February 4, 2003

Carolina in the News

Current International Coverage

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

15 reasons you might be fat
The Ottawa Citizen 
You are a 49-year-old Canadian man, a well-off office manager in New 
Brunswick, and you're late for work ... Between 1977 and 1996 snack sizes 
grew by 93 calories, according to a University of North Carolina study ...
http://www.staging.canada.com/ottawa/news/story.asp?id=%7B21098583-440B-4536-9BD8-CB1BF4F678F5%7D
(Note: A UNC news release on this study is available by clicking here.)

Gum Disease Tied to Pregnancy Complication 
Reuters (international wire service)
Severe gum disease may raise a pregnant woman's risk of developing a dangerous 
condition known as preeclampsia, a new study shows. ... The new findings are 
too preliminary for public health officials to make any blanket statements regarding 
oral health and pregnancy, the study's lead author Dr. Kim A. Boggess said in 
an interview with Reuters Health. But "this report emphasizes to me that 
obstetricians should be inquiring about dental care and oral health among their 
patients," added Boggess, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology 
in the department of maternal-fetal medicine at the University of North Carolina 
at Chapel Hill. ... 
http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=2159663

Current National Coverage

Where is the outrage? (Commentary)
Sports Illustrated
A quarter of a century ago, the U.S. Supreme Court cleared a path to elite 
colleges for minority students when it ruled that an applicant's race could be a 
factor in university admissions. ... Jerry Lucido, vice president and provost for 
admissions at North Carolina, defends the practice, provided, of course, that 
institutions are serious about educating said athletes. ...
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/mike_fish/news/2003/02/03/straight_shooting/

UW researchers tackle smoking 
The Badger Herald (student publication at the University of Wisconsin)
Almost forty years since the United States government first released the Surgeon 
General's warning about the health risks of smoking, Americans continue to use 
tobacco, which some claim to be the cause of 430,700 deaths each year. ... In a 
collaborative effort with UW-Milwaukee, Dr. Pamela K. Pletsch of the School 
of Nursing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is conducting a 
study on the circumstances that motivate pregnant women to quit smoking, to stay 
smoke-free during pregnancy and to prevent post-partum relapse. ...
http://www.badgerherald.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/02/04/3e3f17db4976d

State and Local Coverage

Production, research of non-native oysters debated 
New Bern Sun Journal
The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries wants to be in charge of any program that 
allows non-native oyster production in the state. ... Pate's statements came in 
defense of division funding for a study of the Suminoe oyster, an Asian oyster, in 
North Carolina waters that will be conducted by Charles Peterson, professor 
of marine sciences, biology and ecology with the University of North 
Carolina at Chapel Hill's Institute of Marine Sciences in Morehead City. ...
http://www.newbernsunjournal.com/Details.cfm?StoryID=6987

Scholars adjust to dual campus lives 
News and Observer
There she was, up in the nosebleed section at the Dean Dome with two people 
from her dorm -- two guys she had just met -- and Michaela Kerrissey was doing 
the unthinkable. "They forced me to say all the UNC cheers," said the sophomore 
from Sherborn, Mass ... She is one of 28 Robertson Scholars -- half from Duke, 
half from UNC -- who have begun an unusual experiment known informally as 
"the switch." The Tar Heel and Blue Devil contingents packed up their clothes, 
computers and cell phones and moved 10 miles down the road to each other's 
campuses, where they will live and study this spring. ...
http://newsobserver.com/news/story/2167642p-2054372c.html
(Note: Carolina and Duke news offices have been teaming up to make story
suggestions about the switch.)

UNC prof works with same-type tiles scrutinized in shuttle tragedy 
The Herald-Sun
For months, this technological marvel has sat innocuously enough on Ed Samulski’s 
desk, a cutting-edge slice of aeronautical life. ... "It’s very poignant for me that I’ve 
had this sitting on my desk for a couple months now," said Samulski, a UNC
chemistry professor doing research for NASA ...
http://www.herald-sun.com/orange/10-316768.html
(Note: WRAL-TV also aired a story about Samulski's connection to the NASA 
grant and his role in teaching this first-year seminar class. Additional coverage is 
expected, also as a result of News Services efforts.)

Threats to freedom (Commentary)
News and Observer, Q Section
When a backhoe broke a gas line at a busy intersection in Chapel Hill, flames shot
into the sky, electric power was shut down to avoid sparks and citizens turned to 
local radio station WCHL to find out what was happening. ... 
http://newsobserver.com/news/q/story/2161695p-2049545c.html
(Note: Philip Meyer holds the Knight Chair in Journalism at the University of 
North Carolina. This commentary originally appeared in USA Today, for which 
Meyer serves as a regular contributor to the opinion-editorial page.)

Are you the office oddball?
Charlotte Observer
Dave Bodycombe knew he didn't exactly blend in at the office. ... "If you look at 
the boom of the '90s, it was the decade of the eccentrics," said Jim Johnson,
professor of management at Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC Chapel
Hill. ... 
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/5092342.htm

Issues and Trends Affecting Carolina

From Fuel Cell Cars to Slaughterhouse Inspection: Where the Money Goes
The New York Times
The Justice Department's $23.2 billion budget focuses heavily on finding new ways 
to fight terrorism, with big spending increases for the F.B.I. and elsewhere at the 
expense of programs to fight youth crime, financing for beat officers and other 
programs deemed expendable. ... Another political skirmish began over the budget 
for the National Institutes of Health, which after years of rapid increases would 
receive 2 percent more in 2004 than in 2003 ... The budget also raises taxpayer 
spending on Pell grants ...
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/04/politics/04SLIC.html
(Note: The New York Times requires free registration to access articles. )

President Proposes Large Increase for NSF, Especially for Mathematics 
and Physical Sciences
The Chronicle of Higher Education
President Bush requested about $5.481-billion for the National Science Foundation 
for the 2004 fiscal year, an increase of more than 13 percent over the level for the 
2002 fiscal year. ... 
http://chronicle.com/daily/2003/02/2003020404n.htm
(Note: The Chronicle of Higher Education requires a subscription to access articles.)

Note: If you have any questions about Carolina in the News, 
please call Cathleen Keyser or Mike McFarland at News Services, 
(919) 962-2091 or news@unc.edu or mike_mcfarland@unc.edu