By Malachi Barrett  Detroit is looking at policy changes to ease the “unsustainable” tax burden it places on residents and to deter land speculators from snapping up and sitting on vacant property. Varying tax rates – higher for open land and lower for structures and improvements – could reduce tax bills for homeowners and accelerate the development of long-vacant properties, according to a study cited by the city as it investigates how to bring down residential property taxes. The “split-rate” system has attracted interest from city leaders for years, dating back to when Detroit filed for bankruptcy in 2013, and is getting a renewed push. Matthew Roling, an adjunct professor at Wayne State University with past experience at the Detroit Economic Growth Corp. and Rock Ventures, said he’s encouraged city officials are looking at innovative ways to prevent tax delinquency and foreclosure that is “burning out” neighborhoods. “I don’t know if it’s going to be a silver bullet,” Roling said. “The devil is in the details. There is a huge problem here and it’s that the property tax regime in the city of Detroit has failed the city. Let’s start with that.” 

Donning a green cap and gown and treating a crowd of graduates to a pair of off-the-cuff song performances, Stevie Wonder accepted an honorary degree Saturday from Wayne State University. Two miles south of Motown’s Hitsville, U.S.A., where Wonder recorded many of his iconic hits, the 71-year-old star took the stage at the Wayne State Fieldhouse to be presented his doctor of humane letters by the WSU Board of Governors.

As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, Spotlight on the News hosted a discussion about what’s being done in Michigan to increase the number of sorely needed behavioral health professionals, which included insights from Dr. Sheryl Kubiak, dean of the Wayne State University School of Social Work. “As many know, the behavioral health issues that have arisen because of the pandemic have accelerated the need for people with professional degrees in mental health and substance abuse disorders. Unfortunately, prior to the pandemic, we had a shortage of professionals in those fields, particularly in public sector mental health and community mental health. It’s so accelerated now that many of organizations and community providers have up to 30% vacancy rates, and that’s resulted in closing programs and waitlists. It really is not the time to be doing that,” Kubiak said. “From an academic setting, I’m trying to encourage people to come into this profession, but we’ve got some hurdles: high cost of tuition and low wages. It’s not the greatest environment, but it is very worthwhile and we’re working on some of those issues.”  

With the possibility that an abortion ban will soon take hold in Michigan, both women and policymakers are focusing more attention on mail-order abortion pills, which are broadly available and present a stern challenge to enforcing future restrictions. Of the nearly 30,000 Michigan abortions in 2020, more than half involved pills taken at home to end a pregnancy, rather than a surgical procedure at a clinic or hospital, echoing national trends. The pills became even easier to obtain during COVID, when the Biden administration lifted a requirement that women visit their doctor to pick up a prescription. Abortion law and politics were jolted by the publication of a leaked draft of a Supreme Court opinion that would strike down Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that established a right to abortion under the U.S. Constitution. Should that draft represent the court’s final decision, Michigan would again be governed by a 1931 state law that outlaws abortions in most instances along with the sale of pills or drugs to induce it. It is unclear if abortion pills will remain legal in Michigan. The presents “really complicated questions with uncertain answers,” said Lance Gable, a Wayne State University law professor with expertise in public health law and bioethics.  

There’s an undertone of panic beneath the stirring sounds of “Pomp and Circumstance” at your average college graduation ceremony – the knowledge that after the well-earned joy of the occasion, there’s that tricky business of finding a job. Zeeshan Tariq graduates Saturday from Wayne State University’s Mike Ilitch School of Business, and his concerns are a bit different: How’s the work crew doing on those new porches at the apartment complex in Troy? And has anyone dealt with the bathroom door in unit 17 that won’t all the way shut? In 2020, Tariq sold off the last of his 10 residential properties in Detroit, and is concentrating on the apartments he co-owns in Troy and Linden while he crunches numbers to see what might be worth acquiring next. Tariq, now 21, bought his first house at 17, when he was a senior at Farmington Hills Harrison High. Bussing tables at a Middle Eastern restaurant while slinging boxes at a grocery store during summer breaks, he amassed $6,500 and paid all but $500 of it for a bungalow on the west side of Detroit. He sold the home a year later for almost $30,000. Tariq estimates that his real estate company Tariq Development Co., LLC has bought, sold or consulted on more than $10 million worth of property. Tariq says his unofficial charge to the rest of the class of 2022 is “Do the right thing. And do what’s in front of you.”  

