May 30, 2006

Carolina in the News

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

International Coverage

Politics is new battlefield for veterans of Iraq, Afghanistan
Stars and Stripes
(82nd Airborne Division, Capt. Patrick) Murphy is one of about a dozen veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who are back home running for Congress, looking to serve their country in a different way. While their military service unites them, they are as diverse a group as any sampling of congressional candidates. ... Veterans’ numbers in Congress have been shrinking since the 1970s, said Richard Kohn, a history professor and chair of the Curriculum in Peace, War and Defense at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

National Coverage

Unconventional Wisdom (Opinion-editorial column)
The Washington Post
University of North Carolina sociologists find that twins with a particular gene have sex earlier than the twin who doesn't have the gene.

Southwest Weighs Future of the 'Cattle Call'
The Los Angeles Times
Passengers stood or sat on the floor or in nearby chairs, anxiously holding their spot in line in anticipation of the everyone-for-themselves crush that is boarding a Southwest Airlines flight. ... "The surge to the seat turns off many passengers," said John D. Kasarda, a professor of management at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an expert on aviation infrastructure and logistics.

The mind as a path to comfort
The Los Angeles Times
When a disease is poorly understood, when it's of a distinctly personal nature and when medication doesn't help, there's often little left to do but to suffer in silence. That's the case for the 15% of Americans - about 25 million people - who have irritable bowel syndrome. ... Cognitive behavior therapy has long shown promise in helping IBS patients, but it's hard to find therapists who offer it for IBS, said Dr. Robert Sandler, vice president of the American Gastroenterological Assn. ... Sandler is a professor and chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at UNC's School of Medicine.

Poverty fuels HIV among black heterosexuals
Reuters
Poverty is a key reason why African-American heterosexuals have a far higher rate of infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, than other racial groups, a new study suggests. ... But the reasons for the racial disparity have been "elusive," according to the authors of the new study, led by Dr. Adaora A. Adimora of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Regional Coverage

Facilities play it safe with defibrillator boom
The Press of Atlantic City (New Jersey)
Famous for their power to raise the briefly dead in primetime medical dramas, external defibrillators are now as ubiquitous in malls as Jelly Belly gift boxes. They have been used extensively in casinos for almost 15 years, but are now in airports and schools. ... “(Public-access defibrillator) programs that target public venues address only a small fraction of the cardiac arrest problem,” said Dr. Valerie J. De Maio, the study's leader and an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina.

Handling a $25 million dilemma
Austin Business Journal (Texas)
Sometimes family-business ownership succession just doesn't work out. Everyone makes a good-faith effort, but the next generation isn't interested or isn't up to the task, or some other factors make it impossible to keep the business in the family. ... James Lea is a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a family business speaker, author and adviser.

State & Local Coverage

Carolina North group should clear the air (Editorial)
The Chapel Hill News
Carolina North won't happen overnight, or even over many nights. By the time it's done, many of us will have gone on to that great research campus in the sky; the university says the massive project will take 50 to 70 years to complete. ... "There's a very strong sense of urgency about Carolina North," said trustee Roger Perry. "The time for talking about it and trying to build consensus is coming to an end."

Time to lower the Carolina North rhetoric (Editorial)
The Chapel Hill Herald
OK, everyone. Take a deep breath. Let it out slowly. Relax and let's try to ratchet down just a bit the rhetoric and the emotions. It's clear that passions are rising about Carolina North and what is perhaps most unfortunate is that both sides are saying, "I told you so."

More space needed at UNC (Opinion-editorial column)
The Chapel Hill Herald
Summer, in most cases, brings with it a different kind of schedule at Carolina and a slower pace, even with this year's record summer school enrollment of more than 8,500 students. In recent years, summer has also meant an acceleration in certain construction and renovation projects as we try to minimize any disruption to the local and campus communities during the regular academic year. ... As we are doing on the main campus, university staff will endeavor to create at Carolina North a welcoming community that honors the environment and serves the people. ... James Moeser is chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He welcomes readers' messages at jmoeser@unc.edu.

“Ourtoon” (Cartoon)
The Chapel Hill News
Editorial cartoon about Carolina North in The Chapel Hill News.

County wants say on Carolina North
The Chapel Hill Herald
Orange County officials are requesting time at the next meeting of the university's Carolina North committee to present their guiding principles on the process. The county's principles, which the commissioners adopted this week, aren't designed to be binding on the committee or the university, but they reflect its perspective, officials said.

Officials: UNC might seek new I-40 interchange
The Chapel Hill Herald
Local officials say they've heard UNC might pursue a new interchange on Interstate 40 to serve the planned Carolina North research campus. ... Tony Waldrop, vice chancellor for research and economic development and UNC's point-person for Carolina North, didn't confirm any interest in an I-40 interchange, nor did he rule it out definitively. "We're not to a level of planning to know what we're interested in, as it pertains to transportation," Waldrop said. "We're interested in looking at any possibilities that would be appropriate. Whether that's one or not, I just don't know."

Week ahead
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
"Computing the Future: Release 2016," a seminar on technology and the effect it could have on everything from education to entertainment. Speaker is Dr. Daniel A. Reed, director of the Institute for Renaissance Computing, a venture supported by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and N.C. State and Duke universities.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/briefs/2006/052506.htm

Lecture looks at growth of internet companies
WCHL-AM (Chapel Hill)
Websites like Google and Amazon-dot-com were just babies ten years ago, but are giants now. Who will be the giants a decade from now? ... It’s the subject of a lecture Tuesday by director of UNC’s Renaissance Computing Institute Daniel Reed.

