RSS Feed from NukeNews DNN Module

Eastern Michigan's Autism Collaborative Center Offers New, Real Time Technology to Bring Needed Services to Michiganders

Wed, 15 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

May 14, 2013/EMU News

By Pamela Young

YPSILANTI – Children with autism often have a difficult time being properly diagnosed or receiving crucial individualized therapy that they need. Those problems are compounded for families who can't access professional therapy because they live in underserved areas or are disadvantaged.

New technology at Eastern Michigan University is now changing all that. Telehealth, a live stream video program at EMU's Autism Collaborative Center (ACC), can bring needed services to Michigan families and professional development for health care specialists wherever they live in the state.

Michigan Tech's Peace Corps Program Ranked Number 1 in the Nation

Wed, 08 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

May 7, 2013/Michigan Tech News

By Jennifer Donovan

Michigan Technological University ranks as the top Peace Corps Master’s International (PCMI) university nationwide for the eighth consecutive year. With 35 PCMI graduate students currently serving as Peace Corps Volunteers, Michigan Tech has earned the top spot in the 2013 rankings of PCMI and Paul D. Coverdell Fellows graduate schools. Tulane University placed second.

The PCMI program enables graduate students to incorporate Peace Corps service for credit as part of their master’s degree curriculum. The Coverdell Fellows program provides returned Peace Corps volunteers with scholarships, internships in underserved American communities and stipends to help them earn an advanced degree after they complete their Peace Corps service.

Oakland University Expands Its Reach

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

April 29, 2013/The Detroit News

By Kim Kozlowski

Rochester — Oakland University was once a bucolic place that began with two buildings in the middle of Oakland County.

More than 50 years later, the university has grown up, with students flocking to the campus, program offerings exploding and buildings sprouting everywhere.

But OU has yet to come of age, say officials, who contend the school's evolution puts it on the cusp of becoming a major player in Michigan's higher education scene.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

April 12, 2013/Grand Rapids Business Journal

By Lou Glazer

We started our work at Michigan Future with the question: “Where do we want to go from here?” Our answer: a high-prosperity Michigan.

We believe the goal should be to create an economy with lots of good-paying jobs, a place with a broad middle class where there is a realistic chance for families to realize the American Dream. Many areas across the country have lower unemployment, but they also have low incomes. That isn’t success to us.

University Accountability: Why Not Let the Public Track Performance?

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

March 18, 2013/The Guardian

By Doug Rothwell

Universities hold the keys to economic vitality, says Doug Rothwell, and Michigan is shining a light on exactly how

In today's knowledge economy, there is growing recognition that colleges and universities are powerful stimulants of economic growth. The talent, research and development, and economic activity they produce are valuable public goods worthy of both private and public investment.

The obvious question, however, is this: how can colleges and universities show they are delivering healthy investment returns? We think we have the beginnings of an answer: Michigan's performance tracker for public universities.

New Career Services Consultant to Rev up Efforts in Matching Wayne State Engineering and Computer Science Students, Graduates with Job Openings

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

April 3, 2013/Wayne State University News

Career services consultant Carmen Gamlin is passionate about helping Warriors launch their careers. Working with the Wayne State University College of Engineering and the WSU Career Services Office, her goal is to connect talented students, graduates and employers.

The Detroit native, who joined Wayne State in March, will do so by providing greater support to student organizations, enhancing networking efforts with industry, integrating social media within the job search, hosting events and providing useful career resources

Grand Valley Among Nation’s Top Schools For Sustainable Practices

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT

March 21, 2013/CBS News Detroit

By Matt Roush

ALLENDALE – Grand Valley State University became the only university in the state and one of 45 in the country to receive gold status after completing a sustainability program developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System is designed to help gauge the progress of colleges and universities toward sustainability in all sectors. Grand Valley joins universities such as Arizona State, Stanford and Cornell as a gold STARS institution. Of the 241 schools that received a ranking nationwide, Grand Valley’s average score was higher than the national score. The assessment included 1,000 questions and compared campus operations from 2005-2012. STARS includes four categories: education and research, operations, innovation and planning, and administration and engagement.

Study: Michigan Will Need More College Graduates to Remedy Skills Shortage

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT

March 21, 2013/Crains Detroit Business

By Chris Gautz

Without a change in direction, the study contends, Michigan could wind up with too many residents needing low-paying and low-skilled work and not enough ready for employment in higher-paying and higher-skilled work.

The study cites a report from the Lumina Foundation that says by 2025 Michigan will have to produce 900,000 more college graduates than currently projected. The state's demographics are not making that any easier, because Michigan's residents are getting older and population growth is slowing. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the state will have about 100,000 fewer 18- to 24-year-olds in 2025.

Researchers Invited to Learn Essentials of Entrepreneurship

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT

March 20, 2013/Michigan Tech News

By Jennifer Donovan

In an effort to help researchers fast-track their technologies to the marketplace, Michigan is launching a new entrepreneurial training program called Michigan I-Corps. Applications for the program, administered by the University of Michigan, opened last week.

Michigan I-Corps is modeled after the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps (Innovation Corps) program. Two Michigan Tech teams have participated in the national I-Corps. Earlier this month a team led by Ezra Bar Ziv, a professor of mechanical engineering-engineering mechanics, was selected as the top team among the 24 participating teams from universities throughout the nation. The first NSF I-Corps team from Michigan Tech was led by Physics Professor Yoke Khin Yap.

Report: Michigan universities Have Experienced More Severe Funding Cuts Than Those in Other States

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT

March 21, 2013/Bridge Magazine

By Ron French

Michigan’s premier public universities have no problem attracting students, but they’re having a harder time appealing to legislators.

And while decreases in state funding are common across the country today, the percentage of cuts in Michigan is higher than in most states.

Computer Science Alum Solves Problems, Builds WSU Web Presence

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT

March 15, 2013/CBS News Detroit

DETROIT — Wayne State University computer science alumnus Nick DeNardis is quickly becoming a nationally renowned expert on institutional Web presence in higher education. Fortunately for WSU, he opted to stay and lead online communication efforts at his alma mater.

DeNardis began working as a student assistant for WSU Marketing and Communications his sophomore year. He was hired as a full-time developer his junior year and was promoted to associate director of Web communications in 2007. anyone who has set foot on Wayne State’s campus or interacted with the university online has likely experienced DeNardis’ work.

Ahlborn Named Woman of the Year by Transportation Group

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT

March 11, 2013/Michigan Tech News

By Marcia Goodrich

Tess Ahlborn has been named Woman of the Year by the Michigan chapter of WTS, an international organization dedicated to the professional advancement of women in transportation.

Ahlborn, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Michigan Technological University, will be accepting the award and giving the keynote speech at the awards ceremony, set for March 14 in Hartland.

Mary Sue Coleman to State Lawmakers: Invest in Higher Ed Because Michigan Cannot Afford an Undereducated Workforce

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Feb 26, 2013/AnnArbor.com

By Kellie Woodhouse

It's that time of year again: The time when lawmakers in Lansing ruminate over how much state funding to award Michigan's 15 public universities.

University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman spoke before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education Tuesday morning to advocate for her school's share of state appropriations.

Gov. Rick Synder suggested a 2 percent funding increase for universities in his fiscal 2013-14 budget proposal and suggested that money be tied to the same formula used last year, which evaluates universities based on graduation rate improvements, critical degrees, the number of Pell Grant recipients enrolled and tuition restraint.

MSU Study Indicates Link Between Autism, Larger Brain Ventricles

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

February 25, 2013/Detroit News

By Kim Kozlowski

Low birth weight babies with a certain brain abnormality are seven times more likely to develop autism, according to research announced Monday by Michigan State University.

The findings, culled from a 25-year study of low birth weight infants who received cranial ultrasounds, showed the heightened autism risk occurred among babies with enlarged ventricles — the brain cavities that store spinal fluid — and may indicate the loss of a type of brain tissue known as white matter.

Facts You Might Not Know About Michigan’s 15 Public Universities

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

February 14, 2013/Bridge Magazine

By Chris Andrews

You probably didn’t know this about Michigan’s public universities:

* The University of Michigan’s 90 percent graduation rate is 22 percentage points higher than the average at peer institutions.

* Michigan State University’s 126-1 student-to-administrative staff ratio is nearly twice as high as peer institutions.

* Central Michigan University’s state aid of $3,699 per student is just slightly more than half of its peer average.

* Thirteen of Michigan’s 15 public universities are above their peer median in producing degrees in critical skill areas, but 13 of the 15 are below their peer average in state support.

Wayne State Gets 10-Year, $165.9M Renewal Of Problem Pregnancy Research

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

February 14, 2013/CBS Detroit

By Matt Roush

DETROIT — Wayne State University will spend another 10 years conducting federally funded research into problem pregnancies under a $165.9 million contract renewal announced Thursday night.

Wayne State said the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health has awarded Wayne State a second 10-year contract to continue housing the institute’s Perinatology Research Branch.

Grand Valley State University Provost Gayle Davis: College Degree 'Most Important Investment' Students, Parents Can Make

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

February 11, 2013/Mlive.com

Guest Column by Gayle Davis

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- The need for more people to complete college degrees as a means to create needed talent for Michigan’s future is being discussed widely across the spectrum of employers and government.

The conversation is controversial for some, as they consider the rising cost of attending college and conclude that a college degree may not be the good personal investment it once was.

University Research Corridor a Worthy Investment

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

February 4, 2013/Detroit News

By Lou Anna K. Simon, Mary Sue Coleman and Allan Gilmour

At a time when Michigan's leaders are working hard to guarantee they're getting the best return on the public's tax dollars, a recent study shows that Michigan's University Research Corridor (URC) is a good place to invest.

For every dollar the state invested in the three URC universities — Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University — it saw $17 in economic benefits in fiscal year 2010-11, according to the report by Anderson Economic Group in East Lansing. That added up to $15.5 billion in economic impact statewide

SVSU Moot Court Team Among Best in the Country

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

January 22, 2013/SVSU News

Two Saginaw Valley State University students proved themselves among the best undergraduates in the nation when it comes to arguing legal issues, advancing to the second day of the national moot court competition held in Virginia Beach, Va., Friday, Jan. 18, and Saturday, Jan. 19.

Michigan Research Corridor Generates Jobs and $15.5B in Economic Impact, Study Finds

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

January 23, 2013/Detroit Free Press

By David Jesse

Michigan's University Research Corridor generated more than $15.5 billion in economic impact across the state in 2011 and was responsible for more than 74,000 direct and indirect jobs, according to a report to be issued today.

The report said the growth in research spending in Michigan is outpacing such fabled university clusters such as North Carolina's Triangle Park, California's Innovation Hubs and Boston's Route 128 Corridor.

State Fails Higher Education Test

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

January 21, 2013/Detroit News

By Daniel Howes

The charts are sobering.

There, in stark type, stands a picture of Michigan that doesn't bode well for a state trying to break from the dysfunction of its past and embrace the promise of a growing, better-educated 21st-century future.

Between 2002 and 2012, state spending per student on higher education declined by 35 percent even as public spending per prisoner increased 42 percent, Business Leaders for Michigan said Monday. In 2002, Michigan spent $2 billion on higher ed and $1.7 billion on prisons. A decade later, the state spent $1.3 billion on public colleges and universities and $2 billion on prisons.

Putting College in Reach for Michigan Foster Children

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

January 17, 2013

By Chris Andrews/Bridge Magazine contributor

Young people who spend years in foster care, as she did, are unlikely to make it to college, let alone graduate. Jenks bounced from home to home, peninsula to peninsula, school to school, and relative to stranger. At one point, she thought a likely career option was stripper.

But she’s succeeding at Western, thanks to perhaps the most comprehensive program to support foster children in college in the nation. She expects to earn a bachelor’s degree in social work and ultimately get a PhD.

Doug Rothwell: Three Resolutions for an Improving Michigan

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

January 13, 2013/Detroit Free Press

By Doug Rothwell

January represents a time of resolve and optimism. It's a time to resolve to break bad habits, accomplish new goals, and change things for the better.

This year also brings an opportunity to renew how we look at our state. Big steps have been taken the last few years to revitalize and rebuild Michigan. We have broken many of the bad habits that led to Michigan's economic challenges by balancing our budgets and stopping the use of accounting gimmicks.

GVSU Internships, Other Field Placements up 40 percent, Says President

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

January 08, 2013/MLive

By Thomas J. Haas

For years, we’ve known that Michigan employers place a high value on internship and experiential learning. A recent survey of our state’s top companies shows that field experience may be among the best qualifications a prospective employee can bring to a job interview. At Grand Valley State University, we’ve helped more of our students to be ready for that important day; since 2005, field placements have grown by nearly 40 percent.

SVSU Festival to Bring in Visitors by the Thousands

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Jan 08, 2013/WNEM.Com

By Wesley Goheen

Saginaw Valley State University is welcoming 1,200 college students from across five states Tuesday as part of the Kennedy Center American College festival.

Aspiring playwrights and performers have the chance to advance to the national festival, April 15-21, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Detroit Economic Club's 2013 Michigan Economic Outlook: Retaining Talent, Improving Higher Ed Key to State's Success

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

January 8, 2013/Mlive

By David Muller

DETROIT, MI - Higher education was noted several times as key to developing a skilled and talented workforce in Michigan going forward at the Detroit Economic Club's 2013 Michigan Economic Outlook luncheon Tuesday.

Speakers Mike Finney, President and CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and Charles Ballard, a professor of economics at Michigan State University, stressed higher education as vital to building a strong economy in the state.

Michigan Economic Outlook Reveals Accomplishments, Challenges

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

January 8, 2013

By Matt Roush/CBS Detroit

ANN ARBOR — Michigan has plenty of room for new economic initiatives and leadership, according the results of the recently completed first annual Michigan Economic Outlook 2012 whose results were unveiled at the Economic Club of Detroit.

Conducted Nov. 12 to Dec. 7 by Baker Strategy Group and CFI Group of Ann Arbor, the survey had nearly 3,000 responses from 70 business, government and nonprofit organizations. Of the respondents, 87 percent or 2,611 are employed either full time or part-time and can be grouped in three sectors: business 60 percent, nonprofits 15 percent, and public 25 percent.

Eastern Michigan Partnership Offers Leading Software Tools for Michigan Students, Teachers to Access Real-World, Problem-Based Learning Activities

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT

December 10, 2012/Eastern Michigan University News

by Pamela Young

YPSILANTI, MICH. - An exciting collaboration, that benefits ALL K-12 students, teachers and school administrators in the State of Michigan, provides a complete suite of geographic information systems (GIS) FREE to K-12 schools.

Chevy, Michigan Tech Reveal Cycle for Wounded Veterans

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT

December 9, 2012/GM News

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In advance of Saturday's 113th Army-Navy Game, Chevrolet and students from Michigan Technological University revealed a new hand cycle designed to make it easier for wounded veterans to compete in racing events, including marathons.

$1.28B: University of Michigan Top U.S. Public College in Research Spending

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

November 27, 2012/Ann Arbor.com

By Kellie Woodhouse

The Ann Arbor school spent $1.28 billion on research during the 2010-11 fiscal year, up 8 percent from the previous year, according to the NSF.

Because NSF and U-M use different accounting standards, their tallies for research spending vary slightly. U-M reported a $1.24 billion research enterprise in 2011- lower than that reported by the NSF.

SVSU Students Continue Model U.N. Success

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

November 26, 2012/SVSU News

Saginaw Valley State University is quickly gaining a reputation for success in the Model United Nations community, as two SVSU teams took top honors at the 2012 American Model U.N. Conference in Chicago Nov. 14-17. More than 1,500 students from 85 separate colleges and universities competed in the event.

Grand Valley’s Water Institute Gets Grant To Restore Parts Of Muskegon River

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

November 20, 2012/CBS Detroit

By Matt Roush

MUSKEGON — Researchers at Grand Valley State University’s Annis Water ResourcesInstitute have been awarded a grant for about $85,000 by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to help restore portions of the Muskegon River watershed.

The grant, given to AWRI as part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, will allow AWRI researchers to create stewardship plans for sensitive areas included in a larger watershed restoration effort.

UM Startups Amaze As Tech Tour Continues

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

November 11, 2012/CBS News Detroit

By Matt Roush

ANN ARBOR — It’s like drinking from the proverbial fire hose.

When I’m on my Fall Tech Tour around Michigan and I ask university tech transfer officials to see their four or five coolest “science projects” that have economic development potential, they always say they have so many it’s a tough choice.

But try to imagine the tough choices faced by the University of Michigan, which has a research budget of a staggering $1.2 billion-plus a year, consistently among the top five in the nation. How the heck do you pick?

MSU: Spartans Shine To Wrap Up Tech Tour ’12

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

October 21, 2012/CBS Detroit

EAST LANSING — It’s a world-class research university, America’s pioneering land grant college, the first place on the planet to study agriculture scientifically, and just passed a little-known school called MIT for No. 1 in graduate studies of particle physics.

