July 2, 2007

Carolina in the News

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

International Coverage

Simple steps to improve the world
Financial Times (London, England)
George Russell is not afraid of tackling big problems. If he has his way, many Americans will change their views of Muslims and Islam, doctors will increasingly focus on early detection of diseases, and nuclear waste will be destroyed, not stored. … So he set up an organization, Nuclear Fuel Cycle Technologies, run by Professor David McNelis of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in order to explore the issue.

Cancer link for sweetener
Courier Mail (Australia)
Researchers have strengthened a link between aspartame – a common sweetener in soft drinks, medicines and sugar-free sweets – and cancer in rats. … Others, however, maintain there is no risk. James Swenberg, professor of environmental sciences and engineering at the University of North Carolina, said the study did not follow the National Toxicology Program's methodology, and the results were therefore suspect.

National Coverage

Mississippi Delta residents like their pickles - sometimes fried, sometimes soaked in Kool-Aid
The Associated Press (National)
Mississippians have a strange relationship with pickles. … “The backdrop is that the South has always been a pickling culture. Pickled okra. Pickled watermelon rind. Pickled peaches and fruits,” says William Ferris, a professor of Southern history and folklore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Pro-eating-disorder Web sites attract teens
Honolulu Advisor
They're called pro-eating-disorder Web sites. … “Most of our kids are more savvy surfers than we are,” agreed Cynthia M. Bulik, professor of eating disorders at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and director of the UNC Eating Disorders Program at UNC Hospitals.

New undersea images challenge prevailing ideas about the Antarctic ice sheet
Science Daily
Using echo-sounding equipment to create images and maps of areas below the ocean floor, researchers have begun to unravel a new story about the Antarctic Ice Sheet. … Louis R. Bartek, associate professor in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and John B. Diebold, a senior scientist at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, are also co-authors.

Beyond the illusions
The National Interest (Washington, D.C.)
As America’s great experiment to refashion the greater Middle East appears to be floundering, swept by the currents of reality onto the shoals of ancient enmities, socio-religious pathologies and radicalized insurgencies, there is no shortage of scholars, journalists, retired military officers, out-of-office politicians and assorted pundits proffering "strategies" to the nation. … This is the message, not surprisingly, of two accomplished practitioners of the "dismal science", Steven Rosefielde, professor of economics at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill.

The NPPA multimedia immersion workshop (Opinion column)
The Digital Journalist
It seemed like an impossible challenge. To teach 40 photojournalists the art and technique of multimedia, taking them from novices to final project in just four days. … Instructors included Rich Beckman, professor of multimedia design at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Regional Coverage

Dismissing school rankings (Opinion column)
The Boston Globe
Last week, a group of prestigious smaller liberal arts colleges, including Barnard, Sarah Lawrence, and Kenyon, announced that they would no longer participate in the annual college rankings by US News and World Report. … Sarah E. Wald is assistant to the dean at the University of North Carolina School of Law.

East or west: Where's barbecue best?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mark Andrews looked a little stricken. Returning to his home west of Charlotte from a kayaking trip through eastern North Carolina, he'd parked in front of Wayne Monk's fabled barbecue joint here at 8 a.m. only to find it closed for another two hours. … “It's not like religion. It's not that important," said John Shelton Reed, professor emeritus of sociology at the University of North Carolina, and former judge at the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. "But it sort of acts like religion. There are denominational differences.”

A breakthrough in building life from scratch
The San Francisco Chronicle
Biologists have converted one species of bacterium into another by replacing all of its DNA, a critical step toward their ultimate goal of designing entire organisms from scratch, according to a study published Thursday.…"We don't have any idea yet really how widely applicable this would be," said Hutchison, who is also a professor emeritus of microbiology and immunology at the University of North Carolina. "Our hunch is one can make it work for other systems. But on the other hand, you can think of a lot of barriers to this working."

When Fido and Muffy start to squint; Veterinary ophthalmologists specialize in animal sight problems
The San Francisco Chronicle
Cynthia Cook is an ophthalmologist, but she doesn't ask her patients to read the familiar chart starting with the big letter "E" at the top. … She also earned a doctorate in medical cell biology and anatomy from the University of North Carolina.

It all comes down to the vote, say speakers at UNTHSC event
Fort Worth Business Press
Better health care for minorities may rest in a four-letter word. … The event was followed four days later by a videoconference from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The 13th Annual Summer Public Health Research Institute and Videoconference on Minority Health was telecast to the Health Science Center’s library.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/jun07/minconf060607.html

Strand's sidewalk scarcity may endanger pedestrians
The Sun News (Myrtle Beach, S.C.)
The absence of sidewalks on some area roads may be a factor that contributes to pedestrian fatalities, which have reached at least eight in Horry County so far this year…. "When we are making a choice whether to walk in the rough grassy area, where we might twist an ankle or fall in a hole, most of us want to walk on the smooth hard surface," said Charlie Zegeer with the University of North Carolina's Highway Safety Research Center.

