News from other Michigan public universities and U-M peer institutions across the nation.

STATE UNIVERSITIES

MSU study suggests classes determine teen friendships

A common perception is that teenage friendships are formed by joining cliques such as jocks, geeks and goths. But a national study led by a Michigan State University scholar which analyzed survey data and academic transcripts from some 3,000 students at 78 U.S. high schools finds that the courses students take have powerful effects on the friendships they make.

Wayne State to study prostate cancer racial disparities

African-American men have a 60 percent higher risk of developing prostate cancer than European American men, and a 2.4 times higher risk of dying from the disease. Researchers at Wayne State University recently received a $684,000 research grant from the Department of Defense to explore the factors that might contribute to this disparity. They will study MicroRNA molecules that play a role in both gene regulation and expression.

PEER INSTITUTIONS

Purdue military family research institute awarded $2.4M

A $2.4 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. will allow the Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University to continue its mission to improve the lives of members of the military, veterans and their families. Through counseling, education and employment initiatives and community grants, MFRI provides numerous ways for military members and their families to have access to assistance.

Northwestern creates law degree for STEM professionals

The Northwestern University School of Law is offering a new Master of Science in Law degree starting in fall 2014, designed specifically for professionals with backgrounds in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math) and medicine. STEM professionals are global economy drivers, and the new one-year master’s program will support innovation and entrepreneurship by offering these professionals a fundamental understanding of how law and business intersect with technology.  

University of Illinois study shows bully discrepancies

New research from the University of Illinois indicates that elementary school students and their teachers often don’t agree on who bullies whom in their classrooms. While bully-victim pairs were found across all the gender combinations and grade levels, student-teacher agreement on these pairs was very low. On average, they agreed on only 8 percent of the bully-victim pairs.