Submitted by: Andrea Roumell Dickson, Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff
PUBLIC RELATIONS
The following is a compilation of highlights of recent media coverage of Wayne State University.
• Fall enrollment declines were cited as a factor in the Wayne State University Board of Governors decision to freeze hiring and implement other measures to fill an $8 million budget shortfall. Richard Bernstein , Board of Governors vice chair, is quoted in the story which ran on Dec. 3-4 in the Detroit News , Chicago Tribune , WWJ-AM , Great Lakes IT Report and WUOM-FM . An earlier Detroit News Web version story also mentioned that the board approved the creation of the School of Library and Information Science effective next year. The school will house the existing Library and Information Science program, which has grown from 125 students in 1987 to more than 600 today, according to WSU Provost Nancy Barrett . Sandra Yee , dean of University Libraries and Library and Information Science, will become the school's new dean. The Library Journal ran a feature story on Dec. 10.
• A Dec. 9 WDET-FM item aired regarding Wayne State’s collaboration with the University Research Corridor
• The Detroit Free Press and WDET-FM ran Dec. 3 stories about Wayne State University and Lawrence Technological University announcing plans to assist financially strained students and displaced workers. The stories indicated that Wayne State is temporarily suspending its policy of restricting registration to only those students who have paid all fees in full. Under the new temporary tuition and fee payment grace period program, students who owe $1,500 or less may register for Winter 2009 classes and have until Jan. 9, 2009 to pay their past-due balances.
• Howard Shapiro , associate vice president for undergraduate programs, commented on WDET-FM Dec. 4 about Wayne State’s efforts to assist students as they deal with the challenges of the current tough economic times. He said a part of the assistance is the university’s expansion of its graduate certificate offerings.
• Seventy-two media outlets nationwide carried stories about Wayne State University’s Math Corps Summer Camp and the Center for Excellence and Equity in Math, on Nov. 9. The feature story ran in newspapers, Web publications and radio and television stations. The six-week summer camp teaches mathematics and life skills to over 400 Detroit Public Schools students each summer. Math Corps is the subject of It All Adds Up , a 30-minute documentary airing on PBS.
• WDIV-TV (4) co-anchor Steve Garagiola interviewed Wayne State researchers on Nov. 5 about the passage of Proposal 2. Dr. Michael Diamond , assistant dean for clinical and translational research in the School of Medicine; Carol Brenner , associate professor in the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Physiology; and Alexandra Harvey , researcher in the Department of
Board of Governors AGENDA January 22, 2009
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Physiology, were featured in the discussion about scientific and economic benefits of stem cell research.
• The Nov. 18 editions of the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press ran stories about Wayne State’s Warriors’ outstanding football season. The largest crowd to watch a football game at WSU’s Adams Field since 1974 saw the Warriors lose to Grand Valley State University, in a game that had special significance and playoff implications for the home team. WSU finished the GLIAC season in the top three for the first time and posted its best overall victory total since 1976. WDET-FM , WXYZ-TV (7) , WWJ-AM , and WXYT-AM aired pre-game stories on Nov. 6.
• WWJ-AM co-anchor Joe Donovan previewed the Movin’ the D Forward event held at Wayne State on Nov. 12. Local entrepreneurs shared their success stories about starting up businesses in Detroit’s difficult economy. Fox 2 and WWJ business editor Murray Feldman was the panel moderator. Feldman hosted his one-hour “Lunch Box” series live from WSU’s Partrich Auditorium at the Law School in conjunction with the event. WWJ and Fox 2 streamed the event on the Internet.
• Wayne State University took part in the fifth annual YES! Expo (Youth in Science and Engineering) at Detroit’s Ford Field on Nov. 6. The expo introduced thousands of area middle and high school students to possible careers in engineering, technology and science. Biomedical engineering professor Cynthia Bir was interviewed by WWJ’s Tony Ortiz and segments aired at various times during the day. The Detroit Free Press , Detroit News and WJBK-TV (2) also covered the event.
