2005 Year In Review - News at OU: Year In Review

Oakland Univegh its quality educational programs; research opportunities; campus and student services; student, faculty and staff accomplishments; prsity continued to grow and distinguish itself in 2005 through its quality educational programs; research opportunities; campus and student services; student, faculty and staff accomplishments; partnerships; cultural offerings; and community outreach.

The university set new enrollment records during the fall semester with 17,340 students, a 2.6 percent increase over fall 2004 and the first time in Oakland’s history that enrollment topped the 17,000-student mark.

The School of Engineering and Computer Science began offering a bachelor’s degree in information technology and established an Industrial Systems Engineering Department. The College of Arts and Sciences led the university community in examining the environment with its Celebrating Liberal Arts Environmental Explorations theme, which brought Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to campus to speak on politics and the environment. The School of Nursing opened the Acute Care Laboratory, which includes a high-tech simulator that provides realistic patient care scenarios. The School of Health Sciences graduated its first doctor of physical therapy students in December. And, several new services were introduced or enhanced on campus including the new Student Technology Center, Gender and Sexuality Center, Student Resource Center and Credit Union ONE full-service on-campus branch.

Hundreds of OU students and faculty members earned top honors, awards, grants and recognition during the year for their achievements in the classroom, community and research labs, and on athletics fields. Steven Townsend and Laura Cowham received the 2005 Alfred G. and Matilda R. Wilson Awards and Jonathan Parks the 2005 Human Relations Award, the top honors given at OU. Seven students also were given University Student Research Scholar Awards during 2005. The men’s basketball team won the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament championship and advanced to the Division I NCAA Tournament for the first time in the team’s history. Rawle Marshall, one of the team leaders, later signed with the Dallas Mavericks and became the first former OU player to make an NBA roster. OU’s women’s swimming and diving team captured its fourth-straight National Independent Conference championship in February, and the men’s cross country team won the Mid-Con championship Oct. 29. Several of OU’s club sports teams also competed for national championships. Professor of Chemistry Michael Sevilla was honored with Distinguished Professor status, and after 46 years of service, Professor of Philosophy Richard Burke, the last charter faculty member and the first faculty member hired by the university, retired at the end of the winter semester. OU faculty also earned $9,535,036 in external funding from grants and contracts during fiscal year 2004-05 to further advance their research and the educational experience for OU students.

Donors committed a total of $5,670,035 to the university during 2005, which includes pledges, outright gifts, planned gifts and gifts-in-kind. University leaders, students, friends and donors also kicked off Oakland’s first-ever comprehensive campaign, Innovation and Opportunity – The Campaign for Oakland University, and set the campaign’s financial target at $110 million raised by the year 2010. Contributions to the Campaign for OU totaled $67,242,746 through Dec. 31, 2005.

Oakland entered into several academic partnerships to advance the mission of the university, including a partnership with Wayne State University’s Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences to allow OU undergraduates a unique opportunity to earn a doctorate in pharmacy at Wayne State and the expanded Macomb Community College partnership that provides high-quality education in Macomb County, a seamless transition to OU for a bachelor’s degree and, starting in fall 2006, the state’s first dual-degree program.

The university hosted several national, international, cultural, educational, social and community events including the Keeper of the Dream Scholarships Awards Banquet with keynote speaker Coretta Scott King and American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. The campus community also reached out to those affected by Hurricane Katrina through the Oakland University Cares and Shares fund-raiser and by enrolling and offering fall semester scholarships to 15 students whose education was impacted by the hurricane.

OU President Gary Russi delivered the 2005 University Update in Varner Recital Hall on Dec. 6. The update illustrated OU’s progress since 1995 and outlined plans for where the university is heading in the future. Within the past 10 years, Oakland University has grown in headcount, campus facilities, academics, research, student activities and athletics, increasing its presence among universities in the region.

Here are just a few of OU’s many achievements during 2005:

Innovation and Opportunity - The Campaign for OU

President Gary Russi and Chair of the Board of Trustees Penny Crissman sign the campaign declaration as Dennis Pawley and Walt Young stand ready to sign.

Oakland University leaders, students, friends and donors gathered April 22 to kick off the university’s first-ever comprehensive fund-raising campaign and set the campaign’s goal at $110 million raised by the year 2010. Campaign co-chairs also announced the theme of the campaign: “Innovation and Opportunity - the Campaign for Oakland University.” Campaign contributions total $67,242,746 through Dec. 31, 2005.

Oakland University’s School of Business Administration received a gift of $250,000 from Comerica’s Charitable Foundation in support of OU’s Entrepreneurship Institute.

Oakland University’s School of Education and Human Services (SEHS) received a gift of $181,932 from Jack’s Place for Autism Foundation to be used to expand the resources and programming dedicated to autism that SEHS offers through Jack’s Place at OU.

Joan Rosen and her husband, Robert, donated $300,000 to establish the Joan Rosen Writing Laboratory to be built in Kresge Library.

With a $300,000 gift from Joan Rosen, former OU English professor, and her husband, Robert, a new writing lab is being constructed in Kresge Library and will serve the writing interests of students, community members and area businesses. Construction began on the Joan Rosen Writing Laboratory in November and is expected to be completed in the spring 2006.

In an effort to encourage female participation in engineering, four female OU students: Marcia Dodich, senior electrical engineering major; Elizabeth Olar, junior mechanical engineering major; Jenessa Betts, sophomore computer science major; and Nichole Swann, freshman mechanical engineering major, received $3,000 Chrysler Foundation scholarships based on their academic achievement and community involvement.

Ken Hightower, dean of the School of Health Sciences, and Vanett Vereeke, a member of the school’s board of visitors, each pledged $25,000 to spearhead a new program within the school to help treat stroke victims, or those afflicted by neurological impairments. The Bridging the Gap program utilizes doctoral and graduate students, supervised by clinical and academic professors, to provide free, personalized treatment to those who suffer from neurological disorders to help them regain functions that are lost or impaired.

Jacqueline Lougheed, professor emerita, donated $25,000 to endow the first-ever scholarship in the Educational Leadership program. The first award was presented for the fall 2005 semester.

From left to right: Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost Virinder Moudgil, OU President Gary Russi, Congressman Joe Knollenberg, School of Nursing Dean Linda Thompson Adams and Crittenton Hospital and Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Lynn Orfgen cut the ribbon to the acute care lab.

OU’s School of Nursing officially opened the School of Nursing Acute Care Laboratory with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and special guests Lynn Orfgen, chief executive officer of Crittenton Hospital Medical Center, and Congressman Joe Knollenberg, representative from the Ninth Congressional District in Oakland County.

Thanks to a bequest from former associate professor of management Mary Van Sell, a scholarship was started to aid two women’s studies students. When Van Sell passed away in 2000, women’s studies was still a concentration. Her vision was to see it become a bachelor’s degree program. To aid in the development of the program, she left her house to women’s studies, which was sold and the proceeds used to create a scholarship in her name.

