The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Wednesday, October 17, 2007 - 7A
TIMELINE OF A CAMPUS CONTROVERSY
Dec. 15,2006
Laura Dickieson found
on her dorm room floor,
nude from the waist
down with semen on
her leg and a pillow over
her head. Jan.12, 2007
EMU sends out a
campus-wide e-mail,
saying an investiga-
tion is "ongoing."
Feb. 23, 2007
Dec. 16, 2006 The Washtenaw Coun
Eastern Michigan Uni- Prosecutor's Office fin
versity releases a state- izes charges of murdei
ment saying, "at this rape, burglary and larc
point, there's no reason against Orange Taylor
to suspect foul play." Later, EMU sends out
e-mail notifying stude
Taylor's arrest.
June 8, 2007
An independent
report says that
EMU misled the
public, failing to
warn the public
about Laura July16, 2007
Dickinson's death. EMU president John Fallon
is fired. Two other adminis-
trators retired.
July 3,2007
ty The Department of Education Oct. 11, 2007
al- releases a report, saying EMU Fallon sues EMU
r, violated the Clery Act, which for reinstatement.
:eny requires colleges to notify stu-
Ill, dents of potential dangers on
an campus.
TRIAL
From page 1A
said her son is "doing pretty good,"
given the circumstances.
"We've obviously' never been
through anything like this before,"
said Taylor, who added that she
gets to see her son a couple times a
week. "We're hopeful that we'll get
justice."
Taylor's family took up one row
of seats along the right side of the
courtroom. Dickinson's family
- including her mother and father
- sat on the other side of the room
took up three rows.
Judge Archie Brown is pre-
siding over the case, which is
expected to continue throughout,
the week at Washtenaw County:
Trial Court.
Profs on prizewinning panel
SAM WOLSON/Daily
Wayne State University President Irvin Reidjoined University of Michigan President Marie Sue Coleman and Michigan State Uni-
versity President Lou Anna Simon at a conference yesterday and Monday on the contributions of their universities to the state.
Speakers say research
corridor is helping Michigan
National Academvo F~v n
ter
RESEARCH From page lA and the former president of the Ku
Massachusetts Institute of Tech- ate
coalition of made up of the Univer- nology, said new strategies are by
sity of Michigan, Michigan State required for the state to flourish ma
University and Wayne State Uni- economically.
versity - focused on the relation- "We have big obstacles to over- b
ships between state universities come," he explained. "We really tie
and the state economy. need to push hard on the educa- Th
During the conference, the URC tion components." tie
also announced a number of new During his speech, Vest cited wh
projects, like the conversion of a Chicago as a city that rose from the
former Pfizer facility into a labora- an economic downturn. In an
tory for startup companies. interview after his speech, Vest LL
Other ideas included efforts to explained that, at one point, Chi- siti
make online transactions easier cago was in a similar situation the
and safer with the help of Google, to the one Detroit is in now. He'
IBM and Yahoo, and expanding described how 20 years ago Chica- sai
research in alternative energy go experienced an upswing from the
sources. its economic low. be,
Most of those who spoke at the He 'said people paid "a lot of
conference also agreed that to fix attention to things like arts and of
the Michigan's economy, state culture, cleaning up the Chicago con
universities must play a larger River and opening up old industri- pre
role. al sites for new waterfront devel-
The goal of the forum was to opment, condos, offices." Pr
identify the major factors causing Vest said Michigan's future exi
Michigan's economic woes and could go the same way as Chica- Re
possible solutions. Speakers said go's. fos
tech transfer offices, which help Michigan's economy has om
university professors patent their declined as the American automo-
products, encourage business vn- bile industry has struggled. age
tures in the state. Speakers also Derrick Kuzak, a Ford execu- ma
said that improving education, tive, vowed that the company will uni
both at the K-12 and university stay committed to Michigan. bu
levels, is important. "Southeast Michigan will an
Charles Vest, president of the remain the core engineering cen- ter
People were lined up an hour Ma
ANGELOU early for standby tickets to the don
From page A sold-out event. Hill Auditorium,
which seats about 3,500, was near- yea
She encouraged members of the ly full. wit
audience to seek out such.poems at Angelou, 79, has written novels,
the library and recited some. plays and poetry. She has directed, rat(
"You need to have these poems, acted, taught and been a vocal as
especially when you want to see member of the civil rights move- son
how human you are, how won- ment. tha
derful, powerful, courageous you Business School Dean Robert mu
are," she said. Dolan opened the eventby explain- F
The event, sponsored by the ing why the Business School chose age
Ross School of Business as part to invite a poet to speak rather rou
of its alumni weekend, was than a CEO. Dolan said he adores be
moved from Rackham Audito- Angelou's work and thinks people And
rium to Hill Auditorium so more working in business can learn
people from outside the Business from her. to t
School could attend. All tickets "I believe people in business do klit
were free on a first-come, first- important things," he said. "To do lau
serve basis. their job well, they need wisdom. be
GOT A NEWS TIP?
