In the news

Wayne State program keeps eye on Division I

A prominent sports story focusing on whether Wayne State will move up to Division I in athletics speculates that basketball would be the major sport where the Warriors could be most competitive at a higher level. "It's a sport where two or three players could make a significant impact," explained men's basketball coach David Greer." Sports writer Ted Kulfan says the WSU football program is not ready to make the move but the men's and women's hockey programs already are in the Division I category. "We're trying to continue to build on our successes," said Athletic Director Rob Fournier. "If you make such a move, you want your athletes to have every chance to be successful." The article is accompanied by a photo of Warriors cager Morris Hall during a recent game against the University of Michigan.

Holocaust Center teaches righteousness

In a column about the Holocaust Memorial Center in West Bloomfield, senior editor Luther Keith, notes that Guy Stern, longtime professor of German and Slavic languages at Wayne State, is co-founder of the Institute for Righteousness, which focuses on how humanitarian acts can be a powerful force for good in society. Sometimes however, Stern points out, "the righteous act may bring socially disastrous consequences" as it did for some Germans and others who helped save Jews from Nazi death camps in World War II.

Morning-after pills feared by Shanghai women

Several newspapers and online versions in China ran a story originating in the Shanghai Daily about a U.S. study on oral contraceptives that was led by Dr. Rahi Victory of the WSU School of Medicine. The study found that oral contraceptive users are 8 percent less likely to suffer heart attacks and high cholesterol and have a 20 percent lower risk of contracting ovarian cancer. While about 20 percent of Western women take the pill, only 2.2 percent of women in Shanghai use oral contraceptives, the newspaper reported.

Higher Education panel nears recommendations

Michigan's Commission on Higher Education and Economic Growth is close to completing its recommendations on how the state's colleges and universities can double the number of graduates over 10 years. The goal is to ensure that the state has a large pool of educated workers. Chaired by Lt. Gov. John Cherry, the group expects to finalize its recommendations by mid-December and submit them to Gov. Granholm by the end of the year. One measure under consideration will be to increase credit transfers between academic institutions in order to encourage students to complete degrees.

Region could pay price for Detroit schools' fiscal mess

Paula Wood, dean of Wayne State University's College of Education, commented about the Detroit schools' budget crisis and planned closures and job cuts. Small schools are the least economical, but have an academic advantage, Wood said. \"The smaller the school, the less anonymous the child ever has a chance to be, and that\'s a benefit,\" Wood added. The risk in closing schools is that it can drive more parents out of the district if their child is assigned to a school that\'s farther away or the parents deem is not as acceptable as other nearby alternatives, Wood said.

NextEnergy president among eight slated for Wayne State engineering honor

Jim Croce, president and CEO of NextEnergy, Michigan\'s alternative energy organization, will be among eight alumni inducted into Wayne State's College of Engineering Hall of Fame. The six men and two women will be honored at the college\'s annual Night of the Stars, Nov. 30. Croce, a 1986 electrical and computer engineering graduate, has held his position at NextEnergy since November 2003. The other 2004 inductees are: Robert Fenech, senior vice president of nuclear, fossil and hydro operations at Consumers Power Co. in Jackson; Robert Thomas, professor of electrical engineering at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.; Susan Iwasiuk, director of truck product procurement and supply at DaimlerChrysler Corp.; Orest Iwasiuk, retired president of Teleflex Automotive Group in Troy; Barbara Samardzich, executive director for small front and rear drive vehicle platforms at Ford Motor Co.; Brian Geraghty, director of design analysis engineering at Ford Motor Co.; and Joseph Boelter, president and owner of Management Recruiters of Plymouth. Joseph Mantese, group manager of materials for Delphi Research Laboratories, will be receiving the college\'s Socius Collegii award, given to friends of the college for their dedication and support. Mantese is also an adjunct professor of electrical and computer engineering and research collaborator with the smart sensor and integrated microsystem lab at the college.

How pregnancy drinking harms baby

Women who drink while pregnant run the risk of having a child with alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder. Lead researcher Sandra Jacobson, professor of psychology at Wayne State's School of Medicine, conducted a new study showing that children with alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder have IQs lower than 70. \"In the past, we thought IQ effects were seen only in children with full-blown fetal alcohol syndrome, but now children with alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder also have intellectual impairment," Jacobson said.

TiE Detroit sets meeting on strategic alliances

The Detroit chapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs has scheduled its November event on \"Strategic Alliances\" for Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at Schoolcraft College\'s VisTaTech Center. Panelists include Howard Bell, director of Wayne State University\'s TechTown, Greg Guidice, CEO of Computer Methods Corp. and Deepak Sharma of Delphi Corp.\'s Strategic Alliances Group. The moderator is Rajesh Kothari, managing director of Seneca Partners. They\'ll discuss when and how to use strategic alliances, mutual responsibilities, legal aspects and pitfalls to avoid.