2008 Year In Review - News at OU: Year In Review

Remarkably dedicated faculty, staff, students and others who earnestly support Oakland University helped bring about a wealth of good news in 2008. The diverse and impressive list of accomplishments below highlights Oakland’s evolution as an institution of outstanding educational opportunity, meaningful community involvement and state and national distinction.

Building on the Oakland Medical Initiative’s vision to establish the county as a premiere destination for health care services and education, for example, Oakland University was awarded $40 million in state funding to support construction of a 172,000-square-foot Human Health Building. Its state-of-the-art facilities will dramatically enhance the region’s medical education and research opportunities. Meanwhile, the university welcomed the nationally and internationally acclaimed Dr. Robert Folberg to serve as founding dean of the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine.

In the realm of new programs, Oakland became the only university in the world to offer International Baccalaureate Level 1 program education for teachers spanning the entire K–12 curriculum. It was also announced that the Thomas M. Cooley Law School-Auburn Hills campus became the exclusive educational law school of Oakland University, and that OU graduates who meet Cooley’s admission requirements will receive priority status in the school’s enrollment process.

In 2008, Oakland reinforced an already intense focus on academic research, welcoming experts from across the nation and the world to the First Midwest Conference on Stem Cell Biology and Therapy. Additionally, the university’s chapter of the Sigma Xi national research society received a Certificate of Excellence for demonstrating exceptional involvement and vitality in the research community.

Looking to expand access to its programs, Oakland established an innovative satellite campus, as well as significant outreach and community engagement efforts in Macomb County. The new campus will offer programs in health care, education and human resources, technology and international business, engineering and communications arts. Also in Macomb, Oakland University partnered with the county’s Planning and Economic Development Department and the City of Sterling Heights to launch the Macomb-Oakland University Incubator. Part of a new SmartZone, the business incubator will eventually create 600 jobs and stimulate growth in the defense and advanced manufacturing sector.

To broaden the university's goal of establishing valuable community partnerships, OU hosted both the start and finish lines of the inaugural Brooksie Way Half Marathon, an event designed to encourage healthy lifestyles in Oakland County. Officials also announced that the Royal Park Hotel in Rochester will serve as Oakland’s official conference center and preferred site for guest lodging, which will stimulate local commerce in the coming years.

The generosity of its many supporters allowed Oakland University to reach a remarkable $100 million in charitable contributions. The institution is now well ahead of schedule in terms of attaining the $110 million goal outlined in “Innovation and Opportunity – The Campaign for OU.”

These are just a few examples of the many exciting and noteworthy events of 2008, all of which point to a growing institution that continues to achieve excellence and distinction in its many endeavors. The scores of news summaries below help to tell this ongoing story.

Campaign for OU

Lois Shaevsky was awarded the George W. Romney Award for Lifetime Achievement in Volunteerism during the 16th Annual National Philanthropy Day gala, hosted by the Greater Detroit Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Shaevsky has volunteered with many high-profile organizations in Metro Detroit, including Oakland University, where she serves on the advisory board of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Judaic Studies steering committee and previously served on the board for the Oakland University Art Gallery.
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Overall participation among employees and retirees increased seven percent in the 2007-2008 All-University Fund Drive. This year, 551 individuals made gifts to Oakland University, the Black United Fund and the United Way. The AUFD campaign also achieved 92% of the $240,300 goal, raising $220,468.
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When Bernie and Nina Kent decided to make an endowed gift to Oakland University, they wanted their donation to make a difference in a new way. The Kents have established the Bernard and Nina Kent Judaic Studies Endowed Israel Travel Fund. Their gift will support enrichment travel for students in the program, including participation in archeological digs, internships and other travel abroad opportunities.
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Dennis, SEHS '82, and Carlotta Pawley believe in giving back to the organizations and institutions that have supported their success. A graduate of the School of Education and Human Services (SEHS), Dennis Pawley credits Oakland University as being a significant factor in his lifetime of personal and career achievement. With the Pawley Alumni Leadership Challenge, he and Carlotta called on fellow alumni to step up to the plate.
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Oakland University's School of Nursing received a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the amount of $330,000 for the implementation of a Center for Pre-Symptom Health Care and Societal Research.
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Three professors with expertise in cyber security and cyber crime were awarded a $115,000 grant from the National Science Foundation in its Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) program.
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Meadow Brook Hall was awarded a $500,000 gift in honor of former General Motors CEO Roger B. Smith, who was well-known for community involvement and philanthropy throughout Michigan.
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Financial Aid Coordinator Tina Cardamone was among many contributors to the All-University Fund Drive, supporting the scholarship fund for the new Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine.
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Oakland University was presented with the second of four installments tied to a $100,000 student loan grant from the Charles E. Schell Foundation to help support undergraduate student education.
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David Doane, an OU professor of quantitative methods who has spent the last 40 years teaching statistics and forecasting, also continued a tradition of donating to the All-University Fund Drive, which he began in 1976, the year he was awarded tenure.
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In a tremendous display of support for the mission of Oakland University's School of Business Administration, Hugh Elliott, a longtime OU supporter, and Craig Stinson (SBA '84) joined in giving the SBA $500,000 through a challenge match.
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The 2008 All-University Fund Drive got off to great start, with 248 employees and retirees donating $92,791 toward a goal of $230,000 in combined contributions.
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Growth of Campus

Oakland University President Gary Russi provided the campus community with an update on the state of affairs at OU. He said despite challenges, Oakland University is still thriving. Russi credited OU faculty and staff and planning efforts for the university's success and challenged them to continue to make a difference in the future. Through hundreds of meetings, the university has developed the 2020 goals, examined core values, reaffirmed the mission statement and created the university's passion statement, "Making a difference in people's lives by creating opportunities for them to succeed."
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Oakland University's partnership with Macomb Community College, called Macomb 2 Oakland or M2O for short, saw a 43.2 percent increase in enrollment . In January, at the start of the program's fourth semester, 252 students enrolled for M2O classes, compared with the 176 students who enrolled for the fall 2007 term.
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Oakland University's Board of Trustees approved three new degree programs for fall 2008. Two of the new programs are in the College of Arts and Sciences, which offer a bachelor of arts and minor in writing and rhetoric, and also a bachelor of arts in Japanese. The third is a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering in the School of Engineering and Computer Science.
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Oakland University began offering an online certificate program in Animal Assisted Therapy in the fall. The non-credit program provides an academic approach to human-animal bonding and the healing potential of using animal assisted therapy with special populations. Consisting of five eight-week courses, this program helps professionals incorporate animal assisted therapy into their fields or provide information for those who wish to combine their love of animals with helping people.
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The School of Nursing and University Housing developed a living learning community for first-year students who have declared nursing as their intended major. Students share a floor in East Vandenberg Hall, take classes together, participate in events and activities as a group and prepare to become nurses.
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Campus tours set out from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions to guide prospective students and their families through their first experience of Oakland University. Leading the way for the excited visitors are OU's admissions ambassadors, student leaders who provide facts and knowledge about the university and what it has to offer.
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Oakland University's Board of Trustees approved the appointment of Robert Folberg, M.D., as the founding dean of the allopathic medical school Oakland will open with Beaumont Hospitals in 2010 with a charter class of 50 students. Oakland and Beaumont also announced the official name of the school - Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine (OUWBSM)."
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Oakland University unveiled a new writing and rhetoric Department in the College of Arts and Sciences, naming OU Associate Professor Marshall Kitchens as chair. The new department consists of seven tenure-track professors, four full-time special instructors and 30 special lecturers, and is home to a new degree program in writing, offering a major and a minor.
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In an effort to provide a socially responsible model of institutional values, Oakland University began offering staff members the option of a compressed work week. Employees who elected to take advantage of the program, offered as a pilot for the summer months, worked four 10-hour days per week.
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Construction crews worked on numerous projects to enhance the quality of Oakland's nearly 1,500-acre campus. The bulk of the work began in May and demanded the expertise of more than 10 contractors. It represented another significant investment in the long-term growth of the university, according to Terry Stollsteimer, associate vice president of facilities management at OU.
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Oakland University officials announced a major expansion of the university's presence in Macomb County, which will include an innovative satellite campus, and significant outreach and community engagement efforts.
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Oakland University learned it will receive state funding for a new Human Health Building, thanks to a capital outlay bill passed by the Michigan legislature and signed into law by Governor Jennifer Granholm. The measure, part of an initiative to address funding projects for state university and community college campuses, will provide $40 million of the $61 million total cost of the building.
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Enhancing Technology

The Oakland University Police Department, in conjunction with university administrators, maintains as its utmost mission the protection of the campus community's safety. As such, all students, faculty, staff and other university community members were encouraged to explore the new Oakland University Emergency Preparedness website to familiarize themselves with ways to avert and react to potential crisis situations on campus.
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For graduates whose families were unable to attend the spring commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 3, a live broadcast was available for each of the ceremonies.
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For incoming freshmen and transfer students, OU introduced The Grizzly Den, an online community for future Golden Grizzlies.
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In early April, Oakland University student e-mail accounts were successfully transitioned to Webmail Powered by Google.
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Following a successful student transition to Webmail Powered by Google, University Technology Services (UTS) migrated all faculty and staff e-mail accounts to the new e-mail system in mid-August. The move was designed to transition faculty and staff accounts before the existing system slowed down.
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University Technology Services announced the launch of OakShare, an online, centralized storage option available to OU students, faculty, and staff with a NetID. The new storage application allows users to store, share, and access files from any computer with an Internet connection.
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In order to increase data accuracy and streamline the admissions process for students, Oakland University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions moved its application completely online. Paper applications are now accepted only in special circumstances.
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University Communications and Marketing launched a new OU home page design in August. The new page highlights OU's key branding/positioning messages, incorporates video and other new technology, places an emphasis on student recruitment and provides a more visually appealing and inviting layout. The redesign also includes updated sub site designs that complement the new home page.
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Following the Oakland University Police Department's (OUPD) launch of a text message alert system, its emergency dispatch center was upgraded to receive text messages and became one of few police departments nationwide with this capability. In addition, a U.S. Department of Education grant of $423,999 was earned by the OUPD for campus violence prevention initiatives.
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During the academic year, Monica Frechen lives on campus, but during the summer, she would have had to commute an hour and 40 minutes from her home north of Lansing to Oakland University for classes. This summer, thanks to online classes, the Occupational Safety and Health graduate student got ahead in her studies without spending any money on gas.
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Each year, Oakland University's highest academic achievers are recognized on the dean's list. The 2007-08 dean's list, which is posted annually following the winter semester for the previous academic year, was made available online.
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The Advising Resource Center (ARC) introduced e-portfolio, an interactive Web resource geared toward helping OU students discover and navigate the world of college majors and career avenues.
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Students who need help mastering the latest technology found it at the Student Technology Center (STC). Since opening its doors in Aug. 2005, the STC has helped thousands of OU students develop the knowledge and skills to tackle technological challenges, big and small. Services are tailored to all skill levels, from ignoramus to extraordinaire, and can help students with a diverse range of tasks.
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Exciting upgrades planned for Kresge, E-LIS included new furniture, the latest in technological amenities and added work space.
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Oakland University staff and students garnered national recognition from a computing peer group after putting creativity and technical know-how to commendable use in promoting the technology mentoring services and cutting-edge technology available at the university's Student Technology Center (STC).
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E-Learning and Instructional Support (e-LIS) developed an online system for students to develop online portfolios. Students can now load resume information, cover letters, samples of their work and reference material into ePortfolio for prospective employers to view. The Student Technology Center also offers training on the system for students who need help getting started.
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Strong Undergraduate Education

