Program sessions, which are held once a month September through June, give participants a chance to combine experiences in the outdoor classroom with indoor laboratory investigations using microscopes and other scientific tools.

Each participant will receive a field pack with a journal, hand lens, bug box and field guides to use during the program. Participants will spend most of the program outdoors exploring the campus’s Natural Areas with trained UM-Dearborn student naturalists.

The cost of the program is $70. The last day to register for the program is Sept. 25. For more information, or to register, call 313-583-6371.

 
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CONTACT: Jennifer Sroka
PHONE: 313-593-5644
The Office of University Relations
Room 1040, Administration Building
University of Michigan-Dearborn

“I will be helping Jordan University start their master’s degree program in computer engineering,” Shaout said. “I also will teach a course on embedded system design and another on computer hardware design, and do research on fuzzy-logic embedded design and other topics.”

Shaout’s current research interests are in the areas of applications of fuzzy-set theory, computer design, intelligent systems, image processing and pattern recognition.

Among other scholarly activities, Shaout is editor-in-chief of the journal Advances in Fuzzy Systems. He has been a member of the UM-Dearborn faculty since 1987 and is currently director of the master’s degree program in software engineering. In 2000-2002, Shaout led a UM-Dearborn collaboration with Jordan’s University of Science and Technology.

The Fulbright Program, the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government, is designed to “increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries,” according to the program’s Web site.

The Fulbright scholar program awards scholarships through an annual competition to approximately 1,100 U.S. scholars and professionals to teach or conduct research at institutions in more than 130 countries.

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CONTACT: Terry Gallagher
PHONE: 313-593-5518
The Office of University Relations
Room 1040, Administration Building
University of Michigan-Dearborn

The campus’s Mardigian Library will host a workshop about “Authoritative Medical Resources on the Internet” from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 19.

The workshop, which is free and open to the public, will take place in the university’s BorgWarner Auditorium inside the Institute for Advanced Vehicle Systems Building, located off of the campus’s Richard Drive.

Pat Martin, a librarian with the Health Sciences Medical Library at U-M Ann Arbor, will discuss how to find information online regarding what treatments are available for diseases; what medical studies people can join to help find a cure; and which organizations sponsor support groups.

The workshop is presented by the University of Michigan Health Sciences Libraries in conjunction with the National Network of Libraries of Medicine.

For more information, contact Bob Fraser, librarian at the Mardigian Library, at 313-593-3740 or rfraser@umd.umich.edu.

####

CONTACT: Jennifer Sroka
PHONE: 313-593-5644
The Office of University Relations
Room 1040, Administration Building
University of Michigan-Dearborn

In addition to the presidential race, this fall's historic election will include Michigan ballot issues on stem cell research and medical marijuana, and many contested elections for the state House of Representatives.

The core of the project, called “MiVote,” is an interactive Web site at www.mivote.org that will “enable UM-Dearborn students and others to upload videos that will explain to our presidential candidates what they should know about Michigan and its citizens,” according to Dave Manney, DPTV’s director of program development.

The Web site is only part of the effort, though. Participants in MiVote also will be seen and heard on Detroit Public Television and other media outlets in the weeks leading to the election. And at the end of October, a town hall meeting will be held on campus and broadcast on Channel 56, “tackling the issues discussed by young people in the course of the project,” Manney said.

Faculty members at UM-Dearborn are exploring ways to use the project in their classes this fall.

“This is a site that can be utilized for courses and assignments beyond the obvious choices of political science and communications,” according to Jonathan Smith, professor of English and associate dean of UM-Dearborn’s College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters.

“It's easy to imagine the widest range of our courses—composition, health policy studies, American studies, environmental science, economics, women's and gender studies, sociology and international studies—being able to get involved in this project, whether through student contributions to the site or analyses of the materials it will contain.”

The initiative will be launched on Friday, Sept. 5, the first day of DPTV’s fall pledge drive.

 
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CONTACT: Terry Gallagher
PHONE: 313-593-5518
The Office of University Relations
Room 1040, Administration Building
University of Michigan-Dearborn

This year’s freshman class is forecast to include 960 students, up from last fall’s total of 903, and an increase of more than 150 students from fall 2006.

“This is good news for our campus, but also for our region,” according to Stanley E. Henderson, vice chancellor for enrollment management and student life at UM-Dearborn. “We know that the prosperity of our state depends in large part on increasing the number of college graduates, and we are committed to doing our part.”

UM-Dearborn has increased marketing and communications efforts and streamlined admissions operations in the past several years. The campus was rated among the top master's-level public universities in the Midwest in the annual guide to American colleges published Sept. 1 by U.S. News & World Report.

