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2008 Year in Review<br />
Produced by <strong>University</strong> Communications and Marketing – January 2009
2008 Year In Review - News at OU: Year In Review - <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
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2008 Year In Review<br />
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Quality Students | Athletics | Student Organizations | Alumni | Inspired Faculty and Staff | Diversity | Community | Partnerships<br />
Remarkably dedicated faculty, staff, students and<br />
others who earnestly support <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> helped<br />
bring about a wealth of good news in 2008. The diverse<br />
and impressive list of accomplishments below highlights<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong>’s evolution as an institution of outstanding<br />
educational opportunity, meaningful community<br />
involvement and state and national distinction.<br />
Building on the <strong>Oakland</strong> Medical Initiative’s vision to<br />
establish the county as a premiere destination for health<br />
care services and education, for example, <strong>Oakland</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong> was awarded $40 million in state funding to<br />
support construction of a 157,300-square-foot Human<br />
Health Building. Its state-of-the-art facilities will<br />
dramatically enhance the region’s medical education<br />
and research opportunities. Meanwhile, the university<br />
welcomed the nationally and internationally acclaimed<br />
Dr. Robert Folberg to serve as founding dean of the<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> William Beaumont School of<br />
Medicine.<br />
In the realm of new programs, <strong>Oakland</strong> became the<br />
only university in the world to offer International<br />
Baccalaureate Level 1 program education for teachers<br />
spanning the entire K–12 curriculum. It was also<br />
announced that the Thomas M. Cooley Law School-<br />
Auburn Hills campus became the exclusive educational law school of <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>, and that OU graduates who meet<br />
Cooley’s admission requirements will receive priority status in the school’s enrollment process.<br />
In 2008, <strong>Oakland</strong> reinforced an already intense focus on academic research, welcoming experts from across the nation and the<br />
world to the First Midwest Conference on Stem Cell Biology and Therapy. Additionally, the university’s chapter of the Sigma Xi<br />
national research society received a Certificate of Excellence for demonstrating exceptional involvement and vitality in the research<br />
community.<br />
Looking to expand access to its programs, <strong>Oakland</strong> established an innovative satellite campus, as well as significant outreach and<br />
community engagement efforts in Macomb County. The new campus will offer programs in health care, education and human<br />
resources, technology and international business, engineering and communications arts. Also in Macomb, <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
partnered with the county’s Planning and Economic Development Department and the City of Sterling Heights to launch the<br />
Macomb-<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> Incubator. Part of a new SmartZone, the business incubator will eventually create 600 jobs and<br />
stimulate growth in the defense and advanced manufacturing sector.<br />
To broaden the university's goal of establishing valuable community partnerships, OU hosted both the start and finish lines of the<br />
inaugural Brooksie Way Half Marathon, an event designed to encourage healthy lifestyles in <strong>Oakland</strong> County. Officials also<br />
announced that the Royal Park Hotel in Rochester will serve as <strong>Oakland</strong>’s official conference center and preferred site for guest<br />
lodging, which will stimulate local commerce in the coming years.<br />
The generosity of its many supporters allowed <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> to reach a remarkable $100 million in charitable contributions. The<br />
institution is now well ahead of schedule in terms of attaining the $110 million goal outlined in “Innovation and Opportunity – The<br />
Campaign for OU.”<br />
These are just a few examples of the many exciting and noteworthy events of 2008, all of which point to a growing institution that<br />
continues to achieve excellence and distinction in its many endeavors. The scores of news summaries below help to tell<br />
this ongoing story.<br />
Campaign for OU<br />
Future Students Current Students Alumni Visitors & Friends Faculty & Staff<br />
Lois Shaevsky was awarded the George W. Romney Award for Lifetime Achievement in Volunteerism
2008 Year In Review - News at OU: Year In Review - <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
during the 16th Annual National Philanthropy Day gala, hosted by the Greater Detroit Chapter of the<br />
Association of Fundraising Professionals. Shaevsky has volunteered with many high-profile<br />
organizations in Metro Detroit, including <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>, where she serves on the advisory board of<br />
the College of Arts and Sciences, the Judaic Studies steering committee and previously served on the<br />
board for the <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> Art Gallery.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Overall participation among employees and retirees increased seven percent in the 2007-2008 All-<br />
<strong>University</strong> Fund Drive. This year, 551 individuals made gifts to <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>, the Black United<br />
Fund and the United Way. The AUFD campaign also achieved 92% of the $240,300 goal, raising<br />
$220,468.<br />
Full Story...<br />
When Bernie and Nina Kent decided to make an endowed gift to <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>, they wanted their donation to make a<br />
difference in a new way. The Kents have established the Bernard and Nina Kent Judaic Studies Endowed Israel Travel Fund. Their<br />
gift will support enrichment travel for students in the program, including participation in archeological digs, internships and other<br />
travel abroad opportunities.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Dennis, SEHS '82, and Carlotta Pawley believe in giving back to the organizations and institutions that have supported their<br />
success. A graduate of the School of Education and Human Services (SEHS), Dennis Pawley credits <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> as being a<br />
significant factor in his lifetime of personal and career achievement. With the Pawley Alumni Leadership Challenge, he and Carlotta<br />
called on fellow alumni to step up to the plate.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s School of Nursing received a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Award from the U.S.<br />
Department of Health and Human Services in the amount of $330,000 for the implementation of a Center for Pre-Symptom Health<br />
Care and Societal Research.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Three professors with expertise in cyber security and cyber crime were awarded a $115,000 grant from the National Science<br />
Foundation in its Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) program.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Meadow Brook Hall was awarded a $500,000 gift in honor of former General Motors CEO Roger B. Smith, who was well-known for<br />
community involvement and philanthropy throughout Michigan.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Financial Aid Coordinator Tina Cardamone was among many contributors to the All-<strong>University</strong> Fund Drive, supporting the<br />
scholarship fund for the new <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> William Beaumont School of Medicine.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> was presented with the second of four installments tied to a $100,000 student loan grant from the Charles E.<br />
Schell Foundation to help support undergraduate student education.<br />
Full Story...<br />
David Doane, an OU professor of quantitative methods who has spent the last 40 years teaching statistics and forecasting, also<br />
continued a tradition of donating to the All-<strong>University</strong> Fund Drive, which he began in 1976, the year he was awarded tenure.<br />
Full Story...<br />
In a tremendous display of support for the mission of <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s School of Business Administration, Hugh Elliott, a<br />
longtime OU supporter, and Craig Stinson (SBA '84) joined in giving the SBA $500,000 through a challenge match.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The 2008 All-<strong>University</strong> Fund Drive got off to great start, with 248 employees and retirees donating $92,791 toward a goal of<br />
$230,000 in combined contributions.<br />
Full Story...<br />
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Growth of Campus<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> President Gary Russi provided the campus community with an update on the state of affairs at OU. He said<br />
despite challenges, <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> is still thriving. Russi credited OU faculty and staff and planning efforts for the university's<br />
success and challenged them to continue to make a difference in the future. Through hundreds of meetings, the university has<br />
developed the 2020 goals, examined core values, reaffirmed the mission statement and created the university's passion statement,<br />
"Making a difference in people's lives by creating opportunities for them to succeed."<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s partnership with Macomb Community College, called Macomb 2 <strong>Oakland</strong> or M2O for short, saw a 43.2 percent<br />
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2008 Year In Review - News at OU: Year In Review - <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
increase in enrollment . In January, at the start of the program's fourth semester, 252 students enrolled for M2O classes, compared<br />
with the 176 students who enrolled for the fall 2007 term.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s Board of Trustees approved three new degree programs for fall 2008. Two of the new programs are in the<br />
College of Arts and Sciences, which offer a bachelor of arts and minor in writing and rhetoric, and also a bachelor of arts in<br />
Japanese. The third is a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering in the School of Engineering and Computer Science.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> began offering an online certificate program in Animal Assisted Therapy in the fall. The non-credit program<br />
provides an academic approach to human-animal bonding and the healing potential of using animal assisted therapy with special<br />
populations. Consisting of five eight-week courses, this program helps professionals incorporate animal assisted therapy into their<br />
fields or provide information for those who wish to combine their love of animals with helping people.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The School of Nursing and <strong>University</strong> Housing developed a living learning community for first-year students who have declared<br />
nursing as their intended major. Students share a floor in East Vandenberg Hall, take classes together, participate in events and<br />
activities as a group and prepare to become nurses.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Campus tours set out from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions to guide prospective students and their families through their<br />
first experience of <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>. Leading the way for the excited visitors are OU's admissions ambassadors, student leaders<br />
who provide facts and knowledge about the university and what it has to offer.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s Board of Trustees approved the appointment of Robert Folberg, M.D., as the founding dean<br />
of the allopathic medical school <strong>Oakland</strong> will open with Beaumont Hospitals in 2010 with a charter class of 50<br />
students. <strong>Oakland</strong> and Beaumont also announced the official name of the school - <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> William<br />
Beaumont School of Medicine (OUWBSM)."<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> unveiled a new writing and rhetoric Department in the College of Arts and Sciences, naming<br />
OU Associate Professor Marshall Kitchens as chair. The new department consists of seven tenure-track<br />
professors, four full-time special instructors and 30 special lecturers, and is home to a new degree program in<br />
writing, offering a major and a minor.<br />
Full Story...<br />
In an effort to provide a socially responsible model of institutional values, <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> began offering staff members the<br />
option of a compressed work week. Employees who elected to take advantage of the program, offered as a pilot for the summer<br />
months, worked four 10-hour days per week.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Construction crews worked on numerous projects to enhance the quality of <strong>Oakland</strong>'s nearly 1,500-acre campus. The bulk of the<br />
work began in May and demanded the expertise of more than 10 contractors. It represented another significant investment in the<br />
long-term growth of the university, according to Terry Stollsteimer, associate vice president of facilities management at OU.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> officials announced a major expansion of the university's presence in Macomb County, which will include an<br />
innovative satellite campus, and significant outreach and community engagement efforts.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> learned it will receive state funding for a new Human Health Building, thanks to a capital outlay bill passed by the<br />
Michigan legislature and signed into law by Governor Jennifer Granholm. The measure, part of an initiative to address funding<br />
projects for state university and community college campuses, will provide $40 million of the $61 million total cost of the building.<br />
Full Story...<br />
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Enhancing Technology<br />
The <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> Police Department, in conjunction with university administrators, maintains as its utmost mission the<br />
protection of the campus community's safety. As such, all students, faculty, staff and other university community members were<br />
encouraged to explore the new <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> Emergency Preparedness website to familiarize themselves with ways to avert<br />
and react to potential crisis situations on campus.<br />
Full Story...<br />
For graduates whose families were unable to attend the spring commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 3, a live broadcast was<br />
available for each of the ceremonies.<br />
Full Story...<br />
For incoming freshmen and transfer students, OU introduced The Grizzly Den, an online<br />
community for future Golden Grizzlies.<br />
Full Story...<br />
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2008 Year In Review - News at OU: Year In Review - <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
In early April, <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> student e-mail accounts were successfully transitioned to<br />
Webmail Powered by Google.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Following a successful student transition to Webmail Powered by Google, <strong>University</strong> Technology Services (UTS) migrated all faculty<br />
and staff e-mail accounts to the new e-mail system in mid-August. The move was designed to transition faculty and staff accounts<br />
before the existing system slowed down.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>University</strong> Technology Services announced the launch of OakShare, an online, centralized storage option available to OU students,<br />
faculty, and staff with a NetID. The new storage application allows users to store, share, and access files from any computer with an<br />
Internet connection.<br />
Full Story...<br />
In order to increase data accuracy and streamline the admissions process for students, <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s Office of<br />
Undergraduate Admissions moved its application completely online. Paper applications are now accepted only in special<br />
circumstances.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>University</strong> Communications and Marketing launched a new OU home page design in August. The new page highlights OU's key<br />
branding/positioning messages, incorporates video and other new technology, places an emphasis on student recruitment and<br />
