Evianna Merriam ’25 pursued marine science research and teacher training at Carolina through the School of Education’s BEST program. (Submitted photo)

Evianna Merriam put childhood inspirations into use while earning her bachelor’s degree at UNC-Chapel Hill.

She grew up in Portland, Maine, in a log cabin between the mountains and the ocean, surroundings that fostered a love for science and nature. In elementary school, Merriam developed teaching skills by helping her younger sister, Avella, with math and science homework. She later tutored high school friends and helped teach a chemistry class.

Merriam remembers her calculus teacher asking if she’d considered becoming a teacher. She dismissed the idea but kept the thought in the back of her mind.

“Looking back, I realize many of my teachers recognized something I hadn’t fully seen yet in myself,” said Merriam.

Merriam, who will celebrate her accomplishments at Spring Commencement on May 9, brought it all together at Carolina by majoring in environmental science and minoring in marine science and education, through the UNC School of Education’s baccalaureate education in science and teaching program.

“Attending UNC has been a dream of mine since I was a young child. I was drawn to its strong traditions, academic excellence and the opportunity to learn from world-renowned faculty,” said Merriam. “Beyond that, the sense of community and beauty of the campus made it feel like a place where I could truly grow both academically and personally. The community brings people together from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, creating an environment that is diverse and supportive.”

Finding the BEST program

Merriam participated in fieldwork along the North Carolina coast as part of her research with the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences. (Submitted photo)

During her first year at Carolina, Merriam’s mom asked her a simple question: What brings her the most joy?

“I realized I felt most fulfilled when I was helping others learn. That led me to explore education pathways and ultimately the BEST program, which was the perfect fit,” she said.

The program is designed for students passionate about teaching science or mathematics and eager to make a real impact in North Carolina classrooms. Its 24-credit hour pathway leads to teaching licensure in four years. Undergraduates pursue a bachelor’s degree in biology, chemistry, geological science, physics or mathematics and then take education courses and complete a student-teaching internship.

“I appreciate how structured and intentional the program is at making it manageable to pair with a science major,” said Merriam. “My professors, advisers and peers are deeply invested in supporting future educators.”

Merriam taught at East Chapel Hill High School, fulfilling her love of teaching from a young age.

“Through the School of Education, I’ve gained a strong foundation in educational theory, instructional strategies, and classroom management. More importantly, I’ve learned how to support diverse learners and build meaningful relationships with students,” said Merriam. “Teaching in the classroom has taught me far more than I could have imagined. It has shown me the importance of flexibility, empathy and truly understanding students as individuals.”

Merriam will continue marine science research at the Bald Head Island Conservancy after graduating in May. (Submitted photo)

Diving into scientific research

Aside from student teaching, Merriam did research in Morehead City through the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences. She worked with veterinarian Greg Lewbart, collecting data on wild cnidarian (aquatic invertebrates) along the North Carolina coast. In addition to her fieldwork, she conducted a literature review to examine how climate change may impact the proliferation of cnidarian species.

She’ll continue that work after graduation, working at the Bald Head Island Conservancy with Lewbart. She hopes to work in conservation and teach high school math and science.

“The program emphasized learning through evidence-based inquiry and real-world observation, which allowed me to deeply understand the material,” said Merriam. “The hands-on nature of the experience and frequent fieldwork made the learning incredibly immersive.”

By Caroline Daly, University Communications and Marketing

The post This senior finds purpose through teaching and research appeared first on College of Arts and Sciences.

Shiva Rajbhandari and Faith Austin are Carolina’s first pair of Truman scholars selected in the same year, recognized for their leadership and commitment to public service. (Submitted photos)

It’s the first time in 22 years two Tar Heels earned the public service and leadership honor.

UNC-Chapel Hill juniors Shiva Rajbhandari and Faith Austin are 2026 Truman scholars, the first two from Carolina selected in the same year since 2004.

The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation announced the class of 55 scholars April 24. For almost 50 years, the Truman scholarship has recognized college juniors demonstrating exceptional leadership potential and a commitment to public service careers. Truman scholars receive up to $30,000 for graduate or professional school leadership development activities and join a network of over 3,500 who have shaped public policy, law, healthcare, education and more.

Rajbhandari is a Morehead-Cain scholar and Honors Carolina student majoring in public policy and sociology in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences. Austin is a Roberston scholar and Honors Carolina student studying history and Germanic and Slavic languages and literatures, also in the College.

“Carolina is a top three public university for Truman scholars, underscoring the University’s leadership in public service,” said Marc Howlett, executive director of the Office of Distinguished Scholarships in Honors Carolina. “This is a remarkable achievement.”

Rajbhandari focuses on public good

In his LinkedIn biography, Rajbhandari asks, “How can I best advance the public good?”