With assistance from Graham Health Center and the Division of Student Affairs, Alice Horning, director of rhetoric and professor of rhetoric and linguistics, initiated the Health Emergency Gift Fund to help uninsured students. The fund covers the difference in the fees charged by Graham Health Center.

An innovative, urban-focused program started by Oakland University’s School of Nursing treats the metro Detroit area’s nursing shortage with a couple of doses of just the right medicine: It’s helping to keep some of the county’s brightest students near home and promoting on-campus diversity while doing it. With funds provided by Beaumont Hospital, three Pontiac high school students received $2,000 each to attend OU and will receive $2,000 each academic year toward a bachelor’s of science in nursing and upon graduation will be offered employment at Beaumont.

Ka C. Cheok, professor of engineering, sits in the drive-by-wire vehicle provided to OU by Ford Motor Company.

Thanks to a generous donation by Ford Motor Company, OU has the wheels to begin its quest to capture the 2006 Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Grand Challenge. The car will be used as a base for an Oakland team to create an entry. The goal is to develop an unmanned vehicle that can traverse 175 miles over desert terrain in the fastest time.

The Rochester Junior Woman’s Club held a “Raise the Roof” fund-raiser and donated $27,500 in proceeds to the restoration of Meadow Brook Hall as part of the university’s newly launched comprehensive campaign.

Oakland University faculty, staff and retirees dug deep into their hearts and pockets to support the 2005 All-University Fund Drive (AUFD). The AUFD exceeded its goal of $200,000 with a total of $208,194 donated to OU, the United Way and Black United Fund.
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Strong Undergraduate Education

North Central Association (NCA) representatives visited Oakland University’s campus Feb. 14 to assess progress made toward renewing general education and implementing assessment at OU. Since the NCA’s last site visit in 1999, faculty, administrators and students have worked to develop the components of a revised general education program that meets the needs of a rapidly changing society. Oakland’s new general education curriculum strives to improve each student’s critical thinking, information literacy, communication and social awareness skills.

As of the fall 2005 semester, students began working toward a bachelor’s degree in information technology through the School of Engineering and Computer Science. The Board of Trustees approved the new bachelor’s degree at its April 6 meeting.

Wayne State President Irvin Reid (left) and OU President Gary Russi sign an agreement to allow OU undergraduates the opportunity to earn a doctorate in pharmacy degree at Wayne State.

Oakland University partnered with Wayne State University’s Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences to allow OU undergraduates a unique opportunity to earn a doctorate in pharmacy at Wayne State.

The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment reported that the university’s graduation rates increased and the average time to degree decreased again this year, marking the third consecutive year of improvement in these important measures. These changes mark the first time the rates have improved to this extent since the current tracking system was put in place for the freshman class of 1984. After hovering around
an average of 40 to 41 percent for more than 20 years, the six-year rate rose to almost 47 percent this year. The four- and five-year graduation rates also saw similar increases, suggesting that programs OU has put in place to improve retention and graduation rates are working.

A graduate employment survey conducted by Career Services found the overall employment rate for 2003-04 OU graduates was at 92 percent for a second year. The employment rate for undergraduates was 90 percent and 96 percent for graduates. About 26 percent of the August and December 2003 and April and June 2004 graduates responded to the survey, a 5 percent decrease from the previous year. The survey included both part-time and full-time positions, but did not include those who were not seeking employment. The full-time employment rate rose 79 to 82 percent, a 3-percent increase.

A new Industrial Systems Engineering (ISE) Department at Oakland was created to better meet the needs of the manufacturing industry. ISE courses began in fall 2005.

As OU kicked off the academic year, the College of Arts and Sciences launched the 2005-06 Environmental Explorations Celebrating Liberal Arts theme with a formal kickoff celebration. The theme gives the OU community a chance to explore the environment through books, classes, lectures and events throughout the academic year.

School of Nursing students develop their clinical and decision-making skills by using a high-tech simulator.

OU’s School of Nursing began using a high-tech simulator that provides realistic patient care scenarios to give nursing students the opportunity to develop their clinical and decision-making skills.

The Bachelor of Science degree program in Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) was accredited by the Applied Science Accreditation Commission of ABET Inc., the recognized accreditor of college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering and technology.

The School of Business Administration received the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)-International reaccreditation of both its business and accounting programs.

As part of a nationwide initiative called Foundations of Excellence, Oakland University began examining the first-year student experience from effectiveness in recruiting, admitting, orienting, supporting and advising to teaching new OU students. The self-assessment will lead to an overall first-year student philosophy designed to make the experience more fulfilling and lead to greater success and retention rates.

Noted environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke on politics and the environment to a packed house in the Oakland Center Banquet Rooms as part of the College of Arts and Sciences’ Celebrating the Liberal Arts Environmental Explorations initiative.

As part of the Stennis Center’s Congress to Campus Program, two former members of Congress spent two days on campus meeting with students to inform them of life in public service. Former congressmen Bill Roy, a Democrat and former doctor from Kansas, and Arlen Erdhal, a Republican and foreign policy specialist from Minnesota, made up the bi-partisan pair who came to OU.

The Student Technology Center gives students an opportunity to expand their technology knowledge.

Students who want to expand their technology knowledge beyond the basic functions of the computer now have an on-campus educational resource. The Student Technology Center, which opened Aug. 31, provides free, hands-on training that students can use in the classroom and their careers.

More than 65 people turned out for Oakland University’s Return to Learn program on Dec. 3. Return to Learn is a statewide initiative by Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm that provides an opportunity for adult learners to get information about returning to the classroom to complete a bachelor’s degree.

The Fourth Annual Festival of Writing, sponsored by the Department of Rhetoric, Communication and Journalism, showcased the writing and presentation talents of OU students, and for the first time, four students won cash prizes for their entries.

The School of Engineering and Computer Science is conducting a pilot study to combat a nationwide trend where 30-40 percent of freshmen engineering students drop out and change majors. A one-credit freshman course will use a CAD software package that will give students a taste of what engineers do in the real world.

Special agents from the Internal Revenue Service visited campus Feb. 18 to provide a special learning experience for a group of about 40 accounting majors in the School of Business Administration. The student conference on fraud gave students firsthand knowledge of the responsibilities and techniques used by agents in the IRS Criminal Investigation Division.

The Center for Student Activities and New Student Programs teamed up to host Jump Start Aug. 29, a one-day program to help connect nearly 150 freshmen to academic and social opportunities on campus to enhance their college education.

OU's "Urinetown" production spoofs "Les Miserables" and other notable musicals.

OU students were invited to perform “Urinetown” at the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival’s Great Lakes Regional Conference Jan. 10-16, 2006, on the campus of Illinois State University. The musical was one of only 11 performances chosen from about 60 entries in the five-state region. OU’s theatre program was one of the first universities in the country to obtain rights to perform the hit Broadway musical.

