When this blog post goes live, we will be in the midst of University Research Week (URW) — the annual celebration of Carolina’s research excellence, our deep collaborative ties across campus, and our spirit of creativity and innovation.
URW is sponsored by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research (OVCR) and the College of Arts and Sciences’ Office of Undergraduate Research Office, where URW originated in 2017 to encourage and inspire undergraduate students to engage in research activity. It evolved into a pan-campus celebration in 2019 when the OVCR’s Office of Research Communications began co-chairing its planning and execution to include highlighting research achievements at every career stage – and across most disciplines – while remaining true to the event’s original mission of engaging students.
Every year, URW grows in the number of events that are held and in participation of schools and units that host unique events. This year, 66 events are planned over the course of the week, making this year’s celebration the largest yet.
As the featured event of URW this year, we are thrilled for the opportunity to partner with the Chancellor’s office to commemorate University Day. The ceremony will include traditional remarks by campus and UNC System Office leaders; awards for notable alumni, faculty, and staff; and, in recognition of the event’s partnership with URW, presentations by two faculty members who will discuss their research impact on the state of North Carolina.
I am particularly excited that both faculty members will co-present with undergraduate students who have worked alongside them on their projects. Orlando Coronell, associate professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering in the Gillings School of Global Public Health, and Christian Chung, a biology and public policy major in the College, will share their N.C. Collaboratory-funded work on a novel clean water technology for effective removal of toxic per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). This work has resulted in enormous impact on our state, and we are so grateful to the North Carolina General Assembly for the funding that made it possible.
We will also hear from Caela O’Connell, assistant professor in the College’s Department of Anthropology, along with Margot Midkiff, a health policy and management major in Gillings, who will share their observations on human and environmental relationships and how they can change in relation to hurricanes, flooding, pollution, and other factors. Caelaʼs work has spanned many communities across our state, including Ocracoke, Chapel Hill/Orange County, and has included special projects for North Carolina farmers.
In addition to highlighting research at Carolina, University Day will also serve as the official kick-off for this year’s Tar Heel Bus Tour, which I will be participating in. I look forward to sharing my bus tour experiences with you next month.
Throughout the rest of the week, there are events tailored to researchers at every level of scientific exploration and scholarly pursuit, as well as topics that will be of interest to the entire campus community:
- For undergraduates just starting to explore their research interests, there are workshops to learn how to get involved in research, including sessions specifically for biology and romance studies majors, a seminar on how to write abstracts, and an opportunity to learn about research-related study abroad opportunities. Undergraduate students will also present alongside faculty members to share how their research informs and shapes policy decisions of the N.C. General Assembly and state agencies at an event hosted by the N.C. Collaboratory.
- For graduate students, in addition to the many informational sessions on resources and funding opportunities that are planned, the Graduate School is hosting the final round of the Three Minute Thesis Competition.
- For postdoctoral trainees interested in cancer research, UNC Lineberger will host the 47th Annual Postdoctoral/Faculty Research Day. Additionally, winners of the Postdoctoral Award for Research Excellence will give short presentations on their work during the PARE Talks.
- For every career level, there will be many sessions dedicated to sharing available resources for researchers, including: the UNC Core Facilities Showcase, a Broader Impacts Open House at Morehead Planetarium, demonstrations on utilizing emerging technology in teaching with Blue Sky Innovations, an overview of new NIH data management and sharing requirements, a workshop on utilizing the free LabArchives digital lab notebook software, information on funding opportunities such as the Galapagos Seed Grant Funding Workshop, sharing of best practices for inclusivity and improving data equity, and special sessions hosted by UNC Libraries throughout the week.
- For everyone interested in celebrating alongside leaders in their fields, there are a variety of presentations given by winners of distinguished research awards throughout the week. These include the Hettleman Talks, Advancing Health Equity Solutions at UNC, and the Jefferson-Pilot Fellowships in Academic Medicine and James W. Woods Junior Faculty Award Seminar.
Additionally, there will be events that span the whole week, including displays of the winning entries from this year’s School of Medicine’s Art in Science Competition, the Institute of Global Health and Infectious Diseases Fest, North Carolina Latin American Film Festival, and the Psychology & Neuroscience Research Fest.
These are but a few of the many events that are planned throughout the week. I invite you to peruse the comprehensive list on the event website. While this is the largest URW we’ve hosted, it can’t begin to scratch the surface of sharing all the incredible accomplishments of our researchers and students. To hear more of their amazing stories, you can visit our communications page or view the digital copy of this year’s Endeavors research magazine.