Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina people and programs cited recently in the media:
National Coverage
College Athlete Died of Head Trauma, Father Says
The New York Times
…Two to five high school football players die each fall as a direct result of on-field brain injuries, but such deaths are rare among college players, according to research by the University of North Carolina National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research. Teenagers are known to be more susceptible to having multiple hits to the head result in brain bleeds and massive swelling, a condition known as second impact syndrome, in large part because the brain tissue has not yet fully developed.
Athlete May Have Died From Head Trauma
Inside Higher Ed
…According to the University of North Carolina’s Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research, from 1982 through 2010, 113 high school football players died from injuries that resulted in a brain or spinal cord injury or skull or spinal fracture — while at the college level, nine died.
What others' embarrassing moments say about you
MSNBC
…"People tend to underestimate how much our behavior is influenced by a fear of being embarrassed," says Melanie Green, one of the study's co-authors. …"People who are more concerned with embarrassment might take longer to work up the courage to engage in a potentially awkward interaction," says Green, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Having another person present makes the situation even trickier.
State and Local Coverage
UNC researcher wins $19.3M grant
The Chapel Hill Herald
A $19.3 million grant will help a UNC scientist study why aggressive types of breast cancer are more common in young, black women than other women in their age group. Millikan, a professor of cancer epidemiology at Lineberger Cancer Center and the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, will join Christine Ambrosone, of Roswell Park Cancer Institute and Julie R. Palmer of Boston University, in launching what is billed as the most ambitious study to date of breast cancer among African American women under the age of 45.
UNC Fights Grade Inflation–With Context
WCHL 1360-AM (Chapel Hill)
Colleges and universities across America have been contending for years with the growing problem of grade inflation—but Chancellor Holden Thorp says UNC has a plan to fight back. "We've decided to go to something called 'contextualized grading,'" he says, "where the students' transcripts are now going to show how many As, Bs, Cs, Ds and Fs were given in each class on the transcript."
Hospital sale talks far from over
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
Last week, the UNC Health Care Board of Directors rejected an offer to sell Rex Hospital to WakeMed for $750 million. …But UNC Health Care Board of Directors Chairman Richard Kranso said the proposal would harm the quality of care, increase the health care cost to patients in the Wake County region and compromise the financial stability of UNC Health Care and the UNC School of Medicine.
N.C. Biotech Center makes loans to startups
The Triangle Business Journal
The N.C. Biotechnology Center has provided $90,000 in low-interest loans to help three Triangle-based life science companies get off the ground. The three companies received $30,000 each. Here’s a look at the companies: CertiRx, located in Research Triangle Park, is developing authentication systems to detect counterfeit products, including counterfeit prescription drugs. The company was founded by microbiologist and drug industry veteran Thomas Mercolino, an entrepreneur-in-residence at the UNC School of Medicine.
Issues and Trends
WSSU chancellor outlines drastic effects of state budget cuts
News 14 Carolina
Addressing students, faculty and the community Winston-Salem State University Chancellor Donald Reaves wasted no time Tuesday tackling the tough topic of this years budget concerns. "It's a pretty precarious situation that we're in and I think it's going to remain difficult for some time to go," he said. In just his fourth year on the job, Reaves and the university have endured a more than $30 million reduction in state funding — $10.1 million this year alone.
Auto study sought
The Chapel Hill News
The town will pay a consultant up to nearly $300,000 to figure out how much parking it needs in northern Chapel Hill and how to provide it. The study by consultant Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc. will occur in two phases. The first part will look at current and future demand, including for UNC's planned Carolina North campus, and possible solutions, said Brian Litchfield, assistant director of Chapel Hill Transit.
Football Coverage
Teachable Moment (Editorial)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
For colleges and universities across the nation, football kicks off this weekend. For UNC-Chapel Hill, sadly, football has been kicking around all year. The embarrassments – athletic and academic – keep coming, and now there's another.