The Detroit Free Press reports that about 4,000 patients of the University of Michigan Health System will be notified that their health information might have been stolen. “UMHS vendor Omnicell alerted the health system Nov. 20 that electronic equipment storing patient information was stolen from the car of an Omnicell employee Nov. 14. … The information did not include addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, credit card, debit card or bank account numbers.” [Source]
Writing on the Hail to the Little Victors blog – on the University of Michigan Mott Children’s Hospital website – Kate Rosenblum gives advice on talking to children about tragedy. She writes: “Parents should keep their explanation simple, honest, and age appropriate. Asking questions first in order to get their child’s understanding lets parents respond to their children’s specific questions and concerns.” [Source]
The New York Times profiled Sidney Gilman, the University of Michigan Medical School professor who’s at the heart of a massive insider trading scandal involving SAC Capital. ”Colleagues now say Dr. Gilman’s story is a reminder of the corrupting influence of money. The University of Michigan, where he was a professor for decades, has erased any trace of him on its Web sites, and is now reviewing its consulting policy for employees, a spokesman said. The case also turns the spotlight back onto the finance world’s expert networks, which match sources in academia and at publicly traded companies — like Dr. Gilman — with traders at hedge funds and financial firms.” Gilman is cooperating with authorities to avoid being charged, according … [Full Story]
The Detroit Free Press reports that athletic director David Brandon is the highest-paid University of Michigan employee, with a base salary of $800,000, up 33% from last year. UM has released its annual salary report, which also shows Ora Pescovitz, CEO of the UM Health System, earning $753,805 and Doug Strong, CEO of UM’s Hospitals and Health Centers, making $625,770. President Mary Sue Coleman has a base salary of $603,357. [Source]
Adam Zemke was one of two newly elected state representatives who were interviewed by Detroit’s ABC affiliate 7 Action News regarding Michigan’s right-to-work legislation, which was signed into law on Tuesday. Zemke, a Democrat, was elected to represent District 55, which covers northern Ann Arbor, part of the city of Milan, and the townships of Ann Arbor, Pittsfield, York and Augusta. [Source]
The Detroit Free Press files a report from Lansing on Tuesday’s protests of right-to-work legislation, drawing thousands of people from across the state. The article quotes Melissa Waters of Ann Arbor: “My dad and mom were union workers. Without the contracts they bargained for, we wouldn’t have had food on our table or clothes to wear.” [Source]
The Detroit Free Press looks at the reasons behind Michigan’s right-to-work legislation, and the possible fallout if the legislation is signed into law next week by Gov. Rick Snyder. The article quotes Roland Zullo of the University of Michigan’s Institute for Research on Labor, Employment and the Economy: “I think that unions are embattled institutions. In Michigan, and the Midwest in general over the past decade, we have seen a huge decline in the number of manufacturing jobs. A lot of those were good union jobs.” [Source]
An episode of the Great American Brew Trail features Arbor Brewing Co., interviewing owners Matt and Rene Greff about their experiences opening the Ann Arbor brewpub, as well as the Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti and their newest venture – a brewpub in India. The roughly 10-minute segment starts at the 12:10 mark. [Source]
An article in the Wall Street Journal focuses on why Ann Arbor has become a destination for retirees. From the report: ”Take one of the country’s top public universities, add an eco-friendly environment (with 24 miles of on-road bike lanes and 60 miles of park bicycle paths), a vibrant arts community and a leading medical facility (the University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers), and it’s little wonder that Ann Arbor is attracting transplants …” The article also mentions some downsides, like high taxes and the weather. [Source]
Several staff members of WEMU share their memories of Dave Brubeck, the jazz legend who died earlier this week. Linda Yohn writes: “When we learned about Dave Brubeck’s death at WEMU it felt like there was a huge hole in our musical fabric. We serve the Ann Arbor, Michigan area where Dave performed on multiple occasions starting in the 1950s up to 2006. He was truly beloved by music fans in Ann Arbor. He was affectionately referred to as ‘Uncle Dave’. … His sincerity, spirituality, energy, intelligence, integrity and generosity allowed him to transcend all human boundaries be it age, race or culture.” [Source]
The Ann Arbor Ad Club has announced its intent to go into “hiatus mode” because of a lack of interest among members. From a message posted on the A2AC website: “According to the AAF [American Advertising Federation], the Addy awards cannot be held unless we have an active club with members. So, regrettably the A2AC will go into hiatus mode this year while we attempt to gather a new group to lead the way. This also means we will not hold the Addy Awards this year. … We hope this is a temporary lull in our history.” [Source]
