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(10/26/09 4:14am)
Parents and alumni have pressured the University to take a strong stance against alcohol and drug abuse among undergraduates in the wake of the death of junior Courtland Smith, the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity president who was shot dead by police on Aug. 23.Chancellor Holden Thorp has articulated his intent to help Greek life at UNC survive, but the initiative did not originate within UNC’s administration.“That momentum is there to improve life within fraternities and sororities, and we’re going to be there to support them,” Thorp said.Smith’s death, in addition to the arrest of several members of fraternities and sororities for a September cocaine bust, has focused attention on the issue of alcohol and drug abuse within the Greek community.But Thorp emphasized the two incidents were unrelated, and the call for action to temper substance abuse came from outside the administration.In the wake of Smith’s death, Thorp received numerous e-mails requesting him to use Smith’s death as an opportunity to crack down on alcohol and substance abuse within the undergraduate population.“UNC’s students, parents and alumni are increasing their discussions regarding the abusive use of alcohol and drugs at Carolina,” wrote Ann and Ronald Wooten in an Aug. 27 e-mail to Thorp. “Their fears are intensifying about students being hazed, raped, robbed and assaulted due to … drug-induced behaviors.”But Thorp said addressing alcohol and drug usage was not his first reaction to Smith’s death. Rather, that impulse came from parents, alumni and other outsiders.“I wasn’t thinking about substance abuse at all when I heard the news,” he said. “That was their reaction. It came from them.Thorp said his immediate reaction was to wonder how Smith died.“There was a lot of momentum from them, from Greek parents and alumni, and so we’ve moved in to try to support this.”Smith’s autopsy report stated that he had a blood alcohol content of about .22 at the time of his death, almost three times the legal limit.Some who contacted Thorp in the week following Smith’s death asserted drinking is a campuswide problem that needs addressing, according to e-mails obtained by The Daily Tar Heel.“I urge you to seize this moment to enact meaningful changes regarding alcohol use by undergraduates before another life is lost, either by death or the long-term struggle of alcoholism or alcohol dependence,” wrote Ron Bogle, a former Catawba County Superior Court judge, in an Aug. 27 e-mail to Thorp.On Friday, Thorp addressed the UNC Board of Visitors, an advisory group of 160 alumni and community leaders, 85 of whom Thorp said were in sororities or fraternities as undergraduates. He asked them to highlight the University’s support for the Greek system.“You can help me dispel the notion that the University doesn’t want Greek life to continue. We are committed to the survival of Greek life.”In a Friday blog post, Thorp said he is meeting with DKE and Interfraternity Council leaders to address the challenges they face and create a leadership development program.Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(10/05/09 4:33am)
Elected officials received $15,831 worth of football tickets from 2003 to 2008 free of charge, according to data compiled by the University.The tickets were paid for by UNC Foundation Investment Fund Inc., an organization dedicated to supporting teaching, research and service at the University by receiving gifts and distributing funds.UNC officials said the benefit of hosting elected officials outweighs the small cost.Matt Kupec, vice chancellor of University advancement, said the foundation has brought in $14.5 million in grants this fiscal year to support students, faculty and other initiatives on campus.“A very tiny amount, pennies almost, are used for these tickets,” Kupec said. “It’s a great, great benefit any time you can bring in officials of that status to campus, allowing them to meet administrators, faculty, students. We believe they’ll be impressed by what goes on here. It’s good for the University.“It’s a great investment and, we think, one very worth it.”Most tickets went to members of the N.C. General Assembly, such as Rep. Joe Hackney, D-Orange, and Rep. Verla Insko, D-Orange, and to Gov. Bev Perdue when she served as lieutenant governor.The officials who receive tickets to a football game usually sit in the chancellor’s box, which seats 218 people.Elevators take guests to the box, which is finished with dark wood panels and gold and blue carpeting. The box has its own seating, and guests are served buffet-style. Some guests might prefer to sit in the stadium, but they are given bracelets that give them access to the box before and after the game and during halftime.Since a state ethics law took effect in January 2007, the University has not given free tickets to state-level elected officials, said Mike McFarland, director of University communications.The ethics law has a gift provision that places restrictions on the ability of state legislators, public servants and judicial officials to receive gifts.Because of this provision, state elected officials have to purchase tickets to football games, but they can call the chancellor’s office to see if tickets are available, said Dwayne Pinkney, assistant vice chancellor for finance and administration.“A legislator or another elected official will wait too late or a game is sold out, and there’s nothing we can do for them,” Pinkney said.Obtaining a free ticket is done much the same way.The state ethics law does not apply to town officials, who are still allowed to receive free tickets to athletic events.Federal officials, such as U.S. congressmen, can still receive free tickets to University athletic events because they are governed by a different set of ethics laws, said Karen Regan, director of federal affairs at UNC.“Part of the mission of the Office of Federal Affairs is to try to get officials to come and spend time on our campus,” Regan said. “At the federal level, the laws are very different.”UNC-system President Erskine Bowles established a ticketing policy in 2008 that allows the University to extend tickets to members of Congress and their staff free of charge. The invitation must be extended by the president of the University, the vice president of federal relations, the chancellor or the campus federal relations officer.“We think it’s a great, great way to showcase our University,” Kupec said.Contact the Investigative Team Editor at dthiteam@gmail.com.
