Friday, May 31, 2013

Duke Hospital President Named to Top Exec List

Kevin Sowers, president of Duke University Hospital, made Becker’s Hospital Review list of 100 Leaders of Great Hospitals in America. Becker’s Hospital Review puts out annual rankings and top lists for various hospital metrics, this latest one being for executives of top hospitals.

Duke Track and Field Programs Receive $5 Million

Duke athletics received a $5 million donation from University trustee emeritus Morris Williams, and his wife Ruth. The Williams’ gift will support track and field programs, as part of the larger $3.25 billion Duke Forward campaign.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Triangle Raw Foods to Expand

Triangle Raw Foods will expand to a brick and mortar store in the Gold Center on Garrett Road. There will be outdoor seating, local and organic produce and colorful awnings. A fundraising campaign for the business can be found here.

Moe's Southwest Grill to Open in Downtown Durham

The Moe’s Southwest Grill restaurant chain has signed a lease for a piece of the street-level retail space in the new Diamond View III office building opening this summer at Durham’s American Tobacco Campus.

Two GlaxoSmithKline Drugs Approved by FDA

Two new GlaxoSmithKline drugs to treat advanced skin cancer, Tafinlar (dabrafenib) and Mekinist (trametinib), were granted Food and Drug Administration approval on Tuesday. GSK's national headquarters are located in Durham in Research Triangle Park.

Scynexis Regains Rights to Antifungal Compound

Durham company Scynexis has nabbed development and commercialization rights for an antifungal platform that it previously sold to Merck in 2002.

Durham Company Sells Self-storage Units for $51M

Durham real estate firm the Dilweg Companies has announced that it has exited the self-storage warehouse business and sold its entire portfolio of 13 properties in the Carolinas for $51 million.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

New principal appointed to Creekside Elementary

Mangum Elementary School principal Cindy Daniels has been named the next principal of Creekside Elementary School, effective July 1. Daniels holds a Master of School Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Emmanuel College in Boston, MA.

Monsanto's Durham Office Recognized

The Durham Research Triangle Park site for the seed and agriculture products company Monsanto Co. was recognized Friday by the N.C. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Division for its safety and health management program with the “Rising Star” award.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Insomniac Games Launches 'Fuse'

Insomniac Games, which has a Durham office, has launched 'Fuse,' a game that allows players to switch characters.

RTI Executive Receives Achievement Lifetime Award

Josephine Mauskopf, vice president of health economics at RTI Health Solutions, a business unit of RTI International, received the 2013 Avedis Donabedian Outcomes Research Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research.

Durham Startup Rubycube Launches Autism App

Interactive animation is the basis of a new mobile app from Durham startup Rubycube, which is targeting children with high-functioning autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other conditions.

Duke Men's Lacrosse Team Wins National Title

The Duke University Men's Lacrosse team has captured the national title, beating Syracuse 16-10.

Duke Engineers Discover New Method for Producing Clean Hydrogen

Duke University engineers have developed a novel method for producing clean hydrogen, which could prove essential to weaning society off of fossil fuels and their environmental implications.

Friday, May 24, 2013

The King’s Daughters Inn Hires New General Manager


The King’s Daughters Inn has welcomed new General Manager Lora Brooker, previous general manager of Magnolia Grill to the luxury inn.

Duke Reappoints Baker as Trinity Dean for Academic Affairs

Professor Lee D. Baker has been reappointed as dean of academic affairs of Trinity College and associate vice provost for undergraduate education at Duke University.

Durham Nativity School Raises $52,000 for Scholarship Fund


Durham Nativity School’s net proceeds from this year’s 4th Annual benefit concert were $52,000, the school’s director Richard Burton announced.

Scioderm Raises $16M in April

Dermatology startup Scioderm has raised $16 million in April from two investors.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Duke Wrestling Honored for Academic Excellence

The Duke University wrestling team recently was honored by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) for its excellence in the classroom this past season. The Blue Devils ranked 10th as a team in grade point average, while two Duke wrestlers were among the 82 Division I wrestlers honored for their academic work.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Durham's Tryton gets European Approval for its Stents


Durham-based Tryton Medical received European approval for a new kind of stent- that tube surgeons use in vessels during bypass surgery.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Duke Player Named Parade Player of the Year Finalist

Duke University incoming freshman Kianna Holland has been named one of six finalists for the Parade Magazine National High School Player of the Year.

