Multiple units across campus are partnering to put on a week’s worth of events celebrating 250 years of our nation’s history. (Johnny Andrews/UNC-Chapel Hill)

America 250 at Carolina is a series of public-facing events that begins Oct. 14 and will feature poetry, performances, panel discussions and lectures about our nation’s history.

“As America’s first public university, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill takes special pride in leading our students, our community and the nation in conversations about our collective past on the occasion of America 250,” said Miguel La Serna, chair of the department of history, which is one of the primary sponsors of the events. “We hope the forum will create a space for thoughtful and critically engaged public dialogue about the country’s foundational stories and the ways they continue to shape American society.”

The public is invited to attend the events. Most of the events are free and do not require tickets. If tickets are required, it will be noted.

In addition to the events listed below, the public is invited to visit the “Witnesses to the Revolution: North Carolina and the War for Independence” exhibition at Wilson Library through Dec. 4. The exhibition is a partnership between the University Library and the North Carolina Museum of History.

Wednesday, Oct. 14

4:30-6 p.m.: Carolina Public Humanities hosts a discussion with Antwain Hunter, assistant professor in the history department, on Frederick Douglass’s What to the Slave is the Fourth of July. Tickets required. Flyleaf Books.

Monday, Oct. 19

12:30-1 p.m.: Keynote by Pamela Brewington Cashwell, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Secretary Cashwell will discuss North Carolina at 250. Pleasants Family Assembly Room, Wilson Library.

1-2 p.m.: Panel Discussion - Preserving North Carolina’s History for the General Public. Secretary Cashwell and Darin Waters, North Carolina Deputy Secretary, Office of Archives and History. Moderated by Antwain Hunter, assistant professor in the history department. Pleasants Family Assembly Room, Wilson Library.

2:15-3:30 p.m.: Panel Discussion - Teaching the Foundations of American Democracy in K-12 Schools: Cori Greer Banks, director of Carolina K-12 in Carolina Public Humanities, Jillian La Serna, research assistant professor in EPIC/Public Policy, Mike Henning of Carrboro Elementary School. Pleasants Family Assembly Room, Wilson Library.

3:40-3:45 p.m.: Poetry Reading by Alexis Clifton ’27, VA250 Visionary Sovereign Voices Poetry Competition winner, You Say the New American Dream is to Leave/Honeysuckle Dosage. Pleasants Family Assembly Room, Wilson Library.

3:45-5 p.m.: Panel Discussion – Poetry and Liberty. English and comparative literature faculty members Tyree Daye, Eliza Richards and Denise Xu. Pleasants Family Assembly Room, Wilson Library.

6-7:30 p.m.: Poetry reading and conversation with former U.S. Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner Natasha Trethewey, moderated by Michael A. Betts II ’11, High Point University assistant professor of media production and studio manager. Sonja Haynes Stone Center Auditorium. Sold out.

Tuesday, Oct. 20

10 a.m.-noon: Showcase – Great American Stories: Food, Music, and Folklore of the American South. American studies faculty members Amanda J. Cobb, Kelly Alexander, and Gabrielle Berlinger. Pleasants Family Assembly Room, Wilson Library.

2:30-4 p.m.: Lecture and conversation with David Crabtree, CEO and general manager of PBS North Carolina, moderated by Michael A. Betts II ’11, High Point University assistant professor of media production and studio manager. Pleasants Family Assembly Room, Wilson Library.

5-5:30 p.m.: Colonial fiddling by Eli Howells ’16. Joan H. Gillings Center for Dramatic Arts Lobby.

5:15-6 p.m.: Lecture by Mandy Cooper, teaching assistant professor in the history department, Hamilton in Historical Context . PlayMakers in the Joan H. Gillings Center for Dramatic Art. (Limited tickets will be available by sponsoring departments.)

6-7 p.m.: Conversation with Daveed Diggs, a Tony, Grammy, and Lucille Lortel Award-winning actor, writer, producer, and musician best known for originating the dual roles of Thomas Jefferson and Marquis de Lafayette in the original cast of the Broadway hit Hamilton, earning a Tony Award for his performance. Moderated by Betts. PlayMakers in the  Joan H. Gillings Center for Dramatic Art. (Limited tickets will be available by sponsoring departments.)

Wednesday, Oct. 21

2:30-3:30 p.m.: Lecture by Katherine Turk, professor in the history department, “All Men Would be Tyrants if They Could”:  Women and Power in Revolutionary America. Pleasants Family Assembly Room, Wilson Library.

