Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Defne Önal
Data analysis shows widespread vacancies in nursing positions across N.C.
City & State Oct 9, 2025, 1:05 AM The N.C. Center on the Workforce for Health and N.C. Chamber Foundation released the second annual N.C. Health Talent Alliance workforce data analysis this September. The analysis, which focused on collecting data on nursing in North Carolina, determined a high level of nursing vacancies across the state. The data describes three categories of vacancies: registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and certified nursing assistants.
'Outdated barriers': Medical specialists discuss bill to increase autonomy for APRNs
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Monday, April 21, 2025 Newsletters Latest print issue On March 25, N.C. Sen. Gale Adcock (D-Wake) and a number of other legislators at the N.C. General Assembly filed the APRN Definitions Bill consisting of Senate Bill 537 and House Bill 514. The bill was first filed in 2015 and was formerly known as the SAVE Act.
What would federal budget cuts to the Department of Education mean in Chapel Hill?
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Friday, March 28, 2025 Newsletters Latest print issue "Basically, if you want to continue teaching Latin or French, you’ll need to find another job. But if you're willing to teach a different subject, they’ll reassign you elsewhere," Arwen Helms, a Carrboro High School graduate and UNC student, said.
OB-GYN residents reflect on changing standards post-Roe, weigh community impact
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Sunday, March 16, 2025 Newsletters Latest print issue One year after the reversal of Roe v. Wade, Sweet Hope Mapatano started her residency in the UNC Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology Residency Program. Mapatano said many changes resulting from the landmark case’s reversal were starting to happen around the time she was interviewing for residency programs.
'The kids parted like the Red Sea': A look into Orange County Schools' desegregation process
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025 Newsletters Latest print issue On the first day of sixth grade in 1966, Horace Johnson Jr. and his father Horace Johnson, the first Black mayor of Hillsborough, drove past Central High School — the all-Black school Horace Johnson Jr. attended until fifth grade. “I figured we were going downtown to a store or something, but we pulled up to the white school,” Horace Johnson Jr. said.
A look into how rising grocery prices, ultra-processed foods affect Orange County
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 Newsletters Latest print issue While food prices are expected to increase at a slower rate than the 20 year national average in 2025, rising food prices in the past few years have increased food insecurity in Orange County. New data from the United States Department of Agriculture predicts food prices in 2025 to increase by 2.2 percent. But in Orange County, high grocery costs are already impacting the community.
Some North Carolinians are drinking raw milk despite the health and safety risks
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Monday, Jan. 20, 2025 Newsletters Latest print issue Homesteader Ali Tisdall first started looking for a source of raw milk because she had dietary and autoimmune problems. A friend suggested that raw milk, with its active digestive enzymes, could help her diet. “And so I tried it. It didn’t work for me because I can barely eat anything,” Tisdall said.
N.C. General Assembly's Hurricane Helene relief packages reveal partisan tensions
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue In 2024, the N.C. General Assembly approved three aid packages in response to Hurricane Helene: the Disaster Recovery Act, Senate Bill 743 and Senate Bill 382. The General Assembly passed the initial $273 million Disaster Recovery Act on Oct. 9.
Orange County firefighters react to law barring teens from final certification course
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue On June 6, the North Carolina Fire and Rescue Certification Board barred students under 18 from enrolling in Fireground Ops 9, one of the final courses required for firefighter certification. The rule takes effect on Dec. 31, reversing the Board’s previous decision, which allowed candidates under 18 to take the course if they had completed all other required firefighter training.
Digital experts discuss lack of regulation for AI in N.C. political advertising
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue On Sept. 20, Americans for Prosparody, a Super PAC, ran an AI-generated TV ad that recreates Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson's image and voice to read quotes from his old Facebook posts, rallies and media. The PAC also has four shorter 15-second YouTube ads that use AI to digitally recreate Robinson’s voice.
UNC System schools eliminate, realign positions after DEI system cuts
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue By Sept. 1, all 17 UNC System schools submitted their compliance reports demonstrating adherence to the Equality Within the University of North Carolina policy, a manual delineating the UNC System's "commitment to equality in education and employment." On Sept.
Orange County Commissioners approve two zoning amendments, discuss Greene Tract
The Orange County Board of County Commissioners held their first business meeting of the fall session on Thursday. The primary agenda items included zoning amendments and a professional services contract with the Development Finance Initiative from the UNC School of Government. Planner Lauren Honeycutt and Deputy Director of Development Services Patrick Mallett from the Orange County Planning Department presented a zoning amendment for 1031 Frazier Rd, Mebane.
