April 27, 2007

Carolina in the News

Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina people and programs cited recently in the media:

International Coverage

Alcohol a bigger danger for women
Pretoria News (South Africa)
Alcohol abuse damages women's brains and other organs more rapidly than men's, according to a study released this week. ...James Garbutt, professor of psychiatry and research scientist at Bowles Centre for Alcohol Studies at the University of North Carolina, said the findings could be used to warn teenage girls and female university students of the dangers of alcoholism.

Aspirin less effective heart treatment for women than men
SpiritIndia.com
A new study shows that aspirin therapy for coronary artery disease is four times more likely to be ineffective in women compared to men with the same medical history. ..."I was surprised by how big of a difference it was for females," said Dorsch, who has appointments at the U-M Health System and the U-M College of Pharmacy, and started the study as a resident at the University of North Carolina.

Depression increases health risks in heart failure patients
SpiritIndia.com
Psychological depression appears to contribute to worse medical outcomes for patients with heart failure, ranking it in importance with such risk factors as high cholesterol, hypertension, and even the ability of the heart to pump blood throughout the body. ...After taking into account such factors as disease severity, the strength of the heart muscle contractions, the underlying cause for the heart failure, age and medication use, a team of Duke University Medical Center and University of North Carolina researchers found that symptoms of depression were common in this population, and that depressed patients were over 50 percent more likely to die or be hospitalized for their heart condition than patients who were not depressed.

National Coverage

North Carolina’s Triangle: Nature, Culture and Barbecue
The New York Times
The Mayberry-meets-M.I.T. appeal of the Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill region of North Carolina blooms in spring and summer, when families can bask in the region’s generous outdoor spaces, its culture and its barbecue. ...And in Chapel Hill, don’t miss the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, at the north end of the University of North Carolina campus (919-962-1236; www.moreheadplanetarium.org). The planetarium has a 68-foot, domed Star Theater that features shows on exploring the night sky and the solar system, and on how astronauts prepare for space missions.

Introduction to Chapel Hill
The New York Times
The third point of the Research Triangle area is Chapel Hill, a small city that has managed to hold onto its village atmosphere in spite of the presence of a university that annually enrolls more than 25,000 students. Chapel Hill is the University of North Carolina and has been in existence since 1795, when it was the first state university in the country.

After Virginia Tech, security firms ramp up
CNNMoney.com
In the wake of the massacre at Virginia Tech, security companies are pushing a slew of new products to educational institutions that want new ways to protect their students. ...Rave, which has been praised by Security on Campus, a nationwide organization founded in honor of murdered Pennsylvania college student Jeanne Clery, is used by more than 70 schools nationwide, including Montclair State in New Jersey, the University of North Carolina and Cal State University.

Beauty Myths Debunked
Real Simple
You can get rid of cellulite.Ah, if only. And for what it's worth, it's not for lack of women's trying."This remains one of the holy grails of cosmetic dermatology," says Timothy Flynn, a clinical professor of dermatology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine.

Regional Coverage

Christopher Bishop: Popular professor 'an inspiration to us all'
The TIme-Dispatch (Richmond)
Mourners gathered yesterday at the church where Virginia Tech instructor Christopher James "Jamie" Bishop grew up to remember him as a renaissance man who lived a robust life.
UNC Statement: http://www.unc.edu/news/statementjamiebishopcolleagues.html

Campus security takes center stage
The Daily Times (Salisbury, Md.)
The Virginia Tech tragedy has raised awareness among students and faculty members on the importance of communication in an emergency situation. ...Their customers consist of 70 universities, which includes Baruch College of the City University of New York, California State University Monterey Bay, Montclair State University, Quinnipiac University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of South Florida.

Should Missourians apologize for slavery?
South County Journal (St. Louis)
Should Missourians apologize for slavery? In Missouri, they are at it again. ...Tim McMillan, a professor of African and Afro-American studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, pointed to laws passed in Chicago and other cities earlier this decade requiring businesses with city contracts to disclose whether their companies had ever profited from slavery.

The Tippling Point
The Washington City Paper
Alcohol has a unique place at the dinner table. For many, it’s an inseparable part of their enjoyment of a meal, but it’s also the only ingredient that could lead to a fatal accident, land you on MADD’s shit list, sabotage your career, and ruin dinner. ...Dr. Alexey Kampov-Polevoy, a professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina, has been studying alcohol since 1979, including his work at the school’s Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies. Despite his work with alcoholics, he’s no fussy teetotaler; he’s a Moscow native who says he drinks on an “as-needed basis.”

Local BPW does its part for Equal Pay Day
Alexandria Echo Press (Minn.)
The Alexandria Area Business and Professional Women’s Organization held a book study discussing A Woman’s Guide to Successful Negotiating by Lee E. Miller and Jessica Miller. ...The three witnesses in support of the equal pay legislation, including Evelyn Murphy, founder and president of The WAGE Project, Inc, Jocelyn Samuels, vice president for education and employment, National Women's Law Center, and Dr. Philip Cohen, associate professor and director of graduate studies, department of sociology, University of North Carolina, each spoke about the sociological, economic and legal aspects of the wage gap and why we need to pass equal pay legislation.

Nay Vote on Gun Bill Common Sense
The Times (Apalachicola, Fla.)
In voting against HB 1417, the House Environment & Natural Resources Council on April 18, 2007 defeated a bill that constituted an unacceptable government intrusion into the safety policies of Florida employers, and was clearly unconstitutional. ...Workplaces where guns were permitted were about five times as likely to experience a homicide as those where all weapons were prohibited, according to a study by the University of North Carolina’s Department of Epidemiology and the Injury Prevention Research Center.