Leroy Hood, one of the world’s leading scientists in molecular biotechnology and genomics, visited campus April 5 to deliver a lecture, “Systems Biology: Changing Biology, Medicine and Society.” For his revolutionary work, Oakland’s Center for Biomedical Research awarded Hood with the Distinguished Biomedical Science Achievement Award.

Students from OU’s Marketing 560 class put together and presented a marketing plan for the Mount Clemens Community School Board to attract students to the district through the school of choice program, where students from outside the district can opt to attend the school.

New Student Programs helped freshmen adapt to college life with a number of First-Year Student Transition Workshops offered throughout the fall semester. The workshops covered a variety of topics including money, health, career advice, registration, information on OU programs and techniques for doing well in class.

Jeanette Klemczak, chief nurse executive for the state of Michigan, addressed the primary concerns of the nursing profession and how Michigan is addressing the issues during a visit to OU’s campus Sept. 22.

Oakland University hosted the 2005 Alice Conner Gorlin Memorial Lecture to promote understanding of international issues and events on March 31. The lecture featured Catherine Mann, a senior fellow at the Institute for International Economics.

Computer science seniors Lidia Mudura and Matt Bruer demonstrate the software they designed for the School of Nursing.

Senior computer science majors Lidia Mudura and Matt Bruer helped design suction training software for the School of Nursing and gained a real-life lesson in designing software for a customer while helping fellow OU students in the process.

The College of Arts and Sciences created a fund that, once supported, will help OU students ease the financial demands of working or studying abroad. The Student International Education Fund will provide individual student awards for travel, tuition and boarding costs, and for other expenses related to their experiences.

Oakland University’s Department of History in the College of Arts and Sciences hosted “History Comes Alive,” a six-part series where OU history professors discussed topics from national and international historical eventsThe Music, Theatre and Dance Department presented “Life, Death, Etc.” a series of one-act plays by OU student John Wencel and directed by fellow student Rob Arbaugh. The production was an all-student effort from playwriting and directing to acting, make-up, set design and lighting.
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Student Research/Faculty Mentorship

The Oakland University Research Advisory Committee named seven student recipients of the provost-sponsored University Student Research Scholar Awards during 2005. The research scholar program exposes students to the challenges and excitement gained by pursuing independent research projects by awarding $1,000 grants for approved projects.

Oakland University was selected by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to receive its second three-year Merck Company-funded award. The 2005-07 Merck/AAAS Undergraduate Science Research Program award provides $20,000 per year for interdisciplinary research experiences for outstanding students in biological sciences and chemistry and to support career-related activities for all science majors.

More than 180 presentations by students from Oakland University, the University of Michigan-Dearborn and University of Michigan-Flint were given or displayed during the 13th annual Meeting of Minds Undergraduate Conference: A Celebration of Research and Creative Endeavors held at OU May 13.

Four graduate doctoral students from the Department of Music Theatre and Dance had research papers accepted for publication in prestigious journals and for presentation at national and international conferences, a feat that is highly unusual for doctoral students who are just entering the field of music education as researchers and scholars.

Two School of Business Administration students — Andy Baker, an MBA student majoring in MIS, and Arpitha Reddy, a recent graduate with a master’s in IT management — developed research papers that were accepted and presented at national management conferences.

Sumeera Younis, CAS '05, traveled to Pakistan in early November to examine the country’s mental institutions for her research, entitled “Human Landfills – A Nation’s Shame: An In-Depth Look at the State of Pakistan’s Mental Institutions,” as part of the Undergraduate Student Research Scholar program.

Dan Brown, a graduate student in the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program, traveled to England to present his research, “The Scapegoats of London,” at the sixth annual British Association of Victorian Studies International Conference at the University of Gloucester Sept. 5-7.

Kim Cook studies koalas in Australia for her final biology class.

Through the program, Earthwatch, Kim Cook, CAS ’05, spent time on St. Bee’s Island in Queensland, Australia, with two scientists and other volunteers from around the world researching, tagging and studying the movement of koalas through radio and tracking collars. As part of her last class required for graduation, Cook decided to spend time researching the koalas because it provided her a hands-on, real-world approach to the work she would like to do.

Kelli Kirkum didn’t have to go far when it came to finding an internship for her American studies concentration. The Macomb Township resident was given the task of locating all the homes in Macomb Township built prior to 1935.

An OU instructor, OU alumna and a small group of physical therapy students are part of a groundbreaking physical therapy technique that is helping those with spinal cord injuries, head injuries and neurological diseases regain function and improve their lives.

Twenty undergraduate and graduate computer science students got their first taste of real-world challenges, accomplishments and even red tape as they put in 16-plus hours a week at General Motors PowerTrain (GMPT). The projects are part of the annual Applied Information Technology Experience (AITE) program, which begins in January and wraps up at the end of the winter semester. Students work in teams of two on projects that range from designing a screensaver that logs usage to evaluating new reporting tools. The teams meet with their faculty adviser, Ishwar Sethi, every two weeks to provide an update and receive feedback.
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Quality Graduate Programs

Adjunct Physical Therapy Instructor Sue Salinga (right) works with students Tricia McNeil and Brian Felczak, who are both pursuing doctor of physical therapy degrees.

Oakland’s School of Health Sciences graduated its first doctor of physical therapy (DPT) students in December.

The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education of the American Physical Therapy Association voted to continue accreditation of the physical therapist education program at Oakland University. The program has been accredited since 2001.

The OU Graduate Council approved a policy requiring all doctoral dissertation students to publish their dissertations through University Microfilms International (UMI), the publisher of record for U.S. doctoral dissertations since 1938. The UMI publication requirement became effective in fall 2005.

Counseling graduate students in the School of Education and Human Services use state-of-the-art technology and a one-of-a-kind digital video recording system to enhance their education. Oyster, a digital video recording and retrieval system, uses a digital video camera to record the sessions between student counselors and clients, allowing a student and their supervisor to review the sessions so the supervisor can critique the counselor’s session, pointing out areas of excellence and others needing improvement. The Oyster system is a one-of-a-kind, designed to specifications OU required.

Seventeen students in the International Management 681 class traveled to Europe for two weeks to learn about global business. The students toured plants, learned about international currency, studied international politics, met with government leaders and witnessed the European Union in action.

Oakland University announced plans to offer the Graduate Dissertation and Thesis Awards, which will recognize five quality dissertations and theses and honor one as the outstanding dissertation or thesis during the appropriate commencement ceremony. The awards will help offset the cost of the paper and will give students the opportunity to apply for travel grants to present their work.
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Growth of Campus

Oakland University’s fall 2005 enrollment stood at 17,340 students, a 2.6 percent increase over last fall. This marked the ninth straight year in which the university has seen an enrollment increase and the first time in Oakland’s history that enrollment has topped the 17,000-student mark. Winter 2005 enrollment was up 2 percent overall. The winter enrollment stood at 15,918 students, an increase of 326 students over winter 2004. Undergraduate enrollment was up 1.1 percent and enrollment for graduate students was up 5.1 percent.