In preparation for an April reaccreditation visit from consultant evaluators with the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association, Oakland University undertook a one-year self-study that involved gathering evidence from across the institution to address how OU is meeting NCA criteria and identify opportunities for improvement.
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The Oakland University Board of Trustees approved a plan that would invest the $4.8 million state appropriation that was originally withheld by the state last year directly into student initiatives.
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In 1995, Andrea Kozak, CAS '96, participated in her first Meeting of Minds. As an OU student, Kozak worked with a professor in the psychology department on research and used the research to develop a poster presentation for the undergraduate research conference. Now an assistant professor of psychology at OU, Kozak encouraged her students to gain the experience Meeting of Minds offers.
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Oakland University's general studies degree program was renamed the Bachelor of Integrative Studies. The name change provides a better representation of the goals of the program, which allows students to design personalized study programs using a cross-disciplinary approach.
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After its first year, Oakland University's School of Business Administration's Scholars Program added two new programs geared toward expanding the level of student leadership. The programs offer high-achieving students the opportunity to take on different challenges in the SBA.
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Oakland University's women's studies program changed its name to Women and Gender Studies, and as it matured, the range of topics in the program expanded to encompass not only issues related to women, but to men and other genders as well.
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A group of Oakland University students uncovered Oakland University's past - literally. A dozen students who participated in Professor Richard Stamps' class got hands-on experience in anthropology and archeology while digging, analyzing and researching specific areas of campus to learn more about the university's history. The students excavated areas at the Austin farm, a location that last year's class started exploring; the area near Walton and Squirrel roads, where there was believed to be an old schoolhouse; and the Meadow Brook Greenhouse and icehouse located near John Dodge House.
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Oakland University students having trouble choosing a major or finding a career path got a new resource to help make such decisions. The Advising Resource Center helped through assessments, career counseling and workshops. Students can learn about themselves and use that insight to explore potential majors and careers. The ARC is dedicated to helping students make informed decisions by answering questions and assisting students in taking steps to explore what is available.
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In order to improve services to students, Oakland University announced that it will merge spring and summer terms into one extended summer semester. The new format will help students get ahead in their studies by offering greater flexibility in scheduling and increased opportunities to complete required courses. While most courses will fall into the two seven-week sessions previously offered during the spring and summer terms, a number of two-, four-, 10-, and 14-week courses will also be available.
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David Sherman, a senior at Birmingham Groves High School, had exhausted the mathematics classes he can take at the secondary education level. For the past three years, however, Sherman participated in the Oakland University Summer Mathematics Institute, which allows students to take college-level mathematics courses and earn college credit - for free.
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The College of Arts and Sciences continued Celebrating the Liberal Arts with 2008-09 theme Cities. The Celebrating the Liberal Arts themes are designed to demonstrate how a liberal arts education results from the interactive work of scholars from many disciplines.
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Albert Goldbarth, one of America's most critically acclaimed poets, presented his work at the 21st Annual Maurice Brown Poetry reading in October. Selections from Goldbarth's poetry were previewed at a reading given by English department faculty and students.
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High school students from Pontiac, Oak Park and Detroit spent the first part of their summer vacation earning money for college. They weren't working at retail locations or restaurants; they earned the money while in the classroom. Through the School of Business Administrations Entrepreneurship Institute camp, the students not only learned about business, they put their knowledge to the test in hands-on activities. Each student who completed the camp was awarded a $500 scholarship and has the possibility of earning more money if they choose to attend Oakland University's School of Business when they graduate from high school.
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OU student Kristin Patterson aspired to run a small business after graduation. Patterson didn't want to go into the corporate world, but she wanted to know how to get her small business off the ground and have an idea of how to run it. Through the School of Business's entrepreneurship minor, non-business students can gain experience in building a business.
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Mike Murphy, CAS '01, and Adam Kochenderfer, CAS '02, both attended Oakland University and went on to law school at the University of Michigan, but they did it in very different ways. Both, Murphy and Kochenderfer believe their Oakland University education prepared them not only for law school but also for being attorneys.
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The School of Business Administration launched the Scholars program in fall 2007 for freshmen, juniors, seniors and those who wanted to participate in research. In fall 2008, the SBA expanded the program to include sophomore scholars, and theme scholars in social and public policy. The program offers high achieving students the opportunity to take on different challenges in the SBA. Each class has different tasks to complete throughout the year, and they are awarded with accelerated major standing or scholarships.
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Humanitarian activist Curt Rhodes, founder and president of Questscope for Social Development in the Middle East, will spoke at Oakland University in September. Rhodes discussed his initiatives to educate Iraqi children refugees in Jordan, and provide an update on the plight of displaced Iraqis in Jordan and Syria.
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Rachael Kollman and Laura Scroggie chat about their summers as they sit in the Pioneer Food Court in the Oakland Center. Seemingly, they are just like every other student, but both suffer from mild cognitive disabilities. They attend class at OU through the Oakland University Post-Secondary TransitIONS program run by the School of Education and Human Services.
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Three hundred high school students interested in health and science careers glimpsed careers of the future when they visited Oakland University for MichBio Life Sciences Career Day on Thursday, Nov. 20.
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Advising Resource Center guidance counselors focused their planning efforts on students' strengths and interests while helping to identify educational paths that lead to career success.
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The Oakland University Christianity Studies program hosted a viewing and panel discussion of "Constantine's Sword," the Oscar-nominated documentary that explores issues of Christianity and anti-Semitism.
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Given that organizers of the American College Theatre Region III Festival considered entries hailing from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin, selection of the cast and crew of "The Trojan Women" to perform in the 2009 festival was seen as a feather in the cap of the growing Department of Music, Theatre and Dance program.
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The School of Nursing began offering a occupational health nursing certificate program - a continuing education course designed to help RNs successfully complete the certified Occupational Health Nurse Specialist Examination.
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To keep education accessible during Michigan's economic crisis, Oakland University created a special tuition assistance fund to help financially struggling students continue their studies.
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The SOAR program helped prepare nursing students for careers as patient care technicians and enhanced their prospects for further advancement within the nursing profession.
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Faculty and students are looking forward to a powerful partnership that blossomed following a November visit from renowned researcher and prominent education researcher Tom Barone.
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The School of Nursing presented the inaugural issue of "The Pulse," a magazine that highlights the innovative geriatric nursing practices, education and research taking place at OU.
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Introduced in fall, the School of Business Administration's ACHIEVE program began to inspire, guide and prepare students for their ideal business career by equipping them with the skills they need to succeed.
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Quality Graduate Programs

The Music Educators Journal, one of the leading practitioner journals for the field worldwide, published an article authored by an Oakland University graduate student.
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Graduate student Angela Kayi, CAS '00, earned a Provost's Graduate Student Research Award this past year for her master's thesis project, "Creativity, Appearance and Sites of Authority." This is the first time a student in the master of arts in Liberal Studies program had won this academic honor. The program began in fall 2003.
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Oakland University became the only university in the world to offer International Baccalaureate Level 1 program education for teachers spanning the entire K-12 curriculum, offered in conjunction with the IB Organization in Cardiff, Wales. The program was granted approval in December 2007 and the first group of students began coursework in January 2008.
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Visit Jane Winn's third grade classroom at Ewell Elementary School and you might find students reading. While this doesn't seem out of the ordinary, Winn provides the students with silent reading time - a time when the students can make themselves comfortable and immerse themselves in the storyline of their favorite book. Winn said this isn't just classroom busywork; the silent reading helps students connect their interests with what they read. With the help of a $2,000 "Teacher as Researcher" grant from International Reading Association, Winn is looking at the importance of silent reading.
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Oakland University officials announced that the Thomas M. Cooley Law School-Auburn Hills campus has become the exclusive educational law school of Oakland University, and that Oakland University is now the exclusive education partner university of Cooley Law School's Auburn Hills campus. Launched today were several significant additions to the institutions' longstanding partnership.
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Quality Students

Artwork by recent OU grads Nicole Vinegar and Chris Ames got quite a bit of exposure. A painting by Vinegar and a drawing by Ames were selected to be displayed in the Senate Farnum Office Building and the Anderson House Office Building in Lansing as part of the Art in the Senate and Art in the House Program. The art program features the artwork of students from Michigan's 15 public universities. The artwork was placed in October and will remain in Lansing for one year.
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Three Oakland University students were awarded the university's most prestigious awards at the April 15 meeting of the Board of Trustees. Nicole Piggott and Christopher Fecek received the 2008 Matilda R. and Alfred G. Wilson Awards and Mia Evans received the Human Relations Award. The students were selected for the awards based on their service and achievements as Oakland University students.
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Oakland University students elected Steve Clark and Daniel Evola as the OU Student Congress president and vice president for the 2008-09 academic year. This year's elections drew a record number of students to the polls. Clark, a senior, and his running mate Evola, a freshman, had a platform that included continuing funding free newspapers on campus, working closely with the Student Program Board to bring first-class events to OU, working with the administration on issues like tuition, parking and on campus housing, making OU athletic events more visible to students, continuing discussions for an OU football team, working with the student liaisons to the Board of Trustees to give students a voice in major university decisions and working to get students compensated by $4.8 million in deferred payment to the universi ty from the state.
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The achievements of students and alumni of the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance (MTD) took center stage during the Ninth Annual MaTilDa Awards celebrated in April at the Centerpoint Marriott. The awards are presented annually to students and alumni from MTD for their accomplishments in memory of Matilda Dodge Wilson, co-founder of Oakland University.
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Michigan Campus Compact (MCC) honored 159 students from 23 campuses with awards for their commitment to service learning, and civic engagement. Among them were three Oakland University students. OU Senior Jameelah Muhammad received the Commitment to Service Award and Amanda Rymiszweski and Mathew Sawicki received the Heart and Soul Award. The students were recognized during the Outstanding Student Service Awards in April.
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Katie Prawdzik, who always wanted to study internationally, found her chance. An education senior, Prawdzik will won an opportunity to spend five weeks in New Zealand and immerse herself in the teaching culture in an effort to learn more about the country's educational system. During her time in New Zealand, Prawdzik planned to maintain a blog of her experience and share it with the university community.
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Seven future music educators from OU received some extra education of their own during the Music Educators' National Conference in Milwaukee. No student group from OU had ever attended the biannual event, said Chelsea Rhodes, a senior studying music education and the vice president of OU's chapter of the Collegiate Music Educators' National Conference (CMENC).
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In late April, June Teisan stood on the lawn of the White House with 55 other educators as part of a national conference for state teachers of the year. Teisan, a science teacher at the Harper Woods Secondary School, was invited after being named the 2007-08 Michigan Teacher of the Year.
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Oakland University accounting students had the opportunity to meet and interact with one of the most influential leaders of the accounting profession during a breakfast at the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants' Members Advisory Forum. The students met with Barry Melancon, president and CEO of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, who was the keynote speaker at the semi-annual Members Advisory Forum.
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Lauren Podell began her job as WDIV Local 4's newest traffic reporter in January. During one of her traffic reports, Podell described the morning commute as "boring." A few hours later, she ate her words as a tanker slid off an overpass and caused an explosion.
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Three students from Oakland University's Department of Music, Theatre and Dance were selected to participate in the American Choral Director Association regional conference in Grand Rapids in February. The students participated in the 160-student conference chorale and helped demonstrate the different ways that collegiate choral students learn and the different methods for teaching them. OU students Heather Mitcham, Matthew Smith and Caitlyn Byrne were selected from more than 300 applicants from 29 universities across the Midwest to participate as part of the collegiate chorale. The OU students attended the conference with Professor of Music Education Deborah Blair.
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Oakland University students Norma Parker and Javier Saucedo each were awarded the Vicente Fox Quesada Scholarship, which honors the Mexican president and is awarded to Oakland students seeking international study or cross-cultural opportunities in Mexico and to Mexican students who are studying at Oakland.
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Undergraduate students from the University of Michigan-Dearborn, the University of Michigan-Flint and Oakland University participated in the 16th annual Meeting of the Minds in May. With presentations ranging from complex chemical analysis to relationship studies, the event attracted spectators to the poster presentations and the oral presentations, which were held in South Foundation Hall.
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Peter Banachowski sees life as a joke - literally. As a comedian, the events in Banachowski's life often become the topic of his stand-up bits. From humorous every day events to funny past relationships, Banachowski hopes to make a career of making people laugh. The OU junior is already getting his start performing locally in stand-up clubs and working with OU's Student Video Productions club.
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The photographic work of Oakland University students, faculty and staff who participated in the annual Photo Contest hung in the Oakland Center Fireside Lounge in late March. Alena Vackova took home first place for the color category and Windy Rood took first place for black and white.
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Rebecca Mansfield wanted the Student Michigan Education Association (SMEA) at Oakland University to hold a formal dinner at the end of the academic year to celebrate the students. When she suggested the event, she had no idea it would be held in her honor. Mansfield passed away March 12 after a brief but courageous battle with leukemia. She was just months from completing her degree and getting married. To fulfill her desire for the event, the students of SMEA hosted the Rebecca Mansfield Memorial Dinner at Meadow Brook Hall in May, with the proceeds benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
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Twin brothers Alonzo and Brennon Edwards couldn't be more different - they look different, and they are exploring two different career paths at two different universities. But they found a way to come back together, uniting over their different passions. Alonzo, a student at the College for Creative Studies, and Brennon, a student in the School of Business Administration, created Fraternal Easels, a business that will distribute Alonzo's artwork with Brennon running the business aspect.
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Ashley Maria Bahri traveled to Italy this summer to immerse herself in Italian culture, language and Italian opera. The OU alumna received the 2008 Hollingsworth European Study Award, which invited her to study at the Italian Operatic Experience program in Urbania, Italy for five weeks in July and August. There she studied Italian and learn about opera while performing Giacomo Puccini's "La Bohème." Professor of Composition Stanley Hollingsworth died in 2004 and left behind the chance for OU music students to go to Europe for a summer study program at a music school of their choice. Hollingsworth believed a similar experience early in his career changed his life.
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On May 5, 2007, Kristine LeMieux woke up at 2 a.m. to make her way to local auditions for the NBC prime-time game show, "Deal or No Deal." When her alarm went off, LeMieux considered going back to sleep, but she had a feeling that maybe she would get picked for the show. That same feeling helped the Oakland University junior secure $238,000 in a winner-take-all, battle of the sexes episode of "Deal or No Deal" that aired in early February.
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Alice Carleton is a secretary in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, but she is also a dancer, singer, writer, poet and now a student. Carleton began taking classes at OU in fall 2007 at the age of 61. To support her studies, Carleton was awarded the Linda Lael Miller Scholarship for Women.
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Oakland University sophomore and entrepreneur Ross Maghielse continued building on an already successful career in broadcasting as founder and part owner of the growing Michigan Sports Radio. Maghielse used to be an avid basketball player for Rockford High School, but he was forced to stop playing because of a recurring hamstring injury. His love for sports drove him to stay involved in athletics, and he came up with an idea to broadcast high school games over the Internet.
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Tawnee Milko has always believed in giving back to her community. She was heavily involved in her high school, church and her family. At OU, she served OU as the Honors College Student Association president, and was involved in REACH, OU Environmental Coalition and the Pre-Medical Club. In 2008, she served the students of OU as the student liaison to the Board of Trustees. In that capacity, she sought out and provided the students' perspective during BOT meetings, and helped keep students updated on BOT actions.
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Two students from OU presented their research at the 4th annual International Interdisciplinary Conference on Clinical Supervision in June in Buffalo, New York. The case study was about the roles of supervisors in counseling, and was written by Sandra Manoogian, a doctoral student in the counseling department, and Sheri Pickover, a graduate from OU's doctoral program in counselor education, and assistant professor of counseling at the University of Detroit Mercy.
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Aaron Lehr began running in elementary school. To his classmates, he was known as "The Flash." Throughout elementary, middle and high school, Lehr continued to run for sport. A graduate student in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program, he planned to run in the Brooksie Way half marathon that will started and finished at OU's Meadow Brook Hall. Lehr documented his training through a blog. Staff members of OU's Division of Student Affairs also trained to participate in the Brooksie Way. The group is tracked their progress through a blog. Nicknamed Snyder's Striders, the team from Student Affairs registered together. Many will participate in the 5K and some will participate in the 10-mile event. The Brooksie Way is dedicated to the memory of Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson's son, who was killed in a snowmo bile accident in February 2007.
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Marilyn Burns' summer was like those of most college students. She worked and spent time with her family. Her situation was unique, however, because she did both at the same time. Burns, a music major planning to graduate in 2009, is one of the four managing directors of Burns Family Studios, a semi-professional film studio that is currently producing a feature-length historical epic. Burns is using her Oakland University piano education and fulfilling her Honors College thesis project by working on a musical score for the film the family-run studio produced this summer.
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Master of Public Administration student Sonya Bellafant (CAS '93) got a unique opportunity to garner real-world experience as a student liaison on the Rochester Downtown Development Authority Board. After earning a law degree from Michigan State University College of Law, she worked for Legal Aid of Western Michigan and became interested in the public sector. As a second-generation Oakland University student, Bellafant watched how OU and Rochester have grown and transformed, and she jumped at the chance to take part on the Rochester DDA board. As a second-generation Oakland University student, Bellafant has watched how OU and Rochester have grown and transformed, and she jumped at the chance to take part on the Rochester DDA board, which involves providing updates to the board, as well as providing a student perspective.
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Students who wanted to get involved on campus had a chance to learn more about some exciting campus leadership opportunities at information sessions held throughout January. Positions available included Orientation Group Leaders (OGL) for summer 2009, Resident Assistants, Nightwatch and Peer Mentor positions for the 2009-10 academic year.
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Ninety-four-year-old Edward Pintzuk enrolled in a history class in the fall, making him the oldest student ever to attend classes at Oakland University. While fellow classmates were taking classes to earn enough credits to graduate, Pintzuk is in class for one reason - to expand his knowledge.
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Oakland University's fourth annual Grizzdance film festival, a three-day event showcasing some of the university's most talented student filmmakers, took place in November. Screenings of all student film entries were held in the Oakland Center Fireside Lounge.
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SBA students made strides as social entrepreneurs when they helped several regional social organizations consolidate as the Family Service Alliance for Southeastern Michigan and save $300,000 in the process.
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OU students in all of the university's engineering programs relied on their ingenuity to harvest energy, which was the objective of a senior design project requiring them to build electrical generators that use no fuel.
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The Oakland County Office of Arts, Culture & Film office elected to display the work of 25 OU art students who explored what it meant to be visual artists in 2008.
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Andrew Batson, a general business major and economics minor in the School of Business Administration focused his independent study in urban economics by analyzing the economic impact of the hotly debated Cobo Hall renovation and related funding proposals.
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A group of inspired students worked with Chartwells, Oakland University's food service provider, in creating a food sharing partnership with Forgotten Harvest, a food rescue organization serving the Detroit metropolitan area.
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Eight seniors in OU's studio art program exhibited a body of work representing the culmination of their four years of study during "Beneath the Surface: BA in Studio Art Senior Thesis Fall Exhibition."
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Athletics