DDI Names New President

Downtown Durham Inc. has named Geoffrey Durham, the economic development manager for the city of Fairfax, Va., as its new president and CEO.

Monday, May 20, 2013

Bayer CropScience Grows in RTP

Bayer CropScience recently opened 40,000 square feet of laboratory and other space at its North American headquarters in Durham's Research Triangle Park, where the company plans to do crop protection and environmental science research.

Duke Cycling Takes Second Straight National Title

Duke Cycling defending its national title in the team trial competition in Antelope Island, Utah, defeating the likes of Stanford, MIT, University of Colorado-Boulder, Yale and others.

Dynamik Duo Desserts Opens


In the location of what was previously the Carolina Cake Co. in the University Center shopping center, the Dynamik Duo Desserts bakery has opened. It’s located off West Main Street near its intersection with Hillsborough Road, and offers cakes, pies, cheesecakes, cookies, cupcakes, cake pops and other items.

Friday, May 17, 2013

Pop-up exhibit focuses on history of Durham’s N.C. Mutual

A pop-up exhibit focused on the history of Durham-based N.C. Mutual Life Insurance Co. will be held Sunday at the Durham History Hub.

RDU To Open Four New Retail Shops in Terminal 1

Terminal 1, the terminal that’s being renovated at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport, will have four new retail stores when it opens again in March 2014. Merchandise at the stores will include women’s clothing, accessories, high-tech gadgets and regional gifts.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Monday, May 13, 2013

Duke Elects Rubenstein to Chair of Board of Trustees, approves 2013-14 Budget

The Duke University Board of Trustees has elected David M. Rubenstein as its new chair and approved the 2013-14 budget.

DiabetesSisters Elects New Board Member

Vicki Norris, director of marketing and communications for Hill, Chesson & Woody, has joined the DiabetesSisters’ board of directors.

RTF Elects New Board memebrers

Jack Cecil, president of Biltmore Farms LLC, and Kimberly Jenkins, a serial entrepreneur and program director for the Duke in Silicon Valley initiative, were elected to join the Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina Board of Directors

Friday, May 10, 2013

Duke Announces 2013 Distinguished Professorsv


Duke University has awarded distinguished professorships to 25 members of its faculty.

Perry contracts to buy Liberty Warehouse


Chapel Hill developer Roger Perry has signed a contract to buy the Liberty Warehouse complex, with an eye toward redeveloping the site with a mix of homes and commercial space.

Shiki Sushi Reopens Under New Name, Tasu Asian Bistro



After a renovation, Durham's Shiki Sushi Asian Bistro, Sushi & Bar is now open and operating under its new name, Tasu Asian Bistro, Sushi & Bar, in a neighboring, renovated space at the Homestead Market shopping center off N.C. 54 near its intersection with Fayetteville Road.

Apartment Complex to Break Ground

A groundbreaking ceremony will be Wednesday for the $46.1 million collegiate apartment complex now known as 605 West at 605 W. Chapel Hill St. in Durham.

Durham Public Schools Names "Teacher of the Year"

Durham Public Schools has named Cynthia Watkins, a 22-year veteran educator who has taught for three years at Spring Valley Elementary School the "Teacher of the Year."

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Quintiles Stock Begins Trading on NYSE

Durham-based Quintiles announced that it will offer its common stock for purchase by the public at a price of $40 on Thursday, when its stock starts trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Durham's Delta Rae Featured on True Blood Season Six Trailer

Durham band, Delta Rae's song "Bottom of the River" has been featured on the television show True Blood's season six trailer.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Precision BioSciences Announces Patent Lawsuit Win

Precision BioSciences Inc. announced Monday that it has received a favorable verdict in a patent infringement lawsuit brought by the French company Cellectis.

Triangle Brewing Co. Plans Expansion


The owners of Triangle Brewing Co., a production brewery in Durham that makes beer to sell in grocery stores, restaurants and at other venues, are planning to buy a 22,000-square foot-building at 812 Mallard St.where they could open a taproom.

