Toppling of the Silent Sam statue
My purpose in writing is to provide a perspective on the toppling of the Confederate statue called Silent Sam that occurred August 20 on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus.
Topic: Students
Higher Ed
A steamy, enthusiasm-filled 78th commencement weekend
Congratulations, Gillings School graduates!!! You did it, and we are so proud of you! Go out and leave your Tar Heel footprints all over the world as you improve health, the environment and well-being. You will make a positive difference in the world as the students who came before you have done! Sometimes, I wonder...
Higher Ed
Addressing discrimination, harassment and related misconduct
[This post is adapted from a memo on sexual harassment sent Dec. 5, 2017, to Gillings School faculty, staff and students. – BKR] Context for discussions about sexual harassment. Over the past several months, complaints about sexual harassment, assault and sexual misconduct have reached a crescendo in the news, calling out well-known individuals in a...
Government
Graduate students speak out about proposed change to federal tax plan
Graduate students are speaking out about the damage that will result if the draft federal tax bill moves forward without modification – and their protests are important. Sections of the bill are related to deductions for tuition waivers, stipends and graduate student work done in exchange for tuition assistance.
Government
Ending DACA: A terrible idea
The wrong thing to do I had a fantasy last weekend as the media kept reporting that the president would announce an end to the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigration program. I fantasized (in retrospect) that his exposure to the people of Houston, in their time of distress and peril, with thousands there...
Higher Ed
Gillings graduates ready to improve the world
Amazing students, faculty and staff I looked out at a sea of students ready to become our graduates – Gillings School alumni – and I felt so fortunate to be part of this wonderful culmination of degrees that is both an end and a beginning – commencement. Our students are truly awesome and amazing. Even...
Public Health
Spotlight on diversity and inequities: Speaker and conference inspire faculty, students and many others
Milan addresses challenges for the HIV/AIDS community The Gillings School welcomed Jesse Milan Jr., president and chief executive officer of AIDS United and member of our School’s Advisory Council, for a visit and a talk on “The Trump Administration and the New Congress: Challenges for the HIV/AIDS Community.” Milan spoke about the challenges of navigating...
Public Health
Inspiration for a new year—especially for our returning students
Welcome back, especially to Gillings students! We welcome your return. In this post, we offer suggestions for a successful semester and for life. Selectively sharing some sage advice I have various rituals that I practice when anticipating a new year. Everyone has them. We make dinner plans with people we rarely get to see, I...
Public Health
Seeing the world through post-election lens and behaving with grace and civility
Change is inevitable It’s been less than two weeks since the election, and there’s a lot of recalibration going on. Life will change in some ways. Today, we don’t know how; we can only speculate. The times require us to use a new lens for viewing current events and thinking about the future. And whichever...
Students
Great new students arrive in Chapel Hill!
Photos by Jennie Saia. On Aug. 22, we welcomed our new students to Chapel Hill! It was a beautiful Carolina day, with a hint of fall in the air and a lot less summer. Because our auditorium is being remodeled, we had new-student orientation in our atrium, with students on all three levels. I thought...
Diversity, Inclusion and Equity
Supreme Court does the right thing on race-conscious admissions
I’m relieved and so grateful that the Supreme Court upheld the University of Texas at Austin’s protocol to consider race in admissions decisions. That doesn’t mean race should be the only cogent factor, but for university leaders who want to increase diversity in our schools–and we are among those who do–being able to consider race is an...
North Carolina
A perfect UNC-Chapel Hill day
2016 Commencement at Carolina Sunday, May 8, could not have been more perfect for the University’s commencement. Check out the Carolina blue sky over thousands of blue-clad, glad Carolina grads in the photo above and video below. It was the first time students were seated on the field in 16 years, and it was great fun...
Public Health
Another Carolina commencement
Panoramic shot of our commencement in Carmichael Arena. Photo by Jennie Saia. Gillings’ School commencement with Dennis Gillings The Gillings School’s 76th commencement took place Saturday, May 7, on a beautiful Carolina day. About 400 of our 632 graduates celebrated in Carmichael Arena with their families, friends, faculty and staff. After processing to “Pomp and...
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