Category Archives: Students

Nearly $1 million grant from SunTrust Foundation to NCGrowth will help economically challenged communities in the Carolinas hire locally

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Nearly $1 million grant from SunTrust Foundation to NCGrowth will help economically challenged communities in the Carolinas hire locally

 

(Chapel Hill, N.C. – Aug. 2, 2018) – The SunTrust Foundation will give a nearly $1 million grant to NCGrowth, an affiliated center of the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, to help create new jobs and stimulate transformative development in three high-potential communities in the Carolinas. These business incubators will help startup companies hire local workers in an effort to address issues such as unemployment, underemployment, low wages and significant poverty.

 

NCGrowth, an affiliated center of UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School’s Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, will use the $950,000 grant to launch SmartUp programs in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and North Charleston, South Carolina. There are plans to select a third location in the Carolinas in the coming months. The SmartUp program from NCGrowth works to create jobs with equitable opportunities in rural and economically challenged communities in the Carolinas.

 

“Through SmartUp, as in all of NCGrowth’s work, we are seeking to radically transform how communities view their role in economic development, from being passengers to becoming drivers,” said Mark Little, executive director of the Kenan Institute.

 

The SmartUp programs in each selected region will partner with up to 10 businesses that span a range of industries and maturity levels. The selected businesses will also reflect local gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic demographics. Together, the SmartUp teams and businesses will strive to create more jobs for local workers through financial and marketing analysis, redesign of manufacturing workflows and more. SmartUp also will partner with existing organizations, such as local development offices, universities, businesses and churches to create a support network for local job creation in these communities.

 

“The SmartUp initiative fits perfectly with our commitment to entrepreneurism and helping small businesses gain financial confidence and smart growth,” said Stan Little, president of the SunTrust Foundation. “The program has potential to drive broader economic development by replicating its innovative approach in other communities that need assistance.”

 

To maximize the opportunity for transformative development, the businesses selected to work with NCGrowth staff and community partners will develop and complete a high-impact project critical to sustainable growth and regional success. SmartUp will also work to integrate the community in that growth through semiannual workshops and showcases that are open to the public.

 

“By eliminating the expense of physical space, along with being rooted in an academic institution and engaging a broad base of existing local collaborators, we can keep the cost of the program low to ensure it is accessible to more communities,” said LaChaun Banks, associate director of NCGrowth.

 

The grant counts toward For All Kind: the Campaign for Carolina, the University’s historic fundraising drive that aims to raise $4.25 billion by Dec. 31, 2022. The campaign supports the Blueprint for Next, the University’s overall strategic plan built on two core strategies: “of the public, for the public” and “innovation made fundamental.”

 

-Carolina-

 

About the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the nation’s first public university, is a global higher education leader known for innovative teaching, research and public service. A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, Carolina regularly ranks as the best value for academic quality in U.S. public higher education. Now in its third century, the University offers 77 bachelor’s, 111 master’s, 65 doctorate and seven professional degree programs through 14 schools and the College of Arts and Sciences. Every day, faculty, staff and students shape their teaching, research and public service to meet North Carolina’s most pressing needs in every region and all 100 counties. Carolina’s nearly 330,000 alumni live in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and 149 countries. More than 169,000 live in North Carolina.

 

About NCGrowth

NCGrowth, an affiliated center of the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, helps businesses and communities create good jobs and equitable opportunities for their people. In partnership with other universities and community organizations, NCGrowth provides technical assistance to businesses and governments on economic development and entrepreneurship projects. Since 2012, NCGrowth has helped to create over 400 jobs and worked with more than 60 clients.

 

About the SunTrust Foundation

The SunTrust Foundation is dedicated to SunTrust Bank’s purpose of Lighting the Way to Financial Well-Being by engaging organizations to advance financial confidence. Grants and activities focus primarily on financial empowerment, but also include education, health and human services, civic improvement and cultural growth. The SunTrust Foundation supports American Red Cross disaster relief efforts and contributes as a United Way Global Corporate Leader. Established in 2008, the SunTrust Foundation has proudly provided grants totaling more than $128 million throughout the United States.

 

University Communications: Media Relations, (919) 445-8555, mediarelations@unc.edu

Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise: MacKenzie Babb, (919) 843-6021, MacKenzie_Babb@kenan-flagler.unc.edu

SunTrust Foundation: Audria Belton, (404) 813-3664, Audria.Belton@SunTrust.com

Carolina Performing Arts drives community collaboration, artistic creation with grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

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Carolina Performing Arts drives community collaboration, artistic creation with grant from
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

 

(Chapel Hill, N.C.— July 13, 2018) – A $1.5 million grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to Carolina Performing Arts at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will fund a new initiative for community co-creation. As the largest grant Mellon has invested in Carolina Performing Arts to date, this funding makes a transformative vision of community engagement possible: collaborative creation in the arts that is informed by faculty research and driven by students.