provides a more visually appealing and inviting layout. The redesign also includes updated sub site designs that complement the<br />
new home page.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Following the <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> Police Department's (OUPD) launch of a text message alert system, its emergency dispatch center<br />
was upgraded to receive text messages and became one of few police departments nationwide with this capability. In addition, a<br />
U.S. Department of Education grant of $423,999 was earned by the OUPD for campus violence prevention initiatives.<br />
Full Story...<br />
During the academic year, Monica Frechen lives on campus, but during the summer, she would have had to commute an hour and<br />
40 minutes from her home north of Lansing to <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> for classes. This summer, thanks to online classes, the<br />
Occupational Safety and Health graduate student got ahead in her studies without spending any money on gas.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Each year, <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s highest academic achievers are recognized on the dean's list. The 2007-08 dean's list, which is<br />
posted annually following the winter semester for the previous academic year, was made available online.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The Advising Resource Center (ARC) introduced e-portfolio, an interactive Web resource geared toward helping OU students<br />
discover and navigate the world of college majors and career avenues.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Students who need help mastering the latest technology found it at the Student Technology Center (STC). Since opening its doors<br />
in Aug. 2005, the STC has helped thousands of OU students develop the knowledge and skills to tackle technological challenges,<br />
big and small. Services are tailored to all skill levels, from ignoramus to extraordinaire, and can help students with a diverse range<br />
of tasks.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Exciting upgrades planned for Kresge, E-LIS included new furniture, the latest in technological amenities and added work space.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> staff and students garnered national recognition from a computing peer group after putting creativity and<br />
technical know-how to commendable use in promoting the technology mentoring services and cutting-edge technology available at<br />
the university's Student Technology Center (STC).<br />
Full Story...<br />
E-Learning and Instructional Support (e-LIS) developed an online system for students to develop online portfolios. Students can<br />
now load resume information, cover letters, samples of their work and reference material into ePortfolio for prospective employers to<br />
view. The Student Technology Center also offers training on the system for students who need help getting started.<br />
Full Story...<br />
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Strong Undergraduate Education<br />
In preparation for an April reaccreditation visit from consultant evaluators with the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central<br />
Association, <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> undertook a one-year self-study that involved gathering evidence from across the institution to<br />
address how OU is meeting NCA criteria and identify opportunities for improvement.<br />
Full Story...<br />
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2008 Year In Review - News at OU: Year In Review - <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
The <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> Board of Trustees approved a plan that would invest the $4.8 million state appropriation that was originally<br />
withheld by the state last year directly into student initiatives.<br />
Full Story...<br />
In 1995, Andrea Kozak, CAS '96, participated in her first Meeting of Minds. As an OU<br />
student, Kozak worked with a professor in the psychology department on research and used<br />
the research to develop a poster presentation for the undergraduate research conference.<br />
Now an assistant professor of psychology at OU, Kozak encouraged her students to gain the<br />
experience Meeting of Minds offers.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s general studies degree program was renamed the Bachelor of<br />
Integrative Studies. The name change provides a better representation of the goals of the<br />
program, which allows students to design personalized study programs using a crossdisciplinary<br />
approach.<br />
Full Story...<br />
After its first year, <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s School of Business Administration's Scholars Program added two new programs geared<br />
toward expanding the level of student leadership. The programs offer high-achieving students the opportunity to take on different<br />
challenges in the SBA.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s women's studies program changed its name to Women and Gender Studies, and as it matured, the range of<br />
topics in the program expanded to encompass not only issues related to women, but to men and other genders as well.<br />
Full Story...<br />
A group of <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> students uncovered <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s past - literally. A dozen students<br />
who participated in Professor Richard Stamps' class got hands-on experience in anthropology and<br />
archeology while digging, analyzing and researching specific areas of campus to learn more about the<br />
university's history. The students excavated areas at the Austin farm, a location that last year's class<br />
started exploring; the area near Walton and Squirrel roads, where there was believed to be an old<br />
schoolhouse; and the Meadow Brook Greenhouse and icehouse located near John Dodge House.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> students having trouble choosing a major or finding a career path got a new resource<br />
to help make such decisions. The Advising Resource Center helped through assessments, career<br />
counseling and workshops. Students can learn about themselves and use that insight to explore potential<br />
majors and careers. The ARC is dedicated to helping students make informed decisions by answering<br />
questions and assisting students in taking steps to explore what is available.<br />
Full Story...<br />
In order to improve services to students, <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> announced that it will merge spring and summer terms into one<br />
extended summer semester. The new format will help students get ahead in their studies by offering greater flexibility in scheduling<br />
and increased opportunities to complete required courses. While most courses will fall into the two seven-week sessions previously<br />
offered during the spring and summer terms, a number of two-, four-, 10-, and 14-week courses will also be available.<br />
Full Story...<br />
David Sherman, a senior at Birmingham Groves High School, had exhausted the<br />
mathematics classes he can take at the secondary education level. For the past three years,<br />
however, Sherman participated in the <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> Summer Mathematics Institute,<br />
which allows students to take college-level mathematics courses and earn college credit - for<br />
free.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The College of Arts and Sciences continued Celebrating the Liberal Arts with 2008-09 theme<br />
Cities. The Celebrating the Liberal Arts themes are designed to demonstrate how a liberal<br />
arts education results from the interactive work of scholars from many disciplines.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Albert Goldbarth, one of America's most critically acclaimed poets, presented his work at the 21st Annual Maurice Brown Poetry<br />
reading in October. Selections from Goldbarth's poetry were previewed at a reading given by English department faculty and<br />
students.<br />
Full Story...<br />
High school students from Pontiac, Oak Park and Detroit spent the first part of their summer<br />
vacation earning money for college. They weren't working at retail locations or restaurants;<br />
they earned the money while in the classroom. Through the School of Business<br />
Administrations Entrepreneurship Institute camp, the students not only learned about<br />
business, they put their knowledge to the test in hands-on activities. Each student who<br />
completed the camp was awarded a $500 scholarship and has the possibility of earning<br />
more money if they choose to attend <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s School of Business when they<br />
graduate from high school.<br />
Full Story...<br />
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2008 Year In Review - News at OU: Year In Review - <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
OU student Kristin Patterson aspired to run a small business after graduation. Patterson<br />
didn't want to go into the corporate world, but she wanted to know how to get her small<br />
business off the ground and have an idea of how to run it. Through the School of Business's<br />
entrepreneurship minor, non-business students can gain experience in building a business.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Mike Murphy, CAS '01, and Adam Kochenderfer, CAS '02, both attended <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> and went on to law school at the<br />
<strong>University</strong> of Michigan, but they did it in very different ways. Both, Murphy and Kochenderfer believe their <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
education prepared them not only for law school but also for being attorneys.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The School of Business Administration launched the Scholars program in fall 2007 for freshmen, juniors, seniors and those who<br />
wanted to participate in research. In fall 2008, the SBA expanded the program to include sophomore scholars, and theme scholars<br />
in social and public policy. The program offers high achieving students the opportunity to take on different challenges in the SBA.<br />
Each class has different tasks to complete throughout the year, and they are awarded with accelerated major standing or<br />
scholarships.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Humanitarian activist Curt Rhodes, founder and president of Questscope for Social Development in the Middle East, will spoke at<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> in September. Rhodes discussed his initiatives to educate Iraqi children refugees in Jordan, and provide an<br />
update on the plight of displaced Iraqis in Jordan and Syria.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Rachael Kollman and Laura Scroggie chat about their summers as they sit in the Pioneer Food Court in the <strong>Oakland</strong> Center.<br />
Seemingly, they are just like every other student, but both suffer from mild cognitive disabilities. They attend class at OU through the<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> Post-Secondary TransitIONS program run by the School of Education and Human Services.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Three hundred high school students interested in health and science careers glimpsed careers of the future when they visited<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> for MichBio Life Sciences Career Day on Thursday, Nov. 20.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Advising Resource Center guidance counselors focused their planning efforts on students' strengths and interests while helping to<br />
identify educational paths that lead to career success.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> Christianity Studies program hosted a viewing and panel discussion of "Constantine's Sword," the Oscarnominated<br />
documentary that explores issues of Christianity and anti-Semitism.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Given that organizers of the American College Theatre Region III Festival considered entries<br />
hailing from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin, selection of the cast and crew of<br />
"The Trojan Women" to perform in the 2009 festival was seen as a feather in the cap of the<br />
growing Department of Music, Theatre and Dance program.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The School of Nursing began offering a occupational health nursing certificate program - a<br />
continuing education course designed to help RNs successfully complete the certified<br />
Occupational Health Nurse Specialist Examination.<br />
Full Story...<br />
To keep education accessible during Michigan's economic crisis, <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> created a special tuition assistance fund to<br />
help financially struggling students continue their studies.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The SOAR program helped prepare nursing students for careers as patient care technicians and enhanced their prospects for<br />
further advancement within the nursing profession.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Faculty and students are looking forward to a powerful partnership that blossomed following a November visit from renowned<br />
researcher and prominent education researcher Tom Barone.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The School of Nursing presented the inaugural issue of "The Pulse," a magazine that highlights the innovative geriatric nursing<br />
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2008 Year In Review - News at OU: Year In Review - <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
practices, education and research taking place at OU.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Introduced in fall, the School of Business Administration's ACHIEVE program began to inspire, guide and prepare students for their<br />
ideal business career by equipping them with the skills they need to succeed.<br />
Full Story...<br />
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Quality Graduate Programs<br />
The Music Educators Journal, one of the leading practitioner journals for the field worldwide, published an article authored by an<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> graduate student.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Graduate student Angela Kayi, CAS '00, earned a Provost's Graduate Student Research Award this past year for her master's thesis<br />
project, "Creativity, Appearance and Sites of Authority." This is the first time a student in the master of arts in Liberal Studies<br />
program had won this academic honor. The program began in fall 2003.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> became the only university in the world to offer International Baccalaureate Level 1 program education for<br />
teachers spanning the entire K-12 curriculum, offered in conjunction with the IB Organization in Cardiff, Wales. The program was<br />
granted approval in December 2007 and the first group of students began coursework in January 2008.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Visit Jane Winn's third grade classroom at Ewell Elementary School and you might find students reading. While this doesn't seem<br />
out of the ordinary, Winn provides the students with silent reading time - a time when the students can make themselves comfortable<br />
and immerse themselves in the storyline of their favorite book. Winn said this isn't just classroom busywork; the silent reading helps<br />
students connect their interests with what they read. With the help of a $2,000 "Teacher as Researcher" grant from International<br />
Reading Association, Winn is looking at the importance of silent reading.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> officials announced that the Thomas M. Cooley Law School-Auburn Hills campus has become the exclusive<br />
educational law school of <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>, and that <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> is now the exclusive education partner university of<br />
Cooley Law School's Auburn Hills campus. Launched today were several significant additions to the institutions' longstanding<br />
partnership.<br />
Full Story...<br />
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Quality Students<br />
Artwork by recent OU grads Nicole Vinegar and Chris Ames got quite a bit of exposure. A<br />
painting by Vinegar and a drawing by Ames were selected to be displayed in the Senate<br />
Farnum Office Building and the Anderson House Office Building in Lansing as part of the Art<br />
in the Senate and Art in the House Program. The art program features the artwork of<br />
students from Michigan's 15 public universities. The artwork was placed in October and will<br />
remain in Lansing for one year.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Three <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> students were awarded the university's most prestigious awards at<br />
