UNC Pembroke News

DNP Hooding Ceremony

UNCP to Award First Doctoral Degrees, Marking a New Chapter in University History

As the lights rise inside Givens Performing Arts Center tonight, eight nurse leaders will step onto the stage and into the history books. Their doctoral hoods, symbols of perseverance, scholarship and service, mark a moment 138 years in the making for the University of North Carolina Pembroke.

Transforming Healthcare

A Shared Vision: Transforming Healthcare, One Story at a Time

Shannon Cummings doesn’t remember a time when her father was healthy. From the moment she could read, she was by his side — helping manage his medications, keeping track of appointments and eventually driving him to dialysis treatments.

Occupational Therapy Child Assessment Lab
July 31

UNC Pembroke’s OPTIMISE Program Receives $2.3 Million Grant Renewal to Expand Rural Behavioral Health Workforce

The Department of Social Work at UNC Pembroke has secured a four-year, $2.3 million federal grant renewal to continue and expand the OPTIMISE program. The program trains graduate students to serve in integrated behavioral healthcare settings across rural North Carolina. The award comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program.

Collage of photos featuring Dr. Ash Walker
June 27

Professor Ash Walker Elected to National Board for Clinical Exercise Physiology

Dr. Ash Walker, assistant professor of exercise and sport science at UNC Pembroke, has been elected treasurer and member of the Board of Directors of the Clinical Exercise Physiology Association (CEPA), a national organization affiliated with the American College of Sports Medicine.

UNCP nursing students working in the simulation lab
June 05

McKenzie-Elliott School of Nursing Receives 10-Year CCNE Accreditation

The McKenzie-Elliott School of Nursing at UNC Pembroke has been granted a full 10-year accreditation for its Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), which will extend through June 30, 2035.

UNCP Chancellor Robin Gary Cummings (left) and UNC Chancellor Lee H. Roberts join Dean Richard Gay (standing) and Dean Janet Guthmiller at a signing event establishing the Early Assurance Admission initiative
May 16

UNCP Launches Direct Pathway to UNC Adams School of Dentistry

UNC Pembroke and the UNC Adams School of Dentistry (ASOD) have formalized an agreement to create a pathway for aspiring dentists through an Early Assurance Admission initiative. The initiative will offer high-achieving students admission to one of the nation’s top-ranked dental programs

Brandon and Madison Swallow attend Commencement
May 10

Graduates Celebrate Strength Resilience and New Beginnings

All his life, Brandon Swallow has refused to let his disabilities define him. He was born with cerebral palsy, hemiplegic dysplasia, and scoliosis and has a condition known as optic nerve hypoplasia, meaning he has low vision.

nursing students with a training mannequin
April 15

UNCP, Scotland Health Care Partnership Enables Nursing Students To Gain Critical Life-Saving Skills

A new partnership between the McKenzie-Elliott School of Nursing at UNC Pembroke and Scotland Health Care System is providing nursing students with more than just classroom knowledge — it’s providing life-saving skills and a competitive edge through Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) certification training.

Erica Little and Panelists Dr. Ronnie Bell and Dr. Jada Brooks
March 05

Community Health & Wellness Symposium Addresses Critical Health Issues

For Chyna Hammonds, a graduate student in social work at UNC Pembroke, the Community Health & Wellness Symposium wasn’t just another academic event — it was a revelation.

Dr. Jose Rafols teaching
December 03

Dr. Jose Rafols appointed director of new graduate-level Occupational Therapy program

A founding director of three occupational therapy programs with four decades of leadership experience in clinical practice, education and military service, Dr. Jose Rafols has been tapped to lead UNC Pembroke’s new Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT).