#uncchapelhill — Public Fediverse posts

DoRaleigh News & Notes: NCMA’s New Art Installation, Duke’s Global Ranking, Stanley Cup Impact & More

Stay connected with the latest Raleigh news, business updates, local attractions, community milestones, and Triangle happenings in this week’s DoRaleigh News & Notes.

From a stunning new public art installation at the North Carolina Museum of Art to record-breaking Stanley Cup parade attendance, here’s what everyone in Raleigh has been talking about.

A New Outdoor Art Experience Opens at NCMA

The North Carolina Museum of Art has unveiled “Please Be Seated,” an interactive outdoor sculpture by internationally acclaimed Paul Cocksedge Studio. The flowing wooden bench installation is now part of the Museum Park and joins only two other permanent versions located in Hong Kong and Beijing.

If you’re looking for a unique photo opportunity or a relaxing place to enjoy nature, add this new attraction to your Raleigh bucket list.

Duke and UNC Ranked Among the World’s Best Universities

The Triangle continues to shine on the global stage.

According to the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings:

• Duke University ranked No. 20 among the world’s best universities.
• UNC-Chapel Hill earned the No. 55 spot globally.

These rankings reinforce the Triangle’s reputation as one of the nation’s leading centers for higher education and innovation.

Raleigh’s Forgotten Skateboarding Legacy

Did you know Raleigh once hosted one of America’s largest skateparks?

Utopia Park opened in 1999 with skateboarding legend Tony Hawk and several professional skateboarders attending the grand opening. While the park is gone today, it remains an important chapter in Raleigh’s sports and youth culture history. (Via INDY Week)

Goats Continue Their Landscaping Mission

Goats are becoming one of the Triangle’s most unexpected environmental helpers.

A herd from Goats on the Go recently helped clear invasive vegetation at Carolina Tiger Rescue. Despite sharing space with lions and tigers, the goats safely completed their work while helping improve the habitat.

Organizations across Raleigh are increasingly turning to “goatscaping” as an eco-friendly alternative for removing overgrown vegetation and invasive plants like English ivy.

The Left Hook Announces Grand Opening Celebration

Downtown Raleigh favorite The Left Hook is celebrating the grand opening of its new Hargett Street café with a community festival on Saturday, August 1.

The celebration will feature:

• Vendor market
• Live wrestling
• Circus performances
• Live screen printing
• Family-friendly entertainment
• Local vendors

It’s shaping up to be one of downtown Raleigh’s most unique summer celebrations.

Raleigh Remembers Paul Dombalis

The Raleigh restaurant community is mourning the loss of Paul Dombalis, third-generation owner of The Mecca Restaurant, who passed away this week at age 68.

Dombalis operated Raleigh’s oldest restaurant from 1990 until 2018 and helped preserve one of downtown’s most beloved dining traditions.

New Retail Development Coming to Hillsborough Street

A long-vacant property beside Target on Hillsborough Street is finally moving forward.

The project will include:

• Open-air retail space
• New restaurants
• Rally House
• An additional national restaurant concept expected to be announced later

Construction is expected to wrap up this winter, bringing additional shopping and dining options near NC State.

Stanley Cup Championship Continues to Boost Raleigh

The Carolina Hurricanes’ championship run continues to make headlines.

New figures show:

• 192,922 fans attended the downtown Raleigh Stanley Cup Parade.
• Outside visitors generated approximately $13.4 million for the Wake County economy.
• Roughly 12% of the Raleigh metro population attended the celebration.

The parade has become one of the largest public gatherings in Raleigh history. (The News & Observer)

Andia’s Named One of America’s Best Ice Cream Shops

Cary favorite Andia’s Homemade Ice Cream earned the No. 6 spot on USA Today’s list of the nation’s best independent ice cream shops.

Seasonal flavors currently include:

• Couch Potato
• Lavender Lemonade

Perfect timing for a summer treat.

Road Work Coming to Glenwood Avenue

Drivers should prepare for traffic changes.

NCDOT begins resurfacing Glenwood Avenue this Sunday between Wade Avenue and Woman’s Club Drive. Temporary lane closures and detours will be in place throughout the project.

Raleigh Water Restrictions Continue

Raleigh’s drought remains a serious concern.

City officials issued 92 water restriction warnings in just one week, highlighting the importance of conserving water as dry conditions continue across central North Carolina.

Residents are encouraged to follow all current watering restrictions.

Lenovo Center’s Future

While appearing on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon suggested Lenovo Center could have roughly another decade before discussions of a replacement arena begin.

Meanwhile, Centennial Authority leadership says extending the life of the current arena remains a top priority.

Snake Season is Here

Wildlife experts are reminding Triangle residents to stay alert this summer.

Timber rattlesnakes, also known as canebrake rattlesnakes, are North Carolina’s most common venomous snake and may occasionally be encountered on hiking trails and wooded areas around the Triangle.

