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(10/16/06 4:00am)
With no comprehensive health studies existing about the growing number of Latino Americans, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health has awarded UNC a $22 million contract to change that.
UNC's Collaborative Studies Coordinating Center is responsible for distributing the money among seven schools assisting in data analysis and research setup.
The goal of the Hispanic Community Health Study is to research the diseases and illnesses specifically afflicting Latino Americans.
The Latino population is the largest minority group in the U.S. and is expected to triple by 2050, said Gerardo Heiss, a professor of epidemiology at UNC.
"This is putting the University in touch with minority issues," he said.
The study will focus on Latino Americans hailing from Puerto Rico, Mexico, Cuba and Central and South America.
UNC-Greensboro, University of Arizona, University of Mississippi, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Case Western Reserve University, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and Wake Forest University all will have a hand in the process.
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences will partner with the schools on the project.
Researchers want to discover why Latino Americans are more susceptible to heart disease and have higher rates of obesity and diabetes than non-Latino Americans, Heiss said.
The study also will investigate whether lifestyle changes made from living in the U.S. or ties to cultural beliefs contribute to these diseases, incorporating research on diet, sleeping disorders and dental diseases.
"We know very little of the Hispanic community," Heiss said. "It is very important to study."
To accumulate the data needed for the study, four field centers will each pool about 4,000 Latino Americans living in close proximity. Participants must be of Latino origin and between the ages of 18 and 74.
The centers are located at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, San Diego State University, Northwestern University and the University of Miami.
At those locations, participants will be given thorough evaluations and receive annual check-ups during the next four years to monitor changes in health, Heiss said.
With additional money needed for the four field centers, federal funding of the study totals $61 million.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(09/26/06 4:00am)
One UNC student has found that listening to your heart is as much about using a stethoscope as it is about pursuing dreams.
Second-year UNC medical student Kim Gardner received the Satcher Fellowship to research the effects of obesity on the left ventricle of the heart.
"Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death for black women, and I just felt it was an important cause to observe," Gardner said.
Gardner conducted research in her home state at Kings County Hospital Center in Brooklyn, NY.
She said there was a pre-existing infrastructure at the center for work on cardiovascular disease that allowed her to complete her research.
The fellowship, which is sponsored for the first time by Pfizer, is a collaborative effort with the Student National Medical Association. The organizations partnered for former Surgeon General David Satcher's "Healthy People 2010" initiative.
"In terms of building awareness, especially for obesity, we are in line with the way medicine is moving to health care - and it's been very beneficial," said Steven Muhammad, director of programs at SNMA, about the Pfizer partnership.
Gardner is one of five recipients receiving $5,000 to study the effects of obesity or other diseases on minorities.
The fellowship was granted to SNMA students based on their research topics, academic achievements and commitment to community service, among other factors.
The students must present their findings at the association's 42nd annual Medical Education Conference this April in San Francisco.
"The students have just recently finished their research and many of them found very interesting projects," Muhammad said.
Gardner attended Columbia University to attain her bachelor's degree. She said she chose to study medicine at UNC because of the culturally diverse atmosphere.
"It was my favorite place that I visited," she said. "It had a good balance, which is very important to me."
Gardner also said she likes how the faculty focuses on more than just medicine, incorporating the social determinants of health with the physical determinants.
Though Gardner said she is not set on her plans after completing medical school, she said she is interested in oncology and infectious diseases and would like to further investigate those areas.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(09/18/06 4:00am)
About 25 students gathered to perform the alma mater in the Pit on Friday, but they weren't there to sing UNC's praises.
The students were protesting the new online ticket distribution system.
Senior Roger Horowitz organized the event and spoke to the crowd about the flaws in the policy change.
Horowitz and his friends also gave out fliers to inform students about the differences between the new and old systems and to give students contact information of student leaders and administrators who can hear concerns.
"I've been reading feedback in the (Daily Tar Heel), and we realized we need to let students' voices be heard," he said.
Horowitz said any communication between students and the Carolina Athletic Association and the Athletics Department is a step in the right direction.
At the protest Horowitz laid out his two main complaints: Groups of people will not be able to request more than two tickets together, and the new system does not reward dedicated fans.
Additionally he criticized CAA and the Athletics Department for not claiming responsibility and not unveiling the distribution plan until the summer - when most students are not on campus.