That question has been a guiding principle for him since childhood. Growing up in Boise, Idaho, Rajbhandari saw the effects of climate change in the form of annual wildfires and worsening air quality. Rajbhandari began organizing for climate justice in the ninth grade, and at 18 became the first high schooler ever elected to the Boise School Board.

At Carolina, Rajbhandari said he’s become more “well rounded” as a public servant, crediting experiences as an Agora Fellow, Carolina Diplomacy Fellow and more.

Research for a Carolina Student Training and Research course he taught on resistance to authoritarianism took him to Chile, Uruguay, Peru and Mexico. He also led efforts to establish Carolina Students Financial, a student-run, not-for-profit financial institution projected to open in August.

“Public schools made me who I am. I feel really lucky and grateful to a lot of mentors who have helped me on this process,” Rajbhandari said. “UNC makes becoming a public servant possible and encourages you to do it. I’ve already gotten to work with a lot of the top leaders who care about advancing the public good.”

Rajbhandari aspires to work at a federal level deploying clean energy in public schools.

Austin looks to the stars

There’s no limit to Austin’s passion for public service — not even the sky.

Inspired by her experiences at Carolina, Duke University and in both universities’ Air Force ROTC programs, Austin will commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Space Force after graduation to fulfill her active-duty service commitment before attending law school.

This unique career path combines many of Austin’s academic interests and skills, as well as her desire to serve her country and the world. At Carolina, Austin has studied history and multilateral diplomacy through study abroad opportunities in Belgium and Cameroon while also learning German and Russian — languages that could aid in future diplomatic efforts. At Duke, the Robertson scholar studied space law and how history informs future space governance frameworks.

Austin aims to become one of the first Space Force judge advocate general officers.

“I’m drawn to the fact that space is this frontier that affects everybody’s life,” Austin said. “The reality is that space is not just an American domain. Space policy is inherently a team project.

“That curiosity for adventure, the desire for international collaboration — it’s all come together in this path for me. I just feel so lucky that at 22 years old, I found this perfect nexus of these seemingly very different interests through my public service commitment to the Space Force.”

Originally from Carmel, Indiana, Austin took a gap year with the U.S. State Department in Germany before coming to UNC and credits her mentors at Carolina, Duke and from across the Department of the Air Force. She called the Truman scholar process one of the most valuable she’s gone through.

“I feel so overwhelmed with gratitude for all the people who have helped me along the way,” Austin said.

By Michael Lananna, University Communications and Marketing

The post Juniors Shiva Rajbhandari and Faith Austin named Truman Scholars appeared first on College of Arts and Sciences.

As a BeAM program specialist, Orly Baum, second from left, has led trainings in screen printing, sewing and vinyl cutting, supported more than a dozen types of machines and guided users ranging from first-year students to experienced makers. The experience, she said, built skills that will translate directly into her new role with Epic.

When Orly Baum arrived at UNC-Chapel Hill as a music major, she never imagined that learning to use power tools and manage a makerspace floor would help launch her career in healthcare technology. Yet those experiences in the BeAM Makerspaces played a pivotal role in helping Baum land a post-graduation position as a trainer with Epic, a company dedicated to transforming healthcare through innovative software and training.

Baum, who will graduate in May with Phi Beta Kappa honors and a B.A. in music with minors in art history and urban planning, has worked at BeAM since early 2024. As a program specialist, she has led trainings in screen printing, sewing and vinyl cutting, supported more than a dozen types of machines and guided users ranging from first-year students to experienced makers. The experience, she said, built skills that translated directly into her new role.

“I lead a lot of trainings and workshops, so I’ve gotten experience teaching people one-on-one and in groups,” said Baum. “You’re not just explaining tools, you’re helping people feel comfortable in a space with sophisticated machinery. That’s a huge professional skill.”

Those teaching experiences became central during Epic’s interview process. Applicants for the company’s project manager role are asked to deliver a 10-minute presentation on any topic. Baum chose something familiar: how to use a drill—a skill she learned at BeAM.

“I basically taught it like I would in a BeAM 101 class,” she said. “I covered safety, showed the parts of the drill and even demonstrated drilling a hole into wood. I always want to build confidence using a tool, not just explain the theory.”

The presentation made an impression. Recruiters suggested Baum might be an even better fit for Epic’s trainer position, where employees teach healthcare providers and analysts how to use Epic software efficiently. She soon received an offer.

The trainer role aligns closely with what she loved most about BeAM: helping people gain skills that empower them.

“At BeAM, once someone learns how to use a tool, it opens up so many possibilities creatively and professionally,” said Baum. “At Epic, the goal is similar: giving healthcare workers the knowledge to do their jobs better, ultimately helping patients and reducing stress like documentation burnout.”

