Science also played a major role in the University’s development. For instance, in 1891 John Motley Morehead, working with UNC student William R. Kenan Jr. and chemistry professor Francis P. Venable, discovered a gas that burned with a white-hot flame. Morehead formed the Union Carbide Company to market his discovery – acetylene gas. He and Kenan became two of the greatest philanthropists in University history, creating the Morehead Scholarships and W.R. Kenan Jr. Professorships.

Today’s Carolina students and faculty are making discoveries we could not have imagined a few years ago. Chemist Joe DeSimone is developing processes that use carbon dioxide, a clean and recyclable gas, in place of toxic industrial solvents. His first advances are being applied in the dry cleaning industry. The National Science Foundation recognized his work by funding a Center for Environmentally Responsible Carbon Dioxide-Based Processes, the only such center in the world dedicated to discovering environmentally friendly processes using alternative solvents.

Other examples of our using science to improve quality of life abound. Biology professor Jeff Dangl is working on making crops disease resistant. Kenneth Friedman in pathology and laboratory medicine and Ryszard Kole in pharmacology developed a way to repair a genetic problem that causes a form of cystic fibrosis. Microbiologist Clyde A. Hutchison III determined the minimum number of protein-producing genes a single-celled organism needs to survive and reproduce in the laboratory. His research may lead to new treatments for illness. It also moves us closer to answering the question, "What is life?"

Carolina is the state’s preeminent scientific resource — from pursuing new treatments for disease to plotting Hurricane Floyd’s impact on the Pamlico Sound. For outstanding scientific and medical research on the national level we consistently rank in the top 20 in winning competitive research grants from the NSF and the National Institutes of Health. Winning these grants helps us attract and retain top-notch faculty and graduate students, expose undergraduates to the very latest scientific knowledge in the classroom, improve the quality of life and contribute to North Carolina’s economy.

In fiscal 1999 Carolina attracted $344 million in outside research funding. Every dollar invested in our research creates an estimated four dollars in net earnings, meaning that sponsored research programs contribute about $1 billion and 15,000 jobs to the state’s economy annually. Last year Carolina received 35 patents as a result of research, and we licensed 53 inventions for commercial use. Four high-tech companies have formed since 1995 as a direct result of our inventions.

Carolina has the makings of an even brighter future in science. We are dedicated to increasing our competitiveness and our capacity over the next few years. The campus needs 900,000 additional square feet of research and teaching laboratories. Venable Hall must be replaced because continued renovations simply aren’t worth the cost. And we need start-up funds to support creative new research endeavors. We are addressing these needs by making our case to federal and state leaders and in setting priorities for the University-wide fundraising campaign.

Science is an important part of our destiny because scientific excellence is crucial to our mission of teaching, research and service. I invite you to invest in that destiny! Let me know if you want additional ideas about investing in science at Carolina.

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