"We are working to let more students know about the great value and quality of the educational opportunities we have here," Henderson said. “Increasingly, students throughout the region recognize that not only do we provide a University of Michigan degree, we also expect our students to contribute and to make our community a better place. As a result, we have some truly exceptional students and they go on to make a difference in the quality of life in our region after they graduate.”

Total enrollment for the campus will be tallied three weeks into the semester.

 ####

CONTACT: Terry Gallagher
PHONE: 313-593-5518
The Office of University Relations
Room 1040, Administration Building
University of Michigan-Dearborn

Despite being lower than the reading for the first quarter of 2007, which was 100.0, the increase follows three successive declining quarters.

“The late 2007 numbers might have been depressed by the great uncertainty as to our state business tax, and with that uncertainty resolved, innovative activity rebounded even with a depressed national economy,” according to Lee Redding, associate professor of business economics and director of the Innovation Index at the UM-Dearborn School of Management.

The quarterly index, a project of the school’s Center for Innovation Research, or iLabs, provides a summary measure of economic innovation activity in the state of Michigan.

The index was developed to track accelerations and decelerations in economic innovation in Michigan based on calculations of employment of “innovation workers,” trends in venture capital, trademark applications, incorporation activity, small business loans and gross job creation.

“Five of those six components showed increases during the first quarter of the year,” Redding said.

Among the positive indicators, incorporation activity boomed at the beginning of this year, up almost 25 percent from the previous quarter, and after falling for three straight quarters.

Trademark applications also reversed a fourth quarter decline and rose 6 percent in the first quarter of 2008, recording the highest level since the first quarter of 2006.

“Venture capital also continued its recovery from low levels in the third quarter of 2007,” Redding said.

In addition, the state experienced an increase of “innovation workers” in the state, Redding said, as federal data indicated an increase in the fraction of Michigan workers employed in science and engineering in the first quarter.

Overall, the reported number of new jobs created by new companies or companies adding jobs was approximately 226,000 in the fourth quarter of 2007, a very slight increase over the previous third quarter. (Due to data availability, this item enters the index calculation one quarter late.)

The only negative factor on the first quarter index was in the number of loans arranged by the Detroit office of the Small Business Administration. “Since peaking in the second quarter of 2006, this activity has dropped in six of the seven subsequent quarters,” Redding said.

“We developed the UM-Dearborn Innovation Index to evaluate innovative activity in the state in a timely way,” Redding said.

“Many innovation studies have delays of two years or more. We’ve identified a number of economic innovation variables that are available with relatively short delays, making it possible for us to calculate an innovation index for a given quarter five months after the end of the quarter.”

The Innovation Index for the second quarter of 2008 will be released in early December.

Redding collaborates on the project with Anne-Louise Statt, a lecturer in business economics at UM–Dearborn, and Gary Hein, who graduated from the School of Management earlier this spring.

#####

CONTACT: Terry Gallagher
PHONE: 313-593-5518
The Office of University Relations
Room 1040, Administration Building
University of Michigan-Dearborn

In addition, the campus's College of Engineering and Computer Science was rated among the top undergraduate engineering programs in the country at schools without doctoral programs. The magazine publishes that list for “students who prefer a program focused on undergraduates.”

The ratings appear in the magazine's annual guide to America's best colleges, published Sept. 1.

In the magazine's ratings, UM-Dearborn is compared with other public universities that offer a full range of undergraduate and master's degree programs, but few or no doctoral degrees. Those institutions are rated by region because they tend to draw students from their surrounding areas, according to U.S. News.

The magazine said it bases its overall rankings “on quantitative measures that education experts have proposed as reliable indicators of academic quality.” Their rankings of engineering programs are based on a peer survey of deans and senior faculty members at schools around the country.

"This is just one of the indicators of the high value and quality of the educational opportunities we have available here at UM-Dearborn," according to Stanley E. Henderson, vice chancellor for enrollment management and student life. “We have some truly exceptional students and they go on to make a difference in the quality of life in our region after they graduate.”

UM-Dearborn is focusing efforts to increase enrollment in response to the state’s and region’s need for more college graduates. In fall 2007, the campus attracted its largest freshman class in the history of the school, an increase of more than 100 over the previous year. Early numbers indicate that this fall’s class will be even larger.

###

CONTACT: Terry Gallagher
PHONE: 313-593-5518
The Office of University Relations
Room 1040, Administration Building
University of Michigan-Dearborn

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Dingell has advocated for universal health care coverage since his first term in Congress more than 50 years ago. Currently he chairs the Committee on Energy and Commerce, which has oversight responsibility for public health issues at the federal level, including medical research and education.

The hearing is open to the public.

For more information, call Dingell’s office in Dearborn at 313-278-2936.

