Talent for North Carolina
Read letters from Carolina faculty members who've brought their expertise to North Carolina in part to join the community of scholars in OVCRED centers and institutes.
- Kyle Crowder: "Over the past several years I faced several opportunities to move to other universities, but I was never convinced that these moves would significantly enhance my opportunities for professional development. The opportunity to come to the Carolina Population Center was certainly different..." (+) More
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Kyle Crowder writes:
"As you know, the Carolina Population Center played a huge role in my decision to move to UNC. CPC has a tremendous reputation and is often described in conversations with other demographers as the preeminent population research center in the country. Despite lofty expectations, I was really bowled over during my first visit to the center.
"The CPC certainly stands apart from other population centers in which I've worked in terms of the breadth of innovative research being done, the spirit of collaboration permeating most of the center’s projects, the comprehensive resources available to foster high quality work, and the clarity of vision for the ongoing contributions of the center to the development of scientific knowledge. I've also been hugely impressed by the center's training activities; I now know that the high level of productivity of CPC undergraduate and pre-doctoral trainees is a direct result of the comprehensive mentoring and formal training they receive from the staff and fellows of the CPC. Everyone in the center is obviously deeply invested in this core activity and I am really excited about the prospect of playing a role in the training program.
"Over the past several years I faced several opportunities to move to other universities but I was never convinced that these moves would significantly enhance my opportunities for professional development. The opportunity to come to CPC was certainly different. The physical resources and intellectual environment provided by the CPC certainly have me developing new approaches to core components of my research agenda and planning for entirely new lines of inquiry."
—Kyle Crowder, Howard W. Odum Professor of Sociology, 2009
- Rebecca New: "In deliberating the pros and cons of a move to North Carolina, the opportunity to work with colleagues at Frank Porter Graham was the final pièce de résistance..." (+) More
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Rebecca New writes:
"I was intrigued at the job description—a joint appointment with UNC-Chapel Hill's School of Education and the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute. I was initially attracted to the university given its national reputation and its prominent role in a state long-recognized for its investment in early education. As I learned more about the university's intent to strengthen the ties between the School of Education and FPG, I recognized the potential offered me by this newly-created position to work and learn among the very best.
"Frank Porter Graham’s commitment to conducting and disseminating research has, for decades, informed scholars, practitioners, and policy-makers about what children and families need and deserve; and is responsible for its global reputation for innovation and excellence. In deliberating the pros and cons of a move to North Carolina, the opportunity to work with colleagues at Frank Porter Graham was the final pièce de résistance. Now I’m proud to be a part of this community of scholars."
—Rebecca New, associate professor of education, 2009
- Billy L. Edge: "I am leaving a very rewarding position at Texas A&M University after spending many years to develop one of the best coastal engineering programs in the U.S., if not one of the best in the world..." (+) More
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Billy L. Edge writes:
"I am leaving a very rewarding position at Texas A&M University after spending many years to develop one of the best coastal engineering programs in the U.S., if not one of the best in the world. I wanted to relocate to the east coast of the U.S. for personal reasons. After looking about at a number of opportunities, I selected North Carolina State University to continue my career. One of the primary reasons was the new motivation among the faculty there that is driven by the DHS Center of Excellence at UNC. I am delighted to be associated with this center and hope that I will be able to make a contribution to this important research opportunity."
—Billy L. Edge, North Carolina State University, 2009
- Brent A. McKee: "I wanted to be in a university setting where my students got both the resources of a major university campus while having access to a world-class marine science institute for their research and educational experience. The Institute of Marine Sciences is one of the best examples of this in the country..." (+) More
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Brent A. McKee writes:
"The excellent faculty and facilities at the Institute of Marine Sciences and the strong connectivity between IMS and the Marine Sciences Department on campus are all strongly positive aspects of the Marine Sciences Program that attracted me to come to UNC. My work is very field-oriented and so having access to boats and labs proximal to research study sites in coastal North Carolina have greatly improved the productivity of my research group. Interaction with IMS faculty has already resulted in proposals (submitted and funded) that would not have happened otherwise. I have been able to expand my research in a more interdisciplinary way than would have been possible without IMS.
"While in Louisiana, I experienced first hand how the relationship between main campus and the associated marine research institution can be dysfunctional and even counter-productive. That is not the case in the Marine Sciences Program at UNC. A great deal of credit for the strongly collaborative relationship between IMS and MASC is because of the resident faculty at IMS. They have been generous to me with their resources and supportive of research that I am engaged in. Finally, I wanted to be in a university setting where my students got both the resources of a major university campus while having access to a world-class marine science institute for their research and educational experience. IMS is one of the best examples of this in the country."
—Brent A. McKee, Mary and Watts Hill Jr. Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Marine Sciences, 2009
- Malcolm Cutchin: "I wanted to be able to work with people like Victor Marshall, Bob Konrad, and Jennifer Craft Morgan, and they welcomed me into the Institute on Aging and made me feel immediately part of the team..." (+) More
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Malcolm Cutchin writes:
"I wanted to be able to work with people like Victor Marshall, Bob Konrad, and Jennifer Craft Morgan, and they welcomed me into the Institute on Aging and made me feel immediately part of the team. Victor has been a great mentor in many ways, and the ongoing dialog that takes place at the IOA through seminars, project discussions, and so on is very intellectually stimulating. Without the Institute, I (and many others) would not have chance for such interaction. Moreover, the IOA has continued to connect me in a number of ways to the state and the community. People from outside UNC attend events and are involved in projects. Being able to associate with people like Mary Altpeter has also given me a chance to learn much more about health promotion and interventions in the community—something I had not been involved with before coming to UNC.
"I should add that the IOA staff have also been extremely helpful with my grant-making activities. Finally, Victor and the IOA have supported my role as Editor of the Journal of Applied Gerontology—and editorial assistant—which has been an incredible experience in growth for me, as a scholar and professional."
—Malcolm Cutchin, associate professor of occupational science, 2009
- Anthony Charles: "As a trauma surgeon, the presence of the Injury Prevention Research Center and its unique synergy with the Department of Surgery signified the institutional commitment that I was looking for..." (+) More
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Anthony Charles writes:
"As a trauma surgeon, the presence of the Injury Prevention Research Center and its unique synergy with the Department of Surgery signified the institutional commitment that I was looking for to nurture an academic career."
—Anthony Charles, assistant professor of surgery, 2009
