NC State in the News

Speaking In Tongues: Language, Culture and the Future of the Military

dBusinessNews Triangle

Sept. 1 – North Carolina State University has received a grant that will make it a hub for teaching future military leaders the language and cultural skills they will need to address conflict in critical parts of the world, from Eastern Europe to the Middle East. NC State will use the grant to create intensive language training courses that will allow students to take the equivalent of a first-year language course in six weeks. NC State will serve as a hub for other University of North Carolina system campuses and will vigorously recruit new students to the program....Lt. Col. Kenneth Ratashak, who heads the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program at NC State, says the grant is crucial because the military's future leaders "must experience first-hand the languages and culture of our global neighbors to better prepare them to minimize or resolve regional conflict."...

Research Points To New Target For Stopping Colon Cancer

Science Daily

Aug. 31 – Drugs that target the epidermal growth factor receptor, or EGFR, have been used for a number of cancers. But these drugs called EGFR inhibitors, such as cetuximab, have not been very effective against colon cancer. The new study, however, shows that drugs that target the closely related receptor ERBB3 would probably be much more effective than EGFR inhibitors at treating most colorectal cancers, said David Threadgill, Ph.D., adjunct professor in the department of genetics at UNC and lead author of the study. He also is a member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and a professor in the genetics department at North Carolina State University. The study is published online August 17 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation....

University's trash becomes treasure for nonprofits

WRAL

Aug. 31 – North Carolina State University is celebrating a massive project that kept over a half-million pounds of furniture out of the landfill – and in use by people in need. "We set a new standard," said Jim Hansen, who handles surplus property for N.C. State. N.C. State recycling project furnishes nonprofits Hansen decided to call non-profit groups when the university replaced furniture in six dorm buildings...."It is a wonderful opportunity not only to help the environment but also to help others in need," said Barry Olson, associate director of N.C. State's University Housing....

Republicans Need Sunset Theme to Reach Their Dawn: Amity Shlaes

Bloomberg

Aug. 31 – There’s less than a week until Congress returns and the Republican Party still doesn’t know what it’s doing....There is a way Republicans can improve their status: start a sunset movement....Curtailing Government -- Such legislation hasn't always achieved its goal of curtailing government or halting useless programs. As scholar Richard C. Kearney, director of North Carolina State University’s School of Public and International Affairs, showed in a survey paper, many states in the end dropped or limited their sunset programs

Aside: Concerto wins Sackler Prize

The News & Observer

Aug. 31 – Local composer J. Mark Scearce has won a prestigious award for his Concerto for Cello and Orchestra. The Sackler Prize, awarded by the University of Connecticut School of Fine Arts, includes $20,000 to support new music. Scearce's piece will premier at the university in 2011. You can hear some of his music sooner by tuning in to WUNC at 8 p.m. Monday. His bass concerto is part of the N.C. Symphony broadcast series. Scearce is director of the music department at N.C. State University.

Area unemployment falls to 8.3%

The News & Observer

Aug. 29 – This region's unemployment rate fell slightly in July, another sign that the local economy, while fragile, is poised for recovery....In the past year, Triangle employers shed more than 29,000 jobs. The improving jobless rate is misleading because it doesn't count "discouraged" workers who stop looking for work, said Mike Walden, an N.C. State University economist. Still, this region will recover faster than most of the nation because of its lower costs, educated work force and mix of industries, Walden said....

NCSU seeks to develop $30.5M nonwovens facility

The Business Journal (Triad)

Aug. 28 – N.C. State University is looking to expand its nonwoven textiles programs with the construction of a $30.5 million facility on Centennial Campus....While the university currently does not have funding for the project, it is optimistic it will receive financial help through the National Science Foundation. Behnam Pourdeyhimi, director of NCSU's Nonwoven’s Institute, has applied for a grant to fund the project....