uncnews.unc.edu

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

National Coverage

U-Va. takes major step in online education
The Washington Post
..."We don’t want to be another industry that didn’t see change coming and, because they didn’t see it in time, they’re dead,” said James Dean, dean of the business school at the University of North Carolina, which is known for its online experimentation.

Are B-Schools Missing the Boat in Africa?
Businessweek
...Africa is by no means the economic disaster area of popular perception, however. As James W. Dean Jr, dean of the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina, puts it: “Every time I ask people where they can find a market of nearly a billion people, GDP growth rates as high as 10 percent, and significant business opportunities for those willing to learn what it takes, everyone says India. But all this applies to Africa, too.”

Piecing Together Stories Of Families 'Lost In Slavery'
National Public Radio
But first Heather Andrea Williams joins us from member station UNC in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She's professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her new book is "Help Me to Find My People: The African American Search for Family Lost in Slavery." Welcome to you, Heather.

Turning Young Alumni Into Donors
Inside Higher Ed
...In a question-and-answer session at the end of the presentation, Mary Beth Hernandez, associate dean for advancement of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Social Work, said it’s harder to engage graduate school alumni in fund-raising than it is undergraduate alums.

Diagnosing Autism In Babies: New Survey Could Identify Disorder In First Year Of Life
The Huffington Post
..."Identification of children at risk for [autism spectrum disorder] at 12 months could provide a substantial number of children and their families with access to intervention services months or years before they would otherwise receive a traditional diagnosis," study co-author Lauren Turner-Brown, a researcher with the Program for Early Autism, Research, Leadership and Service at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine said in a statement.
UNC Release: http://news.unchealthcare.org/news/2012/july/questionnaire-completed-by-parents-may-help-identify-1-year-olds-at-risk-for-autism

The Climate Post: As Country Breaks Heat Record, Studies Analyze Climate Connection
The Huffington Post
...Ultimately, how people perceive the science behind numbers like these may hinge on their political ideologies. One University of North Carolina researcher found trust and confidence in science has declined since 1974 among people who are politically conservative.

Regional Coverage

IU researcher tests communication with autistic toddlers
The Indianapolis Star
An assistant professor at Indiana University is leading a four-year project aimed at improving autistic toddlers' ability to communicate. ... The project will involve toddlers from diverse groups in Indiana, North Carolina and Kansas. The other scientists involved are Samuel Odom of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and Kathleen Baggett of the University of Kansas.

State and Local Coverage

Joe DeSimone to head Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Joe DeSimone, a star chemistry professor who developed several spinoff companies from his research at two Triangle universities, will take on a new role to drive innovation and entrepreneurship. He has been named the new director of UNC-Chapel Hill’s Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, part of the Kenan-Flagler Business School. He replaces John Kasarda, who stepped down as director last month after 22 years.
UNC Release: http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/5436/67/
Related Link: http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/morning_call/2012/07/desimone-named-director-of-kenan.html

Getting their feet wet
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
...The teens in the program at Playmakers hope to make a splash when they perform for audiences at UNC Chapel Hill’s Center for Dramatic Art. The performances, running Thursday through Sunday, are the culmination of five weeks of work by 31 area high school students.
UNC Release: http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/5379/107/

Former UNC coach Davis hoping to coach again
The Associated Press
Butch Davis wants to be a head coach again. North Carolina fired him last July amid a series of embarrassing revelations during an NCAA investigation of his football program. The school said there was too much damage for him to stay even though he wasn't linked to a violation, and now he's working as a consultant with an NFL team hoping to become a head coach again.

When leaders let us down (Editorial)
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
...That is why any sort of scandal, such as the recent difficulties plaguing the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, proves to be so troubling to us. UNC’s scandal involving its football team, which broke in 2010 and includes allegations of academic fraud, as well as improper money, perks, and academic assistance to football players, is of no comparison to what is engulfing Penn State.

Despite health care act, we're free (Commentary)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
...Bright, assistant dean for admissions and director of the Office of Special Programs for the UNC School of Medicine, said the act “has always been seen by (the NMA) as a way to improve access for people who didn’t have access to affordable care. ... The uninsured will have a chance to go into the marketplace and get insurance at affordable rates.”

Insurance whys (Letter to the Editor)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Responding to the July 13 letter that questioned rising premiums for UNC-sponsored student health insurance: Beginning in the 2010-11 academic year, the UNC system implemented a hard-waiver policy that requires all students to carry creditable health insurance. Under this policy, the university provides access to a UNC-sponsored plan for those students who can’t find an affordable plan that meets their benefit needs in the open market. Students with other creditable coverage are provided the option to waive out of the university-sponsored plan.

Issues and Trends

Duke University to offer free online courses
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Duke University will offer noncredit, online courses free to anyone as part of a venture with 15 other universities and a California-based company, university officials announced Tuesday.
Related Link: http://www.herald-sun.com/view/full_story/19347999/article-Duke-putting-free-courses-online---?instance=search_results

Military Seeks New NC Technologies at Symposium
WUNC-FM
Entrepreneurs, researchers, and the military are gathering in Chapel Hill today to discuss high-tech solutions to military problems. The Federal Advanced Technologies Symposium is being hosted at UNC by Senator Richard Burr and the North Carolina Military Business Center, which works to secure military contracts in the state.
Related Link: http://www.reflector.com/ap/staten/nc-meeting-lets-military-tour-future-technologies-1141427