So while it may be a rebuilding year at Spartan Stadium on Saturday afternoons, Michigan State University is and always will be a must-visit as long as there are Great Lakes Innovation and Techology Report Fall Tech Tours.

Tech Tour Day Eight: Western’s Got Wings!

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

October 19, 2012/CBS Detroit

By Matt Rousch

KALAMAZOO — Okay, let’s start with full disclosure: My son, brother and two nephews went to Western Michigan University. So it’s hard for me to be entirely objective about the home of the Broncos.

But heck, even a Central Michigan Chippewa would be impressed by what I saw Thursday as the Great Lakes Innovation and Technology Report’s 2012 Fall Tech Tour stopped in southwest Michigan.

Tech Tour Day Seven: Grand Tech At Grand Valley

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

October 17, 2012/CBS News Detroit

By Matt Rousch

GRAND RAPIDS — And the 2012 Great Lakes Innovation and Technology Report Tech Tour winner for packing the most information into a 3 1/2-hour visit is…

Well, the Tech Tour still has two more stops, but it’s going to be hard to beat what I saw at Grand Valley State University’s Grand Rapids campus Wednesday morning.

The topics ran the gamut at this fast-growing state university, one of several state schools created in 1964, from the health of the Great Lakes and its fisheries to wind energy to app development to the incubation of some really interesting businesses.

Heck, they’re even keeping bees — for science.

My visit began with Richard Rediske, professor of water resources at Grand Valley’s Annis Water Resource Center in Muskegon.

Tech Tour Day Six: Ferris Tech Fantastic

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

October 16, 2012/CBS News Detroit

By: Matt Rousch

BIG RAPIDS — We’re a long way from the log cabins in which Ferris State University founder Woodbridge N. Ferris was born, way back in 1853.

But the university he and his wife Helen founded as the Big Rapids Industrial School in 1884 hasn’t really strayed all that far from its roots.

It’s still a place where you go to learn the science behind trades, from welding to plastic molding to rubber making to heating systems to construction.

But it’s also stayed with the times in fields like robotics and green technologies.

SVSU Receives Grant to Improve College Success of Foster Children

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

October 15, 2012/SVSU News

Saginaw Valley State University has received a multi-year grant from the State of Michigan's Department of Health and Human Services to aid former foster children who are currently enrolled at SVSU.

The $310,344 grant allows SVSU to provide support services over three years to eligible students who were part of the foster care system.

Tech Tour Day Two: Solar Power, Star Trek Replicators, New Drugs At Michigan Tech

Sun, 14 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

October 14, 2012

By Matt Rousch

HOUGHTON — Solar power, Star Trek replicators, new antiviral drugs, more green energy, and a research showplace for the Great Lakes.

Yep, just another day at Michigan Technological University Friday as the Great Lakes Innovation and Technology Report 2012 Fall Tech Tour got into full swing.

The visit started with Joshua Pearce, associate professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, a passionate advocate and researcher in both advanced solar energy and so-called 3D printing.

It’s Never Too Early to Start College

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT

September 4, 2012/Bridge Magazine

Perhaps no stage of American public education is as freighted with tradition and collective memory as high school. Which is not exactly why David Dugger is tinkering with it, but it’s one reason.

“Our big failing as a public school system is not believing that high school kids are capable of higher-level academic work. In other countries, students are doing much higher-level work in high school,” said Dugger, director of the Early College Alliance at Eastern Michigan University, an effort to rethink the last years of public education in Michigan, at least for some students.

New Venture Business Training Class Free for Veterans at EMU Livonia

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT

August 28, 2012/CBS Detroit

DETROIT — The Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center and Eastern Michigan University said Monday they will offer a free New Venture program to veteran entrepreneurs starting Saturday, Oct. 13 at the EMU Livonia campus.

The New Venture class normally costs $700 per participant, but costs are being covered for veterans through a federal stimulus grant to Michigan State University.

Commentary: Oakland University is Helping Students Focus on the Finish Line

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT

August 27, 2012/The Detroit News

By Gary Russi

It is well documented that obtaining a college degree is a critical investment for most people looking to succeed in life. On average, college graduates earn at least $30,000 more per year than high school graduates, and the return on investment is even higher for advanced degree holders.

None of this matters, however, if and when a student is unable to complete his or her college education.

The Good of Inefficient Universities

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

July 30, 2012/Michigan Future, Inc.

Higher education is being assaulted across the country, not just here in Michigan. We have been – to our detriment – cutting higher education funding longer and more than others. But now there is a nationwide campaign to question the value of higher education and particularly to attack public higher education. One part of that attack is that it is inefficient, not run like a business.

A recent Slate article is terrific in making the case that we don’t want our universities run like a business. That the so-called inefficiencies are at the core of what makes our universities so valuable. Before we get to the purported academic inefficiencies that the article is about I want to deal with financial management issues.

UM Fine-Tunes Cardiac Ablation For Better Results Against Arrhytmia

Fri, 27 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

July 26, 2012/CBS Detroit

ANN ARBOR — University of Michigan heart researchers are shedding light on a safer method for steadying an abnormal heart rhythm that prevents collateral damage to healthy cells.

Irregular heart rhythms, or arrhythmias, set the stage for a common, debilitating disorder called atrial fibrillation that puts adults as young as age 40 at risk for fatigue, fainting, cardiac arrest, and even death. Medications can help, but doctors also use catheter ablation, in which electrical impulses are delivered to a region of the heart to disrupt the arrhythmia.

Grand Valley Students Build Jeep For Disabled Girl

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

July 24, 2012/CBS Detroit

By Matt Roush

GRAND RAPIDS — When Grand Valley State University engineering students Phil DeJonge and Jake Hall enrolled in their product design class last fall, they didn’t expect to help change the life of 2-year-old Madison Riemersma. Madison has spina bifida, a condition that causes loss of function and sensation in the lower half of the body.

Lisa Kenyon, assistant professor of physical therapy, had been working with Madison and her family and asked students in Grand Valley’s School of Engineering to help.

Making the Case for Research Universities

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

July 19, 2012/Michigan Future, Inc.

Jim Duderstadt, President Emeritus of the University of Michigan, sent me the other day information on a report just released by the Committee on Research Universities of the National Research Council. Duderstadt is a member of the committee. The report and accompanying video are worth checking out. They can be found here.

As you know, Michigan Future has long believed that the state’s public higher education system – and particularly its research universities – are Michigan’s most valuable assets to the state’s future economic success. (I recently made that case again in a Detroit News op ed.)

A New Business Model for the University of Michigan

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

July 16, 2012/Holland Sentinel

By Phil Power

When it comes to college presidents, Mary Sue Coleman is a rock star. Since she took over as the University of Michigan’s 13th chief in 2002, she has been on a tear, successfully guiding the school to ever-increasing stature through very difficult times.

U-M has risen in reputation to No. 18 in the entire world, according to the Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings. At the same time, the budget of the Ann Arbor campus has risen to $5.8 billion and its endowment to $7.8 billion — second highest of any public university in the nation. But right now, Michigan’s soft-spoken leader is worried, very worried.

Public Universities Under Attack

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

July 10, 2012/Holland Sentinel

Ann Arbor — There’s little doubt that our universities are among Michigan’s most valuable and important assets. But real alarm about public higher education is spreading throughout the country — and threatening profound consequences for our state and it colleges.

Take the case of Teresa Sullivan, a former provost at the University of Michigan and now president of the University of Virginia. On June 10, with no advance warning, she was forced to resign by the university’s board, which said she wasn’t making changes fast enough. The campus erupted in anger, and under pressure from the governor, Sullivan was quickly reinstated.

Michigan Tech, Central Michigan U Partner to Offer Doctorate in Physical Therapy

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

July 12, 2012/MTU News

Michigan Technological University and Central Michigan University (CMU) are partnering to offer CMU’s doctorate of physical therapy program at Michigan Tech, to help meet a critical need for additional physical therapists in the Upper Peninsula.

Twelve students at Michigan Tech will be able to earn their doctorate through CMU’s doctor of physical therapy program. Central Michigan’s program is one of the top in the nation, with a 100 percent first-try passing rate on the mandatory national exam and 100 percent job placement of graduates.

Muskegon Community College Sets Up 'Reverse Transfer' Agreement with Grand Valley State University

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

July 10, 2012/The Muskegon Chronicle

MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI – The road from community college to university is now a two-way street.

Grand Valley State University President Thomas Haas and Muskegon Community College President Dale Nesbary signed an agreement Monday afternoon that would allow students to transfer credits earned at GVSU back to MCC to count toward an associate's degree.

ACC, UM-Flint Ink Nursing Agreement

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT

June 27, 2012/The Alpena News

ALPENA - Alpena Community College and the University of Michigan-Flint signed a nursing articulation agreement on Wednesday, allowing nursing students to complete a bachelor of science in nursing degree at ACC. The articulation agreement will provide a joint academic program, which enables ACC nursing program graduates to enroll in the UM-Flint nursing bachelor degree program, with classes offered at ACC in a mixed mode format, with online and on-campus courses.

"Our goal is to bring some classes for a bachelor of science in nursing to Alpena, student curriculum will be seamless and will prevent future redundancy. We want to get as many qualified nurses out there as we can," Margaret Andrews, director and professor of nursing at UM-Flint, said.

Partnership Provides Enhanced Opportunity For MSU Medical School

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT

June 25, 2012/CBS Detroit

GRAND RAPIDS — The Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and Grand Valley State University have agreed to establish a cooperative program of premedical and medical education by which Grand Rapids Community College students who transfer as undergraduate premedical students to GVSU will have the opportunity to be granted an early assurance of admission to MSU’s med school.

The Early Assurance Program became official at an agreement signing ceremony held Monday at GRCC.

GRCC and GVSU Sign Agreement that Provides 'Enhanced Opportunity' for Medical School Admission

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT

June 25, 2012/Grand Rapids Press

By Brian McVicar

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Grand Rapids Community College has signed an agreement that aims to make it easier for students who transfer to Grand Valley State University to attend medical school at Michigan State University, according to GRCC.

Going in the Wrong Direction on Research Universities

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT

June 18, 2012/Michigan Future Inc.

Michigan spent most of the 20th century building a world class system of higher education – both universities and community colleges. That system is now at the top of the list of the assets Michigan has to grow its economy. It is vital to developing the concentration of talent we need to be successful in a knowledge-based economy. That is particularly true of our major research universities.

We can’t emphasize enough, in a knowledge-based economy, the strategic importance of our major research universities. One can make a strong case that the most productive state and local economic growth policies over the past several decades have been public investments in research universities in Austin, San Diego and North Carolina’s Research Triangle. The payoff in each case has been huge.

The University as a Driver of Economic Growth

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT

June 21, 2012/Huff Post

Recently, I spent a few days on Mackinac Island in northern Michigan attending the Detroit Regional Chamber's Mackinac Policy Conference. The annual event brings together business, political and community leaders to talk about ways to grow Michigan's economy.

As a former (now twice-retired) Ford Motor Company vice chairman, such gatherings were a natural setting to talk about business and innovation. But when I became President of Wayne State University in the summer of 2010, I didn't think my attendance at the conference would be necessary.

UM-Dearborn and Schoolcraft Forge a ‘Reverse Transfer’ Agreement

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT

June 18, 2012/University of Michigan - Dearborn News

Schoolcraft College and University of Michigan-Dearborn have forged a formal agreement to help students complete a “reverse transfer” associate degree while working on a bachelor’s degree.

The new reverse transfer agreement creates a process that allows students who transfer from Schoolcraft College to UM-Dearborn to be awarded an associate of arts or general studies associate degree with the help of credits earned at the university. Qualifying students must already have earned 40 credits at the community college prior to transfer. Most associate degrees require 60-72 credits for completion. Current estimates suggest that approximately 180 former Schoolcraft students currently studying at UM-Dearborn will meet the initial selection criteria for participation in this program.

Commentary: Michigan Pols Fail to Invest in Research Universities

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT

June 15, 2012/The Detroit News

Michigan's public higher education system is one of the top assets Michigan has to grow its economy.

At Michigan Future Inc., the nonpartisan think tank I lead, we believe that investing in a quality, agile higher education system is economic development priority No. 1.

Business Leaders for Michigan, representing the CEOs of our state's largest businesses, also believes in the strategic importance of higher education, advocating for a $1 billion increase in annual state funding over the next 10 years.

Number of Coast Guard Students at LSSU Grows

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT

June 12, 2012/LSSU News

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – The number of U.S. Coast Guard personnel taking classes at Lake Superior State University has increased substantially in recent years thanks to an LSSU/USCG agreement that was re-established on June 12.

The memorandum of understanding between the two groups, which sets the rate for LSSU tuition the same as the Coast Guard Tuition Assistance Program for Coast Guard members and families, was first signed three years ago by LSSU President Tony McLain and former Sector Commander Capt. Mark Huebschman. Since then, nearly 60 Coast Guard students have taken more than 170 courses in various areas of study. The agreement was recently extended by McLain and Sector Sault Commander Capt. Joseph McGuiness.

Higher Education: Luxury or Imperative?

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT

May 14, 2012/Michigan Future, Inc.

By Lou Glazer

For the past decade the state on a bi-partisan basis has disinvested in higher education without much debate. As we have argued for years this was a big mistake. In a world driven by globalization and technology, human capital is now the asset that matters the most to economic growth and prosperity. Quite simply the places with the greatest concentration of talent win!

Editorial: Maximum Interference, Minimum Support for Higher Ed

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Detroit Free Press/June 6, 2012

You'd never know that Michigan's universities have constitutionally guaranteed autonomy based on the way lawmakers are behaving. No nit is too small to pick if it sets off an itch in the Legislature.

In this year's budget bill, lawmakers have attached what appears to be a record number of strings and aspirations to university funding. And that's not even including the accountability hoops the Legislature and governor set up for universities to jump through in order to get more money than they did last year. The education budget bill got House approval last week, and moved through the Senate Tuesday morning.

Deal Links Community College Nursing Students with MSU

Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

May 24, 2012/MSU News

EAST LANSING, Mich. — A new agreement between Michigan State University's College of Nursing and Lansing and Macomb community colleges outlines a comprehensive strategy to advance nursing education by making it easier for community college students to take classes at MSU and graduate with a bachelor's degree.

The agreement offers concurrent enrollment and transfer admission from the community colleges' associate degree in nursing programs into MSU's online Bachelor of Science in nursing program for registered nurses, or RN to BSN program.

Entrepreneur 101: Michigan Universities Laying Ground for Entrepreneurism

Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

May 14, 2012/MiBiz

WEST MICHIGAN — What a difference a decade makes.

Ten years ago Jeff Padden noticed that "there wasn't much to talk about" in terms of entrepreneurial activity on Michigan college campuses.

Today, a cultural shift is in full swing and all of Michigan's 15 public universities have in some form embedded entrepreneurism, both in academic programming and community outreach, as a core part of their mission, according to new survey data.

Study: More Michigan Universities Add Entrepreneur Classes, Clubs, Contests

Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

May 4, 2012/Crain's Detroit Business

LANSING — Entrepreneurial degrees, classes, clubs and competitions are on the rise at all 15 Michigan public universities, a development that officials say bodes well for community and economic development, a survey has found.

"It's pretty phenomenal how much has begun happening in a short period of time," said Rob Fowler, CEO of the Small Business Association of Michigan and chair of the entrepreneurship committee of the Michigan Sense of Place Council, which released the survey.

Digital Divas: EMU To Host Cybersecurity Workshop For Middle, High School Girls

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

May 17, 2012/CBS News Detroit

YPSILANTI — Do you mind the gap?

The Information Assurance Program at Eastern Michigan University does.

The gap, in this case, is a career gap. It is the low ratio — 12 percent — of women making up the work force in the many available careers in IT, information assurance and cybersecurity.

Tech Tour Day Two: High Tech’s Growing In The Soo

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

May 13/CBS Detroit

SAULT STE. MARIE — Michigan’s oldest city dates back to the 1660s. Its most famous feature, locks that get freighters around treacherous rapids between Lake Superior and the Lake Michigan-Huron system, date back to the 1850s.

But stay tuned. Sault Ste. Marie, the Rapids of St. Mary, might just be famous for something else pretty soon, something at the farthest reaches of technology.

OUR VIEW — Restore Public Funding of Public Universities

Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

May 10, 2012/Holland Sentinel

Sentinel editorial board

Holland — The key driver of economic development in the world today is human capital. In a “flat” world where production can be shipped almost anywhere, education is the factor that gives one geographic area a long-term advantage over another. The availability of a well-educated workforce is the reason technology companies still congregate in places such as Massachusetts and California, states whose tax rates and high cost of living would otherwise make them uncompetitive.

Editorial: Michigan Revival Demands Investment in Higher Ed

Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

May 7, 2012/The Detroit News

Business leaders urge improvement in university funding as a priority for budget makers

Recovery from Michigan's Lost Decade is well under way, but the road remains long and uncertain. It will be many years before the state can restore all of the critical investments that were hacked away without much strategic consideration during the bloody budget cutting frenzy.

But as revenue returns, higher education should be at or near the top of the priority list.

