University - The Daily Tar Heel

DTH Photo Illustration. UNC students will participate in a study over the summer to determine how effective the Moderna vaccine is at reducing COVID-19 transmission.

UNC part of national trial to study Moderna vaccine's impact on COVID-19 transmission

By Natalie Johnson | Apr. 6

The University will be one of 27 study sites across the nation part of Prevent COVID U — a study that will be offering the Moderna vaccine to over 12,000 college students nationwide. The program hopes to test the transmission rate of COVID-19 among vaccinated individuals with Moderna vaccine. Over 600 UNC students will be part of the study, which will take place over four months.

The Ackland Art Museum sits on Columbia Street in Chapel Hill on April 6, 2021.

Zooming in: Ackland student guides program engages audiences with art

By Sophia Ramirez | Apr. 6

With a piece of sarcophagus, a pocket watch, and a portrait of an unidentified sex worker called “Peaches,” a student tour guide at the Ackland can create a conversation about telling time through art.

Matthew Hirsch poses for a portrait outside of the Neuroscience Research Building on Wednesday, Mar. 31, 2021. Hirsch is an Associate Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at UNC-CH and the co-founder of RainBio.

UNC-affiliated startup develops treatment to advance gene therapies

By Emma Lindsey | Apr. 6

The company, known as RainBio, is developing a particular type of gene therapy to combat blindness in patients with Mucopolysaccharidosis type I.

UNC fourth-year dual degree medical and public health student Bao-Tran “BT” Parker poses for a FaceTime portrait from her home in Durham on March 30, 2021. Parker was one of the six students to start the petition for an increase in AAPI representation within UNC CAPS.

CAPS does not have any AAPI counselors. These students seek to change that.

By Praveena Somasundaram | Apr. 6

AAPI community members have the lowest help-seeking rate of any racial or ethnic group according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Studies over the past 20 years have shown the importance of cultural competence in mental health services — something the petition aims to address.

DTH Photo Illustration depicting a student with a mask on using a microscope.

Column: When it comes to COVID-19 research, UNC is leading the charge

By Rajee Ganesan | Apr. 6

When COVID-19 was discovered, science had a lot of catching up to do. Here are just a few of the on-campus labs that have been leading the charge in COVID-19 research.

UNC Police Officer McCray examines a display left by a vandal at the Campus Y on Jan. 25, 2021. The Campus Y was vandalized sometime during the weekend of Jan. 23-24.

Suspect in January Campus Y vandalism incident formally arrested

By Praveena Somasundaram | Apr. 6

The suspect in the Jan. 24 vandalism of the Campus Y was arrested and charged with vandalism and breaking and entering.

DTH Photo Illustration. Female computer science majors at UNC Chapel Hill turn to each other for support as they navigate being in a male-dominated department.

Computer science department reverses course, suspends plan for an admissions-based system

By Cynthia Dong | Apr. 6

"It’s ironic. Google is coming to Durham to hire a thousand folks, they’re holding a major career event in the department — and at the same time as this tremendous growth, we’re having to cut our program.”

UNC students paint in the Morrison Art Studio. Arts Everywhere is bringing the Morrison Art Studio online, sending out emails with activity prompts. Photo courtesy of Haley France.

Morrison Art Studio hosts collaborative digital mural for Arts Everywhere Day

By Sara Raja | Apr. 6

“We don’t get a chance to show off our art all the time, we don’t get a chance this year to get on campus and see everybody for Arts Everywhere Day, so we might as well put it somewhere that’s pretty accessible,” Morgan Pestyk, digital marketing assistant for Arts Everywhere, said. “It’s really nice to have that out there and have a place where you can put your art safely.”

Alisha Kelkar celebrates a late Holi with friends on Thursday, April 1, 2021.

UNC student group Holi Moli adapts annual Holi celebration virtually

By Lucy Smithwick | Apr. 5

“It was definitely a very different transition from going from all these friends and family that I have where I live back home to here,” Mansi Gupta said. “I think it's just gonna get better as it goes throughout the four years that I'm here, but there's just a different transition.”

Rashika Rahman, a freshman at UNC, discussed the drinking culture on campus as a minority student. Rahman poses for a virtual portrait from her dorm room on Thursday, Apr. 01, 2021.

