Understanding the Challenge
In September, more than 50 students, both graduate and undergraduate from diverse fields of study, signed up to help kick off this important work. To begin to understand the effect of the pandemic and challenges for full recovery, students conducted interviews with community leaders from sectors and regions across the state, hearing about current challenges. Those interviews helped to develop a survey that was distributed to 10,000 people in North Carolina.
Meet the Interviewers
Alexis Zucker
Sophomore majoring in Global Studies: Economics & Development. Swim Instructor with Dive In Chapel Hill. Volunteer with Conflict Management Group and Musical Empowerment. Member of Women in Economics. Volunteer with LINC: Linking Immigrants to New Communities.
Amanda Harvey
Program Coordinator for UNC Preventive Medicine Residency. Volunteer for Smithsonian Digital Volunteers.
Ana Zurita Posas
Sophomore Pre-Environmental Health Sciences and Geography major. Undergraduate Geography Researcher, performing metadata collection for Ocean Data Science Initiatives. Proud Pulso Scholar and Golden LEAF Scholar. Social media creator for the Geography Undergraduate Advising Committee. Undergraduate Representative in UNC Geography’s Information Committee. Ana hopes to combine her skills in public health and geography to analyze environmental injustices across rural counties in North Carolina, including her hometown of Bladen County.
Ann Yaa Safo
Leader in Cobb Community Government. Participant in religious activities, TEDx, and ModelUN. Involved in a family business offering daycare.
Dai Tworek
MPA student. Facility Compliance Branch Manager with North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
Elissavet Chartampila
PhD student in the School of Medicine. Member of the Global Perspectives in Biomedicine board. Member of the Science Policy and Advocacy Group. Member of the Women in Science group. Scholar in the Leadership Development Program. I love biking, painting, reading and listening to podcasts.
Emma Brown
Sophomore Communication major. Member of Alpha Phi Omega and UNC Helping Paws. Newsletter Editor, Social Media Assistant, and Video Producer for the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Communication. Volunteer Shift Leader at a local food pantry run by Table.
Gabriel Kaluzny
Junior majoring in Sociology with a minor in Womens’ and Gender Studies. CNA at Duke Hospital. Volunteer at the Crisis Text Line. Plans to attend UNC School of Nursing this fall.
Hannah Stroot
I am pursing a public policy and economics double major and a geography minor. Following graduation I hope to use my educational background to help address local and global issues including climate change, health inequities, and economic development. My passion for social justice informs my work and other involvements. In Spring 2021, I interned for the Town of Chapel Hill, working to promote their recently adopted Climate Action and Response Plan. During my time at Carolina, I have also been able to participate in undergraduate research through a research assistant position with the History Department and through an Institute for the Arts and the Humanities research grant. These opportunities allowed me to hone my qualitative and quantitative research abilities while exploring social and economic justice topics. On campus, I am involved with the Carolina Center for Public Service through the Buckley Public Service Scholars Program. I am also a member of the Community Justice, Abolition, and Antiracism Committee of the Campus Y. In my free time, I enjoy going to the farmer’s market, hiking, reading, and drinking a good cup of coffee!
Harlie Ramsey
Mental Health Co-Chair of the TEACH Initiative. a student-led non-profit at UNC Chapel Hill teaching curricula on mental health and substance use to high-schoolers. Regular volunteer at Humane Societies.
Henry Leasure
Freshman majoring in Business Administration and Spanish. Vice President of Communications for the Venture Capital Club.
Jahnelle Jackson
A doctoral student in the The Biological & Biomedical Sciences Program. BBSP Leadership Group. BBSP Admissions Committee.
Jillian Barthelemy
MPH student in Applied Epidemiology. UNC Gillings Student Ambassador. Fitness Instructor at The Sweat Lab.
Kai Larson
MPH student, Public Health Leadership. Co-Social Chair for Public Health Leadership Student Association. EMS worker.
Kaitlyn Loefstedt
Graduate student in the Master of Public Health program. Clinical Dietitian. Research Assistant. Volunteer at Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC and Wildflower Farm Efland, NC.
Kaylan Privette
Senior Political Science and Public Policy major, minoring in Conflict Management. Member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, College Republicans, UNC Women in National Security, and Delight Ministries. On staff at the Doctoral Program in the UNC School of Education.