LSSU, Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporation Break Ground on Entrepreneurial Center

Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

April 24, 2012/LSSU News

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – Lake Superior State University and the City of Sault Ste. Marie's Economic Development Corporation broke ground April 24 on a building that will house fledgling industries and will serve as a center point for the Sault Ste. Marie SmartZone that was established in 2008.

Known as a "breeder building," the facility provides start-up space to help entrepreneurs learn about and select manufacturing methods and business methods appropriate for their ventures, and to build initial production runs in preparation for moving into a facility such as the EDC's Industrial Incubator, which houses new businesses as they get a foothold in the community.

CMU Research Corp., Mt. Pleasant Chamber Launch Startup Support Program

Wed, 02 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

May 2, 2012/CBS Detroit

MT. PLEASANT — The Central Michigan University Research Corp. and the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce announced a partnership called the Prelaunch Passport Program to provide local resources such as accounting services and marketing consulting to startup businesses.

Already, nearly 20 CMU-RC clients are enrolled in the program.

“The Prelaunch Passport Program is aimed at stimulating the local business community and fostering an environment to help new ventures plant roots in the community,” said Erin Strang, president and CEO of CMU-RC.

Stephen Henderson: Higher Ed Cuts Shortchange Michigan's Future

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

April 29, 2012/Detroit Free Press

To get through the University of Michigan in the early 1990s, my wife worked three jobs and took the maximum class load so she could graduate in three years. She did everything she could to come up with the $8,000 she needed each year for tuition, room and board and books.

It wasn't easy, even back then. But if she were a student today, Michigan -- where students now need about $25,000 each year to attend -- would probably be out of the question. The only way she could possibly swing it would be with massive loans that would have saddled her, and eventually me, with a staggering long-term debt.

Former Foster Youth First to Graduate from Tuition-Free College Program

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

April 26, 2012/Detroit Free Press

When Heather Nichols strolls across the stage Saturday at Western Michigan University's Miller Auditorium, the former foster youth will be handed more than her bachelor's degree.

Nichols will get the distinction of being the first four-year graduate of a groundbreaking program that sends foster youth to college tuition-free -- one that was hatched on a "crazy idea," and fueled by human kindness and incredible timing.

SVSU and MSU Sign Agreement for Students in Agriculture and Natural Resources

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:44:12 GMT

April 25, 2012/SVSU News

Saginaw Valley State University and Michigan State University have reached a new agreement to provide students with more opportunities in the growing fields of agriculture and natural resources.

The Memorandum of Understanding between MSU's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and SVSU's colleges of Science, Engineering and Technology, Education, and Business and Management will increase access for students to these educational programs. It will be signed Wednesday, April 25 by officials from both universities.

OU School of Nursing Joins National Effort to Meet Veterans' Needs

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

April 18, 2012/Oakland University News

The Oakland University School of Nursing is supporting a national initiative to enhance nursing instruction in ways that will better serve U.S. military veterans and military families dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, depression and other combat-related issues.

Kerri Schuiling, dean of the School of Nursing, said OU will join First Lady Michelle Obama, Dr. Jill Biden and hundreds of nursing organizations and institutions in fully preparing nurses to meet the unique health needs of veterans facing these challenges.

Editorial: Michigan Universities Deserve Better from Snyder, Lawmakers

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

April 15, 2012/Detroit Free Press

Shame on Gov. Rick Snyder and lawmakers for the way they're treating Michigan's universities.

After cutting university budgets by 15% for the current fiscal year, Lansing's elected officials plan to add back only 3% to university funding -- and to make universities perform to various benchmarks to get it.

MSU's Ag Expertise Should Go Urban

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

April 17, 2012/LSJ

A proposal from Michigan State University to build an urban agriculture research center in Detroit has great potential.

Universities can offer practical solutions to everyday problems. They are not segregated from the world around them.

A new example of a challenge and the problem solvers eager to tackle it can be found in a proposal from Michigan State University, which hopes to develop a center for urban agriculture in Detroit.

Going Backward Faster on Higher Education

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

April 1, 2012/Michigan Future, Inc.

By Lou Glazer

In our 2006 A New Agenda for a New Michigan report we wrote: “As we assess the assets Michigan has to prepare, retain, and attract talent, our higher education system rises to the top of the list. Michigan has spent decades building a world-class system of higher education, both universities and community colleges. They are arguably the most important assets we have in developing the concentration of talent we need to be successful in a knowledge-based economy. That is particularly true of our major research universities. Higher education’s importance in preparing talent for a knowledge economy is clear. But it also is one of the most important assets—if not the most important—in retaining and attracting talent. Our universities, particularly the research universities, are among the few enterprises in the state that attract talent from around the world: students, faculty, and researchers. So the single most important thing policy makers can do for the future economic success of Michigan and its regions is to ensure the long-term success of a vibrant and agile higher education system.”

Why GVSU President Says You Should Care ABout Michigan's Support of Funding Higher Education

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

March 29, 2012/The Grand Rapids PRess

By Thomas J. Haas

ALLENDALE, MI — In the next 60 days, the state legislature and governor will complete work on the higher education budget for 2012-13.

This is no routine task. Every Michigan resident has a stake in the outcome.

For decades, Michigan was a Top-10 state in its support of public higher education. Today, we’re a Bottom-10 state, owing largely to the state’s economic difficulties.

Michigan has no future as a Bottom-10 state — a point clearly made by Douglas Rothwell, president of Business Leaders for Michigan, in an important address in Grand Rapids last week.

Is the GOP Trying to Kill Higher Education and Michigan's Economic Future?

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

March 29, 2012/Mlive.com

A reasonable person might come to the conclusion that Michigan's Republican-led Legislature is on a mission to kill higher education in our great state.

Sadly, this is not the hyperbole of an overworked columnist.

It was bad enough when Gov. Rick Snyder, a product of three degrees at the University of Michigan, last year proposed a 15-percent cut to state aid for the state's 15 public universities -- and GOP lawmakers couldn't sign off fast enough.

New Report Reveals TechTown’s Economic Impact On Detroit

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

March 26, 2012/CBS News Detroit

DETROIT — TechTown, Wayne State University’s business incubator and research park, continues to play an important role in Detroit’s economic revitalization, according to a new report issued by the organization this month.

The “impact report” highlights milestone achievements in entrepreneurship and economic activity between 2007 and 2011 in and around the City of Detroit.

TechTown currently supports 250 companies in industries ranging from the life sciences and advanced manufacturing to the arts and alternative energy through its 100,000 square-foot facility.

Commentary: College Funding Key to Future

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

March 22, 2012/Detroit News

By Glenn D. Mroz

Twenty years ago, I listened as former Michigan Technological University President Dale Stein adroitly pointed out a likely outcome of a key state investment priority — if you don't like the cost of education you surely aren't going to like the cost of ignorance.

I recently represented Michigan's university presidents in a joint presentation with Business Leaders for Michigan in delivering that same message to the Michigan Senate Higher Appropriations committee.

As the BLM leaders — who represent companies accounting for more than a trillion dollars in sales and a quarter of Michigan's gross domestic product — noted, we have shifted our state priorities over the last decade from higher education to locking up criminals.

Colleges: International Students Key to Michigan’s Economic Growth

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

March 21, 2012/CBS News Detroit

DETROIT — Fast-paced economic growth in the health care, computer and engineering sectors, coupled with a shortage of domestic students graduating with degrees in the high-demand science, technology, engineering and math fields, has created a significant percentage of jobs in Michigan that employers are unable to fill, threatening further economic growth and their ability to compete.

The Global Talent Retention Initiative of Southeast Michigan, funded by the New Economy Initiative, is working to help fill that gap.

“Employers need help fast filling these jobs or they stand to lose billions of dollars in new business,” said Athena Trentin, GTRI program director with the University Research Corridor, the joint effort of Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University.

MSU Named to 2012 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

March 21, 2012/MLive

EAST LANSING -- Michigan State University has received national recognition for its commitment to community service.

The university has been named to the 2012 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. The distinction is the highest federal recognition available to colleges and universities for volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement.

MSU is the only Michigan institution named to the list with distinction. Nationally, 110 colleges and universities earned that recognition.

Phil Power: Officials Can be Worlds Apart on education priorities

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

March 22, 2012/LivingstonDaily.com

For years, physicists and science-fiction writers have speculated about whether parallel universes might exist alongside our own. I'm certainly not qualified to get into the domain of theoretical physics, but I can testify that when it comes to higher education, there are parallel universes existing right here in Michigan:

Universe One has to do with the worldwide ranking of the University of Michigan. Sure, we all know it's a wonderful place — but we may not realize exactly how wonderful. Last week, the respected Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings report moved U-M up a slot, to the 12th-best university in the world.

SVSU-Delta Watershed Research Project Cited as National Model

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 15:49:00 GMT

March 15, 2012/SVSU News

Students and faculty from Saginaw Valley State University and Delta College have spent the past year working together to improve the water quality of the Saginaw Bay Watershed, the largest watershed in Michigan. At The National Center for Science and Civic Engagement Symposium and Capitol Hill Poster Session in Washington, DC Tuesday, March 13, their joint efforts were cited as a premier example for similar partnerships throughout the Great Lakes states and nationwide.

Michigan College Students Facing $4.2 Million in Federal Aid Cuts as Penalty for State Aid Decreases

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

March 14, 2012/Mlive

LANSING – State university leaders are upset their federal assistance is being cut by $4.2 million, placing blame on a Legislature responsible for a “dark decade of disinvestment” in the 15 public universities.

Michigan and Alabama are being singled out by President Obama for cutting support to universities, saying the states did not comply with a federal rule requiring them to provide consistent funding.

Increase State's Higher Ed Investment

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

March 14, 2012/Lansing State Journal

Michigan's deep cuts endanger its economy

Some would argue that economic difficulties have given business interests an open pass to changing state policies to their advantage. They’d put last year’s revamp of the tax code atop that list.

But here’s what some of the state’s most prominent business leaders want now, and it may surprise plenty of lawmakers and a fair share of state residents: more investment in higher education.

MSU Graduate-Level Education Programs Rated Best in Nation for 18th Straight Year by U.S. News & World Report

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

March 13, 2012/Mlive.com

EAST LANSING -- Several of Michigan State University's graduate programs are ranked among the nation's best by U.S. News & World Report's Best Graduate Schools list.

Elementary and secondary education programs in the university's College of Education were ranked No. 1 for the 18th consecutive year by the magazine's 2013 installment.

Working for the Common Good: Public Universities to Showcase Community Partnerships and Economic Development Initiatives

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

March 06, 2012/The Grand Rapids Press

Fritz Erickson, Ferris State University’s provost, likes to joke that he could spend hours talking about an initiative at Ferris that aims to get Hispanic students from West Michigan to go to college.

Today, as he speaks with the public and members of the Michigan Legislature, he’ll face a much smaller timeframe: three minutes.

He’s among the representatives of Michigan’s 15 public universities participating in an event at the state Capitol – sponsored by the Presidents Council, State Universities of Michigan – highlighting the work the schools do to help boost the state’s economy through community partnerships.

A New Detroit Turnaround Plan: Wayne State’s

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 12:05:09 GMT

February 28, 2012/Bridge Magazine

After spending most of his career as an executive at Ford Motor Co., Wayne State President Allan Gilmour knows plenty about retooling. Taking a redesigned car from the drawing board to the showroom can take three or four years.

Building a successful student retention program could take longer.

From free housing for the summer to tougher admission standards, Wayne State is pulling out all the stops to improve its dismal graduation rate for African-American student

EMU Business Student Grows Web Consulting Business While Still Taking Classes

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

February 26, 2012/AnnArbor.com

Starting a successful business, turning a profit within a year and earning enough money to establish a scholarship at your alma mater are rare enough accomplishments for alumni of a college of business, but they’re even more unusual for a student who hasn’t yet received a diploma.

However, one Eastern Michigan University College of Business student, Kentaro Roy, has done just that.

Spend Budget Surplus on College Education

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Monday, February 20, 2012/The Macomb Daily

The state of Michigan’s economic automotive-inspired economic recovery has left the state gov ernment with a budget surplus estimated at $457 million. After a decade of austerity, the surplus is a most welcomed development, and the clamor about how to spend it is steadily rising.

Certainly, after decades where school budgets were cut and squeezed, Gov. Rick Snyder’s suggestion is a sound one.

Squeeze More Dollars for Michigan's Colleges

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

February 20, 2012/The Detroit News

Cutting spending elsewhere to restore university funding would make state more competitive

Top corporate executives are making a strong case that Michigan's public universities and community colleges can be key drivers of economic growth if lawmakers and Gov. Rick Snyder can find a way to significantly increase the government's investment in higher education over the next decade.

Business Leaders for Michigan estimates that Michigan needs an additional 1.3 million college graduates to meet the work force demand expected in 2025, and accordingly should bolster funding of higher education by $1 billion over the next 10 years. University presidents are proposing to add an array of performance metrics to those proposed by Snyder so elected officials can make sure the state's investment will be well-spent.

U-M to Lead Michigan University Technology Commercialization Initiative

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

February 21, 2012/Ann Arbor.com

The University of Michigan's Technology Transfer Office served as the model for a new initiative with six other Michigan public universities to accelerate technology commercialization by connecting entrepreneurs and experts to ideas and intellectual property.

With a grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corp., U-M formed a $2.4 million program called the Tech Transfer Talent Network. Other members of the initiative are Wayne State University, Michigan State University, Michigan Technological University, Western Michigan University, Grand Valley State University and Oakland University.

Michigan Tech Offers New Tactic In ‘War For Talent’

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

February 21, 2012/CBS Detroit

HOUGHTON — The term ‘War for Talent,’ coined in the tech boom of the 1990s, has resurfaced because a recovering knowledge-based economy has created an urgency for talent in technology fields.

One of the fiercest battlefields in this war, as it turns out, is 550 miles northwest of Detroit in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan — Michigan Technological University.

This year, more than 800 Michigan Tech will graduate with skills uniquely attractive to companies because they have already acquired significant hands-on lab and “real-world” project experience.

WSU Researcher’s Model Will Target Causes Of Everyday MS Symptoms

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

February 14, 2012/CBS Detroit

Detroit - Annoying, frustrating symptoms like difficulty hearing or remembering things can complicate everyday living for multiple sclerosis patients, but most research to date has focused on the disease’s less frequent but more debilitating consequences.

Recently, however, an increasing number of patients have expressed their desire for a better quality of life between relapses, as the body attacks its own central nervous system, which can cause blindness or the inability to use a limb.

CMU Gets Grants To Advance New Economy

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

February 14, 2012/CBS Detroit

MT. PLEASANT — With the awarding of $55,000 in grants from the Michigan Initiative for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Central Michigan University is making strides in advancing the state’s new economy.

The grant funds are targeted at creating 200 new startup businesses and fostering an atmosphere of entrepreneurship on campuses around the state.

GVSU Working To Restore Muskegon Lake

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

February 13, 2012/CBS News Detroit

Two Grand Valley State University researchers are working together on a pair of projects that are designed to help restore habitat in the area of Muskegon Lake, and assist in getting Muskegon Lake de-listed as an Area of Concern in the Great Lakes.

Al Steinman and Rick Rediske are co-principal investigators on a pair of projects in Muskegon Lake and adjacent Bear Lake. Steinman is also the director of Grand Valley’s Annis Water Resources Institute.

SVSU Moves Forward with Grant to Improve Retention of Disadvantaged Students

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

February 07, 2012/The Saginaw News

KOCHVILLE TWP. — A team of staff members will work to help hundreds of students remain and be successful at Saginaw Valley State University.

The Michigan Department of Career Development’s King-Chavez-Parks Initiative gave SVSU a six-year, $684,000 Select Student Support Services grant to improve the retention of academically and economically disadvantaged students. SVSU is matching the grant with 30 percent funding, or $48,879 annually.

The grant, awarded in November, will provide support to 145 freshmen students and continue to help the students through their academic careers.

Researcher Studies Hockey, Football Concussions: Is it Time For Rules Changes?

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

January 29, 2012

Michigan Technological University — Imagine ice hockey without body checking and football with less hitting. What might sound blasphemous to hockey and football fans and players has more support than you may imagine. And a Michigan Tech researcher is a large part of that conversation.

Syd Johnson, assistant professor of philosophy and adjunct professor of kinesiology and integrative physiology, has studied the impact of concussions and is joining those who urge revolutionary changes in hockey and football. Her timing is right.

Macomb, Monroe Community College Students can Finish Design Degrees at Eastern Michigan University

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

January 26, 2012/Crain's Detroit Business

Students at two community colleges can complete their degrees in product design and development at Eastern Michigan University, under an articulation agreement between EMU and Monroe County Community College and Macomb Community College.

Students can transfer up to 94 credit hours to EMU to complete an undergraduate degree in the design and development of automotive, industrial and consumer products.

