State Roundup

ANN ARBOR

U-M statistician wins MacArthur ‘genius grant’ 
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — A University of Michigan expert in health statistics has won a $625,000 “genius grant” from the Chicago-based John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
Susan Murphy is one of 24 winners of the 2013 MacArthur award.
The foundation says that the 55-year-old Murphy has translated statistical theory into tools that can be used to evaluate and customize treatment regimens for people with chronic or relapsing disorders.
She holds the position of the H. E. Robbins Professor of Statistics at the Ann Arbor school.
 
INDIANAPOLIS
Man’s classic car stolen during trip to Indiana show 
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A Michigan man says a big part of him as been ripped away with the theft of his restored 1970s Chevrolet Chevelle during a trip to Indianapolis for a classic car show.
Keith Parmer of Holt, Mich., said he was in disbelief when he found his box trailer’s locks cut and the car gone from outside a motel Sunday.
The 48-year-old Parmer tells The Indianapolis Star he fell in love with muscle cars while growing up. He bought the Chevelle for less than $20,000 in 2008. He estimates he spent $300,000 on parts and labor to restore and upgrade it.
Jonathan Klinger of classic auto insurer Hagerty says it’s common for similar restored cars to reach such high price tags.
Parmer is offering a $10,000 reward for the car.
 
EAST LANSING
‘Go Blue’ effort  raises more than $40K for cancer 
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — More than $40,000 has been raised to fight ovarian cancer in a fundraising campaign that started after the words “Go Blue” were written across the sky above Michigan State University.
The skywriting drew attention from Michigan State fans at a Sept. 14 football game at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. The skywriting was the work of Michigan State’s in-state rival, the University of Michigan. “Go Blue” is a Wolverines’ slogan.
MLive.com reports that as of Tuesday hundreds of people heeded the call from Michigan State Alumni Association executive director Scott Westerman to create something meaningful from the prank.
Westerman had wanted donations to match the several thousand dollars it cost the University of Michigan athletics department for the skywriting.

KALAMAZOO
Colle­ge raises $84M to $125M campaign target
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) — Kalamazoo College has raised more than $84 million in gifts and pledges toward its ongoing $125 million fundraising campaign goal, the school announced Wednesday.
The Campaign for Kalamazoo College was launched in March 2010. The effort by the private school now entering a more public phase and is expected to continue through June 2015, the Kalamazoo Gazette reported.
“This campaign is really a game-changer for K College. It’s going to build on all of our historic strengths and help assure that we flourish in the 21st century in the rapidly changing landscape of higher education,” said Charlotte Hall, chairwoman of the Board of Directors.
The goal is almost double that of a prior campaign, which ran from 1998 to 2004 and exceeded its $65 million fundraising goal by $13 million.
The school, which has roughly 1,450 students, wants scholarships, 10 endowed professorships and an endowed fund for faculty innovation and experimentation in teaching and learning. Plans also call for building a new natatorium and a fitness and wellness center.
“The $84 million is more than we’ve ever received in any other campaign,” Hall said. “This campaign for a college our size is ambitious.”
So far, six of the professorships have been funded and more than $7.5 million has been raised for student scholarships, the college said. It has received pledges that would cover about half of the estimated $20 million needed for the new buildings.
“These and future gifts will have a profound impact on our students and ultimately the communities in which they will live and work,” said school President Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran.