uncnews.unc.edu

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

International Coverage

Children can 'imagine away' pain
BBC News
Children can be taught to use their imagination to tackle frequent bouts of stomach pain, research shows. A relaxation-type CD, asking children to imagine themselves in scenarios like floating on a cloud led to dramatic improvements in abdominal pain. ...The researchers, from the University of North Carolina and Duke University Medical Center, said a lack of therapists led them to the idea of using a CD to deliver the sessions.

Justice in gun ruling a gun dealer
United Press International
The North Carolina Supreme Court justice who wrote an opinion allowing some convicted felons to own guns is a licensed gun dealer, a newspaper said. Edward Thomas Brady, who was elected to the high court in 2002, holds a federal license to make and sell guns and has made at least $5,000 in sales annually since 2007, the Raleigh News & Observer reported. ...Gene Nichol, who teaches at the University of North Carolina law school, called the ruling "aggressive." "Then you read that the highly activist opinion is written by a gun dealer and manufacturer," he said. "It sure smells."

National Coverage

A Blow To The Brain
"60 Minutes" CBS
You can't separate violence from football - it's part of the thrill of the game. Players know what they're risking when they hit the field, including injuries such as torn ligaments and broken bones. But what about a blow to the brain? ...Much of the information about those risks has come out only recently. The University of North Carolina studied retired NFL players and found a correlation between the number of concussions and the onset of dementia and depression, something Ted Johnson was suffering from when he retired four years ago.
Related Link:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/09/60minutes/main5371686.shtml

Dell closure again heats up NC incentives debate
The Associated Press
Dell Inc.'s decision to dump Forsyth County plant just five years after it secured a potential $318 million incentives deal brought wistful responses from politicians who once lured the computer maker to North Carolina. ...Brent Lane, director of the University of North Carolina Center for Competitive Economies, said he can understand why lawmakers and Easley recruited Dell in 2004. But he said altering how targeted incentives are used - giving smaller amounts to a wide array of in-state companies that have the potential to create jobs in North Carolina - is more cost-effective and doesn't have a huge downside if a firm shuts its doors.

College cutbacks make it harder to earn degrees
The Associated Press
It isn't just tuition increases that are driving up the cost of college. Around the country, deep budget cuts are forcing colleges to lay off instructors and eliminate some classes, making it harder for students to get into the courses they need to earn their degree. ...To help students get the courses they need to graduate, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill raised enrollment caps on some English and foreign language classes from 19 to 24.

Internship opportunities shrinking amid recession
The Chicago Tribune
If you're a college student, one of the best ways to gain work experience is through an internship. But landing one is getting tough. ...With an early start, you'll improve your odds of landing a meaningful internship. You'll also have the wiggle room should you need a Plan B. "Have a plan B, C and D," said Tim Stiles, associate director of the career center at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His advice: "When all else fails, come up with a detailed internship proposal and present this to employers of your choice," especially small businesses that don't have a formal internship program.

Regional Coverage

Legal experts support justice
The Associated Press
The N.C. Supreme Court justice who wrote a recent decision supporting some convicted felons' right to own a gun is a federally licensed gun dealer and maker, but legal experts say he did not violate any rules. ...A law professor also said it seemed improper. Gene Nichol at UNC Chapel Hill said "it sure smells" when a "highly activist opinion is written by a gun dealer and manufacturer." But other North Carolina legal experts say that there is no conflict, since the decision applied only to felons whose rights were previously restored, then taken away by the 2004 law.

UW calls proposal to change patent law 'reckless'
The Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee, Wis.)
University of Wisconsin-Madison officials are lashing out at new recommendations from an influential federal panel that could dramatically weaken patent protection for the university's genetic research. ..."As we did the report, we had one major constituency in mind, and that was patients," said James Evans, a medical professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who chaired the subcommittee on gene patents and licensing practices for the committee.

Behind the wheel
The Montgomery Advertiser (Alabama)
...More driver training across the nation could help reduce the more than 3,000 deaths a year of teen drivers, said Robert Foss, director of the Center for the Study of Young Drivers at the University of North Carolina.

Dallas Morning News takes premium value approach
The Dallas Morning News (Texas)
For five years, The Dallas Morning News cut costs and trimmed content to combat declining advertising revenue, as did newspapers nationwide. Now it is trying a new tack. It's begun adding some coverage back, laying plans to hire some new reporters – and testing how much readers are willing to pay. ..."I think it's a good idea," said Philip Meyer, professor emeritus of journalism at the University of North Carolina. "I think we're headed toward a situation where newspapers will have to concentrate on the subset of the audience that cares most about local news and public affairs. You're trying for an elite audience, the ones advertisers want."

State and Local Coverage

UNC-CH's Thorp gives virtual address (Blog)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Today is University Day at UNC-Chapel Hill, and Chancellor Holden Thorp has put a twist on the traditional State of the University address that campus leaders here customarily give as part of the day's celebration. This year, Thorp will give a virtual address.
Related Links:
http://orange.mync.com/site/Orange/news/story/43021/unc-to-hold-university-day-celebration/
http://news14.com/charlotte-news-104-content/615971/perdue--
unc-ch-to-mark-school-s-university-day
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2960/68/

Justice who wrote gun decision is a gun dealer
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The N.C. Supreme Court attracted national attention a few weeks ago as the first court in the nation to rule that a convicted felon has a right to own a gun. What drew little notice is that Edward Thomas Brady, the justice who wrote the 5-2 decision in August, is a federally licensed gun dealer and gun manufacturer who has collected more than $5,000 a year from gun sales since 2007. ...Gene Nichol, a law professor at UNC-Chapel Hill, described the ruling by the justices as "the most aggressive gun rights decision" in the country. "Then you read that the highly-activist opinion is written by a gun dealer and manufacturer," he said. "It sure smells."

Caution: Deer crossing
The Daily Reflector (Greenville)
It's breeding season for deer so residents in certain areas of Greenville can expect increased sightings and unexpected behavior from these normally nocturnal creatures. ...Last week the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center announced deer-vehicle crashes reached an all-time high in 2008, increasing to 19,693, up from 19,277 in 2007. During the same period total reported crashes decreased.
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2926/73/

UNC Recognized For Green Initiatives
WCHL 1360-AM (Chapel Hill)
The Sustainable Endowments Institute has ranked UNC as one of the best colleges in the United States and Canada for their green initiatives. Cindy Shea, director of the Sustainability Office at UNC, says they have several programs that helped them earn this accolade.

Warming is fact; denial is harmful (Opinion-Editorial Column)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The earth is cooling!" Actually it isn't, but we have all heard that so many times recently, we're starting to wonder. Globally, the last few years have indeed been cooler than 1998 and 2005. But this has no relevance for whether the planet's climate is changing or whether people are the cause. (John Bruno is an associate professor in the Department of Marine Sciences at UNC-Chapel Hill. Mark Sorensen is an associate professor in the Department of Anthropology at UNC-Chapel Hill.)

Millions in stimulus money goes to N.C. colleges
The Times News (Burlington)
More than $449 million from the federal stimulus bill is on its way to public higher education in North Carolina, with most of the dollars going to plug state budget holes and offset state budget cuts. ...More than half of the research-oriented money going to the UNC system thus far from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) is headed toward the Chapel Hill campus which, so far, has been awarded $59.9 million. (Kimrey) Rinehardt said the UNC-Chapel Hill awards are a result of the university’s continued work with the National Institutes of Health. Much of it is going to cancer research, but other research is also being done, she said.

Faithful fight high interest
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The average debt for nearly half of Americans with credit-card balances rose from about $5,600 in 2004 to $7,300 in 2007, according to the latest figures from the Federal Reserve. ...Jesse Blocher, a doctoral student in finance at UNC-Chapel Hill, has worked with Durham CAN in the past on improving school facilities but said he can't support the usury campaign. "We as the church would better spend our time trying to help people get out of debt rather than trying to take on Bank of America," he said.