Though Baum’s academic focus has been music, she sees strong connections between the arts, teaching and technical training. Her background in choral conducting, for example, helped her learn how to guide groups toward a shared goal.

“You take a piece of music, bring people together and create an experience,” she said. “That collaborative energy translates surprisingly well to teaching technology.”

Her internships in arts administration, including roles with the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts and the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, also strengthened her communication, marketing and curriculum development skills. Combined with her makerspace experience, those roles helped prepare her for a position that blends technical expertise with education.

When Baum begins her Epic role in July after graduation, she expects to be involved in both classroom training and collaborative projects with healthcare organizations, software developers and fellow trainers. What excites her most is the opportunity to make a tangible impact early in her career.

“I want to provide a foundation that helps people do meaningful work by helping patients, improving systems and making healthcare a little easier,” she said. “That’s very motivating.”

Looking back, Baum credits Carolina, especially BeAM, with expanding her sense of what was possible.

“BeAM is something I never imagined myself doing,” she said, “but it helped me grow in confidence, learn technical skills and discover that teaching and collaboration are what I really love. That made all the difference.”

By Dave DeFusco, Department of Applied Physical Sciences

The post She taught a drill lesson, learned in a BeAM workshop, and landed a job in health tech appeared first on College of Arts and Sciences.

As the academic year nears its end, I want to wish you the best of luck on your finals. I know the next week may be stressful as you take exams and finish final projects. I hope you can also make some time to relax, recognize all you have accomplished this year and celebrate your peers.

I also want to share a special congratulations to graduating seniors and graduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences.

No matter your major, your liberal arts education has prepared you for the workforce and to be a productive and engaged citizen. During your time at Carolina, you have learned to think critically, work collaboratively and communicate persuasively. These are durable, lifelong skills that will serve you well at work and in life.

I wish you the best of luck in your future. Please remember that Carolina will always be here waiting when you return.

Go Heels!

Jim White
Craver Family Dean
College of Arts and Sciences

The post Congratulations on the 2025-2026 school year appeared first on College of Arts and Sciences.

Undergraduate researchers Esha Agarwal, Victor Hieu Nguyen and Saketha Male will graduate in May 2026. (Photos and graphic by Megan Mendenhall and Corina Prassos/UNC Research.)

Research isn’t only about data. It’s about communication, empathy, and the ability to meet people where they are. At UNC-Chapel Hill, undergraduates gain these skills alongside critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving as they delve into meaningful research across disciplines.

This May, more than 4,000 undergraduates will turn their tassels — each of them having engaged in research through a “Research and Discovery” course or by working alongside faculty on projects. Whether they are working with patients, analyzing environmental data, or experimenting at the frontiers of technology, they learn to ask better questions, embrace uncertainty, and imagine new possibilities.

When Carolina senior Esha Agarwal began talking to patients with Parkison’s disease for a research project, she quickly discovered that compassion and clarity mattered just as much as technical expertise.

“Especially for someone who just drove three hours from rural North Carolina for their appointment,” she shares.

We spoke to Agarwal and two of her classmates who shared how research has empowered them to make a meaningful impact in the world they’re about to enter.

Victor Hieu Nguyen | mathematics and environmental sciences

Victor Nguyen is a graduating senior studying mathematics and environmental sciences within the UNC College of Arts and Sciences. (Photo by Megan Mendenhall/UNC Research.)

During his senior year of high school, he volunteered at Carolina Waterfowl Rescue, feeding ducks and chickens and cleaning enclosures. Witnessing the daily work of caring for animals transformed environmental science from something abstract to something deeply human.

When he arrived at Carolina, Nguyen knew he wanted to study environmental science but wasn’t sure where to focus. Exploring courses across the university led him to a startup company cultivating kelp to capture atmospheric carbon. That blend of innovation, climate action, and ocean science unlocked something for him: a path where he could channel both curiosity and impact. He began reaching out to professors doing related research.

Nguyen joined Harvey Seim’s lab, where he analyzed oceanographic data from underwater gliders deployed off Cape Hatteras to understand how the Gulf Stream interacts with coastal waters. That work introduced him to the power of computational tools — a discovery that shaped the rest of his research. A summer internship at Texas A&M deepened his interest in modeling methods to remove carbon dioxide from the ocean and atmosphere.

Today, Nguyen works in Ken Zhao’s lab modeling Diamond Shoals, a shifting sandbar system off Cape Hatteras that shapes local ocean circulation. The work is part science, part puzzle-solving.

“There’s something almost science fiction-like about simulating real-world phenomena, which has always captivated me,” he says.

Oceans are turbulent, chaotic, and non-linear systems. Deciding what to simulate and how to approach it theoretically is essential. Through this project, Nguyen has gained deeper insight into which aspects of a model reflect real physical phenomena, and which are merely computational artifacts or potential errors.

