Scholarship Fund Board

Message from the MCSF Board Chair

To Our Morehead-Cain Community,

It has been meaningful and fulfilling to serve this great Program at such a pivotal point in time. Over the past year, we celebrated the extraordinary leadership and tenure of Chuck Lovelace ’77, whose enduring legacy is the positive impact he has had on the lives of thousands of scholars. We marked the milestone of the Foundation’s 75th anniversary by surpassing our goal of $75 million in gifts from alumni and friends to ensure the support of at least 75 new scholars in each entering class.

We welcomed a new president, Chris Bradford, whose strategic vision for Morehead-Cain is promising and exciting. And we witnessed the dedication and resilience of our scholars, staff, and alumni as we faced the pandemic and navigated an immensely challenging period for our nation and world.

On that note, we want to thank and acknowledge our many alumni who have made—and continue to make—deep and sacrificial commitments to public health and public service. From our nurses, physicians, and first responders providing clinical care, to those working tirelessly to develop more effective therapies and vaccines, to those in roles of responsibility doing their best to manage immensely challenging policy decisions and civil unrest . . . we appreciate and recognize your selfless contributions over an extended period of time.

We are also deeply grateful to our alumni for their increased engagement and generous contributions to Morehead-Cain. We are thrilled to share that a record 55 percent of alumni supported our program financially this year and, when participation as internship sponsors, mentors, speakers, event attendees, and selection committee members is taken into consideration, that number climbs to almost 60 percent of alumni engaging with the Program.

It is a remarkable achievement and a testament to the strength of our community to have tripled alumni engagement over the past decade under Megan Mazzocchi’s leadership, fueled by our triennial Alumni Forums, regional gatherings, mentoring program, and speaker series. When the pandemic forced the cancellation of our San Francisco symposium in March 2020 and the many regional gatherings our team had planned for that fiscal year, we pivoted to robust online programming to redeploy much of that content. We were pleased to discover that virtual platforms such as Zoom and StreamYard enabled more active participation among alumni across seven decades, with over 800 alumni joining one or more sessions. These experiences also confirmed that the highest values of our community are reflected when we join together in civil discourse to share our concerns and seek pragmatic solutions in ways that transcend our differences.

When I first joined the fund board in 2010, I shared an ambitious challenge with my fellow directors: “I believe our goal should be 100 percent alumni engagement. I believe we should aspire to reconnect with every person who has been touched by this Program.” Strong alumni engagement across all class years is not only welcome, it is key to fulfilling our mission.

Knowing this, my sincere hope and intent is that every alumna and alumnus will experience what I have had the great privilege of learning through my service on our Program’s leadership boards: that being a Morehead-Cain Scholar is truly a lifelong journey, and that the pivotal and life-changing opportunities offered to us as undergraduates continue to enrich our lives as alumni in a virtuous circle of giving and receiving.

Jen Evans ’94
Chair, Morehead-Cain Scholarship Fund Board
Ex Officio Trustee, Morehead-Cain Foundation

Message From the MCSF Senior Scholar Director

Dear Morehead-Cain Alumni and Scholars,

When I enthusiastically accepted the Morehead-Cain Scholarship in my senior year at North Buncombe High School, I thought I knew what my next four years would look like. I read through the website, binged all the YouTube videos, had participated in Final Selection Weekend, and had heard countless stories from alumni and scholars. So, I understood what this was, right? Not really. As promised . . . the Morehead-Cain is an experience like no other, but I truly needed to live it to understand the truth behind those words.

Even with the disruption of the pandemic, my time at Carolina as a Morehead-Cain Scholar has been life-changing. I have had opportunities and experiences that have not only stretched and challenged me but have inspired and energized me as well. I have developed friendships with amazing scholars and alumni from near and far, whose backgrounds and interests are wonderfully diverse. I have engaged deeply with the Carolina community, immersing myself in the countless opportunities this University has to offer. The Foundation has granted me more than an education, it has provided me with a support system of peers, alumni, and wonderful staff who have allowed me to champion my journey.