Michigan Turnaround Plan - A Blueprint for a New Michigan

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:45:56 GMT

January 25, 2012/Business Leaders for Michigan

Business Leaders for Michigan today released the 2012 Michigan Turnaround Plan (MTP) to make Michigan a Top Ten state for job, economic and personal income growth. The new version of the Plan reflects BLM's optimism for Michigan's future based on progress made during the past year that aligns with the original Plan's recommendations and the opportunities this progress provides for building a vibrant state.

Wayne State To Conduct Childhood Epilepsy Training In Africa

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

January 25, 2012/CBS Detroit

DETROIT — A Wayne State University School of Medicine physician and researcher will convene a vital training workshop on childhood epilepsy in sub-Saharan Africa next month.

Harry Chugani, M.D., the Rosalie and Bruce Rosen professor of neurology and chief of pediatric neurology for the School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Michigan, has organized “Epilepsy in Children in Developing Countries.” The training will take place Feb. 1-4 in Entebbe, Uganda.

GVSU Earns Newsmaker of the Year Honors

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

January 23, 2012/Grand Rapids Business Journal

Gayle Davis, provost and vice president of academic affairs at Grand Valley State University, accepts a framed copy of a front page recognizing GVSU as the Newsmaker of the Year during today’s luncheon of the Economic Club of Grand Rapids at the JW Marriott.

Grand Valley State University has a measurable track record when it comes to long-term economic development.

And its future provides a large root system for growing the regional economy.

GVSU is about to turn 50 but still is growing like a precocious child of the digital age, which is why it earned this year’s Grand Rapids Business Journal Newsmaker of the Year award.

For Former Foster Kids, Campus Is Their 'Home for the Holidays'

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

January 8, 2012/The Chronicle

John R. Seita was an abused and neglected 8-year-old back in 1963 when the State of Michigan pulled him from his home and placed him in foster care. But his most terrifying experience came a decade later, he says, when he turned 18 and was sent out to fend for himself.

Neither his former orphanage nor the state foster-care system helped him through the transition. "There was kind of this sense that, You're on your own—good luck," recalls Mr. Seita, today an associate professor in Michigan State University's School of Social Work.

Institutions Work Together to Make Transferring Easier

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

January 9, 2012/The Washtenaw Voice

Chad Doxey wants to go to the University of Michigan, but is attending Washtenaw Community College for two years first.

“I hope to start at the U-M in the fall of 2013, pending admission, of course,” said the 36-year old Liberal Arts Transfer major from Ann Arbor.

With the high cost of tuition today, many students like Doxey look to WCC as a springboard to other colleges and universities. But how it is best done, specifically, isn’t always clear to them.

Education Supplement: Bursting the Tuition Bubble

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

January 04, 2012/The Village Voice

The soaring cost of college has multiple causes and no easy solution

College tuition is, as any Occupy Wall Street demonstrator will tell you, too damn high. Average fees at public universities hit $8,244 this year, according to College Board figures, and a staggering $28,500 at private schools; add on another 13 grand if you want room and board or such fripperies as textbooks. Little wonder that State University of New York chancellor Nancy Zimpher recently warned at a White House education summit that "the general public might be reaching the tipping point" in their ability to pay for college.

U-M President Urges Obama to Address Increasing College Costs

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

December 17, 2011/Detroit News

Escalating costs are making higher education inaccessible, and it is time to resolve the issue, University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman wrote in an open letter to President Barack Obama.

"College is costly — too costly for some families," Coleman wrote in the letter, which was published on U-M's website on Friday. "To meet the myriad needs of students and society, we absolutely must find ways to provide a college education at a cost that is sustainable."

State Effort to Replicate Promise Yields Mixed Results

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

December 8, 2012/Bridge Magazine

The Kalamazoo Promise has inspired 10 Michigan communities to develop college promises of their own — without relying on a few generous benefactors to underwrite the whole thing.

The communities, mostly distressed urban areas, are creating Promise Zones, with the goal of promising all high school graduates living within the school district boundaries financial support to attend college. Three Promise Zones — in Benton Harbor, Pontiac and Baldwin — already are writing checks. And several others expect to begin helping students in the class of 2012, possibly including Detroit.

Start Here, Get There

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

December 7, 2011

In the featured video, Sue Vlahakis talks about the collaboration between the community colleges and our public universities. She began her studies at Lansing Community College and will complete her nursing degree at University of Michigan-Flint through a program at LCC's University Center. She is one example of how community college graduates can continue their studies at colleges and universities around the state.

SVSU Model United Nations Team Bests 80 Other Schools, Wins Best Delegation

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

December 1, 2011/SVSU News

Students from Saginaw Valley State University competed against counterparts from top colleges and universities across the nation at the American Model United Nations conference in Chicago November 19-22.

In the competition, each team simulates a country in the United Nations. SVSU was awarded best delegation for its portrayal of the Russian Federation, marking the first time SVSU has taken top honors in its five years of competition.

Education in Tune with Industry Raises Michigan Tech’s Job Placement Rate to Nearly 95 Percent

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

November 30, 2011/MTU News

As Michigan Governor Rick Snyder takes the podium at Delta College on Thursday, Dec. 1, to talk about the need for more highly skilled workers to meet Michigan employers’ needs, Michigan Technological University reports that its job placement rate has risen to an astonishing 94.6 percent.

At its most recent Career Fair in September 2011, Michigan Tech hosted 720 recruiters from 245 companies. Students participated in more than 4,200 interviews at the event and in the days immediately following it. The University has another Career Fair scheduled for February 2012.

GVSU, MOCAP Bring Solar Power To Income-Eligible Households

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

November 27, 2011/CBS News Detroit

MUSKEGON — Grand Valley State University is part of an initiative to bring renewable energy technology to income-qualified households and programs that serve income-eligible individuals in Muskegon and Oceana counties.

Muskegon Oceana Community Action Partnership Inc. (MOCAP) was awarded a $3.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy through a Sustainable Energy Resources for Consumers grant. It allows several Michigan contractors to install one or more systems at residential and income-eligible group care facilities.

Detroit’s Tech Town: An Incubator of Creativity

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

November 25, 2011/Miller-McCune

According to the latest census figures, Detroit’s population continues to plummet while its public school system remains largely dysfunctional and FBI statistics report an increase in violent crime after several years of decline.

But Detroit, the buckle of the “Rust Belt,” is also a city of paradoxes. In the city’s midtown, an innovative project, Tech Town, stands out as living up to its motto, “Reigniting Detroit’s Entrepreneurial Culture.”

The city has been counted out before — “Decline in Detroit” was Time magazine’s headline in 1961 – so talk of a comeback has a precedent. In 1999, Irvin Reid, president of Wayne State University in midtown Detroit, decided that a “business incubator” that drew from the university but wasn’t part of it could help the city and the region’s economy.

Despite State Cuts, University Education Still Within Reach

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

November 13, 2011/Detroit Free Press

By Mary Sue Coleman, President

Phil Hanlon, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

University of Michigan Ann Arbor

Despite the state's substantial cuts to higher education, the University of Michigan has managed to keep the cost of attendance affordable by reducing the university's administrative expenditures and through a major investment in financial aid.

In fact, for an average state student with a household income of $80,000 or less, it now costs less to attend U-M than it did six years ago. And the amount of loans in the financial aid package for this same student was less than in 2004. This year alone, the university invested more than $100 million in financial aid, and some Michigan students with annual family incomes up to about $120,000 received aid.

Michigan Corporate Relations Network Creates First Statewide University Network to Boost Business

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

November 12, 2011/Ann Arbor Journal

A collaboration involving Michigan's six leading research universities, called the Michigan Corporate Relations Network, creates the first statewide university network in the country to provide a tool for business growth and attraction.

"Academia's role in the economy is rapidly changing," said Daryl Weinert, program principal investigator and executive director of the University of Michigan's Business Engagement Center, in a news release.

Michigan Corporate Relations Network Creates First Statewide University Network to Boost Business

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Ann Arbor Journal/November 12, 2011

Michigan Invests In University Efforts To Build Businesses, Jobs

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

October 26, 2011/CBS Detroit

LANSING – The Michigan Strategic Fund and the Michigan Economic Development Corp. Wednesday voted to invest $6.8 million in university-business partnerships focused on collaboration, commercialization, economic growth and job creation.

“Michigan is one of the top states in the nation for research and development with more than $16 billion in industrial R&D and close to $2 billion in university research,’’ said Michael Finney, CEO and President of the MEDC, who chairs the MSF. “Companies like Google, Facebook and Dell were born on college campuses and we want to keep helping our leading universities turn the latest developments into jobs.”

Tech Bucks National Trend in Graduate Enrollment

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

October 18, 2011/MTU Tech Today

Across the United States, enrollment of new graduate students has declined somewhat, while the overall graduate school enrollment has increased only slightly (1.1 percent). However, those newest numbers, reported by the Council of Graduate Schools, are not reflected at Tech.

Bucking the national trend, graduate student enrollment here has increased nearly everywhere on campus. Total graduate enrollment sits at a new record of 1,303, while new master's students have increased 6.9 percent, and new doctoral students have increased 4.3 percent.

Wayne State Gets Licenses For Breakthrough Approaches to Vision Restoration

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

October 18, 2011/CBS Detroit News

DETROIT — RetroSense Therapeutics LLC, a Michigan-based company, announced that it has executed its exclusive, worldwide option and signed a license agreement for novel gene-therapy approaches for treating blindness developed at Wayne State University’s School of Medicine.

Zhuo-Hua Pan, professor of anatomy and cell biology in the School of Medicine, along with colleagues at Salus University in Pennsylvania, developed the breakthrough therapy and follow-on approaches that offer promise to people suffering with incurable blindness caused by age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa — retinal degenerative disorders that are currently incurable.

GVSU Leaders: College Understands the Need for Affordable Higher Education

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

October 08, 2011/The Grand Rapids Press

The Grand Rapids Press in its Oct. 2 editorial rightly points out that the cost of public higher education is an issue worthy of serious public discussion. As The Press observed, this need not be a debate about governance. Rather, it’s about what we can do together to make college more affordable.

Necessarily, this discussion begins with two elemental questions: what do state policy makers expect from their public universities; and, how will the state fulfill its constitutional obligation to maintain them? We welcome this kind of all-encompassing discussion.

Tech Tour Day Eight: Super Spartans

Sat, 08 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

October 7, 2011/CBS News Detroit

The great thing about Michigan State University is that I could do Tech Tours from now until Doomsday and they’d never run out of cool things to show me.

I learned that again Thursday as the Great Lakes Innovation and Technology Report Fall Tech Tour rolled through East Lansing on its annual visit.

MSU PR science writer Layne Cameron ably squired me around campus, showing me some of the most fascinating research this giant school has to offer.

LSSU Uses Historic Freighter for Overhaul Study

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

October 10, 2011/The Mining Journal

SAULT STE. MARIE (AP) - A decommissioned Great Lakes freighter that now serves as a museum piece is the proving ground for engineers seeking improved ways to update large-scale industrial equipment.

The 95-year-old ore carrier Valley Camp now serves as a museum ship in Sault Ste. Marie.

Tech Tour Day Seven: WMU Is Wonderful

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

October 6, 2011/CBS Detroit

Michigan has four public universities named in the top tier in the annual collegiate rankings of U.S. News and World Report.

I’m betting you can name the first three.

I’m also betting most people can’t name the fourth.

That’s one of the many reasons I always put Western Michigan University on my list of schools to visit every autumn for the Great Lakes Innovation and Technology Report’s Fall Tech tour. This is a school that does amazing work in a lot of areas, but frequently labors in the shadows of Michigan higher education’s Big Three.

University of Michigan Plans to Spend Millions on Global Projects and Tech Start-Ups

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

October 5, 2011/Chronicle of Higher Education

Hard times in the Rust Belt aren't disturbing the University of Michigan's efforts to invest for the future.

The Ann Arbor university plans to spend $50-million over the next five years on ways to stamp out global problems such as poverty, climate change, and social injustice—just in time for its 200th birthday, in 2017. Half of the money for the Third Century Initiative—announced on Wednesday in an annual speech by President Mary Sue Coleman—will come from the university's general budget, a mix of tuition and fees, state dollars, and the indirect costs of sponsored research. The other half will come from investment income from its designated budget, which pays for and garners revenue from conferences and continuing education.

Tech Tour Day Six: Grand Tech At Grand Valley

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

October 4, 2011/CBS Detroit

It’s experienced explosive growth over the past 20 years, and it’s busily stamping its image all over West Michigan while helping the region diversify its economy.

It is Grand Valley State University, and it was Tuesday’s tour stop on Day Six of the Great Lakes Innovation and Technology Report’s Spring 2011 Tech Tour.

I actually started the day in Muskegon, then visited Grand Valley’s downtown Grand Campus, and ended the visit on the main campus in Allendale.

Tech Tour Day Five: Fired Up Chips Are Chemical Experts

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

October 3, 2011/CBS Detroit

MT. PLEASANT — Mid-Michigan is home to several universities that are frequently overlooked given the giant shadow cast by Michigan, Michigan State and Wayne State.

Well, Monday was another example of how Michigan’s mid-majors are doing just fine, thank you, when it comes to using and researching high tech in an effort to build the Next Michigan.

My first stop Monday was Central Michigan University, where my day began with LeRoy S. Barnes, director of plant energy and utilities, and Steve P. Lawrence, associate vice president of facilities management.

Tech Tour Day Five, Too: Ferris State Spectacular

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

October 3, 2011/CBS Detroit

Ferris State University, GLITR, Tech Tour Ferris State University is one of those schools that isn’t afraid to let its nerd flag fly.

Its roots are in a private vocational school, and it’s still in the two-year associate’s degree business in some technologies that are important to society but rarely degreed — rubber engineering technology, for instance.

Census 2010: SVSU Officials Tackle State's Low College Graduation Rates

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Sunday, September 25, 2011/The Saginaw News

KOCHVILLE TWP. — There’s good news from the U.S. Census Bureau: A college degree can add a million dollars to the lifetime earnings of a typical American worker.

Michigan, however, lags behind the nation in income and the percentage of people with college degrees.

Saginaw Valley State University spokesman J.J. Boehm said another trend contributes both to Michigan’s below-average college graduation rate and its lower income levels: Decreasing state aid to colleges and universities.

Michigan Tech Gets First Solar Energy Research Center

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

September 26, 2011/CBS Detroit

The Keweenaw Research Center will dedicate Michigan Technological University’s first facility devoted to solar energy research on Wednesday, Sept. 28, at 9 a.m.

The Michigan Tech Solar Photovoltaic Research Facility includes an array of solar panels and an advanced energy-monitoring system at KRC’s Engineering Design Building, near the Houghton County Memorial Airport. The two-kilowatt system will generate enough energy to charge all of the electric snowmobiles competing in the SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge, held at KRC every March.

3 U-M Faculty Members Get 'Genius Grants' for Research

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

September 20, 2011/The Detroit News

Ann Arbor- Three University of Michigan researchers - all women - have been awarded the prestigious MacArthur Foundation's "genius grants."

U-M historian Tiya Miles, chemist Melanie Sanford and stem cell biologist Yukiko Yamashita are among the 22 new MacArthur Fellows, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced Tuesday.

It is the first time that U-M faculty members have been awarded the coveted grant since 2005. U-M tied Harvard University for having the highest number of fellows in this year's class.

Cooley Law School, WMU Partner to Offer Third Dual Degree Program

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

September 20, 2011/MLive.com

LANSING -- Thomas M. Cooley Law School and Western Michigan University are partnering to offer a program that allows students to earn a master's degree in social work and a Juris Doctorate simultaneously.

The schools on Monday announced their third dual degree partnership; the program begins in the fall of 2012.

Lasers Could be Used to Detect Roadside Bombs

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

September 16, 2011/MSU News

EAST LANSING, Mich. — A research team at Michigan State University has developed a laser that could detect roadside bombs – the deadliest enemy weapon encountered in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The laser, which has comparable output to a simple presentation pointer, potentially has the sensitivity and selectivity to canvas large areas and detect improvised explosive devices – weapons that account for around 60 percent of coalition soldiers’ deaths. Marcos Dantus, chemistry professor and founder of BioPhotonic Solutions, led the team and has published the results in the current issue of Applied Physics Letters.

Michigan Schools Tout Spots On US News List

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

September 13, 2011/CBS Detroit

America's Best Colleges, michigan schools, US News & World Report Several Michigan schools ranked among the top universities in the nation in US News & World Report’s 2012 edition of “Best Colleges.”

Michigan Technological University, Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Western Michigan University were all included in US News’ list of the nation’s top national universities.

Now ranked 115, Michigan Tech continues its climb on the list, a spot it shares with Washington State University, Howard University in Washington, D.C., and the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota.

Kettering University and Grand Valley State also said they were pleased with their showing on the list.

Wayne State Researcher to Study Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

September 12, 2011/CBS Detroit

DETROIT — A Wayne State University reseracher has won a $418,000 grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of the National Institutes of Health.

Graham Parker, assistant professor of research in the Department of Pediatrics, will use the grant to study how a particular gene might be involved in the progression of spinal muscular atrophy, the No. 1 genetic killer of children younger than 2 years old.

