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Feb. 24, 2006
Carolina in the News
Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina
people and programs cited recently in the media:National Coverage
Chew On This: Gum Disease Linked With Premature Births
ABC News
In recent years, dentists and doctors have begun to understand how periodontitis — gum disease — does more than cause big bills at the dentist's office. It also may trigger or exacerbate conditions like heart disease, diabetes and stroke. ...While further research is needed, what's known so far indicates that 1 in 5 pre-term births could be prevented by treating periodontal disease, said Steven Offenbacher, a periodontics professor at the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry. He said that some health insurance companies have taken note of this link and are offering aggressive pre-natal dental care to women.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/sep05/whiter091605.htmFoiled Dendritic Cell Suicide May Lead to Autoimmunity
Science Magazine
When the immune system malfunctions, it can become a turncoat, attacking the body's own tissues. Such autoimmune attacks underlie many diseases, including juvenile-onset diabetes. Immunologists trying to understand these attacks have long focused on overactivity of the T lymphocytes of the immune system. New results now point to a key role for another type of cell: dendritic cells. ...Immunologist Roland Tisch of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, says the finding has "important implications regarding the initiation or progression of autoimmunity." It also points to dendritic cells as possible targets for therapies aimed at treating autoimmune diseases.
Overstating the Impact of Iraq War Casualties (Opinion-editorial column)
The Washington Post
Last weekend, I attended a conference at Duke University on "Casualties and Warfare," hosted by the Triangle Institute for Security Studies. I learned that the American military, the highest reaches of government and the new media all operate with a false assumption about how the American public views war casualties. Americans are NOT inherently casualty averse. What is more, according to survey data, it is NOT true that the public will only support the use of force if there are low casualties. ...I was particularly taken by a turn of phrase by one of the participants, Cori Dauber of UNC-Chapel Hill, who is a professional media watcher and associate professor of communication (no "s"). She described media bias in reporting war, particularly the Iraq war, but I thought mostly lamented what she called "a narrative of constant meaningless loss."
Regional Coverage
Lawmakers have military concerns at ports
The Associated Press (Texas)
Military officials said Thursday they weren't concerned that a subsidiary of a United Arab Emirates-owned company could soon be working with tons of military shipments to Iraq through Texas ports, but several lawmakers said it raises security questions for U.S. troops. ...Cindy Combs, a University of North Carolina professor of terrorism and homeland security, said there is a lot of overreaction to the security issues. Combs, however, said that there could be some merit to concerns about the Dubai company being entrusted with military cargo and access to military manifests in Texas ports.
Measuring tech transfer’s impact
Business Gazette (Gaithersburg, Md.)
The University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute measures its success by how much it maximizes value, not necessarily by the number of patents and products it can take credit for, says Claude Nash. ...The association’s most recently available data are for fiscal 2004, which for UMBI ended July 1, 2004. That year, the University of Maryland, Baltimore, reported 70 invention disclosures and College Park reported 109 disclosures. The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, a Maryland competitor, reported 120 invention disclosures. All have more research funds than UMBI has.
State & Local Coverage
Parents oppose 'First School' plan
The Chapel Hill Herald
Parents in a school district that is being offered an opportunity to split elementary students into two schools said Thursday night they're not too keen on the idea. A proposal from the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute has suggested opening a "First School" for preschool through second grades adjacent to Seawell Elementary School. ...The school system is considering building two new elementary schools in the next six years, Pedersen said. So, the fact that UNC would donate land for the new school, which would be built just across the Seawell parking lot, could help defray new school costs.
Fewer UNC staff driving to campus
The Chapel Hill Herald
The percentage of UNC employees who drive alone to work at the university is projected to drop by nearly 20 percent by 2010, according to a report the university released this month. . ...At the same time, though, the percentage of employees who just commute by bus only changed slightly, from 6 to 8 percent. The small increase surprised university officials, since, during that time, the percentage of students who take the bus to campus rose from 21 to 34 percent and Chapel Hill Transit began offering free ridership, said Carolyn Elfland, UNC's associate vice chancellor for campus services.
4 named to group on Carolina North
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The Orange County Board of Commissioners have made four appointments to the Leadership Advisory Committee for Carolina North. They are Commissioner Valerie Foushee, Commissioner Barry Jacobs, whoever is elected chairman of the Orange County Planning Board and Bernadette Pelissier, a planning board member who is also the chairwoman of the Orange Chatham Sierra Club.
Jazzathon mixes teaching, performing
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
Students of jazz, fans of jazz -- whatever your connection to jazz music, UNC-Chapel Hill has a four-day jazzathon Wednesday-March 4 that will blend teaching with performances. The Carolina Jazz Festival will unfold next week for the 29th time since UNC music professor Jim Ketch started the event in the late 1970s. The festival nearly matches Ketch's tenure at UNC and it remains a key component of his approach to teaching his students the finer points of jazz. "The festival's growth has really occurred in the last 10 years," Ketch said. "It's become more of a university-wide effort, with financial support from a variety of entities across campus."
UNC News Releases: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/feb06/jazz021706.htm
http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/feb06/jazzschedule021706.htm
http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/feb06/jazzbios021706.htmCritic's picks - Jazz
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
For the next nine days, the Triangle jazz scene heats up for its busiest stretch of the year with John Pizzarelli, the Carolina Jazz Festival, the North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra, Dr. John, the Lincoln Center Afro Latin Orchestra and Nnenna Freelon. ...Carolina Jazz Festival runs Wednesday through March 4 at UNC-Chapel Hill (www.unc.edu/music/jazzfest/). Guest performers Don Braden (tenor and soprano saxophone), Sean Jones (trumpet) and Vincent Gardner (trombone) appear Wednesday at a meet-the-artists discussion and artists/faculty jam session at the Carolina Student Union Cabaret.
