A message from Director Dr. Cinda-Sue Davis

Those of us who have lived and worked in Michigan over the past several decades have watched as the state has struggled to transition from a manufacturing economy to a knowledge-based economy. For the past century, Michigan citizens could earn a very good living with just a high school diploma and a lifetime career in the auto industry. Unfortunately, though still widely believed by many Michigan parents, that is no longer the case. A well-educated workforce, particularly those with degrees in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM), is critical to the future development of the state. Click here for full story.

WISE sponsors 49th Annual Southeast Michigan Science Fair

WISE sponsored the 49th Southeast Michigan Science Fair in early March. Nearly 500 middle and high school students participated. WISE Director Dr. Cinda-Sue Davis is also the Director of the Southeast Michigan Science Fair. “Our involvement in science fair is important for several reasons. One being that a NSF study found a strong predictor of whether or not a student pursues a career in science is the student’s participation in a middle school science fair. We make a special effort to get underrepresented students involved in the science fair, including girls, minority students and students from rural communities.” Davis is pleased to report that current participation of girls in the Southeast Michigan Science fair is about 50 percent for both middle and high school students. Click here for full story.

WISE RP Update

The Women in Science and Engineering Residence Program (WISE RP) has enjoyed a very busy semester. The semester began with an afternoon of teambuilding activities on January 6th, which gave the WISE RP students an opportunity to reconnect with one another after the winter break. On January 12th, a group of twenty WISE RP women traveled to Toledo, Ohio to attend a performance of The Phantom of the Opera at the Stranahan Theater. After months of planning, the WISE RP and Michigan Research Community (MRC) students had a wonderful time at the WISE/MRC Formal, which was held on January 20th in Palmer Commons.  Click here for full story.

MUSES Receives College of Engineering Award

The WISE-sponsored graduate student organization, Movement of Underrepresented Sisters in Engineering and the Sciences (MUSES) received the College of Engineering Elaine Harden Award that recognizes the Michigan Engineering student society that best exemplifies its ideals of leadership and service at a brunch and ceremony on Sunday, March 18. Past President Joy Oguntebi, Secretary Catherine Espaillat and President Angela Dixon joined MUSES Advisor Debbie Taylor at the event. The award honors the organization’s members as well as its additional officers including Vice-President Kyla McMullen and Li’l MUSES Coordinator Angelique Johnson. Click here for full story.

WISE Participates in GEMS Conference

Saturday, March 31, WISE participated in the Girls Excel in Math and Science (GEMS) conference hosted by Plymouth-Canton Community Schools and by Livonia Public. The conference promotes involvement in mathematics and science and promotes an interest in careers related to math and science. Click here for full story.

Biomedical Science Research Building (BSRB) Tour

WISE arranged a tour of the new Biomedical Science Research Building (BSRB) for interested undergraduate and graduate students. The BSRB, a 435,000-square-foot state-of-the-art biomolecular research facility opened in February 2006. In January 2007 the University and Polshek Partnership Architects received the 2007 Institute Honor Award for Architecture from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for the BSRB building design. Click here for full story

Middle and high school girls visit campus

The WISE Program hosted two school groups for a campus visit in March. Sixty girls from Cranbrook Middle School in West Bloomfield visited the Marine Hydrodynamics Lab where boat models are tested, were amazed by chemistry demonstrations and were challenged by Physics Professor Greg Tarlé as he quizzed them about energy and provided demonstrations. In addition the girls had a question and answer session during lunch with undergraduate science and engineering majors from the Women in Science and Engineering Residence Program (WISE – RP). Click here for full story.