OU President Gary Russi, Board of Trustee members Penny Crissman and Jackie Long, and Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost Virinder Moudgil cut the ribbon officially opening the renovated classrooms of South Foundation Hall.

Oakland University President Gary Russi was joined by Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost Virinder Moudgil and Board of Trustee members Penny Crissman and Jackie Long to officially cut the ribbon opening the doors to 13 renovated classrooms in South Foundation Hall.

The university entered into an agreement with Chevron Energy Solutions to upgrade the campus’ infrastructure. Mechanical, electrical and architectural enhancements made around campus will bring the infrastructure up to more modern standards and save the university $344,569 annually.
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Growth of Student Services

OU continued to offer more online courses through e-Learning and Instructional Support. Both the School of Nursing and School of Education and Human Services plan to have complete online degree programs in the near future.

Beginning with the winter 2005 semester, the Recreation Center came online to offer students, faculty and staff a wireless network. The network spans throughout the building and contains six access points to provide a continuous, strong signal. Elliott Hall came online as the newest building on campus to offer wireless Internet access in the spring. A number of other areas on campus also have wireless technology so students, faculty and staff with laptops and wireless enabled devices can browse the Web between classes.

A renovated Vandenberg Dining Center opened to students Aug. 30, offering a more family style layout and inviting atmosphere with more food choices, late-night dining options and places to meet and congregate with friends.

The eBill system, which allows students to pay bills online, was upgraded to provide a more comprehensive format for review and paying tuition.

The OU Board of Trustees voted Nov. 2 to put an end to disproportionate charges, increase financial aid awards to students, eliminate non-refundable fees, increase third-party payer contributions and simplify student bills, effective winter 2006, by eliminating all mandatory student fees by rolling them into the cost of tuition.

A new e-newsletter from New Student Programs, called Bear Essentials, launched Aug. 15 to encourage the success of new OU students by helping them make essential connections during their critical first year.


	The new PLUS option adds a MasterCard logo to the SpiritCard and offers ATM access and MasterCard debit purchasing capabilities.

The OU Board of Trustees approved the lease for Credit Union ONE to serve as the exclusive on-campus branch bank and automated teller machine operator. The agreement also paved the way for electronic deposit of student paychecks and financial aid funds if students have accounts with Credit Union ONE. In addition, SpiritCard Plus, which offers a MasterCard debit and ATM option feature for OU ID cards, was made available to students with Credit Union ONE accounts at no cost. The credit union opened its full-service on-campus branch May 16, which allows OU community members to open savings and checking accounts, apply for loans and register for CU@Home online banking without leaving campus.

More than 50 potential employers looked for full-time employees and interns at OU’s Diversity Career Fair Jan. 27. The goal of the Diversity Career Fair, which was open to all students of all class levels as well as OU alumni, was to encourage as many diverse students from the campus population as possible to attend.

OU Student Congress created a Book Swap website for students to browse books for sale at their convenience and contact the seller via e-mail. The site, which is free for buyers and sellers, offers books with prices starting at $5.

Vice President of Student Affairs Mary Beth Snyder, student Adrian Parish, OU President Gary Russi and Assistant Professor of Rhetoric Marshall Kitchens officially open the Student Technology Center.

The Student Technology Center, along with Vandenberg Dining Center and Credit Union ONE’s on-campus branch, officially opened their new or redesigned on-campus facilities with ribbon-cutting ceremonies Sept. 14.

The Gender and Sexuality Center and Student Resource Center officially opened their doors to offer students a variety of resources in a number of areas. The Gender and Sexuality Center offers mentoring and support for gender and sexuality issues. The Student Resource Center is a place for students and organizations to utilize a variety of tools to promote campus life.

Finding phone numbers and office addresses for Oakland University faculty and staff became easier with an updated online phone directory.

WXOU, the campus radio station, launched Internet broadcasting, allowing the station to reach a global audience.

Diane Ogg uses Kurzweil to help read text from a book. The software is designed to help those with learning disabilities retain the information.

New software on select computers around campus began giving students who struggle with a learning disability much needed assistance with studying, reading and even using the Internet.

Lights were installed on OU’s upper fields, allowing intramural and club sports programs, along with other student organizations, to play at night under the lights. A ceremony to celebrate the installation of the lights was held Oct. 20.

OU Athletics awarded $15,000 to the Student Affairs Division to enhance student life on campus from the money the department received from OU’s participation in the men’s basketball Division I NCAA Tournament.

Golden Grizzly athletic gear hit the OU Bookstore shelves in time for the holiday shopping rush. The university entered into an agreement with Barnes and Noble to sell Grizzly merchandise in its Oakland Center location. The OU Bookstore also will have a kiosk at all Oakland University basketball games where merchandise will be sold.

With the beginning of the 2005-06 basketball season, the OU Athletics Department started offering free admission to students to the basketball games. Students who turn out for the games also can sign up to be part of the Grizz Gang and receive a free T-shirt to wear to cheer on the Grizzlies with their fellow student fans.
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Quality Students

Jonathan Parks (left) was recognized as the 2005 Human Relations Award winner. Laura Cowham (center) and Steven Townsend (right) received the 2005 Matilda R. and Alfred G. Wilson Awards.

For their services to the campus community, Steven Townsend and Laura Cowham were recognized by the Board of Trustees as the 2005 Alfred G. and Matilda R. Wilson Award recipients and Jonathan Parks as the 2005 Human Relations Award winner. The awards are the top honors given at OU to three graduating seniors who have contributed as scholars, leaders and responsible citizens.

1,044 undergraduate and post-bachelor students were named to the 2004-05 dean’s list. Students named to the list are those who distinguish themselves academically by attaining a grade point average of 3.60 or higher for 12 numerically graded credits in each of the consecutive fall/winter semesters.

Rodney Brown

Rodney Brown made OU history in the spring 2005 as the first African-American man to graduate from the Department of Music, Theater and Dance’s dance program.

As part of the Transatlantic Program, Emily Murphy, along with 24 other American students, lived, worked and explored Germany during a three-month summer internship for students with German language skills who are majoring in engineering, economics, marketing, finance, business administration and computer science. Murphy, a human resource management and German double major with a minor in international business, interned at Volkswagen in Dresden, Germany, working in the human resources department.

OU student Michele Minser was recognized by Soroptimist International of Oakland County, which awarded $5,000 to her and four other local women who are the heads of their households and in college or returning to school.

Rachel Banner, a senior English major, wrote a paper for her English class that received a national award, the W.W. Norton & Company 2005 Norton Scholar’s Prize, and a $2,500 prize. Banner’s essay analyzes the literary criticism in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Experience.”

Duane Hurt is the first male to graduate from OU's Women's Studies program.

