-29 MichBio Expo and Conference will be held at Wayne State University and Cobo Center .

Funding for Wayne State University and Northern Michigan University wasn\'t cut as deeply as once feared when lawmakers finalized a spending plan for higher education Thursday. \"We are wiping the brow of our head and saying, \'Sheesh,\'\" said Harvey Hollins, vice president for government and community affairs at Wayne State . The funding plan, which gives five out of the state\'s 15 public universities more money than what was appropriated this time last year, comes after all the universities raised tuition substantially this summer -- ranging from 7 percent to 19 percent -- citing three consecutive years of state funding cuts and worries they would again be hard-hit this year. Instead of receiving $203 million in state funds as originally proposed -- a $10 million decrease from the previous year -- Wayne State will get $214 million under a conference committee agreement reached in Lansing .

In the race for state funding equity, Grand Valley State University has finished at the back of the pack for years. This year will be no different. While Grand Valley likely will close in on the competition, it will remain the lowest per-student funded of Michigan \'s 15 public universities. This is despite efforts by Republican legislative leaders and Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who reached a $1.73 billion higher education budget deal last week. The agreement would award GVSU a 7.5 percent increase in per-student funding -- the largest percent increase awarded to any state university. The University of Michigan and Michigan State University would see their state funding increase by 0.4 percent under the new agreement, and Wayne State University would receive 0.2 percent more. But all three universities would get at least $8,139 per student.

Should New Orleans be rebuilt? A panel of Wayne State University academics will debate the question today in the Student Center Building , 5221 Gullen Mall. Some of the experts will argue that it will cost too much to reconstruct the flooded city, which will be vulnerable to future natural disasters. Others are expected to take the position that the city is too important not to rebuild. The answers, WSU Professor Robin Boyle said, could have important implications for Detroit . \"I come down on the side that the city has to be rebuilt,\" said Boyle, who chairs the department of geography and urban planning. But, in doing so, he said, the planners must consider setting aside property that isn\'t built on to protect the city from flooding. \"We\'ve taken the sponge away,\" Boyle said. \"We have to put it back.\"

Never mind the 15.9 percent unemployment. Never mind that this city was just given the humiliating title of being the nation\'s poorest major city. Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick was not the first Detroit mayor in nearly 50 years to place second in a primary because of the economy. Instead, political observers here say, the mayoral race has turned on Mr. Kilpatrick\'s personal and political missteps. And on Thursday, at a debate that was supposed to focus on the economy, the topic quickly shifted to his image. The city is hurt if \"activities associated with the mayor, whether they be true or not true, get splattered in an unflattering way around the national media,\" declared Freman Hendrix, who outpolled Mr. Kilpatrick in the nonpartisan August primary. The election is Nov. 8. When Mr. Kilpatrick was elected four years ago, many voters saw him as a natural leader who could usher in the progress that Detroiters have been awaiting for decades. Rebuilding that image may be difficult. "He has charisma and that\'s one of the reasons he\'s done so well,\" said Lyke Thompson, director of the center for urban studies at Wayne State University in Detroit . \"But the car and all these other issues have been a challenge and have raised issues about his credibility.\"

A reporter on President George W. Bush's speech quoted a Wayne State student. ``A day late and a dollar short,\'\' said 18-year-old Wayne State University student Rachel Aviles in Detroit . ``I think he\'s more responding to the negative media than responding to fix the problem.\'\'

Autumn is in the air, and, in addition to cooler temperatures and porch pumpkins, that means The Detroit News Fall Perennial Exchange, which takes place 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday. New this fall is a collaborative effort among participating green thumbs, the Wayne State University Department of Art and Art History and the \"Heidelberg Project.\" To help landscape the \"Heidelberg Project,\" WSU needs donated perennials, in particular, orange butterfly milkweed, wild indigo, coreopsis, baby\'s breath, lupine, Russian sage, autumn joy sedum, feather reed grass, variegated maiden grass, smooth aster, flowering splurge, gray goldenrod and switch grass. You are invited to drop off these perennials at the WSU table at the exchange.

