B-IDE 'West' is the best: Step into the Salon with Daily Arts to discuss the pros and less-pros of Aaron Sorkin's classic drama 'The West Wing.' )> INSIDE ONHl IL\NIl)kE WE lT ( I Ann Arbor, Michigan Thursday, January 19, 2012 michigandaily.com STATE OF THE STATE In address, Gov. lauds innovation and growth LEFT: A protester holds a sign in solidarity for GSRA unionization. TOP RIGHT: Protesters assemble outside of the Lurie Engineering Center to rally against the firing of former GSRA Jennifer Dibbern yesterday. BOTTOM RIGHT: Dibbern speaks to local news reporters about her termination. GEG protests firing of GSRA Dibbern claims she ference claiming that Jennifer for GSRAs to gain the right to she was locked out of her lab and Dibbern, a GSRA in the Depart- unionize. wasn't allowed to continue her was dismissed due ment of Materials Science and In an interview after the research. Engineering, had been unjustly event, Dibbern said her relation- "My GSRA work was how I to union advocacy fired due to her support of the ship with her adviser, Engineer- paid tuition and that was how GSRA unionization effort. ing Prof. Rachel Goldman, was I supported myself," Dibbern By GIACOMO BOLOGNA Dibbern, GEO President amicable until Goldman became said. "It's my job." Daily StaffReporter Samantha Montgomery and aware that Dibbern supported Goldman declined to com- GEO member Jeremy Moore unionizing. ment. The ongoing fight over addressed a crowd of about 50 Dibbern claimed she was Dibbern said she wouldn't the right of graduate student people yesterday in front of later unjustly fired from her have been fired if GSRAs were research assistants to unionize the Robert H. Lurie Engineer- position on Aug. 30 for talking able to unionize, and she said continued to escalate yester- ing Center on North Campus to openly about her support for she continues to support GEO's day as the Graduate Employees discuss Dibbern's termination GSRA unionization. Following initiative. Organization held a press con- and laud the continuing fight her termination, Dibbern said See GSRA, Page SA Despite successes, Snyder says challenges still remain ByANDREW SCHULMAN Daily StaffReporter LANSING -Inhis Stateofthe State address last night, Repub- lican Gov. Rick Snyder urged members of the state House and Senate to press forward on the progress they forged last year, claiming this year will be serve as an opportunity to profit from the foundation set in 2011. Snyder presented promises for the upcoming year while reviewing failures of 2011, focusing primarily on the econ- omy and innovation. He pledged that the opportunity was ripe for "Michigan 3.0" - "a new era of innovation" ushered in by a reinvention of the state. "2011 was focused on dra- matic policy improvements over a broken model of the past," Sny- der said in the speech. "We set a right course for the future. 2012 is about finishing that work, the work left over from 2011 and tackling a limited number of unaddressed challenges and really making this year about good government." During his address, Snyder spoke at length about what he believes to be effective govern- ment - a system that brings the state prosperity and serves its citizens - referencing last year's accomplishments and this year's ambitions. Snyder praised last year's budget, calling it "financially sound" in the face of tough choices and highlighted gains in the state's economy. He noted that the state's unemployment rate dropped to 9.3 percent in See ADDRESS, Page SA SUNIVERSITY RESEARCH 'U' students, faculty take part in Auto Show Solar technology, NAIAS, even if it's not widely in Detroit - is the University's known. The University's part- Solar Car Team. Eric Hausman, battery design benefit Detroit By PETER SHAHIN Daily StaffReporter Among the glitz and glamour of the North American Inter- national Auto Show in Detroit, University innovations make up many of the underpinnings of the automobiles of tomorrow. Ranging from solar technolo- gies to advanced battery design, University students and faculty W comprise a substantial part of nerships with the Detroit Three - General Motors, Chrysler Group, and Ford Motor Co. - have assisted in providing student groups and University researchers with funding for projects to help the companies develop technologies to imple- ment in future automobiles, many of which are on debut at the show. One of the University exhibi- tors featured prominently at NAIAS - an annual showcase of future products in the automo- bile industry held this year from Jan. 9-22 at the COBO Center interim project manager for the team, said the group maintains partnerships with GM, Ford and Chrysler and the companies are often interested in the new designs and technologies that the car employs. Hausman said many of the students involved with the proj- ect get hired from their former sponsors. "There's a lot of interest in going right into the industry ... because we work with all those companies," Hausman said. "(Sponsorship) not only See AUTO SHOW, Page SA iCKNZI E BKEZN~i cc~i/Daily University students attend the Winter Career Expo in the Michigan Union yesterday. Winter Career Expo brings job opportunities to campus EDUCATING TEACHERS TeachingWorks program assists teachers in training initiatives New program to improve resource accessibility By JESSICA GELFARB For the Daily Between designing produc- tive classroom activities, dis- ciplining rowdy students and more teachers have to juggle a myriad of responsibilities. A new program developed in the School of Education aims to bet- ter prepare teachers for these challenges. School of Education Dean Deborah Loewenberg Ball, the director of TeachingWorks, said the program was developed in collaboration with faculty in the School of Education to offer increased resources intended to help train teachers, by focusing on a new set of teaching prin- ciples developedby the School of Education that it view as essen- tial to effective teaching. "Essentially, the organization is rooted in a set of core skills of teaching effectively," she said. "We build curriculum for help- ing people prepare teachers to do those things really well." TeachingWorkswaslaunched at a Jan. 12 event that includ- ed remarks by . Ball, Univer- sity Provost Phil Hanlon and Annemarie Palinesar, School See TEACHERS, Page 6A More than 75 companies visit to recruit students By ERIN FORSYTHE For the Daily With resumes in hand, stu- dents in business casual attire gathered at the Michigan Union yesterday to mingle and vie for interviews and internships at the University's annual Winter Career Expo. The all-day expo is co-spon- sored by the University's Career Center and the Office of Multi- Ethnic Student Affairs, and brings more than 75 companies to the University to hire qualified students for full-time positions and internships. Juanita Bell, a representa- tive for AT&T, was among vari- ous corporate representatives present at yesterday's fair, and said she was searching for retail sale consultants. Though AT&T recruits from across the United States, Bell said her success in recruiting at the University in past years at the expo proves the potential of University students in professional settings. "We're looking for leaders, individuals who are going to take charge and continue togrow with AT&T," Bell said. "(The) students here are very professional. They have great personalities and I think that it would be a good fit." Bill Burke, a representative for Cisco Systems who was also in attendance at the fair, also said the University produces excep- tional employees. "(We're looking) for students that have done well in school," Burke said. "We're looking for GPAs; we're looking for things we can tell quickly." Burke also lauded the experi- ence held by the many interns at Cisco Systems that attend the See EXPO, Page 5A WEATHER HI 22 TOMORROW LO2 90T A NEWS TIP? call 734-41-4115 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know. 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