News
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NPR: 1997 alumnus Ozie Pye IV on Detroit memorial honoring the city's COVID-19 victimsDuring a Morning Edition story reported by WDET, 1997 mortuary science alumnus Ozie Pye IV says the citywide commemoration helps the community process the loss of more than 1,500 residents to COVID-19.
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Ask a Mentor launches second series to help prospective WSU Applebaum students explore career options
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Mortuary science program enewsletter: Spring/summer 2020Read the latest from the Wayne State mortuary science program in the spring/summer 2020 enewsletter.
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A memorial tribute to W. Dale Walls (1927-2020) by Hanley AbramsonWilliam Dale Walls died April 28, 2020, in Dearborn, MI, at the age of 92, from complications of COVID-19. A life-long educator, he held many positions at Wayne State University, including associate provost, dean of mortuary science, associate dean of the college of pharmacy and, early in his career, a tenured faculty member in the industrial arts department. Professor Emeritus Hanley Abramson wrote a memorial tribute.
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TIME Magazine: Three days in a Detroit funeral home ravaged by the coronavirusThe metro Detroit area has seen some of the highest numbers of COVID-19 related deaths among U.S. cities—nearly 3,000 as of late April, along with almost 30,000 confirmed cases of the disease. The crisis has disproportionately ravaged the African American community, which makes up the majority of WSU Applebaum alumnus Stephen Kemp’s business.
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Fox 2 Detroit: Alumnus Tim Schramm commands state's mortuary response teamWSU Applebaum alumnus Timothy Schramm is the commander of MI-MORT, the mortuary response team ready to step in when needed. Watch this interview with Fox 2 Detroit about MI-MORT's preparations for COVID-19.
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Michigan Radio: State activates Michigan Mortuary Response Team led by alumnus Tim SchrammThe rising number of COVID-19 deaths in Michigan has prompted the state to activate the Michigan Mortuary Response Team (MI-MORT) for the first time in its history. MI-MORT Commander Timothy Schramm, WSU Applebaum alumnus and funeral director for Howe-Peterson funeral homes in Dearborn and Taylor, said its main function is to act as a “pressure relief valve” for hospitals whose morgues have reached capacity.
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News Herald: State activates Michigan Mortuary Response Team led by WSU alumnus for first time everMichigan has activated the Michigan Mortuary Response Team (MI-MORT) to assist local health care facilities and funeral homes with the surge in human remains during the COVID-19 pandemic. “This is a challenging time for health care facilities and families across our state, particularly those experiencing loss,” said WSU Applebaum alumnus Timothy Schramm, a Southgate native who owns the Howe-Peterson Funeral Homes in Taylor and Dearborn and is the commander of MI-MORT.
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Paddy Lynch '08 on funerals in the age of COVID-19Wayne State Mortuary Science graduate Paddy Lynch's family has been in the funeral business for 70 years. He was interviewed by the WSU Alumni Association about how his work has changed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Michigan Radio: Funeral homes adjust as COVID-19 upends the business of deathMortuary Science alumnus and college Board of Visitors member Tim Schramm comments on how COVID-19 is changing the format of funerals.
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Free Press: WSU alumni Kemp, Pye funeral homes on role as "last responders"Wayne State mortuary science alumnus Stephen Kemp called funeral directors "last responders, at the end of the healthcare chain." And the sheer volume of coronavirus' wrath in Metro Detroit has been staggering for them, as they also deal with people dying of other causes. The Detroit Free Press interviewed Kemp and Ozie Pye IV about their role amid the pandemic.
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News Herald: Alumnus Tim Schramm leading state's mortuary response teamThe Michigan Mortuary Response Team (MI-MORT) is a mass fatality response team that assists medical examiners and other emergency responders in mass fatality management. Wayne State mortuary science alumnus Timothy Schramm, of Southgate, has been the MI-MORT commander since 2016.
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"Ice Ice Message": Mark Evely takes a creative approach to answer student questionsMortuary Science Program Director Mark Evely takes a playful approach to answering frequently asked questions and urges everyone to keep on studying.
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Press & Guide: Downriver's 'last responders' prepare for surge in COVID-19 deathsAs the coronavirus pandemic claims unprecedented numbers of Michigan lives, the “last responders” — workers in funeral homes, crematoriums and morgues — say they are doing their best, hoping for the best, and preparing for the worst. “The plan is evolving every single day,” said Tim Schramm, WSU Applebaum mortuary science alumnus and commander of the Michigan Mortuary Response Team (MI-MORT).
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Free Press: Mark Evely discusses funerals, morgue practices during pandemic"We as funeral directors, we believe very much in the value of having a funeral. We sympathize with the families who need that support, of having people attend the funeral," Evely said. But it's not the same in a time of pandemic.
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RESCHEDULED: Fulbright faculty information session at EACPHS rescheduled for May 13The Fulbright information session at EACPHS originally scheduled for Wednesday, March 18, has been postponed until May 13.
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Undergrads: Save 30% on spring/summer tuitionUndergraduate students who complete at least 24 credits between fall 2019 and winter 2020 may be eligible for a 30% discount on tuition for spring/summer classes, providing tremendous financial savings and keeping them on track to graduate sooner.
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Student Spotlight: Alexandra Snyder, Online Mortuary Science ProgramAlexandra Snyder lives in Arizona and is taking advantage of the WSU Applebaum online mortuary science bachelor's degree program. "Overall, the online mortuary science program at Wayne State University checked all of my financial and flexibility boxes, and really brought it home with its impressive faculty," she said.
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Dominick Astorino is improving safety of death care in KenyaIn response to a health crisis related to death care in Kenya, WSU Applebaum faculty member Dominick Astorino raised more than $18,000 to outfit the African nation's busiest mortuary up to modern standards, train staff to use the new equipment and safe practices, and put in place a framework for these trainees to fan out the knowledge to other facilities.
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Mortuary Science alumna Charli Rose '15 among Michigan Chronicle's 40 Under 40Charli E. Rose, a 2015 graduate of the Wayne State University mortuary science program, earned a 2019 Michigan Chronicle 40 Under 40 Award in recognition of her inspirational vision, leadership, exceptional achievements and participation in community service.
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Mortuary Science building open house Nov. 7 to showcase Applied Health Sciences programsStudents, alumni and the community at large are invited to tour the four-floor Mortuary Science building on Nov. 7. The building is home to advanced teaching and research resources in pathology, anatomy, restorative arts and clinical laboratory science.
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Press & Guide: Dearborn Heights Rotary Foundation donates $25,000 to Mortuary Science scholarship endowmentDearborn Heights Rotary Club members presented a $25,000 donation to Wayne State University to fund scholarships for mortuary science students in memory of William A. “Biff” Querfeld, a 1956 graduate of the program.
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Pre-Health Sciences Mentoring Program launched at WSU ApplebaumA new Pre-Health Sciences Mentoring Program is available for Wayne State undergraduates who are considering applying to one of WSU Applebaum's bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree programs in the health sciences.
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The Leader: Funeral director Dominick Astorino raising money for embalming initiative in KenyaDue to the lack of training, and the spread of diseases like cholera, yellow fever and malaria, those who work in Kenya’s mortuaries are getting sick, and some are even dying from the conditions. WSU Applebaum mortuary science faculty member Dominick Astorino added up the costs of what it would take to travel to Kenya and help provide the professionals there with training and equipment – $15,000 – and successfully raised the money to get it done.
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American Funeral Director magazine: Generations of Pray family alumni featuredIn a tribute to fathers and sons, American Funeral Director magazine featured the Pray family, three generations of which graduated from Wayne State's mortuary science program.