The previous method was a lottery system based on bracelet numbers.
"I think they just don't want criticism," Horowitz said. "I think they've done a disservice to the Carolina students."
He noted that other schools have online ticket distributions that allow groups of more than two to select seats together. N.C. State University has such a system.
Students who watched the protest also said the new seating arrangement is a problem.
"I think it is unfair because it rewards people for doing no work," said Elliott Miller, a junior biology major. "This really isn't school pride."
Dustin Ingalls, speaker pro tem for Student Congress, met with CAA President Rachel High on Friday to discuss seating.
Officials said they hope to come up with a solution that would make group seating possible.
Ingalls said that change probably won't be ready for this season, but that plans still are underway.
"Unfortunately I don't see any other changes, but I still think it's important for students to voice their concerns," Ingalls said.
Ingalls said contacting leaders is a good way to advocate for change, adding students should alert High to their concerns.
Ingalls also said members of Student Congress hope to hear feedback.
"This is the most crucial issue now."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(09/11/06 4:00am)
UNC's chapter of the NAACP kicked off a week full of events and speakers Sunday.
The group aims to show students about the goals and inner workings of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
"We are a multicultural body on campus, but we also reach out to the greater good," said Danielle Lee, press and publicity co-chairwoman for the chapter. "NAACP is trying to make a bigger presence."
The events are not just for black students, officials said.
Lee said she hopes a diverse crowd shows up. "We're not looking for any particular group."
Lee said during the 2000-01 academic year, the UNC chapter was honored for booming membership and interesting activities.
"We want to bring back that honor," she said.
Chapter co-president Nikki Clark said the chapter has lost some of its recognition since then, and the week should help bring more attention to the group.
The chapter held a car wash to raise funds Sunday. The event raised $160 to go toward the chapter.
Today the chapter is holding a safe sex talk where kits will be given to attendees. And Tuesday brings a break to the educational routine with a showing of American History X.
Members said social events will help unite those present.
"It gives new members a chance to be together," Clark said.
The chapter will put on "Ill Vibes" on Wednesday, an open mic event for students to express themselves.
Clark said that "Ill Vibes" was cancelled several years ago, but the group decided to bring it back.
The chapter will join forces with Students United for Darfur Awareness Now on Thursday to discuss ways to help stop the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan.
Clark said it is important for the chapter to get involved because the situations are ongoing.
"The situations are continuous and will not be resolved in one day or one year, and we should not forget," Lee said.
The chapter will set up Friday in the Pit to talk to students and answer their questions.
To wrap up the week, the chapter will serve meals Saturday to children in need.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(08/25/06 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>UNC students who would like to make documentaries, Web sites or movies now have an expanded facility to take advantage of.
The Media Resource Center of the Undergraduate Library recently added new equipment to its Digital Media Lab due to increasing demand.
The lab underwent growth and transformation this summer to allow more students, faculty and staff to take advantage of its services.
Computers in the media lab have creative software that computers in other campus libraries don't feature.
Five new computers were added to the facility in addition to extra video cameras and upgraded editing stations. A glass wall also was erected.
Originally the center only had six computers and one editing station where students could create DVDs or convert VHS tapes to CDs.
Now the center, located in the basement of the Undergraduate Library, also has an extra duplication station.
Greg Klaiber, the lab manager of the center, said he is excited about the lab's new environment.
"It's now more inviting, friendlier," he said. "People can see there's something here."
Klaiber added that officials tried to meet the needs of their patrons when planning for the renovation.
He said people previously had complained about the temperature, so a thermostat also was installed.
Before the renovation, the lab was difficult to find because the only entrance was located through staff offices, Klaiber said.
Throughout the year, the lab will be adding services and performing more outreach projects. For example, Klaiber will teach one-hour sessions about how to use the lab equipment.
He said officials have hung posters around campus and will give tours so students can become acquainted with the lab.
The project originally was initiated to accommodate increasing demand. More students wanted to use the lab than space allowed, said Winifred Metz, a librarian in charge of the center.
The expansion was funded by the Library Trust Fund, Metz said.
Construction began in early July and wrapped up earlier this month.
"I'm excited," Metz said. "We've already had tons of use."
More than 15 people have used the lab since the revamped facilities opened Wednesday, Klaiber said.