Earth Talk
Richmond.com
When a handful of concerned undergrads at the University of North Carolina advertised in the Greenpeace newsletter in 1988 for other student environmentalists to connect with, they weren’t sure what kind of response to expect. But within weeks they were deluged with mail, and so they decided to launch the first national network of green college and high school students, the Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC).

State and Local Coverage

Carolina North ideas generate feedback
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
At a community forum Thursday, Carolina North executive director Jack Evans said the proposed research campus is about fulfilling the university's mission, not the local towns' desire for a model of green development. "We're not doing this to do an experiment in sustainability," Evans said. "We're doing this because the university's mission calls for it."
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/apr07/cncommunitymtg041107.html

UNC unveils site revisions
The Chapel Hill Herald
UNC officials unveiled revisions to its three proposed site plans for Carolina North on Thursday, and, while none are huge departures from drawings shown in March, they all take into account feedback from last month's community information sessions. ...Of the three plans, which are known as "centers," "grid," and "interwoven," the centers concept received the most public support after last month's meeting. But the design the university submits to the towns for approval likely will combine the most desirable aspects of all three proposals, UNC Executive Director for Carolina North Jack Evans said.
Related link: http://news14.com/content/school_news/581767/carolina-north-plans-taking-shape/Default.aspx

Awash in A's, UNC considers new yardstick
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
At UNC-Chapel Hill, where A is the most common grade, there's talk of a new way to distinguish between the good and the excellent. ..."I believe it would improve the intellectual climate by reducing disparities in grading that may cause students to choose courses based on grading rather than on what they learn and what they hope to learn," said Peter Gordon, a psychology professor and supporter of the change.

State ponders smoking ban
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
A proposed statewide ban on smoking inside long-term care facilities seems, at first glance, to be a common-sense measure aimed at protecting the health and safety of residents. ..."From a public health perspective, we should do everything we can to get people to stop smoking," said Bob Konrad, a health services researcher at the Institute on Aging at UNC-Chapel Hill. "From the standpoint of, 'This if your life and this is your home,' we don't ask other people to stop smoking in their homes."

Bringing back the beat
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Electronic music -- you know the kind. Your heart thumps to it. It makes you shake your shoulders and hips. ...It launched Thursday evening with a lecture on the origins of techno by pioneer Derrick May, followed by live techno and DJ performances in UNC-Chapel Hill's Student Union, as well as some performances at the clubs Talullas and Fuse.

Playmakers will present "Doubt"
WCHL-AM (Chapel Hill)
Playmakers’ Theater patrons no longer have any doubt that a play titled “Doubt” will round out next year’s season of shows. Theater artistic director Joseph Haj made the announcement Thursday.

Economists see glum future
The Asheville Citizen-Times
The day after the Dow Jones shot to a new record, economists David W. Berson and James F. Smith polished up their forecasts Thursday for UNC Asheville’s 23rd annual Crystal Ball conference, but the picture each saw wasn’t pretty. ...Smith, retired professor from UNC Chapel Hill and now the chief economist for Parsec Financial in Asheville, went even further. Bucking the consensus of most colleagues, Smith predicts a short, mild recession starting as early as next month, before the economy shows a strong rebound by the fourth quarter.

Harris under scrutiny
Holly Springs Sun (Fuquay-Varina)
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission held a public hearing last Wednesday as part of the license renewal process for the Shearon Harris plant in New Hill. ...David McNelis, Ph.D., a research professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an adjunct professor in the department of nuclear engineering at N.C. State, spoke in favor of extending the license.

Parents want improvement in district’s autism education
The Sanford Herald
As teachers in Lee County, Lisa Wishart and Laurie Mc Cauley get a first­hand account of the daily efforts Lee County Schools make to reach its special-needs students. ...She said the district is also “fortunate to have the services” of the Fayetteville branch of TEACCH, a division of the University of North Carolina’s Department of Psychiatry, for its autistic children.

Sandhills Community College Displays Collection of Garden Sculptures
The Sanford Pilot
Picture strolling down a winding path surrounded by fresh blossoms, flowing brooks, and beautiful works of art. ...A Chapel Hill-area resident, Roig displays his work at venues including Appalachian State University, Carrboro's Weaver Street Market, the North Carolina Botanical Garden at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Brevard's Transylvania Community Arts Center.

Issues and Trends

Kannapolis' economic development efforts examined
The Kannapolis Independent Tribune
A team of researchers from Washington will study Kannapolis and the Charlotte metro region’s recovery from the loss of manufacturing jobs. ...As part of their research, Howard Wial of The Brookings Institution and researchers from George Washington University attended the topping-off ceremony last week for the UNC-Chapel Hill lab building at the North Carolina Research Campus.
Related link: http://triad.bizjournals.com/triad/stories/2005/09/12/daily14.html

Produced by News Services, Carolina in the News is an e-mail sampling of current news media coverage about Carolina people and programs, as well as issues and trends that affect the university. Stories usually will be online and available free for a limited time - often one to two weeks. Expiration dates before stories move to archives vary by media outlet. Some outlets require free user registration or a subscription.

Carolina in the News is also posted daily to the News Services Web page, http://www.unc.edu/news/clips/index.shtml.

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