As a math and environmental science double major, Nguyen focuses on determining which model behaviors reflect real physics and which are computational distortions. The goal: build tools that can guide large-scale climate interventions.

“My research centers on finding ways not only to mitigate the harm we cause to the environment, but also to improve our ecosystems,” he says. “Those themes have remained constant even as my methods have evolved.”

After graduating, Nguyen will start his PhD in ocean science and engineering at Georgia Tech to help develop reliable models for ocean-based carbon capture, turning ambitious climate ideas into concrete possibilities.

Saketha Male | physics and computer science

Saketha Male is a graduating senior studying physics and computer science within the UNC College of Arts and Sciences. (Photo by Megan Mendenhall/UNC Research.)

Saketha Male grew up devouring movies and science books given to her by her father. She enjoyed being challenged by complex problems and decided to pursue astrophysics.

But after she arrived at Carolina, she found the work less engaging due to its focus on coding and data analysis. At the time, she was working in a high-energy physics lab with Reyco Henning, who encouraged her to seek a more hands-on approach. That’s when she learned about a new field called quantum computing, which combines computer science and engineering to solve problems in quantum mechanics — how matter and light behave at atomic and subatomic scales. She now works in a lab at the Duke Quantum Center.

A traditional computer bit — the smallest unit of data in computing — can be thought of as a coin, existing in one of two states: heads or tails. In contrast, a quantum bit, or qubit, is like a spinning coin — existing in a combination of heads and tails at once. This unique property allows quantum computers to consider many possibilities at once, unlocking new approaches to computation.

Quantum computers aren’t faster at everything. They excel at certain tasks like simulating quantum systems or generating truly random numbers, but they are still experimental and difficult to build.

“Early computers filled entire rooms, and we’re at a similar stage now,” Male explains. “My lab’s quantum computer uses only a few qubits, but it still takes up the space of an entire bedroom.”

Building a quantum computer that can solve real-world problems will require thousands of qubits. Figuring out how to scale up these systems — adding more qubits and components without compromising their stability and fidelity or vastly increasing their size — is a challenge Male’s research is working to overcome.

As a research assistant at Duke, she focuses on stabilizing magnetic fields. Quantum experiments are extremely sensitive, and even small disturbances can destabilize them. Human bodies and everyday items like AirPods produce magnetic fields stronger than Earth’s, so researchers need to find a way to keep the field stable.

“My work is like making magnetic field noise-canceling headphones for ions,” she says. “These experiments are extremely sensitive, and even small fluctuations can disrupt the system. By improving field stability, we can keep the ion coherent for longer, which allows for more reliable experiments and better testing of quantum systems.”

Quantum computing isn’t just a research interest for Male, it’s a movement she’s starting at UNC-Chapel Hill. Spotting an opportunity on campus, she and a friend founded the university’s first quantum computing club, turning vision into action.

“I expected maybe five people at our first meeting, but nearly 50 showed up,” she recalls.

Male believes quantum computing’s appeal lies in its potential to reach far beyond physics, touching finance, health care, cybersecurity, and countless other fields. “Quantum computing could one day even help solve world hunger by optimizing agricultural systems, developing more sustainable fertilizers, and enabling the design of resilient crops,” says Male, who plans to work in consulting before applying to grad school. “The possibilities are endless — and that excites me most.”

Esha Agarwal | environmental health science

Esha Agarwal is a graduating senior studying environmental health science within the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. (Photo by Megan Mendenhall/UNC Research.)

“If you Google my name, you’ll find, ‘Esha Agarwal hates coding,’” jokes the UNC-Chapel Hill senior. “When I was in sixth grade, my mom tried to get me into coding — and I completely refused.”

That changed during her junior year of high school, when she entered the 2020 Congressional App Challenge — and won — for developing outSMARTPD, an app to diagnose and monitor Parkinson’s disease. The idea was personal. Her grandfather’s long road to diagnosis, including two unnecessary knee replacements, exposed how confusing the medical journey can be for patients.

Around that same time, she also explored how environmental factors influence health. As a high school student, she studied how fertilizer runoff contributes to harmful algal blooms — and how those blooms may be linked to Parkinson’s disease. The experience shaped how she thought about medicine and research. Understanding patients, she realized, means understanding what surrounds them — their work, their environment, their daily exposures.

That thought remained top of mind as she shadowed neurologists and listened to patients describe what they’d need out of an app like outSMARTPD.

“But I needed a credible method to determine if the app was effective and accurate,” Agarwal says. “I needed a clinical trial.”

At Carolina, she collaborated with biomedical engineering professor Andy Kant and neurologist Nina Browner to evaluate her app with patients at the UNC Movement Disorders Center during scheduled clinic appointments. They would explore the app for 20 to 30 minutes, offering insight and often sharing excitement about the potential of this technology.

