Close to their alma mater How many people have a job where they can look out of their office window and see their alma mater?” asks Thomas Tanghe, MPA ’90, CAS ’88. It’s not a question the assistant city manager of Auburn Hills expects to have answered. It’s simply his self-professed “sappy” response when asked to describe his Oakland University experience. Read More  |
Somali tears According to a February 2008 report by the Pew Research Center, nearly one in five Americans will be an immigrant in 2050, compared with one in eight in 2005. In addition, by 2025, there will be a greater percentage of foreign-born residents in the U.S. than there was during the last great wave of immigration a century ago. While the Pew report made national headlines, it wasn’t news to Associate Professor of Sociology Abdi Kusow, an expert on the impact of immigration on race and ethnicity on immigration. Read More |
The big PRIZE All world-class vehicles have one thing in common: World-class engineers who put all the pieces together to work flawlessly. Such is the case for the 2008 Cadillac CTS, named winner of the prestigious Motor Trend Car of the Year award in November, beating out 17 of the finest vehicles from around the globe. And not to gloat, but it was also named among the Top 10 Cars for 2008 by Car and Driver magazine. Read More |
Social Capital: Good for your health? Economics Professor Sherman Folland was on sabbatical last year in Norway. As he walked the wintry streets, he noticed something different about the Norwegians. They hustled about with neither eye contact nor “hi-how-are-you?” greetings to one another. But if anybody slipped on the ice, Norwegians were there in a flash — lending a helping hand. This type of socially responsive community backs up data ranking Norway among countries with the highest levels of social capital. Read More |
Backhanded success Oakland University helped Jim Fleming, CAS ’93, ace the career of his dreams — but it wasn’t exactly the career he planned for while in college. Fleming wanted to be a sports announcer, but a disappointing internship with a local television station changed his mind. Read More |
Eyes to the EAST When Michael Michalak graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences in 1968, the Vietnam War had reached its critical mass. As a budding physicist, Michalak wasn’t all that interested in politics, and didn’t really think about Vietnam very much. His world view and interest level were destined to grow and change — by global proportions. Read More |