Held June 12-14 at the historic Coleman Theatre in Miami, Oklahoma, the festival recognized “Forward” with awards for Best Documentary, Best Director and Best Inspirational Film. The festival coincided with Route 66’s centennial celebration, drawing filmmakers and audiences from across the country.

“Forward” follows U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Ashley Christman as she navigates a stage 4 neuroendocrine cancer diagnosis while continuing to serve in the Marine Corps and remain fully present for her wife and young son. The documentary takes viewers inside Christman’s search for healing through medical treatment, physical training and surf therapy, highlighting both the challenges she faces and the hope that carries her forward. Since the film’s release, Christman has retired from the Marine Corps.

The latest honors build on the film’s momentum following its Audience Choice Award at the 2026 Beaufort International Film Festival and recognition in the 2026 BEA Festival of Media Arts.

“The recognition at Sunny Side Up is especially meaningful because it reflects how deeply audiences continue to connect with Ashley’s story,” Luchsinger said. “Her determination, resilience and commitment to living fully in the face of extraordinary challenges are what make ‘Forward’ resonate. I’m grateful that the film continues to create opportunities for people to engage with those themes of service, hope and perseverance.”

Luchsinger spent more than a year documenting Christman’s experience, working closely with her family to ensure the story was told with authenticity and compassion. The project also brought together a collaborative production team that included Assistant Professor of Cinema and Television Arts Max Negin and cinematographer Drew Glickman. Since its release, the film has continued to find audiences through festival screenings and awards recognition across the country.

For more information about the film “Forward,” .

������Ƶ and the School of Communications will welcome its fifth Emerging Journalists Program Immersion cohort to campus on Monday, June 15, to kick off 12 days of hands-on journalism instruction. The 18 high school students will arrive to ������Ƶ from eight states.

“At a moment when trust, information and news literacy feel more important than ever, it’s encouraging to spend time with students who care deeply about reporting and serving their communities,” said Kelly Furnas, EJP curriculum coordinator and associate teaching professor of journalism. “Every year, this program leaves me optimistic about the future of journalism.”

The university is funding the program, allowing another group of students to develop and enhance their skills in reporting, writing, multimedia storytelling, leadership and media management. Beyond instruction, the students will collaborate as members of a working newsroom, producing professional web content, a newspaper and a television news broadcast, as well as tracking audience engagement metrics.

The Immersion experience also features several off-campus activities. The students’ schedule includes media tours of WUNC News and WTVD-TV in Durham. They will meet with state Rep. Jay Jeffers at the North Carolina State Capitol, visit the International Civil Rights Center & Museum in Greensboro, and enjoy a Winston-Salem Dash baseball game.

“One of the most encouraging parts of leading the Emerging Journalists Program is getting to work with students who care deeply about thoughtful and ethical storytelling,” said Colin Donohue, EJP program director and an assistant professor of journalism. “It’s rewarding to watch them grow as journalists and collaborators, and their enthusiasm reminds me why this work matters.”

Students will earn four hours of college credit for completing the Immersion experience and be paired with an ������Ƶ student mentor, who will offer guidance and assistance as students work on their own projects back home and prepare their college applications.

The program, established in 2021, is designed to educate high school students who are interested in pursuing careers in journalism and the media industry. This year, 192 high schoolers from across the country applied to the program – a record number – and all were invited to participate in the virtual Exposure experience in the spring.

“The students who apply to EJP are already asking thoughtful questions about journalism and impact,” Furnas said. “Our goal is to give them the foundational tools, mentorship and newsroom experience to start answering those questions in their own work.”

Tickets are now on sale for the inaugural ������Ƶ Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Festival on Wednesday evening, July 22, at 6:30 p.m., at the historic Sony Pictures Studios lot, in Culver City, California.

The festival will feature the world premieres of short films from three ������Ƶ Los Angeles area alumna who were recipients of last fall’s ������Ƶ Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Grant Competition funds.

Julia Boyd ’15, Bex Evans ’16 and Mirai ‘07 each received grants of $3,000 for the production of their original short films. Their projects were selected for funding from among numerous submissions received. A selection committee comprised of industry professionals and ������Ƶ alumni reviewed, ranked and voted on all of the submissions received; Boyd, Evans and Mirai’s projects were the three top selections from this process.

The short film festival will also feature a conversation with ������Ƶ alumni Lindsey Emerson, vice president of streaming, global strategy & operations at Paramount Skydance and Alex Stevenson, account lead at Creative Artists Agency, about the current state of the entertainment industry and the impact these shifts are having on students transitioning from college to the professional world, as well as how current working professionals might navigate the new landscape for new opportunities.

A reception will follow the festival presentation with the opportunity for current ������Ƶ Los Angeles summer students to connect with ������Ƶ alumni and other industry professionals.

Limited availability tickets for the film festival are $25 each, with 100% of all ticket revenue designated to support next year’s grant competition.

For information and ticket purchases, and for contributions to the grant competition fund, please visit the .

Before they could create communications campaigns, students in Professor Julie Lellis’ Senior Seminar in Health Communications spent time listening.

