The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Tuesday, April 16, 2013 - 5 The ichganDail - ichgandilyom uesdy, pri 16,201 -I BOSTON From Page 1 Cellular phone reception was very weak in the Boston area following the attack, so many individuals involved resorted to e-mail or social media to let their loved ones know they were all right. Business graduate student John Maxey - who has run in the Boston Marathon twice before - finished the race, then returned to Ann Arbor in time for class. He wrote in an e-mail that he was shaken by the attacks, especially since his family had attended his previous races. "The idea of (my family) waiting at the finish for me is too much to contemplate now," Maxey wrote. "My little boy is 10 months old and it gives me anew perspective on the whole thing." Maxey wrote that he had no intention of letting the attack change how he conducted his daily life. "I refuse to let these wacko outliers create that environ- ment, and I refuse to live in fear," he wrote. "Making it back to class now seems so trivial, but the idea that I would let this sicko change my plans for me, or make me whole up watching the revolving on the news for hours on end, I refuse to do it." Rackham student Jessie Benaglio wrote in an e-mail his parents were cheering for him at the line as he finished his first Boston Marathon. They were back at the hotel when they heard the explosions. "We tried to leave for the airport right away because we had no idea what was going on," Benaglio wrote. "It was very scary and I can't believe anyone could do this to such a presti- gious event." Incoming graduate student Aaron Kosel also ran in the mar- athon. "I was two blocks away. The blasts shook the building I was in and they evacuated everyone, so I am fine. Everyone I know who ran finished well before the explosion," Kosel wrote in an e-mail. "It's pretty horrifying." Rackham student Mike Waterson finished the race and was just leaving the finish recovery area when the explo- sion went off a few blocks away. He said the people around him didn't understand the gravity of the situation as first responders began arriving. "It sounded almost like a can- nonball getting shot off," Water- son said. Waterson said leaving the city was difficult because most public transportation was shut down. Nursing gradate student Danielle Hainer signed up and practiced for the marathon but didn't end up participating due to a knee injury. "I now feel that maybe it was meant to be that I not go,' Hain- er wrote. "I was anticipating on finishing around 4 hours. Explo- sions went off a little after the 4 hour mark. Very scary stuff." Meredith Barrett, a general surgery resident at the Univer- sity of Michigan Health System, also ran in the marathon and wrote that she and her family were safe. "It was horrible," Barrett wrote. Rackham student Joshua White finished the race and was recovering in a nearby cafe when the incident occurred. He wrote in an e-mail that the whole situa- tion felt "surreal" and noted how social media played an impor- tant role in keeping his loved ones informed. "My first reaction was shock, and then honestly the first thing I did was post on Facebook that I was okay," White wrote. "It's amazing how much social media and texting played a part in this. It was impossible to get calls through." -Managing News Editor Adam Rubenfire, Daily News Editor Katie Burke and Daily Staff Reporter Danielle Raykhinshteyn contributing reporting. REGENTS From Page 1 until May 31. Gelman appointed interim dean of LSA The regents will also vote on the appointment of University psychology professor Susan Gel- m~n as the interim dean of LSA. Gelman's term will last from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31, 2014. Gelman is currently the Heinz Werner Collegiate Chair of Psy- chology and LSA Professor of Psy- chology, with tenure. She earned a B.A. in psychology and classical Greek from Oberlin College and later received her Ph.D. in psy- chology from Stanford University. She has been a University faculty member sine 1984. Teaching both graduate and undergraduate classes, Gelman's studies and classes focus primar- ily on the development of thought and language, particularly with youngchildren. She has published over 200 scholarly articles and has been on the editorial boards for multiple scientific journals. In addition, she was a panelist for the National Institute of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Ford Foundation. Gelman has previously served as president of the Cognitive Development Society and, in 2012, was elected to the National Academy of Sci- ences. At the University, Gelman has served as an adviser to under- graduate, graduate and doctoral fellows, receiving the Develop- mental Psychology Mentor Award from the Americati Psychological