Thorp visits research campus in Kannapolis

Despite being halfway across the state, the N.C. Research Campus will be an integral part of UNC.

Chancellor Holden Thorp, who visited for the first time Monday, said he expects UNC’s facility, the Nutrition Research Institute, to be just as much a part of UNC as the main campus.

“Once you get a business card that says UNC-Chapel Hill on it, you’re on our team,” Thorp said.

The N.C. Research Campus, located in Kannapolis, houses UNC and seven other universities who will collaborate on scientific research on nutrition and health.

Thorp, a chemistry professor before becoming chancellor, said he plans to follow closely the research being conducted in Kannapolis.

“I plan to be knowledgeable about what they’re doing,” Thorp said. “Their interests, which lay in the fields of nutrition and genetics, are in my interests and the field I used to work in.”

The institute’s main goal is to make nutritional care more personalized and better address medical conditions tied to nutrition.

Lisa Canada, the institute’s spokeswoman, said Thorp’s visit shows a strong effort to cultivate a relationship with the campus.

“He has shown a lot of support and has been very positive about how connected we are with UNC- Chapel Hill in spite of being in a different city,” Canada said.

She also said Thorp would be an effective advocate for the institute.

“He’s a scientist and entrepreneur, so he understands our work very well,” Canada said.

The institute is technically a part of the Gillings School of Global Public Health, which means that its faculty are employed by UNC.

Jana Harrison, the institute’s deputy director, said faculty will be a vital link between the institute and the University because all have joint appointments at the research campus and at UNC.

This requires them to teach for a period of time, which strengthens connections to the University and its students, she said.

Several University administrators and faculty members made the trip to Kannapolis with Thorp on Monday to better understand the connection between the main campus and the institute.

That group included William Roper, dean of the UNC School of Medicine, Barbara Rimer, dean of the school of public health, Matt Kupec, vice chancellor for university advancement and Tony Waldrop, vice chancellor for research and economic development.

Joining them were faculty from the medical school, dentistry school and College of Arts and Sciences.

Thorp said he plans to advocate for the research campus.

“I plan to be a good spokesperson for what they are doing there,” he said. “We are ready to go forward in Kannapolis.”



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