They listened to physicians and midwives. They listened to expectant mothers. And they listened to the stories behind the data as part of a partnership with Cone Health’s program that challenged students to address real-world maternal health communication needs.

Those conversations and observations laid the foundation for the students’ semester-long projects. Working with the Cone Health Center for Women’s Healthcare at MedCenter for Women, students developed strategic communications campaigns aimed at increasing enrollment, improving retention and expanding awareness of the program among patients and healthcare providers.

As part of the partnership, students worked directly with healthcare professionals, including Dr. Kim Newton, founder and lead physician of Mom+Baby Combined Care, and Virginia Smith, CenteringPregnancy coordinator. Several students also attended the North Carolina and Virginia Centering Consortium, gaining firsthand insight into the impact of group prenatal care on maternal and infant health outcomes. During Finals Week, students presented their campaigns to Newton and Smith, who visited ������Ƶ’s campus.

CenteringPregnancy is an evidence-based model of group prenatal care that combines health assessments, education and peer support. Research has shown the approach can improve maternal and infant health outcomes while helping reduce disparities in care. At the MedCenter for Women in Greensboro, many participants are covered by Medicaid, and the clinic serves uninsured and underinsured patients throughout the region.

“The ������Ƶ students were a great part of our team,” Newton said. “They took the time to understand and engage with CenteringPregnancy and really captured how the group care feels different and meets people where they are. Their presentations were impressive to say the least and also provided our team with a roadmap for how to ensure our work to expand Centering feels cohesive and genuine.”

For Emmy Beauvais ’26, a strategic communications major with minors in health communications and business administration, the project demonstrated how classroom learning can translate into community impact.

“Participating in the Health Comm Senior Seminar class – and working with Virginia and Dr. Newton – was one of the most meaningful experiences of my time at ������Ƶ,” Beauvais said. “Unlike classroom projects, this project gave us the opportunity to develop and present a real communications campaign for an actual client. We did this through research-backed goals, objectives and strategies, and tangible deliverables that could be implemented in practice.”

Beauvais said attending the regional consortium early in the semester helped shape the team’s work and deepen her understanding of maternal healthcare challenges and opportunities.

“Overall, this experience showed me what it looks like to create work that extends beyond the classroom and truly can make a meaningful impact on a community,” she said.

The course also received a Community Partnership Initiative Grant from ������Ƶ’s Kernodle Center. The grant helped Centering providers purchase educational supplies for participants, while students assembled Baby Go! Bags filled with diapers, wipes, burp cloths and other newborn essentials for expectant mothers.

Lellis, who directs the health communications minor, said the partnership allowed students to see both the personal and systemic dimensions of healthcare communication.

“Students experienced everything from the joy of hearing a baby’s heartbeat to the heartache of exploring the realities of health disparities in maternal care,” Lellis said. “They learned how Centering is changing outcomes and making a direct impact on the lives of pregnant women in our local area.”

Lellis explained that the experience challenged students to translate research and data into actionable communications strategies for a community partner.

“Students learned how to generate insights based on data and turn those insights into creative strategies that inform audiences and motivate them to act,” she said.

The “������Ƶ Dance Team Send-Off” video, directed and edited by Peter Sillitto ’26 and produced in collaboration with the ������Ƶ Dance Team, received a Sports Video Group (SVG) College Sports Media Award for Outstanding In-Venue Video – Collegiate Student Championship. The award was presented May 27 in Atlanta during the 18th annual SVG College Sports Media Awards ceremony.

The honor came just weeks after the ������Ƶ Dance Team captured two national titles at the 2026 National Dance Association College National Championships, winning the Division I pom and Division I hip hop competitions. The back-to-back victories marked a historic achievement for the program, including ������Ƶ’s first national championship in the pom category.

Produced for the team’s trip to nationals, the video took a more narrative approach than previous send-off productions.

“Producing a send-off video is something we do every year, with the final piece being shown in the Schar Center and shared across social media,” said Sillitto, a cinema and television arts major. “This year, we wanted to take a more story-driven approach by focusing on the team’s journey to nationals. Our goal was to showcase not only their performances, but also the hard work, dedication and experiences that led them there.”

In addition to Sillitto, the student production team included Kristen Pearson ’27 and Meghan McGarrigle ’28 as producers; and Zack Golub ’26 and Colin Dorroh ’27 as creative producers and camera operators.

across multiple locations, capturing both cinematic visuals and authentic moments from practices, workouts and team activities.

“One of the biggest challenges was making sure we told the team’s real story, which meant being present and ready to film during genuine moments,” Sillitto said. “Capturing those authentic interactions and experiences was an important part of the creative process and helped make the final video feel more personal and meaningful.”

For Sillitto, the award reflects months of collaboration and effort from both the dancers and the production crew.

“I’m proud of the project because every year our goal is to create the best video possible, and we have a lot of creative freedom to experiment with new ideas and push ourselves creatively,” he said. “The final video represents months of hard work from both the dance team and the production crew, so we’re excited and grateful that the project has been recognized.”

Sillitto graduated from ������Ƶ in May and recently accepted a position with Booz Allen Hamilton as a videographer and social media content creator.

