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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 »

North Carolina State University will hold a Veteran’s Day event on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 5:15 p.m. in Riddick Hall Lounge.

The event will include remarks from N.C. Rep. Grier Martin, an Iraqi war veteran, as well as NC State student veterans. Members of NC State’s ROTC program will present the colors while “Taps” is played to honor fallen soldiers.

Media coverage of the event is invited. Call 515-8387 for parking information.

The event is sponsored by NC State’s Student Veterans Association and the Union Activities Board.

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Companies that commit fraud can find innovative ways to fudge the numbers, making it hard to tell something is wrong by just looking at their financial statements. But research from North Carolina State University unveils a new warning system that sees through accounting tricks by evaluating things that are easily verifiable, such as the number of employees or the square footage that a company owns. If a company says that its profits are up, but these nonfinancial measures (NFMs) are down, that’s a sign that something is probably wrong.

“Some companies commit financial statement fraud, and a good portion of those overstate their revenue,” says Dr. Joe Brazel, an assistant professor of accounting at NC State and co-author of the research. “They’re able to do that because they can manipulate the accounting. But there are NFMs that can’t be manipulated as easily.” These NFMs include the number of employees, as well as industry-specific measures, such as the square footage of facilities in the manufacturing sector, the number of retail outlets in the retail sector or the number of hospital visits in the hospital industry.

Brazel explains that companies may fraudulently claim inflated revenues in order to meet market expectations and maintain, or improve, their stock price – as well as protecting company management from criticism.

But, Brazel says, “when these firms commit fraud, we found a huge gap between their reported revenue growth and related NFMs – their revenue was up, but the NFMs were either flat or declining. And when you looked at their competitors, you see revenue growth and NFMs closely correlated. So when you see that gap, it’s a red flag – you need to take a closer look.”

For example, Brazel says that researchers found a difference of approximately 4 percent between revenue growth and employee growth in companies that did not commit fraud. The difference between revenue growth and employee growth in fraudulent companies was 20 percent. “It’s pretty obvious, when you look at it,” Brazel says.

Furthermore, the NFM data are easy to find. Brazel explains that each company’s NFMs and revenue numbers are disclosed in the same financial filings, which the company is required to submit each year to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The researchers evaluated 220 companies when evaluating employee growth versus revenue growth  – 110 companies that were known to have committed fraud between 1994 and 2002, and 110 that had not. Similarly, they looked at 100 companies when evaluating other NFMs, 50 fraudulent and 50 that had not committed fraud.

The researchers are now in the process of developing an online tool that will perform the NFM analysis, as well as conducting experimental studies with auditors to help detect fraud and with investors to help make wise investment decisions.

The paper, “Using Nonfinancial Measures to Assess Fraud Risk,” was co-authored by Brazel, Dr. Keith Jones of George Mason University and Dr. Mark Zimbelman of Brigham Young University. The work was funded by the Institute of Internal Auditors Research Foundation and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Investor Education Foundation, and will be published in the Journal of Accounting Research later this year.

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Note to Editors: The research abstract follows.

“Using Nonfinancial Measures to Assess Fraud Risk”

Authors: Joseph F. Brazel, North Carolina State University; Keith L. Jones, George Mason University; Mark F. Zimbelman, Brigham Young University

Published: Winter 2009, Journal of Accounting Research

Abstract: This study examines whether auditors can effectively use nonfinancial measures (NFMs) to assess the reasonableness of financial performance and, thereby, help detect financial statement fraud (hereafter, fraud). If auditors or other interested parties (e.g., directors, lenders, investors, or regulators) can identify NFMs (e.g., facilities growth) that are correlated with financial measures (e.g., revenue growth), inconsistent patterns between the NFMs and financial measures can be used to detect firms with high fraud risk. We find that the difference between financial and nonfinancial performance is significantly greater for firms that committed fraud than for their nonfraud competitors. We also find that this difference is a significant fraud indicator when included in a model containing variables that have previously been linked to the likelihood of fraud. Overall, our results provide empirical evidence suggesting that NFMs can be effectively used to assess the likelihood of fraud.

North Carolina State University will hold a rally to show support for Doc Hendley, a 2004 alumnus named one of 10 “CNN Heroes” and a finalist for this year’s CNN Hero of the Year award, at noon on Thursday, Nov. 5, on the Brickyard.

The event will include comments from Hendley, Chancellor James Woodward and Thomas Crowder, a member of Raleigh City Council.

Media coverage of the rally is invited. Call News Services at 515-8387 for information on parking near the Brickyard.

CNN Heroes are cited as “ordinary people having extraordinary impact.” Hendley is founder and executive director of “Wine to Water,” an international faith-based organization that installs running water and sanitation systems in the neediest parts of the world. Online voting for the Hero of the Year award runs through Nov. 19 on CNN’s Web site.

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