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 .. ... ': .. .ecNaa.+.:, -ww.-+" .. ..n raFi ... .. w8f«L' .. ...., _.wu...m ,., .. +.. ..... i b.. _......... a . x. .:... ,e .. ~ e .. t °p . > I..;, .w . ...ate.: ... . _ s ,. 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.