####

CONTACT: Terry Gallagher
PHONE: 313-593-5518
The Office of University Relations
Room 1040, Administration Building
University of Michigan-Dearborn

The females of the species Nephila pilipes are approximately the size of a human hand. “Because it’s a subtropical environment, the insects grow very big and so the spiders grow big, too,” Danielson-Francois said. “They’re used to eating things as large as my fist.”

In the wild, the spiders’ diets include large beetles and praying mantises. In the Science Building lab, Danielson-Francois and her students are feeding them crickets and flies.

Danielson-Francois is conducting research on the mating behavior of orb-weaving spiders, specifically on “mechanisms of sperm competition” and the evolution of small male body size in spiders.

Nephila pilipes are an extreme example of “sexual-size dimorphism,” she said. “The males are tiny, while the females are more than five inches across.” Their webs are approximately six feet in circumference.

The students who joined Danielson-Francois in Taiwan, Nina Cole and Joseph Stude, are continuing to work on the research project here on campus. The research, a collaboration between Prof. I-Min Tso of Tunghai University in Taiwan and Danielson-Francois, has been supported by UM-Dearborn grants, as well as support from Tunghai University and external agencies.

 ####

CONTACT: Terry Gallagher
PHONE: 313-593-5518
The Office of University Relations
Room 1040, Administration Building
University of Michigan-Dearborn

Another session, scheduled for the evening of Friday, Sept. 5, will offer viewers a chance to see seven planets, as well as the moon.

“Because of the position of the planets on that day, we may be able to see Mercury, Venus, Mars and the moon early in the evening, not long after sunset,” according to Donald Bord, professor of physics and interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at UM-Dearborn. “To have a chance to see Uranus and Neptune, viewers will have to wait until at least 10 p.m.”

Jupiter (and Earth, of course) will be visible during the entire session. “Saturn is the only planet that won’t be visible that evening,” according to Bord.

The Sept. 5 session will begin at 7:30 p.m. and end around 11 p.m.

The UM-Dearborn observatory is located on the 3rd floor of the Science Learning and Research Center, and the viewing sessions are free and open to the public.

The sessions will be canceled if the sky is overcast. The status will be posted on the observatory phone at 313-583-6566 one hour prior to the schedule start of observing, and on the observatory Web site at astronomy.umd.umich.edu.

CONTACT: Terry Gallagher
PHONE: 313-593-5518
The Office of University Relations
Room 1040, Administration Building
University of Michigan-Dearborn

"On-site admissions provides a one-stop opportunity for future students to apply for admission, learn of their admission decision and take care of most of the enrollment steps," said Christopher W. Tremblay, director of admissions and orientation.

Through August 31, high school graduates and college transfer students can meet with an admissions counselor, have their transcripts reviewed, meet with financial aid staff, tour the campus and receive an on-site admission decision--all in one day. In addition, the regular $30 application fee will be waived for students taking part in the program.

To participate, prospective students should visit the undergraduate Office of Admissions and Orientation in Room 1145 of the University Center on the campus's Richard Drive, west of Evergreen Road.

Potential students should bring a copy of their high school and/or all college transcripts.

Hours for the admissions office are:

• Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information, visit www.umd.umich.edu/onsite or call the UM-Dearborn Office of Admissions and Orientation at 313-593-5100.

####

CONTACT: Jennifer Sroka
PHONE: 313-593-5644
The Office of University Relations
Room 1040, Administration Building
University of Michigan-Dearborn

“Sixty-nine percent of the people we surveyed say the business environment for technology firms in Michigan is worse than in other states,” according to Timothy Davis, project director at the UM-Dearborn School of Management. “Few of them think the situation has improved in the past six months, but 28 percent think conditions will improve in 2008.”

The survey was conducted by the UM-Dearborn School of Management’s iLabs, or Center for Innovation Research, in collaboration with the Detroit Regional Chamber. The researchers contacted 296 technology leaders and 77 of them participated in the 22-question online survey.

The purpose of the project was to get opinions from the region’s technology executives about the Michigan business climate for technology firms, Davis said. “These are metro Detroit-based companies, with 94 percent located in Wayne, Oakland, Washtenaw, or Macomb counties.”

Industries represented include software and information technology, engineering services, business services, environmental engineering and energy, communications, and advanced manufacturing services and research and development. More than three-quarters of the respondents identified their title as president, chief executive officer, chief operating officer or vice president.

Among other findings, the responses show opportunities for the state to make improvements to encourage technology firms, Davis said.

The executives do not express confidence in the state’s ability to promote economic growth and entrepreneurial development. Only 12 percent said that believe that Michigan’s tax policy promotes entrepreneurship, and only 22 percent said the state effectively promotes economic development.

On the other hand, 61 percent of them said that a regional transit system in the metropolitan area would have a positive effect on the state’s overall economy.

The technology executives who responded to the survey also said that while skilled technology workers are a strength of Michigan’s workforce, less than half the executives said the state’s labor force meets their firm’s needs, according to the report.

