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May 22, 2013

Wayne State receives second year funding from the New Economy Initiative to build technology commercialization efforts

DETROIT — Wayne State University received notice of a $820,398 grant from the New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan (NEI) that will continue to support the Technology Commerci...

National urban planning and community building experts to speak at Wayne State University

Can joy and happiness be used as catalysts for urban revitalization? The 2013 Van Dusen Urban Leadership Forum at Wayne State University will pair nationally renowned urban planning, creative and ...

Wayne State’s Freer House and DIA to host lecture preview of Smithsonian “Art of Yoga” exhibit

The Charles Lang Freer House will present, "Heels over Head: Mr. Freer, Swami Vivekananda and the Art of Yoga," at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 2 at the Detroit Institute of Arts in the Marvin &...

WSU In The News

Dunbar named Wayne State's associate VP of tech commercialization, May 21, 2013

Hilary Ratner, vice president for research at Wayne State University, announced the appointment of Joan C. Dunbar as associate vice president of technology commercialization in the Division of Research. Her appointment comes after a competitive national search in which she emerged as the transformational leader the university sought. In 2012, Dunbar joined WSU’s Division of Research as interim associate vice president of technology commercialization. In just a year, Dunbar nearly doubled faculty invention disclosures, facilitated the pipeline of nine start-up opportunities with the anticipation of several companies launching in the near future, initiated a mentors-in-residence program, created an innovation fellows program, began the Technology Development Incubator, and strengthened partnerships with WSU’s TechTown. These significant achievements were powered by grant funds, projected to be $2.5 million over a three-year period that Dunbar secured from the New Economy Initiative (NEI). “The grant from the NEI has allowed Wayne State to re-invent technology commercialization on our campus,” said Ratner. “With the help of the NEI, Dr. Dunbar is re-energizing our faculty and students to translate their research in even more productive ways that benefit not only the university but the region, state and nation as well. Dr. Dunbar’s deep knowledge and experience will serve Wayne State and our faculty well as we advance the mission of the Wayne State’s Technology Commercialization Office.”

Grant lowers cost for hybrid academy, May 21, 2013

Students ages 14 and up interested in possible careers working with electric vehicles can attend a four-day academy at Macomb Community College to be held June 24-27 at MCC’s South Campus in Warren. The academy features an interactive workshop for those interested in cars and electronics and includes instruction in the principles of battery electric and other alternative-fuel vehicles. The CAAT is a collaboration between Macomb Community College and Wayne State University, designed to provide the spectrum of educational opportunities necessary to support and leverage the emerging alternative energy vehicles industry in southeast Michigan.

Wayne State family of grads profiled in Oakland Press feature, May 20, 2013

Bloomfield Hills mother Sabrina Shields would never have thought she would be graduating from college at the same time as her daughter, and one semester after her stepson, but the timing just worked out that way. Sabrina, 52, along with her daughter, Raycene Nevils, 26, graduated from Wayne State University with master’s degrees in different subject areas. Nevils received her master of arts in language learning, with a certificate in peace and security, while Shield got her master of arts in teaching. Last December, Shields’ stepson, Stephen Shields, 25, also graduated with a bachelor of science in electrical engineering from Tuskegee University in Alabama.

Michigan Chronicle article profiles Allan Gilmour's presidency at Wayne State, May 19, 2013

An interview with Wayne State University President Allan Gilmour was featured on the front page of the Michigan Chronicle. The story provided a list of several accomplishments during President Gilmour’s tenure including the awarding of a 10-year, $166 million Perinatology Research Branch contract; new admissions guidelines; construction of the Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research Building; new AAUP Contract; several administrative improvements; and the McGregor Memorial Conference Center Reflecting Pool.

School of Business professors' study on women in the workplace highlighted in Crain's column, May 19, 2013

Mary Kramer, Crain’s Detroit Business publisher wrote about a study by Wayne State University professors Sudip Datta and Mai Iskandar-Datta regarding women in the workplace. The Dattas, a husband-and-wife couple in the School of Business Administration, conducted research of nearly 1,600 CFOs in U.S. publicly traded companies between 1994 and 2007. Collecting information on education and controlling for that and industry and company performance variables, they found CFOs -- men and women -- were hired at comparable salaries. But within five years, there was a 5 percent compensation gap. Why? Two factors, said Sudip Datta. "They take women for granted." Women were viewed as less likely to jump ship and move to other opportunities, probably for family reasons. Second, women were less likely than men to negotiate better compensation packages over the years. Their study, with co-author Abhijit Guha, was published in the May issue of the Harvard Business Review.

Wayne State students share career aspirations in Detroit Free Press feature, May 16, 2013

In a feature piece about career aspirations for college students, two Wayne State students expressed their goals. Musamma Chowdhury: “I am extremely passionate about education and becoming a Pharmacist. Since the Pharmacy program is seven years long, in four years I hope to see myself as a responsible college student at Wayne State University who is working toward her Pharmacy degree. I am excited to spend the next few years at Wayne State University learning and mastering toward my degree.” Rahima Uddin: “In four years, I see myself as a happy, successful and independent woman. I will continue my study at Wayne State University; I am determined to excel in the medical field and pursue my dream of becoming a dentist.”