3:45-4:30 p.m.: Performance by Singer-Songwriter Dawn Landes, The Liberated Woman’s Songbook. Pleasants Family Assembly Room, Wilson Library.

6-8:30 p.m.: Lecture and Conversation with John Wood Sweet, professor in the Department of History and Bancroft-Prize winning author of The Sewing Girl’s Tale. Moderated by Michael A. Betts II ’11, High Point University assistant professor of media production and studio manager. Person Recital Hall. Concert by C. Leonard Raybon, associate professor and chair of the Department of Music at Tulane University, and undergraduate and alumna performers from the music department, featuring E. Katherine Hargrove, costumer at Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Trades. Mending Sampler: Lanah Sawyer and the Cost of Courage in Revolutionary America. Person Recital Hall.

Thursday, Oct. 22

2:30-3:30 p.m.: Lecture by Wayne E. Lee, Bruce W. Carney Distinguished Professor in the history department, The Cutting-Off Way: Indigenous Warfare in the American Revolution. University Room, Hyde Hall.

3:45-4:45 p.m. Lecture by Amanda J. Cobb, chair and John Shelton Reed Distinguished Professor in Native Southern Studies, Indigenous Perspectives on America 250 Memory and Commemoration. University Room, Hyde Hall.

6:30 -8:30 p.m. Lecture by Kathleen DuVal, Carl W. Earnst Distinguished Professor of History and Pulitzer Prize winner, North Carolina and the War for Independence. Viewing of the exhibit ‘Witnesses to the Revolution: North Carolina and the War for Independence.’ Wilson Library. Sponsored by the University Library.

Friday, Oct. 23

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Southern Cultures: Black Freedom Narratives in Place, Publication, and Performance, a conversation between NC Division of State Historic Sites director Michelle Lanier, assistant professor of geography Danielle Purifoy, and artist and activist Toshi Reagon. Reception to follow. Love House.

1-2 p.m.: Lecture by award-winning oral historian and educator and president of Bridging the Gap Danita Mason-Hogans, The Role of Oral History and Community Memory in Interpreting Early American History and its Long Afterlives. Love House.

2:15-3:30 p.m.: Southern Oral History Program and Civil Rights: Partnering with LDF. NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF) archivists and SOHP oral historians and project leaders will explore freedom as an ongoing and active pursuit and share audio clips from the LDF Oral History Project. Love House.

4-5:30 p.m.: Theatrical Performance and Conversation with Mike Wiley, an actor, playwright, director and artist-in-residence at the Duke University Kenan Institute for Ethics who received a BFA from Carolina. One Noble Journey: A Box Marked Freedom. Moderated by Michael A. Betts II ’11, High Point University assistant professor of media production and studio manager. James and Susan Moeser Auditorium in Hill Hall.

7:30-8:30 p.m.: Concert by associate professor of music LaToya Lain. Narrative of a Slave Woman. James and Susan Moeser Auditorium in Hill Hall.

The week is sponsored by the American studies department, the UNC College of Arts and Sciences, the Center for the Study of the American South, the dramatic art department, the English and comparative literature department, the history department, the Institute for the Arts and Humanities, the music department, the political science department, the Provost’s Office, the public policy department, the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Research in Black Culture and History, and the University Library, with additional support from the African, African American and Diaspora studies department, Carolina Performing Arts, Carolina Public Humanities, the peace, war and defense department, the sociology department, Southern Cultures, the Southern Oral History Program and the Triangle Early American History Seminar.

Learn more about America250 at Carolina.

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“It’s probably one of the only things in the world where you can’t think about anything else. You’re just fully in the moment,” Marques said. (Johnny Andrews/UNC-Chapel Hill)

At a recent rehearsal of PlayMakers Repertory Company’s production of “Oedipus: King/Colonus,” the cast and crew worked hard on the modern adaptation of Sophocles’ trio of Theban tragedies. Writer-director Carey Perloff gave notes to stage manager Aspen Blake, and actors Michael Hayden (Oedipus) and Jeffrey Blair Cornell (Kreon) blocked their movements through an emotional scene.

Yet there were also lots of smiles and lively conversations, thanks in part to Celeste Pelletier and Caroline Marques ’24, resident company members and graduate students in the Professional Actor Training Program, housed in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences’ dramatic art department.

Pelletier (Antigone) laughed with her castmates, sharing anecdotes, while Marques (Esmene) wove through the crowded rehearsal space, graciously offering gummy worms to cast, crew and visitors.

“You get really close to the people in this company,” Marques said. “We literally get to be sharing experiences with writers and directors from New York, Los Angeles and across the country, while earning a degree.”