An overwhelming majority of the executives surveyed, 85 percent, “feel that shifting from a manufacturing-based technology to a knowledge-based economy is essential to Michigan’s success,” Davis said.

And somewhat paradoxically, while 82 percent think reducing the dependence on the automotive industry will help the state’s economy, “64 percent of the respondents feel that this industry is vital to Michigan’s long-term economic future,” according to the study.

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CONTACT: Terry Gallagher
PHONE: 313-593-5518
The Office of University Relations
Room 1040, Administration Building
University of Michigan-Dearborn

The mosaic was installed in the floor of the building’s atrium, directly under the astronomical dome three stories up.

The mosaic has striking colors and was chosen in part to coordinate with the interior color palette chosen for the SLRC, according to Donald Bord, professor of physics and interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at UM-Dearborn.

“We also selected this image because the dynamism of this galaxy is an effective symbol of the dynamic scientific initiatives being undertaken in the SLRC,” Bord said. “The image beautifully displays the massive jets of hot, hydrogen gas being expelled from the center of M82 as a result of an explosive burst of star formation there. These jets, extending thousands of light years into space, constitute a ‘superwind’ traveling outward at more than a million miles per hour.”

The mosaic is a version of an image of M82 created by combining data from the Hubble Space Telescope and a telescope in Arizona and prepared by a team of astronomers at University College, London. This photo was taken by Ruth Dusenbery, director of the Science Learning Center.

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CONTACT: Terry Gallagher
PHONE: 313-593-5518
The Office of University Relations
Room 1040, Administration Building
University of Michigan-Dearborn

OHI purchased the former UAW/Ford Dearborn West Family Service and Learning Center, a 38,000-square-foot building located on Rotunda near Oakwood Boulevard in Dearborn, last year.

The building will house Oakwood’s Program for Exceptional Families, which provides numerous services and oversees the care of children with multiple disabilities and their families.

UM-Dearborn’s Child Development Center also will move into the space later this year, allowing for larger enrollment and expanded program opportunities for children and their families, as well as for university students in teacher preparation programs. The U-M Regents approved the lease agreement at their July 17 meeting in Ann Arbor.

In addition, the facility will house Oakwood’s patient-care training facility, designed to enhance the skills and preparation of front-line caregivers throughout the Oakwood system.

Oakwood Healthcare and UM-Dearborn entered into a collaboration agreement in December 2006, which focused on building a comprehensive, long-term relationship to support each other’s missions for education, clinical care, research and service to the community.

“Together, Oakwood and UM-Dearborn will serve more families in the community and provide an asset unlike anything else in the region,” said Brian Connolly, president and CEO of OHI. “The beauty of this community investment will be seen in the synergy created by these programs all being housed under one roof, allowing for essential medical care for patients, social support for their families and a state-of-the-art clinical simulation learning center that will promote education and development,” said Connolly.

“This collaboration opens the door for the education of professionals to better serve children with disabilities, and specialized clinical and research services,” said Dr. Susan Youngs, director of the Program for Exceptional Families. “When the medical community for kids with disabilities comes together with the education community – it’s a win for the kids.”

UM-Dearborn’s Child Development Center (CDC) serves preschool and kindergarten children and their families in a program that also serves as a model teacher preparation and child-study facility for the University’s School of Education, according to Prof. Mary Trepanier-Street, director of the program.

“Working together with Oakwood and its Program for Exceptional Families will broaden the opportunities for our students and faculty members,” she said. “The new facility is not just a better space for both of our programs, but a genuine manifestation of our commitment to work together to provide better care for all children, not just those in our programs, but those who will benefit from the research we will be able to do, and from the education and service our graduates will provide to children in the generations to come.”

Oakwood Healthcare System (OHS) is one of the most comprehensive health care delivery systems in southeastern Michigan. Oakwood serves residents over a 500-square-mile area and operates four acute care hospitals, several health centers and a vast number of specialty services, including four centers of excellence. More than 1,300 physicians, representing nearly every medical, surgical specialty and subspecialty, are affiliated with OHS. The organization serves more than 1.2 million people in 29 communities. In addition, numerous outpatient facilities and healthcare centers are dedicated to fulfilling patient needs across several communities. For more information on Oakwood Healthcare System hospitals, healthcare center locations, physician referrals and appointment scheduling, visit on line at www.oakwood.org or call 800-543-WELL.

The University of Michigan-Dearborn is a comprehensive university with more than 8,700 students and 500 faculty members offering undergraduate and professional degrees in the liberal arts and sciences, engineering, management, education and public administration.

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CONTACT: Terry Gallagher
PHONE: 313-593-5518
The Office of University Relations
Room 1040, Administration Building
University of Michigan-Dearborn