Newsroom

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that well over one million people in the United States are infected with HIV/AIDS. New research from North Carolina State University shows that many of those infected are minorities and do not have health insurance, and highlights the need for a national strategy to facilitate education and prevention efforts in minority and low-income populations. Continue Reading »

A drill to provide training during crisis situations, scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 8, will have no effect on North Carolina State University campus activities or operations.

The table-top drill scenario involves a hypothetical crisis event occurring on campus. Members of NC State’s crisis team will discuss various scenarios and responses.

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Nobel Prize winner and NC State alumnus Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, a worldwide leader in the study of climate change, will deliver NC State‘s commencement address on Saturday, Dec. 19, at the RBC Center in Raleigh. The commencement ceremony will begin at 9 a.m.

During the ceremony, Chancellor James Woodward will confer honorary degrees on behalf of NC State to Pachauri and two other distinguished recipients: Dr. Jack Ward Thomas, former head of the U.S. Forest Service and career conservationist, and G. Smedes York, Raleigh’s former mayor and NC State alumnus. Continue Reading »

Sewer overflows are a nasty business, posing dangers to human health and the environment. North Carolina State University is launching a new project with funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that targets the fat and grease that contribute to millions of overflows every year, and will give urban planners new tools to further reduce the risk of sewage spills. Continue Reading »

It’s been a busy month for Dr. Robert Beichner, professor of physics and director of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education Initiative at North Carolina State University.

Cementing his reputation as an innovative instructor, Beichner on Thursday was named North Carolina Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.

That award comes on the heels of a national honor announced last month, as Beichner received the Outstanding Undergraduate Science Teacher Award from the Society for College Science Teachers, an affiliate of the National Science Teachers Association.

Beichner’s contributions to science education, from co-authoring a leading physics textbook to literally changing how students are educated in the classroom through his SCALE-UP project, are the reasons for all the accolades. SCALE-UP borrows methodology and teaching efforts proven to be successful in small class settings – such as hands-on activities, simulations and roundtable discussions – and adapts them for use in larger classrooms. It represents a  radical departure from ordinary science lecture classes.

“Bob has devoted his career to improving the way we teach – and students learn – science at the university level,” said Dr. Daniel Solomon, dean of NC State’s College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences. “His very presence has allowed us to attract other STEM education experts to NC State, creating a community of faculty whose research will put the university at the forefront in this area and further improve postsecondary STEM education for generations to come.”

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North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will save money and improve efficiency by partnering on the human resources and finance components of their enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.

Both campuses use Oracle’s PeopleSoft software for their ERP systems – major administrative systems for student services, human resources, payroll and financial. The partnership will focus on the human resources and financial systems. NC State has used PeopleSoft for these functions for a decade and is upgrading to the latest version. UNC-Chapel Hill plans to use those PeopleSoft components.

That timing means information technology offices on both campuses can learn from each other while avoiding duplicating efforts or investments while enhancing services for faculty and staff. The partnership aims to tap the most effective and efficient mix of sharing hardware, software, resources, business operations and vendor contracts to improve effectiveness and reduce costs for both universities. Both campuses are investing equal resources – equipment and staffing. 2013 is the target date for both campuses to be up and running with the new systems.

The idea grew from a previous collaboration by Marc Hoit and Larry Conrad while in technology posts at separate Florida universities. Now they hold the same title – vice chancellor for information technology and chief information officer – at NC State and UNC-Chapel Hill, respectively. They discussed possible joint PeopleSoft work last year as the economic downturn hit. Budget cuts made the opportunity for collaboration and saving money even more compelling.

At NC State, Hoit cited advantages in business continuity if either campus experienced a technology emergency. “Since we will share development, common systems and distribution across both campuses we can have a significant improvement in our disaster recovery ability at little additional cost,” he said.

At UNC-Chapel Hill, Conrad estimated undertaking the same work without NC State’s involvement would have required at least an additional 60 employees. The joint effort may only require about 30 new hires. “By working together, we can leverage the knowledge and skills of employees on both campuses in a way that’s more efficient and significantly reduces the personnel expenses required to get the job done,” he said.

The joint work also has positive implications for increasing the technology purchasing power of both campuses by improving discounts, Hoit and Conrad said. And the changes come at the same time as a new state law covering certain purchases by UNC system campuses.

Joining Hoit and Conrad in leading the partnership are the top financial and human resources administrators on both campuses who will guide teams dedicated to streamlining and developing common business processes and using the same tools and third-party applications.

From the information technology offices, Gwen Hazlehurst from NC State and Jerri Bland from UNC will lead the collaboration. Hazlehurst directs enterprise application systems and oversees PeopleSoft implementation at NC State. She is an alumna of both campuses and the parent of a current Carolina student. Bland is executive director of enterprise applications and has led UNC’s ConectCarolina (ERP) project. The Carolina graduate is experienced in implementing PeopleSoft projects, particularly the human resources and financial components.

Four task committees are exploring the collaboration possibilities for the technical infrastructure, the chart of accounts and the overall human resources and financial systems. One example of the collaboration being considered for early implementation is PeopleSoft’s eProcurement module, which includes a commodity tracking system that may help support efforts to negotiate better prices. UNC-Chapel Hill officials hope to begin this work next month. NC State already uses eProcurement, and that experience will help the UNC team fast track the project.

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Thanksgiving is an opportunity to share a meal with loved ones, but it is also a time when small mistakes in the kitchen can lead to foodborne illness. Dr. Ben Chapman, food safety specialist and assistant professor of food science at North Carolina State University, can offer suggestions to ensure your Thanksgiving meal is a safe one. Continue Reading »

When modern medicine finds a way to treat a medical condition, people often think that the problem is solved. But we also have to find ways to get that treatment into the hands of those who need it. For example, new research from North Carolina State University shows that much more needs to be done to help get existing treatment to hemophilia patients in the developing world, and that the current lack of treatment there is costing lives. Continue Reading »

Continued improvement of  climate forecasts  is resulting in better information about what rainfall and streamflow may look like months in advance.  A researcher from North Carolina State University has developed  an innovative water management framework that would take advantage of these forecasts to plan for droughts or excess rain in order to make the most efficient use of an area’s water resources. Continue Reading »