UNC Pembroke News

Michelle McNeil smiles for a portrait while wearing a red blouse. She is pictured outdoors with a blurred campus background, including trees, a walkway and a campus tower in the distance.

UNCP alumna Michelle McNeil Named 2026 Gaston County Social Worker of the Year

Michelle McNeil serves as a social services director in a long-term care facility, where she has built her career around showing up for residents and families during deeply personal transitions. She helps coordinate care, supports discharge planning, provides emotional support and walks families through difficult decisions, including end-of-life care. For her, social work has never been about checking a box or completing a task. It has been about making sure people feel seen, heard and respected.

Exterior of UNC Pembroke’s School of Education building with trees and sculpture

Preparing the Teachers Rural Classrooms Need Most

UNC Pembroke’s new Burroughs Wellcome Fund Brave Innovators of STEM Education program will help students pursue math and science teaching careers across southeastern North Carolina.

Summer Woodside, chair of UNC Pembroke’s Social Work department, stands for a portrait inside an office setting.

UNC Pembroke Social Work Leader Selected to Help Guide Statewide Workforce Efforts

As North Carolina works to meet a growing demand for social workers, UNC Pembroke is helping lead the conversation.

Dr. Jamie Litty
February 26 Mark Locklear

UNC System Honors Dr. Jamie Litty with 2026 Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching

A 2018 broadcasting graduate and now a production supervisor, Cole Yarborough credits Dr. Jamie Litty with setting the standard that launched his career. His story is one of countless examples of the impact Litty has had on generations of UNCP students.

large, golden UNCP letters on the campus of UNCP at sunset with a purple/pink sky

UNCP Launches Vision 2031 Strategic Plan

UNC Pembroke announced today the launch of Vision 2031, a comprehensive five-year strategic plan outlining a bold roadmap for student success, academic excellence, affordability and economic impact.

UNCP Biology student Perseus Daily stands beside his first-place research poster on springtail biodiversity at the 2025 Entomological Society of America national conference.
February 17 Dr. Lisa Ann Kelly

UNCP Biology Students Take Their Research from the Field to the National Stage

UNC Pembroke biology students are turning hands-on research into national recognition. From studying soil ecosystems at the Lumbee Cultural Center to presenting on a national stage, their work is expanding scientific understanding while opening doors to future careers.

McLean Pait III (far left) Kendrick Oxendine and Caleb Locklear are the recent graduates of UNCP's 3 plus 2 dual degree engineering program with NC State University
February 05 Mark Locklear

UNC Pembroke Trio Earns Dual Engineering Degrees Through NC State Partnership

They crossed two commencement stages in two days, earned two degrees from two universities and closed out five demanding years of engineering study.

UNCP Mace - red-tailed hawk in gold atop a staff

UNCP announces Chancellor’s, Honors list for Fall 2025

The University of North Carolina Pembroke has released the Chancellor's list and Honors list for Fall 2025

Students in regalia, including Sydney Brooks smiling at the camera, attend Winter Commencement
December 13 Mark Locklear

UNC Pembroke’s Historic Winter Commencement Celebrates Graduates, Inspires Them to ‘Go Beyond’

Once quiet and reserved, Andrew Cart arrived at UNC Pembroke focused on his studies and content to stay out of the spotlight — but over time, he found his voice, his confidence and his path.

DNP Hooding Ceremony

UNCP Awards 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.