The Morehead-Cain Class of 2023 honored a group of faculty and staff members this semester for their excellence in teaching, mentorship, and dedication to student success at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Seniors invited individuals who have had a significant impact on their education and professional development at the University. Forty-four honorees representing twenty-four departments and affiliated organizations were recognized at the inaugural Faculty Appreciation Luncheon.

Celebrating the cohort is a natural extension of Morehead-Cain’s efforts to recognize educators who create life-changing opportunities for students, said Chris Bradford, president of Morehead-Cain. The event took place on Friday, January 27, at the Morehead-Cain Foundation.

“From honing their knowledge and skills in the classroom to research collaborations and service projects, we’re immensely grateful to the faculty and staff who support Morehead-Cain Scholars and the broader student body, each and every day,” Bradford said.

Scholars also shared words of gratitude during the event for their positive influence at Carolina.

Jalen McKoy ’23 said the mentorship he received from Joseph Megel, a teaching professor in the Department of Communication, inspired him to write and perform a one-man show. In March, he performed Playing it Straight twice to live audiences as part of his senior honors thesis in communication studies.

“Since I met Joseph, I’ve experienced so much creative and personal growth,” said McKoy, the recipient of two Chancellor’s Awards this year. “He allows me and other students to express themselves authentically while pushing them to deeper and more meaningful places, and every student that has taken his class leaves more in-tuned to their artistic sensibilities.”

McKoy ’23 received the Wallace Ray Peppers Award in Performance of African and African-American Literature for his outstanding performance of African and African-American literature, as well as the Hampton Shuping Prize for his outstanding academic achievement as an undergraduate business major.

After earning degrees in business administration and communication studies this May, McKoy plans to pursue a career in screenwriting and acting in Los Angeles.

Amy Feng ’23 thanked Margaret Barrett, the associate director of the Carolina Center for Public Service, for encouraging her to “act boldly, love largely, and lead fearlessly.”

“I am endlessly grateful for Margaret’s kindness, support, and faith in me as I have navigated these last few years at Carolina and in APPLES Service-Learning,” said Feng, who plans to attend Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.The recent graduate worked with Barret in the student-led program to build sustainable, service-learning partnerships among the campus community.

“Margaret has been a decisive part of my service involvement of at Carolina, and the things I’ve learned from her will undoubetly last a lifetime.”

Feng earned a BSPH with highest distinction in nutrition and a bachelor’s in interdisciplinary studies (expression, identity, and culture) with honors. The alumna was also a Parr Center for Ethics Fellow and a Balter Fellow.

2023 Faculty & Staff Honorees from UNC–Chapel Hill

• Kelly Alexander, assistant professor, Department of American Studies, College of Arts and Sciences
• Cemil Aydin, professor, Department of History, College of Arts and Science
• Margaret Barrett, associate director, Carolina Center for Public Service
• Sarah Blanton, PhD candidate, Department of Romance Studies, College of Arts and Sciences
• Marcus Bull, distinguished professor, Department of History, College of Arts and Science
• Jocelyn Chua, associate professor, Department of Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences
• Drew Coleman, chair and professor, Department of Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences
• Tom Collopy, entrepreneur in residence, Shuford Program in Entrepreneurship, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School
• Patrick Conway, professor, Economics Department, College of Arts and Sciences
• Molly Demarco, assistant professor, Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health
• Jules Dixon, professor of the practice, Hussman School of Journalism and Media
• Jason Franz, associate professor, Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering (UNC–Chapel Hill and NC State University)
• Larry Goldberg, lecturer, Department of English & Comparative Literature, College of Arts and Sciences
• William Goldsmith, teaching assistant and professor of public policy, UNC Public Policy, College of Arts and Sciences
• Lamar Graham, assistant professor, Department of Romance Studies, College of Arts and Sciences
• Bradley Hammer, teaching professor, Department of English & Comparative Literature, College of Arts and Sciences
• Andres Hincapie, assistant professor, Economics Department, College of Arts and Sciences
• Greg Hohn, clinical assistant professor of management and corporate communication, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School
• Dale Hutchinson, professor emeritus, Department of Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences
• Jim Kitchen, professor of the practice of strategy and entrepreneurship, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School
• Shahar Kovalsky, assistant professor, Department of Mathematics, College of Arts and Sciences
• Joseph Megel, teaching professor, Department of Communication, College of Arts and Sciences
• Benjamin Meier, professor, Department of Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health
• Jeff Mittelstadt, executive director, Ackerman Center for Excellence in Sustainability, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School
• Abel Munoz-Hermoso, teaching associate professor, Department of Romance Studies, College of Arts and Sciences
• Laura Ott, teaching assistant professor, Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences
• Michael Palm, associate professor, Department of Communication, College of Arts and Sciences
• Lisa Pearce, professor, Department of Sociology, College of Arts and Sciences
• Michael Penny, associate director of student engagement, Undergraduate Business Program, Kenan-Flagler Business School
• Robert Porter, teaching assistant professor, African, African American and Diaspora Studies, College of Arts and Sciences
• John Robinson, teaching assistant professor, Hussman School of Journalism and Media
• Susin Seow, deputy director of principal gifts, University Development
• Gidi Shemer, teaching professor, Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences
• Melanie Studer, assistant professor, Department of Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health
• Cavender Sutton, PhD candidate, Department of History, College of Arts and Sciences
• Ryan Thornburg, associate professor, Hussman School of Journalism and Media
• Marcela Torres-Cervantes, assistant director, Carolina Latinx Center
• Karl Umble, associate professor, Department of Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health
• Geetha Vaidyanathan, teaching professor, Economics Department, College of Arts and Sciences
• Kym Weed, teaching assistant professor, Department of English & Comparative Literature, College of Arts and Sciences
• Morris Weinberger, distinguished professor and chair, Department of Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health
• Lauren Willets, associate director, Family Enterprise Center, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School
• Molly Worthen, associate professor, Department of History, College of Arts and Sciences
• Erik Zhang, teaching assistant professor, Department of Philosophy, College of Arts and Sciences