2003 Year In Review - News at OU: Year In Review

Oakland University continued to demonstrate during 2003 that it is a university of distinction through its quality educational programs; research opportunities; student, faculty and staff accomplishments; partnerships; cultural offerings; and campus and student services growth. Several national organizations recognized OU in 2003 thanks to the reputation the university is gaining within the region and beyond.

The university set new enrollment records for fall, winter and summer semesters. OU also began offering a new undergraduate degree program and three new master’s degree programs, bringing the total to 114 baccalaureate degree programs and 82 graduate degree and certificate programs. The university opened the doors to a new 30,000-square-foot Oakland Center expansion, the Thomas M. Cooley Law Library, Crittenton Hospital Medical Center Multimedia Laboratory, and the Fastening and Joining Research Institute. Each facility offers state-of-the-art services and learning opportunities for students.

Several OU students and faculty members distinguished themselves in 2003 by earning top honors, awards, grants and recognition for their achievements in the classroom, community and research labs, and on athletic fields. OU education major Lenny Compton was invited by President George W. Bush to his State of the Union address in recognition of Compton’s volunteer work. OU student Jeri Buckley was named Michigan Student Nurse of the Year. Six OU teams were represented at NCAA post-season tournaments and several of OU’s club sports teams competed for national championships. OU faculty earned molare than $12,372,976 in external funding from grants and contracts during fiscal year 2002-03 to further advance their research and the educational experience for OU students. Among those grants was a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health awarded to Assistant Professor of Chemistry Xiangqun Zeng and Assistant Professor of Biology Gabrielle Stryker to create a novel biosensor to distinguish the presence of hazardous biological or chemical agents.

Donors committed a total of $18,368,945 to the university during 2003, which includes pledges, outright gifts, planned gifts and gifts-in-kind. Oakland also entered into several new partnerships to advance the mission of the university, including an agreement with the City of Rochester to work together on a variety of reciprocal business and academic ventures. The university hosted several national, international, cultural, educational, social and community events throughout the year including the Dickens Society Symposium; Varner Vitality Seminar, featuring Craig Venter, president of the Center for the Advancement of Genomics; 40th Anniversary Charter Class Reunion; Metro Detroit American Heart Walk; and famed historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author David McCullough.

OU President Gary Russi presented his State of the University address in September in which he elaborated on many topics and their relation to the university strategic plan and 2010 vision. The State of Academic Affairs address, which Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Virinder Moudgil delivered in December, highlighted OU’s many academic accomplishments over the past year.

Here are just a few of OU’s many achievements during 2003:

The Princeton Review included Oakland University in its first edition of “The Best Midwestern Colleges, 150 Great Schools to Consider”. Oakland is featured among the top 150 schools in 11 states along with Indiana University, Notre Dame, Northwestern, University of Chicago, University of Michigan and University of Wisconsin.

"U.S. News & World Report" ranks Oakland University among national public universities in the 2003-04 edition of “America's Best Colleges”.

Oakland is ranked as one of the nation’s most underrated schools in the 2004 edition of “The Unofficial, Unbiased Guide to the 328 Most Interesting Colleges” based on classroom experience, campus environment and student life. The list also includes the University of Arizona, Duke University and the University of Chicago, among others.

The Department of Art and Art History began offering a Bachelor of Arts degree in studio art in the fall 2003 semester. The liberal arts program is unique to the Detroit area and is offered at only five universities statewide. It offers specialization in drawing, painting or photography.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian David McCullough signs one of his books for an OU student after speaking to her class.

Famed historian and author David McCullough visited campus in April for a lecture and several events with students, all part of the College of Arts and Sciences’ inaugural Distinguished Lecture in the Humanities series. McCullough, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “John Adams” and “Truman,” spoke to an audience of more than 1,000 before spending time with students the following morning for discussions of history, politics and the writing life. Gretchen and Ed Adler endowed the Distinguished Lecture in the Humanities series because they wanted to expose OU students to a simple but vitally important commodity: grand ideas. The Adlers hope to build on the series' popularity in coming years, inspiring students to pursue their own intellectual innovations.

OU’s Rhetoric, Communication and Journalism Department joined forces with the English Department and OU administration to improve student writing and communications skills across the board by adapting the Writing Across the Curriculum program, which seeks to introduce writing and communications more prevalently in all subject areas, from accounting to zoology, with the idea that the more writing and communication work a student does, the more proficient he or she will become in it.

OU’s School of Nursing received a $15,000 grant from The Promise of Nursing for Michigan Nursing School Grant Program to address the critical nursing shortage in Michigan. The SON grant will support the development of a curriculum to increase the number of faculty qualified to teach undergraduate nursing classes.

Through an interactive video network, OU students collaborated with students and faculty from four other institutions to develop electronic systems that mimic biological functions – in short, creating components of a digital human.

Judge Fred Mester teaches his political science class in his courtroom at the Oakland County Circuit Court in Pontiac.

Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Fred Mester took students out of the classroom and put them in the courtroom for his course, Political Science 342, The Judicial Process. The class, which gave students a basic understanding of the court system and introduced them to the U.S. political and social system with a special emphasis on the federal courts, met at the Oakland County Circuit Court in Pontiac, Mich.

