Innovation & Job News

EMU MBA student healthcare research wins award

Concentrate Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Most students write papers so they can graduate but at least one Eastern Michigan University student is writing papers that win awards.

The Association for Marketing and Health Care Research honored EMU MBA student Jarrod Sandel for his paper on healthcare. The Ann Arbor native's paper, which he co-wrote with the head of EMU�s Marketing Department, deals mainly with providing healthcare at home and the role technology plays.

The paper follows the development of home healthcare (an option becoming increasingly popular as Baby Boomers age and finances tighten) and its market. It also expands on the how technology has evolved to play a role in this situation.

And this is all from a supply chain management major in EMU's business school. However, he does work for the IT Dept in the University of Michigan Health System.

Source: Eastern Michigan University
Writer: Jon Zemke

Ypsilanti-born ShadePlex starts to grow up with investment

Concentrate Wednesday, February 25, 2009

The important thing to keep in mind isn't that ShadePlex now calls Toledo its home. It's that the idea for the start-up was born and nurtured in Ypsilanti.

Concentrate first reported on ShadePlex a year ago when it was just a start-up started among friends with an idea of putting solar cells on things like tents, struggling to get it off the ground. They're doing that now, however, from the University of Toledo's Energy Incubator.

The company made the move because it received a $50,000 product development grant from Toledo-based Rocket Ventures. Start-ups usually go where the venture capital firms that invest in them tell them to go. One of the company's co-founders, Brian Tell, still lives in Ypsilanti. The other co-founders live in Downriver and northern Ohio. The company hopes to hire 20-25 people in the next three years and hit $30 million by 2013.

ShadePlex is developing solar cells fabrics that can generate electricity. The idea is that putting them on something like a tent will allow a business or homeowner to generate more electricity somewhere that before only helped create a heat island.

Source: Brian Tell, president and co-founder of ShadePlex
Writer: Jon Zemke

EMU speaker to talk about buyouts, entrepreneurship in Ypsilanti

Concentrate Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Eastern Michigan University has a few ideas about what locals can do with their buyout checks � start their own business.

The university's College of Business is hosting entrepreneur Robert J. Skandalaris on Friday morning for its "Breakfast with the Dean" series.

Skandalaris isn't exactly a household name but he has lived the life that most people would remember. He founded Noble International, a tech company listed on the NASDAQ that specializes in supplying laser-welded blanks and structural tube parts to the automotive industry.

Quantum Ventures of Michigan is another notch on his belt. The company acquires and development of middle-market firms. He also wrote "Rebuilding the American Dream," a book about innovation and entrepreneurship.

He will be speaking about "the economy and its impact on the buyout world."

The event will begin at 7:30 a.m. and will take place in room 114 of the College of Business, 300 W. Michigan Ave. in downtown Ypsilanti. Free parking is available in the college�s parking structure on Pearl Street. For information, call Shirley Wentz at (734) 487-4140.

Source: Eastern Michigan University
Writer: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor SPARK raffles off Ypsilanti incubator space at ACE

Concentrate Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Everything an ambitious start-up needs to be successful will be up for grabs at the Annual Collaboration for Entrepreneurship Thursday.

A whole lot of start-up know-how will be available at the conference, but something more valuable will also be on hand � free space in Ann Arbor SPARK's new East Business Incubator in downtown Ypsilanti. Ann Arbor SPARK plans to raffle off one free year's lease.

That free space, worth $4,800, will include access to a VOIP phone system, T-1 internet connection, a full kitchen, two conference rooms, free parking and administrative resources such as copiers and cleaning services. There will also be access to Ann Arbor SPARK's business acceleration services.

Ann Arbor SPARK is also offering discounts on its Ypsilanti incubator space. Start-ups can have one month's rent free with a commitment of at least three months for a total of four months.

Officials at Ann Arbor SPARK are negotiating with two major anchor tenants for the Ypsilanti incubator. Both companies are expected to bring in up to half a dozen employees each.

"We're hopeful we'll know by the end of the month if either are going to sign," says Elizabeth Parkinson, managing director of marketing and public relations for Ann Arbor SPARK.

