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INSIDE
INFORMATION @ NC STATE is a periodic update from the
Office of News Services at NC State University, designed
to give you inside information about upcoming activities
and news events at NC State, as well as how the university
is portrayed in the media.
February
6,
2004
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Today's
topics:
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NC
State University Memorial Belltower
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Breaking
News
FORGING
A NEW FUTURE FOR N.C.
As
North Carolina’s “old
economy” loses ground – and jobs – to
the forces of globalization in today’s open world
markets, our state must re-invent itself as a high-tech
hub and revitalize the industries we’ve relied
on for so long. Some of America’s savviest, most
successful entrepreneurs, elected leaders, business
journalists and corporate CEOs will share insights
into how this can be done at the 2004 Emerging Issues
Forum, “Creative Responses to Global Economic
Change,” Feb. 9-10 at NC State’s McKimmon
Center. You can read more about it here. For
a full list of speakers and a forum agenda, or to register,
click here.
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INDELIBLE
IMAGES
The
horrors of war and the courage and fear of soldiers
and civilians caught up in it are
the focus of an extraordinary new photo exhibit, “Requiem:
By the Photographers Who Died in Vietnam and Indochina,” on
display in the D.H. Hill Library from Feb. 16 through
May 31. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
It includes more than 150 images taken by 135 photojournalists
who died in Southeast Asia during the French Indochina
and Vietnam wars. Their photos – many of which
have never before been seen in the West – document
the transformation of the serene landscapes of Cambodia
and Vietnam into scenes of nightmarish devastation.
For more information about the exhibit, events, hours,
or parking, click here.
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STANDING
TALL
The
Wolfpack men’s basketball team
is heading into the second half of the ACC season in
second place in conference standings – well ahead
of where many pundits predicted them to be. With key
home wins over nationally ranked opponents Wake Forest
and Georgia Tech and gritty road victories over Maryland
and Florida State, the team entered the second half
with a 6-2 record, second only to Duke’s Blue
Devils. The same pundits who dismissed the Wolfpack
early in the season are now saying NCAA Tournament
bid prospects look bright for Coach Herb Sendek and
his players – if so, it would be NC State’s
third straight bid. But many more tough games remain
to be played, and won, between now and the start of
March Madness. For regular updates on the team, click
here.
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PROBLEM
SOLVING, BY THE NUMBERS
Dr.
Jacqueline M. Hughes-Oliver
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For
many people, statistics is a field filled
with columns of indecipherable symbols and
abstract calculations. But for statistician
Dr. Jacqueline Hughes-Oliver, it’s a
tool for solving society’s problems.
Hughes-Oliver applies her prowess in statistical
modeling and data analysis to real-world concerns,
like tracking airborne pollution, speeding
the discovery of new drugs, and helping reduce
traffic jams in urban areas. “While our
tools are numbers and symbols,” she says, “we
don’t inhabit an ivory tower.” Her
innovative work has garnered grants from the
National Science Foundation and the Environmental
Protection Agency, among others. To read more
about her, click
here.
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ENZYME
TO THE RESCUE
The
detection of Mad Cow Disease in the Pacific Northwest
recently sent shock waves through
the U.S. beef industry, affecting producers and consumers
nationwide. But an enzyme discovered by an NC State
researcher may help keep the dreaded disease at bay.
In laboratory tests, poultry scientist Dr. Jason Shih
has found that a bacterial enzyme, keratinase, can
fully degrade the protein particle believed to be responsible
for Mad Cow Disease. More tests are needed before Shih
will know for sure if his enzyme will work outside
the lab. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
is funding those tests. Shih’s research partners
include BioResource International, a Centennial Campus
start-up company. To learn more, go here.
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SMALL
SCIENCE, BIG BENEFITS
A
new research facility for the fabrication of very
small things may have a big impact on the Triangle’s
science and business scene. The Triangle National
Lithography Center, located on Centennial Campus,
is a joint venture of NC State and UNC-Chapel Hill.
