July 15, 2003

Carolina in the News

Current National Coverage

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

Teaching Computers to Work in Unison
The New York Times
Computers do wondrous things, but computer science itself is largely 
a discipline of step-by-step progress as a steady stream of innovations 
in hardware, software and networking pile up...Researchers from Harvard, 
Duke, the University of North Carolina, Johns Hopkins, the University of 
California at Los Angeles, the University of California at San Diego, 
Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital 
participate in the study. 
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/15/science/15GRID.html

Sunless Ways to Bronze 
Washington Post
Sunless tanning products, first introduced in the 1960s, may be the only 
way to add a glow this wet, stormy summer...Skip the all-natural choices 
containing herbs or oils, says University of North Carolina clinical 
dermatology professor Stanley Levy. "They're bogus."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56605-2003Jul14.html

A Test to Predict Diabetes Risk 
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A cluster of cardiovascular risk factors known as metabolic syndrome 
can warn of impending diabetes as well as heart disease, a new Scottish 
study finds...Looking at the report with a critical eye, Dr. Sidney Smith, 
a professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina and spokesman 
for the American Heart Association, picks out some points of note.
http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared-auto/healthnews/obes/514125.html

National News Note

Barry Popkin, UNC School of Public Health nutrition professor, was 
quoted on National Public Radio's "Morning Edition" on Thursday, July 
10 about diet and portion sizes.

A recent rare and complex surgery to save the life of a newborn was 
performed at UNC Hospitals and is mentioned in the July 2, 2003 issue 
of Advance for Nurses magazine. For more information about the surgery,
please see this UNC Health Care news release

State and Local Coverage

UNC building projects advance 
News and Observer
The state House of Representatives tentatively approved $491 million in 
construction projects for UNC campuses Monday night, with more than 
half the money going to UNC-Chapel Hill for projects including new 
student housing, an art museum expansion and cleaning up a hazardous 
waste site at the former Horace Williams airport. 
http://www.newsandobserver.com/front/story/2694510p-2498221c.html

Author responds on UNC brouhaha 
Chapel Hill Herald
For the second year in a row, UNC's summer reading program has 
raised hackles for its selection of a book some feel isn't proper. A 
year ago, it was "Approaching the Qur'an: The Early Revelations," 
which examined the Islamic holy book. This year, the book in question 
is "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America," by Barbara
Ehrenreich. In the book, Ehrenreich writes about her experiences 
working in a number of low-paying jobs. 
http://www.heraldsun.com/orange/10-371400.html

UNC, RTI research confirms value of screening for hypertension
Durham Herald-Sun
One week after a major medical report warning that America's 
30-year improvement in high blood pressure is growing worse, a 
federal advisory panel says research analyses conducted by UNC 
and RTI International confirm that all adults should be screened 
regularly for hypertension. The report issued Monday by the U.S. 
Preventive Services Task Force didn't contain any surprises, according 
to Stacey Sheridan, a faculty member in the UNC Division of General 
Medicine who led the research analysis that resulted in the task 
force's report. 
http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-371424.html

Carolina North's plan (Letter to the Editor)
News and Observer
I read with interest the July 10 Point of View column by Dan Coleman, 
"What business is UNC in?" in which Coleman discusses the Carolina 
North project at UNC-Chapel Hill. Those of us involved in the planning 
welcome all views that will ensure that Carolina North responds to 
the interests and needs of the university and neighboring communities.
(W. Mark Crowell is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Economic 
Development at UNC)
http://newsobserver.com/editorials/story/2694341p-2498274c.html

Sarah Dessen and her inner girl 
News and Observer
Sarah Dessen didn't want to freak out at the movie set, you know, in 
front of Mandy Moore and all those celebrities. She would try to act 
cool, even if she really just wanted to call her friend Bianca and scream 
"Omygosh! I don't fit in here!" into the phone. 
http://www.newsobserver.com/features/arts/story/2690182p-2494304c.html
(Sarah Dessen teaches creative writing at Carolina.)

UNC-Chapel Hill officials work to educate on SARS threat 
Durham Herald-Sun
With North Carolina's first SARS case connected to UNC-Chapel Hill, 
university leaders are planning for next month's return of students and 
staffers who scattered to the corners of the globe. 
http://www.heraldsun.com/state/6-371006.html

Free helmets going to 100 young riders 
Chapel Hill Herald
Children riding their bikes around town without helmets may notice 
a Chapel Hill police officer or firefighter heading their way this summer...
Working with the police and fire departments, Orange County Safe 
Communities -- part of UNC Health Care's trauma program -- is 
offering the helmet vouchers. The Governor's Highway Safety program is 
covering the $1,750 cost of the 100 helmets, coordinator Renu Daryani said. 
http://www.heraldsun.com/orange/10-370320.htm

Issues and Trends Affecting Carolina

Affirmative-Action Fight Is Renewed in the States
Chronicle of Higher Education
Just weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the consideration 
of race in admissions, colleges are bracing for a new round of assaults 
against their affirmative-action policies.
In addition to leaving institutions open to lawsuits over admissions 
policies that give race too much weight, the Supreme Court's rulings 
-- in two cases involving the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor -- 
did nothing to prevent opponents of race-conscious admissions policies 
from seeking to ban them through legislation or voter referendums.
http://chronicle.com/weekly/v49/i45/45a01901.htm

PAC giving approached $10.2 million in '02 races
Winston-Salem Journal
Contributions by political-action committees reached almost $10.2 
million in the 2002 races for seats in the N.C. General Assembly, 
according to a report by N.C. FREE, a business trade group that 
tracks election spending trends.
http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2FWSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031770048133&path=!frontpage&s=

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