Gov. Cooper expands contraception access, Medicaid to cover Opill
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue On July 31, Gov. Roy Cooper announced that North Carolina Medicaid will now cover an over-the-counter contraceptive pill at no cost to Medicaid users. The Food and Drug Administration approved Opill, the first contraception available without a prescription, on July 13 of this year.Opill is a progestin-only birth control pill, meaning it must be taken at the same exact time every day.
EU Migration Deterrence in North Africa: Countries North and South of the Mediterranean Must Step up Collaborative Solutions
The search continues for the 23 people who went missing off the Tunisian coast on May 18. This recent incident underscores that the European Union‘s (EU) externalization approach to control irregular migration has so far failed to deter individuals from crossing the Mediterranean to reach Europe. Tunisia and Libya have become significant departure points for irregular crossings to Europe. Tunisia has even surpassed Libya in the number of crossings, with the city of Sfax emerging as a hotspot.
International Women’s Day 2024: The View from MENA
Today, on International Women’s Day, the Middle East Program (MEP) Middle East Women Initiative is highlighting this year’s publications on our blog, Enheduanna, which was launched five years ago on March 8. This year’s publications are focused on the theme: ‘Investing in Women,’ addressing the topics of alleviating poverty, empowering women in green and care economies, and supporting feminist change-makers.
Chapel Hill Town Council approves southward extension of water and sewer boundary
The Chapel Hill Town Council discussed the Community Development Block Grant Program and approved a water and sewer extension proposal for southern Chapel Hill at its meeting Wednesday evening. What’s new? The council joined the Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro and the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership in commemorating Saturday, Nov. 25, as Small Business Saturday.
S.B. 20's paid parental leave statute goes into effect for state employees
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 Newsletters Latest print issue Senate Bill 20’s paid parental leave statute, which was modified by the state legislature in June, went into effect earlier this month. The statute entitles state employees to up to eight weeks of paid leave following the birth of a child and up to four weeks after adopting or becoming a foster parent.
Equity and Empathy Ambassadors program amplifies student voices in CHCCS
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023 Newsletters Latest print issue The Equity and Empathy Ambassadors are a group of high school students in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools that collaborate directly with the superintendent to develop equitable policies for students in the district. Nyah Hamlett, the superintendent of CHCCS, said she developed and created the program to amplify student voices in the school district.
Word on the street: Students and community members celebrate Halloween
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023 Newsletters Latest print issue This year marks thefourth year in a row that Franklin Street has not closed down for Halloween after the Chapel Hill Police Department — which had previously said it would be closing downtown streets — decided there was not enough pedestrian traffic to warrant a closure.
Chapel Hill Town Council discusses new developments, approves St. Paul's Village
The Chapel Hill Town Council discussed proposed developments and zoning at its meeting on Oct. 11. What’s new? D.R. Bryan, a Southern Village developer, presented a conditional zoning application for the Meridian Lakeview development, formerly called Gateway, at 19 E. Lakeview Dr. The development would provide 72 affordable senior units using low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC) or 24 for-sale townhouses, depending on which option the council approves.
Air pollution in North Carolina sees historic lows, according to new report
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Friday, Oct. 6, 2023 Newsletters Latest print issue Emissions of harmful pollutants in North Carolina have reached historic lows, according to a recent report by the N.C. Division of Air Quality. Compared to previous decades, there have been major improvements in lowering criteria air pollutants like sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, fine particulate matter and volatile organic compounds.
BOCC discusses capital needs assessment, budgets in meeting with school boards
The Orange County Board of County Commissioners held a joint meeting with the Orange County Schools and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools boards of education on Tuesday. The BOCC listened to a presentation on a public school capital needs assessment and discussed budget concerns for CHCCS and OCS. What’s new?
Chapel Hill adopts first comprehensive affordable housing plan, aims to build 900 homes
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023 Newsletters Latest print issue The Chapel Hill Town Council introduced and approved its first comprehensive Affordable Housing Plan and Investment Strategy during its Sept. 13 meeting. In order to achieve the plan's goal of building 900 new homes and preserving 400 existing affordable homes, Chapel Hill Affordable Housing requested $10 million annually from the Town.
NCDPI data shows test performance improved, but still not to pre-pandemic levels
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023 Newsletters Latest print issue The N.C. Department of Public Instruction published its 2022-23 school year reports for grades third through 12th. These reports include statistics for school performance, standardized testing and long-term learning goals, and showed that test scores have improved across almost every subject.
Hillsborough Elementary music teacher develops app to assess progress and teach music theory
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023 Newsletters Latest print issue Adam Canosa, the music teacher at Hillsborough Elementary School, developed a game-based educational music app during the COVID-19 pandemic. Songcraft provides a supplement for students to learn their instruments both inside and outside of the classroom.
