March 5, 2004

Carolina in the News

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

National Coverage

Americans driving to distraction
USA Today
Almost as soon as New Jersey Assemblyman Doug Fisher proposed a ban last spring on "distracted driving" - everything from eating a bagel to chatting on a cell phone while behind the wheel - the measure was ridiculed....A University of North Carolina study released in August by the AAA, formerly known as the American Automobile Association, showed that drivers were most likely to swerve when they were eating or reaching for something.

State & Local Coverage

Study: Legislators should ease UNC restrictions
Triangle Business Journal
The North Carolina General Assembly should loosen purchasing, construction and leasing constraints on the state's research universities so they can more effectively contribute to the state's economic development, a study has concluded....Research funding at UNC and NCSU alone increased by more than 50 percent from fiscal 1997 to 2002, generating more than $930 million in spending for the state's economy, according to the study.

Study calls for enhancing public university research to boost NC economy
Triangle Tech Journal
To ensure science and technology remain bright spots in North Carolina's economy, state leaders should be aggressive in maximizing the competitive advantage that its public research universities provide to economic development and growth, according to a new study.....UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State are successfully leveraging overhead receipts along with funds from the statewide Higher Education Bond Referendum - overwhelmingly approved by state voters in 2000 - and private gifts to build and modernize facilities, attract and retain top faculty researchers and sustain the excellence of academic programs.

Related links:

Keohane: Study reaffirms importance of N.C.'s public universities to state's economy
Duke News & Communications
This study reaffirms the critical importance of North Carolina's public universities to the state's economic future. These universities provide research and technologies that lead to new jobs, and they train people with the skills needed to keep those jobs here in North Carolina. We welcome the report's recommendation that the state's public universities, including UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State, strengthen their research ties with Duke. Although our campuses compete fiercely on the basketball court at this time of year, collaboration among us has been expanding in the research arena, and there are more opportunities we could pursue. When we work together, the people of North Carolina benefit.

Modern slave trade thrives
Wilmington Star News
Law enforcement officials and child welfare advocates told lawmakers Wednesday that North Carolina needs a law to match federal efforts to stop what they described as a growing illicit international trade in women and children...."There is a highly organized nature to the types of crimes we're talking about," said Sharon W. Cooper, a pediatrician who teaches at UNC-Chapel Hill and is affiliated with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in Washington.

UNC student president lays out heavy agenda
The Chapel Hill Herald
This particular election had all the trappings of a classic political showdown: scandal, intrigue and even two runoffs. And in the end, UNC has a new student body president-elect. Matt Calabria, a Carolina junior, edged opponent Lily West earlier this week in the second runoff needed to settle the general campus election.

Issues and Trends

UNC's funding gains (Letter to the Editor)
The News & Observer
UNC Board of Governors' Chairman Brad Wilson's Feb. 24 Point of View article "A tuition hike for quality in education" could give readers the incorrect impression that our university campuses have been denied necessary resources in the past few years.

Study: Strong downtown demand for new business
The Herald-Sun
There's strong demand for new business ventures in the downtown area, particularly if local officials, merchants and landlords spiff up the appearance of downtown buildings and recruit strong tenants, a marketing consultant says.

Note: If you have any questions about Carolina in the News, please call Russell Campbell at News Services, (919) 962-2091, russell_campbell@unc.edu, or Mike McFarland in University Communications, mike_mcfarland@unc.edu

Note: Web links on this page are time-sensitive, so stories might not be available after the day they first appeared.