Grad Student Kaitlan Smith Reflects on Lumbee Heritage While Embarking on Curiosity-driven Science
From UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine Newsroom: "Pharmacology graduate student Kaitlan Smith [UNCP alumna] was recently awarded a diversity supplement from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to study the effects of aging and necroptosis. She shares her resilient journey into scientific research while reflecting on her Lumbee roots."
UNCP biology students recognized at international conference
Three biology students at UNC Pembroke were recognized for their independent research at the joint annual meeting of the Entomological Society of America, Entomological Society of Canada, and Entomological Society of British Columbia. The conference was held at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia, November 13-16. The theme for the event was ‘Entomology as Inspiration: Insects through art, science, and culture.’
UNCP alumnae earn white coats at Duke University's DPT program
UNC Pembroke alumnae Genna Locklear and Angelica McNair have advanced one step closer to achieving their dreams of becoming physical therapists. Locklear and McNair were among 91 students who donned their white coats at Duke University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy White Coat Ceremony on June 9. The ceremony marks the transition from the classroom to clinical experiences––a defining moment for first-year medical students. Locklear and McNair were classmates in the exercise and sports science program at UNCP before earning their degrees in 2019.
UNCP awarded $500,000 grant to address racial disparities in maternal, infant health
UNC Pembroke has been awarded a three-year, $500,000 grant to reduce racial disparities for expecting and parenting mothers in rural southeastern North Carolina. The grant was awarded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina as part of the company’s effort to decrease racial disparities in maternal and child health care in North Carolina by 50 % in five years. Funding will support the Health Equity Project, which is designed to improve maternal health through service provider education.
UNCP awarded $950K grant to establish addiction recovery center
UNC Pembroke has been awarded a $950,000, three-year grant from the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust to create the Southeastern Prevention and Addiction Recovery Resource Center (SPARC) within the College of Health Sciences. Expanding on the current efforts of the Robeson County Health Care Corporation (RHCC) and Robeson County District Attorney’s Office, SPARC will provide a community-based effort to address the immediate and long-term substance use and recovery needs in the county.
UNC Pembroke Awarded $510K Grant to Expand Community Health Worker Initiative
UNC Pembroke has been awarded a $510,000 grant in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) to expand the state’s Community Health Worker (CHW) Initiative. The funds are part of the CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion’s Community Health Workers for COVID Response and Resilient Communities.
Biology Faculty Collaborate with Utah State in Smart Foodscapes Research Project
Biology faculty members Drs. Rita Hagevik and Kaitlin Campbell are co-PIs on a AFRI-USDA grant for 6.8 million dollars with Utah State University, using Smart Foodscapes to raise sustainable beef. Click here to read about the project.
Adjunct nursing professor honored with state award
UNC Pembroke Clinical Assistant Professor Jermecka Hamilton Covington has been named the 2021 Rookie of The Year by the North Carolina Nurses Association (NCNA). The annual award is given by the NCNA board of directors to a nurse who has been a member less than two years and excels at promoting a positive image of nursing and the professional organization to peers and consumers.
UNC Pembroke dedicates the McKenzie-Elliott School of Nursing
UNC Pembroke celebrated the official naming of the McKenzie-Elliott School of Nursing during a ceremony on September 23, paying homage to a registered nurse, Mary McKenzie Edwards, whose resilience empowered her to achieve her dreams. Former UNCP Trustee Mary Ann Elliott shared moving stories of her mother's tenacity and how she was inspired by her mother's perseverance in the face of hardships and financial setbacks during the Great Depression in the 1930s.
Alumna Leyia Bullard Oxendine accepted to Physician Assistant program at Methodist University
Leyia Bullard Oxendine, a 2017 graduate of UNC Pembroke, has been accepted to the Physician Assistant program at Methodist University. Oxendine of Pembroke earned a bachelor of science in Nursing. She plans to return to Robeson County and serve as a healthcare provider.