the April 15 meeting of the Board of Trustees. Nicole Piggott and Christopher Fecek<br />
received the 2008 Matilda R. and Alfred G. Wilson Awards and Mia Evans received the Human Relations Award. The students were<br />
selected for the awards based on their service and achievements as <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> students.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> students elected Steve Clark and Daniel Evola as the OU Student Congress president<br />
and vice president for the 2008-09 academic year. This year's elections drew a record number of<br />
students to the polls. Clark, a senior, and his running mate Evola, a freshman, had a platform that<br />
included continuing funding free newspapers on campus, working closely with the Student Program<br />
Board to bring first-class events to OU, working with the administration on issues like tuition, parking and<br />
on campus housing, making OU athletic events more visible to students, continuing discussions for an<br />
OU football team, working with the student liaisons to the Board of Trustees to give students a voice in<br />
major university decisions and working to get students compensated by $4.8 million in deferred payment<br />
to the universi ty from the state.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The achievements of students and alumni of the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance (MTD) took<br />
center stage during the Ninth Annual MaTilDa Awards celebrated in April at the Centerpoint Marriott. The<br />
awards are presented annually to students and alumni from MTD for their accomplishments in memory of Matilda Dodge Wilson, cofounder<br />
of <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>.<br />
Full Story...<br />
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2008 Year In Review - News at OU: Year In Review - <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
Michigan Campus Compact (MCC) honored 159 students from 23 campuses with awards for their<br />
commitment to service learning, and civic engagement. Among them were three <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
students. OU Senior Jameelah Muhammad received the Commitment to Service Award and Amanda<br />
Rymiszweski and Mathew Sawicki received the Heart and Soul Award. The students were recognized<br />
during the Outstanding Student Service Awards in April.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Katie Prawdzik, who always wanted to study internationally, found her chance. An education senior,<br />
Prawdzik will won an opportunity to spend five weeks in New Zealand and immerse herself in the teaching<br />
culture in an effort to learn more about the country's educational system. During her time in New Zealand,<br />
Prawdzik planned to maintain a blog of her experience and share it with the university community.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Seven future music educators from OU received some extra education of their own during the Music Educators' National<br />
Conference in Milwaukee. No student group from OU had ever attended the biannual event, said Chelsea Rhodes, a senior studying<br />
music education and the vice president of OU's chapter of the Collegiate Music Educators' National Conference (CMENC).<br />
Full Story...<br />
In late April, June Teisan stood on the lawn of the White House with 55 other educators as part of a<br />
national conference for state teachers of the year. Teisan, a science teacher at the Harper Woods<br />
Secondary School, was invited after being named the 2007-08 Michigan Teacher of the Year.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> accounting students had the opportunity to meet and interact with one of the most<br />
influential leaders of the accounting profession during a breakfast at the Michigan Association of Certified<br />
Public Accountants' Members Advisory Forum. The students met with Barry Melancon, president and<br />
CEO of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, who was the keynote speaker at the semiannual<br />
Members Advisory Forum.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Lauren Podell began her job as WDIV Local 4's newest traffic reporter in January. During one of her<br />
traffic reports, Podell described the morning commute as "boring." A few hours later, she ate her words as a tanker slid off an<br />
overpass and caused an explosion.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Three students from <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s Department of Music, Theatre and Dance were<br />
selected to participate in the American Choral Director Association regional conference in<br />
Grand Rapids in February. The students participated in the 160-student conference chorale<br />
and helped demonstrate the different ways that collegiate choral students learn and the<br />
different methods for teaching them. OU students Heather Mitcham, Matthew Smith and<br />
Caitlyn Byrne were selected from more than 300 applicants from 29 universities across the<br />
Midwest to participate as part of the collegiate chorale. The OU students attended the<br />
conference with Professor of Music Education Deborah Blair.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> students Norma Parker and Javier Saucedo each were awarded the<br />
Vicente Fox Quesada Scholarship, which honors the Mexican president and is awarded to<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> students seeking international study or cross-cultural opportunities in Mexico and to Mexican students who are studying at<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong>.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Undergraduate students from the <strong>University</strong> of Michigan-Dearborn, the <strong>University</strong> of Michigan-Flint and<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> participated in the 16th annual Meeting of the Minds in May. With presentations<br />
ranging from complex chemical analysis to relationship studies, the event attracted spectators to the<br />
poster presentations and the oral presentations, which were held in South Foundation Hall.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Peter Banachowski sees life as a joke - literally. As a comedian, the events in Banachowski's life often<br />
become the topic of his stand-up bits. From humorous every day events to funny past relationships,<br />
Banachowski hopes to make a career of making people laugh. The OU junior is already getting his start<br />
performing locally in stand-up clubs and working with OU's Student Video Productions club.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The photographic work of <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> students, faculty and staff who participated in<br />
the annual Photo Contest hung in the <strong>Oakland</strong> Center Fireside Lounge in late March. Alena<br />
Vackova took home first place for the color category and Windy Rood took first place for<br />
black and white.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Rebecca Mansfield wanted the Student Michigan Education Association (SMEA) at <strong>Oakland</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong> to hold a formal dinner at the end of the academic year to celebrate the students.<br />
When she suggested the event, she had no idea it would be held in her honor. Mansfield<br />
passed away March 12 after a brief but courageous battle with leukemia. She was just months from completing her degree and<br />
getting married. To fulfill her desire for the event, the students of SMEA hosted the Rebecca Mansfield Memorial Dinner at Meadow<br />
Brook Hall in May, with the proceeds benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.<br />
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2008 Year In Review - News at OU: Year In Review - <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
Full Story...<br />
Twin brothers Alonzo and Brennon Edwards couldn't be more different - they look different, and they are exploring two different<br />
career paths at two different universities. But they found a way to come back together, uniting over their different passions. Alonzo,<br />
a student at the College for Creative Studies, and Brennon, a student in the School of Business Administration, created Fraternal<br />
Easels, a business that will distribute Alonzo's artwork with Brennon running the business aspect.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Ashley Maria Bahri traveled to Italy this summer to immerse herself in Italian culture, language and<br />
Italian opera. The OU alumna received the 2008 Hollingsworth European Study Award, which invited her<br />
to study at the Italian Operatic Experience program in Urbania, Italy for five weeks in July and August.<br />
There she studied Italian and learn about opera while performing Giacomo Puccini's "La Bohème."<br />
Professor of Composition Stanley Hollingsworth died in 2004 and left behind the chance for OU music<br />
students to go to Europe for a summer study program at a music school of their choice. Hollingsworth<br />
believed a similar experience early in his career changed his life.<br />
Full Story...<br />
On May 5, 2007, Kristine LeMieux woke up at 2 a.m. to make her way to local auditions for the NBC<br />
prime-time game show, "Deal or No Deal." When her alarm went off, LeMieux considered going back to<br />
sleep, but she had a feeling that maybe she would get picked for the show. That same feeling helped the<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> junior secure $238,000 in a winner-take-all, battle of the sexes episode of "Deal or<br />
No Deal" that aired in early February.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Alice Carleton is a secretary in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, but she is also a dancer, singer, writer, poet and now<br />
a student. Carleton began taking classes at OU in fall 2007 at the age of 61. To support her studies, Carleton was awarded the<br />
Linda Lael Miller Scholarship for Women.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> sophomore and entrepreneur Ross Maghielse continued building on an already<br />
successful career in broadcasting as founder and part owner of the growing Michigan Sports Radio.<br />
Maghielse used to be an avid basketball player for Rockford High School, but he was forced to stop<br />
playing because of a recurring hamstring injury. His love for sports drove him to stay involved in<br />
athletics, and he came up with an idea to broadcast high school games over the Internet.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Tawnee Milko has always believed in giving back to her community. She was heavily involved in her<br />
high school, church and her family. At OU, she served OU as the Honors College Student Association<br />
president, and was involved in REACH, OU Environmental Coalition and the Pre-Medical Club. In<br />
2008, she served the students of OU as the student liaison to the Board of Trustees. In that capacity,<br />
she sought out and provided the students' perspective during BOT meetings, and helped keep<br />
students updated on BOT actions.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Two students from OU presented their research at the 4th annual International Interdisciplinary Conference on Clinical Supervision<br />
in June in Buffalo, New York. The case study was about the roles of supervisors in counseling, and was written by Sandra<br />
Manoogian, a doctoral student in the counseling department, and Sheri Pickover, a graduate from OU's doctoral program in<br />
counselor education, and assistant professor of counseling at the <strong>University</strong> of Detroit Mercy.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Aaron Lehr began running in elementary school. To his classmates, he was known as "The Flash."<br />
Throughout elementary, middle and high school, Lehr continued to run for sport. A graduate student<br />
in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program, he planned to run in the Brooksie Way half marathon that<br />
will started and finished at OU's Meadow Brook Hall. Lehr documented his training through a blog.<br />
Staff members of OU's Division of Student Affairs also trained to participate in the Brooksie Way. The<br />
group is tracked their progress through a blog. Nicknamed Snyder's Striders, the team from Student<br />
Affairs registered together. Many will participate in the 5K and some will participate in the 10-mile<br />
event. The Brooksie Way is dedicated to the memory of <strong>Oakland</strong> County Executive L. Brooks<br />
Patterson's son, who was killed in a snowmo bile accident in February 2007.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Marilyn Burns' summer was like those of most college students. She worked and spent time with her<br />
family. Her situation was unique, however, because she did both at the same time. Burns, a music<br />
major planning to graduate in 2009, is one of the four managing directors of Burns Family Studios, a semi-professional film studio<br />
that is currently producing a feature-length historical epic. Burns is using her <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> piano education and fulfilling her<br />
Honors College thesis project by working on a musical score for the film the family-run studio produced this summer.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Master of Public Administration student Sonya Bellafant (CAS '93) got a unique opportunity to garner<br />
real-world experience as a student liaison on the Rochester Downtown Development Authority Board.<br />
After earning a law degree from Michigan State <strong>University</strong> College of Law, she worked for Legal Aid of<br />
Western Michigan and became interested in the public sector. As a second-generation <strong>Oakland</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong> student, Bellafant watched how OU and Rochester have grown and transformed, and she<br />
jumped at the chance to take part on the Rochester DDA board. As a second-generation <strong>Oakland</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong> student, Bellafant has watched how OU and Rochester have grown and transformed, and she<br />
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2008 Year In Review - News at OU: Year In Review - <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
jumped at the chance to take part on the Rochester DDA board, which involves providing updates to the<br />
board, as well as providing a student perspective.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Students who wanted to get involved on campus had a chance to learn more about some exciting<br />
campus leadership opportunities at information sessions held throughout January. Positions available<br />
included Orientation Group Leaders (OGL) for summer 2009, Resident Assistants, Nightwatch and Peer Mentor positions for the<br />
2009-10 academic year.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Ninety-four-year-old Edward Pintzuk enrolled in a history class in the fall, making him the oldest student ever to attend classes at<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>. While fellow classmates were taking classes to earn enough credits to graduate, Pintzuk is in class for one<br />
reason - to expand his knowledge.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s fourth annual Grizzdance film festival, a three-day event showcasing some of the university's most talented<br />
student filmmakers, took place in November. Screenings of all student film entries were held in the <strong>Oakland</strong> Center Fireside Lounge.<br />
Full Story...<br />
SBA students made strides as social entrepreneurs when they helped several regional social organizations consolidate as the<br />
Family Service Alliance for Southeastern Michigan and save $300,000 in the process.<br />
Full Story...<br />
OU students in all of the university's engineering programs relied on their ingenuity to harvest energy, which was the objective of a<br />
senior design project requiring them to build electrical generators that use no fuel.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The <strong>Oakland</strong> County Office of Arts, Culture & Film office elected to display the work of 25 OU art students who explored what it<br />
meant to be visual artists in 2008.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Andrew Batson, a general business major and economics minor in the School of Business Administration focused his independent<br />
study in urban economics by analyzing the economic impact of the hotly debated Cobo Hall renovation and related funding<br />
proposals.<br />
Full Story...<br />
A group of inspired students worked with Chartwells, <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s food service provider, in creating a food sharing<br />
partnership with Forgotten Harvest, a food rescue organization serving the Detroit metropolitan area.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Eight seniors in OU's studio art program exhibited a body of work representing the culmination of their four years of study during<br />
"Beneath the Surface: BA in Studio Art Senior Thesis Fall Exhibition."<br />