(09/09/09 4:06am)
Chapel Hill third graders smiled and some stood up and clapped as they watched a live stream of President Barack Obama approaching the podium to the song, “Hail to the Chief.”Students at Glenwood Elementary School watched on a projection screen Tuesday as Obama addressed them and students across the country, asking them to value their education.Speaking from Wakefield High School in Arlington, Va., Obama stressed the importance of staying in school and not giving up in the face of challenges and failures. As he spoke, Glenwood third grade teacher Candace White asked her students to write down important points from Obama’s speech.Langston Luck, 8, was one of the students anxious to raise his hand and share his thoughts with the rest of the class.“I think what was important was to do your best effort and have responsibility and don’t quit school,” he said.White also asked her students to write a letter to themselves to be read at the end of the school year, laying out goals they wanted to achieve.“My goals this year is to do well in math and other things I’m not good at, like science sometimes,” said Meama Scott, 8.Some parents around the country voiced opposition to having their children listen to Obama’s speech. Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools parents had the option to opt out of sending their children to school Tuesday.But neither White nor Glenwood Elementary Principal Minnie Goins heard negative feedback from parents or knew about students who stayed home because of the speech.Stephanie Knott, spokeswoman for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, said her office has received about half-a-dozen phone calls and e-mails from parents regarding the speech.Some parents were reacting to the idea of political indoctrination that they were hearing about in the news, Knott said. Others did not feel like they were getting a sufficient amount of information about the speech from the schools.“Information came to the schools late last week,” Knott said. “They just wanted to know what the speech was.”Obama used personal stories in his speech, telling students about when he lived in Indonesia and received extra lessons from his mother at 4:30 a.m., and about how he was raised by a single mother.“I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork,” Obama said. “Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you, because here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.”Obama’s use of anecdotes and stories resonated with Goins.“I was very pleased and very excited about the inspirational words he used,” Goins said, adding that his experiential knowledge enhanced his speech.“Failure does not mean that that’s the end.”Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(04/26/09 4:00am)
Unemployment reached record highs in the state during the past few months as the recession continues to take its toll on North Carolina.The economic climate has been frustrating for seniors who are trying to find jobs after they graduate said Tim Stiles" associate director of University Career Services.""I think people get a better appreciation for how difficult it really is out there when they start looking"" he said. I'm having to work with some students weekly to pump them up.""Unemployment hit 10.8 percent in March. A year ago" the unemployment rate was only 5.7 percent.North Carolina's current rate is the fifth highest in the country.Because of this Stiles said more graduating seniors are leaving North Carolina to find work elsewhere in the Southeast.Stiles said there are some bright spots in the job market. The federal government for example is still hiring people. And computer science pharmacy and education are still healthy job industries" he said.But investment banks and other parts of the financial sector are struggling to hire recent graduates.""The big ones are definitely on hold"" Stiles said, and they're the ones who hire big critical masses of college students.""Stiles and other counselors at University Career Services have encouraged students to look for alternatives and to get other work experience for one or two years before trying to land their ideal job.Jeni Margules" a senior biology major is going to Colorado in September to work for AmeriCorps" a nationwide service organization.""The point of the program is to experience poverty"" Margules said, adding that she'll be working in a family health clinic. She said she thinks the senior class is split into three different groups. One group has jobs, the second group is going to graduate school and the third group is still looking.It's been nerve-wracking for everyone" but I think everyone's settled in to what they want to do she said.Stiles said he wants seniors to know that University Career Services is available for them free of charge up to six months after graduation.We want to equip them with some skills and build momentum" he said. A full-time search can be frustrating.""The reality of the job market's condition is setting in for many seniors"" Stiles said.""It's nice to have someone to pump you up"" Stiles said. Our fulfillment comes from helping other people.""Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(03/19/09 4:00am)