Ann Arbor SPARK has 8,000 square feet available in the ground floor of the Mack & Mack building on Michigan Avenue. Workers are finishing up the details of the renovation right now. The first companies are expected to move in during February.

"They're in the process of putting in the cubicles," Parkinson says.

Ann Arbor SPARK has incubator space in downtown Ann Arbor where about three or four spots are still available. It also has incubator space for life science-based companies at a laboratory incubator in Plymouth.

Source: Elizabeth Parkinson, managing director of marketing and public relations for Ann Arbor SPARK
Writer: Jon Zemke

Detroit PR Society recognizes EMU student as "rising star"

Concentrate Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Stephanie Scheer is more than an up-and-comer in the public relations world, she's a "Rising Star" in the eyes of the Public Relations Society of America.

The society's Detroit Chapter honored the Eastern Michigan University senior late last year after she demonstrated "exceptional ability, professionalism and achievement" during her internship at Henry Ford Health System.

The public relations major is the president of the EMU chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America. As proof of her developing spin skills, she provided this quote to Eastern's PR team.

"It's an honor to have received the Rising Star Award from PRSA- Detroit as a student at EMU and Henry Ford's intern," Scheer said in a press release. "At Henry Ford Health System, I have the ability to take the lessons I have learned in the classroom and see how they apply to the corporate public relations environment."

Scheer is set to graduate and join the legions of PR flaks this spring.

Source: Eastern Michigan University
Writer: Jon Zemke

EMU expands nursing school to help meet nursing shortage

Concentrate Wednesday, November 12, 2008

In case you have been living under a rock or not been to a hospital in years, there is a nursing shortage going on. Eastern Michigan University plans to do something about it.

The university's School of Nursing is expanding its programs to accommodate 102 more students next year. It's not enough to staunch the 7,000 nurse shortage we will be experiencing by 2010 (projected by the Michigan House Health Policy Committee) or the shortage of 18,000 nurses by 2015 predicted by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth.

But it's a start. Those extra 102 nurses per year will help make an important dent. Especially considering that 90 percent of nursing students who go through EMU remain in Michigan.

"Most programs talk about whether or not their students will have jobs when they graduate," says Betty Beard, interim director of the EMU School of Nursing. "In nursing, we know that it�s not if they will get a job, but what job offer they will take."

This year, EMU was forced to turn away nearly 500 students who were interested in becoming nurses because there wasn't enough room in the program. Let's hope that other institutions follow their lead and expand their programs as well.

Source: Eastern Michigan University
Writer: Jon Zemke

Eastern teams up with BCBS to improve health of Ypsilanti children

Concentrate Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Eastern Michigan University and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation are trying to take a bite out of childhood obesity.

The foundation has give EMU a $167,000 grant to work with students at four elementary schools in Ypsilanti � Brick, Childs, Model and Redner. The idea is to teach these 1,770 kids healthy lifestyle habits and hopefully shed a few of their fast-food, inactive routines. Getting a teachers and staff to follow suit would be icing on the cake.

"Reaching children at this early stage, before serious problems develop, can help them avoid obesity and associated chronic diseases later in life," says Ira Strumwasser, executive director and CEO of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation.

The grant plans to recreate the atmosphere in these schools to emphasize healthy living in all aspects of life for everyone at the schools, not students. School employees are participating in stress management and nutrition workshops held by EMU faculty. School officials and university faculty will also study the health habits of students and teachers to see where improvements can be made.

The program hopes to start whipping the kids into shape in January. Students will be able to participate (voluntarily) as they learn to develop a positive physical and mental image, eat healthier, be active at least one hour per day, decrease video "screen time" to two hours per day and learn sports skills they can enjoy throughout life. Students� families also will be encouraged to participate.

Source: Eastern Michigan University
Writer: Jon Zemke

Princeton Review names EMU's Biz School one of the best

Concentrate Wednesday, October 15, 2008

The Princeton Review is reaching out to Eastern Michigan University�s College of Business at about the same time the college is reaching out to one of India's top business schools.

The Princeton Review has named EMU's Business School as one of the most outstanding business schools for the fifth consecutive year. It may share that designation with 295 other schools but that's out of a pool of more than 1,000 for 2009.