IUPUI's George Hill scored a game-high 32 points and Oakland University shot just 36 percent from the floor (22-61) as the Jaguars (26-6) advanced to the championship game of The Summit League men's basketball tournament with an 80-65 win over the Golden Grizzlies (17-14) on Monday night in John Q. Hammons Arena at the UMAC. Junior Derick Nelson led OU with his fifth double-double of the season, tallying 21 points and 12 rebounds. The Golden Grizzlies trailed the entire opening 20 minutes, posting a quick 5-0 run to creep within three points, 28-25, with 3:56 left until halftime.
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During the quarterfinals, Junior Erik Kangas scored a game-high 26 points, making 6-of-13 from behind the arc, and junior Derick Nelson scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds, to lead the Oakland University men's basketball team (17-13) past Western Illinois (12-18), 80-66. The Golden Grizzlies broke a school and tournament record with 55 free throw attempts, making 35 in the game.
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While Oakland University's men's basketball team's season ended in the semi-finals of The Summit League Tournament, members of the team earned several league honors and also set new records. Among the honors, Oakland University's Derick Nelson was named to the 2008 Men's Basketball Summit League Championship All-Tournament Team and Nelson and sophomore Johnathon Jones were named to the all-Summit League teams. Among the most notable accomplishments, senior Patrick McCloskey became Oakland's all-time leader in career games played with 125. McCloskey surpassed Shawn Hopes' mark of 118.
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Despite an 18-point effort by junior Jessica Pike and a 12-point performance by junior April Kidd, the Oakland University women's basketball team (20-10) was unable to overcome the long-range shooting of the Oral Roberts University Golden Eagles, falling 71-61 in the semifinals of The Summit League Women's Basketball Championship on Monday. The men's team takes on number two seed IUPUI on Monday, March 10 at 9:30 p.m. EST. The semifinal game will be regionally televised on FSN Plus. It can also be heard on OU's student radio station WXOU (88.3 FM).
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In the quarterfinal round, Junior Jessica Pike scored 15 points with nine rebounds, freshman Stacey Farrell scored 10 points, and sophomore Melissa Jeltema turned in a nine-point, 11-rebound performance as the Oakland University women's basketball team picked up a 60-49 victory over Centenary.
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OU men's basketball head coach Greg Kampe and women's head coach Beckie Francis are used to the pressure of coaching two high profile basketball teams. In February, they felt a different kind of heat. Kampe and Francis cooked meals on bd's Mongolian Barbeque's grill to raise money for cancer.
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Oakland University student-athletes found success both on and off the court last season, and 143 Golden Grizzlies student-athletes were named to The Summit League Winter-Spring Academic All-Summit League teams. After placing second in the league last fall with 61 student-athletes named to the fall academic squad, and placing second in the spring with 143, OU took the overall top spot with 204 academic honorees.
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Oakland University senior Riikka Terava was named a recipient of the annual Paul F. Lorenz/Texas Instruments Excellence Award for Rising Seniors for the 2008-09 academic year, as announced by the School of Business Administration. The late Paul Lorenz, a former executive vice president of Ford Motor Company and long-time friend and benefactor of Oakland University and the School of Business Administration (SBA), established this annual award to be given to Oakland University SBA seniors solely on the basis of grade point average. Scholarships are awarded to the four rising seniors with the highest grade point among SBA students.
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Oakland University's men's and women's swimming and diving teams had a total team effort in winning their ninth straight Summit League Championships.
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The Oakland University Golden Grizzlies took on two of the Big Ten's leading men's soccer teams at the Michigan Bucks College Cup II tournament held in April at the Ultimate Soccer Arenas in Pontiac.
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More than 100 of Oakland University's student-athletes were named to the 2007 Mid-Continent Conference Commissioner's List of Academic Excellence, an honor the OU student-athletes consistently earn. Athletics prides itself on the success of its student-athletes not only in their respective sports, but also in the classroom. Through programs, planning and mentoring, Athletics helps students prepare for the challenge of busy schedules and demanding workloads to help them succeed not only at Oakland, but also in the future.
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As the Oakland University Men's Club Hockey team prepared for the American Collegiate Hockey Association national tournament, there was one person who kept tabs on the team's progress. Will McMahon had been in this position before. An OU hockey player through last season, McMahon helped the team win three national championships, has been honored as the player of the year and named to the All-American team multiple years and was the national scoring leader in 2006 and 2007. For all of McMahon's successes, the team honored him at the beginning of the season by retiring his number-the first time OU hockey has retired the number of any player.
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Oakland University's men's club hockey team lost to Oklahoma 4-3 in the first round of the American Collegiate Hockey Association's (ACHA) Division I National Tournament. The Grizzlies were looking to defend their national title.
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Ten years ago, there was a lot less on campus. There was no Pawley Hall, no parking structure, no student apartments, no Elliott Hall, fewer students, fewer majors and no Rec Center and the programs that go along with it. In 1998, thanks to support from Student Congress, Student Affairs, Athletics and the OU administration the Recreation and Athletics Center was opened, replacing the Lepley Sports Center with a state-of-the-art fitness and athletics facility. Campus Recreation will celebrate the occasion with a tailgate prior to the annual Campus Recreation versus University Housing flag football match-up. A private, invitation-only event is also planned for charter members.
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Oakland University's men's soccer team played three games at the Ultimate Soccer Arena in Pontiac, the largest indoor soccer facility in the Midwest.
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Having a family member fall ill to cancer is not only heartbreaking, but is also financially burdening during such a hard time. Just ask Oakland University women's soccer head coach Nick O'Shea. He's been there. O'Shea's sister passed away from leukemia when she was only six years old.
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The Oakland University Housing Department and Golden Grizzlies Athletics formed a new partnership for the 2008-09 academic year. This new partnership is a shared focus of Director of Athletics Tracy Huth and Housing Director Lionel Maten to encourage further student and community engagement in campus events, including athletics.
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Oakland University Athletics proudly announced the launch of the 2008-09 Grizz Kidz Club, an exclusive for children in eighth grade and under that allows for active involvement and participation in OU Athletics. Kidz Club members enjoy the opportunity to meet and greet with OU athletes, gain free entry to all home contests, receive free club shirts and giveaways, sit in reserved seating at OU basketball games and many more benefits.
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WOCOU (Week of Champions at Oakland University), themed "WOCOU will rock yOU," began in mid-October with the annual kickoff in the Pioneer Food Court and concluded with Midnite Madnezz. Also part of the week's celebration were two community service projects.
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Oakland University announced that the university community will celebrate its first official homecoming Feb. 6-7, 2009, during Come Home to OU. "I see this weekend becoming one of Oakland's marquee events to showcase the legacy and spirit of the university," said Gary Russi, OU president. "We're expecting the event to become a much-anticipated fixture on the OU calendar."
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The Oakland University men's basketball team hosted Michigan on Saturday, Dec. 20, and Michigan State on Saturday, Dec. 27, at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Tickets for both games were included in the OU season ticket package, and single-game tickets included tickets to a reception hosted by the OU Alumni Association.
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The Oakland University men's soccer team (14-4-1) hosted 2007 national runner-up Ohio State in the opening round of the 2008 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championships on Saturday, Nov. 22.
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Plans were finalized to make Oakland University's first-ever homecoming celebration an exhilarating, pride-filled and truly memorable experience - one that will undoubtedly become a treasured Grizzly tradition.
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OU's first-ever Festival of Sport was a daylong event featuring three of the university's athletic teams in action, as well as fellowship, fun and freebies.
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Student Organizations

Oakland University's Gender and Sexuality Center began offering the first lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) peer mentoring program in Michigan this fall. The program is open to undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral LGBT students in their first year at OU, and will promote connections and positive identities by providing support and empowerment to students on a one-on-one basis. LGBT students have the opportunity to gain support, confidence, acceptance and guidance as they begin their academic careers at OU.
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Seven Oakland University students traveled to Mt. Pleasant, S.C., for Habitat for Humanity's Collegiate Challenge. This was the third year OU's chapter of Habitat for Humanity participated in the national alternative break program. The OU students participated in the East Copper Habitat for Humanity build project. The local chapter was building houses within a subdivision. OU students helped install beams, supports and subflooring, as well as worked on pre-builds for doors and windows.
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Walking into the Formula SAE garage on campus, a group of students worked on their car, making final adjustments before the Formula SAE competition on Michigan International Speedway May 14-18. Only these weren't OU students. They are from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia and they were one of three international teams that OU hosted before the competition. OU also hosted teams from Finland and Austria. The Australian team did not come to OU in 2007 choosing instead to participate in the competition in the United Kingdom, which they won. In 2008, that competition was combined with the Formula SAE competition so the Australian team sought to defend their world title.
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OU's Formula SAE team took a new approach when designing their car to race in the 2008 Formula SAE competition: simple is better. After enduring disappointing vehicle issues at the last three annual competitions, this year's team hoped the simple approach would yield them a better finish. The Formula SAE competition took place May 14-18 at the Michigan International Speedway.
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Oakland University's Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) qualified as one of the four regional teams to participate in the SIFE National Exposition Competition to be held May 13-15 in Kansas City. At the national competition, hundreds of students from around the country gathered to compete for a spot on the SIFE World Cup in Singapore. According to SIFE president Brennon Edwards, the competition at regionals was tough and he knew the national competition would be just as challenging.
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A group of engineering students worked to turn a converted wheelchair into an unmanned vehicle that can navigate a course in the Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition held at Oakland University May 30 through June 2. The international competition featured robots from various universities that move independently on an increasingly more difficult course located in the field at the corner of Walton and Adams roads. The team of eight students, including graduate and undergraduate computer science, electrical engineering students and systems engineering students used what they have learned in their studies to create a competitive robot.
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To raise awareness of the crisis in Darfur, Oakland University's Hand in Hand student organization held the "Step Up!" festival and fundraiser in April. The event included a garage sale; an auction of autographed items; a live performance by Akwaaba, an African drum ensemble; and a showing of "God Grew Tired of Us: The Lost Boys of Sudan," a documentary about the atrocities in the Darfur region and the thousands of boys who have lost their families or been displaced as a result of the crisis. Following the documentary, Jacob Atem, one of the Lost Boys, spoke about his experiences in Sudan and how he managed to escape.
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A converted wheelchair, a little horsepower and a bunch of algorithms helped Oakland University engineering students place 10^th overall in the Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition. The students turned the wheelchair into a vehicle to independently navigate an increasingly more difficult course as part of the international competition. The team also placed seventh in the design competition and won $500 for meeting compliance standards.
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In 2007, Cortney Glass competed in the International Horse Show Association national championship and thought it would be her final competition. However, Glass got back on the horse and after a successful season, she represented OU again in the national championships in May in Burbank, Calif.
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Up 'til Dawn, a student organization that raises money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in an effort to help child cancer patients in Metro Detroit, announced that the group raised $16,870 during the letter writing campaign held in November 2007.
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Oakland University's Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) was named a Superior Merit Chapter for the 2007-08 academic year, as well as being honored as one of the top 10 Outstanding Chapters of the year by the national committee.
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Oakland University's American Marketing Association gained real-world experience and helped animals by raising money for the Michigan Humane Society through the organization's annual telethon to air on WXYZ-TV Channel 7 in February. The Collegiate Telethon Challenges puts OU up against students from local universities in an "Apprentice"-style collegiate campaign.
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The members Alpha Sigma Tau spent their summer enjoying their new home on campus, after moving into the cottage district near the east entrance of campus in January. They planned to bond as sisters, display their sorority letters and colors and work to build up their membership.
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Oakland University's newly formed Aerial Systems student organization made its way to the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International's Student Unmanned Aerial Systems competition in Maryland in June. The four students involved designed and built a quad-rotor flying apparatus. When they got to the competition, even the judges questioned the ability of the contraption to work. However, the OU vehicle performed well, taking fifth place in the competition and placing ahead of schools such as Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and UCLA.
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Student Moms Integrating Lives and Education (SMILE) began offering support to women who have taken on the challenge of pursuing higher education while raising a family.
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German Club students adopted the spirit of 'Kris Kringle' while volunteering to assist with arts, crafts and storytelling in the kids' area at the Kris Kringle Market in Rochester during Thanksgiving weekend.
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The Student Nursing Association at Oakland University (SNAOU) has brought the spirit of caring to their community for a long time. With more than 200 members, SNAOU participates in numerous charitable events, including the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, March of Dimes' March for Babies and Walk for Warmth, an annual campaign to help Oakland County families cover winter heating expenses.
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Alumni