 

The Creative Futures initiative will feature a series of multi-year artistic projects that engage artists, communities, faculty and students in co-creative partnerships. These partnerships will empower communities to express their creativity and channel relevant issues. Creative Futures will enrich university teaching and learning as Carolina Performing Arts pioneers a new model for commissioning art.

 

“The ideas outlined in this grant are the distillation of a philosophical shift at our organization, affirming the idea that joining the arts, scholarship and community can be a driver of powerful change,” said Emil Kang, Carolina Performing Arts executive and artistic director. “We are grateful to the Mellon Foundation for this partnership in helping us continue to imagine new goals and realize them.”

 

Four artists, versed in artistic collaboration and social practice, will be selected as Creative Futures team organizers. Artists will work with faculty engaged in community-based research and local partners to identify relevant issues. Faculty and students complete the creative triangles by adding scholarship, learning and co-curricular partnerships. Undergraduate students will have the opportunity to earn service-learning course credit during their involvement with Creative Futures. The co-creative teams will explore diverse themes drawn from the communities such as gentrification, free speech, women’s empowerment and community health.

 

“While the projects that grow out of these collaborations might not all be performance-based, they will all be participatory, collaborative and community-based,” said Kang.

 

The grant also includes funding for graduate assistants, a project director and undergraduate experiences stemming from the initiative. The CURRENT ArtSpace + Studio, which opened in February 2018, will serve as the artistic and community home for Creative Futures.

 

“The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is pleased to support Carolina Performing Arts’ visionary approach,” said Mellon Foundation Senior Program Officer Dianne Harris. “With this experiment in co-creation, Carolina Performing Arts will empower communities through opportunities for collective self-expression, enrich faculty research and teaching, deepen undergraduate investment in local communities, create bridges between the campus and its surrounding community, and test a new working prototype for creative and performing artists.”

 

Since 2011, the Mellon Foundation has invested $4.69 million in Carolina Performing Arts. In 2012, the Mellon Foundation funded Carolina Performing Arts’ Arts@TheCore initiative to make the arts an integral part of the educational experience. In 2016, the Mellon Foundation granted $1 million for the DisTIL, Discovery Through Iterative Learning, Fellowship program creating opportunities for visiting artists to collaborate with Carolina faculty and community over multiple semesters.

 

Carolina Performing Arts is one of the campuswide partners in the University’s Arts Everywhere initiative. With the belief that the arts are an essential tool for learning and engaging communities, the Arts Everywhere initiative launched in 2016 with a mission to embed the arts into daily life at Carolina. Arts Everywhere is also a Signature Initiative of the University’s historic $4.25 billion fundraising campaign, For All Kind: the Campaign for Carolina.

 

Information about participating artists and the call for community involvement in Creative Futures is expected to be announced in spring of 2019.

-Carolina-

 

About the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill



The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the nation’s first public university, is a global higher education leader known for innovative teaching, research and public service. A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, Carolina regularly ranks as the best value for academic quality in U.S. public higher education. Now in its third century, the University offers 77 bachelor’s, 111 master’s, 65 doctorate and seven professional degree programs through 14 schools and the College of Arts and Sciences. Every day, faculty, staff and students shape their teaching, research and public service to meet North Carolina’s most pressing needs in every region and all 100 counties. Carolina’s more than 323,000 alumni live in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and 149 countries. More than 169,000 live in North Carolina.

 

About Carolina Performing Arts

The core of the mission at Carolina Performing Arts is to curate and present exceptional arts experiences that inspire and provoke our local and global community. Carolina Performing Arts nurtures artists and the development of new works. It challenges and inspires audiences with experiences to foster opportunities for discovery, thought and important social discourse. Carolina Performing Arts solidifies the bonds between the arts and academics through work that integrates the arts into the life of the University and its students.

 

University Communications: Carly Miller, (919) 445-8555, mediarelations@unc.edu

Carolina Performing Arts: Christina Rodriguez, (919) 962-6222, crodrig@unc.edu

University Development Marketing: Kim Elenez, (919) 962-1628, kelenez@unc.edu

Burcu Bozkurt receives Soros Fellowship for New Americans

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Burcu Bozkurt receives Soros Fellowship for New Americans

 

(Chapel Hill, N.C.—May 8, 2018) – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill graduate student Burcu Bozkurt was selected as one of the 2018 recipients of The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans. Originally from Istanbul, Bozkurt immigrated to North Carolina with her family when she was seven years old. In 2012, Bozkurt graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a bachelor of science in public health degree in health policy and management, with a second major in global studies focused on international politics and Latin American studies.

 

“This fellowship is a wonderful acknowledgement of the importance and impact of Burcu’s work in the field of global public health,” said Chancellor Carol L. Folt. “I am very excited for Burcu and have no doubt that she’ll make the most of this opportunity to create more equitable health care for all populations, particularly for those most in need.”

