 |
Aug. 19, 2005Carolina in the News
Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina
people and programs cited recently in the media:U.S. News & World Report Rankings
Carolina ranked as the nation's fifth best public university and stands out as a national leader in promoting student accessibility in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings. In addition, UNC posted an 11-point gain – following last year’s 21-point rise – in faculty resources.
Rankings news release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/aug05/USNewsAdvance081805.htmDuke, UNC retain high rankings
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
UNC and Duke are each stuck in a pretty good spot. ...And UNC has solidified its place among the nation's top public institutions, placing fifth on that list for the fifth year running. ...UNC Chancellor James Moeser said Thursday he's particularly pleased with gains made in two areas -- faculty resources, where Carolina rose 11 points -- and its top spot for affordability among public institutions. He said he isn't bothered that UNC has remained fifth nationally among public universities even as he has emphasized -- for five years -- the importance of being the nation's leading public institution. "The good news is that we're on that distinguished list," Moeser said. "It's not about being better than anybody else. It's about setting a high aspiration for ourselves."
N.C. colleges measure up in '05 ratings
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
U.S. News & World Report, which created the current frenzy over college ratings, releases its annual list today. ...In the major category of top national universities, Duke was fifth again, and UNC-Chapel Hill tied with Tufts and Wake Forest universities at 27th, up two notches from last year. UNC ranked fifth among public campuses, and its Kenan-Flagler Business School was fifth in undergraduate business programs.
The Associated Press
The Charlotte Observer
The Greensboro News & RecordNational Coverage
The Best Business Schools
Forbes Magazine
UNC Kenan-Flagler was listed 14th in the magazine's
fourth biennial ranking of MBA programs.
Debating the Power of the Presidency
The Los Angeles Times
On July 15, the day President Bush interviewed John G. Roberts Jr. about an appointment to the Supreme Court, the judge was part of an appeals court panel that approved broad presidential powers in the war on terrorism. ..."A perennial war or a war that does not end in anyone's lifetime" raises difficult questions about the limits of executive power, said Michael J. Gerhardt, a University of North Carolina law professor.
Religion today
The Associated Press (National)
As students head back to biology classrooms in the next few weeks, debate over whether they should be taught “intelligent design” concepts alongside evolution is getting hotter, with the president, other politicians and a high-profile Roman Catholic cardinal all weighing in. ...Warren Nord, an educational philosopher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, thinks the pros and cons should be fairly presented to students, whether or not ID is inherently religious.
Transnationalism and Nation State Iraq
"Here & Now," WBUR (Boston)
The process of drafting Iraq's constitution continued on its rocky path this week, with little visible progress toward resolving the country's deep divisions. ...Sarah Shields, Associate Professor of History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, discusses the Bristh experience in Iraq, and Iraq as a modern nation and the difficulty of creating a nation-state in a place with such strong cultural divisions. Here and Now is Public Radio’s noon news magazine, produced every weekday at WBUR in Boston.
Fear in flight
USA Today
Don't look now, but that person sitting near you on the airplane could be a psychopath. ...Duane Brown, a professor of counseling psychology at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, says airplane thrillers appeal to people because everyone — even the steadiest flier — has some degree of apprehension when faced with a shuddering wing or bumpy landing.
10 great places to enjoy a textbook getaway
USA Today
As college students head off to school, college towns across the country — some of them delightful destinations in their own right — are poised for the onslaught of students and their families. ..."An old place (chosen in the 1790s as the site for the University of North Carolina) that's now a huge Tar Heels sports and party town (catch a bluegrass band at one of the bars on Franklin Street)," Bellows says. "It's a pretty town permeated with history, energy and, of course, you have to remember that Michael Jordan went here."
Northwest readies for bankruptcy
The Detroit News
As bargainers for Northwest Airlines Corp. and its mechanics union close in on a strike deadline tonight, the carrier has a bankruptcy team in place that could move quickly if a walkout shuts down the airline. ...John D. Kasarda, professor of management at the University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School, believes Northwest, which is losing $4 million a day, has no other alternative to bankruptcy if a strike occurs.
Many schools struggle with MAP tests
The St. Louis Dispatch
More than a third of Missouri's schools fell short of meeting state goals in reading and math, according to preliminary test results that will be made public today by the state's education department. ...But test scores don't tell the entire story about a school, said Gregory Cizek, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Cizek sits on the advisory panel for Missouri's testing program.
2-for-1 degrees appeal to executives in Mexico
The Arizona Republic
Sadot Zúñiga is a budding Berlitz, the manager of a chain of Mexican language schools with its sights set on the Phoenix market. ...Thunderbird, the University of Texas, the University of North Carolina, Texas Christian University and the University of South Carolina all have launched joint degree programs in recent years. The University of Arizona does not have one.
State & Local Coverage
Grocery store competition intensifies
The Greensboro News & Record
To understand the revolution going on at your local supermarket, think of Winn-Dixie, which is closing its stores in the Triad, as a slice of baloney. ..."Anybody who wants to compete with Wal-Mart had better figure out how to add a lot of service or a lot of quality or drive down costs," said James F. Smith, a professor of finance at Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC-Chapel Hill. "Or they are going to lose money."
Implanted Pump Gives Heart Patients New Freedom
WRAL-TV (CBS, Raleigh)
With congestive heart failure, the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. Mechanical pumps can help the heart to do its job, but until recently, the bulky machines limited patients' freedom, but that may soon change. ...Mull is the first patient at UNC Hospitals to enroll in a clinical trial comparing the effectiveness of two different types of pump implants.
Hope for Heart Pumps
WTVD-TV (ABC, Durham)
A medical device that used to "buy time" for heart failure patients is now being used to greatly improve their quality of life. ...He now can walk the halls of UNC Hospitals without stopping, thanks to a special heart pump. It's hooked to a battery pack he carries on his shoulder. Dr. Craig Selzman, a cardiothoracic surgeon, says the heart pumps have been around for several decades.
Issues & Trends
Chapel Hill Gets Federal Money To Expand Park-And-Ride
WNCN-TV (NBC, Raleigh)
The town plans to add a third transit hub and more buses to its popular park-and-ride system within five years, reducing traffic, air pollution and expenses for local commuters. About 80 buses now provide about 25,000 trips a day, mostly to University of North Carolina students and employees and Chapel Hill residents.
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.
Please share any questions, comments or suggestions at news@unc.edu.