Awards
Barbara Samardzich, Orest Iwasiuk, Susan Iwasiuk and Brian Geraghty, director of design analysis engineering for Ford Motor Co., were inducted into the Wayne State University College of Engineering Hall of Fame.
In the news
U-M gets lift from reserve to beat Wayne State in final preseason contest
Wayne State's men's basketball team lost to the University of Michigan 67-54 in the final preseason game. Warrior Herb Goliday scored 12 points in his first exhibition opener.
Mich. steps up efforts to curb baby deaths
National infant mortality studies conducted by Wayne State University and the University of Michigan show improvements in the number of black babies who die in their first year of life. A promising national program that pairs nurses with low-income moms has expanded to Michigan cities such as Pontiac and Detroit, where black infant deaths far exceed white infant deaths. Wayne State secured a 10-year, $125 million contract with the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in 2002 to support maternal and infant health activities at the Perinatology Research Branch on the Detroit Medical Center campus.
Area college student hopes to jump-start his career
Wayne State sophomore Clarence Dass will get a taste of life as a global leader when he participants in the annual International Youth Leadership Conference in Prague, Czech Republic, in January. He will be one of 149 participants from around the world and he'll be among the students representing the United States in mock United Nations sessions. When he returns home, the pre-law student plans to co-found the Wayne State Model United Nations program, where he and others will teach Detroit High School students how to hold mock UN Sessions. Dass' visit to the leadership conference is sponsored by the WSU Honors Program. Program director Jerry Herron describes Dass as "thoughtful, an excellent planner."
Longtime journalist, professor retires from OU
A story about the retirement of journalist Neil Shine from the faculty of Oakland University after 30 years of teaching, notes that he also has been an instructor at Wayne State University and the University of Detroit Mercy. "I'm getting too old for this," joked Shine, a former Detroit Free Press editor and publisher. "I've been in the business more than 50 years; this is going to be my third time retiring."
People on the move
The following St. John Hospital and Medical Center physicians were presented College Teaching Awards by the Wayne State University School of Medicine: Muhammed Beeai, M.D., of Grosse Pointe Woods; Mohamad Fakih, M.D., of Grosse Pointe; and Leonard Johnson, M.D., of Grosse Pointe.
Bullying at work gains visibility
A story about bullying in the workplace mentions a 2000 study by Wayne State University that found that one in six American workers experiences some type of bullying on the job. The writer did not identify the investigator.
Women's worries never end
An article about conflicting medical study results and controversy over the health pros and cons of birth control pills, as well as Vioxx, Celebrex and other drugs, leads with information on the Wayne State University study that made national news with its conclusion that oral contraceptives cut the risk of heart disease in women and did not increase the risk of breast cancer. The article goes on to point out that "federal officials debunked the Wayne State study."
Trouble with choices
An article that compares people's attitudes toward public vs. private services cites several studies, among them one conducted by Lyke Thompson of the College of Urban, Labor and Metropolitan Affairs at WSU that surveyed that attitudes of Michigan residents to 14 different services. A majority of respondents favored government provision of 10 of the services.
Hilberry's timely 'Mother Courage' speaks loud, clear
Theatre critic Judith Cookis Rubens offers a thumbs-up review of the Hilberry Theatre's "Mother Courage." A photo of cast members is included.
Company Line
Wayne State alum Robert Fenech, Consumers Energy's senior vice president, nuclear, fossil and hydro operations, has been named to Wayne State's School of Engineering Hall of Fame. A photo of Fenech is included.
WSU student from Davison in top form
A short story that was accompanied with a photo of Noah Morgan, a resident assistant at Wayne State\'s North Residence Hall. The story discussed the topping off ceremony for Wayne State\'s newest residence hall. the 11-story, $45 million building will house more than 900 students when it opens next fall.
My Sister's Place Shelter
A photo shows Wayne State University Law School Dean Frank Wu starting the runners for the 19th annual Ambulance Chase for charity. More than 160 university students ran in the 2.2-mile race around the Detroit campus, raising over $4,000 for the My Sister's Place Shelter.
WSU student from Davison in top form
A photo features second-year student Noah Morgan, of Davison, in the foreground with the WSU wordmark. Morgan spoke at the topping-off ceremony for the university's newest residence hall. An American flag waving in the breeze and the new building under construction provide the backdrop in this quarter-page photo. A resident assistant in one of the other new housing facilities, Morgan represented the student body at the event.
Education's Smart Rewards
Two editorials focus on the Cherry Commission's report on higher education. In the first, the Free Press lauds the commission's "workable solutions" toward increasing the number of Michigan residents with a college degree. "The most encouraging of the 19 recommendations is a renewed focus on the resources of technical and two-year colleges," the newspaper says, adding that the state should not be slashing education dollars. The second editorial praises a report from the National Innovation Initiative, a report from a group of university presidents and business leaders that stresses "how crucial it is for the entire country to educate more students, do more research and beef up the structures that support both." The editors call the report "a compelling case that the United States will languish until it pushes more students further in school."
Free college won't pay dividends for Michigan
In an op-ed piece, Thomas Bray contends that the suggestion by Gov. Granholm's Cherry Commission that college be free "sounds nice, but a few questions intrude." He wonders where the state will get the money to fund such a plan, short of a tax increase. He also questions whether universal access to college would do much to pull the state toward full employment. He contends that high-tech jobs of the future will pay well, "which means that workers will have plenty of incentives to get all the education they need - without hornswoggling taxpayers into bailing out the not-very-overworked folks in higher education."
New WSU Web site a first of its kind for a university
This article highlights the university's new Web site (games.wayne.edu) that targets junior and high schools students. The site features six animated characters with WSU-related names. Site visitors can play computer games and enter drawings for a free T-shirt. It has all the traditional information applicants need to know about the university. "Based on where you are in your academic career, you'll be able to access information that is relevant to you as an incoming freshman, a working adult, a counselor or a parent," explained Barb Donia of the Marketing and Publications Office. Susan Zweig, director of undergraduate admissions, said the site "will keep students involved and entertained as they find the information they need."
Ceremony marks progress on newest construction project at Wayne State
Paul Massaron, chair of Wayne State's Board of Governors, and President Irvin D. Reid are shown in a photo of the Nov. 20 topping-off ceremony for the new residence hall. The 11-story, $45 million structure, which will house more than 900 students, will be ready for occupancy in time for the fall 2005 academic term.
Ford agrees to pay state fine
Ralph Kummler, dean of the College of Engineering, commented about Ford Motor Company's agreement to pay the state $55,000 following allegations by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) that Ford's Wixom assembly plant exceeded acceptable air-emission levels several times since 1998. Kummler said the volatile organic chemicals (VOC) typically released through air emissions do not pose health or environmental hazards. "An emissions limit is something that the DEQ does to try to mitigate things, but if you violate the emissions limit, you don't necessarily create a health problem," Kummler said. "Most of the time, the reason for having limits is because (emissions) contribute to the ozone problem, and I'm pretty sure that there is no significant ozone problem in Wixom."
TechTown welcomes new neighbor
The Research Coordination Center (RCC) of Neurorecovery Inc. (NRI) is moving to TechTown's TechOne Building this month. Howard Bell, TechTown executive director, said the move "underscores our commitment to providing the services and environment that can attract businesses from around the country. We are committed to Neurorecovery's success." A photo of TechOne accompanies the story.