news releases

Aug 13, 2009

Finding Good Ideas: How To Improve Product Development

The development of new products and services is key to business success, but a new study from North Carolina State University shows that businesses could do a much better job of evaluating new ideas in order to identify products that will be winners in the marketplace. “You need more critical screens upfront, so that good… 

Aug 12, 2009

Back To School! NC State Welcomes Freshmen for 2009 School Year

It’s that time of year again! North Carolina State University is welcoming new and returning students for the beginning of the fall semester and a new academic year on Wednesday, Aug. 19. NC State received the largest number of freshman applications in its history, and expects a freshman class of 4,700, as well as 1,050 transfer… 

Aug 10, 2009

To Manage a Fishery, You Must Know How The Fish Die

Recreational anglers and commercial fishermen understand you need good fishery management to make sure there will be healthy populations of fish for generations to come. And making good management decisions rests in large part on understanding the mortality of fish species – how many fish die each year as a result of natural causes and… 

Aug 6, 2009

Scientists Devise Efficient Way of Learning About Complex Corn Traits

There’s no “silver bullet” gene or gene region that controls so-called complex traits in maize, commonly known as corn. Instead, in two research papers published this week in the journal Science, North Carolina State University crop scientists and colleagues show that lots of small changes in a number of gene regions affect complex traits –… 

Aug 3, 2009

Registration Opens for NC State’s Encore Fall Courses, Trips

North Carolina State University’s Encore Center for Lifelong Enrichment, which offers a variety of non-credit programs for adults aged 50 and older, has begun registration for its fall 2009 courses, trips and events, which run from Sept. 9 to Dec. 11. 

Jul 30, 2009

Grant Funds Program on Politics, Law and the Economy

North Carolina State University has received a five-year, $700,000 grant from the John W. Pope Foundation to support teaching and research activities on issues relating to public policy, politics, economics and law. The funding is an extension of a previous grant from the Pope Foundation, and will continue to fund the university’s “Economic, Legal and… 

Jul 23, 2009

Fetal Growth Restriction Studied in Swine

Researchers at North Carolina State University have found that intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), which results in low birth weight and long-term deleterious health effects in cloned swine, is linked to a type of gene – known as an imprinted gene – found only in placental mammals. Imprinted genes play an important role in the normal… 

Jul 23, 2009

Easley Begins Formal Grievance Process

Former North Carolina State University employee Mary Easley has begun a formal grievance regarding termination of her contract by Chancellor Jim Woodward. Easley’s contract was terminated in June after substantial portions of her job were eliminated as a result of budget cuts required of the university by the shortfall in the state’s budget. 

Jul 21, 2009

No Economic Crystal Ball Necessary

You don’t need a crystal ball to tell you what is going to happen next in the economy. You need a statistical model. A new method from North Carolina State University can help researchers determine which economic variables they should focus on by identifying whether a variable can be predicted. 

Jul 14, 2009

Plants Can’t Defend Remaining Celibate

Why do some plants defend themselves from insect attacks better than others? New evidence shows that the difference might be due to whether they're getting any plant love. 

Jul 14, 2009

$1.1 Million Grant Supports Transatlantic Forest Resource Management Degree

A new grant awarded to North Carolina State University, along with Michigan Technological University (MTU), the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and the University of Helsinki (UH), will fund a dual master’s degree program that will encourage European and North American collaboration in forest resource management. The $1.1 million grant is jointly funded by… 

Jul 13, 2009

NC State’s Arden is President of Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges

Dr. Warwick Arden, interim provost and dean of College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University, has been named president of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). The appointment for the 2009-10 term is effective immediately. The AAVMC coordinates the affairs of veterinary colleges in the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Australia… 

Jul 13, 2009

NC State Engineer Wins Presidential Award for Excellence

The White House has announced that Dr. Laura Bottomley, director of K-12 Engineering Outreach Programs at North Carolina State University, has won a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring. The awards honor the crucial role that mentoring plays in the academic and personal development of students studying science or engineering and… 

Jul 8, 2009

NC State Researchers Receive $1.3 Million to Study Advanced Battery Technology

The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded $1.3 million to faculty in North Carolina State University’s Future Renewable Electric Energy Delivery and Management (FREEDM) Systems Center to improve the batteries that help power plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. 

Jul 7, 2009

Robo-Bats May Be Next Remote Control Flyers

Tiny flying machines can be used for everything from indoor surveillance to exploring collapsed buildings, but simply making smaller versions of planes and helicopters doesn’t work very well. Instead, researchers at North Carolina State University are mimicking nature’s small flyers – and developing robotic bats that offer increased maneuverability and performance. Small flyers, or micro-aerial…