The training program is aimed at early-career professionals, who after three years earn a Master of Fine Arts. A shared love of performing brought Pelletier, born just outside of Chicago, and Marques, a native of Brazil, to the program in 2024, but their paths were different.

Pelletier knew she wanted to perform at an early age.

“When I was in the second grade, I saw a play for the very first time, and I walked up to my mom, stomped my foot and said, ‘I have to be on stage,’” she said.

Marques’ passion for acting developed more gradually. She got hooked the more she performed in high school.

“It’s kind of like a drug,” Marques said. “It’s probably one of the only things in the world where you can’t think about anything else. You’re just fully in the moment.”

Celeste Pelletier, who plays Antigone, rehearses a scene from PlayMakers Repertory Company’s “Oedipus: King/Colonus,” a new adaptation of Sophocles’ epic exploring fate, family and the consequences of confronting the truth. (Johnny Andrews/UNC-Chapel Hill)

After graduating from high school, Marques began her journey as a Tar Heel, earning undergraduate degrees in drama and global studies.

Pelletier attended the University of Tennessee, where she graduated in 2021 with a double-major in drama and engineering. She started an engineering career but returned to the theater after a layoff.

Caroline Marques, who portrays Ismene, rehearses alongside fellow cast members as the characters grapple with the fallout of Oedipus’ tragic fate. (Johnny Andrews/UNC-Chapel Hill)

“It was one of those moments where I just realized what truly mattered to me,” Pelletier said. “It’s creating theater, it’s being in the community — being around the people that I feel the most connected to.”

Both actors had nothing but praise for director Perloff, who has more than 40 years of experience, 25 of them as artistic director of the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.

They particularly appreciate how her adaptation of Sophocles’ classic tale puts more emphasis on Oedipus as a father to their two characters, Antigone and Esmene.

Pelletier called Antigone the “hotheaded” daughter, who stays by his side throughout most of the show. Marques described Esmene as a “negotiator,” a more law-abiding and cautious contrast to Antigone.

But perhaps the most important difference between the sisters comes down to one thing: who has the better wardrobe.

“Esmene is dressed very beautifully,” Pelletier said, “whereas I am wearing rags.”

As PlayMakers’ “Oedipus: King/Colonus” continues its run through Sept. 27, Pelletier and Marques are putting in hard, tiring work both on and off the stage. But they wouldn’t want it any other way.

“This program has really changed my life,” Marques said. “I feel like I’ve grown so much as a person, and I look forward to waking up every day and continuously challenging myself.”

By Josh McCormack, University Communications and Marketing

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UNC alumnus David Gardner ’88 turned a playful April Fools’ prank into The Motley Fool, combining his Carolina humanities education and passion for investing to build a leading financial advice company. (Samantha Lewis/UNC-Chapel Hill)

It all started April 1, 1994, with an internet message board post about a toilet company that was too good to be true. “Joey Roman” bragged that stock in this company was “hotter than an egg on the roof of my new Porsche in mid-August.”

David Gardner ’88 created this textbook example of fraud on April Fools’ Day, capitalizing on his writerly flair, sense of humor, financial acumen and the new frontier of the internet.

Three decades later, Gardner is best known for being one of the three co-founders of The Motley Fool financial advice company, popularizing long-term stock investing through articles, newsletters, books and podcasts.

Taking stock

Gardner was lured to Carolina in the mid-1980s by the Morehead Scholarship, a merit-based full ride that includes leadership development and mentorship. He majored in English and creative writing and learned from renowned professors Doris Betts ’54, Darryl J. Gless and Ken Reckford, to name a few. Gardner learned to combine his acquired love for writing with a long-held curiosity about the stock market, a trait borrowed from his father, a banking lawyer.

“I think one of the benefits of a humanities education is that you end up going, ‘OK, I know a little bit about a lot of different things,’” Gardner said. “That is what enabled me and inspired me to pick up something that seemingly was not part of my background.”

Before that fateful April Fools’ Day in 1994, Gardner had left his job writing for Louis Rukeyser’s Wall Street newsletter to found The Motley Fool print newsletter, working full time with his brother Tom, an entrepreneur and financial writer, and Erik Rydholm, later an influential producer at ESPN.

Thanks to a write-up about Gardner’s prank in The Wall Street Journal, The Motley Fool soon hit mainstream media.

“This newsletter with our funny name that I pulled from Shakespeare, inspired in part by my Carolina class with Dr. Gless, would now be printed in The Wall Street Journal,” Gardner cackled. “It’s hilarious.”

