UNIVERSITY Vol. 33, No. 15 gazette.unc.edu September 10, 2008 Carolina Faculty and Staff News New center to 2 REGISTER YOUR CELL PHONE shed light on impact of natural disasters 6 CHAPEL CREEK Rick Luettich is internationally recognized for his work in storm surge and coastal modeling. RESTORATION ith four named tropical storms threatening U.S. coastlines recognized for his work in storm surge and other coastal modeling, within two weeks, the launch of Carolina’s new Center is director of the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences and professor of for the Study of Natural Hazards and Disasters is timely. marine sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences. He also serves WChancellor Holden Thorp discussed the University's plans to create the RENCI as chief domain scientist in coastal modeling. RENCI will center at a celebratory event last week. collaborate with center researchers to provide visualization and compu- Housed within the center will be a new Center of Excellence for tational resources. the Study of Natural Disasters, Coastal Infrastructure and Emergency With more than 50 percent of the nation’s population living along Management. Funded with a multimillion dollar grant from the U.S. the coasts, the knowledge generated by the center will have an immedi- Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Center of Excellence ate, significant impact, Thorp said. will study natural disasters in coastal areas. The research it conducts “It is a way we can connect the depth of the research we are already 7 BILLY will provide emergency managers with the latest scientific information doing with the real problems our nation is facing,” he said. YORK WINS to help protect the coastlines and the people who live there whenever The DHS grant will provide Carolina-led research at least $2.5 mil- MASSEY storms threaten. lion a year for six years, and possibly more as the center develops. UNC Carolina is creating interdisciplinary partnerships within the Univer- is teaming with Jackson State University in Mississippi to carry out sity and with other universities, government agencies and industry rep- an education and outreach component to help translate the research resentatives to create and direct these research efforts. The Center for into practice. the Study of Natural Hazards and Disasters will address issues includ- “There couldn’t be a better fit between this new Center of Excellence ing hazards law and policy, environmental hazards management and and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,” said U.S. Rep. the role of information technology. David Price, chair of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcom- “The center is a catalyst to reach out to additional faculty and stu- mittee. “Here in North Carolina we are very familiar with the phenom- dents as well as federal and state partners as a way to further expand enon we are going to study. We have been a leader in preparing for and our efforts to understand all natural disasters and the impact they have,” responding to these natural disasters.” Thorp said. Between 1980 and 2004, he said, North Carolina responded to more “It will allow us to use this information to assist people in North Car- billion-dollar disasters than any other state in the country. olina, around the nation and around the world to help them make more Luettich, who was a primary developer of the storm surge model informed choices.” The center’s principal investigator, Rick Luettich, who is internationally See CENTER page 10 SA V E T H E DA T E : OC T O B E R 12, 2008 University Gazette 2 Thorp installed as 10 th chancellor on University Day ON THE WEB T H TH E UN IV E R S I T Y W LI L I N S T A L L HO L D E N TH O R P A S I T S 10 C H A N C E L L O R O N UN IV E R S I T Y DA Y , OC T . 12, A T 3 P.M. I N PO L K PL A C E . TY IAH FACUL TH O R P W LI L G IV E A N I N S T A L L A T I O N A D D R E S S , A N D T H E FELLOWS NAMED UN IV E R S I T Y W LI L H O N O R F IV E D I S T I N G U I S H E D A L U M N I D U R IN G Nine faculty fellows from the Institute A C E R E M O N Y S T E E P E D I N C A M P U S H SI T O R Y . for the Arts and Humanities have been selected and have started work on their fall TH E UNC CE R E M O N IA L BA N D W LI L P E R F O R M , F O L L O W E D research topics. B Y T H E P R O C E S S IO N O F H U N D R E D S O F F A C U L T Y , S T U D E N T S , S T A F F , A L U M N I , V I S I T I N G D I G N I TA R I E S A N D L E A D E R S . PAT R I C I A ITH T MI M O N S -GO O D S O N , A S S O C I A T E J U S T I C E O F T H E N.C. SU P R E M E snipurl.com/3mm39 KinG W BRE A CO U R T , W LI L A D M I N I S T E R T H E O A T H O F O F F IC E , A N D ACKLAND TRADITIONS UNC PR E S ID E N T ER S K IN E BO W L E S W LI L P R E S ID E . Ackland Art Museum director Emily Kass A R E C E P T I O N W LI L F O L L O W I N PO L K PL A C E . IF R A IN I S F O R E C A S T , discusses the museum’s 50th anniversary A N O F F IC IA L A N N O U N C E M E N T W LI L B E M A D E B E F O R E H A N D A B O U T exhibit, “Circa 1958.” M O V NI G T H E C E R E M O N Y T O T H E DE A N E. SM I T H CE N T E R . TH E OC T . 1 GA Z E T T E W LI L I N C L U D E A D D I T I O N A L I N F O R M A T I O N C JO ins snipurl.com/3mwdm al EXE A B O U T T H E I N S T A L L A T I O N . FO R U P D A T E S O N UN IV E R S I T Y DA Y MER WR TY FOR AC T I V I T I E S , R E F E R T O W W W .U N C .E D U /INSTALLATION . JOURNALISM facul Jim Hefner, former vice president and general manager at WRAL-TV in Raleigh, has joined Carolina’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication faculty as a professor of the practice of journalism. snipurl.com/3ne6o The new system gives people four options. They can enter a cell number in the Alert Carolina field, approve the number that is already UNIVERSITY Text messages, sirens are key listedto there, safety indicate that communications they do not have a cell phone that can receive text messages or choose not to register a cell number. The University will test the emergency sirens and, for the first time, text University officials are optimistic that this new feature will increase messaging capability on Sept. 16 between 12:15 p.m. and 12:45 p.m. cell phone registration dramatically. At the beginning of September, The sirens will sound only during a life-threatening emergency or a test 13,750 people had registered for emergency text messages, represent- EDITOR such as this one, followed by a text message. Patty Courtright (962-7124) ing about one-third of the total University population. [email protected] “Sending text messages is a key part of our overall emergency com- The University has taken precautions to help keep the campus munications plan. In an emergency, we want to have as many tools as MANAGING EDITOR community safe year-round. Gary C. Moss (962-7125) possible available to us to reach people quickly,” said Leslie Strohm, Any safety-related announcements will be posted on the University [email protected] chair of the Emergency Warning Committee. “Having a mechanism homepage (www.unc.edu), on Alert Carolina (alertcarolina.unc.edu– the Univer) - alertcarolina.unc.edu. ASSISTANT EDITOR in place that forces people to think about this issue every 90 days, at Susan Phillips (962-8594) and through other communications such as mass e-mail.