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Jan. 2, 2008
Carolina in the News
Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina people and programs cited recently in the media:
International Coverage
The truth’s out there - honestly
The Sunday Times (United Kingdom)
It has become a reflex reaction in the digital age. If you have a question that needs an answer or a fact to check, simply head online and tap it into Google. More often than not you will be directed to Wikipedia, where the answer is laid out for you. The only problem is, it may not be the right answer.National Coverage
Doctors Target Germs' Ability to Cluster
The Associated Press
Think of germs as gangsters. One thug lurking on a corner you might outrun, but a dozen swaggering down the street? Yikes. ..."We're trying to find the Achilles heel in drug-resistant bacteria," adds Matthew Redinbo of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill — who did find one.How to Prevent a Tragedy
Newsweek
...In the wake of that tragedy, Virginia Tech has begun to make changes in its campus security, student-privacy policies and mental-health services. But it's not the only one. ...Washington University in St. Louis and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are among the schools that have focused on training faculty and staff to identify and help troubled students.The Hangover That Lasts (Opinion-Editorial)
The New York Times
New Year’s Eve tends to be the day of the year with the most binge drinking (based on drunken driving fatalities), followed closely by Super Bowl Sunday. ...Much of the evidence for the impact of frequent binge-drinking comes from some simple but elegant studies done on lab rats by Fulton T. Crews and his former student Jennifer Obernier. Dr. Crews, the director of the University of North Carolina Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, and Dr. Obernier have shown that after a longstanding abstinence following heavy binge-drinking, adult rats can learn effectively — but they cannot relearn.The first 'imperial president' (Opinion-Editorial Column)
USA Today
Secret prisons, warrantless wiretapping, sweeping claims of executive privilege. ...But as historian Harry Watson of the University of North Carolina says, "Putting all this emphasis on the people actually empowered one man, the president of the United States, to call the shots for the whole government. And as a result, the office of the president is strengthened enormously by somebody who said, I only want to do the will of the people."Moderates Storm The Religious Battlefield
Newsweek
Finally, coming in March, a surprising confession: the prolific Bible scholar Bart Ehrman, who is known mostly for his work on the historical Jesus, concedes that in spite of his Christian credentials—which include four years at Bible college and a divinity degree from the Princeton Theological Seminary—he can no longer believe in the Christian God. ...This is an old problem in theology called theodicy, but Ehrman's book, "God's Problem," contains so much earnest humility that he will find sympathetic readers even among believers. (Bart Ehrman is a James A. Gray Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.)Slim down your body, fatten your piggy bank
USA Today
If you're looking for a little extra motivation to lose weight this year, consider this: Would you be more inspired if your boss offered you cash for losing 10 pounds? ...Money and other rewards can inspire people to trim down, says Eric Finkelstein, one of the nation's top experts on the economic impact of obesity. ...Finkelstein and colleagues at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill recruited more than 200 overweight people.Six tips to managing workplace conflict
CNN.com
Ever held a differing opinion from your boss? Boasted dissimilar ideas than your co-worker? Been knocked out by a colleague over a disagreement about a project? ...Fifty-three percent of workers said they lost time at work worrying about a past or future confrontation with a co-worker, according to a recent survey by researchers at the University of North Carolina.Regional Coverage
He shoots... he scores
The Boston Globe (Mass.)
As Boston Celtics guard Rajon Rondo drove agilely through an Orlando Magic defense for a layup last week, statistician Shane Crawford connected with his every move. ...The additional data are starting to reshape draft choices and game strategies, said Dan Rosenbaum, a University of North Carolina economics professor who has consulted with the league.State & Local Coverage
Carolina North will face several milestones
The Chapel Hill Herald
Planning for Carolina North has been methodical to this point or, in the words of Carolina North Executive Director Jack Evans, "stable." UNC's ambitious vision for its research campus will likely maintain the same trajectory in 2008, connecting with several important milestones along the way.Egan plays it forward
The Chapel Hill News
Bruce Egan is an information technology manager at UNC, a bass player in a local rock-and-blues band, a former newspaper columnist and a writer who once wrote a story about spider hunting for a children's magazine. ...Egan, of Chapel Hill, was one of 15 people who received the 2007 State Employees' Award for Excellence, the highest honor given to a state employee.Drought top story of year
The Chapel Hill News
After that the rest of our top 10 fell in a pack below. ...Nearly 20 years after his breakthrough DNA discovery, UNC pathology professor Oliver Smithies finally won the Nobel Prize. ...UNC Chancellor James Moeser announced that he will step down next summer and return to teaching. ...UNC trustees unanimously approved a 50-year plan to build a research campus on the Horace Williams tract off Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.Plenty to look forward to in 2008
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
New Year's has always been a time to look forward to new beginnings. And after a tumultuous year of resignations, retirements, dropped charges and wells running dry, the stage is set for new folks to try their hand with Durham and the surrounding community. ...UNC may have a new chancellor start, if the search committee has found the right replacement for departing Chancellor James Moeser. ...NC's Ackland Art Museum turns 50 this year. To celebrate, the museum will feature the exhibit "Circa 1958: Breaking Ground in American Art" from Sept. 21 through Jan. 4, 2009.UNC campus now officially smoke-free
WCHL 1360-AM (Chapel Hill)