 

As an undergraduate, Bozkurt worked with public health organizations in Bangladesh and conducted research in Vietnam as a Mahatma Gandhi Fellow and Phillips Ambassador. She co-founded the International Youth Alliance for Family Planning after graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill. As a result of her work with the organization, she was recognized by the Gates Institute as one of 40 global reproductive health leaders under 40 in 2016. She has also worked in public health as a researcher, lobbyist and consultant. Citing her parents’ incredible work ethic and deep commitment to the pursuit of social justice, Bozkurt is committed to driving progress on important public health issues globally.

 

Bozkurt is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in health policy and management at the Gillings School of Global Public Health as a member of The Graduate School’s Royster Society of Fellows. She plans to dedicate her studies and career to ensuring equitable health care for all populations, especially vulnerable ones.

 

“Burcu Bozkurt is truly a remarkable young woman,” said Dean Barbara Rimer of Gillings School of Global Public Health. “She’s really smart, but what stands out is her awesome combination of grit and determination, even in the face of adversity, which she and her family experienced as immigrants, and compassion. We are so proud of Burcu and confident that she will contribute to achieving more equitable health care on a global scale.”

 

The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans grants up to $90,000 to 30 immigrants and children of immigrants for two years of graduate study in any field and in any program in the United States. In addition to funding, each new fellow joins a prestigious community of past recipients. The fellowship seeks applicants who are likely to make significant contributions to society, culture or their academic fields.

 

“Burcu is UNC-Chapel Hill’s sixth Soros Fellow,” said Professor Inger Brodey, Director of the Office of Distinguished Scholarships. “We are proud of Burcu’s achievements and know she will continue to contribute to providing equitable access to health care, especially for youth and women around the world.”

 

 

-Carolina-

  

Photo of Bozkurt: https://bit.ly/2JTQytw

 

 

About the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the nation’s first public university, is a global higher education leader known for innovative teaching, research and public service. A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, Carolina regularly ranks as the best value for academic quality in U.S. public higher education. Now in its third century, the University offers 77 bachelor’s, 111 master’s, 65 doctorate and seven professional degree programs through 14 schools and the College of Arts and Sciences. Every day, faculty, staff and students shape their teaching, research and public service to meet North Carolina’s most pressing needs in every region and all 100 counties. Carolina’s more than 322,000 alumni live in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and 165 countries. More than 175,000 live in North Carolina.

 

 

Office of Distinguished Scholarships contacts: Inger Brodey, (919) 843-0965, brodey@email.unc.edu and Maggie Douglas, (919) 843-7757, mdouglas@unc.edu

 

University Communications: Media Relations, (919) 445-8555, mediarelations@unc.edu

 

 

UNC-Chapel Hill senior selected as James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Program recipient

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UNC-Chapel Hill senior selected as James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Program recipient

 

Frances Reuland is also an Honors Carolina student and Phi Beta Kappa inductee

 

(Chapel Hill, N.C.— April 3, 2018) – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill senior Frances Reuland has been selected for the elite James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Program run by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She is UNC-Chapel Hill’s second recipient of this one-year award. The Junior Fellows Program provides substantive work experience at the Carnegie Endowment for students and recent graduates with career interests in international affairs.

 

Reuland, 21, will graduate in May 2018 with a double major in environmental sciences and Hispanic literature and culture and a minor in chemistry. She is the daughter of Daniel Reuland and Paula Paradis from Chapel Hill.

 

“Frances’s extraordinary service to others has ranged from tutoring in our local communities to surveying environmental health conditions in Malawi,” said Chancellor Carol L. Folt. “This is a wonderful opportunity for Frances to expand further her global horizons following her success at Carolina as a student-scholar-athlete. I have no doubt that her climate and energy studies – combined with her dedication to helping people – will contribute to our world’s understanding of significant environmental challenges.”

 

Reuland is one of only 12 fellows selected for the prestigious Junior Fellows Program. She will work full time at the Carnegie Endowment in Washington, D.C., as a paid research assistant to the endowment’s senior associates in the Energy and Climate Program.

 

“I’m honored to become a Junior Fellow at Carnegie and am incredibly excited to learn about and contribute to research on national and international energy and climate issues,” said Reuland. “I’m very grateful for the opportunities and support at UNC-Chapel Hill that have helped me get to this spot.”

 

At Carolina, Reuland was a first-year walk-on to the women’s varsity soccer team. An Honors Carolina student, Phi Beta Kappa inductee and Buckley Public Service Scholar, Reuland won the NCAA Elite 90 Award in 2016, awarded to student athletes with the highest grade-point averages in the NCAA finals. Reuland’s research interests took her to Malawi, where she surveyed environmental health conditions in health care facilities. She earned an Honors Thesis Research Award to support her honors thesis on the same topic. Reuland was a volunteer translator for the Center for Latino Health at UNC Hospitals and a volunteer tutor for the English as a Second Program at Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.