Full Story...<br />
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Athletics<br />
IUPUI's George Hill scored a game-high 32 points and <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> shot just 36 percent from the<br />
floor (22-61) as the Jaguars (26-6) advanced to the championship game of The Summit League men's<br />
basketball tournament with an 80-65 win over the Golden Grizzlies (17-14) on Monday night in John Q.<br />
Hammons Arena at the UMAC. Junior Derick Nelson led OU with his fifth double-double of the season,<br />
tallying 21 points and 12 rebounds. The Golden Grizzlies trailed the entire opening 20 minutes, posting a<br />
quick 5-0 run to creep within three points, 28-25, with 3:56 left until halftime.<br />
Full Story...<br />
During the quarterfinals, Junior Erik Kangas scored a game-high 26 points, making 6-of-13 from behind<br />
the arc, and junior Derick Nelson scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds, to lead the <strong>Oakland</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong> men's basketball team (17-13) past Western Illinois (12-18), 80-66. The Golden Grizzlies broke<br />
a school and tournament record with 55 free throw attempts, making 35 in the game.<br />
Full Story...<br />
While <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s men's basketball team's season ended in the semi-finals of The Summit League Tournament, members<br />
of the team earned several league honors and also set new records. Among the honors, <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s Derick Nelson was<br />
named to the 2008 Men's Basketball Summit League Championship All-Tournament Team and Nelson and sophomore Johnathon<br />
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2008 Year In Review - News at OU: Year In Review - <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
Jones were named to the all-Summit League teams. Among the most notable accomplishments, senior Patrick McCloskey became<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong>'s all-time leader in career games played with 125. McCloskey surpassed Shawn Hopes' mark of 118.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Despite an 18-point effort by junior Jessica Pike and a 12-point performance by junior April Kidd, the<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> women's basketball team (20-10) was unable to overcome the long-range shooting of<br />
the Oral Roberts <strong>University</strong> Golden Eagles, falling 71-61 in the semifinals of The Summit League<br />
Women's Basketball Championship on Monday. The men's team takes on number two seed IUPUI on<br />
Monday, March 10 at 9:30 p.m. EST. The semifinal game will be regionally televised on FSN Plus. It can<br />
also be heard on OU's student radio station WXOU (88.3 FM).<br />
Full Story...<br />
In the quarterfinal round, Junior Jessica Pike scored 15 points with nine rebounds, freshman Stacey<br />
Farrell scored 10 points, and sophomore Melissa Jeltema turned in a nine-point, 11-rebound<br />
performance as the <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> women's basketball team picked up a 60-49 victory over<br />
Centenary.<br />
Full Story...<br />
OU men's basketball head coach Greg Kampe and women's head coach Beckie Francis are used to the pressure of coaching two<br />
high profile basketball teams. In February, they felt a different kind of heat. Kampe and Francis cooked meals on bd's Mongolian<br />
Barbeque's grill to raise money for cancer.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> student-athletes found success both on and off the court last season, and 143 Golden Grizzlies student-athletes<br />
were named to The Summit League Winter-Spring Academic All-Summit League teams. After placing second in the league last fall<br />
with 61 student-athletes named to the fall academic squad, and placing second in the spring with 143, OU took the overall top spot<br />
with 204 academic honorees.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> senior Riikka Terava was named a recipient of the annual Paul F. Lorenz/Texas<br />
Instruments Excellence Award for Rising Seniors for the 2008-09 academic year, as announced by the<br />
School of Business Administration. The late Paul Lorenz, a former executive vice president of Ford Motor<br />
Company and long-time friend and benefactor of <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> and the School of Business<br />
Administration (SBA), established this annual award to be given to <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> SBA seniors solely on<br />
the basis of grade point average. Scholarships are awarded to the four rising seniors with the highest grade<br />
point among SBA students.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s men's and women's swimming and diving teams had a total team effort in winning their<br />
ninth straight Summit League Championships.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> Golden Grizzlies took on two of the Big Ten's leading men's soccer teams at the Michigan Bucks College<br />
Cup II tournament held in April at the Ultimate Soccer Arenas in Pontiac.<br />
Full Story...<br />
More than 100 of <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s student-athletes were named to the 2007 Mid-Continent Conference Commissioner's List of<br />
Academic Excellence, an honor the OU student-athletes consistently earn. Athletics prides itself on the success of its studentathletes<br />
not only in their respective sports, but also in the classroom. Through programs, planning and mentoring, Athletics helps<br />
students prepare for the challenge of busy schedules and demanding workloads to help them succeed not only at <strong>Oakland</strong>, but also<br />
in the future.<br />
Full Story...<br />
As the <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> Men's Club Hockey team prepared for the American Collegiate Hockey Association national tournament,<br />
there was one person who kept tabs on the team's progress. Will McMahon had been in this position before. An OU hockey player<br />
through last season, McMahon helped the team win three national championships, has been honored as the player of the year and<br />
named to the All-American team multiple years and was the national scoring leader in 2006 and 2007. For all of McMahon's<br />
successes, the team honored him at the beginning of the season by retiring his number-the first time OU hockey has retired the<br />
number of any player.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s men's club hockey team lost to Oklahoma 4-3 in the first round of the American Collegiate Hockey<br />
Association's (ACHA) Division I National Tournament. The Grizzlies were looking to defend their national title.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Ten years ago, there was a lot less on campus. There was no Pawley Hall, no parking<br />
structure, no student apartments, no Elliott Hall, fewer students, fewer majors and no Rec<br />
Center and the programs that go along with it. In 1998, thanks to support from Student<br />
Congress, Student Affairs, Athletics and the OU administration the Recreation and Athletics<br />
Center was opened, replacing the Lepley Sports Center with a state-of-the-art fitness and<br />
athletics facility. Campus Recreation will celebrate the occasion with a tailgate prior to the<br />
annual Campus Recreation versus <strong>University</strong> Housing flag football match-up. A private,<br />
invitation-only event is also planned for charter members.<br />
Full Story...<br />
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2008 Year In Review - News at OU: Year In Review - <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s men's soccer team played three games at the Ultimate Soccer Arena in Pontiac, the largest indoor soccer<br />
facility in the Midwest.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Having a family member fall ill to cancer is not only heartbreaking, but is also financially burdening during such a hard time. Just ask<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> women's soccer head coach Nick O'Shea. He's been there. O'Shea's sister passed away from leukemia when<br />
she was only six years old.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> Housing Department and Golden Grizzlies Athletics formed a new partnership for the 2008-09 academic<br />
year. This new partnership is a shared focus of Director of Athletics Tracy Huth and Housing Director Lionel Maten to encourage<br />
further student and community engagement in campus events, including athletics.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> Athletics proudly announced the launch of the 2008-09 Grizz Kidz Club,<br />
an exclusive for children in eighth grade and under that allows for active involvement and<br />
participation in OU Athletics. Kidz Club members enjoy the opportunity to meet and greet<br />
with OU athletes, gain free entry to all home contests, receive free club shirts and<br />
giveaways, sit in reserved seating at OU basketball games and many more benefits.<br />
Full Story...<br />
WOCOU (Week of Champions at <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>), themed "WOCOU will rock yOU,"<br />
began in mid-October with the annual kickoff in the Pioneer Food Court and concluded with<br />
Midnite Madnezz. Also part of the week's celebration were two community service projects.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> announced that the university community will celebrate its first official<br />
homecoming Feb. 6-7, 2009, during Come Home to OU. "I see this weekend becoming one<br />
of <strong>Oakland</strong>'s marquee events to showcase the legacy and spirit of the university," said Gary Russi, OU president. "We're expecting<br />
the event to become a much-anticipated fixture on the OU calendar."<br />
Full Story...<br />
The <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> men's basketball team hosted Michigan on Saturday, Dec. 20, and Michigan State on Saturday, Dec. 27, at<br />
The Palace of Auburn Hills. Tickets for both games were included in the OU season ticket package, and single-game tickets<br />
included tickets to a reception hosted by the OU Alumni Association.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> men's soccer team (14-4-1) hosted 2007 national runner-up Ohio State in the opening round of the 2008<br />
NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championships on Saturday, Nov. 22.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Plans were finalized to make <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s first-ever homecoming celebration an<br />
exhilarating, pride-filled and truly memorable experience - one that will undoubtedly become<br />
a treasured Grizzly tradition.<br />
Full Story...<br />
OU's first-ever Festival of Sport was a daylong event featuring three of the university's<br />
athletic teams in action, as well as fellowship, fun and freebies.<br />
Full Story...<br />
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Student Organizations<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s Gender and Sexuality Center began offering the first lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) peer<br />
mentoring program in Michigan this fall. The program is open to undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral LGBT students in their first<br />
year at OU, and will promote connections and positive identities by providing support and empowerment to students on a one-onone<br />
basis. LGBT students have the opportunity to gain support, confidence, acceptance and guidance as they begin their academic<br />
careers at OU.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Seven <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> students traveled to Mt. Pleasant, S.C., for Habitat for Humanity's<br />
Collegiate Challenge. This was the third year OU's chapter of Habitat for Humanity<br />
participated in the national alternative break program. The OU students participated in the<br />
East Copper Habitat for Humanity build project. The local chapter was building houses within<br />
a subdivision. OU students helped install beams, supports and subflooring, as well as worked<br />
on pre-builds for doors and windows.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Walking into the Formula SAE garage on campus, a group of students worked on their car,<br />
making final adjustments before the Formula SAE competition on Michigan International<br />
Speedway May 14-18. Only these weren't OU students. They are from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia and<br />
they were one of three international teams that OU hosted before the competition. OU also hosted teams from Finland and Austria.<br />
The Australian team did not come to OU in 2007 choosing instead to participate in the competition in the United Kingdom, which<br />
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they won. In 2008, that competition was combined with the Formula SAE competition so the Australian team sought to defend their<br />
world title.<br />
Full Story...<br />
OU's Formula SAE team took a new approach when designing their car to race in the 2008<br />
Formula SAE competition: simple is better. After enduring disappointing vehicle issues at the<br />
last three annual competitions, this year's team hoped the simple approach would yield them<br />
a better finish. The Formula SAE competition took place May 14-18 at the Michigan<br />
International Speedway.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) qualified as one of the four regional<br />
teams to participate in the SIFE National Exposition Competition to be held May 13-15 in<br />
Kansas City. At the national competition, hundreds of students from around the country gathered to compete for a spot on the SIFE<br />
World Cup in Singapore. According to SIFE president Brennon Edwards, the competition at regionals was tough and he knew the<br />
national competition would be just as challenging.<br />
Full Story...<br />
A group of engineering students worked to turn a converted wheelchair into an unmanned vehicle that<br />
can navigate a course in the Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition held at <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> May 30<br />
through June 2. The international competition featured robots from various universities that move<br />
independently on an increasingly more difficult course located in the field at the corner of Walton and<br />
Adams roads. The team of eight students, including graduate and undergraduate computer science,<br />
electrical engineering students and systems engineering students used what they have learned in their<br />
studies to create a competitive robot.<br />
Full Story...<br />
To raise awareness of the crisis in Darfur, <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s Hand in Hand student organization held<br />
the "Step Up!" festival and fundraiser in April. The event included a garage sale; an auction of<br />
autographed items; a live performance by Akwaaba, an African drum ensemble; and a showing of "God<br />
Grew Tired of Us: The Lost Boys of Sudan," a documentary about the atrocities in the Darfur region and<br />
the thousands of boys who have lost their families or been displaced as a result of the crisis. Following the documentary, Jacob<br />
Atem, one of the Lost Boys, spoke about his experiences in Sudan and how he managed to escape.<br />
Full Story...<br />
A converted wheelchair, a little horsepower and a bunch of algorithms helped <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
engineering students place 10 th overall in the Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition. The students<br />
turned the wheelchair into a vehicle to independently navigate an increasingly more difficult course<br />
as part of the international competition. The team also placed seventh in the design competition<br />
and won $500 for meeting compliance standards.<br />
Full Story...<br />
In 2007, Cortney Glass competed in the International Horse Show Association national<br />
championship and thought it would be her final competition. However, Glass got back on the horse<br />
and after a successful season, she represented OU again in the national championships in May in<br />
Burbank, Calif.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Up 'til Dawn, a student organization that raises money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in an effort to help child cancer<br />
patients in Metro Detroit, announced that the group raised $16,870 during the letter writing campaign held in November 2007.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) was named a Superior Merit Chapter for the 2007-08<br />
academic year, as well as being honored as one of the top 10 Outstanding Chapters of the year by the national committee.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s American Marketing Association gained real-world experience and helped animals by raising money for the<br />
Michigan Humane Society through the organization's annual telethon to air on WXYZ-TV Channel 7 in February. The Collegiate<br />