Less than a year later, The Motley Fool hired full-time employees and opened offices in Alexandria, Virginia. The Gardners published the first of several New York Times bestsellers, “The Motley Fool Investment Guide,” in 1996.

Gardner continued writing investment guides and books while recommending stocks years before they were popular, such as Amazon in 1997, Netflix in 2004 and Nvidia in 2005. He’s hosted a weekly edition of the “Rule Breaker Investing” podcast since 2015 –– “no skips, no repeats” — and released what he said is his final stock-picking book, “Rule Breaker Investing,” in 2025.

The varied nature of Gardner’s business speaks not to a lack of focus but to his overall ethos: “In a largely goal-driven world, I realized I’m a purpose-driven person,” said Gardner.

By Keenan Baker ’26, Carolina Alumni Review

Read a previous story on David Gardner in Carolina Arts & Sciences magazine.

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Advaith Cheruvu is a senior double-majoring in physics and computer science within the UNC College of Arts and Sciences. (Megan Mendenhall/UNC Research)

Advaith Cheruvu is a senior double-majoring in physics and computer science within the UNC College of Arts and Sciences. He is also the co-founder and president of the Quantum Computing Club at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Quantum mechanics is the science of how the building blocks of the universe, like atoms and electrons, behave. Cheruvu’s research focuses on quantum computing, an emerging technology that could one day solve problems beyond the reach of today’s fastest supercomputers. By combining quantum computing with machine learning, he aims to make these experimental systems more efficient, practical, and ready for real-world use.

How did you discover your specific field of study?

When I was a kid, my dad showed me documentaries about quantum physics, which is how matter and energy behave at incredible small scales. I remember struggling to comprehend how some of these phenomena could even be possible. For example, particles can sometimes behave like waves, pass through barriers that seem impossible to cross, or remain mysteriously correlated to one another across long distances. Over time, I built the mathematical foundation needed to explore these concepts more deeply.

In high school, I discovered that researchers were using these strange quantum behaviors to develop a fundamentally new type of computer. Realizing that quantum systems could solve problems beyond the reach of traditional computers was eye-opening. It showed me how abstract physics concepts could have real-world applications.

Since then, I have been fascinated by how quantum computes work, their capabilities, and how machine learning can help advance both the technology and the algorithms that power it.

Academics are problem-solvers. Describe a research challenge you’ve faced and how you overcame it.

One of the biggest challenges in physics research is turning elegant theories into working computer simulations.

In my most recent project, I used a quantum computing algorithm called SSVQE to calculate the energy levels of a quantum particle in a complex potential energy landscape. My initial implementation became so complicated that it was vulnerable to both calculation errors and mistakes in how the physics was being modeled. Debugging the code quickly became overwhelming.

To overcome this, I simplified the problem. I switched to a much simpler physics model and isolated the different parts of the algorithm. By reorganizing the code into modular, configurable components, I could systematically test each piece and identify what was going wrong. Taking that intentional step backward allowed me to pinpoint the source of the problem and build a stronger foundation for moving forward.

Describe your research in five words.

Quantum physics enabling clever computing.

Who or what inspires you? Why?

My family and friends inspire me constantly. Watching them achieve their goals reminds me that hard work pays off. They push me to be 1% better every day.

That same mindset drives my research. Quantum computing can be highly theoretical and abstract, but I am motivated by the prospect of seeing the technology I build used in practice to help the people, businesses, and causes I care about.

If you could pursue any other career, what would it be and why?

Being an educator is pretty appealing. Sharing my passion for physics and computer science with future generations would be incredibly rewarding.

Research UNCovered delves into the lives of Carolina researchers from all disciplines and career levels, showcasing not only their research prowess but personal experiences in academia and beyond. Read more RUNC features here.

By UNC Research

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Carolina researchers, led by Mohit Bansal, oversee the core AI research at the Engage AI Institute. (photo by Johnny Andrews/UNC-Chapel Hill)

Computer science research at Carolina aimed at improving STEM learning through better artificial intelligence educational tools has received additional financial support to support its development.

Researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill are part of a coalition of universities providing expertise for a National Science Foundation institute established to engage K-12 students and improve techniques for teaching science, technology, engineering and math.

The NSF last week renewed the previous five-year, $20 million award for its AI Institute for Engaged Learning at NC State University. Known as the EngageAI Institute, it draws on the expertise of AI and education researchers there and at UNC-Chapel Hill, Vanderbilt University, Indiana University and the nonprofit organization Digital Promise.