Association in 2012. She was also awarded theixcellence in Educa- tion Award, presented by LSA in 1995. Gelman has also served as a member of the LSA executive committee and as an associ- ate LSA dean frorn 2004-2007, responsible for faculty appoint- ments and research in the social sciences. In this capacity, she supervised faculty hiring, promo- tions and retirements, in addi- tion to encouraging mentoring, faculty research, and monitor- ing departmental planning and review processes. As chairman of the LSA committee on promotion and tenure, Gelman spearheaded the creation of a more transparent review process. In a communication to the regents, Hanlon said he's pleased Gelman has agreed to serve as interim dean. "She is one of the most distin- guished and highly visible schol- ars in the College," Hanlon wrote. "With her years of experience as a faculty member and her knowl- edge of the College's administra- tion gained through her service as associate dean, I am confident that the College will maintain its momentum during this interim period." Board to approve new master's degree program in Medical School The regents will review a pro- posal to add a new Master of Health Professions Education degree program, coordinated by the Medical School. The program - with participation from the School of Nursing, the School of Dentistry, the School of Pharma- cy and the School of Social Work - will train students to become "leaders in education" in various health professional fields. In a communication from Han- lon and James Woolliscroft, dean of the Medical School, the two administrators wrote that the program will target profession- als to give them "an innovative, competency-based curriculum" to enhance their development in their respective professional set- tings. The proposed degree has been approved by the Medical School's Executive Committee and has been reviewed by the Office of the Provost. With the approval of both the regents and the President's Council of the State Universities of Michigan, the program will provide a'new path for future medical educa- tors. With more than 2,800 fac- ulty members in the University's health professions schools and other faculty from other Michi- gan schools, Hanlon and Wool- liscroft wrote that there's a need for more formally trained educa- tors. The program will begin with about 12 students per class and later aims to expand to a stable matriculation rate of 25 per year. According to the proposal, the limited number will ensure each student is accepted on a selective basis and receives a focused edu- cation. The program requires around 32 to 38 credit hours over a period of two to four years. The tuition rate hasn't yet been set. Regents to consider schematic design for William Clements Libraryrenovation Also pending approval at Thursday's meeting is the sche- matic design for infrastructure improvements and addition for the William Clements Library. While the library houses a wide variety of material, it's best known for its collection of original American history docu- ments. Built in 1923 by famed Detroit architect Albert Kahn, the library will undergo a $16.8-mil- lion renovation as approved by the regents at their November meeting. The project will include infrastructure renovations that will follow historical preserva- tion techniques. These upgrades will include improvements in accessibility, as well as fire detection and suppression, heating, plumbing, electrical, ventilation, air conditioning and security systems. In addi- tion to an exterior restoration, the project plans to construct a 7,500-square-foot addition that will hold parts of the library's collection. In a communication to the regents, Timothy Slottow, the University's executive vice presi- dent and chief financial officer, said the project will be funded by gifts and investment proceeds. In an interview last month, Clements Library Director Kevin Graffagnino said much of the ren- ovation will entail bringing the building into the 21st century. "The architecture of this build- ing is one of the treasures on cam- pus; it has to look like this when it's finished," Graffagnino said. "After 90 years, we've outgrown this space, and it's a beautiful old building, but it needs to be fixed up." Pending approval of the sche- matic designs, the project will provide 31 on-site construction jobs and is scheduled for comple- tion in the summer of 2015. ASSEMBLY From Page 1 ized support for the resolution, dissenters in the room expressed feelings of hesitation. "I do not support this reso- lution; I'm probably one of the few people who supports the administration in this matter," Finn Larsen, SACUA member and physics professor, said. "I think the University is doing what they can in balancing legal and practical difficulties with regards to (diversity). It's a very