uncnews.unc.edu

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

International Coverage

Duke Energy to fund offshore North Carolina wind project
Reuters (Wire Service)
Duke Energy Corp has agreed to fund a pilot study of commercial wind turbines in the waters offshore of North Carolina, the utility holding company said on Tuesday. The company had contracted with the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill to place up to three wind turbines in Pamlico Sound. ...The pilot study would focus on Pamlico Sound, between North Carolina's Outer Banks and the mainland, rather than areas with more wind further offshore, because waters in the sound were under state control, University of North Carolina Vice Chancellor Carolyn Elfland said. She is project manager for the UNC Coastal Wind Study which was presented to the state legislature in June.
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2946/68/

Gene controls number of brain cells
United Press International
U.S. medical scientists say they have identified the gene that determines how many neurons end up as brain cells. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers said their finding suggests a single gene, called GSK-3, controls the signals that determine the number of brain cells and has important implications for patients with neuropsychiatric illnesses, such as schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder.

National Coverage

Duke Plans Offshore Wind Pilot Project
GreenTechMedia (Wire Service)
...Charlotte-based Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) is funding a pilot project to erect up to three wind turbines in Pamlico Sound, the company said Tuesday. The project is taking shape as a result of a nine-month, 378-page study recently completed by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. ..."There aren't wind turbines installed elsewhere that could have endured conditions from a tropical storm - we want to know what will it do to the turbine blades or the foundation," said Carolyn Elfland, associate vice chancellor for campus services at the university.
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2946/68/

Group sues to force greenhouse gas regulation
The Houston Chronicle
An environmental group is suing the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to force the agency to regulate emissions of gases blamed for global warming. ...Victor Flatt, a professor of environmental law at the University of North Carolina, said TCEQ has the authority to regulate carbon dioxide, but the question is whether the agency is required to act. Once the EPA finalizes its finding that carbon dioxide endangers public health and welfare, then TCEQ would be forced to regulate it, Flatt said.

Despite Hard Times, Colleges Are Still Going Green (Blog)
The New York Times
Times may be tough, but colleges are not abandoning their efforts to be green, according to the 2010 College Sustainability Report Card, released Wednesday morning by the Sustainable Endowments Institute. ...Twenty-six schools were recognized as Overall College Sustainability Leaders, having achieved grades of A-. They ranged from elite institutions like Brown, Harvard, Stanford, Wesleyan and Yale to public universities like Arizona State and the Universities of Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Vermont.

Mexico: World’s fastest-growing bellies meet state slimming diet
The Christian Science Monitor
Succulent pork tacos. Frisbee-sized disks of fried pigskin. Enchiladas smothered in cream. Yes, the cuisine in Mexico is divine, but it is downright calorific. And the citizens here are fast becoming the fattest in the world – closing in on the biggie-size-loving United States. “The rate of increase in obesity in adults in [Mexico] over the past 15 years is probably the fastest we’ve seen in any country around the globe,” says Barry Popkin, a nutrition expert at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who advises the Mexican government.

Regional Coverage

Wind turbines to be installed in water
The State (Columbia, S.C.)
Duke Energy and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill said Tuesday they have signed a contract to place one to three wind turbines in Pamlico Sound, possibly paving the way for utility-scale wind farms on the N.C. coast. The demonstration project may be the first wind turbines placed in water in the United States.
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2946/68/

BPA linked to behavior problems (Blog)
The San Francisco Chronicle (California)
A new study published in Environmental Health Perspectives links prenatal exposure to BPA to aggression and hyperactivity in two-year-old girls. (No significant effect was found among boys.) ...The lead author, Joe Braun, a researcher in epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, says that the results "raise serious questions about whether it is sufficient to eliminate BPA from baby bottles and other infants' products, rather than to remove it more widely from public use."
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2944/1/

Need to research sports head trauma (Editorial)
The Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, Calif.)
More evidence surfaced recently supporting the notion that head injuries in collision sports, such as professional football, can have negative, lasting effects on players. It is time to get to the bottom of this. ...In 2005, a study conducted by the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill found that a history of three or more concussions was associated with a boost in risk of mild cognitive impairment after age 50. There is reason for concern.