Telethon Challenges puts OU up against students from local universities in an "Apprentice"-style collegiate campaign.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The members Alpha Sigma Tau spent their summer enjoying their new home on campus, after moving into the cottage district near<br />
the east entrance of campus in January. They planned to bond as sisters, display their sorority letters and colors and work to build<br />
up their membership.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s newly formed Aerial Systems student organization made its way to the<br />
Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International's Student Unmanned Aerial<br />
Systems competition in Maryland in June. The four students involved designed and built a<br />
quad-rotor flying apparatus. When they got to the competition, even the judges questioned<br />
the ability of the contraption to work. However, the OU vehicle performed well, taking fifth<br />
place in the competition and placing ahead of schools such as Embry Riddle Aeronautical<br />
<strong>University</strong> and UCLA.<br />
Full Story...<br />
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Student Moms Integrating Lives and Education (SMILE) began offering support to women<br />
who have taken on the challenge of pursuing higher education while raising a family.<br />
Full Story...<br />
German Club students adopted the spirit of 'Kris Kringle' while volunteering to assist with arts, crafts and storytelling in the kids' area<br />
at the Kris Kringle Market in Rochester during Thanksgiving weekend.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The Student Nursing Association at <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> (SNAOU) has brought the spirit of caring to their community for a long time.<br />
With more than 200 members, SNAOU participates in numerous charitable events, including the American Cancer Society's Relay<br />
for Life, March of Dimes' March for Babies and Walk for Warmth, an annual campaign to help <strong>Oakland</strong> County families cover winter<br />
heating expenses.<br />
Full Story...<br />
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Alumni<br />
Quite a bit has changed since Regina Carter, CAS '85, last spent time in the classrooms of Varner<br />
Hall. For one, she isn't a student this time. A Grammy nominated and internationally acclaimed jazz<br />
violinist, Carter was on campus for two separate weeks as an artist in residence, teaching master<br />
classes and working with students, faculty and ensembles.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Two OU students participated in the prestigious Teach for America program and got the chance to<br />
help improve the lives of low-income students in New York City. The students, Katie (Miller) Vitale<br />
and Jameelah Muhammad, were among more than 3,700 teachers teaching in low-income, urban<br />
and rural communities as part of the program. They were selected out of 24,718 applicants, many<br />
from America's most selective universities.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Evan Rokicki, SEHS '07 and a master of arts in American history student spent his summer south of the equator as part of a<br />
Fulbright Hays group program that traveled to Ecuador to participate in the cultural immersion experience to internationalize their<br />
teaching and curriculum.<br />
Full Story...<br />
In 2007, a linguistics master's graduate received a Fulbright scholarship to study and<br />
conduct research in Germany for one year. Nearing the end of her scholarship and gearing<br />
up for the next phase of her life, Garland found a better fit with researchers in Leipzig. She<br />
planned to work on cognitive linguistics projects for both the Max Planck Institute for<br />
Evolutionary Anthropology (EVA) and the Max Planck Institute for Cognitive and Brain<br />
Science (CBS).<br />
Full Story...<br />
Many 20-somethings leaving college set out to find a job, define themselves, get their own<br />
apartments and enter into a serious relationship. "Crain's Detroit Business" identified 20 local<br />
20-somethings who excel at what they do. Two of the "20 in their 20s" on the list were OU alumni. David Cherry, a program<br />
development officer at The Guidance Center in Southgate, and Sarah Morgan, executive director of Think Girl, made the list of<br />
those in their 20s making their mark on Metro Detroit.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Austin, the capital of Texas, is 300-square miles with nearly a million residents, 12,000 employees, 40 subsidiaries, a $2.25 billion<br />
budget and one <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> alumnus overseeing all of it. Mark Ott, SBA '79 and MPA '81, was named the first African-<br />
American city manager of Austin. A native of Pontiac and West Bloomfield, Ott got his start in public service during his master's<br />
program at <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> and doesn't intend to stop helping others anytime soon.<br />
Full Story...<br />
OU alumna Catie Hormel didn't let a little thing like brain cancer keep her down when she<br />
was 16, and now she is helping lift the spirits of other children with cancer. She is part of<br />
Detroit's chapter of Queen for a Day and Heroes, an organization dedicated to raising the<br />
self-esteem and confidence of children with cancer. When Hormel was 16, she was<br />
diagnosed with brain cancer. She had surgery, six weeks of radiation and two years of<br />
chemotherapy, and is healthy now. During all her time in the hospital she went to some of<br />
the Queen for a Day events in the hospital. Hormel said she thought the events were fun,<br />
and then started finding ways to help.<br />
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Full Story...<br />
Joseph Drew, CAS '71, has a lot on his plate. His is a political science professor at Kent State <strong>University</strong> in Ohio, where he also<br />
serves as coordinator of the Kent State Master of Public Administration Program. It wasn't enough. Drew went searching for<br />
something that would provide him more fulfillment. He found it in creating a program that will help those with disabilities, including<br />
injured soldiers at Veterans Affairs hospitals, earn their college degrees. For his work, Drew was honored with the Coleman<br />
Foundation's 2008 Educator of the Year for College/<strong>University</strong> Award.<br />
Full Story...<br />
When Lauren Sinclair, CAS '07, was younger, she hated sailing and would do whatever she could to<br />
avoid it. Now, sailing is Sinclair's life. After getting involved in the summer camp program at the Detroit<br />
Yacht Club, participating in sailing in college and participating in a number of regional, national and<br />
international races, Sinclair has her next course set - the 2012 Olympics. Sinclair came to OU from the<br />
<strong>University</strong> of South Florida. A Michigan native, Sinclair had hurt her shoulder and needed to return home<br />
for treatment. At her former school, Sinclair was a member of the Division I varsity sailing team. Coming<br />
back to Michigan, she figured she wouldn't sail in college anymore. After two years off, Sinclair joined<br />
OU's sailing club and regained her passion.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Shortly before their first child was born, Leonard Magro and his wife decided to take on another type of<br />
challenge - starting their own business. Combining their backgrounds, they started Magro International, a<br />
website marketing company based in Rochester. As two young professionals, they found little in the way<br />
of networking or support. Now they have created Young Professionals of Rochester and OU faculty and staff can get involved.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Cheryl Angelelli, CAS '93, participated in her third, and possibly final, Paralympic Games in Beijing this summer. At the beginning of<br />
each Paralympics, she sets a goal for herself. In Sydney, she wanted to make the finals. In Greece, she wanted to get a medal. In<br />
Beijing, Angelelli's goal was to win the gold.<br />
Full Story...<br />
As a reporter for the Detroit Free Press, John Masson (CAS '92), earned a national Emmy award for his<br />
work on "Michigan Marines: Band of Brothers," a 23-part video series. Masson and Free Press<br />
videographer Stephen McGee reported from Michigan on the war's impact on local families, while<br />
colleagues Joe Swickard and videographer David Gilkey deployed with the Michigan-based reservists of<br />
the 1st Battalion of the 24th Marines during their training in California and service in Iraq.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Peter Karsten's career started out in the business world. With a bachelor's degree in accounting and a<br />
master's in business administration, Karsten first worked at a large accounting firm and earned the<br />
certified public accountant title. While working on his MBA, Karsten had the opportunity to serve as a<br />
teaching assistant for an introductory accounting course. The experience caused him to examine his<br />
career path and move toward teaching. Armed with a master's in education leadership from <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>, Karsten combined<br />
his love for education and his business background in his new role as president of Baker College in Owosso.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Suzanne Kimmerly, SEHS '82 and '84, has always liked helping others. She started at<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> with the desire to go into nursing but found her true passion in<br />
counseling. While she likes helping people, she has also devoted her life to helping dogs,<br />
specifically greyhounds who have been dropped off the racing circuit. Most are given two<br />
fates: go to a rescue society or be killed. Kimmerly, who works with Michigan Retired<br />
Greyhounds as Pets (MI REGAP) is helping to place the dogs in caring homes.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Detroit is trying to rebuild and promote growth in the downtown area. OU alumnus Fred<br />
Schwark, CAS '89, is part of that. Schwark was named regional manager of The Downtown<br />
Collection, which includes the First National Building, the Penobscot Building, the Cadillac Building, Alden Park Towers, Lafayette<br />
Towers and a new, $150 million development recently announced by the city.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Since 1968, the 728 th Military Police (MP) Battalion annually has participated in the Troy<br />
Barboza Special Olympics Torch Run in Hawaii. In 2008, the battalion was deployed in<br />
support of Operation Iraqi Freedom but the members don't want to give up their annual<br />
event. OU alumnus and Second Lieutenant Jody Holeton, CAS '00, helped organize a 5K<br />
Special Olympic Torch Run on Contingency Operating Base Speicher, in Iraq.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Armed with a background in journalism and experience in recruiting and real estate, Heidi<br />
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Hedquist serves as editor of After5Detroit.com, a website for Detroiters looking for a place to connect with each other and the<br />
community. She combines her communication and business skills to inform young professionals that Detroit can provide<br />
opportunities for networking and social interaction like any other metropolitan city.<br />
Full Story...<br />
From a young age, Lauren Becker, CAS '94, has been collecting comics and collectible toys -<br />
a hobby that helped pay for his English degree from <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>. After the death of<br />
Superman in the DC comics in 1992, Becker made $10,000 in one day and decided then to<br />
open a store and make it his business. Becker opened his first store in Clawson nine years<br />
ago. Recently, he opened another location of Warp 9 in the Auburn Square shopping center,<br />
located at the northeast corner of Squirrel and Walton roads.<br />
Full Story...<br />
February was membership appreciation month at the <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> Recreation Center.<br />
During this time, select members were recognized for their loyalty and the example they<br />
display by leading active and healthy lifestyles. One of the nominated members is alumna Judy Evans, SECS '87. Evans has been a<br />
loyal member of the <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> Alumni Association since 1996 and is a charter member of the OU Recreation Center, which<br />
opened its doors in 1998. Evans said the Recreation Center membership discount has been a great incentive for her to be a part of<br />
the OUAA.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> Alumni Association awarded scholarships to 28 OU students and alumni for the 2008-09 academic year.<br />
The recipients were honored during the Scholarship Recognition Breakfast in Meadow Brook Hall.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> Alumni Association (OUAA) Board of Directors confirmed a slate of five new directors at its biannual meeting<br />
on May 8, 2008. Joining the board for three-year terms are OU alumni Aman Awan, SBA '01, account executive, Hartford Life;<br />
Joseph T. Davidson, CAS '71, assistant city editor, Washington Post; Gregory T. Grabowski, CAS '91, president and CEO, Leader<br />
Dogs for the Blind; The Honorable Michael W. Michalak, CAS '68, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam; and Teresa Stayer, SHS '84, owner<br />
and vice president, Spectra Med Incorporated.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The Alumni Admissions Ambassador Program is a growing, dedicated group of OU alumni -<br />
166 and counting. Alumni Admissions Ambassadors attend college fairs and other recruitment<br />
events to help recruit undergraduate students to <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>. Two of the newest OU<br />
alums on board are Detroit Tigers front office managers. Jill Baran, CAS '98, manager of Event<br />
and Guest Services, and Rick Thompson, CAS '02, manager of Baseball Media Relations, are<br />
enthusiastic and eager to serve <strong>Oakland</strong> as Ambassadors. Baran, a Regina High School<br />
graduate, oversees all events at Comerica Park throughout the year. She credits an internship<br />
posted in the <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> student paper as launching her career in sports. Thompson, a<br />
Lutheran High North graduate, credits his internship with the Tigers and his professors in the<br />
journalism program for his full-time post within the Tiger organization.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Bats are often misunderstood. They are often thought of as big-eating, rabies-ridden, scary<br />
creatures that fly around at night. OU alumnus Dave Kugler, CAS '95, is helping to educate the public about bats. Through his<br />
company, Critter Catchers, he has provided a $1,000 grant, which will be administered by the Organization for Bat Conservation and<br />
will enable the nonprofit organization, based at the Cranbrook Institute of Science, to offer supplemental funding in support of live<br />
bat programs.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Hollywood doesn't have a lock on rising movie stars - just ask <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> alumni Jennifer Kincer<br />
Catallo, CAS '93. Catallo, who has a long list of acting credits to her name - including a recent film with<br />
Dylan McDermott and a co-starring role in a feature film with Daniel Baldwin - says she is proud of being<br />
able to pursue her acting career while keeping her Michigan roots. Catallo attended <strong>Oakland</strong> on music<br />
and academic scholarships, eventually receiving the Jennifer Scott Memorial Music Award and the<br />
Musicology Honor Cord from <strong>Oakland</strong>'s Department of Music, Theatre and Dance. After graduation,<br />
Catallo decided against moving to New York or Los Angeles, instead choosing to pursue her dreams in<br />
Michigan.<br />
Full Story...<br />
OU alumna Debbie Liedel, SEHS '78, has worked in the non-profit sector for nearly 30 years. She<br />
recently took over as executive director of The Family Center of Grosse Pointe and Harper Woods, a<br />
small organization in Grosse Pointe that offers family-based enrichment to the surrounding community.<br />
Liedel is enjoying the challenges that come along with working for a non-profit, as well as making a difference in her community.<br />
Full Story...<br />
When Nick Monterosso sees homeless people on the street in Detroit, he stops the car, gets out and engages them in a<br />
conversation. He listens to their stories, learns about their dreams for the future and helps them get off the street and toward a<br />
better future. Monterosso works with the United Way's 2-1-1 initiative in Detroit, a service that provides help in the health and human<br />
service areas to people in Washtenaw, Monroe, Wayne, <strong>Oakland</strong> and Macomb counties.<br />
Full Story...<br />
During the Go for the Gold program on Saturday, October 11, 2008 nearly 850 high school<br />
students and their parents attended academic and resource sessions, toured campus and<br />