Oakland University’s Eye Research Institute (ERI), in conjunction with the Oakland University Center for Biomedical Research, offered a Summer Undergraduate Program in Eye Research. The program provided a unique opportunity for OU undergraduates to conduct independent research projects under the guidance of ERI faculty. Admitted students each received a research fellowship of $3,000.

Oakland University's School of Engineering and Computer Science hosted the Undergraduate Computer Research for Women (UnCoRe) program, funded by the National Science Foundation and supported by Ford Motor Company and DaimlerChrysler. The program enrolls 11 students from local and national schools to spend 10 weeks on campus experiencing life as a researcher.

In November, 16 students began participating in the OU Leadership Institute, a new program to foster the growth of leadership skills, values and knowledge to achieve academic, professional and personal success and a sense of civic responsibility in the workforce and community.
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Student Research/Faculty Mentorship

The Oakland University Research Advisory Committee named 15 student recipients of the provost-sponsored University Student Research Scholar Awards during 2003. 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.

The Department of Biological Sciences’ annual Student Research Conference celebrated its 25th anniversary in April. Eighteen students in biology, biochemistry, chemistry, the Eye Research Institute and the Merck Summer Research Program made presentations modeled on those given at professional scientific meetings, gaining valuable real-world experience. OU is one of the few institutions in the country that provides a forum for undergraduates to present their substantive research projects.

OU master's student Narine Mirijanian presented her research on breast cancer at an international conference.

Oakland University graduate student Narine Mirijanian presented her research on breast cancer at the Second Young Medics' International Conference in Yerevan, Armenia, in September. In recognition of her work, Mirijanian was awarded Best Presentation in the Section of Oncology and a citation from the National Academy of Science of the Republic of Armenia.

Political science major Robert Hillman traveled to South Africa with the National Youth Leadership Forum to work with AIDS patients. Hillman and a group of 60 U.S. college students visited hospitals and orphanages and observed doctors caring for patients with new and experimental treatments. In September, Hillman began a Brookings Institution internship in Washington, D.C. He worked on research related to the economic disintegration of the Russian states following the collapse of the former Soviet Union.

Aiyesha Ma, a master’s student in computer science and engineering, received a $5,000 grant from the Michigan Space Grant Consortium as part of its undergraduate and graduate fellowship program. Ma is conducting research on methods of categorizing satellite images collected by NASA.

Master’s student Jacob Allen and Associate Professor of Engineering Hoda Abdel-Aty-Zohdy work with their prototype of an “electronic nose".

Master’s student Jacob Allen and Associate Professor of Engineering Hoda Abdel-Aty-Zohdy teamed with Robert Ewing of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio to develop a prototype of an electronic nose, which can detect eight possible odors and read 1,024 inputs. The project could have a large impact on future environmental safety and protection measures.

Pulak Ghosh, an OU Ph.D. student in applied mathematical sciences, received funding to study complex statistical designs and conduct biostatistics research under the guidance of Professor of Mathematical Sciences Ravi Khattree. The funding came in part through OU’s Student Research Scholar Program. The research, “A Bayesian Approach to Bioequivalence,” uses data to examine generic drugs. The results of Ghosh’s research could make an important contribution to the field, especially to scientists in developing countries.

As a Langley Research Summer Scholar, Matt Rizzo, SECS alumnus, spent 400 hours over 10 weeks working at NASA with a mentor on computer and electronics programming for an autonomous air vehicle.
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Quality Graduate Programs

“U.S. News and World Report” recognized OU’s Beaumont Graduate Program of Nurse Anesthesia as the sixth best program in the United States in its 2004 edition of “U.S. News and World Report’s America’s Best Graduate Schools.” The program, which provides an exceptional educational environment for training certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), started in 1991 as a collaborative initiative to address the nurse anesthesia shortage.

The master's program in public affairs/administration received a six-year accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration.

The College of Arts and Sciences began offering a Master of Arts in liberal studies in fall 2003, making OU one of only five Michigan universities to offer its students such a program.

OU's School of Nursing introduced two new master's degree programs in 2003.

OU’s School of Nursing introduced two new master's degree programs, a Master of Science in adult/gerontological nurse practitioner and a Master of Science in nursing education in the fall 2003 semester.

OU’s School of Nursing began offering a graduate certificate in nursing education in 2003. The graduate certificate emphasizes instruction in curriculum, program and course design, development and evaluation. A field experience, which may occur in an academic or service setting, provides students with the opportunity to apply these skills in actual classroom and clinical environments under the guidance of expert School of Nursing faculty.

The School of Business Administration introduced the Product Life Cycle Management Program to address the essentials of effective product management, from the initial stages of product conception through full production. The courses are offered as stand alones or with a certification of completion if participants complete the series of five three-day workshops.
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Growth of Campus

OU’s winter enrollment rose 3 percent, nudging overall enrollment up 1.6 percent for undergraduates and 8.1 percent for graduate students. With 15,263 students, this was OU’s highest winter enrollment total ever. The university also set an all-time summer enrollment record with an increase of 11 percent over summer 2002. Oakland’s official headcount for summer 2003 was 5,077 students. And, for the eighth straight year, Oakland University reported an enrollment increase for fall, totalling 16,576 students, a 3.2 percent increase over fall 2002 enrollment.

