Education is no laughing matter…or is it? The fact that Paul McGhee, SHS ’63, still remembers that his student number was 494 is kind of funny. And his story about the initial convocation in 1959 is pretty funny, too. That’s when Chancellor Durward “Woody” Varner had to quiet construction workers completing the student center so that the charter class could hear the guest speaker, famed German rocket scientist Wernher von Braun. Read More  |
The Grizz gets a new look Everyone needs a little pick-me-up now and then especially in the highly competitive arena of intercollegiate athletics. Oakland University’s familiar Golden Grizzlies mascot got a new look this fall just in time to help celebrate OU’s 50th anniversary. Read More |
A whale of a good idea Spend an hour in just about any extended-care facility and it won’t be long before a patient with dementia will start to yell or flail or stomp their feet in what is known in professional circles as agitation. Cheryl Riley-Doucet, OU assistant professor of nursing, has been involved with geriatric nursing research since her graduate days, and says acute agitation is the most common symptom of Alzheimer’s disease, which is a form of dementia. Read More |
Medical BriefingOn April 5, 2007, Oakland University and Beaumont Hospitals announced that they had embarked on a partnership to create a new allopathic medical school. The school, slated to admit its first 50 students in the fall of 2010, will be among an elite group: There are only 126 M.D.-granting medical schools in the country.
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Renaissance man on the Middle Ages A copy of a medieval text on his desk, Professor of History Ronald Finucane sits in his office in O’Dowd Hall and recounts a favorite analogy to his academic field. “History is like walking around in a dark valley with a flashlight,” he says. “And all we can do is illuminate parts of the valley and bits of the mountains and if enough people do this, eventually you get a picture of what these mountains would look like." Read More |
Primary Pundits Noted OU experts David Dulio associate professor of political science, and Sheldon “Shelly” Appleton, Distinguished Professor emeritus of political science, provide insights into the presidential primary race. Read More |
Evil Bart’s LAST Days It was a rough work week for Bart Beiderbecke. He was punched in the face one day and shot in the foot on another. After swallowing a key to protect his boss, he wound up in the middle of a sword fight — and then it was all over. Read More |
Coffee Break After playing professional basketball for more than a decade in Europe, Eric Taylor left the hustle of the court for the bustle of running his own coffee shop in his hometown of Grand Rapids, Mich. What was it that led him from hoops to scoops? A long-standing dream of owning his own business and a commitment to home. Read More |