Matt Shipman

Sep 19, 2011

Health-Based Approach May Help ID Groups At Risk Of Genocide

Researchers from North Carolina State University are proposing a health-based approach to identifying groups at high risk of genocide, in a first-of-its-kind attempt to target international efforts to stop these mass killings before they start. 

Sep 13, 2011

NC State Experts Offer Insight On Obama Jobs Bill, Economy, Election

Dr. Andrew Taylor, professor of political science, is an authority on the White House, Congress and public policy. Contact: Office: 919/515-8618, Cell: (919) 389-6154 or andrew_taylor@ncsu.edu. 

Sep 12, 2011

Researchers Find Way To Measure Effect Of Wi-Fi Attacks

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a way to measure how badly a Wi-Fi network would be disrupted by different types of attacks – a valuable tool for developing new security technologies. 

Sep 8, 2011

Monster Fish Q & A, with Zeb Hogan

Editor’s Note: Dr. Zeb Hogan is an assistant research professor at the University of Nevada-Reno, and host of the National Geographic series “Monster Fish.” Hogan is the keynote speaker at NC State’s Frederick and Joan Barkalow Distinguished Conservationist Lecture, which will be held Sept. 14 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. in David Clark Labs, Room 101. The event… 

Sep 8, 2011

NC State Lands Grant To Evaluate Special Ed Assessment and Accountability

Assessing educational progress in schools has become increasingly important since the passage of No Child Left Behind, but significant questions remain about the best way to measure schools’ effectiveness when it comes to working with children in special education programs. North Carolina State University will  help address those questions as part of a new federally… 

Sep 6, 2011

How Electric Fields Could Change Ceramics

We reported last year on research showing that applying an electric field can result in stronger ceramic materials – and a cheaper, more energy-efficient manufacturing process. A new paper helps us understand why that happens – and what the limitations are. As an added bonus, researchers have also figured out a new, easier way to… 

Sep 2, 2011

Teaching A Computer To Have A Conversation Just Got Easier

Researchers have come up with a computer program that improves efficiency for authors creating natural language generation (NLG) systems. In other words, it is now easier for programmers to teach a computer how to write in lay English. NLG systems are used in an enormous number of applications, from video games and online tutorials to… 

Aug 31, 2011

Making Refactoring Tools More Attractive For Programmers

Researchers have come up with a new way to give programmers access to refactoring tools, hopefully making the process more intuitive and making it more likely that programmers will use the tools. Refactoring is when you change the structure of a piece of a code without changing what the code actually does – you might… 

Aug 30, 2011

Time Machine: See and Hear John Donne Preach (Sort Of)

While the time machine has not yet been invented to transport us back to 17th century England, a researcher named John Wall is attempting to use modern technology to do the next best thing – recreating an important scene involving politics, religion and literary figure John Donne. Best of all, he’s hoping to make it… 

Aug 29, 2011

Making Research An Open Book

How one NC State professor saw an aspect of literacy education being neglected, and decided to do something about it. 

Aug 29, 2011

Putting Research-Driven Teaching Tools In Schools – For Free

When John Begeny saw that an aspect of literacy education was getting scant attention in schools, he decided to research it. Then he used that research to develop an effective new tool for teachers, with demonstrated results. Then he decided to give the new program to teachers and parents for free. Cheers to that. As… 

Aug 29, 2011

Study: Simple Teaching Tool Boosts Student Reading Performance

Research from North Carolina State University shows that utilizing a freely available literacy tool results in significant advances in fundamental reading skills for elementary school students, without requiring schools to drastically overhaul existing programs. The research focused on children who were characterized as “struggling readers” at risk for a learning disability in reading. 

Aug 26, 2011

Send In The Ants

Editor’s Note: This guest post was written by David Hunt, of NC State’s News Services. I don’t want to alarm you, but you may have Camponotus americanus crawling around in your backyard. Or Tetramorium caespitum creeping between the cracks in your front walkway.  In fact, there are more than 200 species of these critters sharing our… 

Aug 25, 2011

Advances In Forensic Anthropology: Creating A Face

Note: This is the third of three posts outlining recent technological advances in forensic science, which were the focus of a workshop held earlier this month at NC State. The workshop, Advances In Forensic Anthropology, was funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and organized by the National Forensic Science Technology Center. When trying to… 

Aug 23, 2011

Advances In Forensic Anthropology: Database For The Unidentified

Note: This is the second of three posts outlining recent technological advances in forensic science, which were the focus of a workshop held earlier this month at NC State. The workshop, Advances In Forensic Anthropology, was funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and organized by the National Forensic Science Technology Center. When a loved…