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mingled with OU faculty, staff and students. Five Alumni Admissions Ambassadors also shared<br />
how OU helped them get one step closer to their dream job during two resource sessions.<br />
They explained why they chose OU, activities they were involved in as undergraduates and<br />
relationships they formed with faculty - all which helped them secure a "dream job" in their<br />
chosen professions.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Two <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> alumni were named to this year's Crain's Detroit Business 40 Under 40 list. Leanne Bowen (BGS '97),<br />
project manager at Jones Lange LaSalle, and John Lesser, partner, Plante Moran Financial Advisors (SBA '92) both spent the<br />
week following the announcement reading e-mails and congratulatory notes from colleagues, and business and community leaders.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Lindsey Tycholiz (CAS '07) was crowned Miss Michigan USA and will compete in next spring's Miss USA Pageant in Las Vegas.<br />
The music education major, with minors in theatre and biology, vied against nearly 60 contestants at McMorran Place Theater in<br />
Port Huron in September.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Twenty-three Alumni Admissions Ambassadors represented <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> at college<br />
fairs during the month of October, answering parent questions and gaining the interest of<br />
prospective students. In-state ambassadors team up with undergraduate admissions<br />
advisers and out-of-state ambassadors independently represent OU at college fairs in their<br />
communities.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Attorney Stephen Kirksey remembers walking down Rochester's Main Street as a kid and<br />
dreaming about practicing law in an office above Lytle Pharmacy. Decades later, this<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> alumnus realized his dream when he hung his shingle on Main Street,<br />
just a couple blocks north of the pharmacy.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> continued building a small army of advocates ready to help persuade<br />
students to check out the more than 225 programs at one of the state's fastest growing<br />
universities.<br />
Full Story...<br />
An OU alumnus was selected to lead Rochester Christmas Parade in 2008, the fifth year the<br />
university participatedin the popular parade.<br />
Full Story...<br />
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Inspired Faculty and Staff<br />
For their tireless dedication to excellence in teaching, scholarship, research and service, OU<br />
honored faculty members who provide students a distinctive education. This year 24 faculty<br />
members were honored for their accomplishments during a special luncheon on Wednesday,<br />
April 16, which also marked Founders' Day at <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>.<br />
Full Story...<br />
OU faculty and staff who achieved thirty and forty years of service during 2007 were<br />
honored at a dinner at Meadow Brook Hall hosted by OU President Gary Russi. The<br />
honorees also received a framed certificate commemorating their years of service and a<br />
specially designed gift. The gift for thirty years was a Bulova anniversary clock for the mantel engraved with <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> 30<br />
Years of Service. Recipients of the 40 year gift received a signature watch which was also engraved with the years of service, 1967-<br />
2007.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The School of Education and Human Services honored Dean Mary Otto on her appointment to lead OU in its<br />
expansion to Macomb County and other areas as the Vice President for Outreach. Otto has worked at OU for<br />
more than 30 years, and she has been dean of SEHS for more than 13 years. As Virinder Moudgil, vice president<br />
for academic affairs and provost, put it, she's "the deans' dean."<br />
Full Story...<br />
For the past three years, high school students from the International Academy have participated in research in the<br />
lab of Assistant Professor of Chemistry Ferman Chavez. After witnessing how interested the students became<br />
through their work in the lab, Chavez wanted to find a way to spread that interest in chemistry to other high school<br />
students. Chavez was awarded a National Science Foundation CAREER Award to fund a program to do just that.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Andrew Goldberg, Eye Research Institute associate professor, received a three-year, $245,000 research award from the E. Matilda<br />
Zeigler Foundation for the Blind, to support his studies of photoreceptor architecture and genetic retinal disease.<br />
Full Story...<br />
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Through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Saginaw Public Library offered a workshop for low-literacy<br />
families called "Prime Time Family Reading Time," which included reading, discussion and storytelling. Associate Professor of<br />
Education Gwendolyn McMillon served as a scholar for the program helping to facilitate book discussions each week. The program<br />
his home for McMillon, who frequented the library when she was growing up in the area.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Four of <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s professors were selected for professorships through The Doris<br />
and Paul Travis Program Endowed Fund, recognizing accomplishments in teaching,<br />
research and/or professional service in the arts.<br />
Full Story...<br />
It seems like something out of a sci-fi movie. Potential employees turn over their genetic information to their future employers during<br />
the interview process. While it seems like fiction, OU professors Lizabeth Barclay and Karen Markel have been researching the<br />
possibility of this becoming a reality. Their research will help keep OU human resource management students up-to-date on how to<br />
handle sensitive information and the potential outcomes that come with collecting it.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The First Midwest Conference on Stem Cell Biology and Therapy was held at <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> May 9-11. The conference brought<br />
national and international experts in stem cell research to campus to explore recent findings in stem cell research and address the<br />
ethical and political issues associated with it. Professor of Biological Sciences, Rasul Chaudhry, was instrumental in organizing the<br />
conference, which was attended by researchers from hospitals, medical organizations, and academic institutions throughout the<br />
country.<br />
Full Story...<br />
In an office overshadowed by shelves of books piled to the ceiling, OU reading professor John<br />
McEneaney has spent the last decade pursuing an unlikely subject - technology. His interest in the<br />
partnership between reading and computers was sparked as an educator at the elementary level and<br />
has burgeoned into innovative and important theoretical research. His work to connect literacy and<br />
technology earned him the Albert J. Kingston Award, presented by the National Reading Conference<br />
(NRC). The award is given for distinguished service to NRC, the nation's premier literacy research<br />
organization. McEneaney was nominated for the award for his work to bring the NRC online.<br />
Full Story...<br />
When Ron Horwitz retired from teaching and serving the School of Business Administration in 2002,<br />
he wanted to do something completely different from his former career. So he made a past hobby,<br />
Bridge, into his work. He served as co-chair for the Compuware Spring 2008 North American Bridge<br />
Championships, which was held in Detroit March 6-16.<br />
Full Story...<br />
While it was cold outside on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2008, the <strong>Oakland</strong> Center Banquet Room was filled with warm wishes for Art Griggs<br />
on his retirement. A 30-year employee of the university, Griggs officially retired but serves as a consultant for the Academic Affairs<br />
Office. Griggs' association with <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> began before he was old enough to attend the university. His brother was a<br />
student and Griggs would come to campus to visit him. Eventually he joined his brother as a student and graduated from OU with a<br />
bachelor's degree in biology.<br />
Full Story...<br />
"Image and Text," the biennial faculty art exhibition, was held at the <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> Art Gallery Jan. 12 through Feb. 24. The<br />
faculty members explored art in their own ways through a variety of mediums, including photography, paintings and digital prints.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> Distinguished Professor and Professor Emeritus of chemistry Paul<br />
Tomboulian was recognized on Friday, May 9, for his contributions to <strong>Oakland</strong> County's<br />
Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC). He received the Frank Wilke LEPC<br />
Excellence Award, which was created in memory of Wilke, an original member of LEPC who<br />
died in 2006. Last year, the award was given to General Motors Corporation.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s chapter of Sigma Xi was recently awarded a Certificate of Excellence<br />
for demonstrating its involvement and vitality. A chapter of the national research society,<br />
Sigma Xi supports scientific research on campus and aims to get more students involved in<br />
research in any field. The annual Sigma Xi public lecture will be held Tuesday, April 1 at 4:30 p.m. in 201 Dodge Hall. The lecture is<br />
the group's largest public lecture of the year. This year, the lecture will be given by Vito Quaranta, professor of cancer biology,<br />
director of the Vanderbilt Integrative Cancer Biology Center, co-director of the Center for Matrix Biology at the Vanderbilt <strong>University</strong><br />
School of Medicine and a Sigma Xi distinguished lecturer.<br />
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Mila Padgett, Campus Recreation assistant director of programs, was honored by her colleagues as the<br />
2008 Outstanding Administrative Professional. Administrative Professionals from around campus<br />
gathered in the Pioneer Room to recognize Padgett's efforts to support the mission of <strong>Oakland</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong>. Her colleagues praised her work, acknowledged her leadership and even told some funny<br />
stories. Padgett was joined at the reception by her husband, Larry, her son and her parents. The AP<br />
Assembly, a professional organization for administrative-professionals, also honored the outgoing<br />
president, Michelle Southward, assistant director of the Center for Multicultural Initiatives, for her service<br />
to the group.<br />
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Full Story...<br />
The National Academic Advising Association honored <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s Advising Week and three<br />
advisers during its annual conference in Chicago, Ill., in October. This was the first time OU submitted<br />
applicants for the NACADA awards, and all four of the submissions were selected to be honored.<br />
Advising Week earned Outstanding Institutional Advising Program Award for its innovative and exemplary practices resulting in<br />
improved academic advising services.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> recognized the exceptional work of 30 AP employees with AP Bonus Awards.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The School of Education and Human Services presented awards to three <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
employees for their service to the faculty and staff within the school. The inaugural Above<br />
and Beyond Service Awards were presented to John Coughlin, senior systems analyst in E-<br />
Learning and Instructional Support, Eric Condic, manager of library systems at Kresge<br />
Library and Kristine Condic, associate professor in Kresge Library.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Many people who have long commutes were feeling the pinch of rising gas prices. For OU<br />
Energy Manager Jim Liedel, the gas prices for his 50-mile commute aren't an issue. That's<br />
because Liedel's Volkswagen Passat runs on biodiesel. Using discarded oil from restaurants,<br />
Leidel can "home brew" his own fuel. Now, working with a local greenhouse, Leidel is assisting in starting a small biodiesel<br />
manufacturing facility where others can learn more about he process and the use of the fuel.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The Phyllis Law Googasian Award is presented by the <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> chapter of the<br />
American Council on Education Network for Women Leaders to a woman who demonstrates<br />
extraordinary service to the university community and commitment to the positive growth,<br />
development and advancement of women at OU. This year, Jean Ann Miller, director of the<br />
Center for Student Activities and Leadership Development, was selected to receive the<br />
honor.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s Department of Music, Theatre and Dance welcomed three new members to the dance faculty in the fall,<br />
including an OU alumnus.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Assistant Professor of Occupational Safety and Health and program director Charles McGlothlin was honored by the Michigan<br />
Safety Conference as the Michigan Safety Professional of the Year. McGlothlin said he is humbled by the honor and said it<br />
spotlights the good work <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> is doing in the emerging field of occupational safety and health.<br />
Full Story...<br />
It all started with a class at <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> in the 1980s. That led to an independent study between Roy Kotynek, now professor<br />
emeritus of history, and John Cohassey, CAS '90. This led to shared research, and a lengthy professional relationship. The<br />
culmination of all of these years of work was released as the book "American Culture Rebels: Avant Garde and Bohemian Artists."<br />
Full Story...<br />
Michigan's leading developer of alternative, sustainable and renewable energy sources, NextGen Energy, partnered with Chris<br />
Kobus, associate professor of engineering, to create an ethanol plant in Michigan. The company made Kobus the head of research,<br />
as it finds ways to improve ethanol production, and develop a way to make ethanol out of cellulose materials, non-food biomass like<br />
switchgrass, woodchips and parts of corn plants.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Bill Connellan, associate professor of journalism, delivered his last lecture on Thursday, Aug. 14. Once<br />
the finals are scored and the grades turned in, Connellan began a new chapter of his life. Learning is<br />
something that Connellan loves to do every day - a passion that started when he was an <strong>Oakland</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong> student. Connellan came to <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> in 1963 to study political science and history.<br />
He later covered the higher education beat for The Detroit News. Connellan returned to OU in 1970. He<br />
taught part-time and served in a number of administrative roles in the Office of the President and the<br />
provost's office before switching to a full-time faculty position in 2000. From 2001-04, Connellan took a<br />
leave of absence from OU to serve as a senior vice president of the Detroit Metro Convention and<br />
Visitors Bureau.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> will hosted the 2008 Nanoscale Science and Engineering Conference on Aug. 18.<br />
The conference established a platform for researchers and entrepreneurs, especially in the fields of<br />
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nanoscale science and engineering, as well as structural DNA, to exchange ideas and promote multidisciplinary, inter-institutional<br />
partnerships. Conference participants had a chance to acquire knowledge about the most current research and development in<br />
these fields and to identify collaborators in other institutions.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> President Gary D. Russi was awarded the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sunrise Pinnacle Awards<br />
program, sponsored by the Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce. Held Thursday, Oct. 30, the annual program honors the<br />
area's visionary entrepreneurs, business and civic leaders, educators and exemplary corporate citizens.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Members of <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s political science department were in demand during the election season, sharing their expertise on<br />
