STATE UNIVERSITIES
WSU researchers test urban farm sites for contaminants
Wayne State University researchers are digging for answers to what lies in the soil beneath cities. Last summer, a team of researchers led by WSU launched an initiative focused on urban agriculture soil in Detroit, Pontiac and Rochester. The team was awarded more than $293,000 last year from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture, for the three-year project. The goal is to provide information on physical, chemical and biological contamination in urban agricultural environments.
Yooper identity examined by Grand Valley State University professor
Kathryn Remlinger, professor of English at Grand Valley State University, since 2000 has been conducting a historical and contemporary examination of the development of the Upper Peninsula dialect — such as pronouncing sauna as “sow-na” among other unique pronunciations — and the idea of a Yooper identity. Remlinger has been presenting findings at conferences including the recent Linguistic Landscape 8 International Workshop at the University of Liverpool in the U.K., and plans a book on the subject.
PEER INSTITUTIONS
UC president announces support for undocumented students
University of California President Janet Napolitano has announced a three-year commitment to support undocumented UC students. The university will earmark $8.4 million a year through the 2018-19 academic year for undocumented student support across its 10 campuses. It includes $5 million per year for at least three years to make student loans available to undocumented students not eligible for federal aid.
Telephone metadata can reveal sensitive personal information
Stanford researchers are showing that telephone metadata — information about calls and text messages, such as time and length — can reveal private health details. The work could help inform future policies for government surveillance and consumer data privacy. The findings were reported recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
State approves UChicago Medicine’s $269 million expansion plan
The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board on May 10 approved the University of Chicago Medicine’s application to expand access to emergency, adult trauma and specialty care on the South Side through a $269 million project called Get CARE. With this regulatory approval, UChicago Medicine can begin construction of a new and larger emergency department, and a dedicated cancer-treatment facility.
