News from other Michigan public universities and U-M peer institutions across the nation.
STATE UNIVERSITIES
Erickson named Northern president
Fritz Erickson has been named the 15th president of Northern Michigan University by an 8-0 vote of the Board of Trustees. He is the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Ferris State University. Erickson was scheduled to greet the campus community April 22 in the University Center. He will succeed current president David Haynes, who plans to return to the faculty after his two-year appointment ends June 30.
MSU physicists push new Parkinson’s treatment toward clinical trials
The most effective way to tackle debilitating diseases is to punch them at the start and keep them from growing. Research at Michigan State University, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, shows that a small “molecular tweezer” keeps proteins from clumping, or aggregating, the first step of neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and Huntington’s disease. The results are pushing the promising molecule toward clinical trials and actually becoming a new drug, said an MSU researcher.
Wayne State offers course on Detroit comeback
As the story of Detroit’s transformation continues to twist and turn through its courtrooms, boardrooms and neighborhoods, Wayne State University has announced it will offer the country’s first university-level course on the city’s current restructuring efforts. Detroit: Metropolis in Transition, a spring/summer semester course that will run from May 7-July 23, is open to Wayne State students, guest students and non-degree-seeking professionals. It is structured as a guest-lecture series that will feature prominent speakers such as Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr, former Interim Mayor of Detroit Kenneth Cockrel Jr. and more.
PEER INSTITUTIONS
UT Austin Launches Construction of New Dell Medical School
The University of Texas at Austin has launched construction of the new Dell Medical School on campus. By becoming the first tier-one university in the United States in decades to establish a new medical school, UT Austin aims to be of greater service to society, said President Bill Powers. In 2012, Travis County voters approved a proposal to increase the tax rate for the countywide hospital district and commit $35 million each year to support the medical school. The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation also pledged $50 million to establish the school.
Minnesota opens new $84.5 million center
The University of Minnesota was scheduled April 24 to open a new Physics and Nanotechnology Building and present an open house and public tours. Housing both the University College of Science and Engineering’s School of Physics and Astronomy and the Minnesota Nano Center, the 144,000-square-foot, $84.5 million building includes 43,000 square feet for 40 modern physics laboratories and laboratory support space.