Duane Hurt made history during Oakland University’s commencement exercises May 7 as the first male major to graduate from the Women’s Studies program. The Women’s Studies program also made history by graduating the most students ever in its five-year history with eight graduates.

Meadow Brook Art Gallery displayed the art of 12 senior studio art majors during “Diversity” the student art exhibition of contemporary art April 22-May 22. Each student presented a body of work.

Students and advisers from OU’s numerous student organizations and Greek life gathered April 17 to recognize the contributions of individuals and groups to campus life during the 27th annual Student and Greek Organization's Recognition Night.

Student Body President Jonathan Parks delivered his State of the Student Body address during the OU Student Congress meeting Feb. 28. After providing an overview of the functions of the OUSC, Parks outlined the accomplishments of Student Congress over the last year and talked about the future direction of the campus.

Michael McGuinness and Kori Lynn Caver are the 2005-06 student body president and student body vice president.

OU students voted for Michael McGuinness, a junior political science major, and Kori Lynn Caver, a junior elementary education major, to lead the OU Student Congress as president and vice president in the 2005-06 academic year. Their term begins the first day of the spring 2005 semester and ends the last day of the winter 2006 semester.

OU music students Sara Young and Daniel Walshaw were selected as the 2005 Stanley Hollingsworth European Study Award winners, which gave them the opportunity to study music in Europe during the summer.

The Department of Music, Theatre and Dance honored its students during the sixth annual MaTilDa Awards April 18. The award presentation featured vocal, theatrical and dance performances from individual students and the OU Jazz Singers with the OU Jazz Band.

Amanda McAdoo, CAS ’05, used her internship experience with Siemen’s VDO to win second place in an essay contest where students were asked to write about their internship experience as it relates to their degree preparation.

Chris Napier practices his trumpet. Napier, an OU music education student, performs with the Detroit Symphony Civic Orchestra.

Chris Napier was one of the few area students who performed with the Detroit Symphony Civic Orchestra, a pre-professional training orchestra that gives young musicians the chance to learn from more experienced performers, including those from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

While playing volleyball for a recreational league, Clinten Schwindel, a nurse anesthesia student, kept a 25-year-old woman, who had collapsed on the next court and stopped breathing, alive until paramedics arrived.

OU student Antonio Augustyniak completed an internship with The Washington Center in Washington, D.C., which provides internships with government or government-related organizations to students who are looking to gain experience in the nation’s capitol.
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Athletics

OU men's basketball players celebrate after winning the Mid-Con Tournament championship.

Oakland University’s men’s basketball team shocked No. 1 seed Oral Roberts University, 61-60, in the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament championship game to advance to the Division I NCAA Tournament for the first time in the team’s history, thrusting the team into the national spotlight. The Golden Grizzlies defeated SWAC champions Alabama A&M, 79-69, in the opening game of the NCAA Tournament at the University of Dayton Arena March 15. The victory gave OU its first-ever Division I NCAA Tournament win in the program's seven seasons at Division I play. Oakland University’s historical run in the tournament came to an end at the hands of No. 1 seed University of North Carolina, which defeated the Grizzlies, 96-68, March 18 in the tournament at Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, N.C. The OU team was honored by the Legislature at the state Capitol May 11 for its Mid-Continent Conference championship title and its Division I NCAA Tournament appearance.

Oakland University’s women’s swimming and diving team kept the lead the entire meet to capture its fourth-straight National Independent Conference (NIC) championship title Feb. 26 at OU’s Aquatics Center. The team finished with 984 points.

With all five scoring runners in the top 15, Oakland’s men’s cross country team claimed the Mid-Continent Conference championship Oct. 29. The Golden Grizzlies were led by senior Adam Frezza, who ran away with the individual title in a time of 24:51.3 in the 8k race.

Brian Stuard earned the Mid-Con individual title and Player of the Year award at the Mid-Continent Conference Golf Championship.

Senior Brian Stuard earned OU’s first-ever Mid-Con individual title and Player of the Year accolades at the Mid-Continent Conference Golf Championship. He never trailed in the tournament and his first round score of 69 was the fifth time this season the senior posted a sub-70 round.

Oakland University freshman Nate Recknagel became the first OU baseball player to earn All-American status as Collegiate Baseball named the utility player to its Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American team.

OU men’s basketball player Rawle Marshall took part in the 17th Annual Mountain Dew College Slam Dunk and Three-Point Championships at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., March 31. The championship, which is recognized as the tip-off of Final Four weekend, brings together the nation's best collegiate dunkers and men's and women's three-point shooters to compete in a series of events designed to test their skills.

Oakland University added men’s and women’s outdoor track as the university’s 15th and 16th Division I sport teams available to students. Both teams will begin competing against other universities in the region and in Mid-Continent Conference meets in spring 2006.

Ryan Rzepka

For the second time in his career with the Golden Grizzlies, Oakland University soccer defenseman Ryan Rzepka was named the Mid-Continent Conference Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year in a vote of the conference’s faculty athletics representatives. The award is the most prestigious individual honor given by the league.

Seniors Laura Cowham of Oakland’s women’s soccer team and Ryan Rzepka of the men’s soccer team were named the 2004-05 recipients of the Hollie Lepley Senior Scholar-Athlete Awards, which recognizes the top senior scholar-athletes for overall excellence in academic achievement, athletic achievement and service activities.

OU had a total of 48 student-athletes named to the winter/spring 2005 Mid-Continent Academic All-Conference team. To be selected for the team, a student-athlete must achieve a 3.0 or better cumulative grade point average, be a sophomore or higher in academic standing, and compete in the sport for which he/she is nominated.

A total of 128 student-athletes representing all 14 varsity teams attained the Golden Grizzlies Excellence in Academics Awards for the winter 2005 semester.

OU’s Men’s Hockey Club hosted the 2005 American Collegiate Hockey Association’s Division II National Tournament at the Onyx Ice Arena in Rochester March 3-6. The team, on a quest to defend its 2004 ACHA title, finished in second place. OU came up short against MSU in overtime of the championship game, losing by a score of 4-3.

After winning the Midwest championship in 2004, OU’s men’s lacrosse club team was ranked number 10 nationally going into the 2005 season. The team lost in the first round of the 2005 U.S. Lacrosse Intercollegiate Associates National Tournament in Blaine, Minn., May 10-14, but went on to win the final two games in the consolation bracket and earn All-American titles for seniors Billy Binge, attacker, and Matt Kosek, midfielder.

Images, Oakland University’s dance team, took fifth place at the Universal Dance Association’s National College Championship in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 14-16.

Paul Phillips

Oakland University right-handed pitcher Paul Phillips was drafted in the ninth round as the 255th overall pick by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2005 Major League Baseball draft June 7-8. He is the highest OU baseball draft pick in the team’s Division I era and the 17th player to sign a professional contract during head coach Mark Avery’s tenure.

OU senior Jack Huczek was ranked second in the world in racquetball, a sport he has played since he was old enough to hold a racket.