Quite a bit has changed since Regina Carter, CAS '85, last spent time in the classrooms of Varner Hall. For one, she isn't a student this time. A Grammy nominated and internationally acclaimed jazz violinist, Carter was on campus for two separate weeks as an artist in residence, teaching master classes and working with students, faculty and ensembles.
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Two OU students participated in the prestigious Teach for America program and got the chance to help improve the lives of low-income students in New York City. The students, Katie (Miller) Vitale and Jameelah Muhammad, were among more than 3,700 teachers teaching in low-income, urban and rural communities as part of the program. They were selected out of 24,718 applicants, many from America's most selective universities.
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Evan Rokicki, SEHS '07 and a master of arts in American history student spent his summer south of the equator as part of a Fulbright Hays group program that traveled to Ecuador to participate in the cultural immersion experience to internationalize their teaching and curriculum.
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In 2007, a linguistics master's graduate received a Fulbright scholarship to study and conduct research in Germany for one year. Nearing the end of her scholarship and gearing up for the next phase of her life, Garland found a better fit with researchers in Leipzig. She planned to work on cognitive linguistics projects for both the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (EVA) and the Max Planck Institute for Cognitive and Brain Science (CBS).
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Many 20-somethings leaving college set out to find a job, define themselves, get their own apartments and enter into a serious relationship. "Crain's Detroit Business" identified 20 local 20-somethings who excel at what they do. Two of the "20 in their 20s" on the list were OU alumni. David Cherry, a program development officer at The Guidance Center in Southgate, and Sarah Morgan, executive director of Think Girl, made the list of those in their 20s making their mark on Metro Detroit.
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Austin, the capital of Texas, is 300-square miles with nearly a million residents, 12,000 employees, 40 subsidiaries, a $2.25 billion budget and one Oakland University alumnus overseeing all of it. Mark Ott, SBA '79 and MPA '81, was named the first African-American city manager of Austin. A native of Pontiac and West Bloomfield, Ott got his start in public service during his master's program at Oakland University and doesn't intend to stop helping others anytime soon.
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OU alumna Catie Hormel didn't let a little thing like brain cancer keep her down when she was 16, and now she is helping lift the spirits of other children with cancer. She is part of Detroit's chapter of Queen for a Day and Heroes, an organization dedicated to raising the self-esteem and confidence of children with cancer. When Hormel was 16, she was diagnosed with brain cancer. She had surgery, six weeks of radiation and two years of chemotherapy, and is healthy now. During all her time in the hospital she went to some of the Queen for a Day events in the hospital. Hormel said she thought the events were fun, and then started finding ways to help.
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Joseph Drew, CAS '71, has a lot on his plate. His is a political science professor at Kent State University in Ohio, where he also serves as coordinator of the Kent State Master of Public Administration Program. It wasn't enough. Drew went searching for something that would provide him more fulfillment. He found it in creating a program that will help those with disabilities, including injured soldiers at Veterans Affairs hospitals, earn their college degrees. For his work, Drew was honored with the Coleman Foundation's 2008 Educator of the Year for College/University Award.
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When Lauren Sinclair, CAS '07, was younger, she hated sailing and would do whatever she could to avoid it. Now, sailing is Sinclair's life. After getting involved in the summer camp program at the Detroit Yacht Club, participating in sailing in college and participating in a number of regional, national and international races, Sinclair has her next course set - the 2012 Olympics. Sinclair came to OU from the University of South Florida. A Michigan native, Sinclair had hurt her shoulder and needed to return home for treatment. At her former school, Sinclair was a member of the Division I varsity sailing team. Coming back to Michigan, she figured she wouldn't sail in college anymore. After two years off, Sinclair joined OU's sailing club and regained her passion.
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Shortly before their first child was born, Leonard Magro and his wife decided to take on another type of challenge - starting their own business. Combining their backgrounds, they started Magro International, a website marketing company based in Rochester. As two young professionals, they found little in the way of networking or support. Now they have created Young Professionals of Rochester and OU faculty and staff can get involved.
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Cheryl Angelelli, CAS '93, participated in her third, and possibly final, Paralympic Games in Beijing this summer. At the beginning of each Paralympics, she sets a goal for herself. In Sydney, she wanted to make the finals. In Greece, she wanted to get a medal. In Beijing, Angelelli's goal was to win the gold.
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As a reporter for the Detroit Free Press, John Masson (CAS '92), earned a national Emmy award for his work on "Michigan Marines: Band of Brothers," a 23-part video series. Masson and Free Press videographer Stephen McGee reported from Michigan on the war's impact on local families, while colleagues Joe Swickard and videographer David Gilkey deployed with the Michigan-based reservists of the 1st Battalion of the 24th Marines during their training in California and service in Iraq.
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Peter Karsten's career started out in the business world. With a bachelor's degree in accounting and a master's in business administration, Karsten first worked at a large accounting firm and earned the certified public accountant title. While working on his MBA, Karsten had the opportunity to serve as a teaching assistant for an introductory accounting course. The experience caused him to examine his career path and move toward teaching. Armed with a master's in education leadership from Oakland University, Karsten combined his love for education and his business background in his new role as president of Baker College in Owosso.
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Suzanne Kimmerly, SEHS '82 and '84, has always liked helping others. She started at Oakland University with the desire to go into nursing but found her true passion in counseling. While she likes helping people, she has also devoted her life to helping dogs, specifically greyhounds who have been dropped off the racing circuit. Most are given two fates: go to a rescue society or be killed. Kimmerly, who works with Michigan Retired Greyhounds as Pets (MI REGAP) is helping to place the dogs in caring homes.
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Detroit is trying to rebuild and promote growth in the downtown area. OU alumnus Fred Schwark, CAS '89, is part of that. Schwark was named regional manager of The Downtown Collection, which includes the First National Building, the Penobscot Building, the Cadillac Building, Alden Park Towers, Lafayette Towers and a new, $150 million development recently announced by the city.
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Since 1968, the 728^th Military Police (MP) Battalion annually has participated in the Troy Barboza Special Olympics Torch Run in Hawaii. In 2008, the battalion was deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom but the members don't want to give up their annual event. OU alumnus and Second Lieutenant Jody Holeton, CAS '00, helped organize a 5K Special Olympic Torch Run on Contingency Operating Base Speicher, in Iraq.
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Armed with a background in journalism and experience in recruiting and real estate, Heidi Hedquist serves as editor of After5Detroit.com, a website for Detroiters looking for a place to connect with each other and the community. She combines her communication and business skills to inform young professionals that Detroit can provide opportunities for networking and social interaction like any other metropolitan city.
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From a young age, Lauren Becker, CAS '94, has been collecting comics and collectible toys - a hobby that helped pay for his English degree from Oakland University. After the death of Superman in the DC comics in 1992, Becker made $10,000 in one day and decided then to open a store and make it his business. Becker opened his first store in Clawson nine years ago. Recently, he opened another location of Warp 9 in the Auburn Square shopping center, located at the northeast corner of Squirrel and Walton roads.
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February was membership appreciation month at the Oakland University Recreation Center. During this time, select members were recognized for their loyalty and the example they display by leading active and healthy lifestyles. One of the nominated members is alumna Judy Evans, SECS '87. Evans has been a loyal member of the Oakland University Alumni Association since 1996 and is a charter member of the OU Recreation Center, which opened its doors in 1998. Evans said the Recreation Center membership discount has been a great incentive for her to be a part of the OUAA.
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The Oakland University Alumni Association awarded scholarships to 28 OU students and alumni for the 2008-09 academic year. The recipients were honored during the Scholarship Recognition Breakfast in Meadow Brook Hall.
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The Oakland University Alumni Association (OUAA) Board of Directors confirmed a slate of five new directors at its biannual meeting on May 8, 2008. Joining the board for three-year terms are OU alumni Aman Awan, SBA '01, account executive, Hartford Life; Joseph T. Davidson, CAS '71, assistant city editor, Washington Post; Gregory T. Grabowski, CAS '91, president and CEO, Leader Dogs for the Blind; The Honorable Michael W. Michalak, CAS '68, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam; and Teresa Stayer, SHS '84, owner and vice president, Spectra Med Incorporated.
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The Alumni Admissions Ambassador Program is a growing, dedicated group of OU alumni - 166 and counting. Alumni Admissions Ambassadors attend college fairs and other recruitment events to help recruit undergraduate students to Oakland University. Two of the newest OU alums on board are Detroit Tigers front office managers. Jill Baran, CAS '98, manager of Event and Guest Services, and Rick Thompson, CAS '02, manager of Baseball Media Relations, are enthusiastic and eager to serve Oakland as Ambassadors. Baran, a Regina High School graduate, oversees all events at Comerica Park throughout the year. She credits an internship posted in the Oakland University student paper as launching her career in sports. Thompson, a Lutheran High North graduate, credits his internship with the Tigers and his professors in the journalism program for his full-time post within the Tiger organization.
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Bats are often misunderstood. They are often thought of as big-eating, rabies-ridden, scary creatures that fly around at night. OU alumnus Dave Kugler, CAS '95, is helping to educate the public about bats. Through his company, Critter Catchers, he has provided a $1,000 grant, which will be administered by the Organization for Bat Conservation and will enable the nonprofit organization, based at the Cranbrook Institute of Science, to offer supplemental funding in support of live bat programs.
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Hollywood doesn't have a lock on rising movie stars - just ask Oakland University alumni Jennifer Kincer Catallo, CAS '93. Catallo, who has a long list of acting credits to her name - including a recent film with Dylan McDermott and a co-starring role in a feature film with Daniel Baldwin - says she is proud of being able to pursue her acting career while keeping her Michigan roots. Catallo attended Oakland on music and academic scholarships, eventually receiving the Jennifer Scott Memorial Music Award and the Musicology Honor Cord from Oakland's Department of Music, Theatre and Dance. After graduation, Catallo decided against moving to New York or Los Angeles, instead choosing to pursue her dreams in Michigan.
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OU alumna Debbie Liedel, SEHS '78, has worked in the non-profit sector for nearly 30 years. She recently took over as executive director of The Family Center of Grosse Pointe and Harper Woods, a small organization in Grosse Pointe that offers family-based enrichment to the surrounding community. Liedel is enjoying the challenges that come along with working for a non-profit, as well as making a difference in her community.
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When Nick Monterosso sees homeless people on the street in Detroit, he stops the car, gets out and engages them in a conversation. He listens to their stories, learns about their dreams for the future and helps them get off the street and toward a better future. Monterosso works with the United Way's 2-1-1 initiative in Detroit, a service that provides help in the health and human service areas to people in Washtenaw, Monroe, Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.
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During the Go for the Gold program on Saturday, October 11, 2008 nearly 850 high school students and their parents attended academic and resource sessions, toured campus and mingled with OU faculty, staff and students. Five Alumni Admissions Ambassadors also shared how OU helped them get one step closer to their dream job during two resource sessions. They explained why they chose OU, activities they were involved in as undergraduates and relationships they formed with faculty - all which helped them secure a "dream job" in their chosen professions.
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Two Oakland University alumni were named to this year's Crain's Detroit Business 40 Under 40 list. Leanne Bowen (BGS '97), project manager at Jones Lange LaSalle, and John Lesser, partner, Plante Moran Financial Advisors (SBA '92) both spent the week following the announcement reading e-mails and congratulatory notes from colleagues, and business and community leaders.
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Lindsey Tycholiz (CAS '07) was crowned Miss Michigan USA and will compete in next spring's Miss USA Pageant in Las Vegas. The music education major, with minors in theatre and biology, vied against nearly 60 contestants at McMorran Place Theater in Port Huron in September.
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Twenty-three Alumni Admissions Ambassadors represented Oakland University at college fairs during the month of October, answering parent questions and gaining the interest of prospective students. In-state ambassadors team up with undergraduate admissions advisers and out-of-state ambassadors independently represent OU at college fairs in their communities.
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Attorney Stephen Kirksey remembers walking down Rochester's Main Street as a kid and dreaming about practicing law in an office above Lytle Pharmacy. Decades later, this Oakland University alumnus realized his dream when he hung his shingle on Main Street, just a couple blocks north of the pharmacy.
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Oakland University continued building a small army of advocates ready to help persuade students to check out the more than 225 programs at one of the state's fastest growing universities.
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An OU alumnus was selected to lead Rochester Christmas Parade in 2008, the fifth year the university participatedin the popular parade.
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Inspired Faculty and Staff

