2010 – Page 62 of 78

U-M PhD study focuses on local energy efficient habits

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March 10, 2010

Some of the easiest sustainability gains can come from developing good habits in everyday life. At least that's the idea that's starting to emerge from a University of Michigan's PhD student's recent study.Kim Wolske, a doctoral candidate at the university's School of Natural Resources & Environment, conducted a study last fall of a few dozen Ann Arbor households. The idea was to determine how much energy a household could save by establishing some simple habits, like turning down the thermostat.Wolske sent out 3,000 letters to a random sample of Ann Arbor residents to see if they would be interested in reducing their carbon footprint during the month of October. Of those 195 households signed up and 85 completed the challenge. Participants did everything from unplugging unnecessary electronics to excluding meat from at least one meal a week. They could log onto a website and see how much energy their actions saved. The goal was to reduce their carbon footprint by 2 percent."In general households saved 6 percent of their energy consumption," says Wolske, who is still analyzing the data. She expects to release the study by the end of the year."I didn't expect people to be too willing to give up meat or be willing to change their diet as much as they did," Wolske says. "It was a heart-warming experience to see how many households were willing to give it a shot."She has been working with city of Ann Arbor's Energy Dept., which plans to use the statistics to help it meet its Energy Challenge goal. "This could be really valuable information for us to create behavioral changes," says Andrew Brix, energy programs manager for the city of Ann Arbor.Source: Kim Wolske, a doctoral candidate at the university's School of Natural Resources & Environment and Andrew Brix, energy programs manager for the city of Ann ArborWriter: Jon Zemke

North Quad construction heads into home stretch

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Community Development

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March 10, 2010

In case you haven't noticed the big, brick building taking shape on the north side of the University of Michigan's Central Campus, North Quad is heading into the final stages of construction."We're really in the finishing mode," says Sue Gott, planner for the University of Michigan. "All of the interior walls and structures are in place."Construction workers are also putting together the courtyard as a way of completing the exterior of the building. Work is expected to wrap up in May so the university's housing division can begin moving in things like furniture in time for student move-in this fall.The University of Michigan began construction on North Quad in 2007 by demolishing the old Frieze Building, which was originally built as Ann Arbor High School in 1907 (corner of State and Huron streets in downtown). The University of Michigan bought the building in the 1950s for use as space for college classes. North Quad is U-M's first new dorm in 40 years. The complex features an academic tower facing Washington and State streets, which will house U-M's Department of Screen Arts and Cultures, the Department of Communication Studies, the Language Resource Center and the Sweetland Writing Center (all components of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts) along with the School of Information.The residence hall will face East Huron Street and offer two configurations. The first includes suites containing two double rooms, a living room and a bathroom. The second features arrangements of four single rooms sharing a bathroom. Each residence hall floor houses lounges. The building also will offer a community learning center with additional small group study areas.Source: Sue Gott, planner for the University of MichiganWriter: Jon Zemke

AATA earns $2.3M in stimulus cash for transit center

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Community Development

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March 10, 2010

More mass transit funding is making its way into Ann Arbor courtesy of the feds.The U.S. Dept of Transportation has awarded the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority $2.3 million as part of the $34.6 million Michigan received in federal transportation fund last week. The money is primarily geared toward replacing the Blake Transit Center and helping maintain operations between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti.Earlier this year, AATA decided to demolish, rebuild and expand its downtown transit center. The new bigger and better transit center will have more space for bus loading, storage and be more accessible and user friendly to patrons. The new transit center will be designed to include an interactive public lobby/waiting room with a capacity of 60-75 people, information kiosks, a concession space, expanded public restrooms, a public board room accommodating 60-75 guests, a computer room, an improved employee lounge area and additional facility storage space. The price tag for this project is estimated between $2.7 and $3.7 million. About 5,000 bus riders pass through the station each day on a transit system that has doubled its ridership in the last 22 years. Source: U.S. Dept of TransportationWriter: Jon Zemke