politics and campaigns with students and community members. Faculty members participated in numerous activities - from debates<br />
to discussions - surrounding the elections, as well as responding to media calls from Time Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, USA<br />
Today, Detroit News, Detroit Free Press and Fox News.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> Assistant Professor of Teacher Development and Educational Studies Ji-Eun Lee received a $1,500 mini-grant<br />
from the MEEMIC Foundation for the Future of Education. Lee petitioned the foundation to underwrite the cost of developing a<br />
teaching module which will provide elementary students in grades 3 and 4 with a foundation for learning algebra.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s School of Business Administration appointed Michael Grieves, a noted Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)<br />
expert and author, to the position of research professor. Grieves, who writes extensively and lectures worldwide on PLM and related<br />
topics, joined the faculty of the SBA to engage in activities that will foster research collaboration, education and industry interaction<br />
in the rapidly growing area of PLM.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> hosted "Stem Cell Research: The Science, the Cures and the Law," an informational conference led by Marcia<br />
Baum, executive director of Michigan Citizens for Stem Cell Research and Cures on Oct. 28. A question and answer session<br />
featured notable scientists, politicians, and academics followed an hour-long presentation by Baum.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> associate professors of political science David Dulio and Peter Trumbore presented "The Battle for Power:<br />
Issues, Politics and Strategy in the 2006 and 2008 Elections" at the President's Colloquium on Oct. 27.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> hosted the International Conference on Romanticism in mid-October at the Royal Park Hotel in downtown<br />
Rochester.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> School of Business Administration hosted a leadership conference to explore the role of leadership in<br />
developing competitive advantages in the global marketplace.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Faculty in the SBA's Decision and Information Sciences department were ranked among the top in country for both the quality of<br />
their MIS research and their productivity.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Susan Davies Goepp, vice president for Development, Alumni and Community Engagement and executive director of<br />
the <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> Foundation, was honored as part of National Philanthropy Day for 20 years of philanthropic<br />
work.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> departments and staff members were honored with three Gold Awards during the Council for<br />
Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District V Conference at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers.<br />
Full Story...<br />
David Spencer, executive director of the <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s SmartZone Business Incubator (OU INC), was among panelists who<br />
participated in the Young Professionals of Rochester's 2009 Economic Update and Forecast panel discussion.<br />
Full Story...<br />
"The Economics of Health and Health Care," authored by two professors in the School of Business Administration, is considered a<br />
leader in its field by educators, researchers, government specialists, physicians and others.<br />
Full Story...<br />
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Diversity<br />
In honor of African American History month and Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a celebration was held on Monday, Jan. 21 and ran until<br />
Feb. 21. The month-long celebration gave students, faculty, staff and the surrounding community an opportunity to learn about<br />
African-American history and celebrate the culture. The theme was "Reflecting Truth through the Understanding of Our Historical<br />
Inspirations."<br />
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Full Story...<br />
Six <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> students were honored at the 16th annual Keeper of the Dream<br />
Awards Celebration on Monday, Jan. 21. The Keeper of the Dream Awards pay tribute to the<br />
legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for his achievements on behalf of civil rights. Human<br />
rights activist and entertainer Harry Belafonte was the keynote speaker of the event, which<br />
recognized students for their efforts to break down cultural stereotypes and promote<br />
interracial understanding.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Women's History Month took place throughout the month of March and <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s<br />
Gender and Sexuality Center coordinated a variety of events around the theme "Women in Politics."<br />
Full Story...<br />
Students and faculty from local universities, as well as community members came together and engage in dialogue about today's<br />
human diversity issues and concern during the 10 th Annual Diverse Voices Conference March 22 in <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s Varner<br />
Recital Hall. The conference followed the theme "Critically Reflecting on Diversity Inclusion and Exclusion" and featured guest<br />
speaker Elizabeth Tisdell from Penn State <strong>University</strong>. Student speakers represented <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>, Davenport <strong>University</strong>, the<br />
<strong>University</strong> of Detroit Mercy and the <strong>University</strong> of Michigan Dearborn.<br />
Full Story...<br />
As part of the global 2008 V-Day campaign to end violence against women, <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s Women's Issues Forum staged<br />
performances of Eve Ensler's "Vagina Monologues" on March 7 and March 8.<br />
Full Story...<br />
In honor of Women's History Month, <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s Student Life Lecture Board hosted feminist author and activist Naomi Wolf<br />
on Wednesday, April 2.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> welcomed Michael Eric Dyson and his wife, Reverend Marcia Dyson, to<br />
campus to debate "The State of Black America: Is Bill Cosby Right?" on Feb. 18. The<br />
Dysons are two of the most influential black leaders in the nation.<br />
Full Story...<br />
"Absinthe" magazine and <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> co-sponsored the Absinthe Festival of New<br />
European Film and Writing on May 9 and 10. The festival presented several feature films<br />
from Europe, a selection of short-films from Europe that screened at the Ann Arbor Film Festival, and short films produced by<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> students, along with readings by European and Detroit-area writers and translators.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The exhibit "Revolutionizing Cultural Identity: Photography and the Changing Face of<br />
Immigration" opened in March in the OU Art Gallery. This international exhibition, curated by<br />
Claude Baillargeon, professor of art and art history, brought together eleven artists working<br />
from a broad range of cultural and conceptual perspectives. All eleven artists, who live either<br />
in the United States or Canada, are descendants of immigrants from around the world. The<br />
exhibition focuses on the constant struggle that immigrants and their descendants face<br />
having to identify with more than one culture.<br />
Full Story...<br />
For the second year, <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> co-hosted a Michigan Chinese Academic and<br />
Professional Association Asian (MCAPA) delegation for a one-day symposium on April 15.<br />
The delegates were in town for the Society of Automotive Engineers Congress in Detroit. They met with local engineering and<br />
business leaders in a closed session for a portion of the day and then OU faculty presented to the delegation, followed by a panel on<br />
quality in the auto manufacturing sector, which was open to the public.<br />
Full Story...<br />
International students for <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> were able to share information about their<br />
homelands and their customs and cultures with students from Auburn Elementary School in<br />
Auburn Hills as part of the school's "It's a Small World," diversity night on Feb. 29. OU's<br />
International Students and Scholars Office< arranged for the students to participate in the<br />
diversity night through the Learn About Me program.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> community was invited to the International Welcome Reception in<br />
September. The event, part of the OU Welcome Week activities, connected the campus<br />
community with OU's new, current and former international students, as well as celebrated<br />
the diversity on campus. The event featured international food and music by the Southpaw Isle Trio.<br />
Full Story...<br />
OU hosted several events in support of National Coming Out Week, Oct. 6-10. Sponsored by the university's Gender and Sexuality<br />
Center (GSC), the week began with a remembrance marking the tenth anniversary of Mathew Shepard's tragic killing and concluded<br />
with a visit from TV personality Charles Pugh.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> showcased Hispanic culture during "Las Ciudades del mundo hispánico, Cities of the Hispanic World," the 2008<br />
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Hispanic Celebration. The events included a "tour" of Hispanic cities, a professional cooking demonstration and a trip to<br />
Mexicantown.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The Women and Gender Studies program at <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> hosted its 26th annual film festival in November. The event was<br />
titled "On Our Way to the White House? Women & Electoral Politics" and focused on how gender impacts the electoral process in<br />
contemporary American society.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Noted actor, producer and human rights activist Danny Glover was been chosen as the keynote speaker for the 17th annual Keeper<br />
of the Dream celebration on Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 19, 2009. Deeply involved with the Vanguard Public<br />
Foundation based in San Francisco, an organization that strives to eradicate racism and promote civil rights, economic justices,<br />
gender equality and community empowerment, Glover also is the chairman of the board of TransAfrica Forum, the African-American<br />
lobbying organization on Africa and the Caribbean.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> Islamic Studies program hosted the 2008 Muslim film series, which presented films from across the Middle<br />
East to give viewers fresh perspectives on the Islamic world.<br />
Full Story...<br />
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Community<br />
The First Gentleman of Michigan Dan Mulhern spoke about becoming a leader in today's ever changing society during a lecture on<br />
Thursday, Jan. 24.<br />
Full Story...<br />
OU political science students experienced the national election process up close when they<br />
attended a Town Hall Meeting organized by the John McCain 2008 presidential campaign<br />
committee at Shotwell-Gustafson Pavilion. Instead of meeting in the classroom, students in<br />
the Intro to Political Science course, taught by Associate Professor David Dulio, gathered on<br />
May 7 to hear Republican contender John McCain's remarks about human rights. McCain<br />
fielded questions from the audience of 700, ranging from troops in Iraq, to his temper and<br />
fuel economy standards.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>, along with other Michigan schools, has an important role to play in improving the state's economy, according to<br />
OU President Gary Russi. Russi was a guest on "50 CEO's on the D," a Detroit Renaissance Reports podcast, where he discussed<br />
what the university is doing to actively engage students in the community in order to stop the state's "brain drain."<br />
Full Story...<br />
The 2008 AUTOe conference delivered pragmatic insight into the state of information technologies within the auto industry by the<br />
thought leaders best equipped to do so - automotive CIOs. The conference was held at <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> April 24-25.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Best known for her successful defense in a libel suit brought by Holocaust refuter David Irving and her subsequent book, "History on<br />
Trial," scholar Deborah Lipstadt presented an <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>-sponsored talk at the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan<br />
Detroit in West Bloomfield on Monday, April 28.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> hosted students from across the country to participate in research with faculty as part of the Research<br />
Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program funded by the National Science Foundation.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Two OU student musicians were featured in 11th Annual David Daniels Young Artists Concert presented on Feb. 10 in the Varner<br />
Recital Hall.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The grounds of <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> was the start and historic Meadow Brook Hall was the finish line for<br />
the inaugural Brooksie Way Half Marathon, <strong>Oakland</strong> County Executive L. Brooks Patterson announced.<br />
Patterson made the announcement at Meadow Brook Hall with officials from the Crim Fitness<br />
Foundation, which co-sponsored the race with <strong>Oakland</strong> County. Also in attendance were representatives<br />
from <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>, the cities of Rochester and Rochester Hills and the Paint Creek Trailways<br />
Council.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s School of Nursing (SON) and presenting sponsor William Beaumont Hospitals<br />
hosted the second annual "Envision Conference, Entrepreneurship in Nursing Leading to Change" on<br />
Sept. 26, 2008 at the Royal Park Hotel in Rochester.<br />
Full Story...<br />
At every home basketball game, representatives from local community organizations are in the stands, cheering the Golden<br />
Grizzlies to victory. The groups are invited by OU President Gary Russi through the President's Spirit Program. Thirty tickets per<br />
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game, as well as refreshment vouchers, are distributed to groups in the community. The groups share the tickets with employees,<br />
clients, volunteers or members. Some of the groups who attended games include Hispanic Outreach Services, American Red<br />
Cross, Habitat for Humanity, HAVEN, the American Cancer Society, the Boy Scouts and YMCA.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> and Upland Hills Ecological Awareness Center hosted the Third Annual Earth Day Expo on April 19 in the<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> Center. The no-cost event offered the community a chance to celebrate Earth Day and learn about healthy alternatives for<br />
Earth-friendly living.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The Third Annual Global Security Forum featureed Doris Tennant, an attorney and pro bono representative of a Guantanamo Bay<br />
detainee. Through her lecture "Behind the Scenes at Guantanamo Bay: A Lawyer's Story," Tennant sought to raise awareness of<br />
the detainees who have served for many years without any charges being brought against them.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> co-sponsored and participated in "Living with Autism," a workshop for parents and professionals presented by<br />
"Metro Parent" magazine. The workshop was held on April 16 at the Troy Hilton. The keynote speaker was Jenny McCarthy, who<br />
shares her personal story.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s School of Nursing (SON) hosted the 20 th Annual Nightingale Awards for Nursing on Thursday, May 1. The<br />
program honored nine award recipients and nine runners up for their dedication to the field of nursing. Local 4-WDIV morning news<br />
anchor Rhonda Walker served as the evening's emcee.<br />
Full Story...<br />
There are many lakes and rivers throughout Michigan and <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> educated more than 1,500 fifth graders about water<br />
conservation and protection during the Second Annual Clinton River Water Festival on May 22. <strong>Oakland</strong> Plus, a non-profit<br />
organization dedicated to the protection of our water resources, donated $15,000 to help support the Water Festival this year.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Humanitarian, nurse extraordinaire and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Baroness Caroline Cox shared her stories and words of hope<br />
