msu

MSU: More interest in buying locally grown food

Steve Carmody — Sun, 05 May 2013 17:30:02 +0000

A new Michigan State University survey finds a growing number of school lunch rooms, hospitals cafeterias and other institutions are interested in filling their pantries with locally grown food.

MSU’s Center for Regional Food Systems has been asking institutions about whether they buy locally grown fruits, vegetables and other food staples since 2004.

Center director Michael Hamm says the number of school cafeterias buying local has tripled in the last decade. But he says there’s only so much more local farmers can produce now.

Is it time to expand workplace safety regulations in Michigan?

Steve Carmody — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:22:10 +0000

Union leaders are applauding a promise by state Democratic lawmakers to reinstate workplace safety regulations in Michigan.

The names of dozens of Michigan workers who died on the job were read aloud during a ceremony in Lansing. There are about 120 deaths in the workplace every year in Michigan.

Once too polluted, Lansing's Red Cedar River is once again open to anglers

Steve Carmody — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 04:04:00 +0000

For the first time in nearly a half century, people will be encouraged to fish along a portion of the Red Cedar River as it winds its way through the Michigan State University campus in East Lansing.

At a ceremony Monday near the campus’s western edge, MSU dignitaries, including Sparty, took turns dumping buckets of Steelhead trout into the meandering Red Cedar River.

Organizers want anglers to start casting their lines into the Red Ceder in hopes of reeling in the sportfish.

That’s a big change.

Poll finds Michiganders are divided on right-to-work law

Steve Carmody — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 15:35:49 +0000

A new poll shows Michiganders are deeply divided over the state’s new right-to-work law. The law takes effect today.

Under Michigan’s right-to-work law, workers can't be forced to join a union.

Michigan State University’s “State of the State Survey” asked more than a thousand people whether they thought Right to Work would be good for Michigan’s economy.

42.7 percent said it would be good. 41 percent said it would be bad. 16 percent said the right-to-work law would have no effect on Michigan’s economy.

Economist Charles Ballard is the survey’s director. He says right to work supporters tend to be overwhelmingly white, male, non-union conservatives, while opponents tend to be overwhelmingly minority, female, pro-union liberals.

“It doesn’t surprise me that the public is split. I think the public really is split and these survey results are a fairly accurate reflection of that,” says Ballard.

As an economist, Ballard thinks right-to-work will have little effect on Michigan’s economy.

“And on that basis, I’m thinking this issue probably will not go away,” says Ballard.

Michigan is the 24th state to adopt a right-to-work law.

MSU study may help advertisers spend wisely

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:31:07 +0000

Michigan State University researchers may have developed a model to help advertisers figure out where to put their dollars. They say that's critical in an environment where people now view TV while using smart phones, laptops or tablets.

Chen Lin is a marketing professor at MSU who helped develop the model. She says with a little information, it can predict consumer behavior with up to 97% accuracy. “If you give me the demographics and the media consumption habits for your consumers, I can predict exactly where you should allocate your firm resources.”

Sequestration could cost Michigan universities millions of dollars in federal research funding

Steve Carmody — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 05:21:00 +0000

Tens of billions of dollars in federal spending cuts will take effect March first, unless Congress does something to stop the sequestration.

And Michigan’s major research universities may be among those feeling the sting.

Stateside: Use your words

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 22:04:21 +0000

The following is a summary of a previously recorded interview. To hear the complete segment, click the audio above.

According to a new study published in Elementary School Journal, the vocabulary lessons our children are getting in grade school fall woefully short of giving students the range and scope of words they need to become good, effective readers throughout their lives.

Tanya Wright is an Assistant Professor of Teacher Education at Michigan State University. She spoke with Cindy about the study and what it could cost our kids to be saddled with a deficient vocabulary.

Ferguson re-elected chairman of Michigan State University board

The Associated Press — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 19:45:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Joel Ferguson has been re-elected to a fourth two-year term as chairman of the Michigan State University Board of Trustees.

At a special meeting Friday, the board also elected Brian Breslin of Williamston to a two-year term as vice chairman.

Ferguson first was elected to the MSU board in 1986. The Lansing resident was elected again in 1996, 2004 and 2012. He was elected board chairman in 1992, 2007 and 2010.

Ferguson is the co-founder of F & S Development Company.

MSU Study Shows Brief Interuptions May Double Errors

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 21:29:46 +0000

A quick glance at a cell phone won’t just hurt your ability to drive. It may also double the errors you make at work.

Researchers at Michigan State University are exploring how interruptions affect the work place.

Report: Job market "sluggish" for new Michigan college graduates

Steve Carmody — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 18:12:30 +0000

Michigan college graduates are entering a sluggish job market.

Michigan State University’s annual Recruiting Trends report finds employers are not confident about the nation’s economic direction in 2013. Many are worried about problems with Europe’s economy. There’s also concern about the nation's deeply divided political leadership. That's all putting a damper on employers’ hiring plans.

Phil Gardner is the director of MSU’s College Employment Research Institute.

The Fiscal Cliff & MSU's FRIB project

Steve Carmody — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 12:58:00 +0000

Congress is expected to tackle the ‘fiscal cliff’ after next month’s election.

The “fiscal cliff’s” combination of programmed tax increases and spending cuts have many people concerned, including officials at Michigan State University.

The federal government is supposed to pick up most of the cost of MSU’s new nuclear physics research lab known as the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams. FRIB is expected to cost more than 600 million dollars.

Twitter improves student learning?

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 20:42:21 +0000

Researchers at Michigan State University are exploring the use of Twitter in the classroom.

The study suggests Twitter will change the way people communicate in the classroom.

MSU study suggests unsuspected source of potential cyber attacks

Steve Carmody — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 01:07:31 +0000

Michigan State University researchers are developing a profile of individuals who carry out ‘cyber-attacks’ on government websites.

The results may help law enforcement identify who might be behind future attacks.

MSU criminal justice professor Thomas Holt asked hundreds of American and international college students about their feelings about being hypothetical ‘civilian cyber-warriors’, individuals who use the internet to attack or disable government computers.

Penn State's penalties may help MSU and U of M this fall (and into the future)

Steve Carmody — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 19:11:56 +0000

Michigan Radio sports commentator John U. Bacon says the University of Michigan and Michigan State University are inadvertently benefiting from sanctions handed down against Penn State today.

MSU study uses video game to help lung cancer patients recover from surgery

Steve Carmody — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 20:01:01 +0000

Michigan State University researchers say a popular video game is helping patients recover from lung cancer surgery.

After surgery, it’s important for lung cancer patients to aid their recovery with exercise. Exercise helps patients with fatigue and avoid common complications, like pneumonia. But the prospect of exercise can be daunting for many patients.