HILLSBOROUGH — Stephanie Ennis and her husband can only pay for their electricity and their car this month. They can't pay their rent"" and they're borrowing money from family to pay for food.""We don't even live week to week anymore"" Ennis said. We live day to day.""Ennis"43 was laid off in April 2008 from her full-time job in a call center for Aetna" a health insurance provider.""I wake up in the morning and think" ‘I can't believe this happened"'"" the Efland resident said. ""We hardly have anything.""Ennis is one of many Orange County residents searching for a full-time job in a state where unemployment has almost doubled in the past year.According to numbers released Thursday" Orange County's unemployment rate rose to 5.8 percent in January up from 3.4 percent a year earlier.While statewide unemployment has continued to rise the unemployment rate in Orange County is the lowest in the state. Durham and Wake counties follow Orange with the next lowest rates in the state — 7.3 percent and 7.4 percent respectively.Larry Parker spokesman for the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina attributes the low rates to the area's big state employers — the education system and the hospitals" which have increased their numbers of employees by about 5.8 percent in the past year.""I think that has helped keep things at bay for at least for a little while" Parker said. Because of the diversity here" it's going to hit us last.""Ennis said she has been coming to the Employment Security Commission office in Hillsborough three times a week since she was laid off in April. ""This is not a happy place"" she said.About six weeks ago she received a part-time job from Tar Heel Temps, doing research 20 hours a week.Ennis received a degree in social sciences from Campbell University. She also served in the Marine Corps for nine years. Being a vet — it doesn't matter"" she said. I don't know why I can't get hired.""She said she has applied to more than 300 jobs since getting laid off last year.""I feel like I'm going into this pool of people and getting lost"" she said. I can't get any luck.""Job losses in the manufacturing" construction and retail industries have driven the drop in the state's employment Parker said" adding that the negative effects of job losses in those industries have started to creep into Orange County.Almost three quarters of N.C. counties have unemployment rates higher than 10 percent.Ennis has felt the effects for a year.""It's really bad"" she said. I don't know what we're going to do.""Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(03/17/09 4:00am)
1:42 p.m. TUESDAY March 17 -- Gov. Bev Perdue announced her budget today which includes a cut of about 5.5 percent for the University system. It also requires about 193 positions to be eliminated from the University system during the next two years.University enrollment growth and need-based aid were both fully funded. The University will see a small net increase in funding" making it one of the more fortunate state programs.Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(03/02/09 5:00am)
As a result of the financial meltdown two Charlotte-based banks are pulling back their hiring of college graduates this year.Bank of America Corp. and Wachovia Corp. typically hire between 10 and 15 students for 20 to 25 positions said Tim Stiles associate director and business administration career advisor for University Career Services.This year however those numbers are expected to decrease.Bank of America came to campus recruiting for about eight to nine positions this fall" Stiles said.""Like other financial services firms" we are not immune to the present economic climate said spokeswoman for Bank of America Nicole Nastacie in an e-mail. In light of the economic environment" we will continue to evaluate and make the appropriate hiring decisions based on the business needs.""Wachovia" which was recently acquired by Wells Fargo will not be hiring at all due to a company-wide hiring freeze.Wachovia cancelled many of its second-round interviews with students in the fall and several interns did not receive job offers" Stiles said.""We're going to wait and see how the deck gets shuffled after the merger"" Stiles said.On Jan. 1, Bank of America completed its acquisition of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. As a result, the company expects to cut 30,000 to 35,000 positions during the next three years, leaving little room for entry-level students to start.While Bank of America expects to cut its workforce, Wachovia is just trying to remain in business.This deal enables us to keep Wachovia intact and preserve the value of an integrated company without government support"" said Wachovia President and Chief Executive Robert Steel in a release.Wachovia was more exposed to the housing market, which is one of the reasons it fared worse than other financial institutions, said Paolo Fulghieri, a finance professor in the Kenan-Flagler Business School.In the early 2000s, inflated housing prices allowed homebuyers to take out home equity loans. Many lenders also eased their lending standards, which allowed unqualified homebuyers to take out loans that they couldn't repay.When homeowners began defaulting on loans and the housing bubble popped, it created a chain reaction of collapses in the economy.The best way to describe it is a really dry forest" Fulghieri said. There was a lot of dry wood in the economy" and the housing collapse was the spark.""Stiles said he does not want students to get discouraged.""There are still jobs coming in for college students"" he said. It just may not be the job of their dreams. There are jobs out there if you're willing to compromise.""We're not giving up on people if they don't give up on us.""Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(12/02/08 5:00am)
