May 2008

May 29, 2008

NC State’s Pantula Elected President of American Statistical Association

North Carolina State University statistician Dr. Sastry Pantula has been elected as the 105th president of the American Statistical Association (ASA). Pantula, who is the head of the NC State Department of Statistics and director of the Institute of Statistics, will serve as ASA president beginning Jan. 1, 2010. The ASA is a scientific and educational… 

May 28, 2008

NC State Research Breakthrough Results In Super-Hard Nanocrystalline Iron That Can Take The Heat

Researchers at North Carolina State University have created a substance far stronger and harder than conventional iron, and which retains these properties under extremely high temperatures – opening the door to a wide variety of potential applications, such as engine components that are exposed to high stress and high temperatures. Iron that is made up… 

May 23, 2008

Failed HIV Drug Gets Second Chance with Addition of Gold Nanoparticles

Researchers at North Carolina State University have discovered that adding tiny bits of gold to a failed HIV drug rekindle the drug’s ability to stop the virus from invading the body’s immune system. The addition of gold nanoparticles to a modified version of a drug designed in the 1990s to combat HIV – but discarded… 

May 23, 2008

NC State Statistician to Look at Effect of Air Pollution on Asthma, Heart Disease in Humans

Scientists have long known that air pollution can have adverse effects on human health. Now, thanks to research from a North Carolina State University statistician, we may soon have more accurate information about how, exactly, particulate matter in polluted air affects rates of asthma and heart disease in people. Dr. Montserrat Fuentes, NC State associate professor… 

May 21, 2008

Students Receive Degrees at NC State’s May 2008 Commencement

North Carolina State University Chancellor James Oblinger conferred 4,030 degrees on 3,768 graduating students when the university held 2008 Spring Commencement on Saturday, May 10, at the RBC Center in Raleigh. Erskine Bowles, president of the University of North Carolina system, delivered the commencement address. Candidates for degrees were from 87 North Carolina counties, 31… 

May 21, 2008

NC State University Announces Spring Semester Dean’s List Students

North Carolina State University Chancellor James Oblinger announced that 6,075 undergraduate students earned Dean’s List honors at NC State during the spring 2008 semester. To make the Dean’s List, students must earn an academic grade-point average of 3.25 or higher if they are carrying 15 or more hours of course work, or a 3.5 grade-point average… 

May 21, 2008

Sharing Now Might Help Kids Learn Advanced Math Later

Sharing might help young children become better people, but it might also make them better at math, according to preliminary findings of a study being conducted at North Carolina State University. The study, funded by a $1.65 million grant from the National Science Foundation, aims to develop a diagnostic system for teachers to use in… 

May 20, 2008

Researcher to Study Salmonella in ‘Drug-Free’ Pigs

A North Carolina State University researcher has received a three-year, $592,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to study the occurrence of Salmonella in pigs that haven’t been given anti-microbial drugs either for treatment or growth promotion. Dr. Siddhartha Thakur, assistant professor of swine health and reproduction, will take samples from pig populations,… 

May 20, 2008

NC State Faculty Receive Fulbright Scholar Awards

Three North Carolina State University faculty members and one graduate student have been chosen to participate in the Fulbright Scholar program to study and teach abroad during the 2008-09 academic year. Fulbright grants are awarded each year to leading researchers, teachers and administrators at universities worldwide, allowing the recipients to travel, conduct research and teach… 

May 16, 2008

NC State Professor Offers Tips to Prevent Dog Bites

Next week (May 18-24) is National Dog Bite Prevention Week, and Dr. Barbara Sherman, a specialist in animal behavior at North Carolina State University, says looking at things “from the dog’s point of view” can help keep you and dogs safe. Sherman offers the following suggestions to avoid dog bites: Some dogs don’t like strangers… 

May 15, 2008

NC State Researcher Finds El Nino May Have Been Key Factor in Magellan’s Voyage Across the Pacific

A new paper by North Carolina State University archaeologist Dr. Scott Fitzpatrick shows that Ferdinand Magellan’s historic circumnavigation of the globe was likely influenced in large part by unusual weather conditions – including what we now know as El Niño – which eased his passage across the Pacific Ocean, but ultimately led him over a… 

May 14, 2008

NC State Astrophysicist Discovers Youngest Known Supernova in Milky Way

A North Carolina State University researcher has discovered the youngest known supernova in our galaxy. Estimated at a mere 140 years old, this celestial whippersnapper is at least 200 years younger than the next oldest known supernova, and its discovery may pave the way to a greater understanding of exploding stars. Dr. Stephen Reynolds, an… 

May 13, 2008

NC State Experts Can Address Global Food Crisis, Rising Costs

Rising food prices are leading to unrest around the world, as well as putting additional stress on household budgets across the United States. Why is it becoming more costly to put food on the table? The reasons range from higher fuel and fertilizer costs to an increased demand for ethanol, but there are many other… 

May 12, 2008

Federal Government Taps NC State Experts To Explain Nanotech Risks

The arm of the federal government responsible for coordinating nanotechnology research and regulations across the country has called on experts from North Carolina State University to craft a white paper that will lay out how government and industry officials should communicate potential risks associated with nanotechnology to the media and the public. NC State communication expert… 

May 12, 2008

UNC Tomorrow: Roadmap for Future

North Carolina State University’s May 1 report that responds to UNC Tomorrow – the charge from the University of North Carolina system that its 17 institutions become even more responsive to the needs of North Carolinians – highlights NC State’s comprehensive nature and presents initiatives that will allow it to continue to provide future solutions and…