For their tireless dedication to excellence in teaching, scholarship, research and service, OU honored faculty members who provide students a distinctive education. This year 24 faculty members were honored for their accomplishments during a special luncheon on Wednesday, April 16, which also marked Founders' Day at Oakland University.
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OU faculty and staff who achieved thirty and forty years of service during 2007 were honored at a dinner at Meadow Brook Hall hosted by OU President Gary Russi. The honorees also received a framed certificate commemorating their years of service and a specially designed gift. The gift for thirty years was a Bulova anniversary clock for the mantel engraved with Oakland University 30 Years of Service. Recipients of the 40 year gift received a signature watch which was also engraved with the years of service, 1967-2007.
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The School of Education and Human Services honored Dean Mary Otto on her appointment to lead OU in its expansion to Macomb County and other areas as the Vice President for Outreach. Otto has worked at OU for more than 30 years, and she has been dean of SEHS for more than 13 years. As Virinder Moudgil, vice president for academic affairs and provost, put it, she's "the deans' dean."
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For the past three years, high school students from the International Academy have participated in research in the lab of Assistant Professor of Chemistry Ferman Chavez. After witnessing how interested the students became through their work in the lab, Chavez wanted to find a way to spread that interest in chemistry to other high school students. Chavez was awarded a National Science Foundation CAREER Award to fund a program to do just that.
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Andrew Goldberg, Eye Research Institute associate professor, received a three-year, $245,000 research award from the E. Matilda Zeigler Foundation for the Blind, to support his studies of photoreceptor architecture and genetic retinal disease.
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Through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Saginaw Public Library offered a workshop for low-literacy families called "Prime Time Family Reading Time," which included reading, discussion and storytelling. Associate Professor of Education Gwendolyn McMillon served as a scholar for the program helping to facilitate book discussions each week. The program his home for McMillon, who frequented the library when she was growing up in the area.
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Four of Oakland University's professors were selected for professorships through The Doris and Paul Travis Program Endowed Fund, recognizing accomplishments in teaching, research and/or professional service in the arts.
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It seems like something out of a sci-fi movie. Potential employees turn over their genetic information to their future employers during the interview process. While it seems like fiction, OU professors Lizabeth Barclay and Karen Markel have been researching the possibility of this becoming a reality. Their research will help keep OU human resource management students up-to-date on how to handle sensitive information and the potential outcomes that come with collecting it.
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The First Midwest Conference on Stem Cell Biology and Therapy was held at Oakland University May 9-11. The conference brought national and international experts in stem cell research to campus to explore recent findings in stem cell research and address the ethical and political issues associated with it. Professor of Biological Sciences, Rasul Chaudhry, was instrumental in organizing the conference, which was attended by researchers from hospitals, medical organizations, and academic institutions throughout the country.
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In an office overshadowed by shelves of books piled to the ceiling, OU reading professor John McEneaney has spent the last decade pursuing an unlikely subject - technology. His interest in the partnership between reading and computers was sparked as an educator at the elementary level and has burgeoned into innovative and important theoretical research. His work to connect literacy and technology earned him the Albert J. Kingston Award, presented by the National Reading Conference (NRC). The award is given for distinguished service to NRC, the nation's premier literacy research organization. McEneaney was nominated for the award for his work to bring the NRC online.
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When Ron Horwitz retired from teaching and serving the School of Business Administration in 2002, he wanted to do something completely different from his former career. So he made a past hobby, Bridge, into his work. He served as co-chair for the Compuware Spring 2008 North American Bridge Championships, which was held in Detroit March 6-16.
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While it was cold outside on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2008, the Oakland Center Banquet Room was filled with warm wishes for Art Griggs on his retirement. A 30-year employee of the university, Griggs officially retired but serves as a consultant for the Academic Affairs Office. Griggs' association with Oakland University began before he was old enough to attend the university. His brother was a student and Griggs would come to campus to visit him. Eventually he joined his brother as a student and graduated from OU with a bachelor's degree in biology.
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"Image and Text," the biennial faculty art exhibition, was held at the Oakland University Art Gallery Jan. 12 through Feb. 24. The faculty members explored art in their own ways through a variety of mediums, including photography, paintings and digital prints.
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Oakland University Distinguished Professor and Professor Emeritus of chemistry Paul Tomboulian was recognized on Friday, May 9, for his contributions to Oakland County's Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC). He received the Frank Wilke LEPC Excellence Award, which was created in memory of Wilke, an original member of LEPC who died in 2006. Last year, the award was given to General Motors Corporation.
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Oakland University's chapter of Sigma Xi was recently awarded a Certificate of Excellence for demonstrating its involvement and vitality. A chapter of the national research society, Sigma Xi supports scientific research on campus and aims to get more students involved in research in any field. The annual Sigma Xi public lecture will be held Tuesday, April 1 at 4:30 p.m. in 201 Dodge Hall. The lecture is the group's largest public lecture of the year. This year, the lecture will be given by Vito Quaranta, professor of cancer biology, director of the Vanderbilt Integrative Cancer Biology Center, co-director of the Center for Matrix Biology at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and a Sigma Xi distinguished lecturer.
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Mila Padgett, Campus Recreation assistant director of programs, was honored by her colleagues as the 2008 Outstanding Administrative Professional. Administrative Professionals from around campus gathered in the Pioneer Room to recognize Padgett's efforts to support the mission of Oakland University. Her colleagues praised her work, acknowledged her leadership and even told some funny stories. Padgett was joined at the reception by her husband, Larry, her son and her parents. The AP Assembly, a professional organization for administrative-professionals, also honored the outgoing president, Michelle Southward, assistant director of the Center for Multicultural Initiatives, for her service to the group.
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The National Academic Advising Association honored Oakland University's Advising Week and three advisers during its annual conference in Chicago, Ill., in October. This was the first time OU submitted applicants for the NACADA awards, and all four of the submissions were selected to be honored. Advising Week earned Outstanding Institutional Advising Program Award for its innovative and exemplary practices resulting in improved academic advising services.
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Oakland University recognized the exceptional work of 30 AP employees with AP Bonus Awards.
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The School of Education and Human Services presented awards to three Oakland University employees for their service to the faculty and staff within the school. The inaugural Above and Beyond Service Awards were presented to John Coughlin, senior systems analyst in E-Learning and Instructional Support, Eric Condic, manager of library systems at Kresge Library and Kristine Condic, associate professor in Kresge Library.
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Many people who have long commutes were feeling the pinch of rising gas prices. For OU Energy Manager Jim Liedel, the gas prices for his 50-mile commute aren't an issue. That's because Liedel's Volkswagen Passat runs on biodiesel. Using discarded oil from restaurants, Leidel can "home brew" his own fuel. Now, working with a local greenhouse, Leidel is assisting in starting a small biodiesel manufacturing facility where others can learn more about he process and the use of the fuel.
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The Phyllis Law Googasian Award is presented by the Oakland University chapter of the American Council on Education Network for Women Leaders to a woman who demonstrates extraordinary service to the university community and commitment to the positive growth, development and advancement of women at OU. This year, Jean Ann Miller, director of the Center for Student Activities and Leadership Development, was selected to receive the honor.
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Oakland University's Department of Music, Theatre and Dance welcomed three new members to the dance faculty in the fall, including an OU alumnus.
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Assistant Professor of Occupational Safety and Health and program director Charles McGlothlin was honored by the Michigan Safety Conference as the Michigan Safety Professional of the Year. McGlothlin said he is humbled by the honor and said it spotlights the good work Oakland University is doing in the emerging field of occupational safety and health.
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It all started with a class at Oakland University in the 1980s. That led to an independent study between Roy Kotynek, now professor emeritus of history, and John Cohassey, CAS '90. This led to shared research, and a lengthy professional relationship. The culmination of all of these years of work was released as the book "American Culture Rebels: Avant Garde and Bohemian Artists."
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Michigan's leading developer of alternative, sustainable and renewable energy sources, NextGen Energy, partnered with Chris Kobus, associate professor of engineering, to create an ethanol plant in Michigan. The company made Kobus the head of research, as it finds ways to improve ethanol production, and develop a way to make ethanol out of cellulose materials, non-food biomass like switchgrass, woodchips and parts of corn plants.
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Bill Connellan, associate professor of journalism, delivered his last lecture on Thursday, Aug. 14. Once the finals are scored and the grades turned in, Connellan began a new chapter of his life. Learning is something that Connellan loves to do every day - a passion that started when he was an Oakland University student. Connellan came to Oakland University in 1963 to study political science and history. He later covered the higher education beat for The Detroit News. Connellan returned to OU in 1970. He taught part-time and served in a number of administrative roles in the Office of the President and the provost's office before switching to a full-time faculty position in 2000. From 2001-04, Connellan took a leave of absence from OU to serve as a senior vice president of the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau.
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Oakland University will hosted the 2008 Nanoscale Science and Engineering Conference on Aug. 18. The conference established a platform for researchers and entrepreneurs, especially in the fields of nanoscale science and engineering, as well as structural DNA, to exchange ideas and promote multidisciplinary, inter-institutional partnerships. Conference participants had a chance to acquire knowledge about the most current research and development in these fields and to identify collaborators in other institutions.
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Oakland University President Gary D. Russi was awarded the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sunrise Pinnacle Awards program, sponsored by the Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce. Held Thursday, Oct. 30, the annual program honors the area's visionary entrepreneurs, business and civic leaders, educators and exemplary corporate citizens.
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Members of Oakland University's political science department were in demand during the election season, sharing their expertise on politics and campaigns with students and community members. Faculty members participated in numerous activities - from debates to discussions - surrounding the elections, as well as responding to media calls from Time Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Detroit News, Detroit Free Press and Fox News.
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Oakland University Assistant Professor of Teacher Development and Educational Studies Ji-Eun Lee received a $1,500 mini-grant from the MEEMIC Foundation for the Future of Education. Lee petitioned the foundation to underwrite the cost of developing a teaching module which will provide elementary students in grades 3 and 4 with a foundation for learning algebra.
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Oakland University's School of Business Administration appointed Michael Grieves, a noted Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) expert and author, to the position of research professor. Grieves, who writes extensively and lectures worldwide on PLM and related topics, joined the faculty of the SBA to engage in activities that will foster research collaboration, education and industry interaction in the rapidly growing area of PLM.
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Oakland University hosted "Stem Cell Research: The Science, the Cures and the Law," an informational conference led by Marcia Baum, executive director of Michigan Citizens for Stem Cell Research and Cures on Oct. 28. A question and answer session featured notable scientists, politicians, and academics followed an hour-long presentation by Baum.
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Oakland University associate professors of political science David Dulio and Peter Trumbore presented "The Battle for Power: Issues, Politics and Strategy in the 2006 and 2008 Elections" at the President's Colloquium on Oct. 27.
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Oakland University hosted the International Conference on Romanticism in mid-October at the Royal Park Hotel in downtown Rochester.
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The Oakland University School of Business Administration hosted a leadership conference to explore the role of leadership in developing competitive advantages in the global marketplace.
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Faculty in the SBA's Decision and Information Sciences department were ranked among the top in country for both the quality of their MIS research and their productivity.
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Susan Davies Goepp, vice president for Development, Alumni and Community Engagement and executive director of the Oakland University Foundation, was honored as part of National Philanthropy Day for 20 years of philanthropic work.
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Oakland University departments and staff members were honored with three Gold Awards during the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District V Conference at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers.
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David Spencer, executive director of the Oakland University's SmartZone Business Incubator (OU INC), was among panelists who participated in the Young Professionals of Rochester's 2009 Economic Update and Forecast panel discussion.
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"The Economics of Health and Health Care," authored by two professors in the School of Business Administration, is considered a leader in its field by educators, researchers, government specialists, physicians and others.
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Diversity

