NOT Honors College ti9 i Stade/Its' tiest 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 #0*****coskosioitifitiatilitilliiiK 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."