E-mail news@michigandaily.com
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r for many of our key systems,"
zak said. "We don't want to cre-
a global engineering network
having engineering sites in too
ny different locations."
Kuzak's speech also emphasized
sinesses working with universi-
s to discover new technologies.
e Research Corridor universi-
s all have tech transfer offices,
ich were repeatedly praised at
e conference.
Rick Snyder, CEO of Ardesta
C, credited the Corridor univer-
ies' transfer offices, but he said
ere's still room for improvement.
"It's a work in progress," Snyder
d during his speech. "We're not
e world-class players we want to
but we're pretty darn close."
The main event of the first day
the conference was a panel
mprised of the three university
esidents.
During her speech, University
esident Mary Sue Coleman
plained that the University
search Corridor's goal is to
ter change in the state's econ-
:y.
"Through the URC we've lever-
ed our collective assets," Cole-
an said. "We want to increase
iversity partnerships across
siness and university sectors,
d we think we can do that bet-
than we can individually."
ya Angelou's work is full of wis-
m on living a giving life."
Jennifer Anderson, a second-
ar MBA student, said she agreed
th Dolan.
"I think people do like to sepa-
e the two, to classify someone
either an artist or a math per-
," she said. "It's a shame we do
t to each other when we have so
ch to offer."
Even at a university thatencour-
s students to pursue a well-
inded education, people need to
reminded of the value of poetry,
gelou said.
"It may seem like I'm preaching
the choir," she said, eyes twin-
ng as members of the audience
ghed. "But the choir needs to
reminded sometimes."
NOBEL From page lA
same: The Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change, to which
Pollack is one of thousands of con-
tributing scientists, had received
the Nobel Peace Prize for its work
on climate change, along with for-
mer vice president Al Gore.
Pollack is one of at least eight,
University researchers who con-
tributed to IPCC reports between
1995 and 2007.
Atmospheric science Prof. Joyce
Penner, whose research on the role
of aerosols in global climate change
. appeared in the 2001 and 2007
reports, said she was "extremely
pleased" that Gore and the IPCC
received the prestigious 106-year-
old award.
"I think that the (IPCC) reports
have had a tremendous impact in
guiding policymakers, and Gore
has also had a tremendous impact
on the public," said Penner, a pro-
fessor of atmospheric science.
Penner said students in her
classes have begun to see climate
change as a much more urgent issue
recently.
"Two years ago, 50 percent of
my students said they wanted to do
something about climate change
and SO percent said they didn't,"
said Penner, who cited Gore's 2006
film "An Inconvenient Truth" as
critical to the climate change dis-
STEM CELLS
From page 1A
Marcia Baum, the executive
director of Michigan Citizens for
Stem Cell Research and Cures, said
a repeal of the stem cell ban would
allow for increased medical and
economic benefits by drawingmore
prominent researchers to the state.
Baum is also acting as a spokes-
woman for the Stem Cell Research
Ballot Question Committee.
She said the committee is decid-
ing whether to push for an amend-
ment to the Michigan constitution
or a change in state law. Both would
require a majority in the November
2008 election for passage, but a con-
stitutional amendment is harder to
place on the ballot. A constitutional
amendment would require the sig-
natures of 380,126 registered state
voters by July 7, 2008, while chang-
ing a state law requires 304,101 sig-
natures.
The committee is made up of four
members: Rick Johnson, former
speaker of the state House; former
U.S. Rep. Joe Schwarz (R-Battle
Creek); Richard Whitmer, former
president and chief executive offi-
cer of Blue Cross Blue Shield; and
Detroit Attorney Linda Bloch.
Sean Morrison, director of the
University's Center for Stem Cell
Biology, said he'd like to see the ban
repealed.
"It would dramatically help
research at the University," he said.
"We would be able to derive our
own embryonic stem cell lines."
The University opened a privately
funded stem cell lab in February that
conducts research on embryonic
stem cells. But it must obtain the cells
from other universities and research
cussion.
"This year, there were only about
two or three students out of 120
who said they weren't going to do
something about climate change,"
she said.
Pollack, who has tried to recon-
struct past climates in hopes of
understanding what led to past
climate change and whether those
factors play a role today's climate
change, said he's also seen changes
in the public's understanding of the
issue.