Oakland University’s athletics programs successfully underwent the NCAA Division I Athletics certification process. The purpose of athletics certification is to ensure integrity in the institution’s athletics program and to assist institutions in improving their athletics departments.
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Student Organizations

OU's SIFE team was first runner-up at the SIFE USA National Exposition and Career Opportunity Fair.

OU’s Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team was named the first runner-up within their league at the SIFE USA National Exposition and Career Opportunity Fair May 21-25 in Kansas City, Mo. The team also earned the regional title at SIFE’s regional competition in Chicago, Ill., in April.

The Pakistani Students’ Association, Muslim Students’ Association and Zeta Sigma Chi Multicultural Sorority raised money and collected blankets, jackets and socks for Pakistan residents who lost everything as a result of an earthquake that rocked the region in October.

Members of OU’s Polish Club volunteered to assist orphans thousands of miles away. They helped the American Polish Assistance Association package boxes that were shipped to orphanages in Poland and Ukraine.

Oakland University’s SAE team competed in the 2005 Collegiate Design Series Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) competition May 18-22. OU’s car finished 56th out of 140 teams overall.
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Alumni

Rawle Marshall

Former Oakland basketball star Rawle Marshall became the first former OU player to make an NBA roster when he got the word Nov. 1 that he had made the Dallas Mavericks’ opening day roster for the 2005-06 NBA season. Marshall, who led the Golden Grizzlies to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2005 as a senior at Oakland, signed with Dallas as a free agent in August.

Carolyn Woznicki, MBA ’91, was named in Automotive News’ list of the 100 leading women in the American automotive industry.

Joseph Gardella, CAS ’77, was awarded a 2005 Presidential Award for Science, Mathematics and Engineering for mentoring students and boosting the participation of minorities, women and disabled students in sciences and math.

OU alumnus Daniel Roberts, SBA ’84, said his education didn’t end when he completed his degree. In his role as the top FBI agent in the state, every day on the job is an education. Roberts became the special agent in charge of the Detroit Division of Federal Bureau of Investigations in July 2004, 22 years after he began as a beat cop in Franklin, Mich., working his way through college at OU.

OU alumna Heidi Thibodeau, CAS ‘97, said her OU education provided her with the foundation she needed to land her dream job with NASA. Thibodeau is a contractor for the One NASA team, a group charged with bringing the entire NASA agency together. Rather than operating as 10 individual NASA centers, One NASA is trying to create a team-like atmosphere, bridging the gaps between centers and better utilizing skills and talents.

Jennie Froelich

OU alumna Jennie Froelich, CAS ’04, who earned the prestigious Department of Homeland Security scholarship, received a Department of Homeland Security fellowship.

While OU alumna Tamara Bedricky, SBA ’03, has performed with the likes of pop star Michelle Branch, she also was excited to come back to OU and perform as part of the Student Program Board’s Rhythm’s Den series.

Greg Grabowski, BGS ’91, was named to Crain’s Detroit Business “40 Under 40 list” for 2005.

Oakland University alumni, friends, faculty and staff came together Nov. 5 for the 11th Annual Alumni Awards Banquet. The awards recognize the achievements of some of OU’s finest graduates and honor three non-OU grads for their contributions to the university and bestow the title of honorary alumni upon them.
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Inspired Faculty and Staff

Michael Sevilla, professor of chemistry, was honored with the Distinguished Professor title by the Board of Trustees at its April meeting.

The Board of Trustees conferred on Michael Sevilla, professor of chemistry, the title of Distinguished Professor. Sevilla joins 13 others with the Distinguished Professor title, which was created by the Board of Trustees in 1988 to recognize professors who achieve preeminence in scholarship, teaching, and public or professional service.

The university honored faculty who bring innovation and opportunity to campus at the 10th Annual Faculty Recognition Luncheon during OU’s Founders’ Day on April 22. Through academic excellence in teaching, scholarship, research and service, OU’s faculty members
help provide students with the distinctive OU education.

Andrea Eis, special instructor in the Department of Art and Art History, was honored by the Council on Education (ACE) Network for Women Leaders in Higher Education with the 2005 Phyllis Law Googasian Award during a luncheon April 4.

Richard Burke, professor of philosophy and the first faculty member hired at OU when it first began in 1959, retired at the end of the winter 2005 semester.

After 46 years of service to OU, Professor of Philosophy Richard Burke, who is the last charter faculty member as well as the first faculty member hired by the university when it first began in 1959, retired at the end of the winter 2005 semester. The College of Arts and Sciences honored Burke for his service to the university and for establishing the Richard Burke Visiting Scholar in Religion, Philosophy and Society program, which will begin in spring 2006.

Faculty in the School of Engineering and Computer Science educate young engineers at OU to perform well in the industry after graduation. Part of their service to students and the university is completing research and keeping up on current trends, and the SECS’s Research Review helps them do just that. The 2005 Research Review, in its third year, was held Oct. 7.

The Race Relations and Diversity Task Force of the Birmingham/Bloomfield area recognized Chaunda Scott, assistant professor of education, as a “Diversity Champion” for her work with the Diverse Voices Conference held at OU each spring.

Professor of Physics Yang Xia received a $2.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to research and improve the quality of MRIs.

Yang Xia, professor of physics, was awarded a $2.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to help improve the quality and ability of clinical MRIs to provide detail that could offer early diagnosis for debilitating diseases.

Professor of History Ronald Finucane was awarded a fellowship by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The $24,000 fellowship award is for research toward the publication of a study on the politics of saint-making.

John Finke, assistant professor of chemistry, had just accepted a job at Oakland University when he learned he received the Dreyfus Foundation Faculty Startup Award, a $30,000 research award for new professors.

University Diversity and Compliance (UDC) awarded Toni Walters, professor of reading and languages arts, and Sara Crampton, coordinator for New Student Programs, as the recipients of the Presidential Diversity Award, the first of its kind at OU.

Faculty members Robert and Jackie Wiggins spent a week in residence at the University of Alabama sharing their unique perspective on integrating arts into the classroom as part of the university’s Endowed Chair in Music Education and Therapy program.

Hoda Abdel-Aty-Zohdy presented "Bio-Inspired Intelligent Integrated Circuits and Systems" as part of the 2005 President's Colloquium Series.

Hoda Abdel-Aty-Zohdy, professor of electrical and systems engineering and director of the Microelectronics Systems Design Lab, presented “Bio-Inspired Intelligent Integrated Circuits and Systems” April 1 as part of the 2005 President’s Colloquium Series.

Professor of Biological Sciences George Gamboa presented his research Nov. 15 on the polistes dominulus, a foreign species of paper wasp, as part of the 2005 President’s Colloquium Series.

The Board of Trustees appointed Jonathan Silberman as the dean of the School of Business Administration. Silberman began his duties on June 1.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm appointed Jacqueline Long to the OU Board of Trustees, replacing outgoing trustee Dennis Muchmore, and Henry Baskin was reappointed to the board. Both Long and Baskin’s terms expire Aug. 11, 2012.