“Although most people have never heard of it, SMA is the most prevalent hereditary motor neuron disease, affecting four to 10 per 100,000 live births, with as many as one in 75 people being carriers of the genetic mutation,” Parker said.

Honors Transfer Innovators

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

July 19, 2011/University of Michigan-Dearborn

Student group comes together to design a new, transfer-friendly honors program at UM-Dearborn focusing on creativity and leadership

This summer, 10 students from Henry Ford Community College, Schoolcraft and the University of Michigan-Dearborn have come together to design a new, transfer-friendly honors program at UM-Dearborn focusing on creativity and leadership. When launched in Fall 2012 this honors program will be one of the few in the country designed specifically for transfer students.

The Honors Transfer Innovators (HTI) are a diverse group of students from a wide range of demographic, geographic and educational backgrounds. Each student brings his/her own diverse perspective to the table and five weeks into the program the students are amazed at how much they are learning about each other and themselves.

Michigan Tech Studies Link Between Volcanoes, Earthquakes

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

July 18, 2011/CBS Detroit

The ash from the recent eruptions of the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle in Chile disrupted airplane schedules, and the ash even circled the globe a second time, causing more delays.

A Michigan Technological University researcher and his graduate students are studying how volcanoes like this erupt and what their relation is to earthquakes. They hope to resolve much bigger issues than airplane inconveniences.

Greg Waite, assistant professor of geological and mining engineering and sciences, is focusing on “mini-earthquakes” within or beneath the nearby and also troublesome Villarrica volcano. These earthquakes reveal details about the shape of the conduit and dynamics of the magmatic system.

URC Projects Contribute to Detroit's Revitalization

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

July 11, 2011/Research Corridor, Michigan's URC

As leaders across the state acknowledge that Michigan can't survive and thrive without a healthy Detroit, URC universities are drawing on their faculty and students in countless ways to contribute to the city's revitalization. The universities send students and faculty into the city to work alongside community organizations and learn about Detroit in a ground-level, hands-on way; they also lend expertise and bring the force of their research might to bear on urban problems.

There are far too many urban initiatives at each school to include them all; instead, we're highlighting examples of how each university engages with the city of Detroit that reflects each university's unique character.

A Roadmap for Supporting Higher Education

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

June 30, 2011/Michigan Future

We have long argued that the state needs to reverse recent trends of under-investing in colleges, universities and community colleges. Michigan spent decades building a world-class systems of higher education. The system is arguably the most import asset the state has to develop the concentration of talent Michigan needs to be successful in the knowledge-based economy.

Obviously we have not got to the point where state policy makers are willing to move back to reinvestment. In fact we are going in the opposite direction with a budget that will implement the largest reduction in state support for higher education ever. But when we are ready – hopefully soon – we now have a roadmap that should be the framework for higher education funding and policy going forward.

It comes from University of Michigan President Emeritus James J. Duderstadt. It is contained in his terrific new report for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs entitled A Master Plan for Higher Education in the Midwest. (For those interested in all the details you can get the full report here.) There are far too many good ideas in the report to cover them all here. I really urge you to read the report.

Our Community is Part of Push for Higher Education

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Jun 22, 2011/The Times Herald

For the past several years, the Community Foundation of St. Clair County ranked education as one of our top priorities. Moreover, keeping our students on a path toward some type of post-secondary education now is our No. 1 goal.

We are fortunate to collaborate with the true experts and leaders --our school districts, the St. Clair County Regional Educational Service Agency, Baker College of Port Huron and St. Clair County Community College.

When the BlueMeetsGreen plan was being formulated, it, too, adopted education as a key priority. We were more than pleasantly surprised to find improving the education of our community is one goal on which so many community stakeholders can agree.

Eastern Michigan University to Help Address Failing Schools as Part of Governor Snyder's Plan

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

June 20, 2011/Eastern Michigan University News

YPSILANTI – Eastern Michigan University is part of a newly created authority to run failing public schools in Michigan under a series of broad changes announced today by Gov. Rick Snyder.

The plan would restructure the Detroit Public Schools by moving some of its schools under an 11-member authority, which would include two members appointed by EMU, and to be run by the district's emergency manager, Roy Roberts.

Two members would be appointed by the Detroit Public Schools and seven by the governor.
EMU is the only one of Michigan’s 15 public universities to be involved in the project.

“We are excited and proud to collaborate in this partnership,” said Roy Wilbanks, chair of the EMU Board of Regents. “We are delighted to be involved and help play a leadership role in the education of Michigan’s children.”

Keep Higher Ed a Top Priority

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

June 12, 2011/Crain’s Detroit Business

By Mary Sue Coleman

Quality higher education has never been more important to investing in the future of Michigan.

With the Legislature's passage of a new budget, the University of Michigan is absorbing a $48 million loss to our general fund. We will adapt to the short-term pain. We will protect the quality of the academic enterprise, contain costs to ensure a strong return on tax dollars and remain affordable and accessible to students.

We need equally strong resolve from the businesses, communities and organizations we serve. We must make an unyielding commitment to investing in higher education or else risk our collective progress in rebuilding Michigan as a global economic player.

Michigan's taxpayer support for higher education is in the bottom 10 in the nation. To climb into the top 10 most prosperous states, higher education must become a priority.

Michael Boulus: Budget Cuts, Education Rhetoric Don't Add Up

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

June 6, 2011/Crain's Detroit Business

Last month, Gov. Rick Snyder signed into law the two-year budget that cut the state's appropriations to public universities 15 percent across the board -- under the caveat that the institutions keep tuition below the average five-year tuition increase.

The losses range from about $47 million at the University of Michigan to nearly $13 million at Oakland University.

Universities and colleges strongly opposed the funding cuts, but inevitably lost as the Republican-led House and Senate passed the budget bill before Snyder signed it in May.

State Education Budget Cuts will Cost SVSU $4 Million and Add to Expected Tuition Hike, Spokesman Says

Tue, 31 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

May 29, 2011/The Saginaw News

KOCHVILLE TWP. -- Saginaw Valley State University expects a 15 percent cut in state aid to universities will cost the Kochville Township campus about $4 million, and will add to an expected tuition rise the Board of Control may enact in June, said SVSU spokesman J.J. Boehm.

The Republican-dominated Legislature voted mostly along party lines last week to cut state aid to universities by 15 percent. Boehm expected a tuition hike will remain less than a 7 percent cap lawmakers have warned would lead to more loss of aid.

State aid reductions over time have created "a significant shift in who pays for higher education," Boehm said. State revenue will make up slight more than 20 percent of SVSU’s budget when the cuts take effect Oct. 1, the start of the next fiscal year.

OTHER VOICES: To Prosper, State Must Add College Grads

Wed, 25 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

May 22, 2011/Crain's Detroit Business

By Mike Boulus

Virginia is one of the nation's leaders in prosperity. Its per capita income ranks seventh in the nation. It ranks sixth in the percentage of population with a college degree, and its seasonally adjusted March unemployment rate was 6.3 percent.

Michigan is an economic afterthought. We rank 37th in per capita income and 34th in percentage of population with a college degree. Our seasonally adjusted April unemployment rate was 10.2 percent.

Virginia is getting ready to turbocharge its economy. Its Republican governor has committed to add 100,000 people with college degrees or college certificates to the state's workforce -- creating more raw material for the knowledge economy -- with a focus on science and engineering graduates. And the state will increase spending on higher education next year by $65 million to do it.

The Case for Higher Education as a Priority

Fri, 20 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

May 20, 2011/Michigan Future Inc.

By Lou Glazer

Great column in Dome Magazine by Glen Mroz, the terrific President of Michigan Tech. Mroz makes the case that cutting higher education funding is harmful to the Michigan economy.

First the facts. State appropriations to higher education are down 35% over the last ten years. So much for the nonsense that the state went on a spending spree the last decade. We ended last year as one of the bottom 10 states in the nation in tax dollars spent per student for higher education. With the record 15% cut (or more) that will come with this year’s budget we almost for sure will drop to bottom five. Not smart!

WSU Lands $750K Grant to Improve Healthcare Education Options

Wed, 18 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

May 17, 2011/Model D Startup News

Midtown Wayne State University has received a $750,000 grant from the Kresge Foundation to expand the Michigan Area Education Center program.

The Michigan Area Education Center is working to recruit and train more students for the health-care workforce. The program focuses on students in economically challenged areas to help alleviate unemployment attract more talent to the rapidly growing industry.

Glenn Mroz: Higher Ed Funding Hitting Bottom

Fri, 13 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

May 13, 2011/Dome Magazine

By Glenn Mroz

Michigan has earned a dubious distinction: a decade of deep cuts to state higher education appropriations has made Michigan one of the bottom 10 states in the nation in tax dollars spent per student for higher education, a new State Higher Education Executive Officersreport indicates.

And this dismal statistic is about to get even worse. With the 15 percent decrease in higher education funding included in current state budget proposals, the Senate Fiscal Agency reports that Michigan’s funding for higher education has dropped almost 35 percent in the past 10 years. That will put the state among the bottom five nationwide in higher education funding.

New National Report Shows Michigan in Bottom 10 of Higher Education Support

Fri, 13 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

A decade of deep cuts to state higher education appropriations has put Michigan in the bottom 10 of all states in per student support for higher education. Proposed budget cuts would put state in bottom 5. Read here

CMU Scholarship to Benefit Community College Students

Fri, 13 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

May 12, 2011/MLive.com

A new Central Michigan University scholarship offered through CMU Off-Campus and Online Programs will help more community college students pursue bachelor’s degrees.

The Michigan Community College Academic Achievement Award, which will be awarded for the first time in the 2011-2012 academic year, provides four-year degree opportunities to students attending a community college but who live in a county that lacks a public university. The scholarship will provide financial support to be used at CMU’s online or off-campus locations renewable for up to four continuous years.

Editorial: GOP's Morality Police Ride Again

Mon, 09 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

May 9, 2011/Detroit Free Press

Michigan's Republican lawmakers continue to press their own social agendas on the rest of the state. The latest assault came last week with an amendment to the House bill on education funding. Rep. David Agema, R-Grandville, got majority backing for his plan to subtract 5% from the state funding of any university that offers health insurance coverage for employees who live with another adult outside of marriage.

Another GOP amendment would require additional reporting on embryonic stem cell research -- a transparent effort to impede a scientific inquiry Michigan voters have explicitly endorsed. That change was added by a House subcommittee.

Michigan's Constitution gives the state's 15 universities an unusual degree of autonomy, a frequent source of annoyance for lawmakers. In this case, their zeal to control the universities may even be unconstitutional. But that won't stop them from trying.

GVSU Launches Web Site Of School, Neighborhood Data

Fri, 06 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

May 5, 2011/CBS Detroit

Grand Valley State University has developed a Web site designed to help Michigan residents and educators learn more about their schools and communities, and how they impact one another.

The Web site, www.Mi-School.net, combines 2010 U.S. Census data with information from the Michigan Department of Education, Michigan Department of Community Health and local police departments and clerks. The site features visual markers that represent all traditional, charter and private schools in the state. Each marker representing a school can be selected to view information about that specific school or district, including enrollment characteristics and standardized test performance.

Mi-School.net is built on a platform similar to Google Maps and allows users to visually display information such as an area’s population, housing, vital records, crime, education, income, voting and transportation through color-coded maps. The site also features a comparison tool that allows users to compare up to five schools or districts using 40 different indicators.

Western Michigan Students Win Case Study Competition

Fri, 06 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

May 3, 2011/LSJ

Student from Mason presents research paper

KALAMAZOO - Three Western Michigan University (WMU) students won a national case study competition for the second consecutive year, and WMU received the 2011 Program Excellence award for its Telecommunications and Information Management Program.

Competing against teams of graduate students, the WMU contingent competed in the International Telecommunications Education and Research Association (ITERA) National Case Study Competition. The final round of the competition and public presentations were held during ITERA's Ninth Annual Conference on Telecommunications and Information Technology April 8-10 in Indianapolis.

Universities Save Millions by Carving out Drug Plans from Health Insurance

Thu, 05 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

May 02, 2011/Crain's Detroit Business

In 2002, the University of Michigan contracted with eight health insurers and HMOs to offer group health coverage to its employees and manage rising prescription benefits.

But Keith Bruhnsen, UM’s prescription drug plan manager and assistant director of benefits, did not like the rising cost trend he was seeing with employee prescriptions.

“We had been seeing 15 percent to 20 percent annual cost increases” for UM’s prescription benefits, which were managed by insurers and health plans, Bruhnsen said.

So in 2003 UM “decided to carve out prescription benefits” from the health plans, most of which had been contracting that service out to large pharmacy benefit management companies, Bruhnsen said.

“We saved $8.6 million the first year,” he said.

Detroit Enters $1 Million Competition to Raise Number of Degree-holders

Thu, 05 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

May 02, 2011/Crain's Detroit Business

Metro Detroit has accepted a challenge to increase the number of degrees it produces locally over the next three years in a competition with at least 27 other metros around the country.

Launched by Chicago-based CEOs for Cities, the contest puts Southeast Michigan in the running for a $1 million national marketing campaign promoting its focus on a highly educated workforce.

It also brings together disparate local efforts that work on talent development in the region.

“Much more important than winning the prize is building the collaboration among universities, colleges and other organizations” while increasing degree completion, said University of Michigan-Dearborn Chancellor Daniel Little, who is co-chairing a local steering committee for the contest with Richard Rassel, chairman of Butzel Long PC.

Grand Valley Reports Record Internships, Economic Impact

Mon, 02 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

May 1, 2011/CBS News Detroit

The annual economic impact that Grand Valley State University has on the region rose by nearly $40 million to $680.4 million in the 2009-10 fiscal year.

The university issued its yearly economic impact report during its April 29 Board of Trustees meeting.

Grand Valley also reported a record number of students are getting practical experience in the work force, saving employers money and keeping more graduates in Michigan.

The economic impact report covers Kent, Ottawa and Muskegon counties. The university employs more than 3,000 people and brings nearly 25,000 students to West Michigan.

WSU Researcher Files For Patent On Chlamydia Vaccine

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

April 19, 2011/CBS Detroit

A Wayne State University School of Medicine researcher has developed a potential first-ever vaccine for Chlamydia, the world’s most prevalent sexually transmitted disease and the leading cause of new cases of blindness.

Judith Whittum-Hudson, professor of immunology and microbiology, internal medicine and ophthalmology, has identified three peptides that have demonstrated a vaccine effect to inoculate against Chlamydia successfully in an animal model. Those findings could result in a vaccine for humans.

Patent applications on the technology have been filed by Wayne State University and licensed to a start-up company.

While Chlamydia infection can be readily addressed with a regimen of antibiotics, the treatment does not prevent re-infection. Treatment with antibiotics too early after infection may interfere with the natural development of immunity to Chlamydia, Whittum-Hudson said, and significant portions of the world lack access to basic health care infrastructure that could offer treatment through antibiotics.

UM Student Startups Excel At Rice University Competition

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

April 19, 2011/CBS Detroit

The Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business today announced that several student-run startups have been awarded top prizes at this year’s Rice University Business Plan Competition, the world’s largest and richest graduate-level business plan competition.

The two winning teams, Regenerate and Are You a Human, both started their business plan competition season the UM’s Michigan Business Challenge, and together took home $216,000 in total cash prizes and investment dollars at the RBPC, which took place April 14-16.

Beating out more than 500 original business plan submittals and 42 competing teams, Are You A Human took second place in the competition. The company, which has developed a game-based human authentication tool that replaces the distorted text images known as CAPTCHAs, won $15,000 for this achievement and also went on to win the Most Promising Technology Start-Up award, for an additional $100,000 investment.

Should We Free Our Public Universities?

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

April 15, 2011/Dome Magazine

Governor Snyder proposes the largest, one-year cut in state aid to higher education in recent history. Only by adhering to certain accomplishments, like holding tuition rates to 7 percent and increasing graduation rates, can the state’s universities take a hit as low as 15 percent. Otherwise, the reduction is larger. This comes after a decade of cuts to higher education.

Is it unthinkable, in a steady decline of state support, for public universities to think “private?”

My view is “yes,” it’s unthinkable and detrimental.

What’s the quid pro quo? If universities declared independence from the state, what would they gain? Michigan’s constitution grants broad autonomy to its 15 institutions. They are free to establish fields of discipline, admittance and graduation requirements, tuition and fees, curricula, their physical plants, and nearly all other policies and procedures.

CMU Officials focus on Cutting Expenditures, Maintaining Quality Education

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

April 15, 2011/The Saginaw News

MOUNT PLEASANT -- With an expected decrease in state appropriations, Central Michigan University President George Ross said the university is working on ways to save money.

"We will not not sacrifice academic quality," he said at the Board of Trustees meeting Thursday.

With Gov. Rick Snyder's proposed budget, Michigan's public universities could face at least a 15 percent cut in operational funds from the state. The proposal includes incentives for universities that keep tuition rate raises below 7.1 percent over five years.