Ypsilanti’s Clean Energy Coalition wins $50K energy grant

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Community Development

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March 10, 2010

The Clean Energy Coalition continues to rake in the government grant money, taking in another six figures to help spread the gospel of energy efficiency.The Ypsilanti-based non-profit received $58,300 from the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor, & Economic Growth to help communities become more energy efficient and utilize more clean energy outlets. The Clean Energy Coalition's money will allow it to do this in 37 communities in south and south-central Michigan. The Clean Energy Coalition has received millions of dollars in state and federal grants over the last year. Most of that money is geared toward pushing for more energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions in transportation. The Michigan Municipal League Foundation, also received a $58,396 state grant. The Ann Arbor-based firm will use it to do the same thing in the southwest, western and northern portion of the state.The grants are part of a $195,996 grant from the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor, & Economic Growth. The money originally came from the federal stimulus package. That money will help 125 municipalities receive technical assistance on becoming more sustainable from four non-profits. That basically means it will help these communities make their facilities more energy efficient through things like energy audits and harness renewable energy sources.The other two non-profits to receive funding are the WARM Training Center in Detroit, which will cover southeast Michigan, and the Michigan Energy Options in East Lansing for communities in the state's Upper Peninsula. Source: Michigan Department of Energy, Labor, & Economic GrowthWriter: Jon Zemke

Ypsilanti’s What is That? building preps for new facade

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Community Development

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March 10, 2010

The Maurer family has a some noticeable plans for the building that houses the Mix and What is That? art gallery in downtown Ypsilanti.The Ypsilanti-based developers bought the structure at 128-130 W Michigan Ave. in 2007. Then it was a vacant foreclosure with a lot of problems, ranging from a leaky roof to condemned apartments. "There were a few challenges," says Eric Maurer, who co-owns and develops a number of rental properties in Ypsilanti with his wife Karen.They rehabbed the 2-story building into six lofts and some ground floor retail space that filled up relatively quickly. However, the rusted and weather worn steel paneling and other façade improvements of yore remained unaddressed, until this year.The Maurers plan to spend $123,500 to repair the brick façade of the early 20th Century building and add some fresh paint. They also plan to replacing the windows with Low-E glass. The end result should be a refreshed Art Deco look that will look completely different."I really want to make it a show stopper," Maurer says. "It's a pretty important corner to downtown."The Maurers are applying for matching façade-improvement funds from state of Michigan. Construction is expected to begin this spring or summer and wrap up before next winter sets in.Source: Eric Maurer, co-owner of 128-130 W Michigan AveWriter: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor’s ePack doubles in size, plans to hire more

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Entrepreneurship

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March 3, 2010

The gadgets that make technology so cool these days aren't exactly resilient on the inside. That's where ePack comes in, helping tech firms protect their latest innovations.The Ann Arbor-based firm is developing technology that helps protect micro devices, such as the motion sensor in a Nintendo Wii. Without such protection these micro devices would be dead on arrival."A small amount of moisture or small particles can ruin their performance," says Jay Mitchell, president and CEO of ePack.The 2-year-old University of Michigan spin-off is starting to raise grant money, which has allowed it to go from its two founding members to a staff of three people, an independent contractors and a couple of advisors. The firm hopes to hire one more person this year and several more in 2011.For right now it's trying to finish development of its technology so it can go for equity investment in 2011 or later. The long-term plan is to reach the point where it can open a manufacturing facility and produce the technology is developing.Source: Jay Mitchell, president and CEO of ePackWriter: Jon Zemke

Millions more in grants pour in for U-M studies

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Innovation News

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March 3, 2010

Seven figures worth of research grants poured into the University of Michigan. This time the money is going toward studies examining U.S. elections and the impact of the recession on southeast Michigan.U-M's Institute for Social Research and Stanford University Institute for Research in the Social Sciences will split $10 million from the National Science Foundation. That money will go toward the American National Election Studies.The study will measure voter participation and decision-making in this year's mid-term elections and again in the 2012 U.S. presidential race. U-M has participated in this survey since its founding in 1948.The American National Election Studies is the longest political timeline series in the world, dating back to Pres. Harry Truman's surprise victory in 1948. The study measures the ebb and flow of public opinion, electoral behavior and the overall state of U.S. politics. It's information is accessible here. Also under U-M's microscope is the effect the current recession is having on southeast Michigan, which is often considered ground zero for these hard times. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has given a $750,000 grant to the National Poverty Center at U-M's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.University researchers will study the effects of various housing problems (foreclosures and evictions) and how the economic crisis is impacting vulnerable workers and families in the region.The three-year survey is expected to help policymakers and researchers better understand the effects of a severe recession, housing crisis, and federal stimulus funding on families living in the Metro Detroit area.Source: University of MichiganWriter: Jon Zemke

