Experimental radiation pinpoints site of cancer

This article mentions that the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute and the Detroit Medical Center are purchasing new image-guiding radiation machines that are used to pinpoint cancer with more precision during treatment, thus causing fewer side effects.

January 19, 2005

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.

January 19, 2005

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.

January 19, 2005

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.

January 19, 2005

People on the move

The Detroit Medical Center appointed Dr. Thomas Malone, executive vice president of medical and academic affairs, executive vice president and chief medical officer. Malone will work with the leadership of Wayne State University\'s School of Medicine and the DMC\'s senior management and medical staff to develop programs that enhance medical services.

January 18, 2005

Carnitine compound eases diabetic nerve pain

People with diabetes-related nerve damage may find pain is relieved by taking a compound drug related to the popular supplement L-carnitine. L-carnitine (ALC) is not currently approved in the US for treating nerve pain, \"but it is used widely for painful neuropathy in patients with diabetes and AIDS in Europe," said Anders A. F. Sima from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit.

January 18, 2005

Netarx gets Mirapoint reseller deal

Farmington Hills-based IP communications provider Netarx Inc. Friday announced its appointment as a Mirapoint Authorized Total Solutions Partner. More information will be provided in a Webinar at 2 p.m. Jan. 19 called \"How Wayne State University Simplified Their Email Environment with Mirapoint.\"

January 18, 2005

Iraqis rush to register

A recent American Community Survey, performed by the U.S. Census Bureau, revealed that Macomb County was home to an estimated 14,400 people of Arab descent and 12,025 Chaldeans in 2002. The 2003 survey estimated that those numbers jumped to 17,416 and 16,583, respectively. Wayne State demographer Kurt Metzger says that the numbers in the Census review likely are at least a bit lower than the true numbers.

January 18, 2005

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.

January 18, 2005

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?"

January 18, 2005

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The article mention that Comerica Charitable Foundation has donated $500,000 to support the Academic Success Center at Wayne State University.

January 17, 2005

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A report on area activities surrounding Martin Luther King Day, mentioned that students from Wayne State were among a group of people involved in the cleanup of a former Comerica Bank building in Detroit to make room for a business that will be moving in. The volunteer activity was organized by Motor City Blight Busters.

January 17, 2005

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.

January 17, 2005

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Dick Wright, associate professor of journalism, Dept. of Communication, was interviewed by Nigel Williams for broadcast on BBC World Service telecast at the 2005 North American Auto Show on the role of Detroit\'s Big Three auto makers and their outlook in the global auto market. It will be broadcast by some cable systems in the Detroit area and generally in England, Europe, New York and other areas of the U.S. and Canada.

January 17, 2005

Reform without cost

John Palffy, president of JMP Financial and adjunct professor of business administration at Wayne State University, wrote on President Bush\'s plan to allow individuals to invest their Social Security taxes in private investments. Palffy believes the president\'s plan will create a huge cash flow deficit and will leave future retirement benefits open to market risk.

January 17, 2005

Entertainment

Wayne State University's Elaine L. Jacob Gallery hosts the \"White on White\" exhibition of ceramics, curated by Jae Won Lee, through March 4. Exhibit times are provided.

January 17, 2005

People

Janet Harden, RN, director of the Office of Student Affairs in the WSU College of Nursing, has been elected to a 3-year term on the Blue Care Network of Michigan Board of Directors.

January 17, 2005

People

Jeff Trzeciak has been appointed associate dean with the Wayne State University Library System. He was formerly director of library computing and media services.

January 17, 2005

State 'eating its seed corn' in higher education

In an opinion piece, Phil Power discusses the recent Cherry Commission's call for doubling post-secondary degress in 10 years. Power says he can't understand how we can endorse the Cherry Commission's report while "tolerating a state that is dangerously withdrawing support for our public universities." He notes that Wayne State University, along with Michigan's other two research universities, will be playing a most important role in the state's economic development, high-tech growth and entrepreneurship. He calls on Michigan's legislators to have the political courage to focus resources where they will do the most good. "We've been 'eating our seed corn' for the past few years by cutting appropriations to our best universities, and I hope Gov. Granholm and the new legislature have the wisdom - and the guts - to do something about it before it is too late."

January 16, 2005

Chippewas run past Northern Illinois

A round-up of college basketball scores notes that Wayne State defeated Ferris State, 76-69. Morris Hall, with 19 points, led five WSU players in double figures.

January 16, 2005