Diversity Highlights
Diversity & Student Success Featured Scholars
Explore participant scholars from all the DSS initiatives.
Initiative for Minority Excellence Featured Scholar – Diamond Ebanks Holloman
Diamond Ebanks Holloman is a doctoral candidate in the Environment, Ecology, and Energy Program. She earned her bachelor’s degrees from New York University in environmental studies and journalism, and a master’s degree from her current program. Her community-based research focuses on the intersection of race, social vulnerability, the environment, and the movement of water. She ...
Carolina Grad Student F1RSTS Featured Scholar – Kaeli Welsh
Kaeli Welsh, originally from Minneapolis, is a second-year doctoral student in pharmacology. She received her bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry with honors from St. Olaf College before joining the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program (BBSP) at UNC-Chapel Hill. She is a recipient of the 2020-2021 National Institutes of Health-funded T32 Pharmacological Sciences Training Grant. What ...
Military-Affiliated Grads Featured Scholar – MaryBeth Spoehr
MaryBeth Spoehr is pursuing her master of public administration degree within the School of Government. She received her bachelor’s degree in social sciences at Michigan Technological University, where she also competed on the women’s varsity soccer team and completed her training in the Reserve Officer Training Corps. Following her undergraduate studies, she commissioned into the ...
Global Grads Featured Scholar – Esteban Agudo
Esteban Agudo is a doctoral student in the UNC Department of Biology, housed in the College of Arts & Sciences. Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, he studied the importance of corals for reef fish during his bachelor’s and master’s degree (in the Simon Bolivar University in Caracas) and also worked on environmental impact projects. Currently, he ...
Carolina Grad Student F1RSTS Featured Scholar – Thanh Phan
Thanh Phan is a third-year doctoral student in biochemistry and biophysics. She is an international student from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and received her bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Kalamazoo College. Currently, under the guidance of Dr. Brian Kuhlman, she is working on developing vaccine antigens against dengue viruses. “I hope to contribute to ...
Global Grads Featured Scholar – Pasuth Thothaveesansuk
Pasuth Thothaveesansuk is a doctoral student in global history. Originally from Bangkok, Thailand, he received his bachelor’s degree in history and German studies from the University of Virginia and is expected to receive his master’s degree from UNC-Chapel Hill this May. What made you choose UNC-Chapel Hill when deciding on a program/place to study? I chose Carolina ...
Military-Affiliated Grads Featured Scholar – Zach Alessi-Friedlander
Lieutenant Colonel Zach Alessi-Friedlander is a master’s student in history. He is a graduate of Columbia University and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, where he participated in the Art of War Scholars Program. He is an active-duty Army officer and most recently served as a strategic advisor to the Commander of the ...
Initiative for Minority Excellence Featured Scholar – Brionca Taylor
Brionca Taylor is a doctoral candidate in sociology. She received her bachelor’s degree in sociology and African American studies from the University of Florida, where she was one of the first recipients of the university’s African American studies degree. She is the recipient of a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Pre-doctoral Fellowship and a ...
Carolina Grad Student F1RSTS Featured Scholar – Jade Bruno
Jade Bruno is a second-year master’s student in the School of Information and Library Science, and her plans are to graduate in May 2021. She is also the graduate president of the Information and Library Science Student Association and an elected senator with the Graduate and Professional Student Federation. She has a bachelor’s degree in ...
Initiative for Minority Excellence Featured Scholar – Jason M. Maher
Jason M Maher, a master of public health student, received his bachelor’s degree in music from Duke University. As an undergraduate, he was active in the Duke Symphony Orchestra, Duke Chamber Players, and Duke Afro-Cuban Percussion Ensemble, among other groups. A year after graduating, he was invited to serve in the U.S. Peace Corps, where ...