The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

North Carolina is one of the only states that includes in its constitution a mandate that “the benefits of the University of North Carolina … be extended as far as practicable … to the people of the State free of expense.“ As North Carolinians, we need to engage the conversation that higher education is both a private and a public good. Those who earn a college degree are not only more successful in their careers; they are also more likely to vote, volunteer and give back to their communities.

Something to talk about

In the coming months you might notice something different about UNCG communications. A different look. A different feel. And the small words at the bottom — Do something bigger altogether.

Tim Watson, owner of the Peanut House, a take-out food business in Winston-Salem, considers himself the “little guy.” He wants to grow his business, started by his father in 1961 in Philadelphia, but he needs capital. So when Watson read that Karen Mills, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), would be at UNCG in February, he hit the road.

Joseph Hill speaks ASL (American Sign Language), English, Italian and Italian Sign Language. As a linguist, he can also converse in a waning but historically and culturally significant language that is not widely known: Black ASL.

On any given day, middle school students in the Piedmont Triad bop from health class to PE to science class and may never consider how the subjects intertwine. Dr. Catherine D. Ennis, a professor of kinesiology and curriculum and instruction in the School of Health and Human Sciences, aims to change that.

Work is under way on a new mixed-use village that will give UNCG space to grow. The project, named Spartan Village, is under construction along the West Lee Street corridor in the Glenwood neighborhood. Demolition began mid-January. The first phase, which will include space for 800 beds and mixed-use spaces that will be used for offices and retail, is slated to be complete in time for the start of the 2013-14 academic year.

Seth Parker, a junior biology and chemistry major, says it's easy to make bio-diesel from recycled cooking oil — he cooked up his first batch in his parents' home in Winston-Salem. Now he has developed the capacity to brew up about 100 gallons a week to help fuel the diesel trucks in a friend's lawn care business.

This summer, rural communities across North Carolina will have a chance to get up-close and personal with their reptilian and amphibian neighbors. And add to the scientific record.

Here's a fact that surprised some folks in University Archives recently — men wore class jackets when the university became co-ed in 1963. University Archives has quite an assortment of jackets but is seeking more to complete its collection.

Want to know which UNCG groups and programs have set up a Facebook page so you can like them? Or follow them on Twitter to see what they are tweeting? Or maybe you want to watch video produced by the campus. You can access all this through connect.uncg.edu, the university's social media hub.