Sillitto and Dorroh attended the 2026 SVG College Summit in Atlanta alongside Anthony Bamford ’25, coordinating producer for ������Ƶ Sports Vision; Patrick Cunningham, director of live broadcast production for ������Ƶ Athletics; and students/recent graduates Philip Doherty ’26, Anthony Eppolito ’27 and Joey Marinello ’28.

This year marked another strong showing for ������Ƶ at the national competition – the university won its first-ever award in 2025. In addition to the winning ������Ƶ Dance Team send-off video, four other ������Ƶ productions were recognized as finalists in the Collegiate Student Championship division: “Football: ������Ƶ vs. North Carolina A&T,” “Strength Beyond the Game – Brodie Carroll,” “Win The Moment – Asher Cunningham” and “What It Takes – ������Ƶ Men’s Basketball Halftime Hype.”

Several of this semester’s studies center on TikTok and the platform’s growing influence on media consumption, identity and audience behavior. “The emphasis on TikTok underscores its increasing prominence in today’s media landscape,” journal editor Harlen Makemson wrote in his introduction to the issue.

Among the featured studies, strategic communications major Kyra Briggs examines how TikTok users responded to the Idaho college student murders, analyzing emotional expression, narrative construction, misinformation and collective sensemaking on the platform. Fellow strategic communications major Avery Ferguson explores how women ages 18 to 25 perceive the “clean girl aesthetic” on TikTok and how it influences their well-being, self-esteem and lifestyle choices. Elizabeth Walker, another strategic communications major, analyzes 100 TikTok videos to examine how Gen Z users expressed nostalgia, emotional memory and generational identity through references to 2016.

Several students investigated the relationship between television, fandom and audience participation. Delaney Guidi, a communication design major, studies how popular film franchises borrow principles from sports merchandising to create team identification, while also examining how fan-made merchandise attempts to establish authenticity. Sport management major Shelby Keel looks into how institutional framing and participatory fan discourse elevated the reality television phenomenon “Scandoval” into a culturally and commercially significant media event.

Additional research focuses on representation and identity in television storytelling. Jenna Moylan, a cinema and television arts major, analyzes four contemporary animated television programs to study trans characters’ narrative roles, the centrality of transness and the visual legibility of character design. Strategic communications major Evelyn Ealey compares portrayals of the Strong Black Woman archetype in television series before and after 2000, finding that more contemporary programs tend to offer greater complexity and depth to those characters.

The issue also includes Halli Harwood’s examination of how three cruise lines frame port communities through excursion descriptions. The strategic communications major found that cruise lines often present selective portrayals of destinations that result in limited diversity, equity and inclusion representation.

“These articles, produced in collaboration with faculty mentors, each represent exceptional achievements in undergraduate research,” Makemson said.

To assemble the spring 2026 edition, Makemson worked with an editorial board of 21 School of Communications faculty who participated in a blind-review process to select the strongest submissions. Since launching in 2010, the ������Ƶ Journal has published 33 issues, with each research article on its own dedicated webpage.

Among more than 200 undergraduate research journals cataloged by the Council on Undergraduate Research, the ������Ƶ Journal remains one of the few focused exclusively on student work in journalism, media and communications.

Emily Beauvais, Graduate Student, Northeastern University (Boston)

Nia Bedard, Graduate Student, ������Ƶ (������Ƶ, North Carolina)

Kiersten Bergman, Graduate Student, Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.)

Max Berkson, Media Intern, Carmichael Lynch (Philadelphia)

Aidan Blake, Digital Content Creator, Kaulig Racing (Kernersville, North Carolina)

Anna Brett Blinston, Media and Content Analyst, Big Valley Marketing

Merrie Byers, Graduate Student, North Carolina State University (Raleigh, North Carolina)

Coco Cameron, PR & Social Media Associate, Devaney & Associates (Owings Mills, Maryland)

Luke Carey, Head Coach, Seacoast United MA North (Andover, Massachusetts)

Aaron Chan, Production Specialist, Amazing Studios (Raleigh, North Carolina)

Alexa Citrin, Graduate Student, University of Edinburgh (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Delaney Dickinson, Social Media Manager, Works Design Group (Haddon Heights, New Jersey)

Ava D’Innocenzio, Graduate Student, Boston University (Boston)

Philip Doherty, Freelance Technical Director (Raleigh, North Carolina)

Julien Dupas, Video Director, Discover Blind Spots (Burlington, North Carolina)

Liam Dupas, Video Director Co-Lead, Discover Blind Spots (Burlington, North Carolina)

Kaelyn Elien, Fellow, Bully Pulpit International (Washington, D.C.)

