Research

Rachel Despard

May 6, 2020

Rachel Despard is a senior majoring in music with minors in public policy and social and economic justice within the UNC College of Arts & Sciences. She studies how recorded music boosts community collaboration, affects visibility for vulnerable populations, and addresses systematic inequalities.

The Frog Family

April 7, 2020

David and Karin Pfennig have created a home away from home in the Arizona desert. For about five weeks every summer, the couple studies spadefoot toads. Long days and nights are filled with collecting specimen, conducting experiments, and recording observations. Not only do they bring along graduate students, but also a pair of special assistants — their daughters.

De’Ivyion Drew

March 25, 2020

De’Ivyion Drew is a sophomore double-majoring in studio art and in African, African American, and diaspora studies within the UNC College of Arts & Sciences. She is also a part-time student at Duke University, studying African American and black studies. She uses brass, ivory, copper, and stone to create sculptures that mimic representations of African royalty and serve as a positive commentary on present-day black culture.

Boosting Teen Spirit

March 24, 2020

More than 13 percent of U.S. teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17 experience a major depressive episode, which can follow them into adulthood. How can families protect their teens’ mental health as they grow? More fun and family time are just a few ways, according to researchers from the UNC Carolina Population Center.

The Magic of Classics

March 19, 2020

Classicists help connect our lives to those of the ancient world, but in Suzanne Lye's course on magic and religion, her students do more than just connect — they create. And they learn to relate to the everyday problems and spellbinding solutions of ancient peoples.

Self-Care Success at Work

March 11, 2020

American work culture can be demanding and intense — so much so that people often put their jobs before their physical and emotional needs. But taking care of ourselves makes us better workers and improves how companies function, according to organizational behavior professor Mike Christian.

Benjamin Frey

Benjamin Frey is an assistant professor in the Department of American Studies and adjunct professor in the Department of Linguistics within the UNC College of Arts & Sciences. He studies the Cherokee language, now endangered, in order to recover the social networks, spaces, domains, and means of transference that once allowed it to thrive.

Emma York Marzolf

March 4, 2020

Emma Marzolf is a conservation grower at the North Carolina Botanical Garden. She collects native seeds from wild plant populations across North Carolina and then grows and stores them for future seed restoration efforts.

Li Ke

February 26, 2020

Li Ke is a postdoctoral researcher in the Culture, Curriculum, and Teacher Education program within the UNC School of Education. He promotes scientific literacy among K-12 students by helping them utilize models and reasoning to approach social issues in science such as climate change.

Leveled-Up Learning

February 19, 2020

The Greenlaw Gameroom is a one-of-a-kind space at UNC. Through the conduit of video games, students learn across disciplines, explore the ancient world, analyze the horror genre, and conduct surveys.