Society

Society: Understanding Human Nature and Behavior

A Veteran’s View

June 8, 2019

During his deployments to Afghanistan in 2012 and 2014, Reuben Mabry relied on his artwork for respite. Now a master’s student in UNC’s studio art program, he uses his eight-year career in the U.S. Army as the foundation for his work, creating paintings about the indoctrination of military members.

Combating Concussions

June 4, 2019

There are a thousand ways service members can receive mild traumatic brain injuries during training and active duty. Ten years ago, basic concussion testing protocols didn’t account for the intense activities required of this population. UNC researcher Karen McCulloch has worked to change that.

Cross-Cultural Connections

May 15, 2019

Documentary filmmaker Julia Haslett tells stories that transcend borders, giving her audience a window into worlds they couldn’t have explored otherwise, and are already connected to in ways they couldn’t have imagined.

Nichola Lowe

May 8, 2019

Nichola Lowe is a professor in the Department of City & Regional Planning within the UNC College of Arts & Sciences. Her research unpacks the processes and practices that contribute to more equitable forms of regional economic development and labor market adjustment.

Restoring Rural China

May 6, 2019

While the United States and China take up roughly the same amount of land mass, China’s population is over four times that of the U.S. — and more people means more change in vegetation growth. How do these factors connect to climate change? Conghe Song explores this relationship, pursuing a project that has led to his return to his birthplace: rural China.

Karen Sheffield

May 1, 2019

Karen Sheffield is a doctoral candidate in the UNC School of Nursing. Her research focuses on developing strategies to reduce the long-term health effects of psychological trauma, anxiety, and depression on women’s health and birth outcomes.

Sprains and the Brain

April 16, 2019

Most people don’t think a sprained ankle is serious, but Erik Wikstrom disagrees. The UNC exercise and sports scientist studies the mechanisms and long-term impacts of lateral ankle sprains — exploring not only how they affect local tissues, but how they change the way the brain programs movement.

Horticulture, History, and Hurricanes

March 21, 2019

In starting a community garden, the Coharie tribe reclaim their autonomy in agriculture, transforming it into a place for healing and community. UNC senior Sierra Dunne records their story, learning about the deep-rooted connections among soil, sorghum syrup, and boundless generosity in the process.

Kiara Childs

March 20, 2019

Kiara Childs is a PhD student in the Department of Communication within the UNC College of Arts & Sciences. Her research focuses on how media empowers and disempowers marginalized communities, specifically how black women curate their voices through social media.

Confronting Conflict with Creativity

March 7, 2019

From Chapel Hill to the Democratic Republic of Congo, music professor Chérie Rivers Ndaliko empowers students to come together and use creativity as a touchstone for social change.