WMU's Food Marketing Conference will celebrate its 50th anniversary March 16 and 17 with one of the best programs in its long history. Online registration is open.

With the signing of the agreement with Bay deNoc Community College, WMU became only the second school in the state to have reverse transfer agreements with all 28 community colleges in Michigan. 

WMU's Office of Facilities Management has completed a yearlong effort to become certified for its commercial and institutional cleaning services, becoming the first higher education institution in the Midwest to do so.

The School of Music will present a tribute concert in memory of Curtis Curtis-Smith, professor of music, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26, in the Dalton Center Recital Hall.

Evan Clifton, a finalist in the Donald Yaxley Bass Trombone Competition, will travel to Valencia, Spain, in July to compete for a 2,000 euro gift certificate toward a new trombone.

The $2 million gift will establish the Arthur E. and Martha S. Hearron College of Fine Arts Distinguished Professorship and endow a new Medallion Scholarship for students in the fine arts.

Google Apps for Education at WMU is now available to all members of the University community who have a wmich.edu email account. The next Cool Tools faculty workshops focusing on the suite take place Feb. 6 and 20.

Ellen Page-Robin, professor emerita of community health services, died Jan. 3 in Kalamazoo. She was 82. A memorial service will be held on March 21 in the Kiva Room at Friendship Village, 1400 N. Drake, Kalamazoo.

Dachea Hill, an administrator at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, will be WMU's new director of admissions beginning Feb. 9. She will succeed Penny Bundy, who is now the University's director of graduate admissions.

James F. Hettinger of Fennville and Kenneth Miller of Kalamazoo were elected chair and vice chair, respectively, of WMU's Board of Trustees at the board's Jan. 22 meeting.

Joel Kendrick, a leader in boosting recycling efforts in the fast food and packaging industries, died Monday, Jan. 19, at age 56. Services are set for Friday, Jan. 23, and Saturday, Jan. 24.

Trustees have granted sabbatical leaves to 36 faculty members. The leaves are for the fall 2015 semester, spring 2016 semester and the 2015-16 academic year.

Dr. Houssam A. Toutanji will become dean effective July 1 pending approval by the WMU Board of Trustees, which is expected to act on the recommendation at its next meeting.

Peggy Arlene Seals, a former employee in the WMU residence halls, died Dec. 20. She was 78. A memorial service was held, and guestbook entries can be viewed online.

The historic Rosetta Mission will be discussed during a presentation by Dr. Essam Heggy, one of the mission's science team members, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 16, in the Fetzer Center's Kirsch Auditorium.

George Franklin, a WMU Trustee from 1989 to 2001 and former Kellogg Co. executive, offers practical knowledge in his book "Raisin Bran and other Cereal Wars: 30 Years of Lobbying for the Most Famous Tiger in the World."