Two Washtenaw County residents – Libby Hines and Jim Fink – have been appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder to the seven-member Michigan Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention and Treatment Board. Hines, an Ann Arbor resident, is chief judge of the 15th District Court. Fink, an Ypsilanti attorney, recently ran for 22nd Circuit Court judge. Carol Kuhnke won that seat in the Nov. 6 general election. The board, which replaces a similar Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Board, is tasked with coordinating and monitoring programs and services for the prevention of domestic and sexual violence and the treatment of victims of domestic and sexual violence. [Source] [.pdf of Snyder's executive order]
The Great Lakes Echo has published an interview with Sara Adlerstein González, an artist and ecosystem scientist at the University of Michigan whose artwork is on display through December at UM’s School of Natural Resources & Environment. “I don’t want to believe that my art is going to change the world. But I do think that art and the artist are a part of this world and need to be a mirror of what’s going on and reflect on reality. At this point in time, I think society has big problems with environmental issues. I happen to be a scientist working on the Great Lakes and understanding … stressors in their environment and the role that humans play.” [Source]
The New York Times reports on how local governments – some that gave tax abatements and other incentives to General Motors over the years – have been affected by GM plant closings. The article features the impact on Ypsilanti Township, which is suing the automaker, and quotes attorney Doug Winters, who is representing the township: “We’re their own private ATM. When they need money, they come begging, but when they don’t want oversight, they say ‘get out of the way.’” [Source]
The New York Times reports that University of Michigan provost Phil Hanlon has been named president of Dartmouth College and will begin his tenure there in July of 2013. The article quotes Hanlon, a Dartmouth graduate, on how information technology and other issues are changing higher education: “A second change is the nature of the workplace, which is becoming more diverse, and a third thing that is changing is that the kind of issues the world is facing — the future of health care, transforming K-12 education, balancing the federal budget — are becoming more complicated.” Hanlon became UM provost in 2010, replacing Teresa Sullivan, who left to become president of the University of Virginia. [Source]
The Detroit News reports that the state might lose $25 million in federal funds for a Woodward Avenue street car, in part because Washtenaw County commissioners have pulled support for a regional transit authority. From the report: “The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution this month saying the county wants to manage its own transportation systems and funds and let voters decide whether to join the authority. Ann Arbor and several townships opted against forming a countywide bus system. ‘The whole thing is kind of coming apart,’ said state Rep. Mark Ouimet, R-Scio Township.” [Source] The county board took this action at its Nov. 7, 2012 meeting.
The University of Michigan Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl Team will be competing on Dec. 1 in the 17th annual Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl Championship, held at Loyola University in Chicago. The Michigan team won the Upper Midwest regional trophy last year. The 2012-2013 team leaders – Tracey Fu and Hasenin Al-Khersan – talk about the competition on a podcast interview with A2Ethics.org. [Source]
On her blog, Diana Dyer writes about winding up the season on her family’s local organic farm. She describes some of the photos included in her post: “Now you know we are a ‘real’ farm because we have piles of ‘stuff’ everywhere. Here are piles of top soil, wood chips, small stones, brush. We also have piles of compost and piles of field stones and larger rocks harvested from our fields….One thing I have learned is that nothing (I mean it – nothing) is nonchalantly thrown away on a farm.” [Source]
The Lansing State Journal publishes a column by Henry Greenspan of Ann Arbor, who describes why he’s a “union man.” Greenspan, who teaches at the University of Michigan, writes: ”Do not be fooled by the rhetoric of ‘right to work.’ No competent person is being denied the ‘right to work’ in our state. No Michigan citizen is being denied the right to do anything that their God-given talents, their training, their good fortune, and their liberty make possible. I am a son of liberty. And I am a union man. ‘Right to work’ is a fraud. And so are those who are trying to force it through the Legislature before their time runs out.” [Source]
On the Eleven Warriors blog, Elika Sadeghi interviews John U. Bacon about the Michigan-Ohio State football rivalry in advance of the Nov. 24 match-up between those teams. When asked for a score prediction, Bacon calls it “one of the toughest games to handicap in recent memory.” He picks Ohio State, 28-24, adding: “But watch for this: If Ohio State gets ahead late in the game, I would imagine Coach Meyer responding less like Coach Tressel, and more like Mr. Wayne Woodrow Hayes. That said, I have more questions than answers, but I think the future of this rivalry, with both teams stabilized and recruiting well once again, is very bright, and the era of long winning streaks is probably over.” … [Full Story]
The Washtenaw County sheriff’s office annual Shop with a Cop has kicked off this season, and is soliciting donations. Deputies and other law enforcement staff take children in need on holiday shopping sprees. “Donated gift cards are provided to each child who then buys holiday gifts for their family members while shopping at Wal-Mart and Meijer…. Dinner for the children and officers, gift wrapping by volunteers, crafts, entertainment, and a picture with Santa conclude the evening.” [Source]
