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Ann Arbor, Michigan
Tuesday, November 20,2012
michigandaily.com
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Obama picks
'U' dean for
science board
ON DISPLAY
Deborah
Loewenberg Ball
appointed to
advisory body
By SAM GRINGLAS
Daily StaffReporter
When Deborah Loewenberg
Ball, the dean of the School of
Education, heard her phone
ring last May, she almost didn't
answer.
The caller ID read
"unknown," usually a sign of
telemarketers, but she picked
up, anyway. The White House
Office of Appointments and
Scheduling was on the line.
President Barack Obama
announced Ball's appointment
to the National Science Board, a
body that governs the National
Science Foundation and advis-
es the president and Congress
on science and mathematics
research, last week.
"I am honored that these tal-
ented individuals have decided
to join this administration and
serve our country," Obama said
in a statement. "I look forward
to working with them in the
months and years to come."
As part of the 25-member
board composed of professors,
deans and organization presi-
dents from across the country,
Ball said she is looking forward
to contributing her experience
in the fields of education and
mathematics.
"It's exciting," Ball said. "It's
not somethingyou expect at all.
And it's just a terrific honor to
be asked to do something of this
kind."
At the University, Ball is the
William ,H. Payne Collegiate
Professor of Education, an
Arthur F. Thurnau professor,
and a research professor at the
Institute for Social Research.
Ball also founded Teaching
Works, a program founded
to improve teacher education
across the nation. As part of
this program, she continues to
teach mathematics to elemen-
tary school students every
summer.
"That keeps me grounded in
the realities of some of the chal-
lenges of helping even pretty.
young children learn math-
ematics," she said.
Whether in the classroom
with elementary school stu-
dents during her 15-year stint
as a mathematics teacher, or on
the Michigan Council for Edu-
cator Effectiveness, a commit-
tee created by Republican Gov.
Rick Snyder to design Michi-
gan's teacher evaluation sys-
tem, Ball is often looked to as a
leader in the field.
University Provost Philip
Hanlon, who has worked with
Ball on projects such as Teach-
ing Works, praised Ball for her
knowledge, insight and vision.
"I'm not surprised President
Obama tapped her," he said. "As
See SCIENCE BOARD, Page 3
Art and Design sophomore Sam Oliver and Art and Design junior Ariel Weiser pose as models for a drawing class in the Ross School of Business on Monday
INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
Big Ten ,ad..,ds M\.arylan1d
Rutgers expected
to become league's
14th team today
By STEPHEN J. NESBITT
Daily Sports Editor
The Big Ten keeps getting big-
ger. The University of Maryland
Board of Regents voted Monday
to accept an invitation toleave the
ACC and become the 13th mem-
ber of the Big Ten Conference.
Rutgers is expected to follow suit
on Tuesday.
Maryland, one of the eight
founding members of the ACC in
1953, will be an official member of
the Big Ten beginning July1, 2014
and will begin competition in the
conference in the 2014-2015 aca-
demic year.
The move was announced at a
press conference Monday after-
noon in College Park, Md. with
University of Maryland Presi-
dent Wallace Loh, Brit Kirwan,
University System of Maryland
Chancellor, Maryland athletic
director Kevin Anderson and Big
Ten commissioner Jim Delaney
present.
In his opening remarks, Loh
declared the transition to the Big
Ten a "watershed" moment for
the Terrapins.
"Membership in the Big Ten
Conference is in the strate-
gic interest of the University of
Maryland," Loh said. "It will not
only ensure the financial vitality
of Maryland athletics for decades
to come, but the extensive oppor-
tunities in the CIC for collabo-
rations with our peer AAU and
See MARYLAND, Page 3
ANN ARBOR CITY COUNCIL
Council debates
alternatives for
public art funding,
Several proposals and Councilmember Mike
Anglin (D-Ward 5) voting in
introduced, opposition to the tabling.
Lumm said funds used for
tabled at meeting public art would be better
used for street repair, parks
By GIACOMO BOLOGNA or other city expenses, add-.
Daily StaffReporter ing that the art pieces funded
through the percent plan
After a millage to replace "have had less than universal
Ann Arbor's Percent for Art acceptance.".
plan was voted down by city Another argument made by
voters, the Ann Arbor City Council was that while Ann.
Council is struggling to reach Arbor residents rejected the
a consensus for the best way millage for public art, their
to fund public art projects in vote does not mean they nec-
the city. essarily support the Percent
At the first meeting for for Art plan.
newly elected City Council- Newcomer Kailasapathy
members Chuck Warpehoski felt no. apprehension div-
.(D-Ward 5), Sally Peters- ing into the discussion, and
en (D-Ward 2), and Sumi said that the Council should
Kailasapathy (D-Ward 1), have repealed Percent for Art
Councilmember Jane Lumm before putting a new proposal
(I-Ward 2) proposed an ordi- to voters, ultimately suggest-
nance that would terminate ing that the Council suspend
the current public art fund- the percent plan until it can
ing plan, which requires that decide the best funding model.
1 percent of city funds spent A proposed ordinance that
on capital improvement proj- would temporarily suspend
ects used for public art. The the Percent for Art plan until
ordinance was eventually April authored by Coun-
tabled despite Lumm, Kail See COUNCIL, Page 3
U' RESEARCH
'U'nanofiber
research
could lead to
a cure for MS
Study examines
functionality of
nervous system
By ANNA ROZENBERG
Daily Staff Reporter
In the . biomedical engineering
community, one University lab has
been increased attention after it
uncovered a study that may help find
cures for autoimmune diseases like
multiple sclerosis.
The study - recently published
in Nature Methods, a monthly pub-
lication that aims to inform readers
about developments in well-known
research techniques - analyzed the
functionality of the central nervous
system to better understand nervous
system disorders.
Joseph Corey, an assistant profes-
sor of neurology at the University's
Medical School, has been working
on the research in partnership with
a California-based lab run by Jonah
Chan, an associate professor of neu-
rology at the University of California,
See RESEARCH, Page 3
ADAM GLANZMAN/Daily
Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje discusses the nevy Blake Transit Center at a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday.
AATAbreaks round
on new transit center
$8.1-million with shovels in hand on Mon-
day morning to signify the start
project praised by of construction of a new transit
center.
city officials The $8.1-million project,
funded through state and fed-
By STEPHANIE DILWORTH eral grants, will involve tearing
For the Daily down the existing Blake Transit
Center and building a new struc-
City officials donned in bright ture that will better meet the
orange construction hats gath- needs of Ann Arbor residents
ered on South Fourth Avenue and Ann Arbor Transit Author-
ity users. The project construc-
tion is expected to be complete
by fall 2013.
A crowd of about 75 Ann
Arbor residents and members
of the AATA and the Down-
town Development Authority
gathered outside the center for
the groundbreaking ceremony,
where they heard from the offi-
cials and learned more about the
See AATA, Page 3
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