 

“Frances is an impressive scholar-athlete-researcher. We are delighted that she will have this opportunity at the Carnegie Foundation to meet world leaders in energy and climate change, and to learn about how policy decisions can be informed by cutting-edge research,” said Professor Inger Brodey, director of the Office of Distinguished Scholarships. “She will also be in a position to continue her own research on the effects of climate change on water, energy and health care.”

 

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, one of the world’s leading think tanks specializing in international affairs, conducts programs of research, discussion, publication and education in international relations and U.S. foreign policy. Each year the endowment offers approximately 10–15 one-year fellowships to uniquely qualified graduating seniors and individuals who have graduated during the past academic year. The program was recently named in honor of Jim Gaither, the former chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Carnegie Endowment. Junior Fellows receive a monthly salary equivalent to $38,000 annually and a generous benefits package.

 

 

-Carolina-

  

Photo of Reuland: https://bit.ly/2GAmkxF

  

About the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the nation’s first public university, is a global higher education leader known for innovative teaching, research and public service. A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, Carolina regularly ranks as the best value for academic quality in U.S. public higher education. Now in its third century, the University offers 77 bachelor’s, 111 master’s, 65 doctorate and seven professional degree programs through 14 schools and the College of Arts and Sciences. Every day, faculty, staff and students shape their teaching, research and public service to meet North Carolina’s most pressing needs in every region and all 100 counties. Carolina’s more than 322,000 alumni live in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and 165 countries. More than 175,000 live in North Carolina.

 

Office of Distinguished Scholarships contacts: Inger Brodey, (919) 843-0965, brodey@email.unc.edu and Maggie Douglas, (919) 843-7757, mdouglas@unc.edu

 

University Communications: Media Relations, (919) 445-8555, mediarelations@unc.edu

 

UNC-Chapel Hill and United Health Foundation Launch New $1.6 Million Partnership to Help Train and Diversify Next Generation of Health Data Experts

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  • Training will take place through “Project ENABLE” – Extensible Network-Accessible Biomedical & Health Informatics Lifelong Learning Environment
  • Program expands access to training programs for minority undergraduate students from local Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
  • Funding supports the launch of online and classroom interdisciplinary training through UNC-Chapel Hill’s Carolina Health Informatics Program

 

(Chapel Hill, N.C. — Jan. 23, 2018) — To help address the growing need for a larger and more diverse workforce of health care data analysts, technologists and experts, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and United Health Foundation are expanding access to health care data and informatics educational and professional development resources through the University’s Carolina Health Informatics Program.

 

A three-year, $1.6 million grant from United Health Foundation to UNC-Chapel Hill will create “Project ENABLE,” the Extensible Network-Accessible Biomedical & Health Informatics Lifelong Learning Environment. The initiative will deliver high-quality biomedical and health informatics training – both online and in person – to people who currently lack access to training. It will focus on minority undergraduate students considering health informatics careers, as well as working professionals needing to advance their health informatics skills.

 

“Our university is committed to tackling tough problems and training the next generation of diverse leaders,” said Chancellor Carol L. Folt. “We are grateful for United Health Foundation’s support and partnership to expand educational and training resources in the health care technology and analytics field. This partnership means more students, especially minority students, from across our state, will have the opportunity to tackle the tough challenges in our health care system.”

 

This workforce development effort will support the nation’s growing need for health informatics experts, as more health care services rely on electronic records and incorporate patient and population data into decision making.  A recent report from the National Academy of Sciences shows that while underrepresented minority groups comprised 28.5 percent of the national population, they represent just 9.1 percent of college-educated Americans in science and engineering occupations.  This new initiative will address both of these challenges.

 

Funding Supports Boot Camp for Minority Students, New Online Master’s Degree Program

The grant will support three specific programmatic activities within Project ENABLE:

 

  • Creation of in-person summer boot camps for minority undergraduate students from local HBCUs to expose students to health informatics principles and encourage them to explore advanced training and health informatics careers. The first boot camp is scheduled to begin this summer.

 

  • Development of new health informatics online course content, based upon the boot camps, that introduces health informatics to a cross-section of students and working professionals.

 

  • Creation of a new online master’s degree to help working professionals develop expertise in health informatics, with a focus on data analytics, visualizations, statistics and database systems.

 

“I thank United Health Foundation for partnering with UNC-Chapel Hill and the Carolina Health Informatics Program to help expand access to the types of training and programs our states’ workers need to learn new skills and expertise in health care technology,” said Gov. Roy Cooper. “This is especially important for students enrolled in historically black colleges and universities who will see expanded training and educational opportunities because of this partnership.”

 

“We are grateful to partner with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to help create a 21st century health workforce ready to meet the health care needs of North Carolina, and the nation,” said UnitedHealth Group CEO David S. Wichmann.  “Investing in people’s skills and their education is critical in maximizing innovation in health care that will help people live healthier lives and help the health care system work better for everyone.”