Forbes and other media are reporting on a massive insider trading deal involving Sidney Gilman of the University of Michigan Medical School, who allegedly gave information about an Alzheimer’s drug clinical trial to an investment portfolio manager – Matthew Martoma – prior to official release of the results. Martoma, who was arrested in Florida on Tuesday, reportedly made $276 million by trading on that insider information. From the Forbes’ report: ”Gilman appears to be participating with prosecutors, as a neurology professor at a leading medical school is listed as a ‘cooperating witness’ who has entered into an non-prosecution agreement with the authorities.” [Forbes] [USA Today] [Los Angeles Times] [Wall Street Journal] [New York Times] [Bloomberg News] … [Full Story]
Writing on the Creative Rights Blog, Jordan Kifer reflects on the recent rejection of a public arts millage in Ann Arbor: “How truly open-minded are we when it comes to public art? How willing are we to redefine not only what is considered public art but also what should be legal? Beyond the large-scale art installations costing upwards of $750,000, how much does the city of Ann Arbor actually embrace public art that is created outside the constraints of city decision-making channels?” [Source]
The Detroit Free Press reports on the University of Michigan’s embryonic stem cell research, four years after a statewide voter referendum abolished a ban on such efforts. From the report: ”U-M has emerged as the clear leader in Michigan when it comes to embryonic stem cell research, in part, because of an infusion of funds from shopping mall entrepreneur A. Alfred Taubman, who was asked by a friend dying of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – Lou Gehrig’s disease – to find a cure. Taubman helped finance the campaign to pass the 2008 ballot proposal that lifted the ban and has been relentless in his support of stem cell research, roaring at a politician in 2010: ‘Embryonic stem cell is probably the most … [Full Story]
The Sketchbook Project – described as “an interactive art exhibition on wheels, featuring a rotating selection of work from The Sketchbook Project installed in a custom-crafted library trailer” – has popped up at the Roos Roast shop (115 Rosewood) from 4-8 p.m. today (Saturday, Nov. 17). [Source]
USA Today reports on the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals opinion, issued on Nov. 15, declaring that Michigan’s ban on affirmative action in university admissions is unconstitutional. The ban, approved by voters in a 2006 ballot initiative, had been championed by Jennifer Gratz, who had sued the University of Michigan after being denied admission. From the report: “U-M has a high stake in today’s ruling. Nearly 10 years ago, the university was involved in a landmark Supreme Court ruling governing race and universities. The high court upheld the U-M law school’s use of race as a consideration in admissions, as long as there were no quotas attached, but threw out the undergraduate admissions system that awarded extra points to … [Full Story]
A post on the Ann Arbor Schools Musings blog highlights legislation moving through the Michigan legislature that could have a significant impact on local school districts. The post directs readers to two other sources, including the blog of Christine Stead, an Ann Arbor Public Schools board member. Stead writes: “Republicans are pushing through two more major changes to public education in lame duck sessions: the kinds of changes that a reasonable person might want to do a bit of thinking about and research on before slamming through more massive changes with very little concern and understanding of the consequences. They both risk decimating public education…” [Source]
An editorial in the Michigan Daily argues that the University of Michigan regents should amend their bylaws to create a de facto, non-voting student regent position on the board: ”Newly elected regents Mark Bernstein and Shauna Ryder Diggs won on a platform of open mindedness and consensus building, so it seems an opportune time to implement this change. Nearly every governor-appointed regency has either a voting or non-voting student regent position. Though the fact that our regents are chosen by general election may hinder the speedy implementation of an official, voting student regent position, a de facto student regent is the logical first step.” [Source]
The Detroit Free Press reports that Gov. Rick Snyder has made two appointments to the Eastern Michigan University board of regents, for eight-year terms: Mary Treder Lang of Grosse Pointe Farms and Jim Webb of Farmington. They’ll be replacing Roy Wilbanks and Tom Sidlik, whose terms end on Dec. 31. [Source]
Received by email is an announcement that Cranksgiving 2012 will take place this Saturday. From the press release: “Cranksgiving is a food drive by bike benefiting Food Gatherers of Washtenaw County. The event will be held Nov. 17 from 12-2 p.m. starting at Zingerman’s Roadhouse. Riders will be given a shopping list and a map to local grocers. Participants are allowed as many runs as they want within the two hours. A weigh-in and will determine who hauled the most. Prizes and support provided by Two Wheel Tango, SIC Transit, Great Lakes Cycle and Fitness, Common Cycle, Zingerman’s Roadhouse. Bring a bike, yourself, a bag, and a lock.”