The Triad's allure: Have we lost it?
The News & Record (Greensboro)
Just the name — Dell — seemed to promise the Triad and North Carolina a future economy driven by clean, high-tech industry. ...The FedEx hub, which has become a key piece of the region’s infrastructure, said John Kasarda, director of the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise and the Kenan Distinguished Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at UNC-CH. “You have to remember that Dell’s decision (to locate here) was made primarily because they needed an East Coast location, because they needed overnight shipping for their customer base,” Kasarda said.

Lecturer's youth enrichment draws Atwater
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
It's not every day that you get to meet a piece of living history. ...But that's exactly what happened Friday night when Ann Atwater, a key figure in local civil rights history, was escorted into the SEEDS building by a UNC Chapel Hill lecturer. ...Atwater's visit to SEEDS, a nonprofit community gardening organization, was about a lot more than fan worship, of course. The exercise was arranged by Jock Lauterer, a journalism lecturer and director of UNC's Carolina Community Media Project.

Walk raises hope, research money
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
...David Rubinow, chairman of the psychiatry department at UNC-Chapel Hill, said the money often goes to new researchers who want to gather pilot data that they'll need in order to apply for more hefty National Institutes of Health grants. The walks' "seed money" has attracted an additional $89 million for local research through these national grants. The money also helped start the Center for Women's Mood Disorders at UNC-Chapel Hill, which looks at illnesses such as postpartum depression.
Related Link:
http://news14.com/charlotte-news-104-content/615929/thousands
-turn-out-for-21st-annual-walk-for-hope

Cardiologist gives hunters advice
The Chapel Hill Herald
If you're a hunter, you probably invest a lot of time getting your gun or bow ready for hunting season. But don't forget to make time to get your heart ready, too, because the increased activity could put you -- not your quarry -- at risk. ...The best way to avoid cardiovascular disease -- including heart attacks -- is to have a healthy lifestyle that includes eating well and getting regular exercise and check-ups. It's also important to know your numbers as well as you know your hunting quotas. Here are suggested levels, according to Paula Miller, a cardiologist at UNC's School of Medicine...

Area Colleges Await Arrival Of H1N1 Vaccines
WNCN-TV (NBC/Raleigh)
As H1N1 vaccines start to become available in North Carolina, the area's colleges are looking to get their share. At UNC Chapel Hill, medical officials say they'll welcome those vaccines because H1N1 has already taken a run at their student population. "During the early weeks of school, we saw in excess of 300 cases a week of influenza like illness," said Dr. Mary Covington, the executive director of campus health services.

Making the case for free speech on campuses (Opinion-Editorial Column)
The Chapel Hill Herald
Tossing her abundant mane back with both hands, taking a step away from the mic and squaring into a glinty-eyed stance worthy of a political pugilist, activist Bay Buchanan did what any estimable conservative would do. She led with her right. ...Time and again during her lecture at UNC on Thursday, Buchanan implored friend and foe alike in the audience "to have a legitimate debate," and reminded them that a university is a proving ground for open minds, intellectual integrity and respect even for contrary positions.

Medicare threatened (Letter to the Editor)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The Oct. 6 Point of View article by Charles van der Horst, M.D., of UNC-Chapel Hill and Laura Svetkey, M.D., of Duke was a collection of unrelated and misleading statements that have no relevance in the current Democratic health-care reform proposals. (Tom Hauck, Pittsboro)

Inexcusable waste (Editorial)
The Winston-Salem Journal
It's bad enough when a public university uses tax dollars to finance extended sabbaticals for its administrators. But what's really outrageous is when it spends more than $7 million on a program to help returning troops and produces few benefits for them over a four-year span. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill must demand results immediately from its Citizen Soldier Support Program.

