Carolina ranks No. 7 among public universities and No. 23 overall on the 2026 Best Colleges for Future Leaders list.

“We are honored to be recognized among Time’s Best Colleges for Future Leaders, but what truly matters is the daily commitment behind that achievement,” said James Orr, senior vice provost for student success. “Our faculty and staff work together to mentor, challenge and uplift our students every day. Through thoughtful support and rigorous opportunities, Carolina is transforming potential into leadership that can make a difference.”

The University has been home to leaders across industries for more than 232 years. Carolina is committed to serving first-generation students as well as generations of Tar Heels, raising the bar in athletics, academics, research and the arts through various initiatives and programs and providing a best-in-class student experience.

Carolina’s role as a leading national university spurs opportunity for North Carolina and the world. Initiatives and accomplishments include:

• Supporting the Carolina Covenant, which has provided more than 10,000 students the opportunity to graduate debt-free through scholarships, work-study and grants
• Studying and researching specific issues impacting North Carolina residents and beyond, including new cancer therapies, technologies to address Alzheimer’s disease and treatments for brain injuries in veterans
• Welcoming community college students through the Carolina Student Transfer Excellence Program, which offers low- to moderate-income North Carolina students a pathway to transfer to and graduate from Carolina
• Creating a new school that will position itself as a national leader in applied technology, libraries, archives and data science research and teaching
• Fostering startups that employ more than 131,000 people and contribute nearly $8 billion in economic impact

To understand the career paths and formative experiences of American leaders, Time and Statista analyzed a group of 4,800 of the most influential figures shaping U.S. society today, from policymakers and corporate executives to leading scientists, educators and cultural innovators. The dataset is updated yearly to include younger leaders in emerging fields and industries.

Read the full list.

The center takes a fully integrated approach to drug discovery by bringing together all the expertise and infrastructure needed under one roof. Hits generated through artificial intelligence can be quickly tested and refined through the center’s collaborative groups. The groups are led by pharmacy school faculty:

• Lead discovery, center director and professor Ken Pearce
• Medicinal chemistry, professor Xiaodong Wang
• Chemical biology, associate professor Lindsey James
• Computational biophysics, associate professor Konstantin Popov

AI for drug discovery

Within the center, Popov is pioneering ways to integrate AI into drug discovery. His biophysics and informatics for drug discovery lab is using AI to tackle some of the world’s most pressing health challenges, including tuberculosis and cancer.

Popov and his team were invited to join Jeff Aubé, Eshelman Distinguished Professor, and Dr. Carl Nathan at Weill Cornell Medicine, the TB Alliance and the Gates Foundation on a large collaborative project that was winding down.

Using a novel AI-guided generative method, Popov’s team uncovered compounds capable of targeting a critical TB protein in just six months — with a fraction of the effort and time typically required.

“We were able to come up with several very promising compounds and in collaboration with chemists from Aubé’s group, boosted their enzyme potency more than 200-fold in just a few iterations,” said Popov. “But because of the flexibility of our approach, designed to work efficiently within a small, dynamic academic team, we were able to move much faster. “

For developing targeted cancer therapies, his group applied a similar strategy — using preliminary screens, conducted in the center, to identify promising molecules, then refining them with AI to design compounds that are more effective and less toxic to healthy cells.

Popov emphasizes that while AI is a powerful tool, it can’t succeed in isolation. “You need to incorporate reality checks along the way,” he said. “Otherwise, the model can hallucinate and generate compounds that look great on the screen but can’t actually be synthesized or would be too toxic. By working closely with chemists, we keep AI grounded in biological reality.”

This balance of computational innovation and experimental collaboration has enabled his lab to design biologically relevant and synthetically feasible de novo compounds — molecules that don’t exist in any catalog. This approach allows the creation of entirely new chemical starting points that would be impossible with traditional drug screening, which is limited to testing compounds that already exist in libraries.

The DELi Platform

Popov is also committed to democratizing access to AI. His lab recently developed the DNA-Encoded Library informatics platform, the first open-source software capable of rivaling commercial tools for analyzing DNA-encoded library data.

“Very few published AI tools developed for research are actually used,” said Popov. “We want to change that by building practical tools that are easy to access and use in academia.”

Unlike proprietary software controlled by large companies, DELi is freely available, easy to install and provides extensive documentation and ongoing support from Popov’s team. “It’s the first open-source package of its kind, and the feedback has been amazing,” Popov said.

He hopes to spark broader adoption of AI tools across the academic community, helping labs everywhere accelerate discovery without prohibitive costs.

“AI can accelerate the early stages of drug discovery dramatically,” Popov said. “But it only works in the right hands — when scientists bring their knowledge of chemistry and biology to guide the process. That’s what makes the difference.”

As the University’s first Latino student body president, Alvarez embraces the challenge of representing his peers, bridging connections across campus and leadership, and ensuring that every student feels heard.

“I represent 32,000 people,” he said. “Serving as president gives me the chance to show up for students, to listen and to learn from them. I believe we’re stronger when we bring different perspectives together.”

Alvarez grew up in Guerrero, Mexico, and moved by himself to the United States when he was 16. As a high school senior, he lived alone and worked overtime at a QuikTrip gas station in Arizona to make ends meet.

At Carolina, Alvarez received a Carolina Covenant and a Wachovia Chancellor’s scholarships.

“I didn’t have much in the United States at the time; it was just me,” Alvarez said. “Carolina offered to pay for my education and had it all figured out for me. Carolina gave me everything.”

Alvarez is double-majoring in media and journalism at UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media and in global studies in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences. He has had summer internships with IHG Hotels and Resorts in Atlanta and the OneCarolina Summer Internship Program, where he got real-life experience in university development.

“In Hussman, we learn how to articulate things, how to communicate mass messaging and also balance the audiences you’re working with. That’s helped me in my term of student body president and at both of my internships,” he said. “Communication is such an important component of being in leadership.”

Since taking office, he has worked to improve communication between University administration and students. At the same time, he’s helping launch efforts like the Carolina Closet, a project to provide students with free access to professional attire for interviews, internships and job opportunities.

“By working with donors and campus partners, I hope to establish the Carolina Closet as a permanent resource, similar to a food pantry but focused on formal wear,” he said.

Since election night, Alvarez’s life catapulted into a state of constant busyness that he’s never experienced before. But he’s not fazed by it; he’s grateful.

“My life has changed a lot,” he said. “You go from being just a student to being a text away from the chancellor and serving on the UNC Board of Trustees and speaking at convocation and being on the stage at graduation. It’s such a privilege to represent so many people, and I’m genuinely excited because it gives me a reason to talk to everyone. If I see a random event on campus, even if I’m not sure I’m invited, I’ll show up and say, ‘Hey, everyone!’”

For Alvarez, serving as student body president isn’t just leadership, it’s gratitude in action, a way to honor the University that changed his life by devoting himself fully to the students he now represents.

“I always knew that I wanted to pay back everything the University gave me,” he said. “I came from an environment of uncertainty, and UNC only wanted me to worry about succeeding. I don’t see a better way to give back than representing the people, giving my energy and devoting my time to students. This opportunity is so full circle and exactly what I was hoping for, to give back to Carolina.”

In this system-wide leadership role, Carter will accelerate the translation of medical research breakthroughs into clinical applications to improve patient care not only across UNC Health’s network of hospitals and clinics, but throughout North Carolina and beyond. In partnership with key stakeholders, he will develop commercialization strategies for the UNC School of Medicine and UNC Health system, forge partnerships between researchers, clinicians and industry leaders, advise inventors and entrepreneurs, and expand access to impactful cutting-edge solutions.

Carter’s transition to UNC Health builds on his proven track record of transforming research discoveries into real-world health and economic impact, enabling him to focus on medical and healthcare commercialization and entrepreneurship – areas of critical importance to North Carolina’s research economy and patient care.