A 30,000-square-foot expansion of the Oakland Center opened in fall 2003.

The Oakland Center, OU’s student center, opened the doors to its 30,000-square-foot addition in fall 2003. The expanded Oakland Center provides 330 more seats in the food court, a 7,000-square-foot multipurpose room that can seat 600, a 24-hour computer lounge featuring wireless Internet connectivity and an 80-seat coffee shop. A new atrium for South Foundation Hall provides an unobstructed view of the new glass façade of the remodeled Oakland Center.

Two years’ worth of upgrades to the electrical distribution system on Oakland University’s main campus culminated in May when work crews switched the main source of campus power to a new Detroit Edison electrical substation. The substation provides a higher quality and more reliable source of power for the main campus and also will meet the projected growth of campus power needs for at least the next 15 to 20 years.

Students, faculty, administrators and benefactors gathered at Founders’ Day 2003 for the dedication of the new Crittenton Hospital Medical Center Multimedia Laboratory in the School of Nursing. The high-tech learning laboratory, made possible by a $75,000 grant from Crittenton Hospital, advances Oakland’s ability to deliver a distinctive undergraduate education in the School of Nursing by providing a setting where students can practice skills, use interactive technologies, work in teams and gain confidence.

The Thomas M. Cooley Law Library in O'Dowd Hall was dedicated in the fall.

Oakland University and the Thomas M. Cooley Law School dedicated the Thomas M. Cooley Law Library in O’Dowd Hall on OU’s campus in the fall. The new library provides law students and Oakland-area lawyers with high-quality facilities to support their study and work.

OU converted a 440-seat classroom in O’Dowd Hall into three smaller, more technologically equipped classrooms. In addition to making the rooms more suitable for OU classes, space also is provided for Cooley Law School classes.

The Sharf Memorial Garden at the R&S Sharf Golf Course was dedicated in June. The garden, named in memory of OU friend and benefactor Stephan Sharf’s wife, Rita, who passed away in 2001, is set amidst the woods and rolling hills of the golf course with a circular-shaped table and benches providing a spot for rest and reflection.

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Growth of Student Services

OU’s Students First program finished its first year of operation, helping freshmen at risk of academic probation develop strategies for academic success; establish strong relationships with faculty, staff and campus leaders; and explore majors and career options. The Center for Multicultural Initiatives and the Advising Resource Center implemented the program in fall 2002 with the assistance of an $84,920 grant from the Michigan Department of Career Development King-Chavez-Parks Initiative.

Students could choose to live in five different learning communities in the residence halls beginning with the fall 2003 semester.
Residential students who want to live and learn beside like-minded individuals found several new options available to them in fall 2003. Students now can choose from one of five learning communities within the residence halls, including the Community Outreach Community, International Culture Community, Scholars Tower and Residential Honors College Community, Upper-Division Community, and the Wellness Community.

Communication with students became more efficient in fall 2003 with the introduction of the MiraPoint e-mail solution, which allows the university to send official business information to students through their OU e-mail account. The university is taking advantage of the new reliable, stable and secure e-mail environment to provide students with a faster, more efficient notification of bills, grades, schedule of classes, news, campus events and more. This process also saves more than $100,000 on paper, printing and postage costs each year.

As a convenience to students and a cost-saving practice, Oakland University began offering its Schedule of Classes online. In addition to the significant savings in printing and mailing costs, students can access the most up-to-date information on class offerings and important term dates via the OU website.

OU began offering students enrolled in 100- and 200-level courses online mid-semester evaluations in October. The system was developed to assist OU students in achieving academic success. It also allows them to gauge their progress and seek assistance, if necessary.

Students living on campus as well as faculty and staff had access to a new and improved voice mail system, called PhoneMail, beginning in April.
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Quality Students
Individual Achievement

OU student Lenny Compton was the invited guest of President and Mrs. Bush to the 2003 State of the Union address.
President George W. Bush invited OU senior education major Lenny Compton to the White House in January as his special guest for the 2003 State of the Union address. Compton was invited in recognition of his volunteer work for AmeriCorps, the national community service program to which he has devoted more than 1,800 hours. During the address, Compton sat near First Lady Laura Bush in the House Gallery. He later met the president at a post-address reception and spoke with him about volunteerism at a panel discussion on mentoring.

The Mid-Continent Conference named OU junior Ryan Rzepka its 2002-03 Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the most prestigious individual honor given by the league. Rzepka, a key defensive player for OU's men’s soccer team, is just the second student-athlete from Oakland to be selected for the honor. In addition to exceptional athletic and academic performance, awardees must display an exemplary mental attitude toward their peers and academic and athletic mentors. Individual leadership, maturity, integrity and personal contributions to the community also are considered.