complex problem, and to say diversity is exclusively this is limiting." Larsen added that there have to be "difficult tradeoffs on both sides" in undertaking major issues such as campus-wide diversity. "By narrowing this view of diversity, we're simply not tak- ing a modern view, we're taking a view that was appropriate 30 years ago, and nowadays it's ille- gal in the state of Michigan, and maybe even should be." Members of the University's robotics team document and demonstrate the use of their new device. ROBOTICS From Page 1 Given the state's historic back- ground in manufacturing and engi- neering, Snyder said he believes that Michigan has been primed to become a very important part of this burgeoningsector oftechnology. "The building of this technology and the job opportunities for peo- ple in these fields is going to be out- standing," Snyder said. "We have too many open positions today, and we need to make sure we fill that pipeline with great, young people." In his State of the State address in January, Snyder spoke about his desire to get autonomous vehicle legislationofftheground. Michigan Sen. Mike Kowall (R-White Lake) authored Senate Bill 169, which would allow vehicle manufactur- ers and suppliers to test self-driving vehicles on public roads. It passed unanimously in the transportation committee and will be on the Sen- ate floor this week. Kowall said he hopes that the legislature will have it ready to be signed by June. Kowall added that he believes that automated vehicles could have an immensely positive economic effect on the automotive industry, and he hopes that much of that growth occurs in Michigan. In order for that to happen, he said the state must continue to invest in education, research and develop- ment, and likened the autonomous vehicle innovation to what Henry Ford did with the assembly line. "This is opening up a whole new frontierforwhere transportationis going to go in the future," Kowall said. "It's exciting to be on the fore- front of it." Since the event's inception in 2011, attendance at Michigan Robotics Day has doubled each year. More than 500 people regis- tered for this year's event. Rick Jarman, president and CEO of the National Center for Manufac- turing Sciences, said in an interview that the event was created three years ago to "energize the entire ecosystem of robotics in the state" and provide "anenvironmentwhere collaboration can occur." Jarman added that while Michi- gan has a strong manufacturing and engineering background, it will still have to compete on a glob- al level for commercial opportuni- ties in automotive vehicles. "We all have a lot more to do before they play 'Hail to the Vic- tors' for us," Jarman said. Despite all of these possibilities, Snyder emphasized that success on these frontiers will depend on the state's ability to improve and expand STEM education. One way of doing so, he said, is to rethink how these classes are taught. He advocated for student-centered learning models that stress more interactive, hands-on education. Snyder added that it-was important to get young children over the stigma that STEM subjects are too hard. "We need to help people that have that barrier understand that this can be fun," Snyder said. "Being a nerd can be fun, folks." Because of the high costs associ- ated with STEM education, Snyder said it's important for the govern- ment to continue to invest in it, adding that he believes there will be more private-public partner- ships that commit to this type of education in the future. Many K-12 students involved in the For Inspiration and Rec- ognition of Science. and Technol- ogy program - which designs programs that motivate young people to pursue opportunities in STEM fields - attended the event. Jarman said he was encour- aged by the success of the FIRST program but believes there's more progress to be made in drawing in young students to the STEM fields. "I think there's a whole gen- eration of technology people that we're going to need in this space, not only for creating it, but also for maintaining it," Jarman said. Jarman said NASA has also made efforts in inspiring scientific curiosity in students. Engineering junior Jordan Cassidy, a member of the Robotic Exploration of Space Team - a part of the College of Engineering's Stu- dent Space Systems Fabrications Laboratory - is taking part in a NASA-sponsored competition that requires the team to design and build a lunar excavator, which uses autonomous driving systems. Cassi- dy and the rest of the team present- ed their project at Monday's event. "I think that there should be more (robotics) opportunities in classrooms," Cassidy said. "Hands- on skills, practical engineering abilities, good teamwork, plan- ning, the design process - all of that goes into not just robotics, but anything." Once there's a greater