Since joining Carolina in 2023, Carter has directed Innovate Carolina and provided the strategic vision to advance and build a stronger, more cohesive innovation pipeline at the University. During his tenure, UNC-Chapel Hill-affiliated startups and commercialization activities generated nearly $8 billion in economic impact across North Carolina.

He also led pan-University collaboration through strategic partnerships with the Carolina Angel Network, Innovation Hubs, the Eshelman Institute for Innovation, the Institute for Convergent Science and the NC Collaboratory, translating foundational research and classroom knowledge into real-world impact through commercialization, startups, and partnerships.

Under Carter’s leadership, Carolina climbed 32 spots in the National Academy of Inventors Top 100 Worldwide Universities rankings – the largest single-year jump in the University’s history. He also established UNC-Chapel Hill’s chapter of the National Academy of Inventors to support and celebrate the achievements of inventors within the University community.

Carter also guided the creation of the UNC Innovation Impact Framework, a bold 10-year strategic approach designed to drive economic growth and improve lives across North Carolina and beyond. Developed in collaboration with partners across the University, this framework strengthens Carolina’s position as a national leader in innovation and innovation-based economic development, laying out a unified vision to build, support, elevate, engage and nurture innovation that serves the public good.

Jackie Quay, interim executive director of Innovate Carolina and the director of licensing and innovation support in the UNC Office of Technology Commercialization, will provide interim leadership for the areas of innovation, entrepreneurship and economic development following Carter’s departure.

Page will lead UNC Health at a critical time for the state’s leading academic health system and school of medicine. UNC Health has hospitals and clinics across the state, employs about 56,000 people and is focused on its mission of improving the health and well-being of North Carolinians.

Page, who has served in the positions on an interim basis since July, was elected by the UNC Board of Governors following recent action by the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees and the UNC Health Board of Directors. She will begin the roles Nov. 24.

An expert in primary care and rural health, Page has helped lead innovative health initiatives, fundraising and strategic planning and partnerships for UNC Health, broadening access to care for patients across North Carolina. She worked to develop branch campuses and grow rural residency programs to train more providers to meet the state’s growing health needs.

A Distinguished Professor of Family Medicine at the UNC School of Medicine who joined the faculty in 2005, Page has been a key player on both leadership teams, serving as president of UNC Health Enterprises in 2024-25 and chief academic officer at the medical school and at UNC Health in 2023-25. She was executive dean at the medical school from 2019 until earlier this year.

Previously, she founded and led Mission3, an educational nonprofit, and created the Fully Integrated Readiness for Service Training scholars program at the UNC School of Medicine. She led the family medicine residency program at the school from 2011 to 2018 and chaired the school’s family medicine department.

A Wilmington native and lifelong Tar Heel, she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology at UNC-Chapel Hill as a Morehead scholar, a master’s in public health and an MD at the medical school she will now lead. She has published extensively and won numerous grants and awards focused on rural health.

“In every role she has held — physician, educator, innovator and mentor — Dr. Page has led with reassuring confidence and a clear sense of purpose. She is the kind of leader who builds trust by earning it and who reminds us that the heart of health care is public service to others,” said UNC System President Peter Hans. “We could not ask for a better steward of UNC Health’s mission.”

“It is a tremendous honor and privilege to serve as CEO of UNC Health and dean of UNC School of Medicine,” Page said. “I appreciate President Hans and the Board of Governors, Chancellor Roberts and Chair Wessling for their confidence and support as I step into this important role during one of the most challenging periods in health care and academic medicine. I’m delighted to serve and lead our great team to fulfill our purpose and mission to the people of North Carolina.”

“Dr. Page is an inspirational leader and a remarkable health care provider whose dedication to serving North Carolina’s communities reflects our University’s commitment to statewide impact in all 100 counties,” said Chancellor Lee H. Roberts. “She is exceptionally qualified to guide UNC Health’s continued growth and advance its mission of saving lives across our state.”

“I have worked with Dr. Page as a member of the UNC Health Board of Directors since 2019,” said UNC Health Board Chair Greg Wessling. “She is a dynamic and strategic leader who excels in building relationships and has a heart for providing outstanding quality care across our state. I could not think of a finer person to lead UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine.”

“North Carolinians are fortunate to have Dr. Page overseeing UNC Health,” said Wendy Murphy, chair of the Board of Governors. “She has a passion for serving our citizens and the expertise to lead us into a healthier future.”

The Master of Science in data science and the doctorate in data science were approved at the Nov. 20 UNC Board of Governors meeting, and applications for both programs open in early December. These new degrees are an addition to the school’s Bachelor of Science in data science and online Master of Applied Data Science programs.

Students will have core coursework in mathematical and statistical foundations, computational thinking, machine learning, artificial intelligence and data engineering. All degree programs at SDSS require coursework in both communications and ethics.

“We’re grateful to the Board of Governors for approving these two new graduate degrees which will create an additional pipeline of data scientists for our state and our world,” Dean Stan Ahalt said. “These graduate students will not only accelerate our faculty’s research, but make discoveries of their own, using the most cutting-edge tools and models. We’re excited to welcome our first cohort of residential graduate students.”

For both graduate programs, students will select one of four specialization tracks for their studies:

• Advanced data science foundations and AI (available fall 2026)
• Applications in physical, biological and health sciences (available fall 2026)
• Applications in social sciences and humanities (available fall 2027)
• Data engineering (available fall 2027)

Applications for the M.S. in data science and doctorate in data science programs open in early December with a Jan. 15 priority deadline and a Feb. 10 final deadline. For more information, visit datascience.unc.edu.

Instead, Feldman also went on to become Carolina’s vice provost for enrollment, leaving behind her own legacy of leadership and service.

In her financial aid role, Feldman and her team improved and modernized the Covenant and implemented new programs: Blue Sky scholarships for middle-income families and Kessler scholarships for first-generation students from rural North Carolina. The Kessler program is supported by a dedicated program coordinator and University mentors who provide academic, social and career guidance to help them succeed, thrive and give back.

Excellence within reach is Feldman’s mantra. “All our students earn their way here first, and then we figure out how we’re going to make it affordable for them,” she said.

“We are grateful for the impact she has made on behalf of future and current students and for her leadership of the enrollment team,” said James Orr, senior vice provost for student success.

(Johnny Andrews/UNC-Chapel Hill)

Much of this work happens behind the scenes and requires strong teamwork, Feldman said.

“None of this stuff is me alone. I helped build my team into a cohesive, collaborative, positive, forward-looking family.”

When changes to the FAFSA in 2024 caused disruption, the enrollment staff wrote their own code in case the form fell through. Under Feldman’s leadership, the team made improvements to student registration and enrollment and established regional community outreach positions. This year, a new enrollment policy means that early-admission NC applicants will get a decision by Dec. 20, about a month earlier than before.

“We’ve really moved the needle on supporting students in a modern way,” Feldman said.

Feldman leaves Nov. 26. As the University’s divisions of student affairs and enrollment management are reimagined as a new Division of Student Success, Vice Provost Leah Cox will be the interim leader for enrollment management.

“It just felt like the right time. I think I’ve left things in really good shape, ready for next steps to be taken and someone to pass the baton to,” Feldman said. She teaches an advanced ballet class in Durham and plans to spend more time with her husband and traveling. But, she admitted, “I’m going to dabble here and there in the consulting world because my brain won’t just go to sleep.”

Feldman said she will miss her colleagues and the beauty of the campus. Ten years ago, she called her husband to share her first impression: “You know when you see a movie and it’s on a college campus? That’s what this place looks like.”

Carolina impressed her with its “focus on access and affordability combined with excellence and tradition,” she said. “It’s a really special place, and I know it’ll continue to be that for years and years to come. Although I am looking forward to not setting an alarm.”

We are aware of the presence of ICE officials in the greater triangle area, which we recognize is causing anxiety for some in the Carolina and Chapel Hill community. We value all of our students, faculty, and staff and encourage them to learn more about their rights and available resources so they can be informed.

