‘Swimterns’ spent summer in rivers and labs
The Molchanov scholars program funded the students’ environmentally focused internships.
Tar Heels
in the field
At UNC-Chapel Hill, our work goes beyond the classroom. Students and faculty alike are stepping into the real world to conduct important environmental research, work on meaningful projects and make breakthroughs to improve our state, nation and world.
Keep scrolling to explore how Tar Heels are exploring real-world issues through a combination of coursework, trips, research projects and internships with local organizations.
The student experience
Doctoral research addresses natural hazards Down East
City and regional planning scholar James P. Collins talked to residents about chronic coastal flooding.
Senior researches cicadas’ impact on local food web
With a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, Alexander Smith studied how the bugs affected animal feeding habits.
Doctoral student protects Galapagos’ sharks
Savannah Ryburn’s humane diet analysis technique conserves critically endangered scalloped hammerheads.
Capstone project looks at impact of light pollution
Students at UNC Outer Banks Field Site research how artificial light at night affects wildlife.
Seaweed yields vital environmental data
Doctoral student Claire Johnson describes her studies of the role of sargassum algae in nitrogen production.
Carolina’s field sites
Through the UNC Institute for the Environment — in collaboration with the College of Arts and Sciences’ Environment, Ecology and Energy Program and the Study Abroad Office — Carolina offers five unique field sites where Tar Heels live, study and conduct research.
Student researchers map heat on campus
Working with the Sustainable Triangle Field Site, they gather data to provide potential solutions to hotspots.
Coastal Studies Institute teaches environmental stewardship
Outer Banks Field Site director Lindsay Dubbs conducts research to better understand and protect marine ecosystems.
Research field site experience sets triple Tar Heel on path for dream career
Molly Bost '13, '16 (MS), '22 (Ph.D.) has always known she wanted to be an environmental scientist. At Carolina, the three-time Tar Heel gained the knowledge and experience to put her passion for North Carolina's coast into action.
Desperately seeking salamanders
Two undergraduates search for salamanders in western North Carolina — and find so much more.
Faculty expertise
Environmental researchers produce a stream of data
Amanda DelVecchia's lab measures greenhouse gas emissions in freshwater sites to gauge their impact.
Carolina researchers take lead on historic NASA water survey
The first satellite to measure Earth’s surface water launched in 2022, and Tamlin Pavelsky's team is verifying its data.
Water researchers help protect precious resources
Three Carolina faculty members share the ways they keep our water healthy and clean, preserve marine life and work toward a sustainable future.
The coastal engineer
Since 1987, Rick Luettich has been building systems to protect the coast from environmental hazards and extreme weather events.