10
Thursday, April 13, 2000
Funding Woes Hurt
Genome Researchers
By Kristina Casto
Staff Writer
Genetics research is on the brink of a
revolution that might bring huge finan
cial and humanitarian rewards for insti
tutions that take part in it
N.C. research universities are intent
on getting in on the action, but growth
in the area of genome research depends
on state funding, which is scarce these
davs in North Carolina.
Scientists say that if the state legisla
ture does not build facilities and pay fac
ultv competitively, schools will lose the
talent that attracts much-needed grants.
Anonymous donors recendy created
an endowed UNC-CH professorship
involving human genome research in
memory of the late Chancellor Michael
Hooker, who died last year from cancer.
Research universities like N.C. State
University and UNC-Chapel Hill
receive grant money from federal orga
nizations such as the National Institutes
of Health and private companies to sup
port their work in genome research.
“We are in competition with other uni
versity systems (in genome research),”
said Charles Moreland, N.C. State vice
chancellor of research. “There is urgency
because people who get out front and get
the results are going to reap the benefits.”
Unraveling the human genome, the
raw data behind humans’ genetic make
up, could end human diseases such as
cancer and Parkinson's disease and
improve agriculture and medicine.
Researchers and lawmakers say the
legislature has to fund research at its pub
lic universities because the universities
contribute to the state’s economic health.
“A state government makes an invest
ment in bricks and mortar and talent
and then the talent goes out and gets
more money,” said Jeff Dangl, a UNC
CH biology, professor.
But some say the state is failing in its
obligation to research universities.
Rep. George Miller, D-Durham, is
co-chairman of a legislative committee
evaluating campuses’ capital needs. He
called a recent decrease in state higher
education funding, from 17 to 13 percent
of the budget, “a lack of foresight.” “We
have not been careful to maintain our
institutionism,” Miller said.
A multibillion-dollar bond package
for capital improvements aimed at
attracting quality faculty and students
failed in the legislature last summer.
Sen. Tony Rand, D-Cumberland,
admitted that the state economy would
suffer if the legislature did not begin
investing more money in universities.
But he was not sure of where to find
that money. “We’ve taken all the money
we can find for hurricane relief,” he said.
“So we’re really out of money.”
The State & National Editor can be
reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.
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HOOKER
From Page 3
standing faculty members to Carolina,”
he said.
Faculty members in the Department
of Biology echoed Hallman’s senti
ments.
Gustavo Maroni, associate chairman
of the department, said the endowment
was very timely.
The human genome, which contains
QUARRY
From Page 3
much water will be needed, but (our
local officials) have a responsibility to
the community to be prepared,” he said.
“Our entire staff agrees that an expand
ed water quarry is a good thing.”
Experts predicted demand for water
would increase from its current demand
of 9 million gallons per day to about 22
million gallons per day in 2050.
David Parrish, a resident near the
proposed quarry expansion site, said he
was worried that the damages his prop
erty would suffer as a result of the
STUDY
From Page 3
impartiality in cases similar to the
Shearon Harris expansion.
“If we had an unbiased federal
agency doing the study, it would prob
ably help more,” he said. “With the
NRC, you never know.”
As far as the status of the Shearon
Harris expansion proposal, Hannah said
State
genetic information that we carry and
pass on to our children, should be
sequenced this summer, Maroni said.
“It’s like a code; we will be able to
read those genes,” he said. “There are
about 80,000 of them.”
Biology Professor Jeff Dangl said the
endowment was a significant step in fur
thering genomics research but also for
attracting and retaining quality faculty.
“I think this is huge because there’s
been a discussion of retention of
midyear faculty,” he said.
expansion would be ignored.
“I’m concerned that American Stone
and OWASA want to provide a 10-acre
park, but what are they willing to do for
the damages that have already been
committed against my house?” he said.
“They have not done anything, and I
want answers.”
OWASA and American Stone, a pri
vate quarrying corporation that would
like to expand its operations to its 25-
acre quarry in the area, have offered up
about 20 concessions to residents affect
ed by the proposed expansion.
The proposal, dubbed the Mitigation
Program, includes plans for a 10-acre
community park as well as a promise to
the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board
was close to making a decision on
whether to allow the expansion or call
another evidentiary hearing.
A group of officials representing the
Chapel Hill Town Council, the
Carrboro Board of Aldermen and the
Orange County Board of
Commissioners met with Sen. John
Edwards, D-N.C., in February to request
his assistance in the matter and share
their concerns.
“This professorship allows us to keep
midyear faculty from being courted by
prestigious universities.”
Dangl said the professorship would
help the University teach students bet
ter.
“Sixty percent of the incoming fresh
man class have identified themselves as
science majors,” he said. “We need
resources to teach and train them.”
The University Editor can be reached
at udesk@unc.edu.
only use the site for reservoir and quar
rying purposes.
Paxton Batum, a representative from
American Stone, said the company
offered to secure a 500-foot buffer area
around the reservoir, pay for repairs to
private wells damaged in the expansion
process, establish strict noise ordinances
on construction and provide compensa
tion for any losses in property value.
“It’s not like we’re going into a pris
tine garden to start a quarry,” he said.
“We want to be good citizens and we
want to be good neighbors."
The City Editor can be reached
at citydesk@unc.edu.
Edwards continues to be involved in
the issue, said Mike Briggs, his press sec
retary.
“He is still monitoring the issue and
talking to the NRC about holding
another hearing,” he said.
“Apparently some decision is coming
down the pike in April that will address
that.”
The City Editor can be reached
at citydesk@unc.edu.
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ADMISSIONS
From Page 3
minority enrollment.
They setded on an admissions pro- j
gram where the top 10 percent of high ,
school seniors statewide would be ’
accepted into colleges. “At UT-Austin ■
and at Texas A&M (the two most selec- (l
tive schools in the system), the minority
enrollment has gone back up to what it
was before being affirmative action was /
oudawed,” Jones said. ?
But problems still exist, and minority
enrollment is still lower than adminis
trators would like, he said.
And opponents of rank-based admis
sions argue that the number of minority
students would be redistributed rather
than increased throughout the public
university systems.
Jerry Lucido, director of undergrad
uate admissions at UNC-Chapel Hill,
said an automatic admissions policy was
not educationally sound and that
administrators needed to examine
whether it would actually increase
minority enrollment.
“What has happened now is, because
of that 4 percent (automatically accept
ed in California), Berkeley and UCLA
and San Diego - their most selective
schools - their diversity has dropped
considerably and been redistributed at
other campuses,” Lucido said.
And in Texas, he said, minority
enrollment might have gone up to ear
lier levels at two universities, but it has
gone down at others.
In adopting admissions policies for
incoming UNC students, administrators
have always used race as a one of many
considerations, Lucido said.
“It’s not the only factor, it’s not the
predominant factor, but it is a factor,”
he said. “We want that class to be bright.
“(And) we want that class to reflect
many different cultures.”
Lucido said minority enrollment at
UNC was an issue that had been con
sistendy discussed for the last several
decades, but that a class-rank admis
sions policy had never been considered.
“I know our system will be discussing
very soon our minority presence, and
we will be looking at how to enhance
minority presence,” he said. “(But) I
know of no similar movement (to the
class-rank policy) in our system.”
The State & National Editor can be
reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.
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