Research UNCovered


Research UNCovered showcases the many faces of research at Carolina, from undergraduate students to faculty, across all disciplines. Learn what inspired our researchers to pursue their field, how they’ve overcome obstacles, and a little about their lives beyond their labs and offices.

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Chad Stevens Heartwood

September 4, 2019

Chad Stevens Heartwood is an associate professor within the UNC School of Media and Journalism. As a documentary filmmaker and journalist, he researches the collision between human needs and the environment. His most recent project, “Farmsteaders,” follows a young family focused on resurrecting their late grandfather’s dairy farm.

Eleftheria “Ria” Kontou

August 28, 2019

Eleftheria “Ria” Kontou is a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of City and Regional Planning within the UNC College of Arts & Sciences. She uses transportation models to uncover whether ride-sourcing platforms like Uber and Lyft affect city road crashes, injuries, fatalities, and DUI rates to help urban planners identify solutions for safe, efficient mobility.

Juan Carlos González Espitia

August 21, 2019

Juan Carlos González Espitia is an associate professor of Spanish in the Department of Romance Studies within the UNC College of Arts & Sciences. In his historical study of syphilis in the Spanish-speaking world, he explores the ways the disease affects private and public life, literature, the arts, medical discourse, politics, and public policy.