• Tapan Datta , professor of civil and environmental engineering and head of Wayne State’s Transportation Research Group (TRG), discusses in a Nov. 17 Detroit Auto Scene story the group’s research in traffic safety. “Our research has a societal benefit,” said Datta. “It’s not directly quantifiable.” The group also disseminates safety information to the public through government agencies and on-campus activities. A photo of Datta, and TRG researchers Peter T. Savolainen and Timothy Gates , accompanies the story.
• A Nov. 3 Detroit Jewish News feature story chronicles the career of Wayne State University Police Officer Cary Glazer . "This is one of the most sophisticated police operations I have ever seen or been a part of," Glazer said of the WSU Police Department. "I have never seen a department better equipped to squelch the potential for criminal activity, based on the level of training and technology it provides."
• WDET-FM, WWJ-AM, 11/13, WDET-FM’s “Detroit Today” broadcasted live from Wayne State University’s Law School auditorium, where The Arthur L. Johnson Urban Lecture series was held on Nov. 13. The series, named in honor of the Detroit civil rights activist, features speakers from around the city who seek to challenge and engage audiences. WWJ reporter Florence Walton also provided coverage of the event.
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Submitted by: Andrea Roumell Dickson, Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff
• Maggie Allesee , metro Detroit philanthropist and namesake of Wayne State’s Department of Dance, was named one of Ambassador magazine’s “Ambassadors of the year.” The title is bestowed upon outstanding members of the metro Detroit community. The story ran in the November/December 2008 issue of Ambassador magazine.
• Catherine Jen , chair of Wayne State’s Nutrition and Food Science Department, offered tips on how to avoid weight gain over the holidays through wise eating habits. Among other suggestions offered during the Nov. 27 WWJ-AM interview, she mentioned that eating fruits and vegetables can help reduce absorption of fat by the body.
• The Nov. 27 edition of the Detroit Jewish News ran a feature story about a new exhibit at Wayne State exploring the connection between the university and the Jewish community. "Bricks, Mortar and More: The Jewish Community and the Growth of Wayne State University," examines the lives of Jewish benefactors and the community's presence throughout the campus. The exhibit, at the Walter P. Reuther Library, runs through Feb. 4. A photo of Mike Smith , director of Wayne State’s Walter P. Reuther Library; Jewish historian Judy Levin Cantor and Joel Jacob accompany the story.
• Wayne State University anthropology professor Allen Batteau and Brian Kritzman , associate professor of industrial design, spoke with WDET-FM’s Craig Fahle on a Dec. 5 edition of “Detroit Today” about a new exhibition that explores the emerging field of Design Anthropology and the various ways people use things to construct identities. The exhibit is located in Wayne State’s anthropology museum and is free and open to the public.
• A painful condition called endometriosis, which affects 2 million women, can be treated with an antioxidant found in tomatoes, according to Wayne State University researchers. Dr. Tarek Dbouk has found that lycopene, which gives tomatoes their red color, mitigates the condition, although it is not yet clear how much needs to be administered. The Nov. 12 story appeared in Marie Claire , Daily Mail (UK) , Telegraph (UK) and Pharmacy Europe .
• Mike Smith , director of the Walter P. Reuther Library, was a panel participant on Fox 2’s Let It Rip discussion program hosted by Huel Perkins on Nov. 13. The discussion focused on the proposed federal bailout of the auto industry.
• A Nov. 14 Detroit News article focusing on increased enrollment at Michigan medical schools mentions that the Wayne State University School of Medicine has increased the size of its incoming class since 2006. Associate Dean Robert Frank comments in the article. U-M, MSU and other universities that have medical schools, or may open new schools, are also mentioned in the article. A sidebar summarizes plans at each school.
• A Nov. 15 Detroit News review of the Hilberry Theatre’s performance of “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” calls the play “a cleverly elaborated portrait of human emptiness.” The play runs in repertory through Feb. 7.