Anjolina Fantaroni, Reporter, WAFF 48 (Huntsville, Alabama)

Elliet Faust, Marketing & Operations Intern, Rise Social Partners

Avery Ferguson, Intern, Golin (New York)

Lila Goldberg, Project Manager, Mediaplanet (New York)

Jesse Gordon, Reporter, Sports Business Journal (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Sever Gregory, Graduate Student, University of Texas at Austin (Austin, Texas)

Rachel Holley, Reporter, WECT6 (Wilmington, North Carolina)

Daniel Jaeger, Agent Training Program, United Talent Agency (Los Angeles)

Shelby Keel, Golden Gopher Fund Intern, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Mira Maccarone, Graduate Student, Boston College (Boston)

Lucy McAfee, Graduate Student, Boston College (Boston)

Fiona McAllister, Media Rotation Program Fellow, Fox News (New York)

Morgan Minoff, Associate, ASC Advisors LLC (Stamford, Connecticut)

Maxine Motley, PR Intern, Jennifer Bett Communications (New York)

Tristin Oberg, Graduate Student, Montana State University (Bozeman, Montana)

Abraham Paley, Graduate Student, Saint Mary’s College of California (Moraga, California)

Max Quatroche, Graduate Student, John Wells Division of Writing for Screen & Television, University of Southern California (Los Angeles)

Hannah Riggs, Team Lead, HeadCount (New York)

Lexi Rogers, Graduate Student, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, North Carolina)

Hudson Sabiston, Graphic Designer, Cone Health Drawbridge Parkway (Greensboro, North Carolina)

Anabella Shpak, Graduate Student, Columbia University (New York)

Ben Solis, Sales, Grainger (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Benji Stern, Springboard Fellow, Brandeis Hillel (Waltham, Massachusetts)

Grace Stetler, PGA WORKS Fellow, PGA REACH Foundation (Philadelphia)

Evelyn Stuart, Recruiter, ALKU (Washington, D.C.)

Bernardo Vargas-Lopez, Co-Founder/Co-CEO, YAPA Global (Austin, Texas)

Erik Winikur, Management Accelerator Program, Concessions Manager, Aramark Sports & Entertainment (Washington, D.C.)

Rain didn’t stop the light of more than 1,500 ������Ƶ students shining bright as the Class of 2026 became alumni during the university’s 136^th Commencement Ceremonies on May 22 in Schar Center.

Despite the wet weather, families, friends, faculty and staff gathered to celebrate graduates who were encouraged not only to pursue success, but also to embrace failure as an essential part of growth.

Patricia Walsh Chadwick P’16, an ������Ƶ trustee and accomplished Wall Street strategist, delivered the Commencement address, reminding graduates that quitting is the “only true definition of failure” and urging them not to let fear guide their decisions.

“Pundits have a way of forecasting disaster every spring just as college graduates step into the world. My advice is simple: ignore them,” she said. “Technology will not be the ruin of us all; it opens far more doors than it closes. You are the future of the workforce, and that should excite you.”

The paths to success

Chadwick reflected on her own unconventional path, emphasizing that there is no “magic potion” for success. She shared how she grew up in a religious sect, which she later described as a cult, and was forced out at 17 years old.

“Fearful of the world, and in my naïveté, I turned to a single phrase for guidance: ‘Failure is not an option,’” she said. “What I hadn’t realized is that no one is immune from mistakes or failures. Those two words, dreaded by so many, are part of the learning process.”

Technology will not be the ruin of us all; it opens far more doors than it closes. You are the future of the workforce, and that should excite you.

Patricia Walsh Chadwick P’16

She also spoke about her son, ������Ƶ alumnus Jim Chadwick ’16, who had planned to launch a gaming company after graduation. After spending a year pursuing that dream, he realized it was not the future he had envisioned and eventually transitioned into private finance.

“Remember to take something of value from every employment experience before moving on to the next one,” she said. “I like to think of a career path as a circular stairway, where each success leads to a new challenge winding slowly upward toward your dreams.”

������Ƶ celebrated graduates in two ceremonies — the morning event for the School of Communications and the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, and the afternoon event for ������Ƶ College, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education and the School of Health Sciences.

The Rev. Kirstin Boswell, ������Ƶ’s chaplain and dean of mulfifaith engagement, opened each ceremony with the invocation.

“As these graduates step into what comes next, grant them wisdom beyond knowledge, courage beyond fear and compassion deep enough to serve a world that is in need,” Boswell said. “May they use their gifts not only for personal success, but for healing, for justice, for truth and for the flourishing of others.”

Corinne Wilson ’26 performed the Star-Spangled Banner, and led the singing of the alma mater, while Mindy Monroe ’26 and Malia Horst ’26 gave a special musical performance of “For Good,” from the musical “Wicked.”

The ������Ƶ magic

Graduates reflected on the experiences that shaped their time at ������Ƶ, including the university’s commitment to undergraduate teaching. In 2025, for the fifth year in a row, ������Ƶ topped a “Best Undergraduate Teaching” list published by U.S. News & World Report.

“Professors can actually invest in you because of the class sizes being so small,” said Robbie Simpson ’26, an ������Ƶ native who earned a degree in exercise science. “I really appreciate that because professors get to take their time to understand you, get to know you and invest because they have a personal connection to you, so it makes them it more valuable to them.”

The strong relationships with faculty were an important part of Honors Fellow Diego Hernandez’s ’26 ������Ƶ experience.

“The time that the professors have taken out of their day and their lives to support us as students, that’s one of the best things I got from ������Ƶ,” said Hernandez, who earned a degree in engineering. “That’s something that I’m going to take with me.”