Best bets
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Pining for live music at a modern dance performance? It's a rare treat these days. But acclaimed choreographer and former flamenco dancer Mark Morris promises you'll always get it with his company. The touring troupe celebrates its 25th anniversary season with a tour that stops at UNC-Chapel Hill's Memorial Hall at 8 tonight.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/feb06/markmorris020306.htmLeandro writer will speak today
The Chapel Hill Herald
Superior Court Judge Howard Manning Jr., whose most famous ruling, the Leandro public school funding case entitles all North Carolina children to an equal opportunity to receive a sound, basic education, will speak today at UNC. The university's Institute for Science Learning will host Manning for the presentation "Leandro: The Constitutional Right of Every Child in North Carolina to Have the Opportunity to Obtain a Sound, Basic Education."
Religion, schools sessions today
The Chapel Hill Herald
Several of the most prominent voices in the national debate over religion in public schools will take part in a daylong symposium today sponsored by the UNC law school's First Amendment Law Review. The keynote speaker is William Van Alstyne, Lee professor of law at the College of William & Mary and a nationally regarded expert on constitutional law.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/feb06/lawsymposium021606.htmMinority health conference focus
The Chapel Hill Herald
Meredith Minkler, professor of health and social behavior at the University of California at Berkeley, will present the keynote address at the 27th annual Minority Health Conference today at the Friday Center. ...The conference is presented by the UNC School of Public Health's Minority Student Caucus, N.C. Institute for Public Health and Dean's Office. The theme of this year's Minority Health Conference is "Community-Based Research and Practice: How Do We Make It Work for Everyone?"
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/feb06/minorityhealth022006.htmLenovo helps fund tech needs
The Chapel Hill Herald
The computer giant Lenovo is helping to fund the technology needs of students participating in UNC's Carolina Covenant Initiative. Lenovo will fund 90 ThinkPad notebook computers given to Covenant Scholars as part of the Carolina Computing Initiative. The CCI aims to ensure that Carolina students, faculty and staff have easy access to high-quality, affordable technology and can use it effectively. At the center of the initiative is the requirement that Carolina undergraduate students own laptop computers that meet university specifications.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/feb06/lenovo021606.htmMoving of boilers will close some roads
The Chapel Hill Herald
UNC Energy Services will relocate two large boilers from the university's Cogeneration Facility on Cameron Avenue to its Manning Drive Steam Plant site in the early morning hours Saturday and Sunday. Some town and campus roads will close briefly during the operation. A police escort will be provided to block and direct traffic.
Related Link: http://www.newsobserver.com/664/story/411035.html
UNC News Briefs: http://www.unc.edu/news/briefs/2006/022306.htmParents Urged To Monitor Youths' Blog Postings
WNCN-TV (NBC, Raleigh)
The Internet will be home to an estimated 54 million online diaries, or blogs, by the end of the year, and experts recommend that parents monitor how teens and young adults describe their lives to anyone logging onto their sites. Kelly Stuart, a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said she uses the popular Facebook site to find out who is in her classes so they can share lecture notes. Paul Jones, an assistant professor at UNC and director of ibiblio.org, an online archive, said the information young people put in blogs or in Facebook is practically unlimited.
Health Experts Warn Of iPod Dangers
WNCN-TV (NBC, Raleigh)
IPods have revolutionized the way people listen to music -- and now watch videos -- but health experts say the devices are becoming a hazard to the eyes and ears. Whether it's frothy pop, frenetic rap or smooth jazz, iPods and other portable MP3 players can pipe a jukeboxful of music directly into the ears of people on the go. "On a trip, on a vacation somewhere, I've listened to it in a car for up to four or five hours," said Dan McGrath, a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
A gift may have violated N.C. law
The Charlotte Observer
When a family member couldn't attend a Carolina Panthers game last September, Don Garbrick asked a few people if they wanted a ticket. ...But Emory also said that after discussing the issue with the N.C. School of Government at UNC-Chapel Hill, he thinks Lincolnton needs its own policy on accepting meals or other items of nominal value. Garbrick said he didn't consider that giving Emory a game ticket could violate state law.
Student dies in fall at UNC dorm
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
One UNC-Chapel Hill student is dead and another is in critical condition after falling from a third-floor dormitory window early this morning. Keith Shawn Smith, 20, and Tyler Joseph Ely Downey, 19, were "horsing around" and running down the third-floor hallway of Stacy Residence Hall when they crashed through the window at the end of the building, said university spokeswoman Karen Moon.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/feb06/stacyhallfall022406.htmIssues & Trends
Billionaire breaks ground at biotech campus
The Charlotte Observer
Billionaire David Murdock let the jokes and the dirt fly Thursday morning during groundbreaking for the nucleus of his $1 billion biotech hub. As light rain ended, Murdock addressed a crowd of more than 250 to usher in the Core Lab Building for his North Carolina Research Campus. ...U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., of Salisbury, UNC system President Erskine Bowles and other university, state and local leaders praised Murdock at the event. UNC-Chapel Hill, N.C. State University and Duke University eventually will have their own buildings at the site.
Related Links: http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/13943739.htm
http://www.newsobserver.com/666/story/411113.html
http://triangle.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2006/02/20/daily34.htmlLet's keep experienced teachers in the classroom
The Charlotte Observer
I hope many other teachers feel the same as Candy Hayes, a fifth-grade teacher at Gastonia's Robinson Elementary School. ...To help accomplish that, a University of North Carolina task force has recommended starting an online teacher scholarship database and lobbying the legislature to raise pay for teachers.
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.
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