“Their enthusiasm truly inspired me,” she says.

Now, Agarwal is working to improve the app and its algorithm, imagining future uses that range from supporting nonprofits to informing new treatments. After graduation, she plans to attend medical school, keeping holistic, patient-centered care at the heart of her work.

“I want to create sustainable care plans tailored to each patient, helping them get the care they need — and want,” she says.

By Megan Mendenhall, UNC Research

The post Curiosity to Commencement appeared first on College of Arts and Sciences.

From left, teaching assistant professors Laura Ott and Eric Hastie work with students to develop innovative teaching tools they can use in their biology classrooms. (Photo by Donn Young.)

Eric Hastie opens a 3:35 p.m. section of BIOL 253: “Advanced Human Anatomy and Physiology,” with the question, “Do you want some candy for your brains?”

As grateful students file to the front of the classroom to pick treats from a bucket, Hastie, a teaching assistant professor of biology, reminds them that they’re covering the digestive system today, so they might as well have some sugar to break down. Later in the class, a student correctly answers that the brain is one of the most glucose-hungry tissues in the human body.

Hastie’s love for active learning ensures that his students’ brains use plenty of glucose. As Hastie poses a question to the class, peer instructors circulate through the room, facilitating small-group discussions. At one point, a student engages with a question about when they last ate, and whether their body is in an absorptive or post-absorptive state.

In other classes Hastie teaches, he’s used a 3D-printed model activity to demonstrate the structure and function of enzymes and a paper cutout activity to look at evolution and how organisms are classified. Both activities were developed by students in the Carolina Biology Education Research Laboratory, which Hastie co-leads with his friend, colleague and fellow teaching assistant professor Laura Ott.

“Laura and I clicked immediately when we started working together in 2020,” Hastie said. “We had similar goals in terms of student engagement and opportunities for them to get involved in research in a different way.”

Students working in CBERL learn about the practice of teaching, including how to develop, assess and revise educational strategies that can be directly applied to the classroom. It’s an unconventional research direction for biology majors who tend to gravitate toward wet lab and field work projects, but the undergraduates Hastie and Ott mentor have found it incredibly rewarding. Ott was the first professor in the biology department to direct an honors thesis based on education research.

She’s now led four.

“For some students, performing education research has actually inspired career changes,” Ott said. “I love when students realize the doors they can open when they have these new experiences.”

Tactile teaching tools

Ott has always been passionate about using data-driven practices in her classroom. Shortly after joining Carolina, she began a study to assess whether the one-page “cheat sheets” she let students create and use during exams helped or hindered their learning.

“Long story short, they’re actually hurting students, which is why we’ve taken them away,” she said.

Over the past few years, she’s helped CBERL students investigate potential reasons by studying the cheat sheets students submitted with their exams. She appreciates that effective teaching must evolve with the needs of her students, which can change rapidly.

“If I think about when I started in July of 2020, what worked for the previous generation might not work for this generation,” she said. “That’s why having this scholarly approach to teaching is so important. I’m helping myself to be a more effective teacher.”

One constant Ott has seen is an appreciation for activities that make invisible, molecular concepts seem more tangible. Her CBERL mentees have learned how to not only imagine such activities but how to develop them, scale them up, deploy them and assess their efficacy.

In one tactile teaching tool, students use K’nex construction toys to model how gut microbes break down complex carbohydrates. In another, they build a gene out of Legos. In yet another, a marble rolling down a 3D-printed ramp demonstrates how a gene can be transcribed in one cell, but adding a blockade can prevent transcription in a different cell.

In each of these cases, the students who developed these tools presented them to real classes and collected data on how well they worked. Some have even submitted papers for publication in peer-reviewed education journals.

In a traditional biology lab, most undergraduates do not have the opportunity to design and execute a project from start to finish. That experience is something Ott is proud to give her students.

“We don’t run CBERL because we have to,” she said. “We do it because we feel that the research helps us and, more importantly, our students in the long run.”

Leading-edge learning labs

Outside the classroom, science majors take laboratory courses that illustrate class concepts in real-world models while introducing students to the tools and processes of research. Hastie manages several such courses.

In addition to a couch where students can talk through their questions, Hastie’s office has many intriguing items, like a poster of a dental X-ray, a model of a saber-toothed tiger skull, and this, a biology textbook that belonged to his great-grandfather. (Photo by Donn Young.)

Among Hastie’s most recent innovations is the development of a hybrid structure for the introductory biology lab course for nonmajors. With demand for these classes increasing faster than available space, he was asked to consider some creative approaches.

