uncnews.unc.edu

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

National Coverage

New Research on Value of Diversity
Inside Higher Ed
Monday is the deadline for briefs backing the University of Texas at Austin in its Supreme Court defense of the consideration of race in admissions. On Thursday, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill filed a brief, and included a new research study arguing for the educational value of diversity.
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/5478/70/

CDC moves to keep new resistant gonorrhea at bay
USA Today
Federal health officials took steps Thursday to head off the emergence of a new gonorrhea "superbug" that's resistant to standard antibiotics. ...Now, "we're at the end of the line on standard therapies," says P. Frederick Sparling, a professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Regional Coverage

Women still work on uneven field
The Courier & Press (Henderson, Ky.)
...Sreedhari Desai, a University of North Carolina assistant professor in business who's in the Harvard Kennedy School's women and public policy program personally gathered its data. She surveyed 1,200 men in the United States and Great Britain over six years.

State and Local Coverage

EPA announces funding for research
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced UNC is the recipient of one of five grants totaling almost $2 million to academic institutions for research on innovative processes to further improve air quality in the U.S. and help track the effectiveness of pollution control measures. UNC has received $250,000 for a project that began June 1 and will run through May 31, 2015.

Welcoming a new college year (Editorial)
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
The beginning of the fall university semester is a big deal no matter where you are. But around here, it is an extra-big deal. ...North Carolina Central University students move in this Saturday – yes, already! Duke University first-year students move in on Aug. 21. University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill move-in day is Aug. 18.

Researchers: Distracted drivers aren't only problem in busy crosswalks
WRAL-TV (CBS/Raleigh)
Distracted drivers get the bulk of the headlines, but according to highway safety researchers at the University of North Carolina, distracted walkers are just as much to blame for the state's high rate of pedestrian crashes. ..."North Carolina has very large numbers compared with the rest of the nation in terms of pedestrian crashes," James Gallagher, with the Highway Safety Research Center, said.

Consumers, Brands & Boycotts
"The State of Things" WUNC-FM
From the Boston Tea Party to the Chick-Fil-A boycott, consumer activism has been used to express social values and demand change. How effective are boycotts in an era of national brand marketing? Host Frank Stasio looks at the history, significance and efficacy of consumer boycotts with ...Sarah Hirsch a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a member of the National Student Coordinating Committee of United Students Against Sweatshops.

Judge allows access to business-related calls on Butch Davis' cellphone
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
A state Superior Court judge issued a decision Thursday that appears to pave the way for university-related calls that former UNC football coach Butch Davis made on his personal cellphone to be accessible to lawyers representing the media in a public records lawsuit.
Related Links:
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/sports&id=8768011
http://www.wralsportsfan.com/college_football/story/11411723/

Issues and Trends

UNC board debates how much to set aside for financial aid
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
For a dozen years now, when University of North Carolina campuses have raised tuition, they have set aside a percentage of the revenue to cover the cost for lower-income students. Now, the UNC Board of Governors is debating the merits of that strategy.
Related Link:
http://chapelboro.com/BOG-Financial-Aid-Proposal-Would-Eliminate-Floor-C/13944130

UNC system board focus on need-based financial aid
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
A proposal by UNC system President Tom Ross requiring campuses to set aside no more than 25 percent of new tuition revenue for need-based financial aid garnered a lot of attention Thursday during a meeting of the UNC Board of Governors.

Transfers tug down grad rates for UNC
The Triangle Business Journal
Transfer students who are increasingly going into University of North Carolina System universities take longer to complete their studies than those who enter as freshmen – a factor that is dragging down four-year graduation rates at the 15-campus college system.