WFU in the news: May 22-28, 2023

FEATURED NEWS

How ChatGPT could help or hurt students with disabilities
By Beth McMurtrie | The Chronicle of Higher Education
One way to mitigate risk is to teach all students about the strengths and limitations of AI. “If you keep deferring to the technology, you won’t grow and develop because you’re leaning on this technology,” said S. Mason Garrison, an assistant professor of quantitative psychology at Wake Forest. “This is a problem for anyone, but it could disproportionately impact folks who are genuinely worried their work isn’t good enough.” – 5/26/2023

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

EPA under pressure to revive noise pollution program
E&E News
More than 40 years have passed since EPA’s noise regulation program was silenced by a Reagan-era rollback. But the Noise Control Act remained on the books. “EPA is caught in this bind that they were still legally required to carry out the act, but they haven’t had anybody working on it in such a long time,” said law professor Sid Shapiro. “This is so unusual.” – 5/23/2023

Global projections of flash drought show increased risk in a warming climate
By Lauren Lowman (co-author) | Nature
Flash drought, characterized by unusually rapid drying, can have substantial impact on many socioeconomic sectors, particularly agriculture. In this study, engineering professor Lauren Lowman and co-authors find that flash drought risk over cropland is expected to increase globally, with the largest increases projected across North America (change in annual risk from 32% in 2015 to 49% in 2100) and Europe (32% to 53%). – 5/25/2023

Better algorithms through faster math
By Sam Greengard | Communications of the ACM
Every step in a multiplication table results in slower algorithm performance and increased compute cycles. Yet, research in the space has slogged forward. “Over the years, we have periodically seen small and incremental performance improvements—and many of these gains have been strictly theoretical,” said computer science professor Grey Ballard. – 5/24/2023

How Bing’s AI could help beat Google at the search game
By Sascha Brodsky | Lifewire
Compared to other AI search methods, Bing seamlessly integrates the up-to-date search feature with the ChatGPT-based conversation feature, said physics professor Jed Macosko. “Sometimes when searching, a person needs an intelligent sounding board that knows the information, but this information doesn’t have to be up-to-date. But other times, a person who is searching the internet needs something updated more recently than ‘As of my last update in September 2021,’ which is what ChatGPT will always tell you.” – 5/25/2023

Best Colleges For Communications 2023
By Anwar Abdi | University Magazine
The communications department at Wake Forest is recognized for its strong emphasis on research and critical thinking. The department offers a variety of courses in areas such as rhetoric, interpersonal communication and media studies. Students also have the opportunity to participate in research projects and study abroad. The Best Colleges for Communications 2023 rankings is based on key statistics and student reviews using U.S. Department of Education data. – 5/26/2023

Interim IUPUI chancellor Klein leaving for Wake Forest law post
Indianapolis Business Journal
Andrew Klein, interim chancellor of IUPUI and former dean of Indiana University’s McKinney School of Law, has been named dean of the Wake Forest University School of Law in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Wake Forest announced this week that the appointment would begin July 1. Klein said Wednesday on Twitter that he would remain in his job at IUPUI until stepping down June 30. Klein served as dean of Indiana University’s McKinney School of Law from 2013 to 2020. – 5/25/2023

LOCAL

Triad legislators split on importance of abortion restrictions on 2024 legislative election
By Richard Craver | Winston-Salem Journal
Politics professor John Dinan stressed that 17 months “is an eternity in politics. “It will be a long while before we are able to speak with confidence about the various issues and factors that are most important in determining the outcome of next year’s elections at the presidential level, in the gubernatorial race, in state judicial races, and in state legislative contests, he said.” – 5/28/2023

WAKE FOREST NEWS

WFU students & alumni awarded Fulbright Scholarships
By Kim McGrath | Wake Forest News
Seven Wake Forest students and alumni have been awarded Fulbright Scholarships to teach English and conduct research during the 2023-2024 academic year. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program, offering research study and teaching opportunities in over 160 countries. The Fulbright award is designed to facilitate cultural exchange and increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and those of other countries. – 5/22/2023