Mick Kulikowski

Nov 16, 2009

Nothing But Net

Pay attention, Shaq: Two NC State engineers have figured out the best way to shoot a free throw - a frequently underappreciated skill that gets more important as the game clock winds down. For the rest of us, it's an opportunity to learn how to leave the bricks on the Brickyard and delve into the physics of a successful free throw. 

Nov 10, 2009

NC State to Hold Veteran’s Day Event

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… 

Nov 4, 2009

NC State Welcomes Home Hero Alumnus

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… 

Nov 3, 2009

Nothing But Net: The Physics of Free-Throw Shooting

Pay attention, Shaq: Two North Carolina State University engineers have figured out the best way to shoot a free throw – a frequently underappreciated skill that gets more important as the game clock winds down. To get a swish rather than a brick, you need the best possible conditions for releasing the basketball from your… 

Oct 30, 2009

Old Problems Get New Solutions

Dr. David Threadgill, professor and department head of genetics, is relatively new to NC State, but not new to producing groundbreaking research findings. In the past few months, he and colleagues have published papers suggesting new ways of thinking about old problems, including a new target for colon-cancer drugs and a cheaper and possibly more effective… 

Oct 22, 2009

NC State to Break Ground on New Centennial Campus Library

North Carolina State University officials will break ground on a new state-of-the-art library for its Centennial Campus that, through its innovative design and technological sophistication, will set the standard for 21st century university libraries. The 200,000-square-foot Hunt Library, named for former North Carolina Gov. James B. Hunt Jr.,  will help alleviate overcrowded conditions in university… 

Oct 21, 2009

Alcohol Tolerance Switch Found in Fruit Flies

Researchers at North Carolina State University have found a genetic “switch” in fruit flies that plays an important role in making flies more tolerant to alcohol. This metabolic switch also has implications for the deadly liver disease cirrhosis in humans. A counterpart human gene contributes to a shift from metabolizing alcohol to the formation of… 

Oct 20, 2009

Get Tickets, Support Tower

Watch the Wolfpack take on North Carolina and Maryland – this year’s homecoming game – and help a campus cause. The Department of Athletics and student leadership have developed a partnership to contribute a portion of the proceeds from the sale of unused student tickets during the Thanksgiving weekend home football game against UNC-Chapel Hill, part… 

Sep 24, 2009

DeSimone Receives NIH Pioneer Award

Dr. Joseph M. DeSimone, William R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering at North Carolina State University and Chancellor’s Eminent Professor of Chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has been awarded a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Pioneer Award, one of only 18 such honors handed out this year. The… 

Sep 22, 2009

NC State Hosts Janet Cowell for Series Talk

NC State Preview What: In the inaugural session of its new “Conversations with State Leaders” series, North Carolina State University will host a talk by State Treasurer Janet Cowell. Who:  Presented by NC State’s School of Public and International Affairs. When: Thursday, Oct. 1, from 4 to 5 p.m. Where: Caldwell Hall Lounge on the NC State campus.… 

Sep 16, 2009

Engineers Produce ‘How-To’ Guide for Controlling the Structure of Nanoparticles

Tiny objects known as nanoparticles are often heralded as holding great potential for future applications in electronics, medicine and other areas. The properties of nanoparticles depend on their size and structure. Now researchers from North Carolina State University have learned how to consistently create hollow, solid and amorphous nanoparticles of nickel phosphide, which has potential… 

Sep 15, 2009

Irish Potato Famine Pathogen Takes Gun to Knife Fight

An international team of researchers – including Dr. Jean Beagle Ristaino, professor of plant pathology at North Carolina State University – has completed the genome sequence of one of the most destructive and rapidly evolving pathogens in the world. The research shows that Phytophthora infestans, the fungus-like pathogen responsible for the Irish potato famine in… 

Sep 11, 2009

Kurz Retiring as NC State’s General Counsel

North Carolina State University’s top lawyer and head of its legal affairs office will retire effective Oct. 1. Mary Beth Kurz, vice chancellor and general counsel, has spent 34 years as a university attorney, the last 13 of which have been at NC State. A frequent lecturer on legal issues in higher education, Kurz’s areas of… 

Sep 10, 2009

Study Reveals Unexpected Ancient Cellular Structure

Scientists at North Carolina State University have effectively lifted the veil from the structure of an ancient and important RNA-protein complex essential for the biosynthesis and function of the ribosome, the protein-manufacturing machine of all cells. This RNA-protein enzyme performs a critical task in modifying the nucleotides of ribosomal RNA, modifications that are essential for… 

Aug 24, 2009

U.S. Crop Yields Could Wilt in Heat

Yields of three of the most important crops produced in the United States – corn, soybeans and cotton – are predicted to fall off a cliff if temperatures rise due to climate change. In a paper published online this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, North Carolina State University agricultural and resource…