Knowing how to identify them—and giving them plenty of space—is the safest approach. (The News & Observer)

Have you heard of Goatscaping?

Goatscaping. It’s what dozens of Raleigh organizations are using to chew on overgrown plants, including invasive species like English ivy. Meet Goats on the Go. (WUNC)

Stay Connected with DoRaleigh

From breaking local news and business openings to festivals, restaurants, community events, and things to do across the Triangle, DoRaleigh.com keeps you connected to everything happening in and around Raleigh.

Follow DoRaleigh.com daily for the latest local news, events, and community updates.

Advertise With Us: Interested in Advertising click here.

Connect With Us: Instagram | Facebook | BSky | Linkedin

Share With Us: Post your community News, Events, on our Submissions Page. 

Published by Bryan Tomlinson | BTDesigns.pro | DoRaleigh.com

UNC System details painstaking process to root out diversity, equity and inclusion  – NC Newsline

• State, Local Govt.
• Education
• Environment
• Courts, Justice
• Commentary
• Podcasts
• National
• Higher Ed
• Race
• State, Local Govt.

UNC System details painstaking process to root out diversity, equity and inclusion 

By: Clayton Henkel – January 8, 2026 9:00 am

The University of North Carolina System assured state legislators Wednesday that they are doing everything in their power to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion language and programs across the 17-campus system.

The UNC Board of Governors voted in May 2024 to formally repeal the system’s policy on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in favor of “principled neutrality.”

Still, equity has remained in the political crosshairs, with Republicans lawmakers filing multiple bills in the 2025 session to  prohibit the support, funding or implementation of DEI programs in state government and education.

Bart Goodson, the UNC System’s senior vice president for government affairs, told members of the House Select Committee on Government Efficiency that by the time President Trump’s executive orders on discrimination and DEI rolled out in January 2025, the system was ahead of the curve.

Goodson said each campus was advised on the remaining steps necessary to bring campuses into full compliance with the Trump administration’s orders.

“The guidance emphasizes the policies refocus on student success and reminds campuses of the constant, ongoing vigilance campuses must use,” said Goodson.

A memo from the system also mandated that all general education requirements that included completion of course credits related to diversity, equity and inclusion be suspended.

The system further mandated an annual campus reporting requirement with the chancellor’s signature to verify compliance.

To date, 59 positions tied to DEI have been eliminated and 131 have been realigned. The system estimates that the implementation of the equality policy across the University of North Carolina system has saved $17.1 million. The savings have been redirected to student mental health, military and veteran student services and academic advising, according to Goodson.

But efforts to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion from higher education in North Carolina have not been quick or easy.

“We’re turning over every stone,” Goodson told committee members.

The campuses have manually reviewed more than 4,756 web pages, revised 1,270 web pages, and reviewed over 8,000 gifts, including scholarships and grants. Of those gift funds, 345 were flagged, 29 amended, with some spending paused. Funding from 85 foundations required working with individual donors to bring agreements into compliance.

“It takes a lot of manpower and a lot of man hours to review this information,” Goodson told the committee. “It’s a time-consuming area.”

Continue/Read Original Article Here: UNC System details painstaking process to root out diversity, equity and inclusion  • NC Newsline

UNC-Chapel Hill study shows AI can dramatically speed up digitizing natural history collections – EurekAlert!

News Release 5-Dec-2025

UNC-Chapel Hill study shows AI can dramatically speed up digitizing natural history collections, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

A new study from UNC-Chapel Hill researchers shows that advanced artificial intelligence tools, specifically large language models (LLMs), can accurately determine the locations where plant specimens were originally collected, a process known as georeferencing. This task has traditionally been slow, expensive and dependent on significant manual effort. The team found that LLMs can complete this work with near-human accuracy while being significantly faster and more cost-effective. 

“Our study explores how large language models can take on one of the biggest bottlenecks in digitizing plant collections,” said Yuyang Xie, first author and postdoctoral researcher in the department of biology at UNC. “We are pioneering the use of these tools for georeferencing, a breakthrough that will accelerate the digitization of plant specimens and unlock new possibilities for ecological research.” 

The research set out to answer a central question: Can AI automate one of the most time-consuming steps in digitizing natural history collections? The Carolina team found out that yes, it can. LLMs not only performed georeferencing with an error margin of less than 10 kilometers, outperforming traditional methods, but also completed the task at a fraction of the time and cost. 

“Recent advances in LLMs can potentially transform the georeferencing process, making it faster and more accurate,” said Xiao Feng, corresponding author and assistant professor in the department of biology at UNC. “This gives researchers unprecedented opportunities to advance our understanding of global biodiversity distributions.” 

The implications are significant. An estimated 2–3 billion herbarium specimens exist worldwide, but only a small fraction have been digitized. Without digital records and spatial data, researchers face major limitations in tracking biodiversity loss, understanding species movement under climate change and analyzing ecosystem shifts. By deploying AI-powered georeferencing, scientists may soon be able to rapidly digitize vast natural history collections that have remained largely inaccessible. 

“This technology allows us to unlock millions of records that are currently sitting in cabinets,” said Xie. “With the power of LLMs, we can rapidly digitize plant specimen data that will be critical for addressing global environmental challenges.” 

Traditional approaches to georeferencing rely on manual interpretation, specialized software, or multiple rounds of expert review. The UNC study is among the first to apply LLMs to this task and to show they can outperform existing methods in accuracy, efficiency, and scalability. This new approach opens the door to digitizing natural history collections at a speed never before possible. 

The research paper is available online in Nature Plants at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41477-025-02162-y  

Continue/Read Original Article Here: UNC-Chapel Hill study shows AI can dramatically speed up digitizing natural history collections | EurekAlert!

#AI #artificialIntelligence #BiologyDepartment #CarolinaTeam #Collections #DigitizeContent #EurekAlert #Georeferencing #LargeLanguageModelsLLM #LLMs #NaturalHistory #Nature #UNCChapelHill #XiaoFeng #YuyangXie

@pixouls

Wonder how this might impact Chapel Hill's ALA accreditation status?

#libraries #ala #accreditation #Library #uncChapelHill #AI

https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/university-breaking-school-of-ai-20251009

Hugs and Pups Posse | Rescue dog brings joy and comfort to UNC Chapel Hill students – ABC11 Raleigh-Durham

• PETS & ANIMALS

Rescue dog brings joy and comfort to UNC Chapel Hill students

ByAmber Rupinta

Friday, October 3, 2025 2:41PM

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) — Students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are finding stress relief and joy thanks to an unlikely campus celebrity, a three-legged golden retriever named Ted.

Ted, a rescue dog adopted through Neuse River Golden Retriever Rescue, makes regular visits to campus with his owner, Kristen Ponturiero.

“Ted and I come on campus. We like to come at least once a month,” Ponturiero said.

Before becoming a source of comfort for college students, Ted’s journey began far from North Carolina.

“Ted was actually found as a stray on March 20, 2024, with a compound-like fracture on the streets of Albania. A very kind stranger found him and took him into her care, and was able to get him very good veterinary care. They were unable to save his front left leg. So he did have an amputation over in Albania. But, as you see, he gets along fine,” Ponturiero said.

Despite his rough start, Ted quickly adjusted and showed a natural love for people.

“My husband and I took Ted out to a brewery one night. A woman approached us, and she commented on Ted’s great demeanor and that she thought he would be a great volunteer,” Ponturiero said.

That encounter eventually led them to HAPPEE Hugs and Pups Posse, a group that encourages and empowers college students by offering emotional support – one hug or pup at a time.

Many UNC students say Ted has become an important presence during stressful times on campus.

“I think a lot of students, like, we really need that, especially during a time like this. So if you are stressed about exams, but like seeing a dog, that’s just like a moment to, like, unwind and see another smiling creature,” said student April Chou.

For others, simply seeing Ted is the highlight of their day.

“This is amazing to have on campus. It literally makes my day every time I see a dog on campus. Like, just because we never get to see dogs, because kids here don’t have them in the dorms or have them in their on-campus housing. Absolutely makes my day,” said student Madeleine Bouvette.

Ponturiero says Ted’s resilience makes him even more special.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Hugs and Pups Posse | Rescue dog brings joy and comfort to UNC Chapel Hill students – ABC11 Raleigh-Durham

#2025 #ABC11 #America #CollegeLife #Comfort #HAPPEE #Health #Joy #NeuseRiverGoldenRetrieverRescue #NorthCarolina #RaleighDurham #RescueDog #Students #TED #TheUniversityOfNorthCarolinaAtChapelHill #Travel #UNCChapelHill #UnitedStates

I’m thinking of everyone at #UNCchapelhill tonight.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/28/us/university-north-carolina-shooting.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

#northcarolina #nc #orangecounty #unc #uncchapelhill

Submitted my tenure packet. #tenure #academia #thatsucked #omgimsotired #givemtenure #astrodon #uncchapelhill

My wife got her dream job, and I'm the spousal hire! I will join the clinical psychology program at UNC Chapel Hill in the fall (and my rockstar wife, Tess Thompson, will join the School of Social Work there).

Washington University has been a wonderful place to be! I expect UNC will be also.

#AcademicChatter #Moving #SpousalHire #WUSTL #UNCChapelHill

Givin' a try to the #ChemToot here! I'm Bruno, current postdoc at #ICIQ, previously in #uncchapelhill, and graduated from #uba. Electron-transfer all time fan, mixed-valency, spectroscopy and electrochemistry. Currently exploring homogeneous and heterogeneous(photo)electrocatalysis for #horizon2020, and soon moving back as an independent researcher at #uba. Also, I ride 200 km per week on my road bike.