But Metz said many people still have not heard of the facility's addition.
"I didn't even know about it, but I'm sure it's a positive thing," said Sara Beaman, a senior international studies major.
Hours for the digital media lab are:
(04/21/06 4:00am)
People should not turn to fiction novels for historical facts, said a UNC alumnus and New Testament professor in a speech Thursday evening.
Michael Kruger addressed a crowd of more than 600 and highlighted what he thinks are the falsities in "The Da Vinci Code," the bestselling novel by Dan Brown that has raised questions about the accuracy of the Bible.
"Millions (of people) are looking to a source of historical fiction," said Kruger, who teaches about the New Testament at the Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte. "People turn to fiction on origins of Christianity in 'The Da Vinci Code.'"
The event, hosted by Campus Crusade for Christ, allowed Kruger to prove and disprove some of the main themes discussed.
Kruger said he didn't believe the part of Brown's book that stated that the modern version of the New Testament is a product of Constantine and that the Council of Nicea was able to edit it in the fourth century.
It sounds good, but it's not historically factual, Kruger said.
He said Constantine did not have the role to make church law - that was under control of the bishops - and that the New Testament was created centuries before Constantine.
"I feel like people are believing an inaccurate account of Christianity that doesn't match factually. And as a historian, I feel I need to give an accurate account," Kruger said, referring to the novel.
Next, Kruger said there were not dozens of additional gospels competing for prominence in the early church - the opposite of one of the central themes of the novel.
Brown wrote that the other gospels were suppressed. Kruger said they were rejected because they were not true and were therefore rejected by the bishops.
However, modern readers can trust the four gospels in the Bible because they were written so close to the time of Jesus, he said.
"Is it likely these men would fabricate the life of Jesus?" he questioned. "Would they make it up for riches? No."
"Martyrs - die for lies?" he asked.
Kruger also attacked the book's statement that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene.
Outside of the Gospel of Philip, there is no mention of the marriage. Furthermore, Kruger said Brown's only reasoning for Jesus' marriage is that he was a Jewish man, so he had to be married.
"(There is) no historical evidence that all Jewish males were married," Kruger said.
After the speech, the audience was able to ask further questions. Many asked for clarification of what can and cannot be believed.
Students who attended the speech said it was thought-provoking.
"I think it went really well," said freshman James Ludemann. "I know I'm going to look into (the book) more."
Contact the News Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(03/24/06 5:00am)
Master Sgt. Dexter Scott, a senior military instructor with UNC's Army ROTC, was stabbed to death Monday night in St. Pauls. He was 40.
At about 9 p.m., Scott and his wife responded to a call from his daughter about a physical fight between her and her boyfriend, Senaca Jeneric Wall, said Bladen County Chief Deputy Phillip Little.
Little said that after Scott had a confrontation with Wall's mother, Wall stabbed him with a knife in the back.
Scott died about 9:30 p.m. from complications due to a severed artery.
Wall is in Bladen County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court later this week on murder charges.
Lt. Col. Elizabeth Agather, Scott's superior officer at UNC, said his actions showed how much he cared for his family.
"He truly cared for his children and risked his life to save them," Agather said.
Scott served for the armed forces for more than 22 years, ROTC Capt. Scott Walton said. After being stationed at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, Scott continued to live there even when he was transferred to the University in November 2004.
At UNC, Scott trained the ROTC cadets and served as a recruitment officer.
Walton said he remembers Scott as being especially devoted to his family.
"He took care of his kids and took his job seriously," Walton said. "He loved the Army."
"He's one of the greatest soldiers I've ever worked with," Agather said. "I think the cadets will remember his passion for the Army. It was his life."
Agather said Scott gave his all to the Army - even in the face of a life-threatening illness.
More than 10 years ago Scott was diagnosed with a kidney disease. He was told that he soon would be on dialysis and need a new kidney.
"He mentally decided he was not going to let his disease get to him," Agather said. "He decided that he was going to be the best parent and best soldier he could be. I call him a walking miracle."
A church service and wake will be in Fayetteville. The wake will be held from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday at Wiseman Mortuary.
The service will be noon Monday at Abney Chapel Seventh Day Adventist Church. Following the service will be Scott's military burial at 2 p.m. at Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery in Spring Lake.