EMU's Business School, founded in 1964, offers both undergraduate and master's degrees. It is also signing a partnership with the Xavier Institute of Management in Bhubaneswar, India, to offer a dual master of business administration (fancy words for MBA) program.

That agreement allows Xavier students to do half of their studying in India and the other half at EMU. Doing so will allow the student to graduate with an MBA from both institutions of higher learning. This partnership will also allow the students to finish their MBAs in three years or less.

Although only 21 years old, Xavier is ranked No. 3 among private business schools and No. 8 of all business schools in India, according to Outlook magazine of India. It only admits 120 students out of the 18,000 applicants each year.

Source: Eastern Michigan University
Writer: Jon Zemke

EMU receives $749,000 grant for teacher education scholarships

Concentrate Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Some lucky students are about to get a helping hand at Eastern Michigan University, at least those who are looking to teach science, technology, engineering and math.

The National Science Foundation recently awarded EMU $749,000, to go to students who major in education that focuses on those four key areas over the next five years. The hope is to create more science-based teachers and retain them in the state's high-need areas, such as Ypsilanti and Willow Run.

The Developing Urban Education Teachers in STEM Subjects will give up to $13,000 a year, for two years, to education students looking to teach Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM, get it?). Participants must agree to teach two years in a high-need district for every one year of scholarship. Other schools in the area that qualify include Lincoln Consolidated, Inkster, Wayne, Westland and Washtenaw Intermediate school districts.

The program will give out these scholarships to 10 students each of the first four years. The fifth year it will take on five students. Recipients must be admitted to the College of Education teacher prep program, have a 3.0 GPA and 56 credit hours under their belts.

Source: Eastern Michigan University
Writer: Jon Zemke

EMU's auditing program receives $40,000 grant to bolster curriculum

Concentrate Wednesday, September 03, 2008

The word "audit" is one few people like to hear. But to Eastern Michigan University it's music to their ears. EMU received a $40,000 grant from the Internal Auditing Academic Advancement Fund to beef up the school's, you guessed it, Internal Audit Program.

The money will help develop new courses, educational events, advisory board activities and marketing materials. It will also aid in the creation of a resource library and allow for the hiring of an internal audit graduate assistant for the program, an offshoot of the university's Department of Accounting and Finance.

The program was founded in 1991 thanks to a grant from the Detroit Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors. That same chapter is providing half of the current $40,000 grant.

The Institute of Internal Auditors is a professional organization that provides ethical standards� guidance, professional development and research. Founded in 1941, it has chapters all around the world and more than 150,000 members. The Detroit Chapter is the second oldest chapter founded in 1942.

Source: Eastern Michigan University
Writer: Jon Zemke

Eastern Michigan Alumnus gives school $1 million for student aid

Concentrate Wednesday, August 13, 2008

A couple from Charleston, South Carolina, is making a big difference in Ypsilanti Michigan.

George L. Cogar and his wife Dr. Darlene Shaw have pledged to bequeath $1 million to Eastern Michigan University. The money will provide aid to students in financial need.

Cogar grew up in Saline and received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from EMU in the 1970s. He is now clinical faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina where his wife is also a professor.

Cogar obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan and did post-doctoral study in clinical psychology and neuropsychological assessment under the renowned Dr. Aaron Smith at the University of Michigan Medical School. He later founded the Behavioral Associates of the Carolinas and became a partner and director of Behavioral Medicine at the Carolina Spine Institute. Cogar�s research interests include investigating the effects of childhood psychological trauma as they relate to post-operative spine surgery outcome.

The gift is the third commitment of more than $1 million for EMU over the past seven months. The school just set a new fundraising record, bringing in $7.9 million.

Source: Eastern Michigan University
Writer: Jon Zemke

Ensure Technologies to create 3-5 jobs as it expands in Ypsilanti

Concentrate Wednesday, August 06, 2008

The story goes: one day a disgruntled employee hacked into his company's human resources computer, printed a spreadsheet of what everyone made and posted it for all to see. Havoc ensued.

That tale (tall or not) inspired Tom Xydis to create Ensure Technolgies 11 years ago.

