Society

Society: Understanding Human Nature and Behavior

Anita Brown-Graham

October 3, 2018

Anita Brown-Graham is a professor of public law and government within the UNC School of Government and director of the school's ncIMPACT initiative. Her research focuses on creating opportunities and removing barriers to work-based economic prospects, particularly for residents in distressed communities.

Elizabeth Frankenberg

September 26, 2018

Elizabeth Frankenberg is the director of the Carolina Population Center. Her research focuses on how individuals and families are affected by unexpected events, how they adapt to new circumstances, and the ways that interventions can help.

Finding Light in the Dark

September 24, 2018

Shimul Melwani examines factors of the “dark side” of emotion in the workplace: gossip, frenemies, negativity, bad news, and close-minded leaders. Where businesses may shy away, she often finds that embracing the complexity of human emotions does more good than harm.

Maya Weinberg

September 19, 2018

Senior Maya Weinberg is double-majoring in political science and Latin American studies within the UNC College of Arts & Sciences. Her research focuses on how climate change, globalization, and politics are shaping the next generation of corn farmers in the Central Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico.

The Modern Family

September 18, 2018

As the world changes and diversifies, so do family dynamics. But research on the topic is slow to move away from the ideas established 50 years ago. To bring it into the 21st century, a team of researchers from the UNC Center for Developmental Science have written nine papers that shine a light on the modern family and offer advice for parents on how to help their teens navigate today’s multicultural world.

Angelica Leigh

September 12, 2018

Angelica Leigh is a PhD student concentrating on organizational behavior within the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. Her research focuses on the diversity in organizations such as the influence of racial and gender stereotypes on negotiation outcomes.

What’s Your Story?

September 11, 2018

A mic, a live audience, a story. That’s Carapace, a monthly storytelling event held at Manuel’s Tavern in Atlanta, Georgia. By attending this local favorite, Sarah Beth Nelson — an Atlanta native, storyteller, and UNC doctoral candidate — strives to understand how oral information sharing shapes human relationships and community dynamics.

Claudia Flores

September 5, 2018

Claudia Flores is a project coordinator at the Environmental Finance Center within the UNC School of Government. Her research focuses on the policies surrounding climbing drinking water rates due to aging infrastructure.

Laura Ruel

August 29, 2018

Laura Ruel is an associate professor within the UNC School of Media and Journalism. Her research employs UX methods, usability testing, and eye-tracking technologies to provide insight into user behavior and cognitive processes.

Annie Simpson

August 22, 2018

Senior Annie Simpson is majoring in studio art within the UNC College of Arts & Sciences. Using a mid-20th-century analog camera, she investigates how North Carolina’s socio-political and socio-economic changes affect the built landscape and the area’s material culture. Most recently, she compiled her photos into a series of artist books for her Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) project.