Wayne State University President M. Roy Wilson believes many people make assumptions about his background because of his success. The Harvard-trained ophthalmologist is nearing a decade at the helm of the Detroit college after a distinguished career in key higher education and medical leadership roles. But in his memoir published Wednesday, Wilson, 68, shatters any preconceived notions of a privileged upbringing. The book includes intimate details about his childhood, years of which were spent in Japan. The son of a Japanese mother and African American father, he explains that his father was an alcoholic who served in the Navy and Air Force and was often away from home; his mother, he wrote, was a compulsive gambler who left he and his sister, Dianna, on their own sometimes months at a time. “It was a lot, growing up by ourselves,” Wilson told The Detroit News. “Some of the things are so unbelievable, that people are going to say, ‘No, that really didn’t happen.” The book chronicles how Wilson faced other setbacks, racist incidents and health issues, yet prevailed. He said he wrote the book to send a message that even when things are dark, there is a way. “I wanted to target students who have challenges in their life, to persevere, find a way, graduate, to get through it, whatever it is,” said Wilson. “That is really the theme of the book that even in the darkest of times, something good can come out of it.” That is how the book got its name, “The Plum Trees Blossom Even in Winter.”  

Mark Satta, assistant professor of philosophy at Wayne State University, wrote an article explaining and analyzing the Supreme Court’s Shurtleff v. Boston case ruling, in which the court unanimously held that the City of Boston violated the First Amendment’s free speech rights of a group that promotes the appreciation of “God, home, and country” by denying its request to raise a Christian flag at the site, given that the city had previously allowed secular groups to temporarily use the flagpole. Satta writes that “the key question, which determined the outcome in the case, was whether raising a flag on City Hall’s third flagpole was an act of government speech or private expression: categories covered by two different free speech doctrines…” 

St. Clair County Community College (SC4) and Wayne State University are partners in a program to make it easier to launch a STEM career with an engineering degree. Students will be able to earn most of their general education credits at SC4 and then transfer seamlessly to Wayne State University for a bachelor’s degree. They will be able to earn their associate of science degree while working toward the WSU transfer.  

Dr. Mark Favot, associate professor of EM ultrasound education at Wayne State University School of Medicine, spoke about how artificial intelligence guidance can make a different with point-of-care ultrasound. For patients who need care in rural areas, getting diagnostic testing can be a complicated process, and innovation in point-of-care ultrasound devices can help make care more broadly available and less expensive in remote regions. Dr. Favot noted that today’s medical students are very technology savvy, and that institutions, like Wayne State, that have strong point-of-care ultrasound curricula have seen increases in applications from prospective students. “…they will not stand idly by and accept that the 200-plus year-old technology like a stethoscope is the most effective diagnostic tool for their patients. They have and will continue to demand more out of their education,” Favot said.  

Hunter Brown, a 23-year-old St. Clair Shores native and Houston Astros pitching prospect, witnessed first-hand in spring training what it’s like to go head-to-head against Juan Soto of the Washington Nationals, who’s already an All Star and two-time Silver Slugger award winner. “I threw up-and-in, and he did the Soto shuffle on me,” Brown said, laughing. “It was an experience.” Hunter bested Soto on an inside pitch to force a fielder’s choice, showing a side of Brown in which he prides himself: He doesn’t pitch in fear, regardless of the hitter. The Astros selected Brown in the fifth round (No. 166 overall) of the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft out of Wayne State. The selection made Brown the second-highest drafted player in Wayne State history, behind right-hander Anthony Bass, who went No. 165 overall to the San Diego Padres in 2008.  