"There's been a tipping point
in public acceptance of climate
change and human contributions
to (climate change), and I think
Gore played a big role in that with
'An Inconvenient Truth' and 'The
Assault on Reason,'" Pollock said.
In "The Assault on Reason," pub-
lished in May, Gore slams the Bush
administration's consolidation of
power and bemoans what he says is
a decline in the tenor of the national
political debate.
Maria Carmen Lemos, an asso-
ciate professor in the School of
Natural Resources and the Environ-
ment, contributed research on gov-
ernmental roles in the adaptation
And vulnerability of water supply
sources during climate change to
the 2007 IPCC report. She said the
prize is a "very nice compliment,"
but not a defining moment for the
climate change discussion, which
centers, slowing the process.
Morrison said he would be jailed
in Michigan forusing federal dollars
to do the same stem cell research he
would receive funding for in states
like California.
"That has a generally chilling
effect," he said. "It sends a message
to the world that Michigan is not
serious about the life sciences."
He said the University performs
adult and embryonic stem cell
research. But without being able to
derive its own embryonic lines, it
can't keep up with other research
universities.
Morrison said embryonic stem
cell research should be done
alongside adult stem cell research.
Embryonic stem cells can grow
into any different type of adult cell,
making it easier for researchers to
work with them as potential cures
for diseases like juvenile diabetes.
While adult stem cell research is
still beneficial, Morrison said the
cells are partially specialized and
limited in number.
He said the University is making
strides in adult stem cell research,
but researchers hoping to work
with embryonic stem cells won't
even consider doing their work in
Michigan.
Michael Clarke, a former Univer-
sity professor of internal medicine,
left the University of Michigan in
2005'to pursue embryonic stem cell
research at Stanford University.
State Rep. Andy Meisner
(D-Ferndale) proposed a bill in
April that would allow discarded
embryos from fertility clinics to be
donated for researchers to derive
lines of embryonic stem cells. A
hearing on that bill in the House
Judiciary Committee scheduled for
last month was postponed. Meisner
said he's hopeful the hearingwill be
has been going on for over a decade.
"The Nobel is importantbecause
it keeps climate change in the pub-
lic eye and reinforces the ideas of
climate change," Lemos said.
She described the award as
the "cherry on top" of the climate"
change movement that has been-
years in the making.
Atmospheric studies researcher.
Natalia Andronova, a contributor'
to a chapter about identifying the
causes of climate change in a 2007
IPCC report, said the Nobel Prize-
"gives hope" in solving the climate
change issue.
Andronova said that although
the IPCC reports emphasize the
human causes of climate change,.'
they also stress the human capacity
for getting back to a climate equi-
librium.
Pollack, who works as an advis-
er to Gore's Climate Project, said.
he believes considerable prog-
ress is being made in the reducing
human-caused climate change, but
he doubts whether the public real-.
izes the scope of what it will take to
reverse this change.
"It really takes a lot of bold steps,
but they're not out of reach," Pol-
lack said. "We know how to do
them; we just have to have the will
to do them."
The other University winners
were Rosina Bierbaum, Minghuai
Wang, Li Xu and Det f Sprinz.
scheduled for the end of this month,
and he thinks the bill will pass.
"I think it has broad overwhelm-
ing bipartisan support," he said.,
Johnson, a Republican, said he
thinks there is a better chance of
legislation passing if it's left up
to Michigan voters instead of the
Senate and the House of Repre-
sentatives. He said it's important
for people to be able to receive the
benefits of embryonic stem cell
research without having to leave
the state.
"I feel strongly that we need this
kind of research in Michigan," he
said. "We believe we're going to be
able to help to make that happen."
Right to Life of Michigan is
opposed to the proposed bill and
said it will work to fight any bal-
lot initiative that would legalize
embryonic stem cell research.
Pam Sherstad, a spokeswoman
for the group, said the organization
supports stem cell research - but
not any kind that would destroy an
embryo. She said many embryos
that might be used for research
could be adopted, fertilized and.
implanted in a woman's womb.
"Every embryo is unique and
irreplaceable," she said.
LSA sophomore Lauren Bennett,
vice president of the University
chapter of Students for Life, said
her group's position mirrors that of
Right to Life of Michigan. She said
adult stem cell research has yielded
plenty of results - meaning there's
no need to destroy embryos.
"If you can get the same ends
without destroying anyone, I think
that's the most responsible decision
to make," she said.
She said Students for Life is plan-
ning a campaign to try to convince
students that embryonic stem cell
research is wrong.
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