Sitting in a Red Cross shelter in Birmingham , Ala. , with his family two weeks ago, Bryan King wrestled with an agonizing choice. Should he stay with his family and help search for missing relatives or return to the University of Michigan , where he was a fourth-year medical student? King, 30, a native of New Orleans , had just begun a clinical rotation in orthopedic surgery at Tulane University Medical Center as a visiting student last month when Katrina began to threaten the city. On Aug. 28, heeding orders to evacuate, King headed to Birmingham with his parents, brother and sister. They loaded a few belongings into their Honda Accord, thinking they would return after a few days. King is one of thousands of college students attending schools in the gulf coast region who have been displaced by Katrina. Universities and colleges across the country, including those in Michigan , have opened their doors to the students. They are expediting admissions and helping the students with financial aid, housing and psychological counseling. By early this week, dozens of students had enrolled at U-M , Michigan State University, Wayne State University and other college and universities, according to school officials. At U-M, 47 students, including 11 graduate students, have been admitted. At WSU, 62 displaced students have enrolled, including 54 undergrads. At MSU, 15 undergraduates have been admitted

The newspaper's Yak Corner for kids includes an item that calls for readers to learn more about the U.S. Constitution and the Supreme Court. Sandra Van Burkleo, associate professor of history and adjunct professor in the WSU Law School , explained that one could think of the Supreme Court as an orchestra and the chief justice as the conductor.

A preview article about the upcoming theatre season in Detroit includes mention of WSU Hilberry Theatre. The writer calls the Hilberry a "high-caliber graduate program" and mentions the theatre's offerings through March 23.

The WSU men's hockey team will hold open tryouts on Sept. 22-23 at the Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum. Only full-time WSU students may try out. Times and contact information are given.

A panel of Wayne State University experts will examine the prospect of rebuilding New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina on Friday, Sept. 16, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., at the Student Center Building . Eight panelists representing various disciplines will participate in a dialogue titled "Building News Orleans: The Issues, the Challenges and the Opportunities," sponsored by the department of geography and urban planning. Contact information is provided.

Columnist Desiree Cooper writes about parallels between Detroit and New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. "I couldn't help but think: If Detroit were underwater, no one would bother to rescue us either," she writes. The column includes comments from Alicia Nails, director of the Journalism Institute for Minorities at Wayne State . "It was like back in slavery when families were broken up indiscriminately," she said. "Sept 11 was one horrible moment, but afterwards you had the sense that everything was being taken care of. With Hurricane Katrina, people still didn't have water days later." The column also includes a comment from WSU junior Kristal Harris, president of the campus NAACP. She said race did not play a part in her decision to get involved in helping victims. "If anything happens to a part of our nation, it affects all of us," she said.

A panel of Wayne State experts will explore the prospect of rebuilding New Orleans on Friday from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Student Center Building . Eight panelists from various disciplines will participate in a dialogue titled "Building New Orleans: The Issues, the Challenges and the Opportunities." Robin Boyle, chair of the Department of Geography and Urban Planning, will be moderator for the session.

Wayne State University 's School of Business Administration is offering visiting faculty positions to a limited number of displaced business faculty from higher education institutions in Louisiana , Mississippi and Alabama . The openings will be available for up to two semesters, and visiting faculty will be expected to guest lecture and make research presentations during the fall semester. If an appointment continues into the winter term, the visitors would be expected to teach regular courses. Other information about the offer is given, along with contacts for more information. An accompanying short item notes that " Wayne State has several other efforts afoot to aid Katrina victims, including "Warrior Friends," faculty and staff members who will be paired with a student from the Gulf Coast as a campus contact. Also available are emergency book loans, school supplies, credential replacement for alums who may have lost their diplomas in the flood, as well as clothing, toy and fundraising drives. The Web site www.wayne.edu/katrina_aid is given for more information.