It will allow faculty, students and industry partners
to take a huge step forward in the field of nanofabrication,
the design and manufacture of computer chips and
other devices so tiny they’re measured in nanometers – one-billionth
of a meter long. The center’s technological
crown jewel is a $12 million lithography stepper,
a tool so advanced that it is believed no other institute
of higher learning has one. To learn how the center
will benefit NC State students and the Triangle’s
economy, go here.
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A
LIFETIME OF LEADING
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George
Worsley, vice chancellor for finance and business
at NC State for more than 28 years,
will retire on July 31 after 41 total years of
service to the university. As the institution’s
chief financial officer, he oversees a budget
of nearly $1 billion – making sure the
money is there to support NC State’s teaching,
research and extension activities. Among his
many accomplishments in office, he negotiated
the agreement for NC State’s role in the
development of the RBC Center, home to Wolfpack
men’s basketball, and he was a key adviser
in the 15-year development of Centennial Campus.
The NC State Alumni Association recognized Worsley
in 2003 with an Honorary Alumnus Award, citing
his faithful service to the university. To read
more about his distinguished career, go here.
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George
Worsley
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FORTY
YEARS AGO IN TOPEKA
This
year marks the 40th anniversary of ‘Brown vs.
the Board of Education of Topeka.” NC
State is commemorating the historic High Court decision
with yearlong events. The African American Cultural
Center will present “Brown vs. Broad” lectures
by civil rights attorney Julius Chambers at 7 p.m.
February 12, and by educator Dr. Mary H. Futrell, author
of the upcoming book, The Unfinished Business of
Brown v. Board of Education, at 7 p.m. March 3. For a full
list of the center’s events, click here.
On
March 5, the College of Education’s popular
First Friday Forum will feature William Friday, president
emeritus of the University of North Carolina, leading
a panel discussion on “The Legacy of Brown
vs. Board: Choice, Affirmative Action and the Future
of
Desegregation.” For more information on the
forum, to be held at 3 p.m. in 216 Poe Hall, check here. Return
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A
NEW FRONT DOOR FOR NC STATE
Thousands
of prospective students, alumni, faculty recruits
and others visit our campus each year.
Starting in 2005, they’ll enter it through an
impressive new “front door” – the
E. Carroll Joyner Visitor Center and Administrative
Services Building. Located on Western Boulevard, the
25,000-square-foot facility will feature interactive
exhibits and a satellite Admissions Office to introduce
visitors to NC State’s colleges, campus life
and the outstanding career opportunities awaiting our
graduates. The center has received generous support,
including a $1 million naming gift from alumnus E.
Carroll Joyner, a $500,000 pledge from Harris Teeter
and the Dixon Foundation, and a $250,000 pledge from
Wachovia Foundation. Construction is slated to begin
later this year. To see architectural drawings and
learn more, go here.
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FATSO
AT THE FISH MARKET
If
you’re in downtown Raleigh any
weekend in February check out a new art exhibit showcasing
works by members of NC State’s Fiber Arts & Textile
Student Organization (FATSO). The exhibit is at the
Fish Market, a hip underground gallery operated by
College of Design students at 133 Fayetteville Street
Mall. The gallery is open for viewing every Saturday
and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. Want more information?
Email the Fish
Market.
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A
GOOD WALK, UNSPOILED
City-dwellers
and suburbanites in the Triangle sometimes need to
escape the “mean streets” and
crowded sidewalks for greener, more serene paths. Beginning
this winter, they’ll be able to take guided “Walks
in the Woods” at Schenck Forest, NC State’s
278-acre urban forest classroom. NC State foresters
will lead the educational walks. Times, dates and starting
locations will vary according to weather and season.
Registration is not required and leashed dogs are welcome.
For more information on the “Walks in the Woods,” call
919/515-7576. For more information on Schenck Forest
and other college forests, visit here.
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RESEARCH
ROUNDUP
Dr.
Denis Marcellin-Little demonstrates external
fixation, his specialty in treating limb
deformities in dogs.
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NC
State research improves the safety, well-being
and quality of life of our state’s citizens
and promotes economic development. Veterinary
orthopedist Dr. Denis Marcellin-Little is using
a non-surgical procedure called circular external
fixation, first developed for human use in
the 1950s, to repair limb deformities in dogs.