The solution? A model where students rotate through a physical lab space in three- or four-week blocks. The rest of the time, they’re completing online simulations or “take-home lab” kits designed for doing experiments remotely.

While take-home labs may sound unconventional, Hastie emphasized that skills like dissection and microscopy are still taught in a supervised environment. Conversely, he’s found that the unsupervised structure of the take-home labs helps students think more critically about the scientific process.

“I’ve read reflections that say, ‘I had no idea it was this hard! But now, I can appreciate the planning that goes into experiments and how I need a clear hypothesis,’” Hastie said.

While CBERL students didn’t help design the hybrid lab course, they have been involved in other lab development projects. One undergraduate created a lab module using C. elegans, a nematode worm often used to study genetics, to demonstrate the value of model organisms. Another group of students developed an entire laboratory course, now offered once a year, about gene editing using the plant Arabidopsis thaliana.

“How many undergrads can say they developed a class?” Hastie said.

Sometimes, students are driven less by a research question and more by a desire to support their peers. One of Hastie’s pre-health students developed a five-session module explaining the lesser-discussed topics of preparing for professional school, like how to best structure your class schedule and how to budget for medical school applications.

Supporting students — and helping students support each other — is one of Hastie’s primary motivations. On the student-described “therapy couch” in his office, students who stop by to discuss topics from class might talk through their questions together. Other students might come to chat with Hastie about college or life in general.

Ott has had similar experiences. “Sure, our job is to teach biology, but I think our most important job is to be a source of support for our students,” she said.

Hastie’s 2026 Tanner Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and Ott’s 2026 Chapman Family Teaching Award help remind them that they’re on the right track.

“To me, a teaching award really speaks to recognition for the hard work and the creativity and value that we bring to the education of our students,” Ott said.

With each responsible for teaching more than 700 students per semester, it can sometimes be difficult to see the overall impact. Hearing the voices of those who have benefited from Ott and Hastie’s passion for their work makes it all the more worthwhile.

“It’s knowing the students see that I care about them,” Hastie said. “That really drives it home for me.”

By Calley Jones

The post Innovative teaching from lecture to lab appeared first on College of Arts and Sciences.

The nine new Phillips Ambassadors. (submitted photo)

Nine undergraduates from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill were selected as Phillips Ambassadors for Summer 2026 study abroad programs in Asia. Undergraduate scholarship recipients will study in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan.

The Phillips Ambassadors Program is a program of UNC-Chapel Hill’s Carolina Asia Center, in association with the Study Abroad Office. Phillips Ambassadors are selected twice a year and each receive a $7,000 scholarship. Selection is based on strong communication skills, intellectual curiosity and engagement, academic achievement, evidence of generous service to the campus and wider community, and a previous record of leadership.

Twenty-five percent of the scholarships are reserved for qualified undergraduate business majors and minors at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. Up to two scholarships each year are available to qualified Duke University undergraduates.

Phillips Ambassadors choose from more than 70 academic programs in Asia that are approved by the College of Arts and Sciences and Kenan-Flagler Business School. Scholarship recipients enroll in a three-credit hour global studies course designed uniquely for them. Led by Michael Tsin, the Earl N. Phillips Jr. Distinguished Professor of International Studies, the course challenges students to explore their study abroad locale in significant detail and seek understanding of the region in a global context.

A distinguishing feature of the program is an emphasis on what is called a “Give Back,” or sharing of one’s study abroad experience in Asia with the Carolina community and the student’s hometown. In accepting the scholarship, students agree to fulfill a Give Back related to their study abroad experience. Give Backs include endeavors such as published articles, presentations, art exhibitions, and group projects focused on Asia.
The Phillips Ambassadors Program is made possible through a gift from Carolina alumnus Earl N. “Phil” Phillips Jr., an entrepreneur and former U.S. ambassador, and his family.

“Our goal with this gift has been to encourage more students to spend their study abroad experiences focused on Asia — an increasingly vital region of the future,” said Phillips, who splits his time between High Point and Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

The first group of Phillips Ambassadors studied abroad in Asia in the summer of 2007. Since then more than 480 Carolina undergraduates have studied abroad in Asia as Phillips Ambassadors. The Phillips Ambassadors Program also oversees the Phillips Passport Initiative, a scholarship to assist students in applying for their first passport, and UNC Phillips Summer in Asia, a faculty-led study abroad program that has been based in Shanghai and Taipei. For more information, visit phillips.unc.edu.

The new Phillips Ambassadors are listed below alphabetically by North Carolina county, followed by out-of-state and international recipients.

NORTH CAROLINA AMBASSADORS

Buncombe
Gyani Patel of Asheville is studying through CET Shanghai in China. She is a physics major and a Chinese and Arabic double minor.

Dare
Gitzelle Enciso-Ramirez of Manteo is studying through Yonsei University in South Korea. She is a business and media and journalism double major.