Anna Maria Island resident lobbies for health reform, in whatever form it comes (Blog)
The Sarasota Herald-Tribune (Florida)
Clifton Gaus was thinking “health reform debate” before President Barack Obama even won the election. Having worked as a health official under four presidents — Nixon, Carter, Ford and Clinton — he had a front row seat to the failures of previous efforts. ...One of the group’s advisors is Dr. William Roper, a former director of the Centers for Disease Control who worked under Presidents Bush and Reagan and is now dean of the medical school at University of North Carolina.

State and Local Coverage

Duke Energy, UNC join forces to launch wind turbine pilot project
The Triangle Business Journal
Duke Energy and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are partnering on a pilot project to install up to three wind turbines in Pamlico Sound that could become the first turbines placed in water in the country. The project follows a nine-month UNC study completed in June for the general assembly that concluded the state has the potential to develop utility-scale wind energy production. Duke will pay for the turbines and their installation. UNC will continue its wind energy research throughout the project.
Related Links:
http://charlotte.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2009/10/05/daily19.html
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20091006/ARTICLES/910069948?Title
=UNC-Duke-Energy-will-team-up-to-construct-first-offshore-turbines
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/business/story/987770.html
http://www.ncnn.com/content/view/5021/123/
http://www.wchl1360.com/detailswide.html?id=12013
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2946/68/

Time is right for Duke wind power project (Editorial)
The Chapel Hill Herald
Researchers at UNC Chapel Hill have concluded what many North Carolinians have long surmised: Strong winds in the coastal region mean there's a potential for large-scale wind energy generators -- offshore and perhaps in part of eastern Pamlico Sound.
Related Links:
http://www.theherald-nc.com/opinion/story/11615.html
http://www.dailyadvance.com/opinion/wind-farms-better-than-offshore-rigs-880056.html

BPA chemical exposure linked to aggressive behavior in girls
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Pre-birth exposure to a chemical widely used in plastics appears to be linked to more aggressive behavior in little girls, according to research published Tuesday by a scientist at UNC-Chapel Hill. The findings, which are preliminary and call for more study, are the first to connect behavior problems in humans with the chemical bisphenolA, which is a key component of plastic bottles, the liners inside canned goods and medical devices.
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2944/1/

UNC students to get 24-hour news forum
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
For decades, much of the reporting done by journalism students has simply been graded and shelved. Jean Folkerts, dean of the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Journalism and Mass Communication, thinks it's "fake" journalism -- work no one ever sees. With a new, $3.5 million gift from an alumnus, the journalism school now plans to put more of its student work into the public realm.
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2928/68/

Square upgrade meetings topic
The Chapel Hill Herald
UNC and Cousins Properties, the university’s development partner on reshaping University Square, will host two public meetings to discuss the redevelopment at 3:30 and 7 p.m. Oct. 15. The meetings will be held in Suite 133-G of University Square, next to Ken’s Quickie Mart.
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2952/68/

Capital Bank shrinks its board
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Capital Bank has cut the size of its board to reduce costs and improve its management. The Raleigh bank will have 10 directors, down from 17. Capital Bank made the move after hiring an outside consultant to assess the composition and size of its board. ...Besides cost, "a large board can be inefficient," said David L. Dicks, an assistant professor of finance at the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School in Chapel Hill. Having too many members can make it harder to coordinate meetings and may discourage directors from standing up to the CEO if they disagree with him.

