From new hires and promotions to industry awards, here's a roundup of achievements by businesses and individuals in the greater Ann Arbor area:

• Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione shareholder and patent attorney William R. Boudreaux, based in Brinks' Ann Arbor office, has been named a Life Sciences Star in intellectual property law in the inaugural edition of LMG Life Sciences, a supplement to Managing Intellectual Property magazine. Boudreaux is co-chair of Brinks’ biotech & pharmaceutical practice group and specializes in pharmaceuticals and chemicals.

• Ray Blush, president and owner of OI Partners-Hugh Anderson Associates in Ann Arbor, has been named vice president of partners selection for OI Partners, a global coaching and leadership development and consulting firm. Blush will assist the OI Partners board of directors in screening and selecting career management and executive coaching firms throughout the world for membership in the organization.

• Kevin Woodard has joined Ann Arbor marketing services firm re:group as director of digital strategy. Previously, he worked in the digital arena at Search Optics, Team Detroit and Campbell-Ewald. Kevin will be helping clients with all things digital and mobile.

• Annessa L. Carlisle has been named executive director of public relations and marketing at Washtenaw Community College. She started her new position in June.

• C.S. Mott Children’s and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospitals have been ranked among the top 100 most innovative and inspiring infrastructure projects in the world by KPMG, the audit, tax and advisory firm. KPMG’s Global Infrastructure Practice announced the list of projects July 3 at the World Cities Summit in Singapore. KPMG International’s second edition of the Infrastructure 100: World Cities Edition - a report showcasing 100 of the world’s most innovative and inspiring urban infrastructure projects - included just 14 projects in the U.S.

• Beginning Friday, July 20, Ann Arbor's The Eye Gallery, owned by optometrist Dr. Arnold Bulos, will team with nonprofit Ozone House to provide free, comprehensive eye exams and glasses to children whose families are members of Ozone House. The children will be selected monthly by Ozone House staff from their two locations, in Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor. Ozone House is a Washtenaw County agency that provides free around-the-clock shelter and support services for runaway, homeless and high-risk youth ages 10 to 20 and their families.

• Ann Arbor-based Merit Network Inc. recently announced that it has connected the University of Michigan Biological Station at Douglas Lake as part of its REACH-3MC network build out project. UMBS, located on Douglas Lake, near Pellston the northern Lower Peninsula, now has a one gigabit fiber-optic connection to Merit's "backbone." The Biological Station is now also connected directly to the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor via Merit fiber. Merit Network Inc. is a nonprofit corporation owned and governed by Michigan's public universities; it owns and operates America's longest-running regional research and education network.

• Ann Arbor-based software developer Servant Systems Inc. on July 12 announced that the company completed a VOIP integration project for The Dwyer Group of Waco, Texas, a holding company for seven franchise companies, including the Mr. Rooter, Mr. Appliance, Mr. Electric and Aire Serv brands. The integrated system displays a "screen pop" for incoming calls, allowing customer service representatives to quickly respond to calls from customers, vendors and employees. It also permits extensive reporting on call activity to enhance responsiveness to customers.

• The University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers provide care that's among the nation's best, according to a new ranking from U.S. News & World Report. The overall ranking is 17th, and U-M is the only hospital in Michigan on the list. This is the first year for the statewide ranking, and the second year that the metro Detroit ranking includes Ann Arbor. U-M is rated number 1 in both. More in-depth information about the rankings is available on the U.S. News & World Report website.

• KraftMaid Cabinetry has teamed with House Beautiful magazine to create the 2012 Kitchen of the Year in New York's Rockefeller Plaza. KraftMaid is based in Ann Arbor and manufactured by Masco Cabinetry. The 1,000-square-foot fully-functioning Kitchen of the Year, located on the North Plaza Block of Rockefeller Plaza, is open to the public July 16-20 and will serve as the backdrop for culinary demonstrations, design trend presentations and interactive programs for design enthusiasts throughout the week. For more information, visit the House Beautiful website.

• Nonprofit Washtenaw Literacy has named David E. Cole, founder and board chair of AutoHarvest, as honorary chair of Washtenaw Literacy's annual fundraiser "World in a Basket." The gala evening of live and silent auctions plus strolling dinner raises 20 percent of the group's annual budget. This year's event will be held Oct. 5 at the Morris Lawrence Building at Washtenaw Community College.

• The board of the Arts Alliance, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Ann Arbor and serving Wasthenaw County's arts community, recently announced that is has retained Debra Polich as executive director. Polich was named interim director of the Arts Alliance in February while she continued to serve as the Artrain president/CEO, a position she has held for 19 years. Polich will continue to lead the Arts Alliance and Artrain and is implementing a resource sharing program for both organizations. The Arts is also added Shoshana Hurand on staff as program manager and Richard Maurer as finance manager.

Email items for People & Achievements to business@annarbor.com. Sign up for the weekly Business Review email newsletter here.