In the news

TechTown gets up to $6.2 million to renovate TechOne

TechTown, the technology park led by Wayne State University, has announced the closing of a $6.2 million tax credit transaction to support the complete renovation of the TechOne building, the park's main incubator for high-tech companies. The transaction created a phased funding that provides an immediate $3.5 million, with up to $2.7 million additional as renovation progresses. The 100,000 square foot TechOne building is currently home to four start-up companies.

Ailing Detroit bus system has new woe

This article on the U.S. Department of Transportation\'s announcement of a major review of DDOT\'s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act quoted Birmingham attorney Richard Bernstein, who filed a lawsuit against DDOT, after numerous complaints about broken wheelchair lifts on a number of city buses that left many wheelchair users stranded awaiting properly equipped coaches. The lawsuit seeks no money, and Bernstein said he isn\'t charging any legal fees. \"All we want is to get these fixed.\" Bernstein is also a member of Wayne State\'s Board of Governors.

Diversity programs unite Harper Woods

Kurt Metzger, director of the Michigan Information Center at Wayne State University, commented about growing diversity in Harper Woods. In 1990, only 132 of Harper Woods' 14, 903 residents were black. A decade later, the city's population dropped to 14,254 and the number of blacks grew to 1,449. Metzger says the steady increase of the black population in Harper Woods is part of a larger trend among other near east side suburbs, particularly Eastpointe, Warren and Fraser.

KVCC asked to join Core Technology Alliance

Kalamazoo Valley Community College says it has been asked to join the Core Technology Alliance, a coalition of life-science research initiatives consisting of Wayne State, Michigan State, University of Michigan and the Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids. KVCC is home to the Michigan High Throughput Screening Center, which will provide computerized, high-speed procedures that can potentially accelerate the drug discovery process for small pharmaceutical companies, major research universities and start-up enterprises.

Harvard Chief Defends His Talk on Women

Lawrence Summers, president of Harvard, offended some women at an academic conference by suggesting that innate differences in sex may explain why fewer women succeed in science and math careers. Nancy Hopkins, a MIT biology professor, walked out midway through Dr. Summer's remarks. "When he started talking about innate differences in aptitude between men and women, I just couldn't breathe because this kind of bias makes me physically ill," said Hopkins. "Let's not forget that people used to say that women couldn't drive an automobile." Summers said he was simply trying to examine other hypotheses besides discrimination for the under representation of women.

Tensions from the Mideast get personal at Columbia

Columbia is experiencing a virulent dispute that has rattled the university for months over alleged intimidation of Jewish students by pro-Palestinian professors in the Middle East and Asian languages and cultures department. A faculty task force is investigating the dispute. Professor Massad, a Palestinian, said he's received hate mail calling him a "camel jockey" and "Islamic Fascist." Tommy Schoenfeld, a student who had served in the Israeli Army, says when he tried to question Prof. Massad at an off-campus lecture, his question was met with, "How many Palestinians have you killed?"

NextEnergy annunces education grants

Wayne State is among four higher education institutions that will receive $50,000 Education Grant Awards from NextEnergy, the state organization that aims to make Michigan a leader in alternative energy technology. Others receiving the $50,000 grant are Henry Ford Community College, Lawrence Technological University and Oakland University. In 2003, NextEnergy awarded grants totaling $750,000 to Wayne State and three other academic institutions for development of basic and advanced alternative energy technology curricula. The latest grants are for implementing those curricula beyond the pilot stages.