 

-Carolina-

 

About the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill



The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the nation’s first public university, is a global higher education leader known for innovative teaching, research and public service. A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, Carolina regularly ranks as the best value for academic quality in U.S. public higher education. Now in its third century, the University offers 77 bachelor’s, 111 master’s, 65 doctorate and seven professional degree programs through 14 schools and the College of Arts and Sciences. Every day, faculty, staff and students shape their teaching, research and public service to meet North Carolina’s most pressing needs in every region and all 100 counties. Carolina’s more than 322,000 alumni live in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and 165 countries. More than 175,000 live in North Carolina.

 

About United Health Foundation

Through collaboration with community partners, grants and outreach efforts, United Health Foundation works to improve our health system, build a diverse and dynamic health workforce and enhance the well-being of local communities. United Health Foundation was established by UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) in 1999 as a not-for-profit, private foundation dedicated to improving health and health care. To date, United Health Foundation has committed nearly $315 million to programs and communities around the world. We invite you to learn more at www.unitedhealthgroup.com/SocialResponsibility or follow Facebook.com/UHGGives.

 

University Communications: Jeni Cook, (919) 962-2091, jeni.cook@unc.edu

 

United Health Foundation: L.D. Platt, (202) 413-7763, ld_platt@uhg.com

 

Governor’s Press Office: Jamal Little, (919) 814-2100, ncpress@nc.gov

 

UNC-Chapel Hill’s Arts Everywhere initiative launches free app to connect community with the arts on campus

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The Arts Everywhere App launch coincides with an exciting, week-long residency with the innovative Dorrance Dance company

 

(Chapel Hill, N.C.— Jan. 22, 2018) – Today, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Arts Everywhere initiative launched a new mobile app that will serve as a one-stop shop to connect the campus and the wider community to art experiences happening at the University.

 

With the belief that the arts are an essential tool for learning and engaging communities, Chancellor Carol L. Folt launched Arts Everywhere in 2016. This groundbreaking campus-wide initiative invests in sustained creative practice, live arts experiences and arts learning, with the goal of making Carolina a leader in transforming the 21st-century liberal arts education.

 

Arts Everywhere is a strategic initiative that supports the Innovation Made Fundamental pillar of The Blueprint for Next framework and also a signature initiative in the University’s $4.25 billion fundraising effort, the Campaign for Carolina.

 

“The Arts Everywhere app is our next step forward as we highlight the importance of the arts to Carolina’s core teaching, research and service missions,” said Chancellor Carol L. Folt. “We are committed to making our arts initiatives, departments and programs even more visible, and to supporting them as they continue to inspire innovation, discussion and reflection about creativity and the world.”

 

The Arts Everywhere app, now available to download for iPhone and Android, allows users to find out about all UNC-Chapel Hill arts events in one place. The app is one of the most comprehensive university arts app and provide users with custom recommendations based on their interests. The app makes it easy to find out what is trending in the arts across campus, invite friends to events and explore new artists.

 

“Art is not only something you see, art is something you can do, you can experience and something you can share,” said Emil Kang, Special Assistant to the Chancellor for the Arts. “It fosters a discussion and a connection with people around you. This app is designed to strengthen that connection for anyone on our campus.”

 

In conjunction with the launch of the app, the renowned and innovative tap company Dorrance Dance returns to campus for a week-long residency to include a visit to the BeAM Makerspace to create wooden taps for dance shoes and a series of exciting pop-up performances. On Wednesday, Michelle Dorrance, MacArthur “Genius Grant” winning dancer and choreographer and the company’s founder, will participate in a public conversation alongside her father, UNC Women’s Soccer Head Coach Anson Dorrance.

 

Arts Events on Campus Week of Jan. 22:

  • Monday, Jan. 22: Lunch time pop-up performance by Dorrance Dance at Top of Lenoir and an evening performance by Isabel Leonard, mezzo-soprano in Memorial Hall
  • Tuesday, Jan. 23: Pop-up freestyle dance battles featuring Dorrance Dance and soccer freestyle sensation Indi Cowie around campus
  • Wednesday, Jan. 24: The Art of Excellence – A public conversation with Michelle Dorrance and UNC Women’s Soccer Head Coach Anson Dorrance in Gerrard Hall
  • Thursday, Jan. 25: Pop-up dance performance featuring Dorrance Dance
  • Friday, Jan. 26: Becoming a Woman in the Age of Enlightenment: French Art from the Horvitz Collection at the Ackland Art Museum

 

Media members who wish to cover any of the above events should contact Carly Swain in the Media Relations Office for more information at (919) 445-8555 or carly.swain@unc.edu.

 

-Carolina-

 

About the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill:

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the nation’s first public university, is a global higher education leader known for innovative teaching, research and public service. A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, Carolina regularly ranks as the best value for academic quality in U.S. public higher education. Now in its third century, the University offers 77 bachelor’s, 111 master’s, 65 doctorate and seven professional degree programs through 14 schools and the College of Arts and Sciences. Every day, faculty, staff and students shape their teaching, research and public service to meet North Carolina’s most pressing needs in every region and all 100 counties. Carolina’s more than 322,000 alumni live in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and 165 countries. More than 175,000 live in North Carolina.