In honor of African American History month and Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a celebration was held on Monday, Jan. 21 and ran until Feb. 21. The month-long celebration gave students, faculty, staff and the surrounding community an opportunity to learn about African-American history and celebrate the culture. The theme was "Reflecting Truth through the Understanding of Our Historical Inspirations."
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Six Oakland University students were honored at the 16th annual Keeper of the Dream Awards Celebration on Monday, Jan. 21. The Keeper of the Dream Awards pay tribute to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for his achievements on behalf of civil rights. Human rights activist and entertainer Harry Belafonte was the keynote speaker of the event, which recognized students for their efforts to break down cultural stereotypes and promote interracial understanding.
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Women's History Month took place throughout the month of March and Oakland University's Gender and Sexuality Center coordinated a variety of events around the theme "Women in Politics."
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Students and faculty from local universities, as well as community members came together and engage in dialogue about today's human diversity issues and concern during the 10^th Annual Diverse Voices Conference March 22 in Oakland University's Varner Recital Hall. The conference followed the theme "Critically Reflecting on Diversity Inclusion and Exclusion" and featured guest speaker Elizabeth Tisdell from Penn State University. Student speakers represented Oakland University, Davenport University, the University of Detroit Mercy and the University of Michigan Dearborn.
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As part of the global 2008 V-Day campaign to end violence against women, Oakland University's Women's Issues Forum staged performances of Eve Ensler's "Vagina Monologues" on March 7 and March 8.
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In honor of Women's History Month, Oakland University's Student Life Lecture Board hosted feminist author and activist Naomi Wolf on Wednesday, April 2.
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Oakland University welcomed Michael Eric Dyson and his wife, Reverend Marcia Dyson, to campus to debate "The State of Black America: Is Bill Cosby Right?" on Feb. 18. The Dysons are two of the most influential black leaders in the nation.
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"Absinthe" magazine and Oakland University co-sponsored the Absinthe Festival of New European Film and Writing on May 9 and 10. The festival presented several feature films from Europe, a selection of short-films from Europe that screened at the Ann Arbor Film Festival, and short films produced by Oakland University students, along with readings by European and Detroit-area writers and translators.
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The exhibit "Revolutionizing Cultural Identity: Photography and the Changing Face of Immigration" opened in March in the OU Art Gallery. This international exhibition, curated by Claude Baillargeon, professor of art and art history, brought together eleven artists working from a broad range of cultural and conceptual perspectives. All eleven artists, who live either in the United States or Canada, are descendants of immigrants from around the world. The exhibition focuses on the constant struggle that immigrants and their descendants face having to identify with more than one culture.
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For the second year, Oakland University co-hosted a Michigan Chinese Academic and Professional Association Asian (MCAPA) delegation for a one-day symposium on April 15. The delegates were in town for the Society of Automotive Engineers Congress in Detroit. They met with local engineering and business leaders in a closed session for a portion of the day and then OU faculty presented to the delegation, followed by a panel on quality in the auto manufacturing sector, which was open to the public.
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International students for Oakland University were able to share information about their homelands and their customs and cultures with students from Auburn Elementary School in Auburn Hills as part of the school's "It's a Small World," diversity night on Feb. 29. OU's International Students and Scholars Office< arranged for the students to participate in the diversity night through the Learn About Me program.
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The Oakland University community was invited to the International Welcome Reception in September. The event, part of the OU Welcome Week activities, connected the campus community with OU's new, current and former international students, as well as celebrated the diversity on campus. The event featured international food and music by the Southpaw Isle Trio.
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OU hosted several events in support of National Coming Out Week, Oct. 6-10. Sponsored by the university's Gender and Sexuality Center (GSC), the week began with a remembrance marking the tenth anniversary of Mathew Shepard's tragic killing and concluded with a visit from TV personality Charles Pugh.
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Oakland University showcased Hispanic culture during "Las Ciudades del mundo hispánico, Cities of the Hispanic World," the 2008 Hispanic Celebration. The events included a "tour" of Hispanic cities, a professional cooking demonstration and a trip to Mexicantown.
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The Women and Gender Studies program at Oakland University hosted its 26th annual film festival in November. The event was titled "On Our Way to the White House? Women & Electoral Politics" and focused on how gender impacts the electoral process in contemporary American society.
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Noted actor, producer and human rights activist Danny Glover was been chosen as the keynote speaker for the 17th annual Keeper of the Dream celebration on Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 19, 2009. Deeply involved with the Vanguard Public Foundation based in San Francisco, an organization that strives to eradicate racism and promote civil rights, economic justices, gender equality and community empowerment, Glover also is the chairman of the board of TransAfrica Forum, the African-American lobbying organization on Africa and the Caribbean.
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The Oakland University Islamic Studies program hosted the 2008 Muslim film series, which presented films from across the Middle East to give viewers fresh perspectives on the Islamic world.
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Community