Click here to view the graphic at full size.Private giving to the University likely will suffer amid the nation's economic plunge.""We have trouble raising money for everything in a down economy"" Chancellor Holden Thorp said Monday, as reports declared an official economic recession.Private giving is up so far this year, but a deepening economic crisis could affect UNC's endowed professorships, scholarships, grants and other operations that rely on donations.Private donations make up the bulk of UNC's endowment, the invested fund meant to provide a steady stream of income for scholarships, professorships, fellowships and research. In the recessions of 1991 and 2001, UNC's private donations fell by 1.8 percent and 3.6 percent, respectively.Those were two of only three drops in private giving since 1988, the earliest data provided by the University's development office, UNC's chief fundraising unit.Despite the trend, development officials this year are optimistic, pointing to an 8 percent increase in private giving during the one-year period that ended Nov. 17, 2008.But they're aware that a sour economy could make donors more conservative with their money.We know everyone out there is a little bit nervous"" said Elizabeth Dunn, senior associate vice chancellor for development. I'm not sure anyone has been immune unless they have their money sewn to the mattress.""Donor reticence also could throw a wrench into high-priority fundraising initiatives. Just this fall" University officials vowed to raise more private money for merit-based scholarships and floated plans for a $4 billion capital campaign.Thorp said he remains committed to raising money for merit scholarships the crux of his effort to attract more of North Carolina's best high school graduates. He said he is encouraging donors to put their money toward that goal.But the pending capital campaign first discussed publicly at a September Board of Trustees meeting" could take a back seat.""We're still a long time away from organizing a campaign" Thorp said. We're certainly not because of the economy" in a rush to do that.""The most recent campaign" Carolina First ended last December after raising $2.4 billion. The next campaign still is in its earliest planning stages: Thorp said he is recruiting for the 15- to 20-member Volunteer Leadership Planning Team which will develop a firm blueprint for campaign timing and strategies.About 40 percent of the funds raised during the Carolina First campaign went to the endowment.Jon King chief executive officer of the private company that manages the endowment" recently said the University's endowment has lost 13 percent of its value in the last four months. The median loss for universities nationwide was 19 percent.""We're losing money" but we're losing less than most institutions" King said in an interview, adding that the company has funneled more of the endowment into treasury bonds, a more secure investment.Development officials stressed that existing scholarships, professorships, grants and other privately funded obligations are secure.But a continued downturn could make it difficult to create as many new programs, and King estimated the University could start feeling those effects next year.Eric Ghysels, economics and finance professor at the Kenan-Flagler Business School, said the recession could be severe and prolonged.It truly is much worse than the 2001 recession"" he said.The consumer confidence index — a measure of what the average person thinks about the U.S. economy, both now and in the next six months — dropped in October to a record low of 38. Last October, consumer confidence was at 95.2.The purchasing power of consumers has decreased a lot either because they lost jobs or because they don't have confidence in the future"" Ghysels said. These are economic times where lots of people feel sort of uneasy.""The country's economic health and university donations are directly related" said Ken Sigmon" associate vice chancellor for development at N.C. State University.""If they're feeling poor" whether they're truly poor or not" they're not going to give away their money.""Despite grim predictions"" UNC-CH's fundraisers are optimistic.""It's not like people are running away and saying" ‘I'm never going to give to the University again"'"" Dunn said. But many donors are giving less or delaying their payments.""They're just buying time"" she said.Dunn said the development office will continue to cultivate relationships with donors, even if they are giving less.Our activity level doesn't change"" Dunn said. It may focus less on asking for gifts and more on thanking for gifts they have given previously.""We're trying to be respectful and compassionate with our donors.""Contact the Projects Editors at dthprojects@gmail.com.
(09/16/08 4:00am)
(Click here to see the graphic at full size.)