Town out of touch with economic reality (Opinion-Editorial Column)
The Chapel Hill News
As the election for a mayor and Town Council members nears, Chapel Hill voters must be realistic about economic conditions. In addition to a slow national recovery, our new leaders must cope with the town's own unique economic problems, compounded by council decisions and mistakes over the past eight years. Let's look at the record of the incumbents. (David Hughes retired from UNC as a chaired professor of business administration.)

Cocaine case is the buzz of UNC
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
In a college town where booze is king and pot is popular, the recent arrests of seven current or former UNC-Chapel Hill students on cocaine charges created a stir. ..."It's not confined to the Greek community," said Winston Crisp, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs. "I don't think the Greek community gets excused, but more generally, drugs and alcohol are problems that go throughout the student body."
Related Link:
http://captain.blogs.starnewsonline.com/10221/cocaine-
busts-at-unc-chapel-hill-create-a-buzz/

Grant funds SPIRIT study
The Chapel Hill Herald
UNC researcher Mi-Kyung Song has been awarded a grant worth nearly $3.2 million from the National Institute of Nursing Research for a study to ease the burden of decision making for fatally ill kidney patients and their families. Song, assistant professor in the School of Nursing, will conduct a randomized, controlled trial testing the effects of a program called SPIRIT (Sharing the Patient's Illness Representation to Increase Trust).
UNC Release;
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2963/71/

HIV supplements study wins grant
The Chapel Hill Herald
Researchers at UNC have received a $2.2 million grant to find out if simple nutritional supplements, fortified with micronutrients and essential fats, protect the health of HIV-positive women and their infants after weaning. Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the study will use data from the African nation of Malawi.
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2964/71/

Geographer gets fellowship
The Chapel Hill Herald
UNC geographer Martin Doyle has been named the inaugural recipient of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Institute for Water Resources' Frederick J. Clarke Fellowship. The institute created the fellowship to provide scholars with the opportunity to help advise the corps on policy issues related to its environmental mission.
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2965/74/

Fund invests in condo project
The Chapel Hill Herald
The Kenan-Flagler Business School Foundation Real Estate Investment Fund recently invested in a condominium project in Washington, D.C. This is the fund's fourth investment in the past two years and completes placement of the first half of the $2.1 million of capital committed to the fund.
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2966/67/

Reclaimed water system honored
The Chapel Hill Herald
UNC recently received a national award for the reclaimed water system that began serving the main campus in April and for its innovative reuse of rainwater in a second project. The WateReuse Association gave the university its 2009 Institution of the Year award at the association's annual symposium in Seattle. The awards recognize projects and individuals that advance the beneficial and efficient use of water resources.
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2968/68/

Issues and Trends

'Crazy Katie' has a mission in her madness
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
On the average day, Katie Vogel might blow up a fake volcano, build a bear track out of goo, cut up an owl pellet and sink a fleet of aluminum foil boats. ...But Vogel teaches some pretty serious lessons at the helm of Healing and Hope Through Science, a program that provides hands-on science classes to sick children in UNC and Duke hospitals. ..."She's fabulous," says Flicka Bateman, principal of the UNC Hospitals School. "It's such a wonderful program for hospitalized kids. It's hands-on. It's fun. It's academically challenging. ... It brings the real world to these children, that's for darn sure."

UNC system aims for carbon neutrality (Blog)
The News & Record (Greensboro)
It's official: The 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina system will pursue sustainability in eight categories, with the most ambitious goal being achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The Board of Governors approved the sustainability policy on Friday.

N.C. public universities hire, but skip job searches
The Citizen-Times (Asheville)
North Carolina's public universities have filled hundreds of jobs in recent years without a formal search and without advertising the openings. Search and posting procedures are designed to provide a fair hiring process and cast a wide net to find the best fit for a job, but most University of North Carolina campuses allow officials to waive the procedures. Some use waivers rarely, others routinely.