All could show more respect on roads (Letter to the Editor)
The Chapel Hill News
Your "Raspberry" directed at scofflaw cyclists and pedestrians missed one of its targets and perpetuated the myth that cyclists are always to blame when they get hit by cars. ...I recently learned that over the summer there were three bicycle/car collisions on UNC campus. In all three, the driver was at fault for cutting off a cyclist who had the right-of-way. ...So perhaps the Department of Public Safety should give one third of their T-shirts to people behind the wheel, and the Chapel Hill News can give out another raspberry. Better yet, maybe drivers, cyclists and pedestrians could all sho (Drew Coleman, Chapel Hill)

Grant will expand courts
The Chapel Hill Herald
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has awarded a $900,000 grant to expand local Adult Drug Treatment Courts in Orange, Durham, Person and Caswell Counties. The Orange, Durham, Person/Caswell Drug Treatment Court Collaborative (The Collaborative) is a cooperative effort between three North Carolina Adult Drug Treatment Courts, OPC LME, UNC's Cecil G. Sheps Center, and Freedom House Recovery Center, a substance abuse/mental health treatment provider.

Failing the fruit test (Column)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
North Carolina teens are failing the fruit and vegetable test. They're not alone. No state meets national recommendations for fruit and vegetable consumption, according to a report issued late last month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On average, fewer than 10 percent of U.S. high school students get the recommended three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruits each day. North Carolina falls well below that average, with only 6 percent of teens getting enough fruits and vegetables.

Time To Prepare For University Day
WCHL 1360-AM (Chapel Hill)
The University of North Carolina has turned 216, and in observance, students, faculty and alumni will participate in next week’s University Day. Ronald Strauss chair of University Day’s planning committee, says this is a chance for everyone to stop and observe the establishment of one of America’s top colleges. Mark your calendars for next Monday and join the Tar Heel family for a series of events all dedicated to celebrating the University’s past and future. During University Day’s celebration ceremony, Governor Beverly Perdue will give the keynote speech.
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2920/1/

UNC can do better (Editorial)
The Carrboro Citizen
University Day rolls around next week with a big to-do celebrating Lux Libertas and all that. The speeches are usually inspiring – and the various congratulations of the stalwarts and the bright young minds that follow in their footsteps, equally so. ...We wish Chancellor Holden Thorp good luck in dealing with these challenges. More than many of his recent predecessors, he has first-hand knowledge of what Carolina means to this state, the promise its research holds and what great teaching means to its students.

Issues and Trends

Chapel Hill native to head Williams College (Blog)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
A UNC Chapel Hill graduate has been named to the presidency of Williams College. Adam F. Falk, a Chapel Hill native who came to UNC-CH as a Morehead Scholar and graduated in 1987, has been named the 17th president of Williams College, a liberal arts institution in Massachusetts. ...Falk grew up in Chapel Hill. His father, David, chaired the philosophy department while his mother, Ruth, was a clinical psychologist at UNC Hospital, according to this citation from UNC-CH's General Alumni Association, which in 2004 gave Falk an award for distinguished young alumni.

Endowment at Duke fell 24.3% in 2008
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
Duke University's endowment declined by 24.3 percent last year, losing more than a billion and a half dollars in value. The university reports that as of June 30, the value of the endowment was down to $4.4 billion, still among the 15 biggest university endowments in the nation, but significantly reduced from $6.1 billion a year earlier. ...Endowments across the nation have been hit hard since the stock market began its decline. The endowment portfolio at UNC Chapel Hill during the last fiscal year fell by 19.6 percent, a decline of around half a billion dollars.

3 economic districts need lots of help (Opinion-Editorial Column)
The Chapel Hill Herald
Orange County's Board of Commissioners made a political decision 17 years ago to form three economic development districts (EDDs). The three districts, known as the Hillsborough Area EDD, Eno EDD and Buckhorn EDD, are still vacant to this day. The only glimmer of hope is that UNC Health Care is planning on building on 83 acres out of 280 acres available in the Hillsborough Area EDD for a new hospital.

Town gown too close for comfort (Letters to the Editor)
The Chapel Hill News
Over the past few months, there has been a lot of discussion about the pace and style of development in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. The buildings on 54 that now hover over both the road and the golf course got me wondering just who was calling the shots. To my great amazement, a UNC trustee is the developer, and from the advertisements, there will be UNC offices in the new buildings. This seems like a small conflict of interest. (Tom Loughrey, Chapel Hill)