The renewal carries EngageAI through 2031, with an additional $20 million in support. Carolina’s contribution has been spearheaded by Mohit Bansal, the John R. and Louise S. Parker Distinguished Professor in Computer Science and the lead co-principal investigator at the University. Bansal oversees the institute’s core AI research. Fellow computer science faculty members Xiaoming Liu, distinguished professor, and Roni Sengupta, assistant professor, also serve as researchers on the team.

“The National Science Foundation’s continued support for the EngageAI Institute is a strong recognition of work that aligns perfectly with Carolina’s priorities for the future,” said Magnus Egerstedt, executive vice chancellor and provost. “As artificial intelligence reshapes nearly every field, universities have a responsibility to connect technological innovation with human purpose. This work is helping students learn, helping teachers teach and opening new possibilities for STEM education. I’m proud and excited to see Carolina researchers contributing to such important and collaborative work.”

Mohit Bansal

Since its 2021 launch, the institute has built a suite of narrative-centered learning environments, run classroom studies on how AI supports students learning together and developed new tools for analyzing collaborative learning and for creating engaging learning experiences for K-12 students. That includes EngageVP, a framework the Carolina team created that uses AI to make sense of video, speech and gesture data captured when students solve problems in groups.

This next phase of research will focus on building AI-powered lessons that adjust to each student, remember their progress throughout the school year and provide teachers with easier ways to create learning experiences in their classrooms via 3D storytelling world models.. The foundational research, led by Carolina researchers, seeks to make engaging, individualized STEM instruction available to more students.

“Over the past five years, we have worked with our partners to build the core AI technologies that power EngageAI’s learning environments and study how they can help students learn,” Bansal said. “In this next phase, we will develop AI that can adapt to each student’s needs and provide increasingly personalized support over time. We are excited to build on this important work and develop tools that can help teachers create more engaging learning experiences and improve STEM education for K-12 students.”

Carolina’s work with the EngageAI Institute showcases its research strengths both in applying AI as a tool across disciplines and in studying AI methods and reliability so that it can be used for positive societal impact.

By University Communications and Marketing

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Writing coaches are one example of the many resources offered by Academic Support at Carolina. (Submitted photo)

The beginning of the academic year is an exciting time for Tar Heels, with classes, student organizations and campus events back in full swing. But the first few weeks can also come with stressors, including new class schedules, homework and the first assignments of the semester.

For writing, tutoring, time management and more, Academic Success offers help through its Writing Center, Learning Center, Carolina Firsts, HeelGuides, Summer Bridge and Transfer Students units.

Part of the Office of Undergraduate Education in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences, Academic Success is currently located in the Student Academic Services Building North. In spring 2027, Academic Success will move to the top floor of the newly renovated Undergraduate Library.

Kim Abels, associate dean of academic success, shares how to make the most of the center’s resources and kick-start a great year at Carolina.

What makes the beginning of the semester an ideal time to connect with Academic Success support?

Getting organized early can make for a much easier semester ahead. If you’re feeling stressed about the transition from high school to college or are returning to Carolina and are ready to hit the ground running, making an appointment with an academic coach, writing coach or peer tutor soon is a great idea.

Students are also welcome to drop by SASB North to grab one of our semester-at-a-glance posters, which is a terrific tool for planning.

What is a common challenge at the start of the academic year, and how can students tackle it?

Time management is a top reason students visit us and use our programs, and September can be a great time to revisit that skill as you approach a new class schedule.

Tar Heels don’t need to have a particular subject they want help with in order to make an appointment with us. An academic coach would be happy to meet with any student who simply wants to make the most of their fall semester.

Is there a resource at the center that you would consider a “hidden gem”?

One resource is our workshops, which cover smart study skills, writing application essays, reading effectively and more. Students can register for those on Heel Life, and many qualify for Campus Life Experience credits. Students might also want to check out posts written by our student staff on our “How I Write and Learn” blog. Reading through some posts is a great way to get tips and perspectives from fellow students on navigating academics at Carolina.

Tell us about the Block Party event on Sept. 24.

The Block Party is a great way to learn about all the resources we offer. Students who join us in the SASB courtyard between 4 and 6 p.m. can grab free food, complete a personalized semester planner with an academic coach and get to know some of our fantastic peer mentors and staff. It’s a fun way to celebrate the start of the year with other Tar Heels.

By University Communications and Marketing and the UNC College of Arts and Sciences.

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Osvaldo Linares-Gutiérrez is a senior double-majoring in neuroscience within the UNC College of Arts and Sciences and biomedical engineering within the Lampe Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State University. (Megan Mendenhall/UNC Research)

Osvaldo Linares-Gutiérrez believes that research shouldn’t be defined by a student’s major. It should be driven by curiosity.