Durham Bulls Will Be Sticking Around


The Durham City Council approved a lease agreement Monday that will keep the Durham Bulls in Durham Bulls Athletic Park for at least the next 20 years and create a structure for future upgrades to the stadium.

Monday, May 6, 2013

Duke to Offer 10 New Coursera Classes This Year

Duke University will continue its experimentation with online learning with the addition of 10 faculty offering new courses through the Coursera platform in the coming year.

Durham Resident Recognized With Insurance Award

Durham resident Roberta Weinman was named a top 2012 national producer of long-term care insurance by the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance.

Schwehm Promoted to RTI VP

Philip Schwehm has been promoted to vice president of RTI International’s Governance and Economic Development Division

Little Dipper Fondue Opens in Brightleaf Square

The fondue restaurant The Little Dipper has opened in Brightleaf Square.

Friday, May 3, 2013

Mast Cells Give Clues in Diagnosis, Treatment of Dengue

A protein produced by mast cells in the immune system may predict which people infected with dengue virus will develop life-threatening complications, according to researchers at Duke Medicine and Duke-National University of Singapore (Duke-NUS).

Duke Researchers Identify Gene Mutations Associated with Nearsightedness

Mutations in a gene that helps regulate copper and oxygen levels in eye tissue are associated with a severe form of nearsightedness, according to a Duke Medicine study published in the American Journal of Human Genetics on May 2, 2013.

Duke Researchers Make Primate Hibernation Discovery

Duke researchers have discovered that primate hibernation is more common than previously thought.

Studio B Architecture Changes Name to BuildSense Architecture PC

Studio B Architecture has changed its name to BuildSense Architecture PC

Durham Receives Three Triangle CREW Champion Awards



Durham was well represented with three 2013 Triangle CREW Champion Awards. William “Bill” KalkHof received the Impact Award for his Durham revitalization efforts with Downtown Durham Inc.;The Measurement Building received the "Best Development Project - Private" award; and 502 Rigsbee Ave took the prize for "Green or Sustainability"





Jabari Parker Signs With Duke Men's Basketball

Top recruit Jabari Parker has signed to play basketball with the Duke University Blue Devils.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Rep. Ross resigning to join Triangle Transit

Democratic state Rep. Deborah Ross said she is resigning from the General Assembly and plans to join Triangle Transit Authority as its general counsel in June.

Duke Faculty Honor Four Students as Faculty Scholars

Duke faculty has honored four students as Faculty Scholars. Daniel Stern and Katherine Zhang were recognized for their independent study and potential for innovative scholarship.  Honorable mention went to Madeline McKelway and Caitlin Finn.

Duke Announces Olympic Sports Awards

Four Duke student-athletes were chosen by the Duke Sports Performance staff as the recipients of the Olympic Sports Performance Student-Athletes of the Year, and four others received Duke’s Live Strong Award for overcoming adversity in their pursuit to return to their sports.

Square 1 Bank Expands from Durham to Pacific Northwest


Durham-based Square 1, will move Rilus Graham, vice president of life sciences, to manage Square 1’s life sciences portfolio for the Northwest and the Rocky Mountains.


Durham Company Aims to Change Kidney Dialysis Process


Humacyte Inc.’s bioengineered blood vessel technology has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for an investigational new drug application to conduct a multi-center U.S. clinical trial. The company hopes the vessels will help provide better access for dialysis in End-Stage Renal Disease patients.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Regado BioSciences Files $75 million IPO

Duke University spin-off Regado BioSciences has filed a $75 million initial public offering.

Quintiles Set to Go Public May 10


Durham's Quintiles is set to go public on May 10 with a range of $36 to $40 per share, the $750 million deal would make Quintiles the third-largest IPO so far this year.

Duke IGSP Director Elected to National Academy of Sciences

Huntington Willard, the founding director of the Duke Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences. Membership in the NAS is one of the highest honors given to a scientist in the United States.

David M. Rubenstein Gives $10 million to Duke

Duke University trustee David M. Rubenstein is giving $10 million to the Sanford School of Public Policy to endow graduate fellowships and undergraduate internships, and to create a fund that will enhance the school’s engagement with the policy world.