CMU officials are working toward implementing additional cost savings. Ross said he will not lay off employees or add furlough days to save money.

Ferris Conference Seeks To Wean U.S. Off Oil

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

April 14, 2011/CBS Detroit

A blunt assessment of America’s energy problems from Congress’ just-retired “Mr. Science” kicked off Day Two of the Michigan Energy Conference at Ferris State University Wednesday.

“Why do you think we’re in Afghanistan? Why do you think we went into Iraq? Why do you think we’re worried about Libya? Because they are places with oil and oil is a precious resource,” former Congressman Vern Ehlers, a Ph.D. physicist, said at the event in Big Rapids.

Ehlers said that energy is intangible to most people — and that he wishes it was bright purple, so people could tell when it’s being wasted.

Ehlers urged a radical rethinking of how we approach energy sources. Instead of dividing them into renewable vs. non-renewable, Ehlers put them into the categories of a family budget, “income,” “savings” and “inheritance.”

New Filter Technology from Michigan Tech

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

April 14, 2011/CBS Detroit

A scanning electron microscopy image of the carbon nanotube-coated filter. For comparison, the inset is bare stainless steel mesh.

Water and oil may not mix, but, like two boxers nearing the end of the final round, they can get awfully tangled up.

Now, Michigan Technological University scientists Yoke Khin Yap and Jaroslaw Drelich have created a filter that separates the two substances as quickly and cleanly as a ref breaking up a clinch.

Their fine, stainless steel mesh is coated with carbon nanotubes about 10 microns across.

“They have a super-honeycomb structure that repels water,” said Yap, an associate professor of physics. “But they like organic stuff, like oil.”

The team poured an emulsion of water and gasoline over the filter to test it. Sure enough, the gas dripped through; all but 20 percent of the water stayed put.

It’s not as if you could filter the Gulf of Mexico through the device, Yap cautioned. Their prototype is about the size of a quarter. Plus, the water drops can actually clog the spaces between the nanotubes, making it hard for anything to get through.

Michigan Tech No. 1 In Peace Corps Master’s Volunteers for Sixth Straight Year

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

April 10, 2011/CBS Detroit

Michigan Technological University once again has more Peace Corps Master’s International (PCMI) graduate students actively serving as Peace Corps volunteers than any other college or university in the nation.

Michigan Tech has 32 PCMI students currently on Peace Corps assignments. There are also a number of students on campus fulfilling the academic portions of their master’s degrees.

The national Peace Corps headquarters in Washington, D.C., announced today that Michigan Tech has earned the top spot for the sixth consecutive year. Tulane University placed second, and the University of Washington was third.

UM Gets $8 Mllion Grant To Improve Children’s Health Care

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

April 10, 2011/CBS Detroit

University of Michigan researchers have received a four-year, $8 million grant to help develop, test and refine pediatric health care measures for children in the United States.

Gary L. Freed, M.D., Director of the Division of General Pediatrics and Director of the Children’s Health Evaluation and Research (CHEAR) Unit, will be the principal investigator leading a team of at least 10 researchers and at least eight partners and research centers and organizations, including the State of Michigan Medicaid Program.

The University of Michigan was one of seven top medical centers in the country to receive such grants, which will be used to improve the quality and outcomes of health care for the country’s children, including the almost 40 million children enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, also known as CHIP.

MSU Partners with US Commerce Dept to Increase Exports for Michigan Businesses

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

April 6, 2011/Capital Gains

For small to medium sized businesses, the idea of international exporting never makes it beyond the idea stage. It can be prohibitively expensive to even determine if a overseas market exists, let alone the cost of then making it happen.

Thanks to a partnership between the MSU International Business Center and the US Department of Commerce, that process is about to become easier and more affordable for Michigan businesses.

“There are all kinds of trade-offs that companies have to make,” says Tomas Hult, Director of the MSU IBC, “and we want to help them get rid of some of those trade-offs.”

Funding Formula Idea Worries Leaders at State Universities

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

April 6, 2011/Lansing State Journal

Testifying last month in front of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education, Michigan State University President Lou Anna Simon called Gov. Rick Snyder's proposed cut to state university funding "brutal."

She couldn't have called them unexpected.

MSU had planned for a $37 million dip in its state appropriations next year and for a tuition increase of about 7 percent to offset it, keeping its general fund budget at just over $1 billion.

Under Snyder's plan, which cuts higher education funding by 15 percent, more for individual schools if they fail to keep tuition increases under 7 percent, MSU would lose $42 million.

MSU may not get so close to the mark in 2013. That's not solely because of uncertainty in the state's finances. It's because Snyder is proposing changes to the rules.

Detroit in Top 5 Markets for Engineering Services Sector Hiring

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Detroit comes in at No. 5 for the metro areas with the most new job ads posted for the engineering services sector over the last 90 days, according to Wanted Analytics.

Since January, there have been 764 new postings for jobs in this sector in metro Detroit — up 89.6 percent from the same period last year.

Civil, electrical, mechanical, industrial and environmental engineers make up the top five occupations in the sector, showing increases ranging from 69-104 percent compared to last year at this time.

Detroit Grows Faster Than Silicon Valley in Tech Jobs

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

March 24, 2011/Bloomberg

As a group of Ford Motor Co. (F) managers in blue jeans sat down to interview a suit-wearing candidate from a California technology company this month, they jokingly offered to cut off his tie to put him at ease.

Auto industry executives are trying to make Silicon Valley engineers feel at home in Detroit. With a burgeoning number of technology job openings to fill, they’re scouring Internet companies for workers, wining and dining applicants, and seeking promising students at schools such as Stanford University.

“We have a whole slew of job postings out there currently,” said Doug VanDagens, director of Ford’s connected service solutions, who has been trying to lure engineers to the automaker to design software. “We’re just on a growth binge.”

Expertise in cloud computing, mobile software applications and energy management are in demand in the Motor City as automakers replace car stereos with Internet radio and gasoline engines with motors powered by lithium-ion batteries.

Michigan College Students Protest Higher Education Cuts at State Capitol

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

March 24, 2011

LANSING -- More than 150 university students gathered today on the steps of the Capitol to protest proposed state cuts to higher education.

Carrying picket signs that read "We are the future," the students, who are from several universities statewide, including Michigan State, are upset over a proposal by Gov. Rick Snyder to slash funding for universities by $42 million.

Stefan Johnson, 34, a master's student studying anthropology at MSU, said he feared the proposed cuts would force universities to hike tuition next year.

Universities Cry Foul over Gov. Rick Snyder's Plan that Cuts Funding, Tries to Restrict Rising Tuition Increases

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

March 23, 2011/Booth Newspapers

Day 81: This is one in a series of posts assessing key developments during Gov. Rick Snyder's self-imposed 182 days to chart a new course for Michigan by July 1. For earlier posts go to mlive.com/stateofchange.

Gov. Rick Snyder’s higher education budget that ties additional state aid to tuition restraint violates the constitutional autonomy of Michigan’s 15 public universities and fails to treat the schools like the unique institutions they are, school officials are telling lawmakers during budget hearings.

Eric Gilbertson, president of Saginaw Valley State University, today was the latest, telling a Senate committee hat Snyder’s proposed spending plan is based on the “simplistic notion that one size fits all.” And in doing so, particularly punishes growing universities like SVSU that have sought to keep tuition low.

Michigan Tech President Tells House, Senate: Universities are the Engine Driving Economic Recovery

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

March 24, 2011/Michigan Tech News

By Jennifer Donovan

Testifying before the Michigan House and Senate subcommittees on higher education in Lansing this week, Michigan Tech President Glenn Mroz painted a promising picture of the relationship between universities and a robust economy.

“This state and nation need the scientific and technological breakthroughs that cause dramatic increases in production and efficiency,” he said, “and these breakthroughs are dependent on the faculty, staff, students and graduates of research universities. It is these people who, through excellent education and technological innovation, can attract the capital that will create the jobs that will change Michigan.”

But, Mroz went on to say, there is a stunning disconnect between the state University’s growth and its state support.

$100 Million Anonymous Gift will Support New WMU Medical School

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

March 22, 2011/WMU News

KALAMAZOO--A $100 million cash gift, the largest ever made to a Michigan college or university, will be used to give birth to a private medical school at a public institution--Western Michigan University.

Announced March 22 by WMU President John M. Dunn, the anonymous gift is among the 10 largest cash gifts ever made to an American public university and the 15th largest in the history of American higher education. The gift will serve as the foundation funding for a school of medicine that WMU is developing in partnership with Kalamazoo's two major hospitals, Borgess Health and Bronson Healthcare.

"Yesterday, I spoke with our donors to express the extreme gratitude of this University and this community," Dunn said at a morning news conference. "This is a historic gift and a historic moment. With their gift, these generous donors are endorsing the vision we've developed with our partners. It's a vision that will transform this community by leveraging its legacy and unique resources."

Oakland University Makes Strides in Quest to be a Top College

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

March 13, 2011

The Golden Grizzlies and their NCAA berth may be the talk of the town at Oakland University, but one of the biggest events in this school's 54-year history will have nothing to do with sports.

In August, 50 prospective doctors will don sleek white coats for a symbolic ceremony to mark the opening of the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine.

The medical school marks just the latest evolution for the university, where enrollment has grown, degree programs have been added and more students see OU as their first choice for college. It's an evolution that school leaders say will increase the stature of OU and help it compete with some of the big names in Michigan higher education.

OU President Gary Russi says it's only a matter of time.

"We think we are evolving into an absolute major player," Russi said.

University Presidents Map Out Michigan’s New Businesses, Jobs

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

March 10, 2011/CBS Detroit

The presidents of the three University Research Corridor institutions and the Michigan Economic Development Corp. will share a stage in Novi on Monday, March 21 to map out emerging business and job growth prospects at a business breakfast co-hosted by the URC and WWJ Newsradio 950.

The interactive panel discussion will take place at the Sheraton Detroit Novi Hotel, Ballroom B, 21111 Haggerty Road. Networking, registration and a continental breakfast begins at 7:15 a.m., with the panel discussion from 8:30 to 10 a.m.

The discussion, moderated by WWJ Technology Editor Matt Roush, features University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman, MEDC President and CEO Michael A. Finney, Wayne State University President Allan Gilmour and Michigan State University President Lou Anna Simon.

MAREC, GVSU Entrepreneurs To Market Solar Energy Credits

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

February 28, 2011

Grand Valley State University’s Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center in Muskegon has been certified as a generator of solar power, allowing the facility to gain revenue for the solar power it produces.

The certification, enabled by the state of Ohio, was developed through a partnership with Midwest Solar Aggregation Group, a subsidiary of Sustainable Energy Financing, a firm founded by Grand Valley-educated entrepreneurs Kyle Denning and Dan Kuipers.

MAREC is currently the largest solar generator in Michigan to receive this certification, and one of a few Michigan solar generators taking advantage of the emerging carbon offset market-based incentive.

UM Study: 1.5 Million Jobs, $62 Billion Wages Tied To Great Lakes

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

February 24, 2011/CBS Detroit

More than 1.5 million U.S. jobs are directly connected to the Great Lakes, generating $62 billion in wages annually, according to a new analysis by Michigan Sea Grant at the University of Michigan.

The analysis, released Thursday, is based on 2009 employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and represents a conservative estimate of direct employment related to the Great Lakes in several industries, according to the authors, Michigan Sea Grant’s assistant director, Jennifer Read, and research specialist Lynn Vaccaro.

“Many people don’t realize how large an impact the Great Lakes have across many large sectors of this region’s economy,” Read said. “The total number of jobs and the percentage of jobs by industry illustrate just how critical the Great Lakes are to the region. For example, there are more than 525,000 Great Lakes-related jobs in Michigan alone.”

UM Student’s Invention Will Bring Clean Water To A Thirsty World

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

February 21, 2011/CBS Detroit.com

Cynthia Koenig knows that by reinventing the wheel she could change the world. In a few months, she hopes to make a difference in India.

Koenig, a graduate student at the University of Michigan, created the WaterWheel, a 20-gallon rolling water barrel and Wello, the business that distributes it in developing countries, where clean water is scarce.

After graduation this spring from UM’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business, Koenig plans to launch a pilot program in Rajasthan, India to test the WaterWheel’s social impact and health benefits. Her goal is to sell 5,000 wheels in 12 months, positively impacting the lives of 40,000 people. She is working with an Indian company to manufacture the wheel.

UM Transplants 500th Lung

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

February 16, 2011/CBS Detroit

The University of Michigan Transplant Center in Ann Arbor celebrated a milestone recently, performing its 500th lung transplant. But there’s much more to this story than a number.

UM surgeons performed both transplant No. 499 and No. 500 almost simultaneously on Jan. 3. Both recipients were saved by a single organ donor.

No. 499 is Jack Wagner, a 64-year-old from Brighton. No. 500 is Dan Roy, a 64-year-old from Brownstown Township. Both men had Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. A diagnosis of IPF is not much better than a death sentence: there is no treatment and the survival rate is less than three years. In fact, Roy’s older brother died of the same disease before he could get a transplant.

Obama Plugs Wired Marquette

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

February 10, 2011/MIRS News

President Barack OBAMA held up the city of Marquette and Northern Michigan University (NMU) today as examples of how the United States can meet his State of the Union goal of having wireless Internet available to 98 percent of the country.

If the United States is going to continue to be an international economic powerhouse, access to high-speed Internet will be essential in attracting the new jobs and new business, he said.

More than 90 percent of homes in South Korea subscribe to the Internet, he said. Only 65 percent of U.S. households can say the same, the President said.

"When it comes to high-speed internet, the lights are still off in one-third of our households," Obama said. "For millions of Americans, the railway hasn't come yet."

NMU Invited to Milan Design Show

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

February 5, 2011/NMU News

MARQUETTE, Mich.—Northern Michigan University’s human-centered design program has been invited to participate in the annual Salone Satellite, a juried show for student and emerging designers in Milan, Italy. Eighteen students will exhibit prototypes of their creative research to an international audience of media, manufacturers and design professionals April 12-17.

Salone Satellite was introduced as a venue for young designers to complement the longstanding Salone Internazionale del Mobile (Milan International Furniture Fair). The latter showcases the work of established professionals who have teamed up with design-driven companies around the world to create new product lines. Salone Internazionale del Mobile is in its 50th year. It attracts nearly 400,000 visitors and, according to NMU Art and Design Professor Peter Pless, is regarded as the most important show in design.

Japan Center earns Award for International Education

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

February 6, 2011/The State News

By Beau Hayhoe

As soon as she returned from her study abroad program in Japan in the summer of 2008, Mandy Kline wanted to go back.

Through the Japan Center for Michigan Universities, or JCMU— where Kline, a psychology and Japanese senior, now works as a peer adviser — she found a new passion and developed the necessary language skills, both of which might some day allow her to return.

“I decided to add an additional degree because I loved it so much,” Kline said. “It kind of helped me to plan out my trajectory for my future.”

GV Receives Environmental Certification from MTESP

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

February 6, 2011/Grand Valley Lanthorn

By Molly Waite

At the end of 2010, Grand Valley State University became the first public university in Michigan to be certified by the Michigan Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship Program (MTESP).

The program aims to promote and communicate best management practices, adopt pollution prevention practices, control potential sources of pollution, comply with environmental laws and regulations, and reduce waste, said GVSU grounds supervisor Ken Stanton.

“This is quite an accomplishment at the university level,” he said. “To do this project requires a large commitment of time and resources.

P&G Deal is Potential Seed for Research

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

January 21, 2011/The Detroit News

MSU, U-M, WSU partnership aims to facilitate investment

A partnership between Procter & Gamble and Michigan’s top research universities could spur interest from more powerhouse companies and attract more research dollars to the state, university officials said Thursday.

The proposed agreement between Procter & Gamble, the world’s largest consumer products company, and the University Research Corridor — Michigan State University, University of Michigan and Wayne State University — was announced in Gov. Rick Snyder’s State of the State address Wednesday evening and is expected to be signed over the next month. The master agreement — which streamlines legal hurdles between the parties to fast-track future research — will eventually be expanded to include all of Michigan’s 15 public universities, creating opportunities for students to learn from major corporations, Snyder said.

“Agreements like this bring more companies and more exposure to the universities, and bring more companies engaged in research to the universities,” said Jeff Mason, executive director of the University Research Corridor. “By other companies seeing what the universities have done … hopefully they will see that the universities are open to this type of research engagement.”

Blast Off! Tech Students’ Winning Satellite to Be Launched into Orbit

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

January 20, 2011/Michigan Tech News

A team of Michigan Technological University students has taken first place in the prestigious University Nanosat 6 competition, earning the rare privilege of having the Department of Defense launch their custom-made satellite into orbit.

The University Nanosat Program is sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory, which handpicked 11 university teams from dozens of applicants across the nation. Each of those 11 teams was then awarded a two-year contract to design and build a small satellite (“nanosat”) to perform a mission of its choosing. The program culminated with a flight competition review, held Jan. 16-17 in Albuquerque, N.M., adjacent to Kirtland Air Force Base. By winning the competition, Michigan Tech received a contract to further develop its satellite and launch it into orbit aboard a DOD rocket.