Study prompts investigation into impact of drinking culture on students of color

By Cameron Myers Milne and Malak Dridi | Apr. 5

New findings from UW-Madison's Color of Drinking study have prompted the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership's Campus and Community Coalition to partner with UNC in creating a similar study in Chapel Hill.

Senior Katie Weber and First-year Sarah Weber are sisters who have bonded over UNC basketball since going to Carolina. "It was so exciting to see how energetic he was about the team" Sarah said about head Coach Roy Williams.

'Indelible legacy': UNC students reflect on Roy Williams' impact

By Elizabeth Egan and Madison Ward | Apr. 1

UNC students reacted to coach Williams' impact on campus culture and their time at UNC. "It’s been both humbling and inspiring to watch a leader like coach Williams accomplish the feats he has accomplished. Roy Williams will forever be a Tar Heel," first-year Vance Young said.

UNC's chapter of the Association for India’s Development aims to educate students and charitable donors about health care accessibility issues in Central India.

Less than a year after its start, UNC group is working toward change in India

By Kelly Kendall | Mar. 31

UNC's chapter of the Association for India’s Development recently partnered with Jan Swasthya Sahyog to educate students and charitable donors about health care accessibility issues in Central India.

In a step toward normalcy, UNC vaccinates its first students

By Kelly Kendall | Mar. 31

The University began offering vaccines to students Wednesday at the first on-campus vaccine clinic at the former Wendy's restaurant at the Carolina Student Union. Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Bob Blouin, who attended the opening day of the clinic, said the vaccine center will be integral to the University’s return to normalcy.

Cars wait at the intersection of Franklin Street and Columbia on Monday, Oct. 26, 2020.

UNC and Town of Chapel Hill work together on local economic development plans

By Caroline Yaffa | Mar. 31

The University launches an economic development initiative in partnership with the Town of Chapel Hill to spur economic growth and innovation in downtown Chapel Hill.

A UNC Chapel Hill police car parked on campus on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020.

Editorial: Internal discipline is a recipe for disaster

By Editorial Board | Mar. 31

"We have seen how joint jurisdiction agreements have protected privilege and how methods of internal discipline have failed in the past with how UNC has dealt with sexual assault. Traveling that same road again with fraternities and sororities won’t change the destination."

Alexandra Zubrowicz, first-year student and Contemporary European Studies major regularly attends zoom class within her Ehringhaus dorm room. Virtual learning has confined many freshmen to their residence halls and limited their educational environment.

Column: What we should actually be learning in college

By Ana Sofia Thomas | Mar. 31

"What could we be learning and doing that would help us better prepare for the future? Here are a few ideas for things that might actually be useful for us to learn, considering graduation is coming up."

Fourth year pharmacy student Hannah Kim prepares syringes at the end of a day of of vaccinations at the Friday Center on Monday, Mar. 22, 2021.

No vaccine left behind: UNC Health provides surplus COVID-19 vaccines to residents

By Isabella Reilly | Mar. 30

The vaccination site is currently utilizing an independent Twitter account to notify the Chapel Hill community of excess doses. From Twitter, residents are instructed to call the surplus line, a dedicated phone number used for gathering patient names. The phone line operates on a first-come, first-serve basis, and callers who get through are placed on the vaccine list.

Virginia Hardy, the current vice chancellor of student affairs at East Carolina University, is the third of four candidates for UNC’s next vice provost for equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer.

Third finalist for UNC chief diversity officer presents in open forum

By Anne Tate | Mar. 30

Virginia Hardy, who earned her undergraduate degree in education at UNC, spoke about her main goals, including relationship building on and off campus, effective and frequent communication, setting expectations, and improving education, acknowledgement and accountability.

Nathan Knuffman was recently named chief financial officer and vice chancellor for finance and operations. Photo courtesy of Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill.

Amid a growing budget crisis, UNC names Nate Knuffman chief financial officer

By Max Hazerjian | Mar. 30

After a competitive, national search, the University announced Knuffman as the new chief financial officer in a campus message on March 12. Knuffman officially started in this role on March 22.

Column: Beverly Cleary created characters that will live on forever

By Maggie Dunn | Mar. 30

Beverly Cleary, a longtime children's book author, passed away at the age of 104, but the nostalgia of her books lives on forever for Maggie Dunn.