Diversity Highlights

Browse news clips and stories about our diversity initiatives and our diverse graduate student body.

Transitioning to Graduate Life: First-Generation Students

October 2017

Carolina Grad Student F1RSTS initiative helps students succeed in graduate school.

Serving As Students: Military-Affiliated Graduate Students Transition Back to the Classroom

Global Scholars

April 2017

International students bring fresh perspectives to research, teaching and outreach at Carolina

Exploring marine microbial communities from New Zealand to Alaska

January 2017

Born in Manila, the capital city of Philippines, and growing up in Los Angeles, Balmonte said he enjoys the slow pace of life in the Triangle. He also appreciates the University’s resources and top-notch faculty.

“Going through graduate school [can] be isolating…it’s important to have the opportunity to take a step back, go back to your support network, gain some perspective from that and refresh your brain in order for you to tackle again more challenges and opportunities,” Balmonte said.

And the winner is… an innovative sex ed app!

December 2016

During spring and summer 2016, two Gillings School doctoral students, Elizabeth Chen and Cristina Leos, along with a Yale colleague, Vichi Jagannathan, set themselves an ambitious goal – to talk to more than 150 middle-school students about sexuality, self-image, changing bodies and relationships with peers. You know – the easy stuff.

2016 Education Pioneers Scott Morgan Award

November 2016

Eldrin Deas, an education consultant and former teacher, was awarded the 2016 Scott Morgan Award for demonstrating remarkable achievement in creating equity and opportunity for underserved students.

Deas has since become an education consultant and researcher, as well as a member of the education committee for My Brother’s Keeper Durham, where he is responsible for developing strategies to ensure boys and young men of color graduate high school.

A Journey Complete (Phinally Done)

September 2016

The last five years have been quite busy for Professor Erika Young.

It could be said that Dr. Young’s journey to a doctoral degree began in 2009 when she moved to Morehead City to undertake laboratory and field studies full time at the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences.

Serving Those Who Serve

September 2016

New initiative welcomes military-affiliated graduate students to Carolina and helps them transition to academic life.

Military-affiliated students often face unique challenges in university life and graduate studies.  As they expect, the culture of the military is very different from the culture of academia.

The Drive to Discover

September 2016

“At one time, graduate students were all undergraduates who were considering a graduate degree.”

Through the Summer Undergraduate Pipeline, The Graduate School works directly with summer undergraduate research programs to create connections and provide tools that help undergraduates make the transition to graduate careers.

Student scholars: Social workers can advance research, discussion on the impact of negative police encounters on Black families, communities

September 2016

Furthermore, Sewell, Horsford, Coleman and Watkins suggested that social workers have a responsibility to advocate for criminal justice reform and to help identify and holistically treat the trauma that Black individuals and their families may experience as a result of environmental stressors, including negative interactions with police or the perceived threat of such encounters.

Three from UNC-Chapel Hill Selected as 2016 Paul and Daisy Soros Fellows

June 2016

Aisha Saad ’09, Vishwajith Sridharan ’14, and Heidi Vuletich were recently selected as recipients of The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans. This is the first time Carolina has had more than one person selected as a Paul & Daisy Soros Fellow in the same year.

OUR STUDENTS

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  IME Student Profile – Eddie Yang

    A former Fulbright scholar, Eddie Yang is a doctoral student in English and comparative literature. Drawing from British literature of the 18th and 19th centuries, he hopes to produce a project that examines how authors and readers have historically … Continued

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  CGSF Student Profiles – Ekiuwa Imariagbe

  Ekiuwa Imariagbe is a Master of Public Health (MPH) student concentrating in health behavior. Originally from New York, she graduated from Syracuse University in 2018 with a degree in health exercise science. She is a Gillings Ambassador and a Graduate … Continued

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  MAGS Student Profiles – Giovanny Rincon

  Giovanny Rincon, a master’s student in global studies, was in the Colombian Army Academy in 1999. He holds a master’s degree in political studies and has contributed to peace processes in Colombia. He has worked at the United Nations Development … Continued

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  Global Grads Student Profiles – Trusha Taneja

  Dr. Trusha Taneja is a master of professional science (PSM) student in the Carolina Health Informatics Program. As a pharmacist, she is driven toward using technology to make the healthcare system safer, affordable and more efficient. What made you choose … Continued

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  MAGS Student Profiles – Daniel Reyes

  Daniel Reyes, a master’s student in folklore, is a filmmaker with interests in documentary film, Latinx diaspora of the South and the diverse traditional music genres of Texas and Mexico, including Conjunto, Cumbia and Corridos. He recently co-produced Cantina, a … Continued

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  IME Student Profile – Rachel Wilbur

    Rachel Wilbur is a doctoral student in anthropology. Her research interests lie in the impact of historical trauma and social determinants on the health of contemporary Native American and Alaska Native peoples. Her dissertation research seeks to elucidate and … Continued

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  Global Grads Student Profiles – Anavir Shermon

  Anavir Shermon is a doctoral student in the Strategy Ph.D. Program within Kenan-Flagler Business School. He spent his early years in Mumbai, India before moving to Toronto, Canada, and he completed his bachelor’s degree in industrial and operations engineering in … Continued

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  CSGF Student Profiles – Amy Glazier

  Amy Glazier is a doctoral student in physics and astronomy. She studies potentially habitable planets in our galaxy using the Evryscope, the first gigapixel-scale all-sky telescope that images the entire visible sky every two minutes, designed and constructed by associate … Continued

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  IME Student Profile – Carly Moreno

    Carly Moreno is a doctoral candidate in the marine sciences department. Her research focuses on polar phytoplankton ecophysiology; in particular, investigating molecular mechanisms that underlie their ability to survive in the Southern Ocean. She previously earned her master’s degree … Continued

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  MAGS Student Profile – David Pope

  David Pope is a doctoral student in health policy and management within the Gillings School of Global Public Health. He is also the chief operating officer of Scotland Health Care System in Laurinburg, N.C. He served as a Judge Advocate … Continued