UNIVERSITY NEWS
Gray-Little unanimously selected for provost’s postFolkerts chosen to lead School of Journalism and Mass Communication
GAA honors queen of teen media
A novel idea: The Namesake chosen as summer reading program’s first work of fiction
UNC #1 in study abroad three years running
UNC joins partnership to help community college
UNC students, faculty head to Gulf Coast over spring break to assist in relief efforts
Carolina announces 2006-07 Performing Arts Series
Pisano addresses work/family balance in December commencement
Gray-Little unanimously selected for provost’s post
Chancellor James Moeser has appointed Bernadette Gray-Little, currently dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, as the University’s next executive vice chancellor and provost. A UNC faculty member for 35 years, Gray-Little will succeed Robert Shelton, who was recently named the next president of the University of Arizona. As executive vice chancellor and provost, Gray-Little will serve as UNC’s chief academic officer and oversee all academic operations. Gray-Little received unanimous approval from the Faculty Advisory Committee to the Chancellor, the vice chancellors, deans and Board of Trustees. “In my entire experience in academe, I have never known such unanimity or enthusiasm for an appointment, especially one as important as that of chief academic officer,” said Chancellor Moeser.
A native of North Carolina and a Ph.D. in psychology, Gray-Little became dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in March 2004 and previously served as senior associate dean for undergraduate education in the College after serving as the University’s executive associate provost. In her varied leadership roles at Carolina, Gray-Little has spearheaded the development of many innovative education programs, including the First-Year Seminar Program. Her appointment as dean begins on July 1.
Folkerts chosen to lead School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Jean Folkerts, professor of honors and of media and public affairs at George Washington University, has been selected to become the next dean of UNC’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
The appointment, effective July 1, remains subject to final approval by the UNC Board of Trustees. If approved, Folkerts also will hold the title Distinguished Alumni Professor in recognition of career accomplishments to date.
“Jean has demonstrated a broad depth of knowledge about the rapidly changing field of journalism and mass communications, especially the role that electronic media will continue to play in informing key audiences,” Chancellor James Moeser said. “We are proud of the school’s sterling national reputation, and I have every confidence that under Jean’s leadership the school will remain arguably the very best.”
Folkerts would succeed Interim Dean Tom Bowers, who took over on July 1, 2005, after Richard Cole stepped down after 26 years as dean to return to the faculty.
Folkerts joined George Washington’s Media and Public Affairs program in 1990. Since then, she has served as director of the School of Media and Public Affairs (1996-2001), interim dean of Columbian College of Arts and Sciences (2001-2002) and associate vice president of special academic initiatives (2003-2005).
In 2001, Folkerts was named the Teacher of the Year for excellence in the teaching of media history by the Freedom Forum, a nonpartisan foundation. She also was recognized among the 2001 Kansans of Distinction by The Topeka Capital-Journal for excellence in media and journalism.
Folkerts earned a Ph.D. in American studies from the University of Kansas and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Kansas State University.
For more information on Folkerts and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, visit www.jomc.unc.edu.
GAA honors queen of teen media
On Jan. 13, the UNC General Alumni Association honored Professor Jane Brown with its Faculty Service Award. The award has been given each year since 1990 to a faculty member whose service has had a lasting impact on the University and the GAA. Brown holds the James L. Knight Professorship in Advertising in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, where she has led research into what she refers to as “sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll.” Her studies of adolescent health and mass media have examined everything from alcohol and tobacco advertising to violence and sexuality on television.
Brown has been recognized with several honors at the University, including the 2002 Cornelia Phillips Spencer Bell Award, previously given each year to a woman who has made outstanding contributions to UNC; in 1994 she was elected chair of the faculty. George Lensing, who served as faculty secretary for part of Brown’s three-year term, said, “She had all the markings of a superb leader—complete accessibility to the entire faculty, indefatigable energy and, perhaps most importantly, a radiant smile and open friendliness for absolutely everyone she encountered.”
A novel idea: The Namesake chosen as summer reading program’s first work of fiction
Members of the book selection committee said they hoped the novel would succeed at broadening readers’ understanding of other cultures. Committee members also said they believed the novel would further the University’s effort to internationalize the campus and the student experience and stimulate thoughtful discussion next fall, which is one of the committee’s priorities when selecting books for the program.
For more information on Carolina’s Summer Reading Program, visit www.unc.edu/srp.
UNC #1 in study abroad three years running
Carolina had a higher rate of students studying abroad than any other public research university nationwide for the third consecutive year, according to Open Doors 2005, an annual report published by the Institute of International Education. UNC ranked sixth among all research universities for the total number of undergraduate and graduate students going abroad, a one spot-improvement over last year’s ranking. Bernadette Gray-Little, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, which oversees study abroad, said the rankings reflected the University’s ongoing commitment to preparing students for life and work in a global society. The Office of Study Abroad currently offers 313 programs in 71 countries, including several overseas internship opportunities.In other global news, the University recently purchased its first academic facility overseas, a 4,440-square-foot study center located in the heart of London. Back in Chapel Hill, Carolina is building a Global Education Center, an 80,000-square-foot facility that will house all of UNC’s international programs and will include classrooms, research centers and student services, which are currently spread out across the campus.