“This is a major accomplishment by our students,” said William Predebon, chair of the University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics. “It’s just fantastic.”

SVSU Selected for Partnership Program to Enhance U.S. Relations with China

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

January 14, 2011/Saginaw Valley State News

Saginaw Valley State University is one of 10 higher education institutions nationwide selected for the International Academic Partnerships Program’s 2011 China initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Through the Institute of International Education, SVSU will engage in a series of activities designed to implement and sustain partnerships in China over the next year.

“This initiative is part of our commitment to support growing educational, cultural and commercial ties with China,” said Donald Bachand, SVSU Provost. “These relationships are critical to our nation, and invaluable to our students.”

LSSU Product Development Center and Frank McClelland Hit Center Ice with Skate Fenders

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

January 12, 2011/Lake Superior State University News

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – A unique piece of protective skate gear is raising eyebrows in the hockey world and especially in the National Hockey League.

Lake Superior State University’s Product Development Center worked with inventor Frank McClelland of Gaylord to develop "Skate Fenders,"
tough, clear guards that fit over ice skate boots and fend off injuries to the foot and ankle from hockey pucks. McClelland's patented idea has caught on with hockey players everywhere.

Guest Column: GVSU is Economic Development Engine for Michigan

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

January 10, 2011/The Grand Rapids Press

A new team has taken charge in Lansing, elected to balance the state budget and chart a new course for 21st century job creation. Grand Valley State University has made a New Year’s resolution to do everything in our power to help lead Michigan to a more prosperous future. In fact, we are already well on our way.

I am heartened by Gov. Rick Snyder’s comments about the importance of education and the role it must play in our future. The governor recognizes that the states with the best economies are those with the most college graduates. It follows, then, that we should redouble our efforts to encourage Michigan’s high school students to continue their education after graduation.

Carnegie Foundation Recognizes University of Michigan-Flint for Community Engagement

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

January 10, 2011/Flint Journal

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has nationally recognized the University of Michigan-Flint for its community engagement, university leaders announced Monday.

The campus joins 311 colleges and universities in the nation with the same prestigious classification.

“It celebrates not only this campus but the entire community,” Chancellor Ruth Person said.

EMU 'Keys to Degrees' Program to Help Young, Single Parents Earn Degree

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

January 04, 2011/Eastern Michigan University News

YPSILANTI - Higher education might seem impossible for young, single parents, but, thanks to the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, that goal will soon be within reach at Eastern Michigan University.

A specially designed pilot program, called "Keys to Degrees," will offer young parents the opportunity to earn a bachelor's degree in three years. The program will provide assistance in balancing academics, work and family obligations. It will also educate student-parents and their children on campus while helping them develop into active, contributing members of the community.

The program begins in summer 2011. It is designed to have the students live on campus in University apartments, attend classes year-round, and, depending on the major selected, to be eligible to graduate in three years.

In addition, participants will have mentors with experience in their chosen career path, along with structured internship opportunities and ongoing guidance and instruction from campus and community resources. Children will attend the EMU Children's Institute on campus.

New Grand Valley State Building Will Pump up Conservation to Push Down Utility Costs

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT

December 29, 2010/Crain's Detroit Business

Grand Valley State University has an ambitious goal for the new library it will open in 2013: The Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons will use half as much energy as a typical building its size.

Don't expect photovoltaic panels or wind turbines.

The strategy isn't to replace one kind of power source with another, but to curtail energy use where ever possible.

"We looked at geothermal, solar cells and a solar wall," said Grand Valley's James Moyer, assistant vice president for facilities. "But, after an analysis, we discarded those options. Those systems would fail before we'd see a return on the investment. We went back to avoiding energy use, conserving."

EMU Shows Off New Science Complex

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT

December 16, 2010/CBS Detroit

Eastern Michigan University Thursday formally unveiled the signature architectural touch of its $90 million science complex upgrade — a spherical planetarium suspended five stories above an open atrium area in an 80,000-square-foot laboratory, classroom and office addition to the Mark Jefferson Science Building.

The largest single construction project in the history of EMU, the addition will open at the start of second semester Jan. 5.

Once faculty and classes move into the addition, a renovation of the 41-year-old, 180,000-square-foot Jefferson building will begin, a project set for completion in 2012.

“This is a historic project in several respects,” said EMU president Susan Martin.

LSSU Product Development Center Makes Business Easier for Marble Arms Of Gladstone

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT

December 7, 2010/Lake Superior State University News

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – An Upper Peninsula gun sight-maker that has been in business for more than 100 years has been able to dramatically improve production and hire more employees since working with Lake Superior State University's Product Development Center.

The LSSU PDC has completed a major automation project for Marble Arms, which has been manufacturing gun sights and other wares in Gladstone since 1892. The PDC took Marble's time-tested method of making sights by hand and automated the process.

"Automating the assembly of gun sights was a complicated task requiring the handling of several small parts and automatically assembling them into a flip-up rear gun sight," said Eric Becks, one of the PDC's engineering project managers.

Accelerate Michigan Names Student Winners

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT

December 11, 2010/CBS Detroit

Another day, more amazing company presentations at the Accelerate Michgian business plan competition at the University of Michigan’s North Campus Research Complex in Ann Arbor.

The bottom line: All those people who think America is moving in the wrong direction would feel a whole lot better about things if they were here.

A morning panel on funding cleantech startups in Michigan said the state is in the right place at the right time, with lots of opportunity in the cleantech market and lots of money available.

School Zone Blog: How Michigan Compares to Other States on Higher-ed Spending

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT

December 10, 2010/Kalamazoo Gazette

Michigan spends about $1.8 billion a year on higher education, compared to $3.5 billion in North Carolina, $2.3 billion in Georgia, $2.1 billion in New Jersey and $1.9 billion in Virginia -- all states with smaller populations than here.

That was my take-away from today's report from the New America Foundation, nonpartisan think-tank. The policy brief analyzes use of federal stimulus funds in higher education -- specifically, the use of state fiscal stablization funds. As opposed to money given directly to universities for research projects, this was the money given to state governments to plug holes in their education budgets, both for K-12 and higher ed.

The report's conclusion -- "Education Stabilization funds appear to have played a significant role in higher education spending in a number of states, likely supporting higher education services while many other government services were being cut" -- was pretty blah. But what did catch my eye was the state-by-state comparisons on overall higher-ed spending.

Michigan Tech Research Paper Places Tops in the World

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT

December 10, 2010/Michigan Tech News

Robbins Chair Professor Craig Friedrich co-authored prizewinning research paper.

At the Michigan Technological University Board of Control’s regular meeting on December 10, 2010, Chair Marty Richardson announced that work by a Michigan Tech professor, two alumni and a member of the Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics External Advisory Board has been recognized with the prestigious Paul A. Siple Award for the best paper presented at the biennial Army Science Conference.

The Siple Award is the highest honor the Army can bestow for research. It is given to recognize the accomplishments of Army scientists and engineers. The Army Science Conference is a world-class science and engineering competition involving researchers from 25 countries.

Michigan Universities Pool Funds To Buy More Cores

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT

December 7, 2010/Campus Technology

Two Michigan universities have pooled their funds to add a new cluster to a high performance computing center located at one of the institutions. Michigan State University's Institute for Cyber Enabled Research invested $750,000 and Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant about $130,000 to build a cluster that adds 1,500 processor cores and 4 TB of RAM to the High Performance Computing Center's compute capacity. The capacity will be used by researchers at both universities, as well as others in the state.

The mission of iCER is to ensure that researchers are able to use large-scale computer systems to produce results faster, and the new expansion furthers that mission, said Wolfgang Bauer, founding director of iCER and professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Michigan State in East Lansing. "If you add the high-performance computing upgrade with iCER's existing infrastructure, the system's total cloud capacity is equivalent to one of the top 500 supercomputer systems in the world."

Expanded Partnership Announced for WSU, Henry Ford Health System

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Detroit Free Press/December 7, 2010

Wayne State University’s School of Medicine and the Henry Ford Health System today announced a new, expanded partnership to train more students at Ford facilities and combine research interests.

Ford and WSU also will continue to explore possible construction of a biomedical research building and joint research foundation in Midtown, where the two partners are based.

“This is a great example of two major institutions working together for the good of Detroit,” said Nancy Schlichting, president and CEO of the Ford system, in a statement.

Opening Up Dormitories

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT

November 24, 2010/Inside Higher Ed

This fall, Eastern Michigan University opened its dorms to students from nearby Washtenaw Community College, in order to earn some extra revenue while further encouraging students to transfer and giving them a taste of residential college life.

The institutions are a half mile apart, Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti and Washtenaw in Ann Arbor. The university is also the top transfer destination of students from the community college. But when Eastern Michigan had extra dorm space to spare, the two institutions drew even closer.

“They approached us,” said Linda Blakey, Washtenaw associate vice president of student services, of Eastern Michigan officials. “They had an entire dormitory building that was empty that they were looking to fill. Also, we have some students who are interested in having an on-campus housing experience. But, we’re not interesting in having on-campus housing ourselves. That’s not one of our goals at Washtenaw. So, this now gives those students who are interested a chance to have that opportunity.”

GVSU Grows in Stature as Valued Community Asset

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT

November 22, 2010/Grand Rapids Business Journal

The 50th anniversary marked by Grand Valley State University provides a recollection of cows grazing in the pastures behind the first buildings sited in Allendale, and the group of Grand Rapids area businessmen who stood with shovels and dared to dig in.

The progress of the institution is as remarkable as that early image, and certainly due not only to the extraordinary leadership of a then nationally recognized young leader, but also former President Don Lubbers’ ability to keep and create business partnerships that provided for its success. Its current leader, Thomas Haas, continues that vision and is paving new ground for the next 50 years.

This community and the higher education community provide varied accolades for the university, but its highest praise is that of continued donor beneficence, at far greater levels. Students may not see how unique such contributions are, nor the benefit as it translates to contained tuition rates by university board guidance.

Wayne State Offers STEM Grads $30K To Make A Difference In Detroit

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT

November 21, 2010/GLITR

Wayne State University is encouraging college seniors, recent graduates and career changers from science, mathematics or engineering to become teachers in Detroit’s neediest schools.

Funded by a $16.7 million Kellogg Foundation grant and administered by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Woodrow Wilson Michigan Teaching Fellowships will provide stipends of $30,000 to get certified in 14 months and then finish their MAT the following year while doing their first year of teaching.

In exchange, Fellows must commit to teach in a high-need urban or rural secondary school upon completing the program and obtaining a teaching certificate.

Hail to the Victors! Team Michigan Wins Inaugural Worldwide Robotics Competition in Australia

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT

November 17, 2010/San Francisco Chronicle

Brisbane, Queensland (Vocus) November 16, 2010

With a squad of 14 robots that worked together autonomously in a complicated mapping exercise, the University of Michigan's "Team Michigan" has won the inaugural Multi Autonomous Ground-robotic International Challenge (MAGIC 2010) in Australia.

A joint initiative of Australia's Defence Science and Technology Organisation and the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command's Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC), MAGIC 2010 spanned more than two years with a stated goal of furthering the development of robot teams that could operate autonomously in dangerous situations, keeping Soldiers out of harm's way.

More Michigan Parents want College Education for Kids

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT

October 28, 2010/Detroit News

Out of Michigan's cataclysmic economic collapse comes a heartening piece of good news — the culture of education is growing healthier.

Five years ago, The Detroit News, working with Your Child of Michigan, a coalition of education groups, surveyed parental attitudes about the importance of going to college. The results were shocking: Only 27 percent of parents saw getting a college degree as essential to success in life.

That finding triggered considerable resentment and pushback from both parents and educators. In the weeks after we ran the poll results, my e-mail and voice mail were filled with angry messages from parents who said, "Forget about college, bring back our factory jobs," and from educators who insisted, "Not all children should go to college." But it also gave ammunition to reformers pushing lawmakers to adopt a more rigorous high school curriculum and focus the state on the link between education and economic growth.

SPECIAL REPORT: Bernero & Snyder Strategies for Universities

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT

October 21, 2010/By The Center for Michigan

By Jo Mathis

As executive director of the Presidents Council State Universities of Michigan, Mike Boulus keeps waiting for Michigan’s gubernatorial candidates to talk at length about their plans to fund higher education.

He thought it might happen in their recent debate.

It didn’t.

Acknowledging that the task ahead is a huge one, Boulus hopes the next governor and legislators will recognize higher education as the backbone of economic development, and reverse what he calls a frightening trend.

“It’s been a legacy of dismantling higher ed over the last decade,” he said. “And that’s after we spent 50 years building it up – to the envy of the country.”

EMU, Wildlife Refuge Fight Invasive Species With High Tech Tools

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT

October 21, 2010/GLITR

The spread of invasive species is a global problem that significantly impacts both the economy and environment. Stopping these ecological invaders remains a challenge to scientists and managers who are developing new control strategies.

Eastern Michigan University, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, recently was awarded $487,000 to expand upon previous work that evaluated the extent of the invasion of the common reed (Phragmites australis) in the refuge, quantified initial control efforts, and measured short-term effects of this plant invasion on water quality.

Michigan Rising, Buoyed By URC Students, R&D, Partnerships

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT

October 7, 2010/GLITR

As the state and U.S. economies sank, Michigan’s University Research Corridor grew in areas critical to the state’s resurgence: Educating more students and boosting research and technology gains, according to a new benchmark study.

The 2010 Empowering Michigan report shows URC partners Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University have improved in several key benchmarks since the first study in 2007. The study, comparing Michigan’s URC with leading innovation clusters around the world, was conducted by Anderson Economic Group, building on data collected over the past three years.

“The URC has been a bright spot in the state’s economic picture, even in the teeth of the recession,” said URC executive director Jeff Mason. “Michigan has the third fastest research and development growth rate among competitive innovation clusters. Just as importantly, we’re getting stronger relative to the competition, which puts us in a good position to help propel the state’s economic growth in the future.”

Eaton-WMU Lab To Focus On Hybrid Research

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT

October 4, 2010/GLITR

Battery and hybrid electric vehicle drive testing in West Michigan will take a significant leap forward Thursday, Oct. 7, when Eaton Corp. and Western Michigan University officials meet to formally open the new CAViDS Hybrid Electric Applied Research — CHEAR — Lab in WMU’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

The new lab was announced last December, and is designed to be one of Michigan’s premier battery and hybrid electric vehicle drive testing facilities. The lab is part of WMU’s celebrated Center for Advanced Vehicle Design and Simulation — CAViDS.

Stem Cell Cures On Horizon, UM Scientists Say

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT

October 4, 2010/GLITR

Stem cell skeptics have been asking for years, where are the cures?

Well, stick around. Spectacular cures may be coming soon, and they have a University of Michigan connection.

Dr. Eva Feldman, director of the University of Michigan’s A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute, appeared with the billionaire industrialist at the World Stem Cell Summit to announce the first clinical trial of stem cell transplants to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

And Sean Morrison, director of the UM Center for Stem Cell Biology, spoke of research under way at his lab to target cancer stem cells for more effective cancer treatment.

High Pay for Low Skill Will No Longer be the Michigan Way

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

September 28, 2010/The Grand Rapids Press Editorial Board

With apologies to the Realtors who invented the original joke, nearly everybody agrees the three keys to success for Michigan’s economic future are: Education, education, education.

How’s that going for us? Not too well, if recent statistics from the Lumina Foundation for Education are any measure. The figures come in the foundation’s report, “A stronger nation through higher education,” the latest assessment of the Indianapolis-based group’s “big goal” that 60 percent of the U.S. population have a high-quality post-secondary degree or credential by 2025.

Entrepreneurial Autonomy Better than Bureaucratic System to Manage Michigan's Universities

Sun, 12 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

September 12, 2010/Ann Arbor.com

For more than a century, Michigan has had an entrepreneurial model of management for its public universities.

University autonomy, limiting intrusion of politicians and bureaucrats into the operation of our 15 public universities, was written into the state's 1963 Constitution. It has allowed community driven university boards to meet the needs of Michigan's students and communities, particularly businesses, in a nimble fashion. It's worked well - around the nation, no state boasts such a diverse group of high quality public universities.

Placing Public Universities Under State Bureaucracy Is No Way to Go

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

September 10, 2010/Dome Magazine

Higher education governance has been in the news lately, driven by concerns about high tuition, affordability, and duplication of services.

Business Leaders for Michigan (BLM), a business trade group, has suggested that efficiencies can be gained by greater management cooperation between the state’s 15 public university campuses. The eight Booth Newspapers collectively published a story suggesting that university independence is in part to blame for today’s affordability crisis — that the universities have too many duplicate programs, and too little coordination

University of Michigan Prepares 174-acre Site to Serve as Incubator

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

September 9, 2010/Detroit Free Press

More than three years after Pfizer announced the closing of its massive pharmaceutical research campus in Ann Arbor, the 174-acre property is springing back to life, with grand ambitions for boosting southeast Michigan's economy.