The myriad of involvement opportunities was also essential for graduates.

Autumn Goyette ’26, who earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in accounting through the Love School of Business Accelerated 3+1 Dual Degree Program, says her time working for Residence Life and in the Love School of Business Dean’s Office has made an impact on her time at ������Ƶ. She will soon be moving to Virginia to work for Ernst & Young.

“I’m just so grateful for everything that ������Ƶ gave me and brought to me,” said Goyette, who is from Pittsburg, North Carolina. “This place is my home and has been my home for four years.”

Decked out in various graduation cords, Ella Allen ’26, a Teaching Fellow who earned a mathematics degree with teacher licensure from ������Ƶ College, the College of Arts and Sciences, was heavily involved on campus, including as an orientation leader and a member of Kappa Delta sorority. Next, Allen will be pursuing her Master’s of Higher Education at ������Ƶ. She noted that the people and support she received at ������Ƶ were invaluable.

Lilly Ikle ’26 of Baltimore, Maryland, earned a cinema & television arts degree from the School of Communications. She says the time has flown by and she feels like she was “dropped off yesterday.” Ikle initially came to ������Ƶ for its nationally recognized musical theatre program and for ������Ƶ’s ability to work with students with learning disabilities.

“My major really helped me get that creative outlet that I wanted in musical theater, but it also gave me the practical side of work I wanted to do in the future,” said Ikle, who plans to move to Nashville after graduation to pursue music. “My major gave me a creative outlet, let me get kind of that artsy side out of me, but also taught me things that I can bring into the real world.”

The Class of 2026 includes many stand-out stories:

• After a trip to Ecuador, Bernardo Vargas-Lopez ’26, who earned a degree in sport management, and Juan Daniel Chiriboga ’26, who earned a degree in entrepreneurship & innovation, built YAPA, a plant-based energy drink shaped by friendship, curiosity and mentorship.
• Kaitlyn Lewis ’26, who earned a degree in elementary education, came to ������Ƶ through three of the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education’s primary scholarship programs: Alamance Scholars, NC Teaching Fellows and, post-graduation, Teach for Alamance.
• Jonathan Weaver ’26 originally intended to go into finance, but through exploration and faculty mentorship, switched his major to biology, and is now going to dental school at The Ohio State University.
• Being waitlisted for one program allowed Allie Schult ’26 to realize her true passion for nursing. She now has a post-graduate position at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
• Rony Dahdal ’26, a Goldwater Scholar and Lumen Scholar, earned a degree in computer science, mathematics and philosophy and did three different undergraduate research projects while at ������Ƶ. The first was helping to create a mathematical model of complex equations that predict how the human immune system responds to COVID-19; another was developing an autonomous robotic arm to monitor and tend to crops by training the 3D machine-learning model to understand plant anatomy, and a third was developing a method to gather medical vital signs.

All of these students were helped by what student commencement speaker Ruby Radis ’26 of Chicago called the “������Ƶ magic.” Radis, who earned a degree in human service studies, delivered the “Message of Appreciation” on Friday.

“From the moment I stepped onto this beautiful brick-covered campus, one truth became clear: there is magic here,” Radis said. “That ������Ƶ magic builds a community where students know their neighbors, teachers and coworkers. Rather
than a quick hello, connections are founded on respect.”

Radis emphasized that ������Ƶ helped “emphasize the value of human difference,” and her fellow graduates should take that forward with them.

“Using those lessons, we can work together to uplift each other, amplify voices often left unheard and sprinkle a little of our very own ������Ƶ magic on everyone we meet,” Radis said.

That ������Ƶ magic builds a community where students know their neighbors, teachers and coworkers. Rather than a quick hello, connections are founded on respect.

Ruby Radis ’26

Be possible-ists

In her charge to the graduates, ������Ƶ President Connie Ledoux Book asked the Class of 2026 to look back on their New Student Convocation in 2022, 1,371 days prior.

“That morning, we placed an acorn in your hand, and I asked you to do something simple, and yet profound: To grow deep roots, and to reach high. Today, I look out at you, and I see what’s grown,” Book said.

During their first year, the Class of 2026 all read the Common Reading book “Factfulness” by Hans Rosling. In his book, Rosling described the word “possible-ist:” someone who looks honestly at the world’s problems and still believes, based on evidence, that things can get better, and that they are getting better.

“Class of 2026, through your ������Ƶ journey, you have grown into these possible-ists,” she said. “You have learned to hold complexity without losing hope, to see what’s broken without losing your willingness to build, to zoom out and recognize progress, and to keep moving forward. That is the ������Ƶ way, and the world needs more of it.”

View the full undergraduate commencement program online.

Patrick Murphy G’01

Assistant vice president for financial aid

Patrick Murphy joined ������Ƶ at the beginning of 1994 as bursar for ������Ƶ College to find a career that would, as he put it, add positivity to his day. Retiring at the end of the month, Murphy has served in a myriad of roles at ������Ƶ, including director of financial aid, senior associate dean and director of financial aid and assistant vice president for financial aid.