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• This Nov. 20 Metro Mode Media feature story describes what various universities are doing to help “retool” the region’s workforce. Ahmad Ezzeddine , associate vice president for educational outreach and international programs at Wayne State, talks about Wayne State’s programs. He is on a task force assembled by Gov. Jennifer Granholm to examine the effects of auto industry downsizing on the workforce. A photo of Ezzeddine accompanies the piece.
• Molly Harrod , research associate at Wayne State’s Institute of Gerontology, discusses her study on seniors enrolled in computer courses. Harrod says in the Nov. 29 New York Times story that feelings of insecurity over computers are common in older adults.
• Wayne State University and Iraq's Basra Medical College co-published a report in the New Iraqi Journal of Medicine detailing mental health disorders of Iraqi soldiers and civilians more than a decade after the Persian Gulf War. The study, highlighted in the Nov. 10 issue of the Middle East Times (Egypt) , found that Iraqi soldiers had significantly more incidents of mental distress than Iraqi civilians, though military personnel exhibited similar ailments regardless of nationality. The journal study was the first that examined the mental health of soldiers and citizens who stayed in the country following the 1990-1991 Gulf War.
• The biggest ever local pollution-asthma study, and one of the first international ones, should soon determine how much poor air quality affects our breathing, according to the Nov. 11 Windsor Star . The joint Wayne State University and University of Windsor project - called Linking Geospatial Information with Public Health Outcomes: Modeling Asthma Morbidity across an International Border - is a pilot study that researchers hope will expand to examine other ailments. "We're hoping to be able to look at a variety of air pollutants and other cardio-vascular disease," said Linda Weglicki , Wayne State University College of Nursing and the principal investigator on the project.
• A nationally syndicated advice column that ran in the Nov. 10 Seattle Post Intelligencer , mentions a Wayne State University study on weight bias in the workplace. The study found that employers were less likely to hire those who were overweight.
• Matthew Seeger , chair of the Department of Communication, shares his thoughts in a Nov. 12 Detroit Free Press article on a possible government bailout for U.S.-based automakers. He cites Lee Iaccoca as an example how the auto industry must share its message with more immediacy, intensity and honesty. A photo of Seeger accompanies the story.
• Wayne State University law professor Peter Henning comments in a Nov. 18 Forbes.com article about the Securities and Exchange Commission’s insider trading charge against Dallas Mavericks owner and Internet entrepreneur Mark Cuban. Henning says the situation has some similarities to the Martha Stewart case.
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Submitted by: Andrea Roumell Dickson, Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff
• Africana Studies professor Ollie Johnson comments in a Nov. 19 Metro Times story about the increasing diversity of the United States and Western Europe. “Without a doubt the United States and Western Europe are becoming more diverse, ethnically and racially," says Johnson.
• In an AP story that ran in newspapers around the country including the New York Times , Seattle Times , San Francisco Chronicle and Las Vegas Sun , history professor Charles Hyde is quoted about the Detroit automakers’ financial crisis. He is the author of a book on the history of Chrysler Corp.
• Steven Stack , professor in the Criminal Justice Department and expert on suicide trends, comments in a Nov. 25 Honolulu Star Bulletin article that focuses on an increase in suicides related to the worldwide financial crisis.
• A Nov. 27 Manila Bulletin article debating the educational value of computers versus books mentions a 2004 study by Wayne State University researchers. The study showed that preschoolers who use computers are smarter and have higher self esteem, making them better prepared for school.
• Ben Burns , director of the Journalism Program at Wayne State University, comments in a Dec. 5 Denver Post story on the possibility of someone purchasing the recently for sale Rocky Mountain News . "The prospects for a sale are dreadful," he said. "The rumor mill has half the daily newspapers in the country for sale, and nobody is buying. This is perhaps the worst market for selling a newspaper in the past 100 years."
Board of Governors AGENDA January 22, 2009