NOT Honors College
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Building on an Honors Program
that has grown significantly
in recent years, Wayne State
University has formally created
an Honors College for high-
achieving undergraduates.
The new college was an
initiative of President Irvin
D. Reid. "A formal Honors
College strengthens Wayne
State University's position
as a center of excellence
in higher education," Reid
said. "It gives us a unique
on-campus community of
scholars, nurturing the academic
achievement and personal
growth of our most gifted
students while promoting
informed citizenship and
community engagement."
of this type can make it possible
for students to enroll full-time
instead of part time, live on
campus rather than commute,
or participate in research with
a faculty member instead
of working a second job.
Scholarship recipient Clarissa
Dass, president of the American
Medical Students Association
pre-med chapter at WSU, spoke
at the event.
Board of Governors Chair Eugene Driker (left), Mandell Berman,
WSU President Irvin D. Reid and Honors Dean-Designate Jerry Herron
celebrate scholarship donors and recipients at a special event
in St. Andrews Hall on campus.
Jerry Herron, Honors director
since 2002, will become dean
of the new college. A professor
of English and American studies,
Herron has been on the faculty
for more than 25 years.
The Honors staff partners with
other schools and colleges at
WSU to offer pre-professional
programs that give students
a head start on careers in
medicine, pharmacy and
health sciences, business and
engineering.
The Honors Program was
organized in 1986 and
has grown to nearly 1,300
students who pursue a rigorous
curriculum that includes higher
level course work, service-
learning projects, independent
research and opportunities
to compete for nationally
recognized scholarships such
as the Rhodes, Marshall and
Fulbright.
Honors has had more to
celebrate lately than just the
college announcement. The
program recently hosted its
first donor recognition event
connecting scholarship donors
with recipients. Among the
guests was Mandell Berman,
who received his undergraduate
degree and MBA from Harvard
but is a staunch supporter of
WSU.
"We (the Berman family) have
a foundation and I want it to
be helpful to the community in
which I live," Berman said. "As
a developer, we built a lot of
stuff downtown. When a friend
talked to me about Wayne State,
I thought it would be a good idea
if we could get more good young
people in school there. We need
to get the young people who
want to lead, who want to hold
positions in the community, into
college, and I hope a scholarship
like this will help do that."
Honors supports hundreds
of talented students through
scholarships, including the
four-year, full-tuition Presidential
Scholarship. Financial support
"Because of the Honors
Program, I was able to grow as
a person and meet every goal
that I set for myself," she said.
"I wouldn't be who I am today
if it wasn't for your generous
donations to the Honors
Program."
On the cover: Professor Jerry
Herron, dean of the newly
created Honors College, presents
a class lecture in the Rivera
Court at the Detroit Institute
of Arts. Freshmen who take the
Honors signature course Honors
1000 study the city of Detroit
from numerous angles including
industry, housing and the arts.
Appiebetam, t -
establishes chair at WSU
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Wayne State University alumnus
and major benefactor Eugene
Applebaum has pledged $2.1
million through his philanthropic
foundation in support of a new
urban issues initiative that will be
headed by WSU President Irvin
D. Reid after he steps down from
the presidency later this year.
As holder of the Eugene
Applebaum Chair of Community
Engagement, Reid will lead
scholarly and public service
activities on topics including
sustainability and the
environment; health disparities in
the urban environment; children's
issues; and urban economic
development. The chair also is
expected to include mechanisms
for promoting student research
projects and sponsoring a faculty
fellowship program.
"This chair is the logical next
step for me, as a way to
continue serving the people of
Detroit and Southeast Michigan
through the university's
unique resources while helping
accelerate Wayne State's
emergence as a leading urban
center for scholarship and
community service," Reid said.
"I am especially grateful to
Eugene Applebaum for his
friendship and his continuing
generosity to both the university
and the city. This chair, which is
named in his honor, symbolizes
his continuing confidence in the
city's future and in the university's
ability to be a positive force in
that future."
In a letter to Susan Burns, WSU
vice president for development
and alumni affairs, Applebaum
noted that he has been
impressed by the president's
accomplishments at Wayne State.
"My confidence in President
Reid and my firm belief that
there is still more he can do to
Wayne State University 3
Eugene Applebaum
foster Wayne State University's
engagement with the city of
Detroit, prompted my support
for this new chair. I know he is
up to the challenge, and I am
excited about the possibilities
that lie ahead."