Carolina summer news you may have missed
Parking changes, a research milestone and new appointments are among the key updates.
Summer is a quiet time of year at UNC-Chapel Hill, but there’s still plenty going on.
As the new school year approaches, catch up on some key news you may have missed from the summer months.
Research milestone
Carolina again reached a new milestone in research funding, surpassing $1 billion in awards for fiscal year 2024.
Federal sources accounted for about 65% of all awards, topped by $592 million from the National Institutes of Health. Research at Carolina employs over 10,700 North Carolinians in projects that span all 100 counties.
Innovate Carolina changes
The Institute for Convergent Sciences will integrate with Innovate Carolina, retroactive to July 1.
Dedric Carter, vice chancellor for innovation, entrepreneurship and economic development and chief innovation officer, announced the change. Greg Copenhaver, director of ICS, will report to Carter. The change positions both the institute and the University for continued success and growth.
Additionally, Carter appointed Bryant Moore as director of Innovate Carolina’s new ventures and partnerships, a new principal area and role. Moore, previously the director of strategic partnerships for the Office of Technology Commercialization, will lead the group that includes Kickstart Venture Services, the Kickstart Accelerator and new and existing innovation partnerships and alliances.
Parking changes
The Board of Trustees approved several parking changes for employees and students that took effect Aug. 1.
Among the updates are the end of “flex” permits for hybrid employees, rate reductions for employees with salaries under $70,000 and flat rates for employee weeknight parking and sustainable commuting options.
The ordinance simplifies the rate structure for employees from 72 price points to 13. The changes will make parking less expensive for 59% of Carolina employees.
Carolina makes ‘new Ivies’ list
UNC-Chapel Hill was included on Forbes’ list of “new Ivies,” institutions approaching the quality and prestige of an Ivy League education and producing “the smart, driven graduates craved by employers of all types.”
Carolina is the only North Carolina institution on the list. The University was also recognized by the Princeton Review for its affordability as a top public university for value.
New dean and director appointments
Several schools and institutes across campus named new or interim leadership.
- Dr. Robert L. Ferris is UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center’s new executive director. He’ll start the role Oct. 1 after serving as director of Hillman Cancer Center at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.Ferris is a Carolina alum and takes over for Dr. Shelley Earp, who served as Lineberger director twice, 1997-2014 and 2018-2024.
- Jill V. Hamm will serve as interim dean of the School of Education. Hamm, an education professor and associate dean for research and faculty development, has been at Carolina since 1999. She takes over after Fouad Abd-El-Khalick’s departure to become provost at University of Massachusetts Amherst.
- Jessica Grant will serve as interim director of the Odum Institute for Research in Social Science.Grant, currently the associate director of research and director of the certificate in survey science, will be the first woman to lead the institute in its 100-year history. Todd BenDor, who’s served as the Odum Institute director since 2018, is taking a new role as chair of the College of Arts and Sciences’ city and regional planning department.
- Additionally, Lisa Tarantino was appointed assistant dean for research at UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, and Jessica White was named assistant dean for innovation in teaching and learning at the UNC School of Nursing.