January 1st … the UNC-Chapel Hill campus officially went smoke-free. Students … who spoke with WCHL expressed mixed opinions about the new policy.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/oct07/smoking.htmlWhen reporters go into MySpace (Opinion-Editorial Column)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Call it a reporting ritual for the Information Age. When breaking news involves someone under 21, a reporter's first stop is likely to be a social network site such as Facebook or MySpace, where millions of young adults disclose personal information that may take the form of text, photos, audio and video. (Barbara Friedman is assistant professor and Meredith Golden is a junior in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at UNC-Chapel Hill.)Cancer diagnosis? Get 2nd ... 3rd ... 4th opinion
The Charlotte Observer
Kathy Madsen lay flat on her back, prepped for radiation to treat pancreatic cancer. ...Bobbi Marks, of UNC Chapel Hill's Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, said doctors there come together for clinics daily.2008 brings fresh chance to update diet, health habits (Column)
The Charlotte Observer
The start of a new year is a great time to assess diets and habits and make changes to improve your and your family's health. Remember, small changes for the better can have big impact over time. (Suzanne Havala Hobbs is a registered dietitian and a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy at UNC-Chapel Hill.)Compared to cancer, Kilimanjaro is cake
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
For most people, a diagnosis of terminal cancer would be enough of a challenge to face. But Harriet Farb, who has incurable breast cancer, is taking on another physical conquest -- climbing one of the world's tallest mountains. ...Her ascent of the 19,340-foot peak will raise more than $10,000, which Farb is donating to the patient and family resource center at UNC-Chapel Hill's Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. Farb, who lives in Raleigh, has been a patient at UNC's cancer center since 2001.
Related Link: http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/2240617/Study: Limit digital mammography to young
The Chapel Hill Herald
A cost-effectiveness study of digital and film screening mammography showed that digital mammography does not result in sufficient health gains to warrant its increased cost unless its use is limited to younger women under the age of 50. ..."These results mean that insurers should reimburse for screening with digital mammography for women under age 50," said Etta Pisano, vice dean for academic affairs at the UNC School of Medicine and principal investigator of DMIST.Flaws in Forsyth's data on illegal immigrants cited in study
The Winston-Salem Journal
Several Forsyth County commissioners are praising a new internal study that shows that illegal Hispanic immigrants will use $11.2 million in county services this fiscal year. ...The numbers were derived in part on a 2006 study from UNC Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, which found that about 45 percent of Hispanics living in North Carolina in 2004 were not authorized to be here.Individualized Healthcare May Reduce Access To Care
NBC 17 (Raleigh)
Healthcare reform is one of the biggest issues in politics-and one of the most complicated. ...Dr. Jim Evans is director of the Cancer Genetics Program at the University of North Carolina. In addition to his regular patients, he also oversees lab operations that will bring more targeted and effective treatments for cancer.Hispanic births reach 50% at UNC
The Chapel Hill Herald
By On the fifth floor of the N.C. Women's Hospital, high above the streets of Chapel Hill, is a window on the state's future. ..."The Latina community has a very strong orientation toward babies, toward children," explained Merry-K. Moos, a professor at UNC's School of Medicine and nurse practitioner.Study analyzes schizophrenia patients reaction to medications
The Chapel Hill Herald
A genetic analysis by UNC researchers has found that variants of a particular gene might be able to predict how some schizophrenia patients will respond to anti-psychotic medications, but the predictive power differs between people of self-reported African and European ancestry. "We know that response to anti-psychotic medicines varies substantially. These analyses help to explain why and will help us pursue the important goal of individualized treatment," said Scott Stroup, a co-author of the study and professor of psychiatry at the UNC School of Medicine. Patrick Sullivan, a UNC professor of genetics, and Tara Skelly, a UNC laboratory technician, are also study co-authors.Year's best in Triangle art
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
"Fashioning the Divine," Ackland Art Museum ...The Ackland, at UNC-Chapel Hill, published a long-awaited catalog and presented its scholarly findings on its selection of South Asian sculpture.Issues & Trends
Misguided agenda for universities (Opinion-Editorial Column)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Last February, UNC Board of Governors Chairman Jim Phillips convened the UNC Tomorrow Commission "to determine how the 16-campus university system can best meet the needs of the state and its people over the next 20 years."Time for collaboration (Editorial)
The Charlotte Observer
By the time this year ends, some 9,000 teachers will leave North Carolina classrooms, either for another job or to retire. At the same time, an estimated 22,180 young people will drop out of school, almost 60 percent of them male. Those numbers add up to trouble for the Tar Heel state. They directly affect the quality of our future.Christine Mumma - Tar Heel of the Year
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
A legal file folder tucked under her arm, Christine Mumma hops out of her Lexus SUV and surveys the Boone trailer park. ...After obtaining a business degree from UNC-Chapel Hill, she took a job in corporate finance at Northern Telecom, now Nortel. But even there, the law found Mumma.Rain brings 2-week gain
The Chapel Hill Herald
Thanks to some much-needed rainfall, University Lake gained more than a foot of water over the weekend, and the Orange Water and Sewer Authority is reporting it has nearly two more weeks' worth of water. ...Although it can be difficult to track local conservation efforts in December -- students at UNC have mostly gone home for the holidays -- the numbers show that customers are continuing to conserve.
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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