and inspiration amidst tragedy in her presentation, "The Privilege to Serve" at Meadow Brook Theater on May 9. A reception<br />
followed at Meadow Brook Hall.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s Gear Up/College Day program and the School of Education and Human Services Counseling Department<br />
completed Gear Up for Life. The program was designed to assist students with life skills in the areas of leadership development,<br />
conflict resolution, building positive relations and establishing parental support. While the program was for students, parents of the<br />
students, who came from Oak Park and Pontiac school districts, were also required to participate in the final session.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Micah Fialka-Feldman always wanted to go to college, but many assumed he never would.<br />
Fialka-Feldman has a cognitive impairment which always classified him as aspecial<br />
education student. After high school, many special education students move on to a basic<br />
life skills program. Fialka-Feldman wanted more. Through the OPTIONS program, he is<br />
taking classes and experiencing campus life. Fialka-Feldman was the subject of "Through<br />
the Same Door: Inclusion Includes College," a documentary about his desire to attend<br />
college and how that happened. Fialka-Feldman presented it to the campus community on<br />
March 26.<br />
Full Story...<br />
In an effort to spread awareness to the OU community about the hunger that plagues<br />
millions of people around the world, the St. John Fisher Newman Group held a hunger banquet on Feb. 13.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance brings together the traditions of antique and classic automobiles on display at the historic<br />
Meadow Brook Hall. The 2008 event celebrated General Motors' 100th anniversary, the Model T's 100th anniversary, and featured<br />
Ferraris, 8-Litre Bentleys, 16-cylinder cars, flying cars, vintage motorcycles with side cars and cars from 1933. While the Concours<br />
d'Elegance was set for Sunday, Aug. 3, events including a motor tour and auction began earlier that week.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Students at Lincoln Middle School face the normal, early teen life issues. And many of the students face the challenges that also<br />
come along with being underprivileged. Members of OU's Social Work club met with students from the middle school this year to<br />
provide them with an outlet, a support system and sometimes a little advice.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s Office of Public School Academies and Urban Partnerships hosted its inaugural Building Bridges for the Future:<br />
PSA Pre-College Summer Camp this summer. The three-night residential camp was supported through OU/PSA's collaboration with<br />
the <strong>University</strong>'s Department of Pre-College Programs. The goal of the camp was to emphasize the importance of a college<br />
education to the sixth through eighth graders enrolled at OU charter schools. Camp participants toured the campus and engaged in<br />
learning activities taught by OU professors and graduate staff in science, chemistry and engineering. Campers were also introduced<br />
to Chinese culture and language.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Meadow Brook Hall went Hollywood, much like the rest of Detroit. The Michigan tax incentive<br />
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2008 Year In Review - News at OU: Year In Review - <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
for film companies brought a flurry of filming to the state, and Meadow Brook Hall's grand<br />
scale and Tudor Revival architecture have caught the attention of location scouts. The Hall<br />
was recently a set location for ABC's TV pilot "The Prince of Motor City" and the upcoming<br />
movie "Youth In Revolt."<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s Student Life Lecture Board welcomed Kirsten Haglund, Miss America<br />
2008, on Sept. 16. Haglund, a Farmington Hills native, was crowned Miss American in<br />
January. Her new title has taken her around the world and she came to <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> to share her story.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Friday, Aug. 8 was <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> night at Rochester's Dancin' in the Street. OU's Images Dance Team, Xpressiv B.T.Z. and<br />
Cheerleading team performed at the downtown event.<br />
Full Story...<br />
When <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> students returned to campus this fall, local communities including Rochester, Auburn Hills, <strong>Oakland</strong><br />
Township and Rochester Hills welcomed students with open arms. Mayors or representatives from each of these communities<br />
presented official resolutions recognizing <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s Welcome Week to President Gary Russi in front of a crowd of nearly<br />
1,500 during New Student Convocation on Tuesday, Sept. 2. <strong>Oakland</strong> County Executive L. Brooks Patterson also signed a<br />
proclamation.<br />
Full Story...<br />
OU students were invited to the fourth annual Up 'Til Dawn letter-sending party on Nov. 12 in the <strong>Oakland</strong> Center Banquet Rooms.<br />
The program is a student-led initiative dedicated to raising funds for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the premier treatment<br />
and research center for children with catastrophic illnesses.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The business leader frequently described as the Bill Gates of Asia because of the similarities in the story of how he founded a<br />
software firm in Bangalore in 1981, Narayana Murthy received an honorary degree from the OU School of Business Administration<br />
during its Dec. 13 commencement ceremony.<br />
Full Story...<br />
In support of the College of Arts and Sciences' "Cities" theme, <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s Master of Public Administration (MPA) program<br />
hosted a panel discussion on Oct. 23. Four local leaders, all alumni of <strong>Oakland</strong>'s MPA program, spoke on current challenges facing<br />
city management.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> hosted former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright as part of the Varner Vitality<br />
Series on Oct. 14. The event was sponsored by the Student Life Lecture Board and Academic<br />
Affairs. Albright was nominated for Secretary of State by President Bill Clinton and unanimously<br />
confirmed by the United States Senate. Albright was the first female Secretary of State and at the<br />
time, the highest ranking woman in the history of the United States government. Albright's previous<br />
credentials include United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations, member of<br />
Clinton's Cabinet and member of the National Security Council and White House staff member. She<br />
also serves as president for the Center for National Policy, a research professor of international<br />
affairs and director of Women in Foreign Service program at Ge orgetown <strong>University</strong>.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Nearly 4,000 runners and walkers made the inaugural Brooksie Way Half Marathon a runaway<br />
success. The half marathon, as well as a 5K race/walk, began at <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> on the corner of<br />
Walton and Adams and finished at Meadow Brook Hall. The Sunday, Oct. 5, event was sponsored by the Crim Fitness Foundation<br />
and <strong>Oakland</strong> County.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The OU community welcomed a presentation by Dr. Drew Pinsky, the host of the nationallysyndicated<br />
radio call-in show, "Loveline," and the star on the VH1 program "Celebrity Rehab<br />
with Dr. Drew."<br />
Full Story...<br />
The OU community was invited to enjoy Lagniappe and The Big, Bright Light Show in<br />
downtown Rochester, where visitors could take in 500,000 twinkling lights and get "a little<br />
something extra" from the business community.<br />
Full Story...<br />
A two-day business conference on the campus of <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> in mid-October brought<br />
business practitioners and academic leaders from across the country together to answer the<br />
questions challenging businesses today.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> staff, faculty and students planned a trip to Washington, D.C., to witness<br />
the historic inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama.<br />
Full Story...<br />
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2008 Year In Review - News at OU: Year In Review - <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
OU hosted Campaign Roundup 2008, an event in which area experts explored outcomes of the historic November general election<br />
and how they will impact a state and nation facing formidable challenges.<br />
Full Story...<br />
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Partnerships<br />
A partnership between <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> and the <strong>University</strong> of Botswana made it possible for Cecilia Seema and Kayi Ntinda to<br />
study at OU during the winter 2008 semester. Seema and Ntinda have been at <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> since Jan. 2 attending classes,<br />
studying and working in the School of Education and Human Services Counseling Center.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The City of Rochester, <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s hometown, was recognized as one of the top<br />
100 places to live in America by Relocate America. This is the tenth year Relocate America<br />
has compiled the best places to live in the United States, determined by statistics and<br />
feedback of the people who live and work in these communities. Nominations include data<br />
about education, employment, economy, crime, parks, recreation and housing.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> and the <strong>University</strong> of Windsor held the second annual Conference on<br />
Teaching and Learning on May 12 and 13 at <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>.<br />
Full Story...<br />
On Thursday, Feb. 7, <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s SmartZone SM Business Incubator (OU INC) announced the opening of the OU INC<br />
Collaboratory, a unique electronic decision support system environment for group work teams. Collaboratory sessions foster<br />
collaboration, categorization, prioritization and consensus building among work teams.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Studio Art major Carla Butwin showcaseed her work for the first time as a solo artist when<br />
she took part in the Downtown Rochester Spring Gallery Stroll. Her paintings were displayed<br />
at Studio One Salon, located at 424 Main Street. During this biannual event, galleries and<br />
other businesses open their doors for community members to enjoy art and refreshments.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s Fastening and Joining Research Institute (FAJRI) plays an important<br />
role in protecting U.S. Army troops and rejuvenating Michigan's economy, said speakers<br />
during the institute's 5th anniversary celebration on Monday. U.S. senator Carl Levin, D-<br />
Mich., and speakers from Chrysler, DTE Energy and the U.S Army's Tank Automotive<br />
Research Development and Engineering Center congratulated and thanked the institute for its contributions to the military and to<br />
industry.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Once a week, a group of students take over the kitchen at the Older Persons Commission in Rochester<br />
and cook up food like vegetarian chili, polenta, apple cobbler, meringues and other tasty treats. The<br />
students are getting hands-on experience for the class Introduction to Food Science, which looks at the<br />
basic principles and the chemical and biological properties of food preparation. The lab portion of the<br />
class is two hours and the students work in groups of two to cook two to three recipes focusing on the<br />
week's theme, and then they spend the last half hour evaluating and eating their work.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> and Meadow Brook Theatre signed a new operating agreement for the 2008-2009<br />
production year. The new agreement began July 1, 2008.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s Pre-College Program is part of the YMCA Education Coalition Partners and was<br />
awarded the YMCA 2008 Partnership Award.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> partnered with Wayne State <strong>University</strong>'s Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences to allow<br />
OU undergraduates the opportunity to earn an undergraduate degree in Health Sciences from <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> and a graduate<br />
degree in Physician Assistant Studies from Wayne State <strong>University</strong>.<br />
Full Story...<br />
This June, the Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce's (RRCC) board of directors<br />
gathered for its annual strategic planning session at <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>'s SmartZone<br />
Business Incubator (OU INC). The Collaboratory assists local businesses using high-tech<br />
decision making software that allows each individual to express their ideas, and helps rank<br />
choices and make decisions based on consensus among the group. An OU INC facilitator<br />
keeps the meeting on track.<br />
Full Story...<br />
The second annual "Tech x 2 Expo = LTU + OU" career fair was held on the Lawrence Tech<br />
campus on Sept. 30. The event gave OU and LTU students majoring in engineering, computer science and technology the chance<br />
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2008 Year In Review - News at OU: Year In Review - <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
to meet with some of the region's top employers in those fields.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong>, in partnership with the Macomb County Planning and Economic Development Department and the City of<br />
Sterling Heights, launched the Macomb-<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> Incubator. The business incubator is part of a new SmartZone in Sterling<br />
Heights announced October 15 by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and state and local officials. It is<br />
estimated that the SmartZone and business incubator will eventually create 600 new jobs in the area.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> and the Max Stern Academic College of Emek Yezreel in Israel created a<br />
partnership that will provide far-reaching educational and research opportunities for<br />
undergraduate and graduate students at both institutions. The joint venture will include<br />
student and faculty exchanges as well as facilitate research opportunities. The partnership is<br />
the culmination of an April visit to Israel by OU administrators. While there, the group met<br />
with representatives from the Max Stern Academic College, Kiryat Ono College and the<br />
Weizmann Institute. They also toured the Holocaust Museum at Yad Vashem and Tel Aviv.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Running a school today takes much more than reading, writing and arithmetic. It takes the ability to successfully balance limited<br />
financial resources with greater demands for high quality student results. Lean thinking can help.<br />
Full Story...<br />
An OU partnership helped seventeen individuals enrolled at the Detroit Healthcare Career<br />
Center walk as the first graduates of the newly created LPN certificate program there.<br />
Full Story...<br />
<strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> officials explored a new transportation option with SMART that would<br />
enhance the campus community's access to all the Rochester area has to offer.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Students, alumni and others helped make the 2008 Rochester Christmas Parade, "Christmas<br />
Around the World," a memorable experience for thousands who lined Main Street.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Officials with <strong>Oakland</strong> <strong>University</strong> and the Royal Park Hotel in Rochester announced a<br />
partnership in which the hotel will serve the university's official conference center, an<br />
arrangement expected to benefit both organizations and the region as a whole.<br />
Full Story...<br />
Twenty-three public and private Michigan colleges and universities, including <strong>Oakland</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong>, have banded together to launch the Michigan Higher Education Recruitment<br />
Consortium to share information and resources to attract and retain talented faculty and<br />
staff.<br />
Full Story...<br />
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