commit- ment to these programs in our education system, Jarman said, much bigger opportunities will be on the horizon. "We're on the precipice of a revolution that will rival society- changing innovations such as the automobile, personal computer and the Internet," Jarman said. "You'll be hard pressed to identify any facet of our daily lives that won'tbe impacted by this technology. The technology is out there; all we've got to do is take the next step." COUNCIL From Page 1 believes the proposal is politi- cally motivated, and he made it clear that he does not support the ordinance. "This was bad legislation from the day it was proposed," Hieftje said. "It's almost like we're trying to punish the DDA for creating one of the finest downtowns in the Midwest." Charles Coleman, transi- tional housing coordinator for Dawn Farm, told council mem- bers that out of the 150 people in the Dawn Farm program at 13 sites, roughly 120 were in the audience to support their cause on Monday. Many of them addressed council at the podium in a public hearing that lasted hours. Coleman said he believes Kunselman and Kailasapathy harbor misconceptions about the DDA. "I think the misconception that a couple of our council members have is that the DDA just deals with parking and infrastructure," Coleman said. "They're more than that: (They handle) affordable housing, funding for the arts, maintain- ing streets. They do a lot of won- derful things." Coleman added that he thinks the council delayed the vote scheduled for Monday due to the overwhelming disapprov- al of the ordinance voiced at the meeting. "I thought it was kind of a strategic move that they post- poned this vote tonight, know- ing that they would have this huge turnout," Coleman said. "'hey couldn't vote with a con- science tonight knowing they have this much community sup- port for this entity. ... I hope (at the next meeting) they will vote with their consciences and with their hearts." Julie Steiner, executive direc- tor of the Washtenaw Housing Alliance, noted that there are two to three times more home- less people in Ann Arbor now than there were over a decade ago. She said she doesn't under- stand how affordable hous- ing will be funded if the DDA's funding is cut. "The DDA has been the big- gest financial supporter of affordable housing in this town over the past 20 years," Steiner said. "The argument is that you're going to take the money away from the DDA and put it back in the city budget ... then what - in terms of affordable housing?" While the DDA doesn't fund all affordable housing in Ann Arbor, it does help subsidize affordable housing projects, helping them maintain lower rates than if the funding wasn't available. Many advocates from Camp Take Notice, a program not funded by the DDA that previ- ously provided a campsite with tents to the homeless in Ann Arbor, came to voice their disap- proval of the ordinance. While the program isn't currently active, Caleb Poirier, founder of Camp Take Notice, said they hope to have a campsite in the city this summer that is near the Ann Arbor Transit Authority's bus lines. Poirier said the homeless are often not visible to the average citizen. "Sometimes during the day- time, we get cleaned up and don't want to be recognized as such, so that's why the home- less population isn't necessar- ily visible to the middle class," Poirier said. "The middle class ... doesn't realize when they are zipping by a bridge that people are livingunder it." In response to the barrage of public comments, Kunsel- man steadfastly defended his proposed ordinance. His main argument is that these funds can be better allocated by the city and individual entities rath- er than the DDA, and that the proposed increase of roughly $1 million in funds to the DDA in fiscal year 2015 is completely unnecessary. Kunselman added that while he understands the place the DDA holds in the city, he ques- tions whether it's the appropri- ate vehicle for allocating many of these funds. "It's a great reflection of what we all do believe, and that is that the DDA is a great institution for the city of Ann Arbor," Kunsel- man said. "That being said, the issues that we are discussing have to do with future tax dol- lars that should be directed to the city and the taxing authori- ties that also need them." Councilmember Jane Lumm (I-Ward 2) said she believes the rhetoric has risen to a highly "uncivil level," and she said she believes Mayor Hieftje is off-base in suggesting that Kunselman's motives for this legislation are purely political. Councilmember Christopher Taylor (D-Ward 3) said while the ordinance would not be the "death nail" to the DDA, he believes the legislation, as is, would be harmful. HEY SCHOOL'S OVER SOON, THAT MEANS NO MORE TEXTBOOKS!!!! 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