EMU start-ups win seed capital from Skandalaris Biz Plan Competition

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Economic Development

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March 3, 2010

Not all business plan competitions are for high-powered start-ups geared toward the new economy. Some, like the The Skandalaris Business Plan Competition, give opportunities for younger entrepreneurs or people who want to start a good, old-fashioned business.The winners of the Eastern Michigan University Center for Entrepreneurship-based competition include Saline High School alumna and EMU student Carrie Eichler for her business plan called Carrie’s Consignments and fellow EMU student Deborah Merz who won for her plan called Healthcare Integrators. Both received $1,000.Bill Shaffer took home $700 for his plan called The Shaffer Boys and its presentation. That business plan centers around a carpentry business for commercial buildings. The 23-year-old journeyman carpenter is a senior majoring in construction management at EMU. Shaffer was inspired by his father and uncles who once owned their own carpentry business."My whole family is in the carpentry business," Shaffer says.All business plans were welcome to the competition, which presented its plans at the Sesi Midwest Entrepreneurship Conference. About 300 students, educators and future entrepreneurs attended the annual conference this year.Source: Eastern Michigan University and Bill Shaffer, owner of The Shaffer BoysWriter: Jon Zemke

North Coast Fisheries plans for organic farm fishing

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Entrepreneurship

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March 3, 2010

If organic farming has taken off as a profitable, new food-oriented industry, why not organic fish farming? It's a rhetorical question the group of University of Michigan students behind North Coast Fisheries would like to answer.MBA students Andrew Chamaj, Philip O’Niel, Aaron Skrocki and Matt Turner see a growing demand for fish around the world on a planet where pollution, over-fishing and invasive species are threatening aquatic populations and habitats."We see this as a tremendous amount of opportunity around the world," says Aaron Skrocki, CEO of North Coast Fisheries. He once worked for a fish raising firm and says he saw a pent-up demand for high-quality fish.The start-up plans to raise fish that are free of antibiotics, growth hormones and methyl mercury. This will provide fish native to the upper Midwest for both consumption at high-end restaurants and grocery stores, and also to stock ponds, lakes and other waterways. There is also potential for a side consulting business that specializes in fish raising and management.The firm hopes to secure land in Jackson County next year and begin operations in 2011-12. Source: Aaron Skrocki, CEO of North Coast FisheriesWriter: Jon Zemke

U-M student start-ups take 98K from Mich Biz Competition

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Economic Development

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March 3, 2010

More seed capital is creeping into the coffers of local start-ups now that the Michigan Business Challenge has awarded nearly $100,000 to student-led start-ups from the University of Michigan.The Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at the U-M Ross School of Business awarded the grants to these new economy-based start-ups for excellence in new business plans and concepts. Eighty-five teams competed for the grants with a couple dozen walking away with money. That's a new record for the competition that is now in its fourth year.Two of the start-ups that landed four figures in seed money include $2,000 to North Coast Fisheries (an organic fish farm firm) for "Best Written Business Plan" and $1,000 to Milo (an e-commerce site for cosmetics for women of color) for advancing to the final round. Each found immediate uses for their winnings."These funds are a great first step as far as exploring all of the legal issues to create a legal entity," says Aaron Skrocki, a MBA student at U-M and CEO of North Coast Fisheries."The $1,000 went straight to the web designer," says Kimberly Dillon, a U-M MBA student and founder of Miilo.The Michigan Business Challenge lets the student entrepreneurs receive support, training and feedback from judges at each phase of the competition. The students are exposed to a rigorous business development boot camp that reinforces the notion that a solid business foundation is necessary to commercialize a great idea.A list of this year's major winners of the competition can be found here.Source: University of Michigan, Kimberly Dillon, founder of Miilo and Aaron Skrocki, CEO of North Coast FisheriesWriter: Jon Zemke