He has been able to fix hundreds of bones that
were too long, too short or twisted – sparing
the dogs (and their owners) the trauma of intrusive
surgery. You can read about it here.
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Biomedical engineer Dr. Peter Mente is
applying his scientific expertise to the study of osteoarthritis,
a crippling disease that affects 20 million Americans.
Mente is studying how impact injuries can degrade joint
tissue, predisposing it to develop osteoarthritis.
To learn more, click here.
Entomologist
Dr. Coby Schal has found in a new study that cockroach
allergens – which
are associated with numerous childhood ailments, including
asthma – can be significantly reduced in through
the use of bug baits alone. Experts formerly believed
allergens could be reduced only through a comprehensive,
and much more expensive, treatment of cleaning, education
and baits. Schal’s finding may pave the way for
less expensive, equally effective treatments – and
healthier homes for children. You can read about it
here. Return
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CHANCELLOR
ON THE MOVE
Chancellor
Marye Anne Fox
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Chancellor
Marye Anne Fox remains busy as always, working
with faculty, students
and other members of the campus community and
traveling to communities across the state to
spread the word about our great university through
her outreach initiative, “Focus on the
Future.” In December 2003, she traveled
to Kannapolis and Concord to meet with local
leaders, extension leaders and middle-school
teachers and parents. This month, she’ll
travel to Wilmington to address K-12 school administrators,
guidance counselors and local leaders from across
the state at the “College Access Conference.” She’ll
tell them about the importance of a college education
in today’s economy, and how NC State’s
financial aid program makes it possible for students
from any income or need level to get a world-class
education.
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On
campus, Fox and Provost James Oblinger have taken
part in 16 breakfast meetings with faculty
groups this year. The meetings, which began last winter,
are designed to give faculty members a chance to share
their ideas and concerns directly with Fox and Oblinger.
Many ideas brought forth by faculty at the meetings – such
as suggestions on how to reduce paperwork or enhance
campus safety – are now being implemented.
On
the national level, in January Fox was invited to
co-chair a workshop on the role of universities in
homeland security. Organized by the National Research
Council of the National Academies, the workshop was
held Jan. 29 in Washington, D.C. Fox co-chaired the
workshop with Dr. Charles Vest, president of the
Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, who also serves with her
on the President’s Council of Advisers for Science
and Technology.
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STATE IN THE NEWS
Many
NC State faculty and programs have been prominently
featured in recent national print,
electronic and online news stories. Among them:
Dr.
Kenneth Adler, molecular and biomedical
sciences, received worldwide coverage for his discovery
of
a peptide that reduces mucus and inflammation associated
with asthma. Stories about his work, and its implication
for new asthma drugs, ran in hundreds of media outlets,
including national Associated Press, the Los Angeles
Times, Chicago Tribune, CNN, CBS News and the Washington
Post.
Dr.
Jorge Piedrahita, molecular and biomedical
sciences, garnered heavy press attention for a study
that revealed that damaged
or disregulated genes could be linked to impaired
fetal development and low birth weight. Media covering
his discovery included national Associated Press,
the Bostno Globe, Newsday, The Christian Science
Monitor, Voice of America, CNN, MSNBC, BBC and Reuters
International News Wire.
Dr.
Frank Humenik, biological and agricultural engineering,
received
extensive coverage, also,
for his innovative
work on hog waste management. Humenik found
that when old hog waste lagoons are filled in and planted with poplar trees,
the trees absorb the harmful nutrients from the waste-contaminated soil.
USA Today, national Associated Press, the Chicago
Sun-Times and dozens of other
national and international newspapers ran stories
about Humenik’s promising work. Return
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Need
More News?
The Bulletin
Online now offers daily updates on campus news,
people and events, with lots of stories and photos
you won’t find anywhere else. All current NC
State news releases can be viewed on the News
Services Web site. Information about the university’s “NC
State: Achieve!” marketing campaign is available
on the Web. And you can check out the Alumni
Association’s Web site for updated listings
of alumni news and events.
News
Services is always on the lookout for good stories
about the university. If you have one, please let
us know. Call us at 515-3470, or email us.
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