Issue: Fall 2012
Stories
Oyster Culture: Cultivating the foodways of a Virginia coastal community
Bernie Herman is not a marine biologist, but he knows an awful lot about oysters.
Precious Resource: Scientist saves lives through clean water
Greg Allgood (B.S. ’81, M.S.P.H. ’83), a Procter & Gamble scientist, knew his company had developed a packet of chemicals that could clean dirty water in 30 minutes. The product drew widespread interest, but it was almost nixed.
Fluid Music: UNC musician explores sounds created by water
When Lee Weisert first heard the chords in “The Rite of Spring” as a high school student, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up.
The Future of the Outer Banks: Climate change’s effect on N.C.’s barrier islands
Laura Moore uses historical maps, geologic data and computational modeling tools to create simulations that show how the barrier has moved since it first formed about 8,500 years ago, and to calculate how the islands may continue to evolve in the decades and centuries to come.
Climbing El Capitan
UNC geology graduate student Roger Putnam is busy doing research this summer, but he won’t be sitting in front of a computer all day. He’s currently scaling El Capitan, a 3,000-foot granite cliff in Yosemite Valley that is a favorite challenge of rock climbers.
College Bookshelf: Doris Betts
On April 21, UNC lost one of its literary luminaries with the passing of creative writing professor Doris Betts, UNC Alumni Distinguished Professor Emerita.
They, Robots: The future is already here
If you haven’t come across a robot lately, it’s because they’re still not very good with people, says UNC computer scientist Ron Alterovitz.
Monumental synagogue building discovered in excavations in Galilee
A monumental synagogue building dating to the Late Roman and Byzantine periods (ca. 4th to 6th centuries C.E.) has been discovered in archaeological excavations at Huqoq in Israel’s Galilee.
Whirligig Wonders: Preserving the folk art of Vollis Simpson
For more than 25 years, both locals and visitors from near and far have traveled to the “whirligig farm” of 93-year-old folk artist Vollis Simpson, a former machine repair shop owner and World War II veteran.
Parker named director of faculty diversity initiatives
Patricia S. Parker has been appointed Director of Faculty Diversity Initiatives for the College of Arts and Sciences, a new position recommended by the College’s Faculty Diversity Task Force.
Meet the Teacher: Jean DeSaix, biology
Jean DeSaix, a UNC biology master lecturer, understands those university students from small towns and rural areas.
The Old Well: Past, Present and Future
From a hole in the ground to a Temple of Love, the Old Well has come a long way. And if you’re wondering just how old the Old Well is now? It’s so old that it’s not even a well anymore: It’s a water fountain. That’s what wells become when they grow up.