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

National Coverage

Childhood stomach aches may lead to anxiety, depression as an adult
CBS News

…Miranda van Tilburg, an associate professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine who was not involved in the study, explained to the New York Times that it isn't always known what the root of these tummy troubles are, but parents should be open to all possibilities. Being referred to a mental health professional by a pediatrician doesn't necessarily mean psychological issues are to blame.

Growing up with more siblings could reduce divorce risk
USA Today

…People from large families may be more family oriented, says sociologist S. Philip Morgan, director of the Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He says the data from the General Social Survey are "somewhat problematic" for the issue of divorce. "I'm not yet convinced." he says. "The theory is interesting and plausible but not overpowering."

Helping yourself
Economic Times

…Eminent psychologist Barbara Fredrickson of the Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Lab at the University of North Carolina is not surprised. The reason is this Templeton Prize winner in social psychology has uncovered a surprising link between meditating on kind thoughts and awhole range of indicators of physical health and mental well-being.

Ratio for a good life exposed as 'nonsense'
Science News

…Psychologist Barbara Fredrickson of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and psychologist Marcial Losada, head of Losada Line Consulting in Brasilia, Brazil, coauthored the 2005 paper. In a response published alongside the new critique, psychologist Fredrickson acknowledges that their paper employed “now questionable mathematics.” But she devotes most of her response to shoring up the argument of the 2005 paper by describing evidence that people do best when positive feelings exceed negative feelings by a factor of about 3 to 1 — roughly equivalent to the contested critical positivity ratio.

The Creative Destruction of the University? (Column)
The Huffington Post

A lot of entrepreneurial startups are aiming squarely at the modern university. In a recent Wall Street Journal*, Matthew Kaminski interviews Ben Nelson, the founder of the Minerva Project — a for-profit company that intends to completely revision what a university is. …This is why I am moving, next week, to a new position as a professor in "educational innovations" at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

PlayMakers Rep Celebrates Grants from Mellon Foundation and NEA
Broadway World

PlayMakers Repertory Company is celebrating the award of several significant national grants in support of upcoming projects and productions. PlayMakers is the professional theater company based in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A new $250,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation of New York City will allow three more theater ensembles to develop new works through residencies in Chapel Hill over the next three years with PlayMakers providing artistic, technical and administrative support.
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/6161/66/

UNC Board Of Governors Bans Gender-Neutral Housing
The Huffington Post

The University of North Carolina's board of governors has voted without any public discussion to ban gender-neutral housing at all campuses in the UNC school system. A pilot program for gender-neutral housing was scheduled to begin at UNC-Chapel Hill in the fall 2013 semester, with 32 spaces devoted to the program. But the board of governors on Friday barred all UNC campuses from instituting the housing, without allowing students to voice their opinion. The ban goes into effect this month.

The Dear Colleague Revolution (Column)
Inside Higher Ed

I never would have guessed that a document with as innocuous a name as "Dear Colleague" would lead to me quitting my job, be featured in an episode of "Law and Order, SVU," and spark a national conversation about college sexual assault. …Melinda Manning is the former assistant dean of students at UNC-Chapel Hill. She is currently pursuing a master's of Social Work and teaches higher education policy at UNC.

Regional Coverage

The changing face of cheerleading
The Gleaner (Jamaica, Wis.)

Cheerleading in Jamaica has evolved from leading the crowd in cheers on school sports days, to a competitive sport featuring complex acrobatic stunts. One cheerleader equates cheerleading to track and field. …Cheerleading, in fact, results in an alarming 65.2 per cent of all catastrophic injuries in youth sports, according to a study published in June 2009 by the National Centre for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research at the University of North Carolina.

State and Local Coverage

Asian trip helps expand student's cultural horizons
The News & Record (Greensboro)

Paris Alston of Greensboro recently returned from the Carolina Southeast Asia Summer Program in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. Returning home from Southeast Asia was like waking up from a very good dream. The sugarplums were made of palm sugar and steamed rice, and instead of falling, I was snorkeling off the coast of Pattaya. The Carolina Southeast Asian Summer program at UNC-Chapel Hill made this trip possible for me.

Lawmakers cut UNC Cancer Fund's budget by 16%
The Triangle Business Journal

The legislature cut the UNC Cancer Fund by $8 million, or 16 percent. Beginning with the opening of the N.C. Cancer Hospital on the UNC campus in 2007, the state has given $50 million every year to the University Cancer Research Fund for research in the hospital and in the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

UNC task force discusses changes to sexual assault policy
News 14 Carolina

The UNC sexual assault task force is meeting Monday in another effort toward enhancing the policies and procedures for UNC Chapel Hill on how it responds to sexual assaults on campus. The task force was formed after several women filed a federal complaint against the university about how the school handled the cases. Although the group hopes to have an interim policy in place by the start of the fall semester, some say it may be longer before a decision is made.

Phil Ford: Dean Smith ‘treated us fairly’ and ‘cared for all of us’ (Blog)
The Triangle Business Journal

Triangle Business Journal recently announced that Dean Smith, the former UNC men’s basketball coach who led the Tar Heels from 1961-1997, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award as part of TBJ’s inaugural Leaders in Diversity Awards. Reflecting on the honor, Tar Heel great Phil Ford spoke with me to recall his playing days under Smith: “We wanted to play for him, and wanted to play hard for him,” Ford says. “He treated us fairly, and we knew he cared for all of us, not only as student-athletes but also as people,” emphasizing that applied to players across all races.

CenterPoint brings in consultant to assist board
The Winston-Salem Journal

…Frayda Bluestein, a faculty member of the School of Government at UNC Chapel Hill, said the one-on-one meetings could be a way for Coughlin to compile a list of issues to present to a board committee or the board. The one-on-one meetings “should not be used to replicate what normally would be done in open session,” she said.

Study: Is Hatteras Island worth the investment?
The Outer Banks Voice (Nags Head)

…“Those pictures of Highway 12 being washed out, unfortunately that’s the island’s mug shot.” said Brent Lane, a consultant for the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau. A new report by Lane, director of the Center for Competitive Economics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, shows that about 25 percent of the county’s tourism business in 2011 was on Hatteras Island.

Mint Hill student selected as UNC Phillips Ambassador
The Mint Hill Times

Neelesh Dewan, a senior biology major from Mint Hill, was selected as a UNC-Chapel Hill Phillips Ambassador this spring. Dewan studied abroad this summer with the UNC Summer in India program in New Delhi. The Phillips Ambassadors scholarship program is designed to broaden awareness of Asia on and off campus. The scholarship combines an award for study in Asia with an academic course that challenges students to share their experiences.

Issues and Trends

UNC system President Ross says no to tuition increases for next year (Editorial)
The Star News (Wilmington)

As they prepare for the impending start of the fall semester, state university students and their parents should be relieved to know they won’t have to reach any deeper into their pockets next year. University of North Carolina system President Tom Ross has said he would not recommend any tuition increases for 2014.

Need-Based Grant Eligibility Can Boost Completion, Study Finds
The Chronicle of Higher Education

There’s been a lot of talk lately about using financial aid to increase college completion. But there hasn’t been much research on whether—and how— need-based aid helps students after they enroll. A new working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research examines those questions.

Former UNC system official to run for Congress
The Herald-Sun (Durham)

Laura Fjeld, a Democrat from Orange County, announced Monday that she will run for the 6th Congressional District seat currently held by Republican Howard Coble. …Fjeld, who has never held elected public office, served the past five years as vice president and general counsel for the UNC system before resigning in April.
Related Link:
http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/08/12/3102548/dome-nc-leaders-urge-states-congressional.html

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