The Pulice Report

University of Michigan unveils "Generation" solar car

The U-M solar car team has another cool, innovative ride. 

Michigan announces first MCubed grant recipients

On Examiner.com, I like to cover a wide range of developments at the University of Michigan. Here is a look at interdisciplinary, collaborative projects selected to receive funding through its ambitious MCubed program.  

U-M survey notes sharp rise in consumer confidence

Please enjoy a piece on the Thomson Reuters / University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers, which I wrote for Examiner.com, and where I cover all things Univrsity of Michigan.

Arresting Site of the Month, January: Michigan Future Inc.

It has a mission "...to be a source of new ideas on how Michigan can succeed as a world-class community in a knowledge-driven economy." The non-partisan, non-profit Michigan Future Inc. features a leadership council with members from a wide range of area organizations, and its online component is filled with opinion and statistics that zero in on the challenges -- and the opportunities -- the present economic downturn presents. As such, I've chosen it as the "Arresting Site of the Month" for January.

Lou Glazer is the group's president and a co-founder, and is a frequent contributor to the site's blog. Glazer offered up his take on Michigan as a whole, and Detroit in particular, in a revealing metromode piece from September 2007, well before the financial meltdown in the fall of 2008. He has made 2010 predictions, which include his belief that Michigan's economy will improve only when we make strides in higher education.

Read about Michigan Future Inc's initiatives in three core areas, its numerous reports, and other information from an organization that clearly has a deep commitment to, as its motto states, "helping build a more prosperous Michigan."

Star Trek: The Exhibition

Whether your favorite is Kirk, Spock, Picard, Riker, or another of the characters who have taken wing aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise and other Starfleet vessels, there is plenty to entice you to beam down this year to the Detroit Science Center. I've not yet had the pleasure of attending the center's Star Trek: The Exhibition, but I'll see if I can make my way there sometime between now and September 7. I'm already married, but nine sci fi-loving couples are vying for the "Star Trek: The Exhibition Ultimate Wedding Package." Cast your vote by March 16, and may the winners live long and prosper.

Arresting Site of the Month, February: TechTown

Working diligently to "...become the world's foremost business incubator, leading to an economic renaissance in the city, state and region," a splendid organization has for the past five years led the charge to inject new life into Detroit's economy which, in turn, can help Michigan as a whole regain its footing. Wayne State University, General Motors, and Henry Ford Health System collaborated in 2004 to launch TechTown — located on Burroughs off Cass in the city's New Amsterdam district — which continues to bring together entrepreneurs, students, community partners, and others in order to promote growth in such industries as alternative energy, life sciences, and advanced engineering. Thus, I have selected its online component as February's Arresting Site of the Month.

The TechTown website is packed with information, from business resources and details on centers of excellence to information on a range of international initiatives and podcasts. The latter is a new development, and you can listen to an interview with Executive Director Randal Charlton, who discusses a $750,000 grant his group received near the end of 2008.

Given the challenges of the region's economy, TechTown deserves plenty of credit and attention, as well as support, to help keep it vibrant and moving forward.