WFU in the news: Feb. 27- March 5, 2023

FEATURED NEWS

Conversational AI like ChatGPT may soon have a face that looks human
By Sascha Brodsky | Lifewire
New software is enabling conversational AI to look and act more like humans. Some observers warn that human-like AI could be deceptive. “Once it becomes difficult to distinguish a Zoom call with a human from a chat session with an AI bot, a lot of things will change,” physics professor Jed Macosko told Lifewire in an e-mail. “Scams are becoming very tempting. People will enjoy the AI ​​friends they find online and use their free time to engage in long conversations.” – 3/02/2023

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

Wake Up Call: A French student’s experience studying in the U.S.
Poets & Quants for Undergrads
“Wake Up Call” is a new student column that allows student undergraduates in the School of Business to share their experiences as business school students and provide advice to other students who are considering a business degree. A nod to the University, it is also a phrase that speaks to preparing readers and interested students as they consider careers in business. Students are able to post throughout the semester as their schedules allow.  – 2/25/2023

3 factors to help find the MBA program that’s right for you
By Cole Claybourn | U.S. News & World Report
A required core curriculum provides students with a broad understanding of fundamental business concepts. “Core classes don’t tend to vary much from school to school, said Kevin Bender, executive director for MBA enrollment management and recruiting at Wake Forest University School of Business. – 2/27/2023

Texas judge to rule on abortion pill used by millions of Americans
By Meg Oliver | CBS News
Law professor Meghan Boone said that “if there is a nationwide injunction, then the drug used for medication abortions will be off the market in all 50 states at least, and during, the period where the injunction is in force.” Boone also said the outcome of the case may also undermine the FDA approval process, setting a damaging precedent. – 2/27/2023

REGIONAL & TRADE

WFU receives $3M to study the connection between dance and brain health
By Neal Charnoff | WFDD-FM (Winston-Salem, NC)
The five-year study, called IGROOVE, is meant to further research how dance can impact fitness, memory, and brain health. “What dance provides is not only an artistic expression but a physical activity that brings people together in meaningful ways,” said Vice Provost for the Arts and Interdisciplinary Initiatives Christina Soriano. “Dance is an activity that is very cognitively challenging when you think about what you have to do and coordinating the body physically, and also responding, often quickly, to movement prompts.” – 3/03/2023

LOCAL

Group continues work to preserve 10,000 graves at Winston-Salem’s Odd Fellows Cemetery
By John Hinton | Winston-Salem Journal
Terry Brock, the director of the Cultural Heritage and Archaeology Research Group at Wake Forest University, is leading a research project at the cemetery. Brock also is the manager of archaeology and research at the Wake Forest Historical Museum and a research associate with the Cultural Heritage and Preservation Studies Program at WFU. “Most importantly, the research will help to restore the humanity and dignity to the thousands of people who were buried in the cemetery,” Brock said. – 3/03/2023

Krispy Kreme expanding McDonald’s test market in Kentucky
By Richard Craver | Winston-Salem Journal
Partnering with McDonald’s offers Krispy Kreme a new “go-to-market strategy that seems to offer strong upside potential,” said marketing professor Roger Beahm. He said the biggest positive factor for Krispy Kreme is the significantly greater number of McDonald’s restaurants than Krispy Kreme factory stores where the doughnuts are made and sold to consumers, as well as the potential for trial by new customers. – 2/27/2023

Medicaid expansion deal stirs mostly positive responses
By Richard Craver | Winston-Salem Journal
News of a potential compromise on state Medicaid expansion Thursday yielded mostly positive and cautiously optimistic responses from public-health advocates. “This is obviously a big announcement and it represents a dramatic change in position for Republican legislative leaders,” said politics professor John Dinan, a national expert on state legislatures. – 3/02/2023