Researchers at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute on Monday were awarded $4.5 million in National Cancer Institute grants to fund research into early detection of breast and lung cancer. Dr. Michael Tainsky, director of the program in molecular biology and human genetics at the institute, was given $3.4 million. The money will fund research to detect antibodies produced by breast-tumor proteins and use them to develop an early detection breast-cancer test for women who show no symptoms of the disease. Dr. Harvey Pass, professor of surgery and oncology at the cancer institute and Wayne State University , will use a $1.1 million grant to study biomarkers in lung cancer. "When cancer is identified at the earliest stages, the probability of cure is very high; and therefore, diagnostic screening tests that can detect at these early stages are crucial," Tainsky said in a statement.

The minority population in Oakland County has grown to 20.7 percent, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau. "The country, as a whole, is 33 percent minority," said Kurt Metzger, researcher for Wayne State University 's Center for Urban Studies. "We may be a little late to the game, but we're starting to pick up the pace and starting to look like the country as a whole." He pointed out that diversity has economic benefits because of the number of foreign companies that do business in the area. He also noted that immigrants to Oakland County are "a generally higher income, higher educated population."

Newly released U.S. Census figures show that minorities and women have increased their business ownership or sales at a faster rate than the state average. Since 1997, the number of black-owned businesses in the state increased by almost 78 percent and Asian-owned businesses grew by 32 percent. Despite a slight decrease in the total number of businesses owned by Hispanics, their sales and receipts increased by 63 percent. The number of woman-owned businesses grew by 18 percent. Kurt Metzger, director of the Michigan Metropolitan Information Center at WSU, attributes minority-owned business growth to increasing minority population. About 25 percent of Michigan residents identified themselves as minorities in the 2000 census.

Former Kmart Chairman Charles Conaway has been cleared of wrongdoing by an arbitration panel in a civil suit filed by the company's former creditors. It is a stunning victory for Conaway, who headed the firm for 20 months. "The claim was, in essence (that) Conaway didn't do as good a job as he could have, but the business judgment rule protects you from 20-20 hindsight said WSU law professor Peter Henning, a former federal prosecutor. "Did he get too much compensation? Maybe. That might be business stupidity, but it's not illegal."

New research has shown that even low-level consumption of alcohol by pregnant women may be harmful to unborn babies. Researchers found that youngsters exposed to low to moderate levels of alcohol while still in the womb had slower thought processes and intellectual function. Julie Croxford of Wayne State University said, "In the past much focus was placed on studying the full-blown FAS (fetal alcohol syndrome). More recent research has considered those individuals damaged by lower levels of exposure. This is an important focus." The news item ran in various health publications and in newspapers in England , Scotland and Ireland .

The state could be facing a shortage of 6,000 physicians by 2020, according to a study commissioned by the Michigan State Medical Society. Medical schools are looking at ways to increase enrollment in the coming years, but more federal dollars would be needed to open graduate residencies. The Medical Society is working with Wayne State, Michigan State and the University of Michigan to study physician counts and per-capita ratios, as well as practice details, such as specialties practiced, and training programs.

Tuition rates on college campuses have been "increasing at an alarming rate over the past 20 years," according to this article from Scripps Howard News Service. Over 10 years, concluding with the 2002-03 academic year, average tuition and fees at public and private four-year colleges and universities rose by an inflation-adjusted 38 percent, according to statistics from the College Board, which administers the SAT test. In Michigan , state universities wrestled with three straight years of cuts in state aid. Since 1982, state funding has dropped from 62 percent of the schools' total budgets to 40 percent. "During down times (in state revenue), state colleges and universities have proven to be easy budget-cutting targets," the writer points out.

Robert Sedler, a constitutional law professor at Wayne State , believes that lawyers in fact do have freedom of speech when commenting about judges. Sedler says that lawyers, like everyone else, have a First Amendment right to make public statements that criticize courts, judges, prosecutors and the administration of justice. Stephen Safranek, a law professor at the Ave Maria School of Law in Ann Arbor , disagrees with Sedler's opinion and debates otherwise.

Tom Watkins, who was identified as "former state schools superintendent and currently special assistant to the president of Wayne State University ," was a guest on the "Michigan Matters" show with host Carol Cain. He was part of a round-table discussion regarding the Detroit Public Schools situation following Cain's interview with interim CEO William Coleman. Watkins said the school board should welcome private investments such as that offered by a generous donor a couple years ago that was turned down by the board. He also said that people need to stop debating about charter schools versus public schools and to focus instead on how to ensure the best quality education for students. Joining him on the panel were newsman-publicity counsel Cliff Russell and businesswoman-Detroit booster Denise Ilitch.