Genola family battles insurance for son's life
The Daily Herald (Saratoga Springs, Utah)
Ten-year-old Nathan Thomas is not expected to live past age 13. Because of a rare genetic disorder, his parents know they will never experience the joys of seeing him graduate high school, get married or have children of his own. … While PEHP considers Elaprase to be experimental, some medical professionals disagree. Dr. Joseph Muenzer, an MPS specialist at the University of North Carolina, said it works well on children younger than 5.

Good things come in small doses
Pocono Record (Stroudsburg, Pa.)
Communities began adding fluoride to water supplies in the early 1940s after decades of studies into why some Colorado residents were exhibiting a discoloration or "mottling" of the teeth but at the same time very low rates of actual decay. … However, speaking in a May 2002 UPI Science News article, John W. Stamm, dean of the School of Dentistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a spokesperson for the American Dental Association, said, "It's very important to realize that there are many sources for body fluids."

Harvest shifts grant focus
Martinsville Bulletin (Va.)
The nearly $2 million in grants announced last week by The Harvest Foundation represents a shift in the focus of the organization’s grant-making process, said Executive Director Rich Killingsworth. … It also will include evaluation by two organizations — the University of North Carolina and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — to assess the initiative’s strengths and weaknesses and determine how it might be emulated by other communities.

Interns coming to North Carolina to help Native Americans
South Carolina Now.com
The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill is bringing on 27 summer interns from across the nation as well as Canada and Norway to work with rural Native American communities on various health projects.

History uncovered
The Fort Mill Times (S.C.)
The discovery of Catawba Indian relics and burials on the site of a proposed mixed-use community near I-77 is reshaping plans for where homes, shops and roads will be located. … Other relics and burials may be in the path of a proposed road, said Stephen Davis, a professor with UNC-Chapel Hill's research labs of archaeology and a specialist in 18th-century Catawba Indians. Davis and his students have been working on the Kanawha property for the past few months.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/jun07/nassaw062807.html

Project Gutenberg shows us the value of eBooks
Kennebec Journal (Maine)
Project Gutenberg gives away three million books a week from just one single site, ibiblio.org at the University of North Carolina.

Mission metamorphosis
Salt Lake Tribune
The LDS Church announced this week that it had called its 1 millionth full-time missionary, but declined to name the candidate who gave the church its symbolic success. … "This is a success story," says John-Charles Duffy, an LDS graduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who has analyzed aspects of the missionary system. "It's amazing how quickly the missionary force and mission fields have grown in the last half century."

State & Local Coverage

Our green office award goes to ...
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
More than a dozen applicants vied to win our "How Green is Your Office" contest. …Runners Up … N.C. Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill. The garden is a work-in-progress that will serve as a model of energy efficiency for the region. … To encourage an emissions-free commute, the garden is developing a bike path that will connect to the UNC-Chapel Hill campus.

Device takes sharp aim at cancer
The Charlotte Observer
Along Interstate 85, billboards boast of NorthEast Medical Center's new CyberKnife, a robot that performs "knifeless cancer surgery" with "precision accuracy." … Mission Health and Hospitals in Asheville and UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill also have one.

Thin line between politics, policy
The Charlotte Observer
Is it proper for Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory to use his publicly funded television show to defend a half-cent sales tax to pay for light rail and extend bus service? … Ferrel Guillory, director of UNC Chapel Hill's Southern politics program, said, "I don't see how stifling the mayor adds to the public dialogue of Charlotte.”

Mapping Durham's potholes
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
If you live in Durham (or drive in Durham for that matter), you can help Matt Dees with a story he's working on. The city is thinking about borrowing $20 million to fix its roads. … According to the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Government, a little over half of the streets maintained by the city were rated 85 or better.

Lenker retiring today as Carteret school chief
The Daily News (Jacksonville)
The operation of a school system can come with difficult decisions. … And he's certain incoming Superintendent Brad Sneeden is the person to provide the leadership to make it happen. Sneeden, a former Craven County educator, has been serving as the associate vice president for Leadership Development for the Center for School Leadership at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Medicare advantage reviewed
WUNC-FM
In the past few years, seniors and people with disabilities have seen tremendous changes in Medicare. … But there have been some problems with the plans. Rose Hoban reports.
Note: UNC-Chapel Hill professor Jon Oberlander was featured in this story.