 

About Arts Everywhere: 

Arts Everywhere is a groundbreaking, campus-wide arts initiative supported by the Office of the Chancellor at UNC-Chapel Hill. With the core belief that the arts are an essential tool for learning and engaging communities, this long-term initiative aims to revolutionize academics and enhance public service at Carolina by investing in sustained creative practice, live arts experiences and arts learning, with the goal of making the Carolina a leader in transforming the 21st century liberal arts education.

 

University Communications: Carly Swain, (919) 445-8555, mediarelations@unc.edu
Arts Everywhere: Rachel Ash, (919) 843-9088, Rachel_ash@unc.edu

Veterans Day events scheduled at UNC-Chapel Hill

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Media Advisory: not for publication

(Chapel Hill, N.C.— Nov. 9, 2017) – UNC-Chapel Hill students, faculty and staff will join community members to honor veterans on Friday, November 10, during two events on campus.

 

Tar Heel Tribute:

Three university offices partnered to host a networking event and breakfast for student and employee veterans beginning at 8:30 a.m. at The Carolina Club (inside the George Watts Hill Alumni Center). The Tar Heel Tribute program begins at 9 a.m. with the presentation of the Colors, followed by remarks from student veteran Frankie Bergos, Chancellor Carol L. Folt and others.

On site contact: Carly Swain: (704) 305-1838.

 

Veterans Day Ceremony:

The UNC-Chapel Hill ROTC will host a Veterans Day ceremony at 11 a.m. at the Alumni Memorial (between Phillips and Memorial halls, along E. Cameron Avenue). ROTC members will be present, in uniform, for the presentation of Colors and remarks from Major General Peggy Wilmoth, U.S. Army Reserves (retired) and executive dean and associate dean academic affairs at UNC’s School of Nursing.

On site contact: Carly Swain: (704) 305-1838.

 

For more information on programs and services tailored to the military-affiliated population at Carolina, please visit this site.

 

–Carolina–

 

About the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the nation’s first public university, is a global higher education leader known for innovative teaching, research and public service. A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, Carolina regularly ranks as the best value for academic quality in U.S. public higher education. Now in its third century, the University offers 77 bachelor’s, 111 master’s, 65 doctorate and seven professional degree programs through 14 schools and the College of Arts and Sciences. Every day, faculty, staff and students shape their teaching, research and public service to meet North Carolina’s most pressing needs in every region and all 100 counties. Carolina’s more than 322,000 alumni live in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and 165 countries. More than 175,000 live in North Carolina.

 

University Communications: Media Relations, (919) 445-8555, mediarelations@unc.edu

 

UNC-Chapel Hill exceeds challenge by $25 million, raising $65 million for scholarships

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(Chapel Hill, N.C. – Oct. 12, 2017) – The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill celebrated its 224th anniversary and announced that the one-year Give for Good: Scholarship Challenge raised more than $65 million to support the Carolina Covenant and the Morehead-Cain scholarship.

 

One year ago, Chancellor Carol L. Folt announced the challenge, prompted by a $20 million gift from an anonymous donor. The donor made the gift as tandem $10 million challenges to double the amount, in order to help bring the best and brightest students to Carolina. More than 2,300 additional donors responded, contributing more than $45 million.

 

As Chancellor Folt announced today during the University Day ceremony and celebration, “I’m thrilled to report that we more than met the challenge issued by this generous anonymous donor. While he hoped to double the challenge gift, we ended up raising more than $65 million, more than tripling the original gift, all for student scholarships.”

 

Gifts to the challenge count toward The Carolina Edge, a Campaign for Carolina signature initiative that aims to raise $1 billion to support undergraduate scholarships, graduate fellowships and professional school financial aid. The campaign launched publicly Oct. 6, 2017, with an overall goal of $4.25 billion.

 

Launched in 2004, the Carolina Covenant scholarship program is a groundbreaking initiative that affords children of low-income families — many of whom are first-generation college students — an opportunity to attend Carolina without borrowing a penny. The program supports UNC-Chapel Hill’s mission of staying truly public and provides intellectually driven, hard-working young individuals the chance to study at one of the most prestigious public universities in the country — and the freedom to pave a future unburdened by college debt regardless of their background. Since its beginning, the scholarship program has enabled more than 6,500 high performing, low-income students to attend Carolina and graduate debt free. The Give for Good: Scholarship Challenge will help ensure the Carolina Covenant continues to thrive at Carolina.

 

Since its founding in 1945, the Morehead-Cain Foundation — home of the first merit-based scholarship program in the country — has connected the world’s most talented, high-achieving young leaders to a fully funded UNC-Chapel Hill undergraduate experience. More than 3,100 scholars have benefited from the program since its inception, channeling academic and leadership potential to make a positive and profound impact on the lives of others, beginning on campus and continuing after graduation. Funds raised by the Give for Good: Scholarship Challenge will help increase the number of scholars the program can bring to Carolina.