Donations in honor of Scott can be made to The White Ribbon Campaign, an organization that works to put an end to men's violence against women, at www.whiteribbon.ca.
He is survived by his wife, Kalesha Pearson Scott and two children.
Contact the News Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(01/26/06 5:00am)
Some of the world's leading experts in the medicine field are being afforded the chance to advance even farther with the addition of a little elbow room.
The University broke ground for the Genetic Medicine Building on Mason Farm Road in February. The $120 million facility will be used by the School of Medicine and the School of Pharmacy, along with the division of laboratory animal medicine.
Covering more than 340,000 square feet, the building will be the largest research facility at the University. It is slated to open within two years, said Masaya Konishi, project manager for the construction effort.
"It will certainly advance the genetic research mission of the University," he said.
The bottom two floors will be used by animal medicine and the remaining five will be shared by the two schools.
The division will use its portion of the building to house animals used in research, Konishi said.
The endeavor will allow the schools to collaborate on research and find new treatments to serious medical illnesses, said Robert Golden, vice dean of the School of Medicine.
The pharmacology, biochemistry and genetics departments of the medical school will be housed in the new building.
"We think that the Genetic Medicine Building will be another example of Carolina tradition of collaborative research," Golden said.
"When you bring bright, talented scientists together, it's that much easier to collaborate."
The first fruits of that mission already are being sown with the recruitment of new researchers for the facility.
Along with joint recruitment, researchers will be able to work for both schools.
Students enrolled in the schools are not the only ones who will be able to use the new building.
The medical school will allow undergraduates to do research and to obtain internships, Golden said.
Robert Blouin, dean of the pharmacy school, said he shares the same vision.
"We have been encouraging undergraduates to take on research projects," he said. "Because of our location in the Triangle, we have a lot of students who have a great interest because they have great job opportunities."
Blouin said the building most likely will house the division of pharmacotherapy and experimental therapeutics, the division of molecular pharmaceutics and medicinal chemistry and natural products.
When the Genetic Medicine Building opens, the schools will continue their efforts to collaborate closely on research, grants and projects.
"The location and the people really create an ideal environment," Blouin said.
"Our faculty can now work with different expertise - that is vital."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(01/13/06 5:00am)
The Pit, now more than ever, has earned its name.
As the $6.5 million renovation of Student Stores spills into the heart of campus, a gaping hole has come to disrupt noticeable campus fixtures.
The cubes outside the Student Union, which are used by student groups to publicize campus events, have been removed as underground chilled water lines are installed under the Pit.
The installation, which began in early December, should be completed by the end of January, said Robert Beke, the construction manager for the project.
The cubes will return to their normal location after the completion of the project, Beke said.
Beke said the task is taking longer than expected because of a leak in the existing chilled water line.
"We had some challenges in changes of designs and uncovering of surprises," he said. "We're making every effort to complete it."
Instead of the cubes, student organizations can display future activities by placing signs on the fence surrounding the blocked-off area.
Beke said the signs should be up soon as long as guidelines are met.
The installation also will reduce the space available for student groups who want to set up information tables.
Limited tables will be moved to the front of Student Stores so campus organizations will be able to keep up with their Pit sits.
Stephen Lassiter, co-president of the Campus Y, said the change isn't a problem for his organization, which uses both aspects of the Pit frequently.
"It's unfortunate there aren't more cubes, but we have other means," he said.
Lassiter said the cube next to Hanes Hall, reserved specifically for Campus Y, is another resource for the group.
Many students also said they can withstand the disruptions resulting from the projects.
"It frustrates me," said junior Samantha Sale.
"It's really ugly and inconvenient. But in the back of my mind, I realize that there's a greater purpose."
Current students are not the only ones who have to navigate around the construction site.
Barbara Polk, senior associate director of undergraduate admissions, said campus tours for visiting prospective students are being redirected to get groups around campus.
She said the admissions office is telling parents and visitors that the construction represents progress.
Polk said she understands the current inconvenience, but she is confident students and community members will benefit in the long run.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(10/10/05 4:00am)
For the second year in a row, UNC played host this weekend to a celebration of the centuries of American Indian culture.
(09/28/05 4:00am)
When Theodore Roosevelt stepped into the presidency in 1901, his six children easily adapted to life in the White House.