During the Faculty/Staff Awards Luncheon, Greg Zaiser, vice president for enrollment, credited Murphy with quietly and deliberately supporting ������Ƶ’s growth from a regional college to national and international distinction.

“What I know now is because of Pat’s patience, accessibility and strong desire for success,” added Zaiser.

After retirement, Murphy looks forward to spending more time with his wife and his five grandchildren, who are all under the age of six. He says his favorite memory at ������Ƶ was picking up astronaut and former senator John Glenn and his wife from the airport and guiding them across campus to multiple events.

“I will miss the people I work with,” he said. “������Ƶ has been the only place I worked where my friends are also people I work with.”

Beth McCain

Assistant teaching professor of accounting

Beth McCain joined ������Ƶ in 2016 teaching part-time as an adjunct after teaching at a community college. She was hired permanently in 2021 as a lecturer and also served as the director of the Master of Science accounting program. She retired on December 31, 2025.

While at ������Ƶ, McCain led January Term study abroad courses to Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam and was the inaugural faculty member for the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business study abroad program in Singapore.

At the Faculty/Staff Awards Luncheon, Catherine Chiang, professor of accounting and chair of the department of accounting, described McCain as one of the most dedicated and student-centered educators she had the privilege of knowing. “Your decade of service has shaped careers, strengthened our programs and raised the standards for what it means to be an ������Ƶ educator,” said Chiang.

McCain returned the compliments to her department chair and gave a shoutout to Linda Poulson, who gave McCain “a chance” and also to her husband, who was in attendance.

Now retired, McCain is volunteering for Guilford County Animal Services in Greensboro and taking a French course at ������Ƶ in preparation for a three-month trip to France in the fall. Reflecting on her time at ������Ƶ, McCain said, “I will greatly miss the amazing faculty and staff that I worked with as well as relationships that I developed with my students over the years.”

Linda Niedziela

Associate professor of biology and chair of the Department of Biology

Linda Niedziela joined ������Ƶ in 2001 excited to teach courses in genetics and biotechnology. She was attracted to the university’s strengths in undergraduate education and undergraduate research. She will retire at the end of May after serving in a myriad of roles, including biology department chair, assistant professor, associate professor, director of the science branch of ������Ƶ College Fellows and the Japheth E. Rawls chair for undergraduate research in science.

Niedziela said she will miss what she calls the “daily therapy sessions.” She shared that every day during the semester, whoever is able will meet for lunch on the first floor of McMichael and discuss wide-ranging topics, including teaching tips, research reports, personal stories about families and pets and anything else that is on the mind of lunch attendees.

She said, “I will miss the wonderful faculty and staff colleagues in the biology department who have become like family to me.”

After retirement, Niedziela and her husband, Carl, an adjunct assistant professor of biology at ������Ƶ, who will also be retiring, will travel with their dogs in an airstream travel trailer and spend time in their woodworking shop. She will also be devoting more time training and competing with her Shetland sheepdog in performance dog sports.

Anthony Hatcher

Professor of journalism and chair of the Journalism Department

Anthony Hatcher joined ������Ƶ in 2002 and has served as associate professor of journalism, full professor of journalism and the inaugural chair of the Department of Journalism.

Hatcher said he did not have a passport until he joined ������Ƶ in his early 40’s. “Since 2004, I have taken students to Hong Kong, South Africa and multiple European countries,” he reflected. Hatcher also created a religion and media course in his first year, which he taught every year since.

One of those colleagues, Harlen Makemson, professor of communication design, praised Hatcher at the Faculty/Staff Luncheon for Hatcher’s empathy and humanity during what he described as a time of upheaval in the media world, brought on by new technologies. “And while it’s true that Anthony Hatcher serves on virtually every major standing committee at ������Ƶ, it’s his humanity, his warmth and his care, that is his most impactful service to his university.”

“I will miss being with students, and I will miss seeing my colleagues – my friends – daily or weekly,” said Hatcher. During the ceremony, he added, “I hope in addition to teaching all those wonderful students I’ve had over the past nearly quarter century, I hope in some small way, I made their lives a little better because God knows they helped me be better.

After retirement, Hatcher looks forward to biking, hiking, travel and spending time with his granddaughter. “Writing will be part of retirement as well, since I can’t sing or paint,” he added.

Robert Moorman

Frank S. Holt, Jr. professor of business leadership and professor of organizational behavior

Robert Moorman joined ������Ƶ as the Frank Holt Jr professor of business leadership in 2011, a title he held throughout his time at ������Ƶ. Retiring in May, Moorman has also served as the department chair for the Department of Management, Entrepreneurship and International Business.

During the Faculty, Staff Awards Luncheon, Haya Ajjan, dean of the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business and professor of management information systems, shared that Moorman has a gift few others do – the ability to ask the types of questions that “make you stop walking, look around at where you actually are and suddenly see it…a question that stays with you for the rest of your life.” Ajjan offered Moorman a golf club afterwards in the spirit of his retirement.

During the ceremony, Moorman shared that education is so much more than reading books and looking at stats. “It’s really about the relationships we have,” he said. “It’s the relationships with our students and the utter joy of seeing people cycle through during this really important time of their lives, you know, touching you and stepping in and stepping out and then seeing them grow as they go.”

Moorman said his favorite memories are those involving friendships with colleagues and partnerships with students. “I have fond memories of a few colleagues congregating in my office talking about the joys and frustrations of the day,” he said.  “I also have fond memories of holding classes that just seemed to ‘work’ that day and then talking with students afterward about how they continued thinking about our discussions.”

After retiring at the end of this month, Moorman looks forward to what he calls unstructured adventure. “I am looking forward to a time of boredom that then grows into something new, unplanned and adventurous. What fun!”

Charity Johansson

Professor of physical therapy education and chair of the Doctor of Physical Therapy Department.

In 1999, Charity Johnsson joined what would become the Doctor of Physical Therapy program as one of its first faculty. She retired in December 2025 after decades of service in which she held positions of associate professor, full professor, faculty administrative fellow, interim associate department chair, interim department chair and program director, department chair and program director and university parliamentarian.

Johansson said she is already missing the “daily exchanges with colleagues whose brilliant minds and genuinely kind hearts” have shaped her over nearly three decades. Likewise, she will miss the students, and their “infectious enthusiasm, their compassion and the joy of watching them transform in ways they hadn’t even imagined possible.”

During the Faculty/Staff Awards Luncheon, Crystal Ramsey praised Johansson as a “cornerstone of the ������Ƶ academic community, whose legacy is defined not just by the position she has held, but by the enduring way she has nurtured the hearts, minds and professional identities of future healthcare providers.” Ramsey is an associate professor of physical therapy education and a former student of Johansson’s.

At the ceremony, Johansson reflected on the retirement of Gerry Francis, who served as professor emeritus of mathematics and provost emeritus.

“Gerry Francis told me he doesn’t miss the work, but he really misses the people – and I get that,” she said.

She also said it was a privilege working with so many in the ������Ƶ community who have encouraged her, challenged her and made her laugh to help her be a better a human. “Fred Rubeck, you’re among those,” Johansson added, honoring the late professor of performing arts and chair of the Department of Performing Arts.

Now retired, Johansson said she is enjoying time outdoors with family and close friends, planning travel and trying new ventures, including fiction writing.

Marcia Dodson

Program assistant for the Station at Mill Point Neighborhood

Marcia Dodson joined ������Ƶ in 2015 and is the proud mother of three sons who graduated from ������Ƶ. She will be retiring at the end of May and has served as a service desk analyst for facilities management, program assistant in the Danieley Neighborhood and Station at Mill Point.

A favorite memory of Dodson’s while at ������Ƶ is joining the London Experience for staff, where she built relationships with colleagues she had not yet had the opportunity to meet while working at ������Ƶ. “What an awesome experience!” she reflected.

After retirement, Dodson looks forward to being a traveling grandparent with her husband.

Rosemary Haskell

Professor of English

Rosemary Haskell joined ������Ƶ in 1985 and will be retiring in August. She has held the roles of temporary instructor and assistant, associate and later, full professor of English.

Haskell said she will most miss her kind and interesting colleagues, as well as the “energizing power of the new class of bright-eyed and bushy-tailed first-years each August.”

One of Haskell’s favorite memories at ������Ƶ is during the transition of the Fighting Christians to the Phoenix. She enjoyed the papier-mache birds and eggs in trees around campus that offered a clue to the new mascot.

After retirement, Haskell said she plans to spend time with her family and do some home improvement work.

Cheryl Riley

Custodian

Cheryl Riley joined ������Ƶ in 2013 as a custodian and will retire at the end of May. “I will miss the people I work with,” she said. “And I look forward to spending time with my grandkids.”

Linda Dunn

Adjunct assistant professor of Peace and Conflict Studies

Linda Dunn joined ������Ƶ in 1998 as the director of the Alamance County Dispute Settlement Center, where she trained a group of students and returned to train several faculty members in mediation skills, who later became volunteer mediators for the center. Dunn’s official start date on record is 2001, when she taught a two-credit mediation and conflict resolution skills course as part of a new minor called Nonviolent Studies. She retired at the end of December, 2025.

Federico Pous spoke on behalf of Dunn during the Faculty/Staff Awards luncheon, praising Dunn’s ability to teach hands-on peaceful conflict resolution skills and strategies across different social backgrounds.

“Linda’s way of teaching and interacting with students, staff and professors, makes you feel that you are equal to her in the same community space,” he shared.

“I will miss the students and their passion the things I teach,” said Dunn. Two of her students attended the luncheon.

After retirement, she plans to attend cultural events on campus and potentially assist in future facilitated discussions on campus. She will also continue to volunteer as a mediator at the Alamance County District court, continue restorative circle skills and mediation and training skills with Restorative Justice Durham and the Orange County District County District court.

“I will continue to be an activist for restorative justice and peacemaking organizations as we navigate the chaos and violence in our world,” she added.

Elizabeth Bailey

Assistant teaching professor of exercise science

Elizabeth Bailey began her career at ������Ƶ in 2004 and, enjoying the vibe of the community, wanted to be “part of it all.” She started as a lecturer for the required wellness course, lectured for the School of Education before joining Exercise Science.