Junior nursing major Jeri Buckley was named Michigan Student Nurse of the Year and earned the 2003 Lorene R. Fischer Award from the Detroit Newspapers. A panel of judges comprised of nurses, instructors and various nursing board members selected Buckley from a field of 150 nominees. Buckley also completed a 10-week externship at Mayo Clinic in a cardiovascular intervention unit. She was one of just 159 student nurses accepted for the externship out of 750 who applied.

OU senior chemistry major Jennifer Froelich was selected to perform research as an intern in a federal laboratory as part of the Homeland Security Scholars Program.
Oakland University senior chemistry major Jennifer Froelich was one of four Michigan students selected to be a U.S. Homeland Security Scholar. The Homeland Security Scholars and Fellows Program, sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security, supports the development and mentoring of the next generation of scientists as they study ways to prevent terrorist attacks in the United States, reduce America's vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recovery efforts from attacks that occur.

OU junior Andrea Zarcynski earned an Outstanding Communication Student Scholarship from the Detroit Chapter of Women in Communications. She was one of only three Michigan students to receive this honor.

Dennis O'Connor and Ashley McGhee were awarded the Alfred G. Wilson and Matilda R. Wilson Awards, OU’s most prestigious student honors. Ashli Bobo was awarded the Human Relations Award.

Thomas Vos, a 1964 OU graduate, was named Engineer of the Year by “Design News” magazine in 2003. “Design News” called Vos, former director of safety systems technology at TRW Automotive, “a leading force behind occupant safety systems for automobiles.” The magazine also noted Vos’ individual contributions, including 12 patents in restraint design. As part of the award, “Design News” donated $25,000 to OU’s School of Engineering.

Student Group Achievement

OU's SAE team finished 13th out of 140 teams at the Collegiate Design Series Formula SAE competition.
Oakland’s student affiliate of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) achieved its best-ever finish at the 2003 Collegiate Design Series Formula SAE competition in May, finishing 13th out of 140 teams. Held annually since 1981, the Formula SAE is one of the top student engineering competitions in the world. Students must design, fabricate and compete with Formula-style racecars in the four-day design competition. Steven Sharf and David Fischer, both longtime supporters of OU, provided funds to purchase materials for students to use in building cars from scratch.

OU’s Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team finished in the top 16 in the country at the SIFE USA National Exposition in May. The team also earned finalist status in three separate exposition competitions: Business Ethics and Social Responsibility, Financial Independence, and Entrepreneurship. Just two other teams were finalists in more special competitions than OU. The team earned $3,000 in prize money in addition to the $1,500 it won for finishing first at the SIFE regional competition in Cleveland. OU's team was sponsored in large part by SBC.

OU Golden Key members Emily Fulton (left) and Sommer Starck display some of the awards the chapter won at Golden Key's 2003 Great Lakes Regional Conference.
“USA Weekend” magazine cited the Oakland University chapter of the Golden Key International Honour Society in its April 27, 2003, issue honoring those contributing to the 2002 Make a Difference Day. The magazine recognized the chapter for planting trees and shrubs in a vacant lot on Detroit's east side where homes for economically disadvantaged families are to be built. The OU chapter also received six regional awards – more than any other chapter – at the 2003 Great Lakes Regional Conference.

The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) named the Oakland University ASSE section the outstanding student section in the nation for 2002-2003, the society’s top student award, which recognizes the group’s activities and contributions toward the advancement of excellence in safety education and research. In addition, two OU ASSE members earned national competitive scholarships.

Athletic Achievement

OU swimmer Chris Sullivan received first-level qualification for the Olympics in mid-July. Sullivan, a junior, met the required standard for the 50-meter freestyle event with a time of 23.08 during preliminary tryouts in Long Island. He finished the 2002-2003 swimming season with the sixth fastest time in the nation in the 50 freestyle. Of the American swimmers in the top six, only Anthony Ervin, an Olympic gold medallist from Cal-Berkeley, had a faster time.

Mike Helms finished third in the nation in scoring among Division I men's basketball players.
OU junior Mike Helms garnered national media attention as one of the NCAA’s top scorers in Division I men’s basketball. The 6-foot, 185-pound guard finished third in the nation with a 26.9 points-per-game average. Helms, along with sophomore guard Rawle Marshall and sophomore forward Courtney Scott, led the nation in scoring for three players on the same team. Helms also was named the Mid-Continent Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Year and an honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press.

The OU men’s swimming and diving team placed 27th in the country at the NCAA Championships in March, the highest finish ever for the Golden Grizzlies as a Division I team. Five members of the team represented Oakland at the three-day NCAA meet, including junior Sean Broadbent, freshman Scott Dickens, senior Doug Drazin, freshman Eric Lynn and sophomore Chris Sullivan.

The men's soccer team was one of 48 teams selected for the 2003 NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championships. The Golden Grizzlies received their first at-large bid, but this was the team’s second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.

The Golden Grizzlies softball team qualified for the NCAA Championships for a second consecutive year after winning the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament title and finishing the season at 34-26-1.