The First Gentleman of Michigan Dan Mulhern spoke about becoming a leader in today's ever changing society during a lecture on Thursday, Jan. 24.
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OU political science students experienced the national election process up close when they attended a Town Hall Meeting organized by the John McCain 2008 presidential campaign committee at Shotwell-Gustafson Pavilion. Instead of meeting in the classroom, students in the Intro to Political Science course, taught by Associate Professor David Dulio, gathered on May 7 to hear Republican contender John McCain's remarks about human rights. McCain fielded questions from the audience of 700, ranging from troops in Iraq, to his temper and fuel economy standards.
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Oakland University, along with other Michigan schools, has an important role to play in improving the state's economy, according to OU President Gary Russi. Russi was a guest on "50 CEO's on the D," a Detroit Renaissance Reports podcast, where he discussed what the university is doing to actively engage students in the community in order to stop the state's "brain drain."
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The 2008 AUTOe conference delivered pragmatic insight into the state of information technologies within the auto industry by the thought leaders best equipped to do so - automotive CIOs. The conference was held at Oakland University April 24-25.
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Best known for her successful defense in a libel suit brought by Holocaust refuter David Irving and her subsequent book, "History on Trial," scholar Deborah Lipstadt presented an Oakland University-sponsored talk at the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit in West Bloomfield on Monday, April 28.
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Oakland University hosted students from across the country to participate in research with faculty as part of the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program funded by the National Science Foundation.
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Two OU student musicians were featured in 11th Annual David Daniels Young Artists Concert presented on Feb. 10 in the Varner Recital Hall.
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The grounds of Oakland University was the start and historic Meadow Brook Hall was the finish line for the inaugural Brooksie Way Half Marathon, Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson announced. Patterson made the announcement at Meadow Brook Hall with officials from the Crim Fitness Foundation, which co-sponsored the race with Oakland County. Also in attendance were representatives from Oakland University, the cities of Rochester and Rochester Hills and the Paint Creek Trailways Council.
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Oakland University's School of Nursing (SON) and presenting sponsor William Beaumont Hospitals hosted the second annual "Envision Conference, Entrepreneurship in Nursing Leading to Change" on Sept. 26, 2008 at the Royal Park Hotel in Rochester.
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At every home basketball game, representatives from local community organizations are in the stands, cheering the Golden Grizzlies to victory. The groups are invited by OU President Gary Russi through the President's Spirit Program. Thirty tickets per game, as well as refreshment vouchers, are distributed to groups in the community. The groups share the tickets with employees, clients, volunteers or members. Some of the groups who attended games include Hispanic Outreach Services, American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, HAVEN, the American Cancer Society, the Boy Scouts and YMCA.
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Oakland University and Upland Hills Ecological Awareness Center hosted the Third Annual Earth Day Expo on April 19 in the Oakland Center. The no-cost event offered the community a chance to celebrate Earth Day and learn about healthy alternatives for Earth-friendly living.
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The Third Annual Global Security Forum featureed Doris Tennant, an attorney and pro bono representative of a Guantanamo Bay detainee. Through her lecture "Behind the Scenes at Guantanamo Bay: A Lawyer's Story," Tennant sought to raise awareness of the detainees who have served for many years without any charges being brought against them.
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Oakland University co-sponsored and participated in "Living with Autism," a workshop for parents and professionals presented by "Metro Parent" magazine. The workshop was held on April 16 at the Troy Hilton. The keynote speaker was Jenny McCarthy, who shares her personal story.
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Oakland University's School of Nursing (SON) hosted the 20^th Annual Nightingale Awards for Nursing on Thursday, May 1. The program honored nine award recipients and nine runners up for their dedication to the field of nursing. Local 4-WDIV morning news anchor Rhonda Walker served as the evening's emcee.
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There are many lakes and rivers throughout Michigan and Oakland University educated more than 1,500 fifth graders about water conservation and protection during the Second Annual Clinton River Water Festival on May 22. Oakland Plus, a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of our water resources, donated $15,000 to help support the Water Festival this year.
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Humanitarian, nurse extraordinaire and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Baroness Caroline Cox shared her stories and words of hope and inspiration amidst tragedy in her presentation, "The Privilege to Serve" at Meadow Brook Theater on May 9. A reception followed at Meadow Brook Hall.
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Oakland University's Gear Up/College Day program and the School of Education and Human Services Counseling Department completed Gear Up for Life. The program was designed to assist students with life skills in the areas of leadership development, conflict resolution, building positive relations and establishing parental support. While the program was for students, parents of the students, who came from Oak Park and Pontiac school districts, were also required to participate in the final session.
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Micah Fialka-Feldman always wanted to go to college, but many assumed he never would. Fialka-Feldman has a cognitive impairment which always classified him as aspecial education student. After high school, many special education students move on to a basic life skills program. Fialka-Feldman wanted more. Through the OPTIONS program, he is taking classes and experiencing campus life. Fialka-Feldman was the subject of "Through the Same Door: Inclusion Includes College," a documentary about his desire to attend college and how that happened. Fialka-Feldman presented it to the campus community on March 26.
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In an effort to spread awareness to the OU community about the hunger that plagues millions of people around the world, the St. John Fisher Newman Group held a hunger banquet on Feb. 13.
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The Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance brings together the traditions of antique and classic automobiles on display at the historic Meadow Brook Hall. The 2008 event celebrated General Motors' 100th anniversary, the Model T's 100th anniversary, and featured Ferraris, 8-Litre Bentleys, 16-cylinder cars, flying cars, vintage motorcycles with side cars and cars from 1933. While the Concours d'Elegance was set for Sunday, Aug. 3, events including a motor tour and auction began earlier that week.
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Students at Lincoln Middle School face the normal, early teen life issues. And many of the students face the challenges that also come along with being underprivileged. Members of OU's Social Work club met with students from the middle school this year to provide them with an outlet, a support system and sometimes a little advice.
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Oakland University's Office of Public School Academies and Urban Partnerships hosted its inaugural Building Bridges for the Future: PSA Pre-College Summer Camp this summer. The three-night residential camp was supported through OU/PSA's collaboration with the University's Department of Pre-College Programs. The goal of the camp was to emphasize the importance of a college education to the sixth through eighth graders enrolled at OU charter schools. Camp participants toured the campus and engaged in learning activities taught by OU professors and graduate staff in science, chemistry and engineering. Campers were also introduced to Chinese culture and language.
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Meadow Brook Hall went Hollywood, much like the rest of Detroit. The Michigan tax incentive for film companies brought a flurry of filming to the state, and Meadow Brook Hall's grand scale and Tudor Revival architecture have caught the attention of location scouts. The Hall was recently a set location for ABC's TV pilot "The Prince of Motor City" and the upcoming movie "Youth In Revolt."
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Oakland University's Student Life Lecture Board welcomed Kirsten Haglund, Miss America 2008, on Sept. 16. Haglund, a Farmington Hills native, was crowned Miss American in January. Her new title has taken her around the world and she came to Oakland University to share her story.
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Friday, Aug. 8 was Oakland University night at Rochester's Dancin' in the Street. OU's Images Dance Team, Xpressiv B.T.Z. and Cheerleading team performed at the downtown event.
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When Oakland University students returned to campus this fall, local communities including Rochester, Auburn Hills, Oakland Township and Rochester Hills welcomed students with open arms. Mayors or representatives from each of these communities presented official resolutions recognizing Oakland University's Welcome Week to President Gary Russi in front of a crowd of nearly 1,500 during New Student Convocation on Tuesday, Sept. 2. Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson also signed a proclamation.
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OU students were invited to the fourth annual Up 'Til Dawn letter-sending party on Nov. 12 in the Oakland Center Banquet Rooms. The program is a student-led initiative dedicated to raising funds for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the premier treatment and research center for children with catastrophic illnesses.
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The business leader frequently described as the Bill Gates of Asia because of the similarities in the story of how he founded a software firm in Bangalore in 1981, Narayana Murthy received an honorary degree from the OU School of Business Administration during its Dec. 13 commencement ceremony.
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In support of the College of Arts and Sciences' "Cities" theme, Oakland University's Master of Public Administration (MPA) program hosted a panel discussion on Oct. 23. Four local leaders, all alumni of Oakland's MPA program, spoke on current challenges facing city management.
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Oakland University hosted former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright as part of the Varner Vitality Series on Oct. 14. The event was sponsored by the Student Life Lecture Board and Academic Affairs. Albright was nominated for Secretary of State by President Bill Clinton and unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate. Albright was the first female Secretary of State and at the time, the highest ranking woman in the history of the United States government. Albright's previous credentials include United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations, member of Clinton's Cabinet and member of the National Security Council and White House staff member. She also serves as president for the Center for National Policy, a research professor of international affairs and director of Women in Foreign Service program at Ge orgetown University.
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Nearly 4,000 runners and walkers made the inaugural Brooksie Way Half Marathon a runaway success. The half marathon, as well as a 5K race/walk, began at Oakland University on the corner of Walton and Adams and finished at Meadow Brook Hall. The Sunday, Oct. 5, event was sponsored by the Crim Fitness Foundation and Oakland County.
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The OU community welcomed a presentation by Dr. Drew Pinsky, the host of the nationally-syndicated radio call-in show, "Loveline," and the star on the VH1 program "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew."
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The OU community was invited to enjoy Lagniappe and The Big, Bright Light Show in downtown Rochester, where visitors could take in 500,000 twinkling lights and get "a little something extra" from the business community.
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A two-day business conference on the campus of Oakland University in mid-October brought business practitioners and academic leaders from across the country together to answer the questions challenging businesses today.
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Oakland University staff, faculty and students planned a trip to Washington, D.C., to witness the historic inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama.
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OU hosted Campaign Roundup 2008, an event in which area experts explored outcomes of the historic November general election and how they will impact a state and nation facing formidable challenges.
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Partnerships

A partnership between Oakland University and the University of Botswana made it possible for Cecilia Seema and Kayi Ntinda to study at OU during the winter 2008 semester. Seema and Ntinda have been at Oakland University since Jan. 2 attending classes, studying and working in the School of Education and Human Services Counseling Center.
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The City of Rochester, Oakland University's hometown, was recognized as one of the top 100 places to live in America by Relocate America. This is the tenth year Relocate America has compiled the best places to live in the United States, determined by statistics and feedback of the people who live and work in these communities. Nominations include data about education, employment, economy, crime, parks, recreation and housing.
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Oakland University and the University of Windsor held the second annual Conference on Teaching and Learning on May 12 and 13 at Oakland University.
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On Thursday, Feb. 7, Oakland University's SmartZone^SM Business Incubator (OU INC) announced the opening of the OU INC Collaboratory, a unique electronic decision support system environment for group work teams. Collaboratory sessions foster collaboration, categorization, prioritization and consensus building among work teams.
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Studio Art major Carla Butwin showcaseed her work for the first time as a solo artist when she took part in the Downtown Rochester Spring Gallery Stroll. Her paintings were displayed at Studio One Salon, located at 424 Main Street. During this biannual event, galleries and other businesses open their doors for community members to enjoy art and refreshments.
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Oakland University's Fastening and Joining Research Institute (FAJRI) plays an important role in protecting U.S. Army troops and rejuvenating Michigan's economy, said speakers during the institute's 5th anniversary celebration on Monday. U.S. senator Carl Levin, D-Mich., and speakers from Chrysler, DTE Energy and the U.S Army's Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center congratulated and thanked the institute for its contributions to the military and to industry.
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Once a week, a group of students take over the kitchen at the Older Persons Commission in Rochester and cook up food like vegetarian chili, polenta, apple cobbler, meringues and other tasty treats. The students are getting hands-on experience for the class Introduction to Food Science, which looks at the basic principles and the chemical and biological properties of food preparation. The lab portion of the class is two hours and the students work in groups of two to cook two to three recipes focusing on the week's theme, and then they spend the last half hour evaluating and eating their work.
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Oakland University and Meadow Brook Theatre signed a new operating agreement for the 2008-2009 production year. The new agreement began July 1, 2008.
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Oakland University's Pre-College Program is part of the YMCA Education Coalition Partners and was awarded the YMCA 2008 Partnership Award.
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Oakland University partnered with Wayne State University's Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences to allow OU undergraduates the opportunity to earn an undergraduate degree in Health Sciences from Oakland University and a graduate degree in Physician Assistant Studies from Wayne State University.
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This June, the Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce's (RRCC) board of directors gathered for its annual strategic planning session at Oakland University's SmartZone Business Incubator (OU INC). The Collaboratory assists local businesses using high-tech decision making software that allows each individual to express their ideas, and helps rank choices and make decisions based on consensus among the group. An OU INC facilitator keeps the meeting on track.
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The second annual "Tech x 2 Expo = LTU + OU" career fair was held on the Lawrence Tech campus on Sept. 30. The event gave OU and LTU students majoring in engineering, computer science and technology the chance to meet with some of the region's top employers in those fields.
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Oakland University, in partnership with the Macomb County Planning and Economic Development Department and the City of Sterling Heights, launched the Macomb-Oakland University Incubator. The business incubator is part of a new SmartZone in Sterling Heights announced October 15 by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and state and local officials. It is estimated that the SmartZone and business incubator will eventually create 600 new jobs in the area.
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Oakland University and the Max Stern Academic College of Emek Yezreel in Israel created a partnership that will provide far-reaching educational and research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students at both institutions. The joint venture will include student and faculty exchanges as well as facilitate research opportunities. The partnership is the culmination of an April visit to Israel by OU administrators. While there, the group met with representatives from the Max Stern Academic College, Kiryat Ono College and the Weizmann Institute. They also toured the Holocaust Museum at Yad Vashem and Tel Aviv.
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Running a school today takes much more than reading, writing and arithmetic. It takes the ability to successfully balance limited financial resources with greater demands for high quality student results. Lean thinking can help.
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An OU partnership helped seventeen individuals enrolled at the Detroit Healthcare Career Center walk as the first graduates of the newly created LPN certificate program there.
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Oakland University officials explored a new transportation option with SMART that would enhance the campus community's access to all the Rochester area has to offer.
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Students, alumni and others helped make the 2008 Rochester Christmas Parade, "Christmas Around the World," a memorable experience for thousands who lined Main Street.
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Officials with Oakland University and the Royal Park Hotel in Rochester announced a partnership in which the hotel will serve the university's official conference center, an arrangement expected to benefit both organizations and the region as a whole.
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Twenty-three public and private Michigan colleges and universities, including Oakland University, have banded together to launch the Michigan Higher Education Recruitment Consortium to share information and resources to attract and retain talented faculty and staff.
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