DETROIT - Wayne State University President Irvin D. Reid has been named a 2002 Newsmaker of the Year by Crain's Detroit Business. The announcement was made in the publication's January 6 issue.

In a profile accompanying the announcement, the magazine points out that "Reid has had a busy year, overseeing $108 million in construction projects and luring two major investments that are expected to mean millions of dollars for WSU, Detroit and the state."

The construction projects include the $64 million Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences in The Detroit Medical Center, the $19.9 million North Residence Hall, the $18.5 million Welcome Center and the $6 million Wayne State Bookstore operated by Barnes & Noble, all on the main campus. The pharmacy building opened in May of 2002 and a grand opening celebration was held in the fall. The other buildings opened in the late summer and fall of 2002.

Reid steered the successful effort to bring the NextEnergy Center, a state initiative to foster research into alternative fuel sources, to Wayne State's new Research and Technology Park. Groundbreaking ceremonies for the center were held last November. The Research and Technology Park is located within Detroit's Woodward Technology SmartZone Corridor, which has been designated a tax-free Renaissance Zone by the state of Michigan.

Also last year, the School of Medicine at Wayne State was awarded a 10-year contract from the National Institutes of Health to house and support a Perintology Research Branch, part of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The branch will be located at the Mott Center for Human Growth and Development.

The contract has a potential value of $125 million and is expected to have a far-reaching social and economic impact in Detroit and the surrounding community. "This is an opportunity that not only enables us to continue our leadership role in providing innovative health care, but also is of tremendous potential benefit to both the citizens and the economy of metropolitan Detroit," Reid said when the contract was announced.

He is one of 10 influential leaders named by Crain's as top newsmakers based on the importance of business-related news they made in 2002. The nominees include Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, corporate leaders and others.

Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to more than 31,000 students in metropolitan Detroit.