Karl Johnson
Graduate student earning a PhD in Health Policy and Management.
Lacy McKee
Finance Office Assistant for Carolina Union Activities Board at the Carolina Union. Facebook manager for Campus Y Communications. Member of the RHA Marketing Board. Collections co-chair for Carolina Thrift. Member of Heelprint Communications, a student-run communications agency. Parr Center for Ethics Ethics Recruit. Buckley Public Service Scholar. Member of Les Francophiles. Carolina Across 100 Student Interviewer.
Malak Heikal
Freshman majoring in Neuroscience. Member of Honors Carolina, the Muslim Student Organization, and the Arab Student Organization. Employee in the hospitality industry, serving as waitress and assistant manager. Junior Civitan community service member, completing over 200 hometown hours of service.
Mary Katharine McKeithin
Graduate student in the Master of Public Health program.
Mary Peter
MPH student and Graduate Teaching Assistant at the Environmental Health Solution track at Gillings School of Public Health. Member of the minority Health Caucus. Poster Committee Co-chair for the 43rd Minority Health Conference. Volunteer with Carolina COVI9-19 Student Services Corps and Campus Health. Russian-trained physician by background with over 3 years experience working as a Primary Care Physician in Nigeria.
Matt Dunn
Doctoral candidate in the Department of Epidemiology at the Gillings School of Global Public Health. Graduate Research Assistant for the Carolina Breast Cancer Study, with research focused on improving healthcare access and delivery as a strategy to advance cancer prevention and control.
Natalie Ollis
Senior double majoring in Environmental Studies (Sustainability) and Biology, with a minor in Business Administration. Buckley Public Service Scholar. Member, Honors Carolina.
Rishi Aila
Freshman Business Administration and Public Policy major, minoring in PPE. Recipient of the Robbins Assured Enrollment Scholarship. Business Analyst for UNC’s Consult Your Community chapter. Writer for the Carolina Political Review. Officer on Craige’s Community Government. Founder of the Spark Initiative. Headed to Kenan Flagler Business School.
Sage Staley
Junior, Political Science major, History minor. Student Advisory Committee to the Chancellor. Member of the Honor Court under the Office of Student Conduct. General Archive Researcher and Member of the UNC Institute of Politics. Public Health Education Working Group with the Office of the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs. Executive Assistant for the UNC NAACP Branch. Member of the Sigma Alpha Lambda National Leadership and Honors Organization. Member of the UNC Gospel Choir with the Black Student Movement (BSM). Program/Political Team intern at Higher Heights For America.
Sarah Parker
PhD candidate in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology. Peer Mentor for first-year students. Instructor of online coding to middle and high school students including JavaScript, python, R, and general data science/research. Volunteer with the Carolina Student Services Corps. Member of the UNC Racquetball Club.
Sophie Mendell
Graduate student in the PhD – Pharmaceutical Sciences (DPMP) program. WinS Co-Event Coordinator. GPSG BBSP Senator. BBSP Leadership Group. WinSPIRE College Prep Mentor. BBSP Peer Mentor. BBSP Vaccine Advocacy Initiative. Participant in BBSP Interview/Recruitment Weekend. Volunteer with DNA Day. Director of BBSP Financial Literacy Series.
Stephanie Pierson
Sydney Carson
Freshman Health Policy and Management major. Health and Wellness Officer for the Manning Community Government. Volunteer with COVID-19 Student Service Corp. Buckley Public Service Scholar.
Tanner Bailey
Sophomore Political Science major. Staff Writer for the Carolina Political Review. Volunteer with The Ability Experience. Tutor for elementary-aged children with Habitat for Humanity Chapel Hill. Ocean Lifeguard at the Virginia Beach Resort. Avid volleyball player and rock climber.
Thomas Persico
MPA student within the School of Government, pursuing the Graduate Certificate in Innovation for the Public Good. Member of the MPA@UNC Student Leadership Council. One of two managing associates of the UNC Graduate & Professional School Honor System. Judge advocate in the U.S. Marine Corps, stationed aboard Camp Lejeune.
Thomas Frame
Senior Peace War and Defence major. Member, Presbyterian Christian Ministry. Member, Phi Alpha Delta.
