Volume 3 - Issue 4 - Home Page

• Gretchen L. Birbeck, M.D., M.P.H, D.T.M.H., FAAN
• Director, International Neurologic and Psychiatric Epidemiology Program
• Associate Professor
• College of Human Medicine
• College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Laura B. DeLind, Ph.D.
• Senior Academic Specialist
• Department of Anthropology
• College of Social Science
• Visiting Assistant Professor, Residential College in the Arts and Humanities

Projects by Birbeck and DeLind Represent MSU for Prestigious Regional and National Awards

For the third consecutive year, two outstanding projects were selected to represent Michigan State University in a national award program that recognizes university-community partnerships. The projects were placed in consideration for the regional W. K. Kellogg Foundation Engagement Award and the national C. Peter Magrath University/Community Engagement Award, based on the recommendations of President Lou Anna K. Simon and Provost Kim A. Wilcox. The nominations were submitted in March.

Dr. Gretchen L. Birbeck, associate professor and director of the International Neurologic and Psychiatric Epidemiology Program, works with people affected by epilepsy in Zambia. Dr. Laura B. DeLind, senior academic specialist in the Department of Anthropology and visiting assistant professor in the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities, is the catalyst for a local effort to develop a food system infrastructure in an urban area long regarded as a "food desert." ... read more

• Denise Holmes, Ph.D.
• Associate Dean for Government Relations and Outreach
• Director of the Institute for Health Care Studies
• College of Human Medicine

Helping Kids Make Healthy Choices in Grand Rapids

Through a series of conversations with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Denise Holmes, Associate Dean for Government Relations and Outreach in MSU's College of Human Medicine and Director of the Institute for Health Care Studies, developed a project aimed at addressing the problem of childhood obesity in Michigan, specifically in Grand Rapids.

Project FIT aims to prevent childhood obesity by promoting healthy lifestyles in schools and the surrounding communities. The project is a partnership among many MSU departments, four Grand Rapids public schools, local health care systems, neighborhood associations, faith-based groups, businesses, and agencies, with funding by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Holmes' role is to provide direction to this group—promoting teamwork, making sure the resources are appropriately assigned, and encouraging the research ... read more

Transforming Transportation Research Corridor Consortium

MSU, University of Michigan, Wayne State University Focus on Knowledge, Systems, and Solutions to Transform the Future of Transportation and Revitalize Economies and Communities

Michigan State University has a lead role in providing research-based insights and innovative solutions for an industry that is both significant in Michigan's history and vital to its future.

The University Research Corridor's (URC) partner institutions, including MSU, the University of Michigan, and Wayne State University, established the Transforming Transportation Research Corridor Consortium in 2010 to accelerate the implementation of innovative transportation systems at the intersection of technology, livability, labor and supply chain, economic and environmental sustainability, social equity, and public policy.

"The Consortium has emerged to fill a major gap in systematic research on transforming the future of transportation," said Hiram E. Fitzgerald, MSU Associate Provost for University Outreach and Engagement. "We are a catalyst for collaborative partnerships, anchored in scholarship, that include researchers, industry practitioners, and policymakers." ... read more