(09/03/08 4:00am)
A new Center for Faculty Excellence will support faculty research initiatives and leadership roles on campus.The center formerly known as the Center for Teaching and Learning" will continue to focus on helping faculty improve how they teach through workshops and individual consultations.""There's already a lot of good things going on"" said Todd Zakrajsek, executive director of the new center. It's just a matter of collaborating those efforts.""Zakrajsek joined UNC in late August. Before coming here"" Zakrajsek was an associate professor of psychology at Central Michigan University and an administrator at Southern Oregon University. He built similar faculty centers at both schools.""The biggest thing is the experience of working with faculty"" Zakrajsek said about the knowledge he's brought from his previous positions.The center has not yet developed concrete plans for how to fulfill its new research and leadership goals because it hasn't hired coordinators for those areas, he said.Before fall ends" we'll have programming in those areas" Zakrajsek said.The former center primarily focused on supporting faculty in their classroom responsibilities, he said.We've spent a lot of time building on that strength"" Zakrajsek said.The center will hold a series of workshops in the fall that will provide advice on teaching strategies.These workshops, which were also offered by the old center, include ways to use games in the classroom, how to build a dynamic syllabus"" how to deal with teaching anxiety and how to teach a diverse student body.Those workshops now will be taught by faculty members who will be paired with center staff members, said Patrick Conway, faculty director of the center.They used to be taught by the staff of the center" who are very good but they're not the people with faculty responsibilities Conway said.UNC biology assistant professor Greg Copenhaver said he attended some of the former center's workshops when he began teaching in 2001.He said he thinks the new center's involvement with research will be beneficial to the University and the community.The center has issued calls for (research) proposals that require an aspect of community outreach" Copenhaver said. I think that can be a really fantastic idea. I think it's a way of educating the community about the research we do here and integrating the University into the community.""Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(08/26/08 4:00am)
The death rates at UNC Hospitals are better than the national averages for two critical conditions but worse for one, according to a study by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
At UNC, the heart failure death rate is 8.8 percent and the pneumonia death rate is 9.6 percent, better than the national rate for Medicare patients. The heart attack death rate is 16.2 percent, slightly above the national rate.
Those numbers reflect the percentages of patients who die within 30 days after their admission to UNC Hospitals, whether at UNC, at home or at another hospital.
(08/22/08 4:00am)
Administrators are ramping up advertising of the University's emergency notification system this fall in an effort to combat low sign-up rates.Armed with a laptop and free goodies, members of student government sat in the Pit on Wednesday and Thursday to encourage students to sign up for Alert Carolina, UNC's emergency notification system.
(08/20/08 4:00am)
Gases from a landfill will become a new source of energy for buildings at Carolina North.
University and Orange County officials are discussing plans to pipe methane gas emitted from the Orange County landfill to buildings at UNC's new satellite research campus as a form of power.
Methane gas is the product of organisms that break down organic materials in the landfill, said Michael Aitken, chairman of the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering at UNC.
It is a greenhouse gas and has about 20 times the effect on the atmosphere as carbon dioxide when released into the air, Aitken said. It's also a main contributor to global warming, he said.
"It's part of the strategy of having a sustainable Carolina North from day one," said Carolyn Elfland, associate vice chancellor of campus services.
The project could cost up to $5 million, said Gayle Wilson, Orange County's solid waste director.
Talks about this project have been going on for years, Elfland said, but the project never seemed to be financially feasible. This year, the price of fuel finally made such a contract economically beneficial.
University and county officials are still working to figure out the specific costs and revenues that the project will produce.
Elfland said the University and the county should have a draft of a contract by the end of the month.
The county approved negotiations with the University earlier this year, Wilson said. He said he hopes negotiations will be successfully concluded by the end of this year.
"I think it's going to be a reasonable investment for the benefit that will be attained for it," Wilson said.
The landfill, located on Eubanks Road in Chapel Hill, is scheduled to close in June 2010.
After it closes, the amount of methane gas emitted from the landfill will decrease, so the University wants to get going as soon as possible, Elfland said.
Aitken said methane gas is a main component in natural gas and is therefore very efficient as an energy source.
"I think that the University is ahead of the curve on these kinds of innovative approaches to sustainability," Aitken said.
Because the methane will be collected and piped, it will no longer be escaping from the landfill into the air.
While the amount of methane gas coming out of the landfill was never extreme or immediately harmful, Wilson said the project will create cleaner air for Orange County residents.