Board of Governors give service award, discuss equitable enrollment
The UNC Board of Governors full board meeting on Thursday approved appointments of numerous Board of Trustee members for universities within the UNC System. The governors recognized an honoree for the faculty service award and discussed equitable enrollment of low-income and rural students. In his last official report, UNC student and Governor Raymond Palma highlighted some of the UNC Association of Student Governments' achievements this year.
Musical Empowerment to host free music festival this Saturday
This time last year, UNC senior Liam Hanson came to Professor David Garcia, Musical Empowerment’s faculty advisor, with the idea of organizing a music festival. As the co-chairperson of the teacher relations committee for the organization, Hanson wanted to spread awareness about Musical Empowerment and garner support from the community. Musical Empowerment is a national student organization with a chapter at UNC.
Student-pitch competition provides opportunity to win up to $500,000
UNC seniors Ilyas Colie and Manas Takalpati are co-founders of Triangle Ventures, an organization that aims to connect student entrepreneurs across the Triangle by matching founders with similar ideas, finding internship opportunities and offering working spaces. They are running a student-pitch competition with the Kenan-Flagler Business School as their primary advisor and supporter. The winning teams have the opportunity to win up to $500,000 in funding from Fusen.
Meet Beth Moracco, a candidate for chairperson of the faculty
As a public-health expert, Beth Moracco is uniquely equipped for finding common ground between stakeholders. During her 15-year career at the University, she has leveraged qualitative and quantitative data to address complex issues, such as equitable pay and violence against women.
UNC Board of Governors talk mental health grant, increased funding
The UNC Board of Governors recognized an honoree of a faculty service award and discussed enrollment challenges at its Thursday board meeting. In his report, UNC System President Peter Hans spoke about the mental health crisis and expanding initiatives to combat it. The BOG also discussed no tuition increases for resident undergraduate students. What’s new? The Governor James E. Holshouser, Jr. Award for Excellence in Public Service was given to N.C. State University professor Bonnie Fusarelli.
UNC named a Top-Producing Institution for Fulbright U.S. students
UNC has recently been selected as a Top-Producing Institution for Fulbright U.S. students. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is designed for graduating college seniors, graduate students or young professionals and is sponsoredby the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. This recognition is given to U.S. colleges with the most amount of acceptances into the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.
UNC Esports club continues partnership with Carolina Gaming Arena
Housed on the ground level of Craige Residence Hall is the Carolina Gaming Arena, a space where students can compete and play video games with each other. The arena first opened in August 2021 and operated under a mask mandate with limited capacity due to the pandemic. The arena now has a higher frequency of events with different organizations and has become a place where people can play games with friends or solo.
UNC System Board of Governors meets to discuss education training and opportunities
At their meeting on Jan. 19, the UNC Board of Governors voted to support a resolution — passed by the planning committee — calling for teacher preparation programs in the UNC System to improve literacy instruction. The BOG also discussed launching "working groups" to review faculty career opportunities, ratings of UNC System educator preparation programs and progression on Project Kitty Hawk. What’s new?
Out-of-state undergraduate tuition to rise $1,780, BOT committee decides
UNC tuition for out-of-state undergraduate students will increase by five percent next academic year, the UNC Board of Trustees’ Budget, Finance and Infrastructure Committee decided on Wednesday. Costs for non-resident UNC-CH students will be $37,360 annually, as opposed to the previous cost of $35,580 per year. Tuition for North Carolina residents attending all UNC System schools has remained the same for over six years.
How students can stay safe on- and off-campus
Content Warning: This article contains mentions of sexual assault. * * * On Oct. 22, UNC Police released a report of an unidentified male following a student to their room in Carmichael Residence Hall and assaulting them. Two days later, UNC Police arrested an individual in front of the Undergraduate Library for possessing/concealing drugs and resisting arrest. With the recent reports of crime on campus, there is a variety of safety knowledge and resources students can access.
Finance update: developments for new law, public health buildings, administrative roof
The UNC School of Law and the Gillings School of Global Public Health will soon have new areas for students and faculty and the roof of the Administrative Office Building will also be replaced. The UNC Board of Trustees’ Budget, Finance and Infrastructure Committee recently approved stages for each capital project. Replacement facilities for Van Hecke-Wettach Hall — a section of the law school — will include a new law library, classrooms, administrative offices and student support spaces.
UNC students cashing in on the NFT craze
Twitter is adorned with cartoon apes and penguins — non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that have risen to the surface of cryptocurrency. For some, they have stirred curiosity. For some, confusion. For others, they have been a source of profit. Now, some UNC students are cashing in on the deal as NFTs grow in popularity. NFTs are units of value stored on a blockchain, a digital database, that serve as unique and uncopyable files. They're designed to increase the value of digital files by making them scarce.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Defne
Contact Defne, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack