MSU
Construction Zone
Construction at MSU didn't end with roads this summer, as dust, dirt, orange barrels and equipment still linger around campus buildings.
MSU
Innovations: Bird viruses
Name: Richard Fulton, associate professor Department: Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health Location: Diagnostic Center, 4125 Beaumont Road in Lansing Type of research: Bird diseases Basics of the research: The "Asian Bird Flu" is a deadly form of avian influenza virus.
MSU
Freshmen 'get lost' on MSU's campus
Dazed and confused with maps in hand, lost freshmen are a common sight on campus at the start of the school year. On a 5,200-acre campus with 660 buildings, MSU can be a difficult place to navigate. "As long as I can see the stadium, I'm good," pre-nursing freshman, Katie Hughes said. Capital Area Transportation Authority, or CATA, bus drivers often are asked for directions around campus, but if students don't name the building or know which buses run during a certain time of day, the driver's guidance can be more confusing than helpful. "I was advised by a bus driver to take the #37 Sparty East to the Pavilion (for Agriculture and Livestock Education), but it never went there.
MSU
Professor awarded with highest honor
MSU Professor David Hawkins received the Fellow Award in Teaching and the Animal Industry Service Award by the American Society of Animal Science — the highest honor in animal science.
MSU
Art is frequent focus in new Evening College courses
The Evening College, a program provided by MSU's Alumni Association, is offering 25 new classes, three of which will teach participants about art. New courses also include an international speaker series, the history of the cello, tai chi, the French Revolution, cooking and more.
MSU
Sparty denied spotlight
MSU's favorite tough guy met a rare defeat this summer. Sparty, the MSU mascot, was denied induction in the Mascot Hall of Fame's inaugural collegiate election this year. The Sparty Mascot Program, a section of the MSU Student Alumni Foundation, or SAF, was responsible for nominating Sparty.
MSU
Alumnus honored by dairy science group
The American Dairy Science Association honored MSU alumnus Kevin Harvatine with the 2006 Alltech, Inc., Graduate Student Paper Publication Award. Harvatine received the award for his article "The Effects of Fatty Acid Supplements on Milk Yield and Energy Balance of Lactating Dairy Cows," which was published in the Journal of Dairy Science. Harvatine is currently studying milk-fat depression in dairy cattle at a molecular level as a doctoral student at Cornell University.
MSU
Web site offers students book store alternative
As students rush around purchasing back-to-school items, a free online market, which allows students to exchange everything from textbooks to cars, is vying for students' shopping attention. Chegg.com, a national college classified online market, opened to MSU students about two weeks ago. "We created the Web site because, at the time, we felt we were being screwed by textbook companies," said Chegg.com co-founder Osman Rashid. Rashid, along with Aayush Phumbhra, created Chegg.com in 2003 at Iowa State University.
MSU
$27K donated to benefit program
When Steven Alexander, president of National City Bank of central Michigan, handed over a check to the College Assistance Migrant Program, or CAMP, he knew he was helping to fulfill the dreams of more than 70 MSU students. CAMP is a program that assists migrant farm worker students during their first year of college.
MSU
Right hurr
It isn't often that a top Billboard artist chooses to perform for free at a college campus after midnight, but rap artist Chingy did just that Friday night.
MSU
Two men in competition to join MSU administration
Correction: "Two men in competition to join MSU administration" should read "Two people in competition to join MSU administration." Former MSU football head coach George Perles and East Lansing resident Faylene Owen will vie for the chance to weigh in on university issues after being nominated to run for the MSU Board of Trustees on Sunday. Perles and Owen were chosen at the Democratic state convention in Detroit and will face Republican incumbents Dee Cook and David Porteous, and Libertarian candidates David Raaflaub and J.P.
MSU
Swapping in style
Standing in long lines and paying higher prices at book stores is a thing of the past for students who choose to buy their books online. More companies are allowing students to purchase books online at discounted prices, some even for free. According to the National Association of College Stores, on average, students paid anywhere from $801 to $904 for books and supplies during the '05-'06 school year. Sites such as SwapSimple.com, iChapters.com and allMSU.com help students purchase or trade books at a lower cost than going to a local bookstore.
MSU
Researcher studies tree rings to learn ash borer's patterns
In coming months MSU researchers could know how fast emerald ash borer populations move, how fast their populations grow and even when the beetles first arrived in the United States. Nathan Siegert, a visiting research associate in forest entomology, began sampling tree rings in 2004 over an area of 5,800 square miles in southeast Michigan with the goal of mapping the ash borer's spread.
MSU
Dorms to implement new rule for late-night guests
MSU dorms will institute a new policy this fall, requiring any guest of a dorm resident who arrives after midnight to leave an identification card with the night receptionist. "As soon as school starts, the policy will be implemented, and the staff will be well informed," said Angela Brown, director of University Housing.
MSU
Dogs on Display
Photo essay by Kate Compton | The State News Dogs from all over Michigan followed their owners to the State 4-H Dog Show to compete for titles in agility, obedience and showmanship on Saturday. The dog show took place at the Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education and was open to 4-H members ages 9-19 with up to two of their dogs. The agility classes were the first to begin at 8 a.m.
MSU
Campus obstacles
Many of the orange construction signs littering campus will disappear this week, an absence welcomed by travelers both on and off the road.
MSU
First class graduates from new program
After finishing a grueling 765-hours of course work in one year, the first class graduated from MSU's accelerated nursing program. In its trial year, the College of Nursing's accelerated second degree program had 44 nurses finish and held the graduation ceremony Friday. The program is offered to students who already have one degree in nursing.
MSU
Bikes for sale
Abandoned bicycles cluttering campus during the year have been moved out and will go on sale today.
MSU
Vaccine in low supply as school year approaches
Meningitis vaccine recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, have led to a low supply of Menactra, the most efficient vaccine for the disease. "There is technically a shortage of the vaccine," said Donna Cary, spokeswoman for Sanofi Pasteur, the company that makes the drug.
MSU
DaimlerChrysler, MSU team up for research
There could be new uses for contaminated land, as MSU researchers try to develop ways to grow biofuel-producing plants on polluted sites. The researchers teamed up with DaimlerChrysler AG in hopes of finding ways to increase the yield of plants — such as soybeans, switchgrass and sunflowers — that are used in the production of biofuels.