… New Hanover's ignoring them (Editorial)
The Wilmington Star-News
The New Hanover County Board of Education is pushing many pupils toward failure, if a new study from UNC-Chapel Hill is right. There's little reason to believe it isn't; plenty of similar studies have reached similar conclusions.

Joseph Cheshire V heads trial lawyers' group
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Raleigh lawyer Joseph B. Cheshire V assumed the presidency of the N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers at the group's recent convention in Sunset Beach.… Other Triangle residents named to top posts include: … Member At Large Charles Daye of UNC School of Law in Chapel Hill.

Another county's experience (Opinion column)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Ricardo Morse, assistant professor of public administration and government at UNC-Chapel Hill, finds lessons in Palm Beach County, Fla. … "When you talk about growth in Wake County, it immediately underscores that the big public problems we face today don't line up with our jurisdictions. We have fragmented governance trying to deal with shared problems, so the question of leadership is the key one.

Pets to get shelter in next storm
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Pet cats and dogs may no longer have to fend for themselves during emergency evacuations, but exotic snakes and spiders are still out of luck. … "Hurricane Floyd just did not go very well from an animal response issue," said Bill Gentry of the University of North Carolina's School of Public Health.

Start your Engines (Book Review)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Before I read Sharyn McCrumb's "Once Around the Track," all I knew about NASCAR I'd learned from the movie "Talladega Nights." … Ruth Moose, who teaches in the creative writing program at UNC-Chapel Hill, lives in Pittsboro.

Final two public forums slated on Chatham's economic development
Chatham Journal
With three public forums already completed, the Chatham County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) has slated two final community forums around the county to receive input from residents on economic development. … The forums will be led by staff from the University of North Carolina’s Center for Competitive Economies, an economic development research center at the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise.

Wachovia gift to help FoR ENC pilot project
The Greenville Reflector
The Foundation of Renewal for Eastern North Carolina announced that Wachovia has made a significant financial contribution to FoR ENC and its Creative Communities Initiative. … It is an affiliate of the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise. The Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise was founded at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC Chapel Hill in 1985.

Reason wins over psychology in debate on kindergarten (Opinion column)
The Southern Pines Pilot
When logic and psychology conflict, the psychology has to be suspect. … One childhood researcher from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill suggested in an Associated Press story that changing the kindergarten cutoff date was unnecessary and won't bring many benefits.

Reunion planned for WWII band
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
A historic reunion of the World War II band for the U.S. Navy Pre-Flight School at UNC Chapel Hill will be held in Chapel Hill on Labor Day Weekend.

The whole tooth (Opinion column)
Tideland News Online (Swansboro)
As bills that would lead to establishing a dental school at East Carolina University wind their way through the N.C. Legislature, some interesting statistics have come to light. …The need for more dentists is obvious, based on information found in a recent report by the Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The ascent of English-speaking peoples
Metro Magazine (Raleigh)
When the sun arose above England on the first day of the 20th century, its light had already crossed the eastern expanses of the British Empire. … With a non-triumphal tone in The American Ascendancy: How the United States Gained & Wielded Global Dominance, UNC-Chapel Hill historian Michael H. Hunt covers some of the same history from another perspective.

Issues & Trends

UNC boom nearing end
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
After five years of unmatched expansion, the largest construction program in the history of the UNC system is winding down. … "We might see a day when we have more expensive construction programs, but I don't know if we will ever match the pace of the past seven years," said Bruce Runberg, associate vice chancellor for facilities planning and construction at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Second pick, first choice
The Robesonian (Lumberton)
Given Cheryl Ransom Locklear's availability and willingness to serve on the University of North Carolina System's Board of Governors, it's hard to understand why the General Assembly swung and missed with its initial pick for her seat.

Using poverty as a prop? (Editorial)
The Charlotte Observer
The New York Times recently reported how John Edwards skillfully used nonprofit organizations -- and his well-heeled contacts -- to keep a high public profile between his presidential bids. … An important note: Don't confuse this with a sister charity he created at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to raise scholarship money for poor students.

Summer learning is two-way street
News 14 Carolina (Raleigh)
Dozens of students in Durham are stepping into the role of teacher this summer. … Fifty rising sixth graders from Durham public schools spend six weeks in class with aspiring teachers from Duke University, Central University, UNC Chapel Hill, Brown University, and Oberlin College. Veteran teachers work with the college students.

New degree program now online
NBC 17 (Raleigh)
It just became a little easier to earn a college degree in North Carolina. The UNC School System launched the University of North Carolina Online Sunday.

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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