ie hundred five years
ofeditoralfreedom .. W E KL
Wednesday
May 29, 1996
U'receives grant fr new engineenng re",search center
atthew Smart
Staff Reporter
The National Science Foundation has
warded the University $12 million to
reate the Center for Reconfigurable
eachining Systems. The center is one
f four new Engineering Research
enters to be started by the NSF.
The center will also receive $10 mil-
ion from 31 industrial partners and
6.2 million from the College of
ngineering and Office of the Vice
ident for Research.
he successful initiation of this
Engineering Research Center is the
result of an unusual level of collabora-
tion between industry, federal govern-
ment and universities," said Homer
Neal, vice president for research, in a
written statement. "The ERC represents
a bold approach to industry-university
collaboration, intended to meet the
challenge of bringing knowledge from
'science' to 'market.' This NSF award
and extensive industry participation
will make this center a leader in extend-
ing our knowledge in engineering, busi-
ness and basic science and applying it
to the manufacturing process."
The research center will be the only
one of its kind in the country and will
be one of 25 NSF Engineering
Research Centers nationwide.
Approximately 80 faculty and stu-
dents will study a new manufacturing
concept called Reconfigurable
Manufacturing Systems. In such a sys-
tem, hardware and software are devel-
oped as modules that can be rearranged
and upgraded quickly and easily to
reduce time for new product develop-
ment and changeovers between prod-
ucts, said Yoram Koren, a professor of
engineering at the University.
"Traditional manufacturing sys-
tems incorporate new technology
and new products by periodically
building new production systems and
discarding the old," Koren said. "The
vision of a reconfigurable system is
a living factory that evolves over
time as new technology and products
are introduced."
"Initial work at the center will focus
on machining processes for use in auto-
motive, aerospace and heavy equipment
manufacturing," said manufacturing
professor A. Galip Ulsoy, center deputy
director. "In later research, we will
expand RMS principles to other manu-
facturing processes, such as assembly
and welding."
In addition to the research center, an
educational program will be jointly
developed by the Greenfield
Educational Coalition in
Manufacturing Engineering, the
College of Engineering's Program in
Manufacturing and the Tauber
Manufacturing Institute.
tedical Center officials may
send out pink slips soon
ly kae Wang
)aiv N:evss ditor"
ospital officials may begin handing
ut pink slips either today or tomorrow,
sospital spokesperson Michael Harrison
aid yesterday. Pending approval from an
idvisory review committee headed by
Associate Medical School Dean Lloyd
acobs, departments will begin the first
wave of employee layoffs.
More than 1,100 employees are
:xpected to lose their jobs this year.
However, there is no official word yet on
how many may be notified this week.
Under the 1988 federal Worker
Adjustment and Retraining
Notification Act, better known as the
WARN Act, employees who have
worked at the hospital for more than 10
years are guaranteed either a 60-day or
90-day notice, depending on seniority.
The notice would be effective imme-
diately after the cuts are officially
announced.
In this week's Focus: A look at the
trends in university hospitals around the
country. Page 12.
Spring Fling' to provide free health
screening, recreation, food
By Kate Glickman dent.
Daily Staff Reporter "I remember when I was a student
This Saturday afternoon, students and I didn't have insurance to get vision
who have long avoided checking their testing. You do have to start worrying
d pressure, vision, nutrition and (about health)," Eden said.
o er health Each partici-
:oncerns can pant will be given
:o so at the You do have t about 30 minutes
first- ever of medical
Sprtng Fling" start worrying screening,
picnic on including alcohol
Palmer Field. (about health)" and sex education
Sponsored counseling. Part
by the - Glenn Eden of the screening
U n i v e r s i t y Task force chairperson will include a
A f r i c a n health appraisal
e r i can by a computer-
ramming Task Force, the Spring ized health program developed at
Fling brings together members of sev- Emory College.
eral organizations interested in promot- After going through the process,
ing health awareness by funding on-site students receive a free meal ticket and
testing booths for interested students. can play volleyball or listen to music.
Glenn Eden, chairperson of the task The event will focus on overall phys-
force, said he did not take enough time
to focus on health when he was a stu- See FLING, Page 2
Fossil fun
This fossilized Edmontosaurus is one of many attractions at the University's Exhibit Museum of Natural History. The
museum will celebrate 40 years of display Saturday with free goodies, a hands-on fossil dig and a planetarium show.
Softball team eliminated at College World Seies
By Mark Snyder
Daily Spurts Writer
What began asa season ofhigh hopes
for the Michigan women's softball team
ended in a sea of unfulfilled dreams.
The Wolverines, who entered the
tournament as the No. 6 seed, lost their
first two games at the Women's College
World Series, and were the second team
eliminated from the tournament.
Losses to defending champion UCLA
and Big Ten nemesis-Iowa left Michigan
in a tie for seventh and without a victory
at the Women's College World Series in
its two years of competition there.
Michigan traveled to Columbus, Ga.
on a roll. The Wolverines had swept
through the Big Ten Tournament as well
as the NCAA regional, handily defeat-
ing the competition they faced. But it
was the competition Michigan did not
face which would come back to haunt
the squad.
The Wolverines played both
Minnesota and Indiana at the confer-
ence tournament, but did not face Iowa.
The Hawkeyes played the season as
an experienced team. They finished
third in the Big Ten in both the regular
season and the tournament, but
rebounded to win the regional in Iowa
City. Iowa advanced to Georgia as the
No. 7 seed overall.
But then, just as they did last season,
the Hawkeyes won two games and fin-
ished tied for third overall at the
Women's College World Series.
Unfortunately for the Wolverines, the
first of those wins was against
Michigan.
See SERIES, Page 2
THIS WEEK'S
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3 NSIDE NEWS
Safehouse starts new
minority support group.
8 RTS 10 5PORTS
'Mission: Impossible' moves Michigan Women's
to the big screen. Basketball coach resigns.