News Briefs

Southern culture is the focus of UNC’s first William B. Umstead Lecture in American History set for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday (Nov. 9) in the Morehead Building’s faculty lounge.

Dr. W. Fitzhugh Brundage, the William B. Umstead professor of history, will speak on "From Grits to the Allman Brothers: Why America Looks to the South for Authentic Culture," at the free lecture.

Brundage, a scholar of the modern U.S. South, joined UNC’s faculty in 2002 as the first William B. Umstead distinguished professor of American history in the College of Arts and Sciences. His areas of study have made him a sought-after adviser for several documentary projects, including a series on racial and ethnic conflict in American history, an A&E network production on vigilantes and lynching, and the PBS network show "Odyssey."

Merle Umstead Richey of Durham created the professorship in honor of her father, who graduated from UNC in 1916 with a degree in history. It is the first professorship named after a N.C. governor at UNC and honors the Durham native whose 30-year political career also included terms as a U.S. senator and U.S. representative. The $500,000 professorship endowment includes a matching $167,000 grant from the N.C. Distinguished Professors Endowment Trust Fund.

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Dr. Terry Van Dyke, professor of biochemistry and biophysics and genetics at UNC’s School of Medicine, will receive a research grant – $100,000 per year for two years – from the Brain Tumor Society in support of her brain cancer research.

Founded in 1989, the national nonprofit organization provides educational, social and psychological support to brain tumor patients and their families. It maintains a national database of brain tumor treatment centers and support groups and supports scientific and clinical conferences internationally on various fields of brain tumors research.

The Brain Tumor Society also raises funds to advance carefully selected scientific research projects, improve clinical care, and find a cure.

Van Dyke was selected to receive the group’s 2004 Paul Daniel Bogart Leadership Chair of Research.

"The research [selected by the society] is to use the genetically engineered mouse model of high grade astrocytoma that my lab has developed to understand the mechanisms of tumor invasiveness and to develop pre-clinical cell and animal models for therapeutic testing," said Van Dyke, also a member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Astrocytomas are tumors most commonly found in the cerebrum, the largest part of the brain.

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Note: A photo of Van Dyke is available at http://www.unc.edu/news/pics/faculty/van_dyke_terry.jpg

News Services contact: Deb Saine, (919) 962-8415 or deborah_saine@unc.edu