Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina people and programs cited recently in the media:
International Coverage
How old is too old to use opposite-sex bathroom? Parents face public bathroom angst
The Canadian Press
…Parents should base their decision on each child's needs, said Kate Gallagher, an educational psychologist. In general, though, a five-year-old can handle going into a public bathroom but shouldn't be asked to go in alone without being taught "protective behaviours" by about age three, she said. "Children need to know that they have the right to keep their own body safe — that other grownups aren't allowed to touch them, and the child needs to know who their safe people are to talk to" in case something does happen, said Gallagher, who directs a family and child care program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
National Coverage
How Will a Hurricane Affect the Oil Spill?
Scientific American
…With everyone from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to Columbia University scientists predicting that this year’s hurricane season will be more active than normal, Alex is likely to foreshadow disruptions to come. So what does a storm with the energy potential of 10,000 nuclear bombs do to an oil spill covering roughly 6,500 square kilometers? …"If there's oil in the water, it will be coming along with it to some extent," says marine physicist Rick Luettich of the University of North Carolina. "I don't know how significant the impact will be."
Brain 'stars' help breathing (Blog)
The Scientist
Cells originally believed to be no more than support for neurons have been getting a second-look lately, and a recent study suggests they may be critical to a fundamental bodily function: breathing. …"This shows us that we are far from understanding the complexity of the brain," said Cendra Agulhon, a researcher at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill who recently published a controversial paper suggesting astrocytes don't play a role in neural transmission. "The more we learn, the more we add layers of complexity."
Regional Coverage
Severe Saturday? (on track for the warmest year on record, worldwide) (Blog)
The Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minn.)
…There's been a fair amount of speculation about what an (almost inevitable) hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. Scientists are pretty much shooting in the dark – using computers to model the possible movement of oil. The bottom line, this has never happened before, so every scenario is speculative and theoretical, but this article does a good job summarizing the challenges involved. Rick Luettich, an oceanographer at the University of North Carolina, explains the complexities of trying to model the impact here.
State and Local Coverage
UNC tuition hikes finalized (Blog)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
As you may have heard, tuition is going up in 2010-11 for public university students. At UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State, rates will rise $750, while at N.C. Central University, tuition goes up $435. These increases are on top of smaller cuts approved in February that vary by campus but are as much as $200 for UNC-CH students and $150 for NCSU students. That means students on the Chapel Hill campus will pay $950 more in the fall, and NCSU students will pay $900 more.
Related Link:
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20100714/ARTICLES/100719818
Endowments: better, not well
The Triangle Business Journal
Area university endowments rebounded in the recently completed fiscal year, though it will take several years of smooth sailing before they return to pre-recession levels. …And UNC Management Co., which manages UNC-Chapel Hill’s $1.9 billion endowment as well as about half of N.C. State University’s $464 million endowment, reported returns of 9.9 percent during that period.
UNC Researcher Studies Effects Of Gulf Spill On Marine Species
WNCN-TV (NBC/Raleigh)
The waters of the Gulf serve as a spawning ground for many fish and the underwater blowout has fouled their habitat at a time when a number of these species are creating the next generation of life. "The oil can just gob up their feeding mechanisms and gills, and then there's the issue of toxicity of which we know terribly little about," said Joel Fodrie, a fisheries ecologist from UNC'S Institute for Marine Sciences located in Morehead City.
Experts say plane is generally safe
The Chapel Hill Herald
Aviators familiar with the single-engine Cirrus SR20 that crashed Monday at the Horace Williams Airport killing the pilot and injuring two passengers say the high-performance aircraft is safe but demands respect from even the most skilled pilots. …(Lee) Herring has seven years of flying experience, six of them in the Cirrus, and often flies into Horace Williams Airport to attend football games at UNC or to visit a sister who lives in Durham. "The plane in and of itself is safe," Herring said. "Accidents are caused by pilots. There are exceptions. We'll just have to see."
Related Links:
http://www.heraldsun.com/view/full_story/8778922/article-Fatal-air-crash–renews-debate?
http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/7959480/
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/3750/1/
NCAA begins probe of UNC
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The NCAA is investigating two University of North Carolina football players in connection with possible improper involvement with sports agents, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation. UNC athletic director Dick Baddour confirmed Thursday that the NCAA "had been to Chapel Hill to speak with some of our student-athletes" but declined to provide further details. "We told [the NCAA] we will give them our total cooperation and maintain the confidence of their visit and review," Baddour said.
Related Links:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/sns-ap-in–sportsrightnow,0,954850,full.story
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=7557455
Duke Medical Center again ranks in U.S. News' top 10
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
…UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill had four specialties make the rankings: cancer at 47th; ear, nose and throat at 21st; gastroenterology at 27th; and gynecology at 21st. The magazine, which looked at nearly 5,000 hospitals across the country, named 152 to its rankings for best specialties. The specialty-area rankings were largely driven by death rates, procedure volume and balance of nurses and patients, as well as reputation.
UNC Release:
http://www.med.unc.edu/www/news/four-specialties-at-unc-hospitals-ranked-among-nation2019
s-best-by-u-s-news-media-groups-2010-11-best-hospitals
Tickled Pink going big in '10
The Chapel Hill Herald
UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center announced Thursday that the annual Tickled Pink Event, held each October to raise funds for UNC’s Comprehensive Cancer Support Program, has exploded. “We can no longer contain the spirit of our amazing volunteers and community supporters and limit the celebration to just one day, so we had to take drastic action,” said UNC Lineberger’s Mary Seagroves.
UNC Release:
http://cancer.unc.edu/news/2010/release0715.asp
Suffering, coping, religion
The Chapel Hill Herald
What faith-based coping mechanisms have Christianity and Islam put forth in response to 400 years of African American suffering? That question and more will be explored Aug. 6-7 in a 2010 Black Theodicy Forum at UNC. The university's Institute of African American Research will present the scholar-community dialogue, which is free to the public.
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/3748/73/
Teachers explore green power
The Chapel Hill Herald
Science teachers from across North Carolina explored the future of electricity and renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power at a professional development workshop this week at UNC. With funding from the Progress Energy Foundation, the UNC Institute for the Environment provided a learning opportunity for 24 middle and high school science teachers Wednesday and Thursday. Experts at UNC addressed the energy realities of the 21st century and provided hands-on learning strategies to promote energy literacy in classrooms.
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/3747/74/