Michigan Matters: Assisting Oakland University students and growing the defense sector

Mike Bickers, PNC Bank regional president Detroit and Southeast Michigan and Oakland University President Dr. Ora Hirsch Pescovitz, appear on Michigan Matters to discuss a new endowment at the university to help students from challenging financial situations with housing costs.  

Bickers, an OU alum, along with his wife, Barbara, are supporting the new endowment named after the couple.

Pescovitz talked about the impact of the endowment in the years ahead.

She also discussed the state of higher education in Michigan and funding for it coming from Lansing.

Then, it's a focus on Michigan's defense industry as a national convention comes to Detroit in a few weeks, with over 11,000 people expected at Huntington Place.

Misty Martin, retired lieutenant colonel and chair of the MDEX event, along with Noah Peterson, of Macomb Regional, APEX, and Karen Kiewski, the president of Women in Defense - Michigan Chapter, talk about opportunities for companies at the upcoming event.

The trio also discusses job opportunities tied to the burgeoning sector.

(Watch Michigan Matters at its new time: 5:30 a.m. Sundays on CBS Detroit and 9:30 a.m. Sundays on CW Detroit 50 WKBD). 

(Carol Cain is the 13-time Emmy-winning senior producer and host of Michigan Matters).