Retiring at the end of Spring semester, Bailey said she will most miss her colleagues and all the “friends among the faculty and staff” she has made while at ������Ƶ.

“I will also miss the opportunities to continue to learn that are available at ������Ƶ, whether it be through taking classes or participating in workshops or going abroad,” she added. She said, while at ������Ƶ, he has learned a lot.

Bailey said her retirement plans continue to evolve, and she still intends to exercise classes and do some research on the side.

Kim Giles, ’11 G’16

Associate director of communications for the Student Professional Development Center

Since her first role in 1995, Kim Giles has served in various roles at the university, including data entry in admissions and accounting, budget clerk in the physical plant, program assistant for Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Studies, Engineering, Chemistry, and Physics, and assistant director of communications in the Student Professional Development Center.

Giles retired during the summer of 2025. She said she cherishes the opportunity to earn an MBA at ������Ƶ along with her daughter. She said about the experience, “what an unforgettable experience that was in crossing the stage along with my daughter to get our MBA’s together – it was quite surreal.”

Giles also reflected on traveling with peers and faculty to Vietnam and Singapore, the many evolutions of Staff Appreciation Day, and being honored as the staff member of the year – an experience she said she will cherish forever.

Since retiring, Giles has taken nine cruises and has done kayaking, camping and gardening. She looks forward to continuing to spend time with family.

Sharon Moss LaRocco

University accompanist and instructor in music

Sharon Moss LaRocco was recognized at the Faculty/Staff Awards Luncheon by Hallie Hogan, associate professor of music. LaRocco joined the ������Ƶ Music Department in 1988 as a pianist for musical theater productions, music ensembles and student recitals.

Hogan shared, “Although she kept a very low profile, there was never any doubt about this, because she never missed a beat, much less a note, and maintained high quality for every performance she gave,” Hogan said.

She shared that students developed a strong admiration for LaRocco’s talent and a deep love for her kind and understanding nature.

Beyond ������Ƶ, Sharon has devoted herself to advocating for people with autism, through her work as a leader in the Office of Society of North Carolina, notably promoting autism awareness for the Native American communities of Western North Carolina.

At the awards ceremony, LaRocco shared that one of her favorite memories was the construction of Rhodes Stadium, which signaled to her the emergence of a marching band.

“Who doesn’t love a marching band?” asked LaRocco to the audience. “And the spirit and the energy it creates walking through the campus, en route to the games.”

Jana Lynn Patterson

Associate vice president for Student Life/dean of student health & well-being/assistant professor

During the Faculty/Staff Awards Luncheon, Jon Dooley, vice president for Student Life and associate professor of education, described Patterson as someone who is consistent in how she shows up for others, patient when a young leader makes a mistake, honest with students and colleagues even when it is hard and someone who not only believes in others, and one who helps others believe in themselves.

“She supported students in college through tragedy, advised student organizations, and celebrated their success,” said Dooley. “She has created spaces of welcome and belonging, and met the students in their darkest hours, helping them piece together on plans to move forward.”

Patterson was also recognized for her 40 years of service and held back tears while addressing the audience. A first-generation student from Hope Mills, North Carolina, Patterson said her parents could have never dreamed where she is today.

“To my staff and colleagues, you are the A-Team,” she shared. “But to everyone in this community, I want you to know that every day has been an honor and a pleasure to be a part of this community and to have worked with you.”

Also retiring

Retiring staff members will be recognized on May 29 as part of Staff Appreciation Day.

• Joan Barnatt
• Mona DeVries
• Chris Dockrill, head women’s golf coach
• Sharon Hodge
• John Chinnici, community service officer
• David “DD” Donohue, painter
• Kelly Elliston
• Gloria Graves, custodian
• William “Tom” Hall, telecommunications technician
• Rhonda Kosusko, associate director of career services, education and ������Ƶ
• Katherine Rodriguez, assistant director for application processing
• Michelle Stephens, custodian
• Ed Williams, service desk analyst
• Donna Wood , electronic services/ acquisitions librarian

������Ƶ Assistant Professor of Sport Management Alex Traugutt was featured in a recent Spectrum News 1 story examining how visiting fans contribute to North Carolina’s sports economy during the Carolina Hurricanes’ playoff run. The article explored how travel tied to major sporting events generates spending that benefits hotels, restaurants and local businesses.

“We oftentimes have a misconception around the economic impact that a sporting event has,” Traugutt said. “Where we see the kind of economic drive is when we have outside fans from either outside the geographic area or traveling fans from away teams come into the host city and bring their money.”

Using the Hurricanes’ playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens as an example, Traugutt noted that traveling fans contribute new spending to the local economy through hotels, restaurants, transportation and entertainment. He emphasized that local fans shifting their entertainment spending within the same city typically do not create the same level of economic growth.

“We benefit from the Canadiens because they have a great fan base. So they will travel to see their fans play. There’s also a lot of Canadiens fans in the area, not maybe here, but that surround North Carolina,” Traugutt said.

Read and watch the story on . Traugutt also spoke about the topic on the .