Today the Ypsilanti-based firm has not only survived the death of its founder (two years ago in a car accident) but managed to grow to employ 16 people, four contractors and the occasional intern. Furthermore, it expects to create 3-5 new jobs in the next few years.

"We have a significant foothold in the healthcare industry and we have great growth prospects there," says Dennis Blanchette, President and CEO of Ensure Technologies.

Ensure has capitalized on companies' increasing need to protect their confidential and intellectual property. How? They create security software and protocols for comapny computers, only allowing people to access certain information if they have the proper passwords and badges. The company was successful selling this technology to small- and mid-size companies and now they have targeted larger businesses, such as health-care providers.

That required some reworking of the firm's technology, allowing it to handle 20,000 users instead of the typical 20-30 users in smaller firms. Ensure has also played a critical part in keeping peering eyes out of company databases and sensitive information off bulletin boards.

Source: Dennis Blanchette, president and CEO of Ensure Technologies
Writer: Jon Zemke

ETCS wins federal grant to help create jobs through faith-based initiatives

Concentrate Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Most people aren't comfortable going into an agency like Michigan Works! and asking for help. The reasons can range from pride to trust to access. But Washtenaw County Employment Training and Community Services has just received a grant that could help people with difficulties making use of the job services the county can provide.

The organization just received a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor's Center for Faith-Based Initiatives just under $5,000 to help strengthen its Access Points Program. Long story short, it allows people at local churches to help their members find work or take advantage of other services.

"It's creating a comfort zone for people to take advantage of services that they might have been comfortable accessing before," says Maura Campbell, a spokeswoman for Washtenaw County Employment Training and Community Services.

The idea is to help bolster workforce development services and make them more accessible to the people in Washtenaw County who need them. Access Points are satellite offices located in churches and other community locations. They are outfitted with computers linked to a streamlined menu of services/information and staffed by trained volunteers.

For information on the Access Points program, contact Justin Al-Igoe at al-igoej@ewashtenaw.org or (734) 544-2954 or click here.

Source: Maura Campbell, a spokeswoman for Washtenaw County Employment Training and Community Services
Writer: Jon Zemke

First Source Partners looks to add 18 jobs to the Ypsilanti area

Concentrate Wednesday, July 09, 2008

For most students, math class alone is more than enough. But for Joe Dylewski, he needed something more ...than teaching it, that is.

"I got a little bored," Dylewski says.

But instead of starting a hobby, the math professor at Eastern Michigan and Madonna universities started First Source Partners with his friend Andy Trestrail last fall, bridging Ypsilanti and Bloomfield Hills respectively as their home base.

The two former Compuware executives decided they could put their human resource expertise to good business use by helping companies find IT workers. The company has been so successful in the short time it has been around that it expanded to six staff members with hopes to add another 18 people within the next year.

"Our goal is to make and keep everyone employed," Dylewski says.

First Source's secret special sauce is that it doesn't charge a fee when it hooks a company up with help. Without giving away too much of the company's game plan, the business model stresses focusing on building a relationship with its clients that pays them in the long run. Think of it as a frequent-flier program for employers who use the company.

Right now it's more than enough to keep Dylewski's attention and still give him some time to teach math.

Source: Joe Dylewski, president of First Source Partners
Writer: Jon Zemke

AEP Foundations gives $500,000 to EMU for science programs

Concentrate Wednesday, June 11, 2008

When was the last time you heard of Columbus doing something nice for the Ann Arbor area? Besides Ohio State hiring John Cooper as its football coach?

Columbus-based American Electric Power Foundation has given Eastern Michigan University $500,000 to fund the long-term maintenance of its new state-of-the-art laboratory equipment.

American Electric Power is one of the largest electric utilities in the United States and its foundation has donated $350,000 to EMU's science programs. The company's chairman, president and chief executive officer (Michael G. Morris) is an alumni and regent at EMU. He also served as EMU's commencement speaker and received an honorary doctorate from the university this spring.

"It is so important in private industry to have employees with practical knowledge and a passion for science. Learning on the most up-to-date laboratory equipment is essential to provide our students of today � AEP's future work force � with the concepts and tools of modern instrumentation," Morris says. "It's an investment in our future."

Source: Eastern Michigan University
Writer: Jon Zemke

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