Beckie Francis during a press conference Oct. 6 announcing her as OU's women's head basketball coach.

Beckie Francis was named the Golden Grizzlies ninth head women’s basketball coach. She served as head coach of the women’s team from 1997-98 through the 2001-02 season and returned to the helm after a three-year break in coaching.

John Beaghan was named the new vice president for Finance and Administration and treasurer to the Board of Trustees. He also serves as chief financial officer to the Oakland University Foundation.

Carol Anne Ketelsen, former director of the AmeriCorps program at Oakland University, was rewarded for her commitment and service to the city of Pontiac with the Larry Davis Community Service Award and a cruise vacation.

Nearly 24 supervisors, managers and employees from all areas of Oakland University’s Facilities Management staff took part in a two-day lean training workshop offered by the Pawley Institute to help find ways to be more effective in their work processes.
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Diversity

J.C. Watts, a former congressman from Oklahoma, addressed students, faculty, staff and community members during a lecture at Meadow Brook Theatre Jan. 17 in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.

The 2005 Keeper of the Dream Scholarship recipients and OU President Gary Russi with Coretta Scott King.

In recognition of their strong citizenship, scholarship and leadership in breaking down cultural stereotypes and promoting interracial understanding, OU honored five students at the 13th annual Keeper of the Dream Scholarship Awards Banquet Feb. 17. The recipients included Sheila Brooks, Andrew Gaines, Jameelah Muhammad, Kathryn Miller and Ashley Seal. Coretta Scott King, human rights activist, leader and wife of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., delivered the keynote address.

The seventh annual Diverse Voices Conference, a forum for those in higher education and the community to speak out about the value of human diversity, was held at Oakland University March 19.

OU was one of 10 sites across the United States that hosted the American Jewish Icons Lecture Series Sept. 20. The keynote speaker at OU was New York University’s Steinberg Professor of American Jewish History Hasia Diner.

OU’s multicultural organizations led the campus community in a celebration of cultural diversity through food, music, dance, costumes and other expressions of their heritage during International Night 2005 April 8.

The OU community was invited to welcome in the year of the rooster at the Chinese New Year and Lantern Festival hosted by the International Students and Scholars Office Feb. 23. The celebration included a Tai-chi demonstration, videos, speakers, lantern making, music and samples of Chinese food.

Students enjoy eating Hispanic food during the Hispanic Celebration Month closing ceremony.

A number of events were held Sept. 12-30 as part of Hispanic Celebration 2005: Let’s Celebrate Latin American Culture, a campus-wide tribute to Hispanic history and future. Activities included salsa dance lessons, guest speakers and films that explored Latin American culture. The monthlong celebration came to an end with a closing ceremony that featured authentic food, songs and colorful displays that highlighted the many traditions from Argentina to Venezuela.

Oakland University celebrated and embraced the diverse culture on campus during Cultural Awareness Week Nov. 7-11.

Oakland University marked the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz throughout March and April during “Remembering So We Won’t Forget,” which consisted of a series of events to honor the survivors and heroes of the Holocaust.

High school seniors from an underrepresented population who met academic criteria were invited to spend three days at OU experiencing campus life during the Diverse Student Leaders Weekend Feb. 24-26.

A panel discussion Feb. 8 raised awareness about the African-American lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community. The program, “Are Gay Rights Civil Rights?” featured a panel including African-American activists from the community.

The students and staff of Vandenberg Hall, along with several organizations on campus, worked together to transform the east tower of Vandenberg into a seven-story display for a two-day event, called the Hall of Oppression, to invoke better understanding of topics such as racism, ageism, sexism, sizism, heterosexism and ableism.

Tibetian Buddhist monks spent three days creating a mandala sand art in the Oakland Center Fireside Lounge.

The campus community watched a work of art grow before their eyes in March as Tibetan Buddhist monks from Drepung Loseling Monastery created a mandala sand painting in the Oakland Center.

OU celebrated Native American Awareness Day by welcoming Navajo speaker Melissa Pope to discuss “Native Americans and the Environment” Nov. 23.

OU had a number of events lined up to honor the accomplishments and achievements of women in history and explore the issues women still face during Women’s History Month in March.

OU’s Purchasing Department was recognized by the Michigan Minority Business Development Council (MMBDC) with the 2004 Corporate ONE Award, which is given to MMBDC members that meet specific requirements and participate in programs to enhance relationships with minority-owned businesses.

University Diversity and Compliance responded to the challenge of the Board of Trustees to explore and create new methods for attracting and supporting diversity on campus. As a result, Employee Resource Groups were established to support and promote diversity among employees.
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Community

Fifteen students, whose education was impacted by Hurricane Katrina, enrolled at Oakland University and took advantage of the fall semester scholarships the university provided to students from schools in the devastated area.

“Oakland University Cares and Shares,” a fund-raiser for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, raised $3,034.26 to be given to the Salvation Army for hurricane relief efforts. The OU community pledged its support through a phone-a-thon, in person donation, or by donating loose change to the Salvation Army kettle in the Oakland Center.

Spurred by a love of classic and collectible cars, thousands of people walked the grounds of Meadow Brook Hall Aug. 7 to view some of the rarest cars in the United States as part of the 27th annual Concours d’Elegance.

Students from the Anthropology Club and La Pittura student art group, along with the Grizz, ride on a float they created of the grain elevator for the Rochester Christmas Parade.

The City of Rochester, home of Oakland University, was named 39th in a list of the top 100 cities in which to live by Money Magazine and CNN Money. Rochester was ranked based on population, the number of educational facilities, safety, environment, housing affordability, taxes, weather, commute times and job market. Oakland University and the City of Rochester formalized a partnership in 2003 to partner on a variety of reciprocal business and academic ventures. As part of this partnership, OU students, faculty and staff participated for the second year in the 54th annual Rochester Hometown Christmas Parade. Students in the La Pittura student art group and Anthropology Club designed a small-scale replica of the Griggs Grain Elevator in Rochester to raise awareness for the fund-raising efforts taking place to move and restore the grain elevator. Other participants included the OU cheerleaders, the Grizz, Images dance team, members of Zeta Sigma Chi Sorority/Women for Multicultural Tomorrow and members of Sigma Pi Fraternity.

OU’s chapter of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) started the 2005-06 school year off with two new programs to teach business skills and raise money. The first program, Bridge to Life, provides 50 struggling high school freshmen attending Pontiac Northern and Pontiac Central high schools the support to stay in school, and at the same time, generate money. OU’s SIFE also is earning money through a partnership with Walgreens in a project called Apollo. Walgreens provided premium space in 24 of their local stores for SIFE to sell bottles from Bottle Crew, a wholesale company from West Bloomfield that sells bottles, spray bottles, food and beverage bottles and bottle closures. Walgreens will give SIFE all the profits, which are then used to support programs for economically disadvantaged teens.

