UNC Pembroke News

UNCP Air Force ROTC Cadet Maximus Lang stands in front of a Piper PA-28-161 Warrior II at Fayetteville Regional Airport.
April 24 Mark Locklear

Air Force ROTC Cadet Maximus Lang Earns National Aviation Scholarship

As Cadet Maximus Lang guided a small aircraft through the skies above Fayetteville Regional Airport, preparing for one of aviation’s most challenging maneuvers, he realized something had shifted.

Dr. Bryan Sales examines a plant with a student and local farmer in a field.

UNC Pembroke to grow next generation of agricultural leaders with new degree

Beginning in fall 2026, UNC Pembroke will offer a new Bachelor of Science in Agriculture — a program designed to prepare students to lead the future of farming while strengthening one of the region’s most vital economic engines.

Brad Crawford on set at CBS Sports HQ
April 22 Kaiana Apollo

Building a National Voice in College Football

Brad Crawford ’09 leveraged his UNC Pembroke Mass Communication degree into a career in sports media, now serving as a college football analyst for 247Sports (CBS Sports).

Mia Baca stands beside their coral sculpture in an indoor campus setting at UNC Pembroke. The piece features twisting, branch-like coral forms in soft white, peach and blue tones, visually reflecting the beauty and fragility of ocean life.
April 22 Adrielle Cooper

UNCP Student Uses Art to Raise Awareness About Coral Reefs

Mia Baca’s coral reef artwork draws viewers in with beauty, then asks them to look closer at the realities of pollution and climate change.

Ned Sampson's family displays his framed No. 12 jersey at the retirement ceremony.
April 18 Morgan Sheehan

Legendary Coach Ned Sampson’s Jersey Officially Retired at UNC Pembroke

Officials at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke officially retired former basketball player John W. "Ned" Sampson's No. 12 jersey on Saturday afternoon.

John Herrington

Former NASA Astronaut John Herrington to Deliver Keynote Address at UNC Pembroke Spring Commencement

UNC Pembroke will welcome Dr. John Herrington, a former NASA astronaut and member of the Chickasaw Nation, as the keynote speaker for its Spring Commencement ceremonies on May 8 and May 9.

UNCP students and faculty pose on the steps of the U.S. Capitol overlooking the Washington Monument during the Spring Break Study Away trip to Washington, D.C.
April 15 Mark Locklear

UNCP Students Bring Classroom Learning to Life in Washington, D.C.

Sitting inside the U.S. Supreme Court courtroom, UNC Pembroke student Dustin Barnes found himself imagining his future.

UNCP Leadership, Learning and Community staff and members of the Bell family pose together in matching Joey Bell ALS Walk T-shirts on the track at Grace P. Johnson Stadium at the inaugural Joey Bell ALS Walk on April 11, 2026.
April 15 Mark Locklear

Inaugural Joey Bell ALS Walk Draws Community Together to Honor Beloved Physician, Raise Awareness

More than 400 people gathered at UNC Pembroke’s Grace P. Johnson Stadium on Saturday to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Joey Bell — a beloved physician, mentor and trailblazer whose impact continues to ripple across generations.

Destination UNCP

‘Destination UNCP’ Event Connects Students, Families with Campus Resources

The University of North Carolina Pembroke is inviting prospective students, current students and their families to campus for Destination UNCP, a special event designed to connect attendees with campus resources while enjoying a night of Braves baseball.

A group of community and university leaders holding shovels and wearing hardhats at the groundbreaking for the Clinical Sciences Building on the campus of UNCP.
April 10 Mark Locklear

UNCP Breaks Ground on $96.8 Million Clinical Sciences Building

Under a clear blue sky, university leaders, students, elected officials and community members gathered Friday at UNC Pembroke to celebrate a major milestone in the university’s continued expansion of healthcare education — the groundbreaking of the new Clinical Sciences Building.