Senior Kristie Kieffer became the first runner from OU to compete at the Division I level in an NCAA Championship on Nov. 24 at the University of Northern Iowa in Waterloo, Iowa. Kieffer covered the 6K course in a time of 21:33.4 to finish 150th in the field of 252 runners. Her appearance capped off a fine season as she dominated the women’s cross country times in the Mid-Continent Conference all season.

Mid-Con Tournament MVP Erica Demers helped her team win its fourth straight Mid-Con Tournament title.
The women's soccer team won its fourth straight Mid-Continent Conference Tournament title and earned its third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, where its record-breaking season ended at 14-5-1.

OU’s women’s swimming and diving team claimed its second consecutive National Independent Conference title in 2003, edging out Northern Arizona by only one point. Along the way, the Golden Grizzlies set four NIC records, five pool records and 10 school records. Senior Danielle Ward also competed in both the 100 and 200 freestyle events at the NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships.

Oakland University's men's hockey club received a bid for the third consecutive year to the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division II National Tournament.

The men's lacrosse club finished its season with a No. 10 ranking in the United States Lacrosse Intercollegiate Associates Coaches poll.
OU's men's lacrosse club finished its most successful season, ending with a 15-3 record and No. 10 ranking in the United States Lacrosse Intercollegiate Associates coaches poll. For the first time in the team's nine-year history, Oakland competed for a national title at the USLIA National Championships in May.

The OU Cricket Club participated in the Triangle Series Tournament in August and won four of its five games, including the championship game against Wayne State University. Raghukishan Naraparaju, a master's student in electrical engineering and computer science, also won the tournament's most valuable player trophy. The team entered league play for the first time, compiling a 5-4 record in the Michigan Cricket Association.

Golden Grizzlies pitcher Brent Brown was selected by the Anaheim Angels in the 22nd round of the 2003 Major League Baseball draft. Brown is the 13th Oakland University baseball player to sign a professional contract and the 10th to sign in the last four years.
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Inspired Faculty

Virinder Moudgil became OU’s provost and vice president for Academic Affairs in 2003 after serving in the role on an interim basis since July 2001. The OU Board of Trustees unanimously approved his appointment at its May 7 board meeting.

Linda Thompson assumed the role as the dean of the School of Nursing in August.
Linda Thompson was named dean of the School of Nursing. Thompson came to OU from the University of Maryland, where she served as associate dean for policy, planning and workforce development in the School of Nursing. She served concurrently as director of the Center for Community Partnerships for Children and Families, a post she continues to hold. Other roles included serving as special secretary of the Maryland Governor's Office of Children, Youth and Families and director of the City of Baltimore's Office of Occupational Medicine and Safety. In addition, she held teaching positions at the University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins University, Coppin State College and Hampton University in Virginia. A Michigan native, Thompson earned her BSN and MSN degrees from Wayne State University and Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health. She assumed her new role on Aug. 1.

OU charter faculty member Paul Tomboulian earned the title of Distinguished Professor of Chemistry from the Board of Trustees in February. Tomboulian, who came to the university in 1959 as the first and only chemistry professor, served for 35 years as department chair and is credited with many firsts including OU’s first research grant, initiating the first undergraduate research program and introducing the first science-based environmental health major in Michigan. Only 10 faculty members have received OU’s distinguished professor rank.

The President’s Colloquium continued to bring insightful and challenging views to the community in 2003. In March, OU Associate Professor of Nursing Frances Jackson presented “HIV and the Aging African-American,” a long-time focus of her research. The President’s Colloquium Series was established in 1995 to showcase achievements of Oakland University researchers and to promote communication and collaboration among scientists.

Assistant Professor of Chemistry Xiangqun Zeng (right) and Assistant Professor of Biology Gabrielle Stryker work on creating a biosensor to distinguish the presence of hazardous biological or chemical agents.

With a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, Assistant Professor of Chemistry Xiangqun Zeng and Assistant Professor of Biology Gabrielle Stryker are attempting to create a biosensor to distinguish the presence of hazardous biological or chemical agents. The handheld device will instantaneously detect a single molecule of smallpox, HIV or SARS.

The National Science Foundation awarded Balaji Rajagopalan, assistant professor in the School of Business Administration, a $154,790 grant to research “Virtual Investing-Related Communities and Online Investing: A Study of Adoption, Usage, Performance and Policy Implications.” Rajagopalan is researching how information is generated, discussed and diffused within investment-related virtual communities.

Frank Giblin, professor of biomedical science and associate director of the Eye Research Institute, won a $150,000 grant from NASA to study the effects of radiation on the lens of the human eye during space travel.

Assistant Engineering Professor Daniel Aloi was awarded a five-year cooperative agreement from the Federal Aviation Administration to assist in the development of a satellite-based landing system.

The Federal Aviation Administration awarded Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Daniel Aloi a $413,000 grant to develop a satellite landing system for aircraft. The study, "High Fidelity Antenna Model Development for Creation of LAAS CAT-I Siting Criteria," will be completed on campus and at the Oakland County International Airport in Pontiac.

Oakland University Professor of Chemistry Michael Sevilla was elected to the Radiation Research Society as its future president. He will serve as vice president-elect for 2003, vice president in 2004 and president in 2005.

Seven Oakland University scientists received $266,091 in federal funding from the National Center for Research Resources to purchase a state-of-the-art transmission electron microscope. Eligibility for this competitive award requires a critical mass of scientists, with each bringing a currently funded National Institutes of Health project grant to the table.

Associate Professor of Sociology Terri Orbuch is known as the "Love Doctor" on radio station WNIC 100.3 FM in Detroit.
Associate Professor of Sociology Terri Orbuch took her research on love and marriage from the textbook to the airwaves as the “Love Doctor” on radio station WNIC 100.3 FM in Detroit. Orbuch has been discussing relationship issues since February with the hosts of the Breakfast Club program. The program is intended to help listeners learn how to enrich their own relationships based on Orbuch’s research.

Oakland University Associate Professor of Political Science Dale Nesbary was named an American Council of Education (ACE) Fellow for the 2003-2004 academic year. He was one of just 37 fellows selected from among 500 applicants.

Oakland University Nursing Professor Anahid Kulwicki was appointed director of the Wayne County (Mich.) Public Health Department.

Ravindra Khattree, professor of applied statistics, was awarded by the American Statistical Association the honorary rank of fellow. Only 54 of its members, or less than 1 percent, have received this prestigious honor. Khattree is the first full-time OU faculty member to be elected an ASA fellow.

Laurie Eisenhower, head of OU's dance program, earned an ArtServe Michigan Governor's Award.
Laurie Eisenhower, head of Oakland University’s dance program in the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance, was honored with the ArtServe Michigan Governor's Award for Arts and Culture in the Michigan Artist category out of more than 170 nominees. The award recognizes her work in choreography and as artistic director of the Eisenhower Dance Ensemble.

Elaine Didier, dean of Kresge Library and professor at OU, was elected chair of the Library of Michigan Board of Trustees. Her term runs through October 2004.

The School of Engineering and Computer Science (SECS) enhanced its relationships with local industries, governments and other southeast Michigan organizations by presenting its second annual Research Review in October. SECS faculty gave presentations emphasizing their applied research interests in product design, development and manufacturing for large and small companies.

OU honored some of its most accomplished teachers, researchers and scholars on Founders' Day at the eighth annual Faculty Recognition Luncheon. A total of 25 faculty members were recognized at the April 17 luncheon.
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Diversity

Four students earned scholarships at the 11th annual Keeper of the Dream Banquet in February. The event, which featured a keynote address by William Clay Ford, recognized junior education major Crystal Wilkerson, sophomore women’s studies and sociology major Sumeera Younis, sophomore biochemistry major Steven Townsend and junior elementary education major Crystal Allen with $5,000 scholarships.

Robert Thornton (CAS '77), program officer for the Skillman foundation in Detroit, spoke during OU's Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations.
OU kicked off its African-American Celebration Month in January with the Association of Black Students campus march and Martin Luther King Jr. birthday celebration, which was attended by more than 100 students, faculty and staff. Alumnus Robert Thornton (CAS ’77) delivered the keynote address on the theme “Staying the Course.”

The International Education Office was created to increase awareness of the numerous opportunities for students and faculty to study and teach abroad. The office serves as a one-stop international education center for students and promotes international faculty teaching opportunities and exchanges. OU students can study abroad at institutions in Argentina, Austria, Chile, China, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and Spain.

The nationally acclaimed Oakland University Trustees Academic Success (OUTAS) program continued to be recognized as one of the most successful recruitment and student retention programs in the country. The Michigan Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers named OUTAS the Equal Educational Opportunities Committee Award Winning Program of the Year. The program helps OU create an ethnically and culturally diverse group of high-achieving students and is made possible through support from the OU Foundation.

Many events took place during OU's Hispanic celebration 2003 in September.
Oakland University hosted events and activities to honor Hispanic Celebration 2003 in conjunction with National Hispanic Heritage Month. The events celebrated and educated students and the general public about Hispanic culture. Students, faculty and staff participated in lectures, film screenings, tango lessons, cultural presentations and even a guided tour of Detroit’s Mexican Town.

OU held a variety of interactive, entertaining and diverse educational events to celebrate Cultural Awareness Week in November. Events such as a travel presentation on Cambodia, translation contest, Kabuki theatre talk and international night café helped students appreciate the many cultures at Oakland University.

Students, faculty and staff celebrated the diversity of student culture with food, displays, fashion and entertainment during International Night 2003.

OU’s Project Upward Bound received a $55,000 award from the U.S. Department of Education for the 2003-04 fiscal year, which will help serve an additional 20 students from Pontiac. The program prepares high school students for a successful post-secondary education and provides academic, social, cultural and career enrichment. Geraldine Graham, director of the Project Upward Bound program, received the Council of Opportunity in Education (COE) 2003 Board Chair Award, which is given to individuals who are committed to advancing equal educational opportunity and to promoting diversity in America's colleges and universities. Graham also was inducted into the COE Hall of Fame.
CNN anchor Soledad O'Brien spoke to an OU audience as part of OU's Hispanic Celebration 2003.
CNN anchor Soledad O’Brien spoke of her career and her unique Latino, Irish and African-American heritage during her lecture “The Road to Success,” which was hosted by OU’s Student Life Lecture Board on Nov. 20. O’Brien’s mother is from Cuba and her father is Irish and from Australia.

Tavis Smiley, the first African-American host on National Public Radio, came to campus in January and spoke to students, faculty and staff on “Hard Left: Straight Talk About the Wrongs of the Right.” A political commentator and host of “The Tavis Smiley Show” on NPR, Smiley also was the host of the award-winning “BET TONIGHT with Tavis Smiley.”
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Community

Oakland hosted the eighth annual Dickens Society Symposium at historic Meadow Brook Hall. The conference drew literary scholars from around the world to celebrate the life, work and times of Charles Dickens.

Craig Venter, president of the Center for the Advancement of Genomics, presented a lecture in October as part of the Varner Vitality Seminar Series. Venter spoke of the lessons gleaned from sequencing the human genome as well as a multitude of other species' genomes and how genomic information will affect the future of biology and medicine.

Students, faculty and community members heard firsthand about life in Iraq during the reign of Saddam Hussein at the forum, “FOCUS: Iraq from the Inside,”, featuring two former Iraqi citizens who fled the regime in the 1980s.

OU charter class members look through the university's various historical items during the 40th anniversary reunion.
More than 100 members of OU’s first graduating class reunited in October for the 40th Anniversary Charter Class Reunion. Following the reunion, charter class, members established the Charter Class Endowment Fund, which seeks to preserve and catalog OU's history for future generations.

Oakland learned in 2003 that it would serve as a host institution for the 2006 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. OU will host first and second round games of the tournament. The NCAA Tournament Committee selects hosts based on a variety of factors, one of which is proximity to a large, professional arena, such as The Palace of Auburn Hills where the tournament will be played. The 2006 tournament will be the first time OU has hosted a major NCAA event since becoming a Division I institution in 1998.

Oakland University awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Science to Secretary of the Navy Gordon England at the December commencement and an honorary degree to distinguished children’s author Ashley Bryan at the May commencement. Honorary degrees are awarded in recognition of distinguished accomplishment and service within the scope of the arts, letters, sciences, professions and public service as recognized and supported by the university. The awarding of an honorary degree reaffirms OU’s scholarly, creative and humanitarian values.

Meadow Brook Theatre, now under the leadership of the Meadow Brook Theatre Ensemble, opened its 2003-04 season with a set of seven performances, including the perennial holiday favorite “A Christmas Carol.” The theatre also launched a new website.

Participants in OU's Meadow Brook Writing Project came from across the metro Detroit area to search for new, effective methods of instruction.
OU was one of 170 sites selected to be part of the National Writing Project, a professional development program for teachers looking to improve student writing. Partners in OU's Meadow Brook Writing Project include Detroit Public Schools, OU's Public School Academies, Oakland Community College, the Pontiac School District and the Macomb Intermediate School District.

Oakland’s OUTV won five national awards in 2003 — two Telly Awards and three Communicator Awards. The cable station’s monthly sports program, “The Grizzlies Den,” won a silver Telly Award while the monthly events program, “Explore OU,” won a bronze Telly Award. In the Communicator Awards, “Explore OU” won the Award of Distinction in the Educational Institution/Under $1,500 category. The year-end men’s basketball video, “Men’s Basketball Video 2001-2002,” won the Award of Distinction in the Student Produced category. “OUTV Scrolling Students” received an Honorable Mention in the College/University category. The Telly Awards showcase and give recognition to outstanding non-network and cable commercials as well as film and video productions. The Communicator Awards, an international awards program, were founded by communications professionals to recognize excellence in the communication field.

In its exclusive state-by-state rankings, “Golf Digest” ranked OU’s R&S Sharf Golf Course 21st among Michigan’s 855 golf courses. The 18-hole championship course and state-of-the-art practice facility, which opened in 2000, was designed and built by nationally renowned golf course architects Rick Smith and Warren Henderson. OU’s Katke-Cousins and R&S Sharf golf courses also hosted the Sixth Annual Dick Purtan Golf Outing. The event benefits the Gail Purtan Ovarian Cancer Fund at the Karmanos Cancer Institute.

Meadow Brook Music Festival overcame inclement early summer weather and the largest blackout in U.S. history to achieve its most successful season in the seven years it has been managed by Palace Sports and Entertainment. More than 17,000 guests attended the outdoor summer music festival, held on the campus of Oakland University.

More than 200 volunteers helped provide activities for participants in the 2003 Metro Detroit American Heart Walk on OU's campus.
Oakland University hosted the American Heart Association’s Metro Detroit American Heart Walk. Nearly 22,000 people participated to raise funds to fight against heart disease and stroke. Money raised from the walk benefits cardiovascular research and community education programs in metro Detroit. The Metro Detroit American Heart Walk is the second largest Heart Walk in the country.

OU’s Student Life Lecture Board welcomed noted author, journalist and social commentator Barbara Ehrenreich to campus in conjunction with the campus-wide celebration of Women’s History Month. Ehrenreich delivered a lecture, “Nickel and Dimed: Down and Out in America,” based on her most recent book that chronicles the struggles of America’s working poor.