“You don’t need to do STEM research just because you’re a STEM major or humanities research because you’re a humanities major,” he says. “What matters is finding the question you actually want to chase and the problem you want to solve.”

For Linares-Gutiérrez, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill, that mindset has led him across disciplines and into research that tackles real-world challenges. He is majoring in neuroscience in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences and biomedical engineering in the Lampe Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State University.

He first worked on a prize-winning project to develop a probiotic to help remove forever chemicals from the gut microbiomes of the people exposed to them. Then he became interested in neural engineering. He’s helping develop a wireless, noninvasive, wearable device that stimulates the nerves that regulate heart rate and blood pressure.

“This technology has the potential to help patients across a wide range of healthcare problems, not just one narrow condition,” Linares-Gutiérrez says. “Working across material science, neural engineering and beyond has given me a broad view of the disciplines this work touches and how much progress happens at their intersections.”

As a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow, Linares-Gutiérrez spent his summer testing new ideas, analyzing results and helping move the technology closer to practical applications. He shared what he learned through SURF and why curiosity is the best place for students to begin their own research journeys.

What does the day-to-day research for your SURF project look like?

Developing this device means creating a new type of material that can comfortably stick to the skin and deliver nerve stimulation over long periods of time. Day to day, that means making samples, running tests and comparing results to identify the formulations that perform best in both areas.

How does your SURF research apply to people and the real world – even if that application doesn’t occur until much further down the road?

My SURF research could one day help patients with cardiac regulation problems, chronic pain, and certain psychological conditions, including anxiety and depression.

How has this research experience changed the way you think about your field or about problem-solving in general?

It has shown me that tunnel vision is real. There will always be challenges within the problem you’re trying to solve, and there is often more than one path forward. Sometimes the best solution comes from stepping back and looking at the problem from a different angle.

What is it like to be part of a research team or lab at Carolina?

It is a unique experience that I think everyone should attempt at least once. You learn an incredible amount, but you also become part of a team working to make a real difference through research. I’m grateful to contribute to that effort.

What would you say to students who feel intimidated or unsure if they belong in research?

Instead of starting with, “Do I belong here?” I would encourage you to start with, “What am I curious about?” Because when curiosity is real, intimidation tends to disappear.

If you could sum up your summer research experience in one word or phrase, what would it be and why?

Eye-opening. I have learned far more than I expected, and the experience has changed the way I think about research and problem-solving.

By Alyssa LaFaro, UNC Research.

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Q: Can you give us a brief synopsis of your book?

A: Tangled Roots & Wild Dreams is a Young Adult novel about high school senior Ezzie Ramos’s summer of secrets. She’s on a secret mission to learn more about her late father by secretly interning at the community garden he founded, all while harboring a very secret crush on the garden’s star volunteer, aka her best friend’s heartbreaker ex. Over one life-changing summer, Ezzie learns her future could be bigger than the STEM path her superstar professor parents have laid out for her… but only if she dares to be honest and vulnerable about her own dreams. The book dives into grief, family sacrifices, discovering your unlimited potential and allowing yourself grace for mistakes you’ve make along the way.

Q: How does this fit in with your research interests and passions?

A: I love writing Young Adult (YA) literature because I’m fascinated by crises of faith. YA is all about the first time a character recognizes the structural systems they’ve taken for granted — social, religious, familial, academic, etc. — are not serving them and does something about it. It takes tremendous bravery to recognize injustice, to dream of a better future and to take steps towards realizing that dream. Writing those characters is really fun!

I especially love writing about Latine teens whose journeys are complicated by wanting to honor their immigrant family’s sacrifices and also carve out their own path. There’s so much pressure on young people, but especially the children of immigrants, to have their futures figured out by 17. It’s very healing to let characters realize it’s OK to be messy and to leave room for the unknown.

Q: What was the original idea that made you think: “There’s a book here?”

A: This book went through so many iterations — at one point, Ezzie was secretly wrestling in an underground wrestling league! That version was a big flop. But what stayed in every draft was Ezzie’s passion for making art and sneaking into art museums. As I tossed more and more bad ideas out the window, Ezzie kept wandering the art museum, and I finally asked myself — why? Many, many drafts later, I figured out the book was about was the fear that holds people back from claiming the label “artist,” and the final draft flowed from there!

Q: What surprised you when researching/writing this book?

A: I didn’t know this book would be about grief until I finished the first full draft. Ezzie ultimately discovers that people aren’t defined by their successes or failures, but the sum of all their actions. This comes with the bittersweet realization that there’s so much of her late father left to discover, and even more she might not ever know.

Q: Where’s your go-to writing spot, and how do you deal with writer’s block?

A: I love writing on my front porch, where I can write and watch dog walkers, my neighbors’ hummingbirds and the occasional toddler stroll by. When I have writer’s block, I go analog: read as much as possible, take long, meandering walks and sew for hours, until I’m ready to try writing again.

Velez received her B.A. in English and Hispanic Studies from Columbia University and her MFA in fiction from the University of Pittsburgh. Her debut Young Adult novel, Lulu and Milagro’s Search for Clarity was a 2022 Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection. She teaches “Introduction to Fiction” and “Writing Young Adult Literature” at UNC-Chapel Hill and, according to her website bio, “loves glitter, melodramatic television and collecting new hobbies (currently: quilting and roller skating).

YA author Sarah Dessen said about Tangled Roots & Wild Dreams: “This book will make your heart bloom.” Kirkus added: “A highly relatable story of grief and first romance.”

Read more books by College authors, and nominate a book we should feature by emailing college-news@unc.edu.

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Ji-Yeon Jo is an associate professor and coordinator of the Korean Studies Program in the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies within the UNC College of Arts and Sciences. (Megan Mendenhall/UNC Research)

The professor of Korean studies explores how people, cultures, and identities stay connected across borders.

Ji-Yeon Jo enrolled at UNC-Chapel Hill in 1999 to pursue a Ph.D. in the School of Education. Today, she is an associate professor and coordinator of the Korean Studies Program in the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies within the UNC College of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on how migration and cultural exchange shape identity, community, and connections between Asia and people living around the world.

What brought you to Carolina?

After graduating from Carolina with a PhD in education, I spent two years away before returning in 2006 to teach the university’s first official Korean language course.

How has your role here changed over the years?

My roles at Carolina have evolved from graduate student to part-time instructor, lecturer, tenure-track assistant professor, and now tenured associate professor. In many ways, I have experienced Carolina from a wide range of perspectives.

After earning my PhD, I had the opportunity to teach the university’s first Korean language course and soon afterward help establish the Korean Studies Program. In 2019, after being promoted to associate professor, I was appointed director of the Carolina Asia Center (now INSITE: Asia).

During my five-year term, I worked with outstanding colleagues to strengthen the center’s programming, outreach, and national and international visibility. Together, we secured federal funding and expanded opportunities for research, education, and public engagement through conferences, cultural programs, and community partnerships.

What’s kept you at Carolina?

Opportunities and people. Carolina has continually supported meaningful research, teaching, and service.

Building the Korean Studies Program from the ground up into one that now offers both a major and a minor was challenging, especially as a junior faculty member, but it has also been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. Along the way, I gained valuable experience developing curricula, organizing academic and cultural events, and securing external funding. Those experiences helped prepare me for later leadership roles, including directing the Carolina Asia Center.

While my research has evolved over time, it has been guided by a central question: How does transnational mobility shape identities, memories, cultural practices, and sense of belonging across places and generations? For my dissertation, I examined how experiences across countries and cultures shape Asian American identities, while my first book explored the experiences of later-generation members of the Korean diaspora who moved to South Korea in search of connection, opportunity, and belonging.

I subsequently turned to Korean diaspora cinema to examine how migration, memory, and displacement are represented and remembered through films. More recently, my research has focused on transnational Korean foodways and foodscapes, exploring how food moves and transforms across borders and how histories of migration, colonialism, and globalization become embedded in everyday culinary cultures of South Korea and Korean diasporic communities.

These research and leadership experiences created opportunities to contribute to the field nationally and internationally, including serving on the program committee of the Association for Asian Studies and as a book review editor for the Journal of Asian Studies.

I have also been fortunate to work alongside talented, generous, and deeply committed colleagues across the university. My colleagues in the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and the Carolina Asia Center have been especially inspiring collaborators. Whatever we have accomplished has been a shared effort, and I remain deeply grateful for their partnership and support.

Finally, my students have also been a constant source of inspiration. Watching their curiosity about Korea and Korean diaspora grow and seeing them flourish at Carolina and beyond has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career.

What contribution are you most proud of?

Having played a small part in strengthening Carolina’s engagement with Asia.

That work began with the growth of the Korean Studies Program. When I first sought support from funding institutions in Korean, they knew little about UNC-Chapel Hill. At the time, Carolina had a smaller presence in Korea and elsewhere in Asia than many peer institutions, so I often found myself introducing both the university and the program while building partnerships and seeking support. Over time, the program grew into one of the most vibrant in the Southeast, supported by dedicated faculty, enthusiastic students, and generous partners. Seeing that growth has been especially rewarding.

A second contribution came through my service as director of the Carolina Asia Center. Although much of my term coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, our faculty and staff adapted quickly and expanded the center’s reach through virtual conferences, lectures, and public programs that drew participants from around the world.

Another recent contribution has been cultivating scholarly exchanges with the National University of Singapore (NUS), one of UNC-Chapel Hill’s four international strategic partner institutions. I led the effort to co-organize a successful joint workshop with colleagues from both universities in Singapore in 2025, and I am currently working with colleagues to organize a reciprocal workshop at UNC-Chapel Hill in September 2027.

What is a uniquely Carolina experience you’ve had?

The unique combination of deep roots in the American South and a strong global outlook.

Being at Carolina has shown me that the South presents both distinct challenges and remarkable opportunities for global engagement. While Carolina has historically offered fewer Asia-focused programs than some peer institutions, I have come to see that as an opportunity rather than a disadvantage. It has given us the flexibility to build programs that respond to changing student interests and an evolving world instead of relying on long-established models.

The growth of these programs shows what’s possible. There are still challenges to sustaining and expanding Carolina’s international engagement, and much work remains. But having the opportunity to help shape that growth, and contribute to the university’s local and global future, has been one of the most uniquely Carolina experiences I’ve had.

Rooted recognizes long-standing members of the UNC-Chapel Hill community who have aided in the advancement of research by staying at Carolina. They are crucial to the UNC Research enterprise, experts in their fields, and loyal Tar Heels. 

By UNC Research

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Frank Leibfarth, Royce Murray Distinguished Term Professor of Chemistry at UNC-Chapel Hill, has been named the recipient of the 2027 Carl S. Marvel Award for Creative Polymer Chemistry, presented by the Division of Polymer Chemistry of the American Chemical Society. The award, given once every other year, recognizes outstanding accomplishments and unusual innovation in basic or applied polymer science by scientists early in their careers.

Leibfarth, who will attend the American Chemical Society’s Spring 2027 meeting in March in New Orleans, will present his research at a half-day symposium to be held in his honor.

“Creative polymer synthesis that provides solutions to pressing societal challenges is at the core of what our group at UNC seeks to achieve,” said Leibfarth. “Receiving the Carl Marvel Award for Creative Polymer Chemistry is an extraordinary recognition for the boundary-pushing science that so many wonderful UNC undergraduates, graduate students and postdocs have pursued in the lab.”

Leibfarth’s innovations reflect a research philosophy that connects the design of molecules with the performance of real-world materials.

Leibfarth’s research group combines several branches of chemistry to create and modify polymers with an emphasis on making materials more functional and sustainable. Rather than simply developing new materials, the researchers seek to understand how small changes at the molecular level can produce major differences in how a material behaves.

That approach has led the group into research addressing a wide range of scientific and societal challenges. A key focus has been the discovery of strategies to design new polymers with better recyclability and innovative chemistries to transform polymeric waste into valuable products. In one approach, simple building blocks derived from renewable resources are fashioned into polymers using catalysts that precisely control the three-dimensional arrangement of atoms, giving the resulting materials capabilities not found in conventional petroleum-derived plastics. In a complementary effort, Leibfarth chemically modifies plastic waste so it can perform more sophisticated functions without having to create entirely new materials, providing additional opportunities to re-use plastics and reduce waste.

Leibfarth has also worked closely with stakeholders in North Carolina, including the NC Collaboratory and General Assembly, to solve environmental challenges in his home state. Leibfarth and his collaborators are developing materials that can capture PFAS—often called “forever chemicals” because they persist for long periods in the environment—from contaminated water. The NC Pure Project, which he co-directs with Orlando Coronell, Philip C. Singer Distinguished Professor, has piloted promising technologies in four municipal water treatment plants in the state. They also have co-founded a startup company with the help of Innovate Carolina—Sorbenta Inc.—to commercialize PFAS remediation technology.

Leibfarth’s innovations reflect a research philosophy that connects the design of molecules with the performance of real-world materials. The work also crosses traditional scientific boundaries, bringing together organic chemistry, polymer chemistry, materials science, engineering and biotechnology.

The Marvel Award adds to a series of recent national honors for Leibfarth. In 2025, he was named the Blavatnik National Laureate in Chemical Sciences and received both the Polymer Chemistry Lectureship Award and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.

By Dave DeFusco, Department of Chemistry

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