FedEx Donates $5M Toward UNC’s International Center
WRAL-TV (Raleigh, CBS)
FedEx will give $5 million to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to help cover the costs of a new international center being built on the campus. ... "As the most international of companies, FedEx is a strong strategic fit for UNC-Chapel Hill because we intend to be among the most international of universities," said UNC Chancellor James Moeser.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/may06/fedex052306.htm

Chapel Hill packages bolser troops in Iraq
The Chapel Hill News
Just some soap, shampoo, a candy bar - or even just a note that says, "We're thinking of you" - from someone back home can bring a smile to a solider who comes under fire every day. ... "I've never done or been involved with anything that has quite this reach and impact," said Dr. Robert Connolly, an associate professor in UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School, who coordinatres the effort.
Note: No link available. For a copy, email Todd at tvinyard@dev.unc.edu.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/may06/conolly052606.htm

Survivor CEO style - staying on the island takes skill
The Triangle Business Journal
In the survival guide for CEOs, tip No. 1 should be: Align your job function around the core needs of the company. That's the advice of Ted Zoller, executive director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies and an assistant professor with the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Are we ready?
The Trinalge Business Journal
As evidence surfaced on May 23 that avian flu may have been passed from human to human for the first time, North Carolina health officials and Gov. Mike Easley are at odds over how to deal with a potential outbreak in the state. ... "It's definitely something for everybody to be monitoring," says Bill Gentry, a professor at the University of North Carolina School of Public Health.

Efforts to promote equality honored
The Charlotte Observer
A retired banker who started a campaign to encourage people to eat lunch with people of different races once a week and the director of Charlotte's oldest Hispanic service agency are among those who will be honored by the N.C. Committee of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in June. ... Jim Johnson is the director of the UNC Chapel Hill-based Urban Investment Strategies Center. He helped start the Durham Scholars program, an after-school academy where teachers and volunteer mentors help Durham students with academic and social skills.

"The Story with Dick Gordon"
WUNC-FM
Brenda Muckelvene, who has two children who are a big part of North Carolina basketball, found out she had breast cancer in the middle of basketball season. Her son, Rashad McCants, was a star player on the UNC team before moving on to the NBA. Her daughter, Rashanda McCants, was on her way to a state championship, and is now a standout player for the Carolina women's team. Brenda beat the cancer, and now she talks to other African American women about how to catch it early and save themselves. Dick accompanies Brenda on one of her trips to talk to women at a hair salon.

Issues & Trends

Senate backs dental school
The Daily Reflector (Greenville)
ECU is drafting a curriculum plan for its proposed dental school, but until it's brought before the University of North Carolina Board of Governors in the fall, Raleigh is the focus of dental-school debate. ... Beyond the budget discussions, legislators in both chambers have sponsored bills that would fund the ECU/UNC-Chapel Hill planning request. There are two such bills in each chamber, one dealing only with the dental-program funds and another allocating money for a series of UNC system projects.

Core Lab building on track
The Charlotte Observer
Eventually, it will be the high-tech centerpiece of a $1 billion biotech campus. But for now, the Core Lab at the North Carolina Research Campus remains a mix of dirt, steel beams, rods and concrete as construction continues in earnest on the Kannapolis project from billionaire developer David Murdock. ... followed soon afterward by buildings for campus partners UNC Chapel Hill and N.C. State University.
Related Link: http://www.independenttribune.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=CIT%2FMGArticle%2
FCIT_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137836346091&path=!news

UNCC's ads take flight at airport
The Charlotte Observer
Travelers strolling through Charlotte/Douglas International Airport can learn from advertising about some of the region's landmark organizations, including Bank of America, Discovery Place and now UNC Charlotte. ... Other colleges and universities advertise in the airport. UNC Chapel Hill, UNC Asheville and the Harris Conference Center at Central Piedmont Community College currently have ads there.

Question of value with online degrees unanswered
The Triangle Business Journal
Distance education is an expanding market for UNC System schools, enabling them to grow their student populations while also fulfilling a mission of a public university system - expand access to education. According to a new report by UNC's central administration, the number of students enrolled in online courses at UNC schools is up nearly 400 percent since 1999. ... Online courses are offered by UNC-Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School, but a degree cannot be earned on a distance basis. And that's by design, says Jean Elia, associate dean for strategy and administration for the school.

UNC might require prints
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
A bill filed Thursday in the state Senate would require fingerprinting and criminal background checks for all students before they enroll in any of the state's 16 public universities, starting in the fall of 2007. ... The bill's future is unclear, but it was sent to a legislative finance committee for consideration.
Related Link: http://www.wral.com/news/9285021/detail.html

Danish Group Eyes Region for Investing
The Pilot (Southern Pines)
A project manager for the Danish-American Business For-um (DABF) is spending two weeks in the Research Triangle Region researching opportunities for Danish investment. ... The Research Triangle Regional Partnership (RTRP), which promotes economic development for the 13-county region, is hosting Charlotte Elkjaer, a DABF project manager. During her stay, Elkjaer is making contacts at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to promote research partnerships.

Triad faces uphill battle in recruiting biotech jobs
The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area
This week, the Triad hosted Biotech 2006, an annual life sciences conference that attracts hundreds of industry leaders from around the Southeast. The event had heretofore always been held in the Triangle. ... But the Triangle has Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State as well- respected research universities.

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.

Please share any questions, comments or suggestions at news@unc.edu.