
Signature Initiatives
Signature Initiatives


Institute for Convergent Science. Ready. Set. Go.
The Edwards Family Fund for Excellence in Convergent Science was created by Rob ’89 and his wife, Leigh Edwards ’90, to help provide valuable startup resources for the Institute for Convergent Science. This funding helps to move ideas from basic research into transformative applications for society.
Building a Bridge to Success at Carolina
Summer Bridge is a six-week transition program that is designed to ease participants’ personal and academic transition from high school to Carolina. The program is open to all admitted incoming first-year students from North Carolina.
A Plan and a Partnership
John and Marree Townsend’s commitments to UNC-Chapel Hill over the years have been both plentiful and purposeful — and none more so than their gift to the College of Arts and Sciences to establish the Townsend Family Strategic Initiatives Fund.
Southern Voices, Future Leaders
“Undergraduate students are walking onto our campus with a voice, with ideas, with a set of commitments to their communities,” said Elizabeth Engelhardt. “During the time that they’re here, our job is to help them focus their voice to become that future leader in the South.”
Fostering a Global Mindset
“Carolina is a microcosm of the world, and it is important for students to seek out and access as many different backgrounds and cultures as they can,” Michael-Bryant Hicks ’96 said. “I want to take away any number of fears that may prevent a student — who grew up like me — from studying abroad.”
Preparing the Future Scientists of Tomorrow
“A lot of students of color and minorities in STEM can slip through the cracks,” Paloma Ruiz ’22 said. “More than anything, I think the Chancellor’s Science Scholars shows students like me that we belong in science, and we deserve to be here.”
Pillar of Chapel Hill Community Leaves Gift to College’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Efforts
Robert E. Seymour Jr. was a champion of social justice who led a congregation that challenged racial segregation and advocated on behalf of the aged and poor. Seymour died in 2020 at age 95, leaving a gift in his estate to the College of Arts and Sciences.
Paying It Forward
“We believe strongly that all college students, no matter their background, should have every resource available to ensure their ultimate success,” said Alex Yong ’90