For more information on Carolina study abroad opportunities, visit studyabroad.unc.edu.
UNC joins partnership to help community college: Students transfer to selective four-year schools
UNC is among eight colleges and universities to join the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation in a $27 million partnership aimed at enabling more community college students to earn bachelor’s degrees from selective four-year institutions.Participating schools will build model programs that enable academically qualified low- to moderate-income community college students to transfer to selective schools in unprecedented numbers. UNC’s efforts will focus on admitting and graduating transfer students from three area community colleges.
UNC will receive $898,789 from the foundation and contribute $2.3 million to the cause. The resulting partnership will create the Carolina Student Transfer Excellence Program (C-STEP). C-STEP will identify potential students while they are still in high school or early in their community college careers and guarantee their eventual transfer admission to UNC if they earn an associate degree and complete the C-STEP program at one of the partner colleges.
UNC students, faculty head to Gulf Coast over spring break to assist in relief efforts
For his last college spring break, Carolina senior Garrett Hall had big plans. No, he didn’t live it up in Key West. He traveled with other UNC students to New Orleans to help in Gulf Coast relief work.Hall’s group worked with the Common Ground Collective, a community-initiated volunteer organization that offers assistance, mutual aid and support to victims of hurricane disasters.
Hall is one of the 11 students and faculty members who received grants supporting Gulf Coast relief efforts from UNC’s Carolina Center for Public Service and the Division of Student Affairs. Grants of up to $1,000 were awarded from a pool of $10,000.
"We decided to go to New Orleans because while we know that it is the government’s responsibility to take the lead in the recovery, it is also each and every American’s responsibility to help out their fellow citizen in their deepest time of need," Hall said.
Andrew Hulbert, a sophomore, used the grant to travel to the Gulf Coast for the second time this school year.
"There was never really any question after our winter break trip that we had to return at the next possible moment to help the people on the Gulf Coast. We are quite proud and excited to see that there are so many other UNC students that feel the same as we do," Hulbert said.
Students weren’t the only ones traveling to the Gulf Coast over Spring Break. Beth Lamanna, clinical instructor in the School of Nursing, traveled to the Mississippi Gulf Coast with nursing students and community nurses to help staff three free medical clinics.
In addition, Cheryll Lesneski and students from the Public Health Leadership Program worked with Team Epi-Aid students and the N.C. Center for Public Health Preparedness, based in UNC’s School of Public Health, on an assessment of the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the vulnerable populations of older persons and the disabled.
Carolina announces 2006-07 Performing Arts Series
Lyle Lovett
Building on a hugely successful
grand opening season, Carolina’s Performing Arts
Series announces another spectacular lineup for 2006-07.
Artists coming to Chapel Hill include Lyle Lovett, Alvin
Ailey and the Cleveland Orchestra.
Japanese drumming rituals, Harlem poetry, and gospel,
classical, roots, jazz and world music will be among the
many genres represented in more than 50 performances.
Audiences will also see theater from India, dancers from Brazil and Vietnam and other international performers, as well as Philadelphia DJ King Britt, the Carolina Ballet, the a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock and jazz great Wynton Marsalis.
The experimental Urban Voices programs will once again highlight the importance of presenting new works. The season also will feature a series by the Carolina music department and the North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra.
"This wonderful new season rivals our grand opening season in breadth and depth and continues our mission to enrich the educational and cultural lives of our community and region," said Emil Kang, Carolina’s executive director for the arts.
This year the William R. Kenan Jr. Trust of Chapel Hill will make possible six of the classical music concerts, called Kenan Great Performances.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.carolinaperformingarts.org.
Pisano addresses work/family balance in December commencement
Etta Pisano has many impressive titles. She’s director of UNC’s Biomedical Research Imaging Center, Kenan professor of radiology and biomedical engineering in the School of Medicine and a member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. Although you won’t find it on her CV, there’s one more title Pisano likes to include: advocate for work and family balance.
It’s not surprising then that Pisano, who was selected to present the 2005 December Commencement Address, had just a few things to say on the topic of work and family balance in her speech. Following are a couple of excerpts:
Some of you may doubt that any Kenan professor who has been asked to give the commencement address could be a kindred spirit in this struggle for balance between work and family. In fact, you may be regarding those of us up on this stage as hopelessly out of touch with what you face in the years ahead. Well, you’re wrong. When I was interviewing for my residency position and relayed my own hopes for an academic career, one prominent older-generation radiologist replied, “Don’t you want to have children?” I guess he thought I needed to be married to my job to succeed in my chosen field. I’ve heard another old-fashioned leader claim that the best faculty members “don’t have families.” Well, balderdash!
My Christmas decorations are not up yet. My house could never be photographed for House Beautiful. My cooking is not even close to Gourmet. And all of that is OK with me and my family. It is fine according to our family priorities. My family is happy and productive living in our somewhat messy house.
To read the full speech, visit www.unc.edu/news/Speeches/pisanodeccommencemnt121805.htm