Joseph Louvar, Wayne State chemistry professor, was quoted on the safety of industrial plants that handle toxins such as those at EQ Resource Recovery Inc. in Romulus , the facility where massive explosions occurred last week. Michigan ranks fifth nationwide in the release of toxic chemicals, sending 417 million pounds up smokestacks, down pipes or away on trucks in 2003. The federal government requires facilities like EQ to be inspected every other year and the state\'s Department of Environmental Quality makes unannounced inspections of the plants quarterly. Some observers say the industry has vastly improved safety. \"In general, they do really well,\" Louvar said.

Two of the three events featured on the lifestyles page involve Wayne State . They are the Apple Awards ceremony (sponsored by the College of Fine , Performing and Communication Arts in conjunction with the Nederlander Company) and the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute's annual black-tie dinner. Among photos accompanying the item about the Apple Award is one of President Reid with actress Phylicia Rashad, recipient of this year's award.

The newsletter of the University of Mississippi School of Law includes a full page article and a photo of WSU Law School Dean Frank Wu , who gave a lecture at the school in March on "Diversity in the New World ." He said that society needs more dialogue about attitudes toward race, dialogue that leads to action and public policy. "To start with affirmative action is to do everything backwards," he told the audience. He also pointed out that "diversity is like democracy, a process, not an outcome."

This Booth Newspapers Web news site carries a story from the Jackson Citizen Patriot that notes that an increasing number of minorities are making Jackson County their home. Census figures show that minority residents make up 11 percent of the population. " Michigan has long been a white-black state," said Kurt Metzger, a demographer at Wayne State University . "But mostly it has been a largely white state. In recent years, however. . . we've seen more diversity in the state."

David Strauss, Wayne State 's dean of students, was interviewed by Jane Bower for her Back-to-School Reports.

Among the many questions surrounding the investigation into who in the Bush administration leaked the name of an undercover CIA officer is whether President Bush\'s top political adviser told his boss the truth about his connection to the case. Two years ago, the White House denied that Karl Rove played any role, but revelations in the past month have shown that Rove spoke with two journalists about the operative, Valerie Plame. If Rove didn\'t tell Bush the truth, that theoretically could be a legal problem for the presidential aide under the federal false statement statute. Wayne State University law professor Peter Henning said the false statement law covers statements made to all members of the executive branch, including the president acting in his official capacity. In contrast, a typical false statement case involves lying to investigators or writing false information on a form to the government. The difficulties in bringing even a typical false statement case are considerable. Simply misleading someone isn\'t enough to bring a prosecution. \"If the president asks Rove, \'Do we have anything to worry about here?\' and Rove says \'No,\' that would not be a false statement,\" said Henning. \"These two men have known each other a long time, the president is not going to question Rove closely as a law enforcement agent would, and that makes all the difference.\"

Wayne State University is having an information and advising session for students and working adults interested in getting a bachelor\'s degree in social work. The session will be from 10:30 a.m. to noon Aug. 22 in the St. Clair County Community College \'s Michigan Technical Education Center in Port Huron . Wayne State partnered with SC4 through the community college\'s University Center to bring the bachelor\'s degree program to the area.

Michigan State University passed the $1-billion mark this week in its private fund-raising campaign, the Campaign for MSU, making it the third public university without an on-campus medical research center to break the mark, according to Charles Webb, MSU vice president for university development. The University of California , Berkeley , and Purdue University in West Lafayette , Ind. , are the other two schools. The MSU fund-raiser, which launched its public phase in 2002, had set a goal of raising $1.2 billion by 2007.

Her report examined fairy tales from Hansel and Greta to Little Red Riding Hood through the eyes of academic experts in the field. Donald Haase, professor of German and chair of the Department of German and Slavic Studies at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. He is also editor of Marvels and Tales: The Journal of Fairy-Tale Studies and general editor of a book series called Series in Fairy-Tale Studies.

Wayne State University is having an Aug. 22 information and advising session for students and working adults interested in getting a bachelor's degree in social work at St. Clair County Community College's Michigan Technical Education Center in Port Huron . WSU partnered with SC4 through the community college's University Center to bring the degree program to the area.

U.S. Marine Sgt. David Tatti, 26, is leaving his position as assistant football coach at Port Huron High School for his post at Camp Lejeune, N.C., in preparation for a third tour of combat duty. He played five seasons at Wayne State , including a year as team captain. Tatti says his football experience at WSU gives him additional credibility with the high school players