Union
Sachi Akmal of Waxhaw is studying through UNC Phillips Summer in Taiwan. She is a history major and a business and journalism double minor.

Wake
Esther Ghim of Cary is studying through Yonsei University in South Korea. She is a health policy and management and neuroscience double major.

Naomi Smith of Wake Forest is studying through UNC Summer in Japan. She is a psychology and computer science double major.

OUT-OF-STATE AMBASSADORS

Will Carter of Scottsdale, Arizona, is studying through KFBS International Internship in Tokyo, Japan. He is a business and economics double major.

Jarissa Molina of Bronx, New York, is studying through KFBS International Internship in Tokyo, Japan. She is an economics major and an urban studies and planning and real estate double minor.

Ryan Parsaee of Malvern, Pennsylvania, is researching through Chinese University of Hong Kong Undergraduate Research Program. He is a neuroscience and health policy and management double major and a creative writing minor.

Allison Royal of Chattanooga, Tennessee, is studying through KFBS Internship in Singapore. She is a business major and an advertising and public relations minor

The post Nine undergraduates selected as Phillips Ambassadors for study in Asia appeared first on College of Arts and Sciences.

Kyle Daniels said his work with Meantime has helped strengthen his leadership and sustainability skills. He’s pictured in the coffee shop’s Campus Y location. (Photo by Donn Young.)

Senior Kyle Daniels reflects on his undergraduate journey and commitment to pursuing his passion for sustainability throughout North Carolina.

As a third-generation Tar Heel, senior Kyle Daniels’ decision to attend Carolina was a “no-brainer.”

“The presence that the University had was a formative part of my childhood,” said Daniels.

He viewed college as a chance to relive the traditions his family cherishes while also carving out his own path — one dedicated to sustainability and renewable energy.

“What my family views as special about Carolina is how aligned it is with what the values of a state institution should be — empowering the future leaders of that state and being driven by the needs of the people,” Daniels said. “Whether that’s through academic programs, scholarships or student organizations, those values empower you to find your niche.”

As a double major in economics and environmental science, Daniels will graduate this spring with the foundational knowledge of financial systems and the energy industry.

But what taught him the most was a role he took outside the classroom: chief executive officer of The Meantime Coffee Co., a student-led nonprofit coffee shop, with one location inside the Campus Y and another on Rosemary Street.

Daniels was hired as a first-year student and has worked his way up since — first as an operations assistant, then as chief sustainability officer and now as CEO, all while also working as a barista.

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Jim Hirschfield

It is with profound sadness that I share the news of the sudden passing of James Hirschfield, Kenan Distinguished Professor of Studio Art – Sculpture, and a member of our faculty since 1988. He was in the final semester of a long and distinguished career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and his loss is felt deeply across our department and our broader community. He passed away on April 21.

Jim joined the faculty as an Assistant Professor in 1988, earned tenure and promotion to Associate Professor in 1994, and was promoted to full Professor in 1998. He served as Chair of the Department of Art and Art History from 2010 to 2017, a period during which his steady leadership shaped the department in lasting ways. In 2011, he was named a Kenan Distinguished Professor, one of the university’s highest honors for faculty excellence.

His scholarly and creative life was rooted in sculpture — not only as a studio practice but as a way of engaging deeply with the world. Jim held a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute and an MFA from the University of Oregon, and over nearly four decades at UNC, he brought that preparation to bear on generations of students who encountered sculpture through his teaching. His work was recognized by some of the most prestigious funding bodies in the arts, among them the National Endowment for the Arts, the North Carolina Arts Council, the Graham Foundation, the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, Art Matters, and the Rockefeller Foundation.

Jim’s creative practice extended well beyond the studio. Together with his wife and longtime collaborator, Sonya Ishii, he created public art projects of lasting significance — works ranging from freestanding sculpture to immersive sculptural environments. Their practice was rooted in close attention to site: a search, as they described it, for “an inherent truth that lends itself to becoming visual metaphor.” Their designs engaged viewers first through strong aesthetic presence, and then opened outward into layers of meaning that rewarded sustained attention.

Jim’s commitment to public art reached into the civic life of Chapel Hill as well. He served on the Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission for many years, and his contributions there were foundational. In the words of Steve Wright of the Town of Chapel Hill, Jim and the Commission “were instrumental in the establishment of the Percent for Art Ordinance, and the programs and public art staff that grew into what we have today.” The public art infrastructure he helped build remains part of Chapel Hill’s cultural fabric.

Those who knew Jim as a colleague will remember his reliability, his full engagement with the life of the department, and a quality harder to name but easy to recognize — a genuine curiosity about the world. He traveled widely to see art and hear music. He commuted to campus by bicycle and on foot. These were not incidental facts about him; they were expressions of a person who paid attention, who moved through the world with care and intention.

