UNC-Chapel Hill alumni go on to serve their country in many ways, and students, staff and faculty members arrive on campus with perspectives that strengthen our Carolina community.
Keep scrolling to learn about what led six Tar Heels to Carolina and the military.
Published Nov. 10, 2025
James Jacks retired from the Air Force after 22 years before joining Carolina’s student affairs division in 2024. He puts the organizational and communication skills he learned in the military to use every day.
“The military gave me the perspective to power through almost anything,” he said. “Any way I can share that, help someone find that sense of belonging and contribute to the greater good — that’s the most rewarding part for me.”
Dr. Ross Boyce is a leading expert on diseases caused by ticks and mosquitoes. Before his research garnered national attention, though, he led a reconnaissance platoon during the Iraq War. He was awarded three Bronze Star medals for his bravery.
“The infantry to academia path is not particularly common,” Boyce says.
Recently, Boyce’s work to create baby wraps that would reduce malaria among young children was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Brittany Akers grew up in a family of Tar Heel fans, but what she called a “string of flukes” led her back to Chapel Hill to pursue a law degree.
She began with the U.S. Coast Guard while attending UNC Greensboro and was selected for its program for active-duty members to attend law school. The UNC School of Law was an easy choice.
“Being an attorney in the Coast Guard gives me the opportunity to meld my background and experience in the Coast Guard with the analytical skills honed in law school to be able to use my skills in the future as well,” she said.
Erin Mathis was born into a military family and moved around a lot growing up but has always considered North Carolina home. Nearly 25 years after falling in love with Chapel Hill while attending a Tar Heels men’s basketball game, the U.S. Marine Corps pilot has found his way back to campus.
He is in his first semester with the online Master of Public Administration program with the UNC School of Government, while also serving as a Marine Corps aircraft maintenance officer.
“I love the accessibility of the online program. Everything I need for my classes is available,” he said. “I really appreciate the amount of interaction I have with the other students. It’s been awesome to interact with people on an academic but also personal level from varied backgrounds and much different levels of experience.”
Kristin Acquavella’s path to naval leadership roles began at Carolina, where she won four NCAA championships on the Tar Heels women’s soccer team alongside teammates including Mia Hamm and Kristine Lilly.
“I would argue that my experiences playing soccer laid the groundwork for all the things you expect in the military,” Acquavella said. “How to work hard, how to push yourself to the limits and putting your trust in other people.”
In 2024, Acquavella assumed command of the Naval Supply Systems Command Weapons System Support, the first woman to hold that role. She’s currently the chief of staff for U.S. Transportation Command and was honored with a Distinguished Alumni Award in October.
Bradley Lauck has gone from first high school graduate in his immediate family to UNC-Chapel Hill alumnus, North Carolina Army National Guard medical corps officer and third-year Carolina medical student.
He joined Army ROTC at Carolina and spent three years as a cadet, also joining the National Guard as an undergraduate.
“I grew up with this strong desire to give back to the country that grants us these freedoms and liberties to do the things that we do and pursue the things that we want to pursue, such as going to medical school,” Lauck said.
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