OU students, faculty, staff and community members walked through the night to raise money for the American Cancer Society at the university’s second annual Relay for Life event Oct. 7-8. With 19 teams and 305 participants, the Relay for Life raised more than $30,000 to support cancer research while honoring survivors and remembering cancer victims.

The Oakland University community dug deep into its pockets to raise $2,608.55 for tsunami relief efforts.

Family friendly events, like face painting, contests and inflatable games, brought kids and their parents to the OU Alumni Association's first Family Fun Festival.

OU's Alumni Association and the Oakland County Parks and Recreation sponsored the first Oakland University Alumni and Friends Family Festival July 23. Nearly 200 people attended the inaugural event.

Oakland University’s School of Education and Human Services offered the nationally recognized Advanced Placement Summer Institute in July. Endorsed by the College Board, the five-day workshop is for experienced Advanced Placement (AP) teachers and teachers who want to learn how to instruct AP courses.

Oakland University offered parents a chance to entertain and educate their children during the summer with a variety of summer camps for children of all ages in the arts, mathematics, sports, writing and reading.

The Southeast Michigan Biodiesel Bus Tour stopped at Oakland University April 11 to view a demonstration by Jim Leidel, OU energy manager, on how biodiesel is created.

Meadow Brook Hall opened its Museum Shop in June, which offers numerous items related to the hall for sale including books, postcards, T-shirts and tote bags.

OU’s historic Meadow Brook Hall welcomed guests to experience 1940s holiday treats, traditions and entertainment Dec. 15 for “It’s a Wonderful Life at the Grand Manor.” The event was held for the first time during the annual Holiday Walk, but the hall hopes to make it an annual tradition.

A group of volunteers and skilled trade workers worked tirelessly to restore Meadow Brook Greenhouse, removing nearly 55 truckloads of trash, installing fans, fixing vents and getting it in working order. The efforts of the group were recognized as the greenhouse was honored with the Earl Borden Award for Historic Preservation.

OU men's soccer players work with Beaubien Middle School students in Detroit during a soccer clinic hosted by the team.

Oakland University’s men’s soccer team traveled to Beaubien Middle School in Detroit April 8 to give back to the community by working with youth soccer players. In cooperation with Think Detroit, the Detroit-based nonprofit youth soccer organization, the Golden Grizzlies hosted a soccer clinic to help teach children ages 6-13 soccer skills and had some fun at the same time.

Jack’s Place for Autism at Oakland University hosted its second annual Family Fun Day Nov. 12. All activities were free to families of individuals with an autism spectrum disorder.

OU’s School of Health Sciences and the epartment of Campus Recreation hosted Healthy Spirit Day, an event geared toward high school juniors and seniors who have an interest in health-related careers.

Oakland University’s new Center for Applied Research in Musical Understanding (CARMU) hosted its first conference on music learning and teaching Nov. 10-12. The conference brought together 24 presenters from all over the world to discuss and present papers on topics ranging from arts integration to Internet-based music education. The goal of the conference was to transform music education practice through the development of a research-based method of teaching for musical understanding.

Oakland University’s Women’s Studies Department hosted the 2005 Michigan Women’s Studies Association conference, “Activism and the Academy: Theory in Action,” April 1 and 2, which emphasized the connections between women’s studies academic knowledge and the women’s social movements and agencies that work for gender equality. One of the featured speakers of the conference was Patricia Ireland, former president of the National Organization for Women.

Lauren Bone (left), president of Crafts for the Cold, and Elizabeta Saveski (right), vice president, work on knitting projects in the Oakland Center.

OU student Lauren Bone started Crafts for the Cold, an organization for the university community devoted to knitting, crocheting and making warm items for those in need and just for fun.

Students marched around campus chanting and carrying signs during OU’s eighth annual Take Back the Night, a national event to raise awareness about sexual assault. The students came together in the Oakland Center to publicly speak out against sexual assault and domestic violence and to tell their personal stories.

The Honors College hosted U.S. Senator Carl Levin for a symposium, “Social Security: A Pact with America,” on March 21. The Rochester Area Democratic Club suggested The Honors College host Levin to give the community another perspective on President Bush’s desire to privatize Social Security.

OU’s R&S Sharf Golf Course was ranked 18th in the state out of about 852 golf courses by Golf Digest for 2005-06, improving on its previous ranking of 21.

Oakland University announced a transformation of The President’s Club and new Golf and Learning Center membership options. After reassessing how it might better serve its donors and the golf community, the university decided to offer two separate and distinct programs. The President’s Club will recognize donors who have contributed $10,000 or more to the university to support OU students, faculty, academic and extracurricular programming; and the Golf and Learning Center will focus on providing campus and community golf enthusiasts with an outstanding recreational experience.
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Partnerships

From left to right: Macomb Community College President Al Lorenzo and Michigan Lt. Gov. John Cherry join OU President Gary Russi and Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost Virinder Moudgil in announcing the OU and MCC partnership.

Oakland University and Macomb Community College combined forces for OU at Macomb, a program that provides high-quality education in Macomb County, a seamless transition to OU for a bachelor’s degree and, starting in fall 2006, the state’s first dual-degree program.

JADI Inc., a Troy-based high-tech small business that was formed to respond to the research and development needs of the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) and the Department of Defense, teamed up with the Oakland University SmartZone Business Incubator that is supported by the City of Rochester Hills and a part of Oakland County’s Automation Alley SmartZone.

In time to mark the second anniversary of OU’s Fastening and Joining Research Institute, leaders from the institute signed a four-way research collaboration agreement with DaimlerChysler, Mercedes Benz and the Material Testing Institute of the University of Stuttgart. The four entities will collaborate on a research project, called Fastening and Joining of Automotive Composites and Polymers, which will assist in the growing trend of using composite materials in automotive applications.

NextEnergy, the state-run organization aiming to make Michigan a leader in alternative energy technologies, announced that Oakland University was among six higher education institutions to receive Education Grant Awards. OU received $50,000 from NextEnergy for developing a proposal to implement an alternative energy technology curriculum.


OU President Gary Russi and Mary Spangler, chancellor of Oakland Community College, sign the partnership between OU's School of Nursing and OCC.

Oakland University’s School of Nursing and Oakland Community College (OCC) signed an articulation agreement allowing graduates of OCC’s nursing program to complete OU’s Registered Nurse to Masters of Science in Adult Clinical Nurse Specialist program on OCC’s campus.

Oakland University partnered with St. John Providence Hospital to expand its innovative accelerated second degree program in nursing to increase the number of registered nurses and the number of nursing faculty prepared to teach in schools of nursing.

Carlotta and Dennis Pawley Hall was ecognized for outstanding design in American School and University magazine. Pawley Hall was designed by DSA Architects, a member of the SHW Group, located in Berkley, Mich.
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