Using the methane gas as a source of energy allows the University to reduce its carbon footprint, Wilson said, because it does not contain any of the carbon found in fossil fuels.
The plan will be a win-win situation for the University and the county because Carolina North will be carbon-free and the air will be cleaner, Wilson said.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(08/19/08 4:00am)
Five UNC students were found guilty of failure to disperse Monday for their action in a 16-day sit-in at South Building in May.
Salma Mirza, Linda Gomaa, Thomas Mattera, Sarah Hirsch and Tim Stallmann, all members of Student Action with Workers, were arrested May 2 after they violated the ground rules of their protest against UNC apparel made by sweatshop workers.
The students, who arrived in court wearing matching blue Student Action with Workers T-shirts, will not face sentences because the judge granted prayers for judgment.
(08/19/08 4:00am)
First-year students used this year's summer reading program to discuss being at peace with themselves while joining new groups of people.
(08/18/08 4:00am)
MONDAY, AUG. 18, 7:00 p.m. -- Five UNC students were found guilty of failure to disperse during a sit-in at the chancellor's office in the spring.
Linda Gomaa, Thomas Mattera, Sarah Hirsch, Tim Stallmann and Salma Mirza were tried at the Franklin Street courthouse. They were arrested May 2 after violating the ground rules of their two-week-long, anti-sweatshop protest in South Building.
Mirza also was charged with resisting a public officer. None of the students will face a sentence.
Read more about the trial in tomorrow's Daily Tar Heel.
(04/25/08 4:00am)
Alert Carolina is the primary emergency alert system for UNC, delivering thousands of texts in a matter of minutes.
(04/18/08 4:00am)
The senior class will get an opportunity to compete in Olympic games tonight in the Undergraduate Library - on a Wii, that is.
At 6:30 p.m., after the library closes, the senior class will hold a Wii tournament using the two gaming systems the Undergraduate Library purchased for students.
"I really love video games, and I know a lot of students do, too," Senior Class Vice President Veronica Mora said, adding that it will give seniors a needed break from studying.
(03/26/08 4:00am)
When UNC’s new sirens are tested today, officials will have a better sense of how effective their overall emergency alert plan is.
(03/20/08 4:00am)
Researchers at UNC have discovered further information about how cystic fibrosis develops that might lead to a corrective treatment for the disease.
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that occurs when a defective gene creates a misshapen, or folded, protein.
The folded protein causes the body to produce a thick mucus that can clog lungs and lead to life-threatening lung diseases. It also can prevent the pancreas from producing natural enzymes that break down food.
"What we found is that there are critical interactions in the protein that increase the chance of the protein to fold incorrectly," said Adrian Serohijos, a graduate student in the UNC School of Medicine's molecular and cellular biophysics program and first author of the study released earlier this month.
When the protein is formed, there is a missing piece, an amino acid, that causes the protein to fold.
Researchers used a computer program to simulate folding proteins to compare normal proteins with diseased proteins.
The computer techniques are known as molecular dynamic simulations, and they allow researchers to see how a single protein moves according to physics laws.
The program allows researchers to go into a greater level of detail because they only are observing one molecule at a time.
"Now we can focus on finding small molecules that can potentially rescue the disease-causing protein," Serohijos said.
"Understanding how the disease came about is a big step."
According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, about 1,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.
More than 70 percent of patients are diagnosed by age 2, and in 2006 the predicted median age of survival was 37 years.
Although this study is an important breakthrough, it is not a cure, Serohijos said.
"It's a suggestion to how the disease comes about," he said. "Then maybe we can find molecules that can cure the disease, but that's still a long way to go."
Dr. Richard Boucher, director of the Cystic Fibrosis Pulmonary Treatment and Research Center at UNC, said a cure would be analogous to a splint that would prevent the protein from folding.
"It has a huge implication for the development of drugs that may allow proteins to fold more normally so they can function," Boucher said. "And for CF, that would be very close to a cure."
Nikolay Dokholyan, professor of biochemistry and biophysics at UNC's School of Medicine, said there was a race among scientists to find the structure of the protein.
"We beat them," he said.
Dokholyan said the fate of the discovery now is in the hands of those scientists interested in solving the problem.
"This is a good starting point to work with," he said. "I don't know how successful we will be. I think any discovery generates more discoveries."
Dokholyan praised the work of the graduate students involved.
"They of course will bring it to the next level in their future lives."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.