 

 

“We’re thrilled that we more than met the challenge issued by our anonymous donor,” said David Routh, vice chancellor for development. “This is one more example of the great momentum donors have provided to carry us into the public phase of the Campaign for Carolina.”

 

 

-Carolina-

 

 

About the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the nation’s first public university, is a global higher education leader known for innovative teaching, research and public service. A member of the prestigious Association of the American Universities, Carolina regularly ranks as the best value for academic quality in the U.S. public higher education. Now in its third century, the University offers 77 bachelor’s, 110 master’s, 64 doctorate and 7 professional degree programs through 14 schools and the College of Arts and Sciences. Every day, faculty, staff and students shape their teaching, research, and public service to meet North Carolina’s most pressing needs in every region and all 100 counties. Carolina’s more than 322,000 alumni live in all 50 states and 165 counties. More than 175,000 live in North Carolina.

 

University Development: Kim Elenez, (919) 962-1628, kelenez@email.unc.edu

University Communications: Media Relations, (919) 445-8555, mediarelations@unc.edu

 

UNC-Chapel Hill accepts $10 million challenge to support world-class faculty

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News Release:  For immediate use

 

Commitment from John G. Ellison Jr. triggers drive for faculty recruitment and retention funds

 

(Chapel Hill, N.C. – Oct. 9, 2017) – Triggered by a $10 million gift from alumnus John G. Ellison, Jr., the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has accepted a $10 million challenge to help retain and reward current outstanding faculty and attract extraordinary teachers, scholars and scientists to Carolina. Announced by Chancellor Carol L. Folt at an Oct. 6 gala celebrating the launch of “For All Kind: The Campaign for Carolina,” the Faculty Excellence Challenge will support incentives such as salary supplements and research funds.

 

Running through Oct. 8, 2018, the challenge will enable the University to sustain the faculty’s current excellence and strategically grow its professoriate in key areas to enhance overall academic quality, strengthen the research enterprise, broaden innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives and better serve a growing undergraduate, graduate and professional student body. If met, the challenge will provide at least an additional $10 million for similar support.

 

“John’s extraordinary pledge jumpstarts the Faculty Excellence Challenge and supports our mission to attract, reward and retain talented faculty who open minds and change the lives of our students,” said Chancellor Carol L. Folt. “John has been a dedicated Tar Heel volunteer and contributor to our university for decades. Thanks to his wonderful new investment in Carolina, we have the opportunity to champion our faculty whose dedicated work helps create our understanding of science, medicine and the humanities.”

 

Carolina has been focused on increased faculty recruitment and retention efforts, which has yielded stunning results in the last several years including retaining 79% of faculty and recruiting 94 new faculty (18 tenured, 76 tenure-track) in academic year 2015-2016. Ellison’s gift will further bolster these efforts to keep top scholars and researchers in Chapel Hill and bring new talent to campus.

 

The Faculty Excellence Challenge supports a key priority in the Campaign for Carolina — Faculty & Scholarship: The 21st Century Professoriate — which aims to raise funds to help the University attract, reward and retain top faculty amidst stiff competition from other institutions. It also supports the core pillars of the University’s overarching Blueprint for Next — “Of the Public, for the Public” and “Innovation Made Fundamental” — which uphold Carolina’s commitment to grow and evolve while remaining rooted in its public service mission.

 

“I have been fortunate in my life and career to have incredible teachers, mentors and leaders who invested their time and energy in my success, not just in the business world, but in every facet of my life,” said Ellison. “So many of those seminal individuals were my professors here, and their impact on my life has not only been profound, but it continues even today. I want that for every student who comes to Carolina, because they deserve it and society needs their leadership for our future.”

 

Ellison, of Greensboro, who also committed artwork valued at more than $11.5 million to the Ackland Art Museum, is chairman of Ellison Co. Inc. A Campaign for Carolina Steering Committee co-chair, Ellison has served on multiple University boards, including the UNC Board of Visitors and the UNC Institute for the Arts and Humanities Advisory Board. He concluded an eight-year tenure on the Board of Trustees in 2011.

The giving challenge and Ellison’s $21.5 million total donation continue strong fundraising momentum for the Campaign for Carolina’s $4.25 billion fundraising goal, which seeks to foster an innovation generation prepared to lead the world to a better future through research and scholarship, example and ethos.

 

-Carolina-

 

About the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the nation’s first public university, is a global higher education leader known for innovative teaching, research and public service. A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, Carolina regularly ranks as the best value for academic quality in U.S. public higher education. Now in its third century, the University offers 77 bachelor’s, 110 master’s, 64 doctorate and seven professional degree programs through 14 schools and the College of Arts and Sciences. Every day, faculty, staff and students shape their teaching, research and public service to meet North Carolina’s most pressing needs in every region and all 100 counties. Carolina’s more than 322,000 alumni live in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and 165 countries. More than 175,000 live in North Carolina.