Jim is survived by his wife and creative partner, Sonya Ishii, and their daughter, Mia Hirschfield, to whom we extend our deepest condolences.

Annette Lawrence

Edna J. Koury Distinguished Professor and Chair

Department of Art and Art History

Funeral arrangements:

Memorial service at Endswell Funeral Home on Tuesday, April 28 at 10 a.m.

Informal gathering at the graveside at Bluestem Conservation Cemetery in Cedar Grove, North Carolina, at 1 p.m.

Hosted by Sonya Ishii and Mia Hirschfield

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Musicologist and John P. Barker Distinguished Professor of Music Mark Katz channels his love for music into initiatives that unite both at UNC-Chapel Hill and around the world. (submitted photo)

When asked what he’s been up to lately, Mark Katz is likely to offer up any number of seemingly unrelated projects. He’s determined to finally publish a coffee table book of photos from his travels. He’s maintaining his sad-furniture Instagram account. He’s had tea with strangers in Taiwan. He’s traveled with hip-hop artists to Uzbekistan or Nigeria.

“It might seem like a random assortment of interests, because it’s not obvious to someone who’s not me how they might connect,” he said.

But the John P. Barker Distinguished Professor of Music traces each of them, as well as his prolific scholarship, innovative programs and varied accolades, back to his love of studying music and technology.

From violins to record scratching, comes hip-hop diplomacy

Katz is a distinguished musicologist, has published several books and numerous articles on music and culture, and has advised a couple dozen doctoral dissertations and master’s theses. He is a trained violinist, but curiosity has led him down unpredictable paths, and to develop unexpected interests.

Today, he is perhaps most widely known for his hip-hop diplomacy.

“At these competitions, people would create these scratch routines, and I was fascinated by that,” he said. “I started doing fieldwork. I would travel to places to observe competitions, I would interview people, I learned to scratch on my own, and that led to teaching classes at Carolina on hip-hop and collaborating with various hip-hop artists.”

In 2013, he launched Next Level, a U.S. Department of State-funded program that sends U.S. hip-hop artists around the world to build community, encourage entrepreneurship and spread American democratic values. Before stepping down as director in 2019, Next Level conducted workshops in 30 countries on six continents — now more than 50 countries — which are of strategic importance to the U.S. government.

“Hip-hop diplomacy is a form of cultural diplomacy… in which nation-states collaborate or communicate or exchange with each other through culture. That can be hip-hop, it could be literature, any number of things,” Katz said.

In addition to showcasing artists’ talents, the program gives participants the opportunity to create art together.

“[Next Level] is a testament to just the power of music… hip-hop doesn’t happen in a vacuum,” said Donovan Livingston, teaching assistant professor of music at UNC-Chapel Hill and Katz’s frequent collaborator. “It’s those habits of democracy that show up when you participate in hip-hop culture that can inform how we move as humans. In a world where we’re compelled to keep our distance and be apart and be individuals, hip-hop turns that idea on its head.”

Cultural diplomacy, according to Katz, is a strategic and critical part of American foreign policy. To make a difference, however, requires people to pay attention.

“It’s really important to connect with young people around the world because they’re the next leaders, they’re the next generation of leaders,” Katz said, marking the 10th anniversary of Next Level in 2024. “To develop good relationships with the young people in a country and to have them think warmly and positively about the U.S. is really helpful for the future because it means having future allies and future friends.”

Cultural diplomacy in everyday life

Katz stepped down as director at Next Level in 2019 to place the project more directly into the hands of hip-hop creators, though he is far from putting hip-hop and cultural diplomacy on the backburner.

More recently, Katz has focused his efforts on the Carolina Prison Music Initiative, a program he launched fall 2025 to bring music lessons to formerly and currently incarcerated individuals at the Orange Correctional Center.

He continues to travel widely, and he always makes sure to bring his camera. He regularly submits photos to the Carolina Global Photography Competition. Several have been selected as finalists. In recent years, he traveled to Japan, for example, and discovered kissas, or listening cafés. A photo he took of Yoshida Masahiro was selected as the UNC Global Affairs spotlight in 2025. In the 2024 exhibition, a photo he took in Nigeria with hip-hop artists was selected as a finalist.

“Multiple times, in different countries, people have just kind of waved me over and asked me who I am, what I’m doing and then say, ‘Would you like some tea?’ and I end up sitting and having tea with people I’ve never met,” Katz said. “There are a lot of friendly, welcoming people all over the world. I like to think that if you just open yourself up to being approachable and friendly, those are the times I feel good about the world.”

This spring, Katz received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar award. He will travel to Korea next year to conduct research.

By Allyson V. Davenport, UNC Global Affairs

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