Four-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer Janet Evans conducted a swim clinic at Oakland University’s Recreation and Athletics Center in January.

Eight of Michigan’s most outstanding nurses were honored at OU’s 15th annual Nightingale Awards for Nursing. Each winner received a bronze statue of Florence Nightingale, a Nightingale pin and $1,000 in recognition of their superior work. All licensed registered nurses working in Michigan are eligible for the Nightingale awards.

This glimpse inside the Meadow Brook Hall vault is one of the things visitors could see during the "Out of the Closet" tour.
Meadow Brook Hall unveiled a new tour called “Out of the Closet” in 2003. The tour takes visitors into several areas of the home never before open to the public, including closets, bathrooms, secret vaults and hidden staircases. It also showcases many rare items of clothing and other personal possessions once belonging to Matilda Dodge Wilson.

Oakland University took a significant step to address budget deficits by closing Meadow Brook Health Enhancement Institute in April.
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Partnerships

The Thomas M. Cooley Law School extended its successful partnership with Oakland, a year after the two schools joined forces to offer Cooley classes on OU’s campus. The partnership allows students to take the first two years of Cooley’s standard part-time, 36-month curriculum at OU. A night section of these courses began in May with a morning section introduced in September and an afternoon section scheduled for January 2004.

Oakland University and the City of Rochester entered into a formal agreement to partner on a variety of reciprocal business and academic ventures. OU President Gary D. Russi and Rochester Mayor Karen Lewis signed the agreement Oct. 15.

Alumnus Barry Klein funded the Barry M. Klein Endowed Chair in Culture and Globalization in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and the Barry M. Klein Endowed Scholarship benefiting Honors College students.

OU's Fastening and Joining Research Institute opened its doors in June.
OU’s School of Engineering and Computer Sciences officially opened the doors to its new Fastening and Joining Research Institute in June. The institute is the only known facility of its kind in the world — an academic, nonprofit research facility dedicated solely to the fastening and joining of materials.

Oakland University has been instrumental in forming a new Oakland County SmartZone. The initiative combines the expertise and innovation of university researchers with the production of businesses and the tax support of cities to expand existing technology labs and attract research companies. SmartZone partners include Oakland County, Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills, Troy, Southfield, the Automation Alley Technology Center, Oakland University and Lawrence Technological University.

Meadow Brook Theatre partnered with Canada's acclaimed Shaw Festival, marking the first residency of its kind at the theatre. The residency included a presentation of George Bernard Shaw's "Candida” as well as a number of community outreach and educational activities by Shaw Festival members.

The solar panels on the roof of the University Student Apartment community house provide energy for that building and, at times, one of the student apartment buildings nearby.
In a move with both ecological and economical benefits, OU installed a 10-kilowatt solar panel system on the roof of the University Student Apartments community house in June. The panels provide energy for that building and, at times, the apartment building adjacent to it. The system, which was made possible by a $100,000 grant from the State of Michigan Energy Office, is one of the largest building integrated systems in the Midwest.

Irving and Audrey Rose gave $100,000 to the university's dance program to support enrichment opportunities such as visiting choreographers. A member of the executive board for the School of American Ballet in New York, Audrey Rose is a longtime supporter of the performing arts at Oakland. The Roses established their gift in honor of Carol Halsted, former chair of Oakland's Music, Theatre and Dance Department.

The Eye Research Institute received a five-year award of a Vision Research Infrastructure Development Grant from the National Eye Institute. OU and the ERI will receive a total of $1 million over the term of the grant. The award will support two laboratory research modules, Ocular Ultrastructure and Cell and Molecular Biology, and will permit the institute to purchase a real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction machine and establish a Microarray Analysis Facility.

Oakland’s School of Education and Human Services joined forces with Cranbrook Institute of Science to offer five-day courses in earth science and astronomy for teachers of grades 3 through 12. Using hands-on activities for teaching both sciences, each course investigated important concepts outlined in the Michigan Curriculum Frameworks.

Adjunct Professor Saeed Siavoshani and one of his engineering students use the high-end signal-processing program software donated by Prosig USA Inc.
Prosig USA Inc., a pioneer in the noise and vibration arena for both automotive and non-automotive applications, gave Oakland 16 software licenses for a high-end signal-processing program. The technology is used to acquire, analyze, display and report data in noise, vibration and harshness courses. The value of the gift is estimated at more than $100,000. Prosig also provided technical training to Oakland professors and graduate students.

Oakland University and the Pontiac Oakland Symphony Orchestra are partnering to provide high-level orchestral performances to the Oakland County community, while offering Oakland University music, theatre and dance students the chance to interact and perform with a regional symphony orchestra. The symphony orchestra is now known as the Oakland Symphony, with the rehearsal space, equipment and instruments provided by Oakland University. The orchestra continues to perform in Varner Recital Hall on Oakland’s campus as well as in other venues in the region.

The 2003 All-University Fund Drive was a success with 392 gifts made by OU faculty and staff, raising a total of $172,292 during the Nov. 20-Dec. 31 campaign.
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