Wayne State University will hold various commencement ceremonies May 6-8 at the new Wayne State University Fieldhouse. More than 3,200 students have applied for graduation. In addition to the diplomas for the graduates, honorary degrees will be awarded to Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony, Stevie Wonder, Gurmale Singh Grewal, Tim Meadows, and Bill Prady.  

Michigan's Financial Exploitation Prevention Act, which took effect last September, requires banks and credit unions to train employees and put procedures in place to spot signs of financial exploitation. The goal is to make Michigan's financial institutions better equipped to identify and report the financial exploitation of older consumers and vulnerable adults. The Michigan Legacy Credit Union now partnering with Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology to offer a survey to customers that can help prevent financial abuse. The survey, which is voluntary, can help give a baseline of someone's vulnerability and then alert employees at the cred union to be on the lookout for potential issues. Peter A. Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology, said adults don't have to be well into their retirement years to end up being financially vulnerable. "Older adults are not scammed more often than other people are," Lichtenberg said. "Unfortunately, they lose more money." Lichtenberg, who has spent nearly two decades researching financial vulnerability, said the main goal of the survey is to prevent financial exploitation. "We look at it as a risk scale," he said. Often, Lichtenberg said, people view financial decisions as purely an intellectual activity, but ignore the emotional and psychological triggers. One's financial health, he noted, is part of one's overall health. 

By Jake Neher  Wayne State University President Dr. M. Roy Wilson is turning inward with a new memoir that is both reflective and at times deeply revealing. “The Plum Tree Blossoms Even in Winter” looks back on Wilson’s troubled childhood starting in Japan. It then journeys through his accomplishments, setbacks, and terrifying medical troubles as an adult. The book will be released on May 4. President Wilson will host a book signing and meet-and-greet that day at the Wayne State University Barnes and Noble from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. “The book is about challenges and not giving up and even in the darkest of times that you can persevere,” said President Wilson. 

Arash Javanbakht, associate professor of psychiatry and the director of the Stress, Trauma, and Anxiety Research Clinic at Wayne State University, wrote an article explaining how images of disaster affect us and provides some practical tips about how to stay informed while minimizing harm. “A wide of body of evidence has shown that trauma affects not only those who suffer through it; it also affects other people who are exposed to the suffering in other ways. This is in part because humans are empathetic and social beings. Indirect and vicarious exposure to trauma often occurs in the lives of first responders, refugees, journalists and others, event when they do not directly experience the trauma themselves,” Javanbakht writes. He provides a list of tips to stay informed while minimizing harm, including limited exposure and emotional intensity from media, time away from the news, an awareness of positive news, finding activities that allow for emotional recharging, and talking to others. “We can also reduce the negative impact on ourselves through helping others, especially those affected by these calamities. When I feel affected by the traumatic experiences of my patients, remembering that the end goal is helping them and reducing their sufferings helps me process my feelings. Sadness, anxiety, anger, and frustration can be channeled into actions such as attending fundraising activities and volunteering to help the victims. This can even be a family activity that teaches children a mature and altruistic response to others’ suffering,” said Javanbakht.

Wayne State University announced that Stevie Wonder will receive an honorary degree at the school’s May 7 commencement at 1 p.m. He will receive the Doctor of Human Letters in recognition of his contributions as a musician and advocate for civil rights and the disabled community. More than 3,200 students have applied for graduation this spring. Commencement will feature seven ceremonies over three days: May 6, 7, and 8.  

Detroit is the Motor City and as a result, change is speeding toward us fast. We are witnessing a historic shift toward electric vehicles. There is no doubt rapid technological change will impact the lives of many. Some jobs will go away, by many will also be created. As electrification decreases demand for internal combustion engine vehicles, some jobs will over time become obsolete. There is not a clear picture of how fast this will happen and whether the number of jobs needed in electrification will outnumber them regionally. The globe is competing for the new jobs. The idea is knowing that change can be empowering. “The state leadership is thinking ahead of many other states, so I’m happy and proud to see this,” said Weisong Shi, an associate dean at the Wayne State University College of Engineering and a computer scientist. Shi says Michigan’s Office of Mobility, created by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, may give the Motor City a big advantage as it works to coordinate between companies, educators and other stakeholders to bring businesses here as we shift not just to electric, but also autonomous vehicles. Shi says computer science graduate students are getting multiple opportunities above six figures. The university works to have partnerships with many industries in its lab to give students many opportunities, but companies still ask for exclusivity.  

n the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan's public higher education institutions have found themselves in a landscape rife with challenges, some long-anticipated, others entirely now. Enrollment in Michigan's public institutions overall took a downward turn during the pandemic, dropping 6.24% between fall 2019, when 280,490 students enrolled, and fall 2021 when 262,985 students enrolled. The landscape of higher education has changed, including class modality. Despite a push for in-person classes, assistant dean Kiantee Rupert-Jones said remote and hybrid classes will remain at the university's Mike Ilitch School of Business due to student demand. "Our students are usually working full time or have family obligations. So they're looking for flexibility and online and hybrid classes," she said. "And so at the graduate level, that's what we're offering, because we'll see an even greater decline in our enrollment if we don't offer that type of flexibility." Wayne State University bumped tuition for first-year undergraduates by 3.83%  for the 2021-22 school year after freezing tuition for 2020-21. Annual tuition for lower-division resident undergraduates at WSU for 2021-22 was $14,043. "It was a priority for us to keep any increase to the lowest level possible while not jeopardizing academic and student resources and investment," said Mark Kornbluh, Wayne State's provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. "Also, there was a significant increase in financial aid over this period." Between 2020 through 2022, WSU increased its commitment to financial aid by $16.6 million dollars, an increase of 21%. 

By Jessica Wehrman  Much of a trucker’s day is spent waiting to drop off and deliver goods, and many are paid by the miles driven, rather than hours worked. As a result, drivers who spend four or five hours waiting to deliver or pick up cargo are often not paid for those hours. All of this is perfectly legal. The 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act, which requires employers to pay workers time-and-a-half for more than 40 hours worked, carved out an exemption for truck drivers. But a bipartisan bill in the House aims to eliminate that exemption. The bill would repeal the motor carrier exemption in the Fair Labor Standards Act, allowing truck drivers to be compensated for all the hours they work. The bill has no counterpart in the Senate and would face an uphill battle. Michael Belzer, a professor of economics at Wayne State University, cautions that companies will likely fight the idea of paying overtime. “Consumers will consume an infinite amount of free goods,” he said, arguing that companies have treated much of drivers’ time as free for years.  

Michigan Legacy Credit Union (MLCU) has announced a pilot program with Wayne State University’s Institute of Gerontology to help protect its vulnerable members from financial exploitation. New members of the credit union age 50 and up are automatically offered the Financial Vulnerability Survey – and dozens have taken it thus far. Their scores are included in a database to help monitor these members’ accounts for abnormal financial activity. All MCLU credit union staff participated in multiple training sessions with Wayne State on the survey and learned how to identify and discuss cognitive risk factors before exploitation occurs. As a result of this training, staff members have already been able to address several cases of older financial exploitation. The Financial Vulnerability Survey (FVS) is one of several tools created by Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology, to combat fraud and financial exploitation in older adults. “The FVS is easy to understand and to complete,” Lichtenberg said. “It resonates with older people who are concerned about their financial decision making. Finances are often a taboo topic for discussion, yet people are hungry for information about their own financial vulnerability level.” 

Wayne State University Law School student Fatima Dakroub recently received the Dickinson Wright Scholarship from the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan (WLAM) Foundation and the Kaminski Law Scholarship from WLAM-Wayne Region. The scholarships are awarded to law students who demonstrate leadership capabilities in advancing the position of women in society, in business, and in the community. “I am honored to be selected as a recipient of these scholarships,” Dakroub, a rising 3L, said. “I never thought I would enjoy transactional work, but  I am grateful that I came to Wayne Law with an open mind and ready to explore every facet of the law in an environment that fosters my personal and professional growth.”