During the darkest moments of the pandemic, I continued to be inspired by scholars and alumni who remain dedicated to addressing urgent and complex problems while working to create opportunities for others. At every turn, the Morehead-Cain met or exceeded my expectations. Now in my senior year at Carolina, I am thrilled to help welcome the Foundation’s new leader, Chris Bradford. I am energized by Chris’s strong desire to enhance the Program and think creatively about our role in the world of higher education. In just a few months, I will be a Morehead-Cain Alumna. When I graduate, I plan to do my part to help Chris and the Foundation continue to uphold our promise to provide an experience like no other and imagine the impact that this Program will have in the future.

As I look at my own life after Carolina, I do so with excitement and immense gratitude to Morehead-Cain. I’m honored to be part of this community and look forward to engaging with all of you in the years ahead.

Warmly,

Melanie Godinez-Cedillo ’22
Scholar Director, Morehead-Cain Scholarship Fund Board

MCSF Board Members

Morehead-Cain Scholarship Fund Board

RobertBach

Mr. Robert J. Bach ’84

Managing Partner, Xbachs, LLC
Medina, Washington
PhilipBerney

Mr. Philip E. Berney ’86 Chair

CEO, Kelso & Company
New York, New York
AndrewBuchanan_BOD

Mr. Andrew J. Buchanan ’23

Senior Class Delegate
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
WilliamDetmer

Dr. William M. Detmer ’82

President & CEO, Unbound Medicine
Charlottesville, Virginia
KatherineKirbyDunleavy

Dr. Katherine Kirby Dunleavy ’91
Vice Chair

Physician, Internal Medicine (retired)
Annapolis, Maryland
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Ms. Rachelle A. Feldman

Vice Provost for Enrollment, UNC–Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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Dr. Thomas C. Freeman

Executive Director, Chancellors Science Scholars, UNC–Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
ShanaFulton

Ms. Shana L. Fulton ’98

Partner, Brooks Pierce McLendon Humphrey  & Leonard
Raleigh, North Carolina
BarbaraRosserHyde

Mrs. Barbara Rosser Hyde ’83

Chairman and CEO, Hyde Family Foundation
Memphis, Tennessee
MCSF Board_Havey Kennedy

Mr. Harvey L. Kennedy ’74

Attorney and Partner
Kennedy, Kennedy, Kennedy, & Kennedy, LLP
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Janora McDuffie-Ryan ’99

Ms. Janora McDuffie-Ryan ’99

Actor/Voice-Over Artist/Host
Long Beach, California
PamelaAlstonOliver

Dr. Pamela Alston Oliver ’96

Physician, Novant Health Womancare
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
RaymondSawyer

Mr. Raymond D. Sawyer ’13

Director, Community Health Partnerships, Well
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
MatthewSoule

Mr. Matthew L. Soule ’91

Private Investor
Greensboro, North Carolina
RobertSquire

Mr. Robert J. Squire ’05

Partner, CVC Capital Partners
New York, New York
BrianStrong

Mr. Brian G. Strong ’00

Global Head of Communications, Bloomberg Media
New York, New York
OtisTillman

Dr. Otis E. Tillman, Jr. ’86

Physician, Internal and Sports Medicine
Columbus, Georgia
Ursano, Tony

Mr. Antonio Ursano, Jr. ’87

Managing Partner and Co-Founder, Insurance Advisory Partners
New York, New York
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Ms. Karina Vasudeva ’24

Junior Class Delegate
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
MadhuVulimiri_BOD

Ms. Madhulika Vulimiri ’14

Deputy Director, the Division of Child and Family Well-Being, NC Department of Health and Human Services
Raleigh, North Carolina
“Serving on the Morehead-Cain Scholarship Fund Board has granted me the opportunity to give back to my peers and community by engaging in critical discussions that drive the direction of the Morehead-Cain Program.”
  • Melanie Godinez-Cedillo
  • Class of 2022