NC Humanities Council Awards Grants to Fund Music Research

North Carolina Humanities Council has awarded grants to fund research into Durham's soul music traditions and the African-American music traditions of eastern North Carolina. The Durham Library Foundation will receive $9,916 to fund "Bull City Soul Revival," a month long presentation of the history of soul music in Durham to debut March, 27, 2012. The Durham-based North Carolina Folklife Institute will receive $9,400 to document regional music traditions for "Blazing the African American Music Trail," a state heritage tourism initiative.

Durham Ranked No. 2 Among "US Cities With the Most Leftover to Spend"

The Atlantic ranked Durham, NC No. 2 on its list of most economically advantaged metros as one of the "US Cities with the Most Leftover to Spend After Paying for Housing." Average remaining wages and salaries for Durham residents after paying for housing were $3,513 monthly, or approximately $46,312 per year.

Durham Artist Wins Bravo's "Work of Art" Reality Competition

Durham artist Kymia Nawabi won Bravo's reality arts competition show, "Work of Art". As a finalist, Nawabi prepared a full solo exhibition and presented the collection to a panel of judges at the Brooklyn Museum who selected her as the "Next Great Artist." The first generation Iranian-American grew up in the Woodcroft area of Durham and attended Jordan High School then later graduated from East Carlina University.

Durham Tech Wins Competitive Grant to Help Support Hispanic Families

Durham Technical Community College's Parent Academy, based in the college's Center for the Global Learner, has just received a $25,000 grant from the National Center for Family Literacy to encourage Hispanic and other families earn college degrees through “En Camino: Herramientas educativas para familias/On Our Way: Educational Toolkit for Families. According to the National Center for Family Literacy, the Durham Tech program was one of only 10 programs in the country to receive the competitive funding.

Durham Researcher Named Scientist of the Year

Lutz Birnbaumer of Durham has been named Scientist of the Year by the National Institute of Health Sciences. Birnbaumer conducts biochemistry research at the NIEHS Laboratory of Neurobiology and has lived in Durham since 2001.

Fuqua Ranks 10th on Composite Rankings of Elite Business Schools

Duke University's Fuqua School of Business ranked tenth on Poets & Quants' composite rankings of elite business schools. The composite rankings are based on rankings published by Financial Times, The Economist, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Forbes and U.S. News & World report.

Duke University is the Second Most Selective College in the South

According to analysis by American City Business Journals, Duke University is the most selective college in North Carolina and the second most selective college in the South.

Durham Rescue Mission Reaches $4.5 Million Fundraising Goal

The Durham Rescue Mission has reached its $4.5 million goal to expand the Christians homeless shelter. Groundbreaking will begin after the start of the year on the 34,000 shelter addition to include 88 additional beds and expansions to the kitchen and dining room.

Durham Food Truck Welcomes Guest Employee, Former *NSYNC Member

Durham food truck Chirba Chirba Dumpling will appear on the new reality series "My Family Recipe Rocks" hosted by former *NSYNC star Joey Fatone. The shoot included one day of dumpling prep at Durham food business incubator, The Cookery, and one with Fatone working the truck. "My Family Recipe Rocks" premieres on Jan. 14 on the Live Well network, part of the ABC Family and Disney.

NCCU Law Named as a Best School for Public Service

North Carolina Central University School of Law was named one of the best law schools for public service by The National Jurist. NCCU Law was recognized in both the prosecutor/public defender and public interest categories.

Duke Receives Largest Donation to Support Financial Aid in University History

Duke University trustee Bruce Karsh and his wife Martha donated $50 million to support need-based financial aid for undergraduate students, including international students. The gift is the largest donation made by individuals to support financial aid in the university's history.

Coach K Named Sports Illustrated's 2011 "Sportsman of the Year"

Sports Illustrated has named Duke's Coach Mike Krzyzewski its Sportsman of the Year for 2011. The honor comes less than a month after Coach K picked up his 903rd career victory to become the winningest coach in Division I men's basketball history.

Obama to Appoint Durham Architect to Commission of Fine Arts

President Obama has appointed Durham architect Phillip G. Freelon to a four-year term on the Commission of Fine Arts. Freelon is the founder and President of The Freelon Group and Professor of Practice at the MIT School of Architecture and Planning.

Durham Record Labels Garner Grammy Nominations

Durham-based record labels Marsalis Music and Merge Records have been nominated for Grammy Awards. Saxophonist Miquel Zenón has been nominated for Best Large Jazz Ensemble album for “Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook” which was released by Branford Marsalis' record label. The Arcade Fire's Merge Records release "The Suburbs - Deluxe Edition (Scenes from the Suburbs)" was nominated for Best Recording Package.