Zena Cardman poses in a thick winter coat and hat while conducting research on the West Antarctic Peninsula.

The 0.3 Percent

From the basalt lava fields of Hawaii to the vast white expanse of Antarctica, UNC alumna Zena Cardman has ventured to some of Earth’s most unique and remote places.

Now she’s setting her sights on the ultimate frontier — space. Over 18,000 people applied to be in NASA’s newest class of astronauts, and Cardman found out on May 25 that she was among the top 12 accepted. She reports to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in August to begin her training.
Laura Sandt portrait on campus.

Laura Sandt

Laura Sandt is the associate director of the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center and a senior research associate within the UNC Highway Safety Research Center. Her research focuses on pedestrian and bicycle safety program development and evaluation.
Jaycie Vos talks into a microphone at a radio station.

Folklore FX

The experimental environment at WXDU provides an artistic haven for Duke University students and Durham locals alike — a sentiment that UNC archivist and folklorist Jaycie Vos hopes to capture.
Gabi Stein poses for a portrait in the middle of the street

Gabi Stein

Gabi Stein is a rising junior majoring in computer science within the UNC College of Arts & Sciences. She is a Morehead-Cain Scholar, and has spent the past semester studying abroad in China through UNC Global. She will head to Ireland for a summer internship in June. Her research interests include mathematical modeling, public health, and education.
Alison Brenner poses for a portrait.

Alison Brenner

Alison Brenner is the associate program director for the Carolina Cancer Screening Initiative within the UNC Linberger Cancer Care Center, and is also a health services researcher at the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research. Her research focuses on how patients and healthcare providers make decisions about cancer screening.
Man shows young boy equipment.

Utilizing Geophysics to Uncover History

Central North Carolina is home to a vast array of historic landscapes that weave in and out of our day-to-day paths. On Saturday, April 30, Mike Shore’s Geological Archaeology class spent a day investigating the historic Ayr Mount site in Hillsborough, where several structures that once stood above ground now lie beneath the surface.
A man coils a rope while standing on a boat.

A Deep Dive into Jordan Lake

Using state-of-the-art instrumentation and lab analyses, UNC researchers gather information on Jordan Lake.
Theresa D'Aquila, wearing protective glasses, a lab coat, and gloves, working in the lab.

Theresa D’Aquila

Theresa D’Aquila is a postdoctoral research associate in the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. Her current research focuses on molecular nutrition — specifically how fat metabolizes in the body.
A volcano emitting smoke from it.

A Volcanologist’s Vigilance

As director of Ecuador’s Geophysical Institute, Mario Ruiz has monitored some of the most active (and potentially destructive) volcanoes in South America. After earning his PhD at UNC 10 years ago, Ruiz has come back to Carolina to sift through data from the recent eruption of the Cotopaxi volcano.

A RAPID Response to Hurricane Matthew

In the months following one of the most destructive hurricanes of the past decade, UNC researchers had to act fast. Using a unique grant from the NSF, they’re testing water quality in Lumberton — one of the hardest-hit places during the storm.
Portrait of Kashika Sahay on campus

Kashika Sahay

Kashika Sahay is a fourth-year doctoral student in the Department of Maternal and Child Health in the Gillings School of Global Public Health. Her research interests include gender equity, reproductive health outcomes, women’s empowerment, and violence prevention. In March, she successfully defended her dissertation on family planning among couples in urban Nigeria. She graduates this weekend and is already working as a contractor for the CDC in Atlanta.
Felton Thomas holds up a sign that reads "Prevention 4 me" at an event that supports the LGBT Center in Raleigh

Beyond Condoms: New Approaches to HIV Prevention

The UNC Division of Infectious Diseases launches three simultaneous studies to help prevent HIV within the most susceptible populations.