• As a public institution, UNC-Chapel Hill complies with all federal and state laws and guidance.
• Federal or state agencies are encouraged to alert UNC Police if they are executing a court order, subpoena or warrant on university property. They must have a warrant to enter offices, classrooms, and residence halls. However, they are allowed to approach individuals in public spaces.
• FERPA protects the privacy of a student’s education record, including class schedules and immigration status. A student’s directory information (e.g., name, address, phone number) is public, unless the student had previously contacted the Registrar to opt not to share that information.
• The Dean of Students webpage offers guidance on how to respond to information requests from federal or state agents over the phone, email and in person.
• Students who are concerned about the potential of federal agents on campus can reach out to the Dean of Students for individual support and resources.
• Faculty and staff can utilize the Employee Assistance Program for support and resources.

Sincerely,

James W. Dean Jr.
Interim Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost

“Jeff’s background gives him a unique perspective on AI strategy, one that the University needs if we are going to succeed at responding to the evolving needs of our students, faculty and staff,” Interim Provost James W. Dean said. “We are extremely grateful to have him in this key role, and I know he will take a thoughtful and strategic approach to AI across campus.”

Bardzell, who has led SILS since 2024, accepted a secondary position leading the University’s AI strategy in October. Recognizing the urgency of a comprehensive AI plan across the University’s academic mission, Bardzell is stepping into this new role full-time, focusing initially on teaching and learning.

In his new role, Bardzell is considering ways to bolster and connect existing AI work across teaching and learning at the University. He sees opportunities to support student learning in three ways: courses in basic AI literacy as part of the general education curriculum, courses covering technical and responsible use of AI that cross-cut numerous professional tracks, and technically focused courses for students interested in working in AI-related or -adjacent fields.

Unlike other institutions that have appointed leaders with data science backgrounds to similar positions, Bardzell’s experience in human-centered computing offers a different perspective to AI challenges and opportunities.

“AI brings considerable opportunities and also risks,” Bardzell said. “Higher education has a critical role to play in shaping how AI unfolds, and preparing students for a world where its use is ubiquitous is one of the most impactful ways we can do so. I am excited to collaborate with faculty, staff, and students to help shape that future.”

Diane Kelly, Wilson Distinguished Professor in the School of Information and Library Science, has been named interim dean. She will serve in this role while SILS works alongside the School of Data Science and Society to create a new school focused on preparing students for work in information- and data-intensive professions and settings, including libraries and archives. This yet-to-be-named school will launch in July 2026.

“It is an honor to serve as interim dean,” said Kelly. “One of my main reasons for coming back to Carolina was to be able to use my administrative and leadership experience in a way to help the school, and more specifically, the people that I care about so deeply.”

Kelly has previously served as vice provost for faculty affairs at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, where she led academic personnel services, including hiring, review, tenure and promotion of all faculty, and faculty development and advancement.

“Diane’s experience and expertise, including her long history with SILS, make her a great leader for the school,” Interim Provost Dean said. “I have enjoyed working with her, and the University is appreciative of her willingness to serve as interim dean, particularly in this time of transition and opportunity.”

“Diane has deep experience as an academic leader, and I know the school is in good hands as it makes this transition,” said Bardzell.

From 2016 to 2020, Kelly was director and professor in the School of Information Sciences at Tennessee, where she guided the school through several significant successes, including an enrollment increase in the MSIS program and the creation of a new bachelor’s degree in information sciences. Kelly began her faculty career at Carolina in 2004 where she served as assistant, associate and full professor at SILS.

• Security personnel will be on hand again this year to help avoid overcrowding on the first and second floors and to ensure a safe atmosphere for all students and staff.
• Looking for a place to study as a group? Try the first or second floor. Upper floors are quieter; the sixth floor is usually best for those seeking silent study space.
• Everyone will need their One Card to enter the building beginning at 10 p.m.

Please be respectful of your fellow students, shared spaces and our hard-working library staff. Good luck on finals, Tar Heels!