The University of Michigan is in the midst of transforming the land and its 28 buildings into a next-generation research hub where scientists, engineers and others will work closely with local businesses.

Saginaw Valley State University president says, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it'

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

August 22, 2010/The Saginaw News

Business Leaders for Michigan, a private, nonprofit executive leadership group, has suggested the state’s higher education system is too costly and inefficient. The Saginaw News asked Saginaw Valley State University President Eric R. Gilbertson what he thinks about the organization’s suggestions and how the system compares nationwide. He responded Friday in an e-mail with his thoughts.

Federal Stimulus money to fund faster Internet in Northern Michigan

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Tuesday, September 7, 2010/Gaylord Herald Times

GAYLORD — Another $70 million federal grant will allow Merit Network, Inc. to construct a 1,210-mile fiberoptic network offering an “interstate” of broadband Internet service across Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula.

The project, titled REACH-3MC II (Rural, Education, Anchor, Community, Healthcare - Michigan Middle Mile Collaborative) is the second of its kind to earn Ann Arbor-based Merit Network federal funding to provide “middle-mile” broadband to the region.

Bay County to connect to Saginaw Valley State University Fiber Optic Lines; Could Lead to Multi-County Collaboration

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

September 08, 2010/The Bay City Times

BAY CITY — For now, Bay County will use its access to a quicker fiber optic line to help back up important county data if there is a disaster.

But the free access to Saginaw Valley State University’s fiber line eventually could lead to more regional collaboration between Bay and Saginaw counties.

Michigan Tech Tackles Challenge Of Invasive Reed

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

September 2, 2010/GLITR

Phragmites australis, aka the common reed, an increasingly troublesome invasive species in Michigan.Phragmites australis is an uncommon term for an increasingly common sight in the wetlands and along the beaches of the Great Lakes. It’s the scientific name for the common reed, a fast-growing perennial wetland grass.

$6 Million Grant Helps MSU Expand Broadband Coverage To Urban Centers

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

August 25, 2010/Capital Gains

By Suban Nur Cooley

Michigan State University has received a $6 million federal grant to help expand broadband access by creating more public computer centers in urban areas in Michigan.

College Aid Offices Offer Students Tuition Help, Hope

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

August 30, 2010/Detroit Free Press

By Lori Higgins

About half of the 250 students on the Ferris State University campus last week for student orientation had needs more pressing than just signing up for classes: They were trying to figure out how to pay for those classes.

Business Accelerator Network for Southeast Michigan Announces Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

AUGUST 24, 2010/WSU News

The Business Accelerator Network for Southeast Michigan, a new region-wide network for building and retaining new business in southeast Michigan, today announces the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition, an international business plan competition designed to highlight Michigan as a robust and vibrant venue for innovation and business opportunity.

Alumnus Teams with Tech to Reclaim Stamp Sand and Grow an Industry

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

August 16, 2010/Michigan Tech News

By John Gagnon

Despite the economic downturn, the roofing industry in America is enjoying long-term, fruitful prospects, and Michigan Technological University will play a role in this nearly $9-billion annual market. One imminent initiative: a local plant that may employ up to 40 people to process and supply sand to the roofing industry.

A long-term plan: a local plant that would employ 300 people to manufacture roofing shingles.

UM Student, Founder Of Baby Clothes Network, Finalist For Entrepreneur of the Year

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

8/5/2010/GLITR Technology

It’s being called Netflix for baby clothes. Its co-founder could soon be called College Entrepreneur of the Year.

Bebaroo.com is an online rental service for high-end, special occasion baby clothes. And Allen Kim, a student in the University of Michigan Department of Industrial Operations and Engineering, is one of five finalists in the running to become Entrepreneur magazine’s 2010 College Entrepreneur of the Year.

LSSU Opens Regional Center in Dearborn

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

July 30th, 2010/LSSU News

DEARBORN, Mich. -- Lake Superior State University has established a regional site in partnership with Henry Ford Community College at the Dearborn University Consortium Center located on the campus of Advanced Technology Academy.

The University will offer degree completion options in business and criminal justice beginning this fall.

NSF grant makes Eastern Michigan only School in State with DART Mass Spectrometer

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

July 23, 2010/Eastern Michigan University

YPSILANTI - Ruth Ann Armitage refers to her newest instrument as “a first-generation tricorder.”

Star Trek fans will know that a tricorder is the instrument that Mr. Spock used. Non-geeks should know that a tricorder can analyze almost anything and provide information about its composition.

Student Start-ups Get National Notice

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

August 2, 2010/Detroit Free Press

A relative’s complaint about pricey special occasion clothes for an infant who would quickly outgrow them sparked Allen Kim’s idea for an online rental service for baby clothing.

A desire to make creditcard purchasing safer and more convenient inspired Daniel Pearson to develop a smart card that combines multiple credit cards into one.

Hands-On Education Knows No Limits

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

July 23, 2010/Michigan Tech

Second-year software engineering student Nikoli Wiens with his flugtag team's flying platypus.

The platypus is rare among mammals, laying eggs rather than bearing live offspring. Even rarer is a 200-pound platypus egg that hatches into a helicopter as it careens off a 30-foot cliff into the water.

Wayne State University wins 2010 Campus Technology Innovators Award

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

July 13, 2010/Wayne State University News

DETROIT - On July 19, administrators from Wayne State University's Computing & Information Technology (C&IT) office and the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) will be recognized at the Campus Technology 2010 conference hosted by Campus Technology magazine. Wayne State is one of 11 Campus Technology Innovators award winners, chosen from nearly 500 entries.

OU-Beaumont Medical School has Hands-on Way of Training Doctors

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

July 6, 2010/Detroit Free Press

Students at the new Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine won't be spending most of their first two years in lecture halls listening to traditional topics such as anatomy and physiology.

Instead, their priorities will be doing mandatory community service projects, receiving lessons on nutrition and wellness and talking to patients or practicing examination skills on lifelike mannequins.

U-M's Stem Cell Study on ALS Looks Promising

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

July 7, 2010/Detroit News

Researchers hope to find spinal injections slow disease

Researchers at the University of Michigan are seeing positive results from the earliest stages of experiments designed to determine whether stem cells can help patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) -- better known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

CMU Geologist Collaborates with National Leaders on Mars Research

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

June 16, 2010/CMU Media Channel

By: Tracy Burton

Scientific samples from Mars may soon be brought back to Earth for study, raising concerns over potential detrimental effects on the environment. This is why Central Michigan University geology professor Kathy Benison and a group of leading experts from around the country have collaborated on “MARS: Sample Return Missions” — a book about how to manage samples obtained from space while protecting Earth from potential threats.

Kalamazoo's Three Higher Education Institutions Explore Jointly Run Center Near Proposed Arena Site

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

June 18, 2010/Kalamazoo Gazette

By Gabrielle Russon

Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo College and Kalamazoo Valley Community College announced Friday that they are exploring the feasibility of establishing an educational center in downtown Kalamazoo.

Advance Planning Puts U-M on Solid Ground

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

June 11, 2010/Detroit News

By Mary Sue Coleman

The financial crisis facing our state guarantees sympathy. When I travel across the country and colleagues know I am from Michigan, the condolences flow. They may be facing a bad fiscal situation in their own states, but the University of Michigan, they assume, must be in far worse shape.

New Aerospace Center on Campus

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

June 2, 2010/Michigan Tech News

Michigan Technological University, which has been establishing a highly regarded academic program in space technology, now boasts a new center focused on satellites. The Michigan/Air Force Center of Excellence in Electric Propulsion will focus on satellite thrusters. It has received $1 million in funding for five years.

Grant for $1 Million Will Improve Science Education

Fri, 28 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

May 27, 2010/Southwest Michigan's Second Wave

Prospective science teachers soon will get a chance to work in the laboratory next to scientists and in turn pass what they learn on to their students.

180 MSU Future Teachers Give Lansing's REO Elementary School a Makeover

Thu, 27 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

May 27, 2010/Capital Gains

A group of 180 Michigan State University (MSU) students and prospective teachers showed up at Lansing's REO Elementary School with paintbrushes and tools to give the Southside school a makeover.

EMU Rescues Michigan's Historical Markers Program

Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

May 24, 2010/The Detroit News

Michigan's budget crisis has left students as the caretakers of state history. When shortfalls prompted lawmakers last fall to abolish a $50,000 subsidy for the Michigan Historical Marker Program, many feared the effort that commemorates the state's noted people, places and events would itself become history. Instead, Eastern Michigan University stepped in and agreed to let students handle marker requests as part of their final project.

Pols Trailing Public on Higher Education

Wed, 19 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

May 19, 2010/Lansing State Journal

Five years ago, polling of Michigan parents lobbed a shocker into the education debate: Only 27 percent deemed a college education "essential" for their children.

Cross-Cultural Coursaris

Wed, 19 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

May 19, 2010/CapitalGains

By Viki Lorraine

A man of many talents—he has a B.Eng. in Aerospace, an MBA in e-Business, and a Ph.D. in Information Systems with a concentration on electronic business and mobile commerce— Michigan State University (MSU) professor Dr. Constantinos Coursaris is very familiar with navigating different cultures.

UM Ramps up Pfizer Move

Mon, 17 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

May 16, 2010/Crain's Detroit Business

$200M drive to fund recruiting, research

The University of Michigan is shifting into high gear the transformation of its North Campus Research Complex into the central hub of the university's research and commercialization activities.

$1.1 million in NSF Grants Fund GVSU Research

Wed, 12 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

May 12, 2010/Grand Valley State University News

ALLENDALE, Mich. — Researchers at Grand Valley State University have been awarded nearly $1.1 million in grants from the National Science Foundation to conduct work in biomedical engineering, math education, aquatic plant life and fossil record research in South Africa.

Wayne State University to Launch Nation’s First BS and MS Degrees in Electric-Drive Vehicle Engineering

Tue, 11 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

May 5, 2010/Wayne State university News

Wayne State University's Board of Governors today approved three academic programs that will help Michigan meet the technological and environmental challenges of the 21st century.

EMU Offers Nation's only Graduate Certificate Specializing in Study of Dementia to Meet Growing Needs of Health Care Professionals

Tue, 11 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

April 29, 2010/Eastern Michigan University News

Contact: Pamela Young

YPSILANTI - America is graying and with that comes new challenges. Those over 85 years of age are the fastest growing segment of the population, which is resulting in an increased demand for expertise in programs and services for individuals with dementia.

UM, MSU To Study State Education Reforms With $5.9 Million Federal Grant

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

April 29, 2010/GLITR

Researchers at the University of Michigan and Michigan State University -- in collaboration with the Michigan Department of Education -- will use a five-year, $5.9 million fedaral grant to assess two education reforms designed to promote college attendance and workplace success.

Destination Innovation: Entrepreneurs Are Key

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

April 29, 2010/WWJ.COM

Troy (WWJ) -- What will it take for Michigan to get its economic groove back? At WWJ's "Destination: Innovation" Business Breakfast in Troy, business and university leaders agreed that entrepreneurialism is the key.

New Women’s Health Researcher Brings $6.8 Million Funding To MSU

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

April 28, 2010/GLITR

West Michigan and Michigan State University have become the new home for a $6.8 million Center for Women’s Health and Reproduction Research, thanks to the collaborative efforts of MSU, Spectrum Health and the Van Andel Institute.

Seven Universities Support GRPS Engineering/Biomed Program, Three Students Land Gates Scholarships

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

April 29, 2010/Rapid Growth Media

By Deborah Johnson Wood

Three graduating students of the innovative Grand Rapids Area Pre-College Engineering Program (GRAPCEP) have earned Gates Millennium Scholarships – the highest number awarded to any Michigan school in 2010.

MSU's Project GREEEN Receives $2 Million For Plant Research In Michigan

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

April 28, 2010/Capital Gains

By Suban Nur Cooley

Thanks to funding from MSU-based Project GREEEN (Generating Research and Extension to meet Economic and Environmental Needs), researchers at the university will receive $2.08 million for research and outreach projects to continue growing Michigan's $71.3 billion agri-food and agri-energy industries.

Wayne State Researcher Gets $800k To Study Biomarker For Developmental Disability

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

April 28, 2010/GLITR

A Wayne State University researcher is investigating whether a brain pathway responsible for language development can be used as a biomarker that distinguishes intellectually and developmentally disabled children from those who are experiencing an atypical course of development and will later catch up to their peers.

UM Engineering Internships Help Small Biz, Grow Enterpreneurship

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

April 19, 2010/GLITR

As a way to support local small businesses and give engineering students real-world experience, the University of Michigan's College of Engineering is running a unique summer internship scholarship program.

MSU College of Nursing Gets $7.45 Million For New Research Building

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

April 1, 2010/GLITR

Michigan State University’s College of Nursing has been awarded nearly $7.45 million in federal stimulus money to expand its research facilities and capacity in a new building.

MSU Team Crowned National Debate Champ

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

March 24, 2010/MSU News

Carly Wunderlich, of Brookfield, Wis., a chemistry senior, and Eric Lanning, of Spring, Texas, an international relations junior, hold the Larmon trophy, which they received for taking first place in a National Debate Tournament.

The 12-member MSU debate team poses with the Larmon trophy.

Three Sleds Complete Clean Snowmobile Challenge Endurance Run

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Michigan Tech News/March 16, 2010

By Marcia Goodrich

Neither sun, nor mud, nor halcyon breezes could keep three hardy entries in the 2010 SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge from completing the Endurance Run: North Dakota State University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

Famed Architect Breaks Ground on $45-million MSU Museum

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Detroit Free Press/March 16, 2010

By John Gallagher

Iraqi-born Zaha Hadid, the world’s foremost woman architect, came to Michigan State University this morning to break ground on what promises to be one of the state’s boldest works of architecture.

EMU In Deal With Macomb CC For Degree in Simulation, Animation, Gaming

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

GLITR/March 16, 2010

Eastern Michigan University this week announced an articulation agreement with Macomb Community College that will allow students to earn a bachelor of science degree in simulation, animation and gaming.

MPA Student Writes Million Dollar Grant to Help Michigan Workers

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

November 24, 2009/News at OU

Graduate student Bernice Kerner wrote a million dollar grant to help Michigan workers.
Bernice Kerner is putting her school skills to work in the real world in a big way. The Oakland University graduate student recently earned a million dollar grant to help older, laid off workers in Southeastern Michigan reenter the workforce.

Wayne State University and Community Partners Lead Charge to Extend Broadband Wireless in Midtown and Low-income Areas

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

November 11, 2009/Wayne State University Public Relations

DETROIT - As part of the Community Telecommunications Network (CTN), Wayne State University is providing the technical, strategic and systems support to provide Internet access for residents in two low-income Detroit neighborhoods.

MSU Leads Regional Effort to Retrain Workers for New IT Jobs

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

November 18, 2009/MSU News

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Nearly 40 mid-Michigan workers have gained new skills and employment in information technology, thanks to a partnership between Michigan State University, work force development agencies and area technology businesses.

Michigan Dreams

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Fall 2009/Findings Alumni Magazine

Michigan has been hit hard during America’s economic downturn. Like a slow-moving tsunami, trouble began arriving here years ago, as manufacturing (particularly the auto industry) downsized painfully. University of Michigan economists are predicting that 2010 will close a decade represented by nearly 950,000 jobs lost in the Wolverine State.

DeVos Place Donation Provides Ferris Students Opportunity for Hands-on Learning

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

November 11, 2009/Ferris State University News

The Grand Rapids International Wine and Food Festival is providing more than a palate-pleasing experience. Students from Ferris State University’s Sport Entertainment Hospitality Management programs are also gaining a hands-on learning experience.

U-M Plans to Launch Start-ups with New Mich Venture Center

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

10/21/2009, Concentrate

The University of Michigan has created a number of avenues to allow entrepreneurs to spin off university technology or enable students to chase after their start-up dreams. The newly formed Michigan Venture Center will serve as the hub for all of that activity.

Braun Fellowship to Support SVSU Profs Work to Study African Business and Develop Engineering Textbook

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Nov 16, 2009/SVSU News

Two Saginaw Valley State University professors have been selected as the latest Braun Fellows. Enayat Mahajerin will produce a novel engineering textbook and Joseph Ofori-Dankwa will study business conditions in sub-Saharan African through research support grants totaling up to $37,500 over the next three years to further their scholarly and professional activities.

$195,000 in State Grants Help LCC and MSU Train Students for Film Industry

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

by Gretchen Cochran

Thanks to $195,000 in grants from the state, 60 aspiring film industry students can get 80 hours of free production training beginning in May and join the state’s growing film industry.

Wayne State sets up summer program for entrepreneurs: E2 Challenge

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

by Jon Zemke

Wayne State University is looking for a few good business-minded students for its summer program - E2 Challenge.

Universities a potential source for major job growth in Michigan

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Michigan's universities will not only be creating the next generation of minds to move into the state's workforce but they might be on their way to creating the work itself. Universities across the state, through various expansions, developments, and research projects, will be creating a large number of jobs in the coming years.