Friday, December 26, 2025

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MSU

MSU dairy attracts German student

Marcus Hollmann has been around cows his entire life. Growing up on a dairy farm in Germany, Hollmann, 31, said he has been working with animals since he could walk - from taking care of them to taking them to cattle shows. Though he originally thought he might want to do something with electronics, Hollmann, a doctoral student in animal sciences, decided what he liked doing was working on the farm.

MSU

Magnet brings toys to class

Hunched over a laptop, Eric Wood typed commands, hoping to bring a toy Lego car to life. Suddenly, the car was moving in a straight line. "It's following this command button here," he said. Wood, who teaches at Hillsborough County Public Schools in Tampa, Fla., was among the 100 educators who traveled to MSU's College of Engineering Monday as part of the Summer Magnet and Related Training Institute.

MSU

Police train for hazmat response

Sopping wet, Les Bentley emerged from the yellow decontamination tent cold and disoriented. He was greeted by two other victims who had experienced the same warm-watered scrub down, shivering in their bathing suits.

MSU

Sideshow banners displayed at MSU

A three-legged man playing soccer is on display at Kresge Art Museum as a part of a nontraditional exhibit of circus sideshow banners. The collection of 12 canvas banners depicts exotic attractions ranging from a man riding a bicycle upside down through the air, to an underweight man playing tennis. There was some concern with how the exhibit would be received, said Cari Wolfe, assistant education curator. "Initially, there was some apprehension to being sensitive to certain issues - the armless and legless boy, the woman who is very large, that sort of thing," Wolfe said.

MSU

Local forum to improve leadership

The Mid-America Cooperative Council and MSU Product Center are hosting a two-day forum for Michigan cooperative board and management staff members. The 2007 Cooperative Education Forum for Directors and Senior Management will take place Aug.

MSU

MSU lets medical doctor research microbial ecology

It wasn't until he went to college at Massachusetts Institute of Technology that Vincent Young discovered his interest in research. And it wasn't until he came to MSU that he realized his interest crossed into departments many medical doctors wouldn't dream of studying. Young, an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine/Infectious Diseases at the College of Human Medicine and the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, is working on microbial ecology research, studying bacteria communities. However, Young is trained as a medical doctor, and the other researchers often work with bacteria in the soil, not in the human body. "We had to do a lot of convincing of the National Institute of Health that a person who is normally working in soil can contribute to medical fields," Young said about the struggle acquiring the grant he recently received from the institute. For Young, the idea of being a medical doctor originated growing up in Buffalo, NY. "When I was little, I was always thinking, 'You know, it would be kind of fun to be a doctor because you're going to help people,' and research wasn't anything I was exposed to when I was little," he said. So the idea to be both a doctor and a researcher came when he discovered the MD/doctorate programs that exist, which train students as both doctors and scientists, he said. "It's the idea that I learned both about the disease - and in medical school you have to learn a bit about the basic science of the disease - but I realized ? how did people find all this so we can try to design new therapies or have a new understanding of disease?" Young said, adding that he did an MD/doctorate program at Stanford University. For Young, the best part of the job is the social aspect. "If you just look at the type of research I do where I'm collaborating with people in crop and soil sciences and microbiology - for me, some of the best things about coming to work is when I get together with my colleagues and we get to talk about the science," he said. Basics of Research: For most of Young's career, he has been focusing his studies on disease-causing bacteria located in the human gastrointestinal tract.

MSU

Entry forms available for soybean contest

Farmers interested in improving Michigan's soybean crop and can enter the 2007 Michigan Soybean Yield Contest. Contestants will provide researchers with data on planting, harvests, and pest and crop management to help increase yields and profitability.

MSU

MSU takes 'Go Green' chant to new level

From how grass gets cut to what's being used to scrub toilets, some university departments are turning to more environmentally friendly ways to run MSU. In the everyday tasks to operate a major university, employees are making small changes to protect the environment, which also can end up saving money. Instead of using diesel gasoline, mowers now use biodiesel fuels when they mow grass on campus, said Gerry Dobbs, the grounds maintenance manager. Biodiesel fuels, which can be made from soybean oil, burn cleaner than diesel fuels, Dobbs said, adding that they also use biodiesel lubricants, oils and grease for other equipment. The department mows most areas every other week to save on fuel. "On a population-dense campus, we're especially concerned about carbon emissions," Dobbs said. Department workers mow highly visible areas of campus more frequently, such as the area near the Administration Building, and use a higher blade so grass doesn't need to be mowed as often, Dobbs said. Walking south of the Red Cedar River, some passers-by may even notice "no-mow zones" where the grass is tamed as little as once a year. "With the 'no-mow zones,' we're trying to create a habitat for birds, beneficial insects and other native species," Dobbs said. He said higher grass helps prevent runoff of fertilizers and other substances into the river. Other departments use substitutes to help clean up the environment. MSU custodial services use a "green" cleaner for tasks like washing the floors, said Gus Gosselin, director of building services. To see another way MSU officials make an effort to help the environment, look up. The university is experimenting with "green roofs" on top of the Plant and Soil Sciences and the Communication Arts and Sciences buildings. The flat roofs are covered with a membrane that decrease energy costs, protect the buildings from extreme weather and help hold storm water, said Brad Rowe, a horticulture associate professor. The larger, 3,500 square feet of roof atop the Plant and Soil Sciences building helps hold storm water.

MSU

2007-08 SAF membership renewal

Students can renew their MSU Student Alumni Foundation membership for the 2007-08 school year and enter to win a $50 gift certificate to Spartan Bookstore in the International Center or Eastwood Towne Center, 3003 Preyde Blvd., in Lansing.

MSU

MSU day camp gets cameras rolling

As the camera captured her every move, Eileen Zimmerman walked toward a penny on the ground Tuesday afternoon. It was the opening shot of film as the 16-year-old acted in a short movie about a girl who finds a not-so-lucky penny during MSU's weeklong Digital Cinema Day Camp.

MSU

Mich. task force created to cope with hepatitis C

The list of celebrity victims includes Pamela Anderson, Naomi Judd, Mickey Mantle, James Earl Ray and Steven Tyler. But hepatitis C, a deadly virus which affects more than 4 million Americans, now will be tackled by a new Michigan task force. The Hepatitis C Advisory Task Force will advise the governor and Legislature on policies for reducing the risk of hepatitis C, said T.J.

MSU

Can do: Collecting to cure cancer

Fundraisers come in cans. The 10 cents refund received on bottles and cans will go to a greater cause with the MSU Women's Resource Center "Cans for the Cure" bottle drive. Collection bins are set up and the bottle campaign will run until Oct.