Elon University professors, students and alumni made regional and national news in recent weeks through their research and activities, both on and off campus. Notable this fall was coverage of the Elon University Poll, the Elon University Forest, and a new book on breast cancer recurrence by associate professor Barbara Gordon. The following list should not be considered exhaustive and does not include athletics news.
10/1: (Burlington, N.C.) Times-News: “Elon’s BioBus rides again” looks at the growing number of riders on the Downtown/East Burlington Service Loop for the public and for students who need transportation to volunteer with community partners in downtown Burlington.
10/4: AASHE website & newsletter: “Member Spotlight” is a weekly feature on the website for the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. For the week of Oct. 4, 2010, Elon was featured in a column to the right side of the page and in the association’s weekly newsletter. (Not currently featured online; the feature is not archived)
10/5: (Burlington, N.C.) Times-News: “Kivette, known for love of Elon and great Christmas parties, dies at 90” recounts the life of Camille Kivette ‘41, a longtime supporter of the university, who died Oct. 2, 2010.
10/8: Fayetteville Observer: “Moore prosecutors attack poll in Stewart case” cites Elon University Poll director Hunter Bacot’s expert witness testimony for the prosecution in the capital murder trial of a man who killed several people in a health and rehabilitation center in 2009 in Carthage, N.C.
10/11: (Greensboro, N.C.) News & Record: “Corporate America Deserves Unbiased Assessment” is the monthly column written by David Noer, professor emeritus in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. In it, Noer writes of “misguided perspectives” from people who have never worked in the business world. (Column not posed to the News & Record website; link goes to Noer’s personal site)
10/13: (Burlington, N.C.) Times-News: “Gant honored at Elon” is a story on the honorary degree given to trustee Allen E. Gant Jr. during Fall Convocation.
10/13: (Burlington, N.C.) Times-News: “Clear Vision for Haiti” was coverage of Dr. Beatrice Valerius’ remarks to Elon students on Oct. 12. Valerius is an ophthalmologist who works in Haiti.
10/13: WGHP Fox 8: “Elon University Hosts Former Pakistani President” reports on a news conference earlier in the day with Pervez Musharraf, who was on campus in October for Fall Convocation. RELATED from News 14 Carolina: “Former Pakistani President Speaks at Elon University”
10/18: Discovery.com: “Does the Internet Make You Smart of Dumb?” was a report by the online news site for The Discovery Channel. The article quotes Janna Anderson, an associate professor of communications and director of Elon University’s Imagining the Internet Center, and cites her research conducted with the Pew Internet Project.
10/19: WGHP Fox 8 / Morning Show: “Meet the Author: Barbara Gordon” was a feature segment on associate professor Barbara Gordon’s recent book on breast cancer recurrence. Gordon shared advice for women with show host Cindy Farmer. RELATED from WRAL-TV (Raleigh, N.C.): “Elon professor survives breast cancer” RELATED from WFMY News 2: “Elon professor writes book to help breast cancer survivors”
10/20: WFMY News 2: “Mormons Denied Opportunity to Lead Boy Scout Troop” was a broadcast news segment out of Greensboro, N.C., on a North Carolina couple being asked to step down as troop leaders because of their faith. The story included a lengthy video interview with John-Charles Duffy, an adjunct instructor in the Department of Religious Studies.
10/22: (Greensboro, N.C.) News & Record: “Elon University to offer physician assistant program” covers the Elon University Board of Trustees approval of a PA program, the university’s sixth graduate program. The AP wire moved the story, which also ran in the News & Observer in Raleigh. RELATED from the (Burlington, N.C.) Times-News: “Elon approves physician assistant program, considers Alamance County location”
10/25: Los Angeles Times: “A little superstitious? You’re not alone” quotes professor Duane McClearn on the psychology of superstitions. The feature story also cited a 2004 student McClearn conducted that found that “in non-athletes, merely having an interest in sports was correlated with a belief in sports-related superstition.”
10/25: The Business Journal of the Greater Triad: “Elon establishes 56-acre forest” reports on the creation of the Elon University Forest. RELATED from the (Burlington, N.C.) Times-News: “Natural resource: Elon designates forest for research and study” RELATED from WUNC 91.5 (NPR affiliate): “New research forest at Elon” RELATED from WRAL-TV (Raleigh, N.C.): “Elon designates land for nature preserve” RELATED from Fox 8 WGHP (High Point, N.C.): “Forest to be used as classroom at Elon”
10/29: WRAL-TV (Raleigh, N.C.): “Voters in sour mood days before election” looked at Elon Poll findings from late October. RELATED from the (Burlington, N.C.) Times-News: “Elon Poll: Candidates’ gender doesn’t matter to voters” RELATED from the Fayetteville Observer: “Election 2010: With voters angry, power in the balance”
10/30: (Burlington, N.C.) Times-News: “It’s best to prepare for the worst” was a guest column by associate professor Barbara Gordon, author of a new book on advanced breast cancer, about the need for people to make their health wishes known to loved ones and doctors when facing a terminal illness.
10/30: Dayton (Ohio) Daily News:“’Spring Awakening’ takes on teen sex, repression” reviews a touring production of the Tony Award-winning show that stars Christopher Wood ’09, who studied music theatre. Wood is an Ohio native and is interviewed for the story.
11/1: Washington Post’s “On Faith” blog: “In America, Better Together” was a post by Eboo Patel that shares with readers the efforts by Elon senior Zach Jordan to organize an interfaith dialogue this fall after hearing various negative descriptions of Muslims in the media. RELATED from the Kuwait Times: “In America, youth bring people together”
11/2: North Carolina News Network: “Elon Poll Reveals the Most Politically Versed” examined the findings of the latest Elon University Poll, which showed that Republicans and men were more knowledgeable on politics than either women or Democrats/Independents.
11/3: YES! Weekly (Greensboro, N.C.): The “Local Talent” feature in Greensboro’s alternative arts & entertainment weekly newspaper spotlighted associate professor Lauren Kearns and her work as head of Elon’s dance program.