We see that every day. From finding new cures to providing new scholarships, at Carolina we know that the best is yet to come. And we hope you see it, too.
This site is a resource and playground. It is a place where you can learn about some of the incredible stories that happen here. Or perhaps you have a story to share? Help us create this site by sharing something bold, innovative or inspirational that you experienced at Carolina, particularly because a private donation made it possible. Anything is possible here, but it isn’t free. Thankfully we have generous donors who see the potential and help make it happen.
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Top 10 Carolina Stories 2024
As we kick off the new year, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the stories that inspired us the most in 2024. Join us as we count down the top 10 Carolina Stories of 2024 — a year filled with remarkable achievements, meaningful legacies and unforgettable moments.
The legacy of Carolina alumnus Gene Roberts ’54 is that of a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and editor who fearlessly pursued the truth, challenged the status quo and left an enduring impact on the practice of journalism. But throughout his impressive career, he amassed another legacy: an immense collection of Japanese woodblock prints — the majority of which he and his wife, Susan Roberts, donated to the Ackland Art Museum at UNC-Chapel Hill.
The UNC School of Data Science and Society applies data science to real-world problems. By hiring faculty with backgrounds ranging from the humanities to social sciences to medicine, the school hopes to introduce data science to all students at Carolina. Meet some of the school’s new faculty and learn what “and society” means to them.
Fall 2024 marked the 20th anniversary of the Carolina Covenant. The groundbreaking program combines grants, scholarships and work-study to help outstanding students attend Carolina and graduate debt-free. As the Covenant celebrates 20 years, its founders, Chancellor Emeritus James Moeser and former Director of the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid Shirley Ort, reflect on its origins and legacy.
Since 2011, an invasive fungus has spread throughout North Carolina, harming its beneficial bat populations. The UNC Institute for the Environment Highlands Field Site’s BatPack program is trying to help. The team organizes group camping trips to conduct citizen science, and anyone who is interested in joining can learn more on the BatPack Instagram page.
By day, Joe Spencer ’22 is a full stack developer at a software company. But during fall and spring nights in downtown Greenville, North Carolina, you will find Spencer wearing an apron and signature cowboy hat as he happily serves up hot dogs to hungry customers. And he credits the Blue Sky Scholars Program for making both happen.
Tar Heel and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Larry Brown remembered how much the Olympic Games impacted him in 1964. Fast forward 60 years and Brown’s granddaughter, Mason Murr, and 24 other students from the Hussman School of Journalism & Media traveled to Paris to report on the 2024 summer games. Gifts from the Murrs and Brown enabled UNC Hussman to continue its tradition of reporting overseas.
Christian Chiron, executive chef and director of culinary process at Carolina Dining Services, has met the challenge of feeding thousands of students for over a decade. This summer, he shared some memories and challenges from his time at Carolina, and the recipe for one of his favorite soups.
Whether she’s in New York or Beaufort or on the road, Carolina is always a second home to Kristy Woodson Harvey ’07. Harvey is the New York Times best-selling author of the Peachtree Bluff series and member of the Friends of the Library Board of Directors and the Carolina Women’s Leadership Council. “Carolina is a place that will always have my heart and is really special to me,” she said. “To have the opportunity to be more involved in the University and to be able to give back in a larger way is exciting.”
Rhiannon Giddens, Grammy and Pulitzer Prize winner and renowned musician, said “it was an easy yes” when Carolina Performing Arts (CPA) asked her to be the inaugural Southern Futures Artist-in-Residence. During her multi-year residency at CPA and beyond, Giddens’ work prioritized historical research to elevate previously underrepresented voices in music.
Professor Kimball King taught in the English and comparative literature department for four decades. Now his former students want to keep the memory of Kimball alive by establishing the Dr. J. Kimball King Distinguished Professorship to support a faculty member whose teaching and scholarship cultivate appreciation of and deeper connection with literature. “He loved what he taught, and he wanted you to love what he taught too,” said John Townsend ’77, ’82 (MBA).