 

University Development: Kim Elenez, (919) 962-1628, kelenez@email.unc.edu

University Communications: Media Relations, (919) 445-8555, mediarelations@unc.edu

Red, White and Carolina Blue Challenge: UNC-Chapel Hill accepts $20 million challenge to support education for military families

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News Release: For immediate use

 

Matching gift will add support to the Carolina Covenant

 

(Chapel Hill, N.C. – Oct. 7, 2017) – With the launch of “For All Kind: The Campaign for Carolina” on Oct. 6, 2017, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has announced a $20 million challenge in support of need-based aid for the children of service men and women. Running through October 2019, the Red, White and Carolina Blue Challenge will further open the door to a world-class, Carolina education for students from military families who qualify for the Carolina Covenant.

 

The challenge results from a gift commitment totaling $40 million from Steve and Debbie Vetter of Greensboro. $20 million will support the Red, White and Carolina Blue Challenge, $10 million will support UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School and $10 million will support Carolina Athletics.

 

If met by Oct. 7, 2019, the Red, White and Carolina Blue Challenge will provide $40 million in total to create scholarship opportunities for students from military families. Recipients of their gift will be recognized as Steve and Debbie Vetter Military Family Scholars.

 

“As we launch the Campaign for Carolina with a focus on people and innovation, this incredibly generous and thoughtful gift from the Vetters builds on our 224-year tradition of supporting America’s service people and their families,” said Chancellor Carol L. Folt. “Our veterans and military service members are the last to ask and the most grateful to receive. The Red, White and Carolina Blue Challenge reaffirms our ongoing pledge to create future opportunities for the men and women who serve our nation and their families.”

 

Carolina remains one of the few U.S. public universities that is truly need blind during the admissions process. The challenge will help sustain that tradition by meeting the full financial need of Carolina Covenant-qualifying children of retired and active duty military personnel.

North Carolina ranks third in the nation with more than 96,000 active duty personnel stationed in the state as of December 2016. Each year, UNC-Chapel Hill enrolls hundreds of undergraduates affiliated with the military — many of whom have financial need. In the fall of 2016, the University enrolled 402 undergraduates with military ties; 55 qualified for the Carolina Covenant.

 

“As military dependents ourselves, we are excited to be able to honor our fathers and our families by establishing this program to benefit the children of military service members who wish to attend UNC and who qualify for the Carolina Covenant. Too often, we forget the many sacrifices made by the families of the military and we hope this program will, in some small way, say thank you to those families,” said Debbie Vetter.

 

UNC-Chapel Hill is committed to supporting veterans and military-affiliated students. In 2015, the University announced two initiatives to help service members and veterans succeed in the classroom — both on campus and online. UNC Core, a distance-learning program, provides active duty service members, veterans and National Guard and Reserve members with the opportunity to complete general education college courses on a flexible schedule. The full-time Student Veteran Assistance Program in the Office of the Dean of Students works across the University and state to help veterans navigate the higher education process. Programs in the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School and the UNC School of Medicine help veterans to advance their careers after the military.

 

Launched in 2004, the Carolina Covenant scholarship program is a groundbreaking initiative that affords children of low-income families — many of whom are first-generation students — an opportunity to attend Carolina without borrowing a penny. The program supports UNC-Chapel Hill’s mission of staying truly public and provides intellectually driven, hard-working young individuals from low-income backgrounds the chance to study at one of the most prestigious public universities in the country – and the freedom to pave a future unburdened by college debt. Since its beginning, the scholarship program has enabled more than 6,000 high-performing, low-income students to attend Carolina and graduate debt-free.

 

The giving challenge and the Vetters’ $40 million total donation continue strong fundraising momentum for the Campaign for Carolina’s $4.25 billion fundraising goal, which seeks to foster an innovation generation prepared to lead the world to a better future through research and scholarship, example and ethos. This campaign is the largest in the Southeast and the second largest among public institutions in the nation.

 

“We are so grateful to the Vetters for a transformative gift that aligns with our core values, upholds Carolina’s commitment to excellence, accessibility and affordability, and also honors the men and women who bravely serve our country. With their gift and their challenge to the Carolina community, we will help enrich the lives of deserving students and their families,” said David Routh, vice chancellor for university development.

 

-Carolina-

 

About the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the nation’s first public university, is a global higher education leader known for innovative teaching, research and public service. A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, Carolina regularly ranks as the best value for academic quality in U.S. public higher education. Now in its third century, the University offers 77 bachelor’s, 111 master’s, 65 doctorate and seven professional degree programs through 14 schools and the College of Arts and Sciences. Every day, faculty, staff and students shape their teaching, research and public service to meet North Carolina’s most pressing needs in every region and all 100 counties. Carolina’s more than 322,000 alumni live in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and 165 countries. More than 175,000 live in North Carolina.

 

Office of University Development: Kim Elenez, (919) 962-1628, kelenez@email.unc.edu

University Communications: Media Relations Office, (919) 445-8555, mediarelations@unc.edu