The Princeton Review has again featured ������Ƶ in a popular college guide that annually recognizes excellence in dozens of categories, with the university placing among the top 25 schools in 15 categories and in the top 10 of eight categories, including #1 Best College Theater.

������Ƶ’s profile in “” includes more than a dozen recognitions:

• #1 Best College Theater
• #4 Best Classroom Experience
• #6 Best Student Support and Counseling Services
• #6 Best College Dorms
• #8 Happiest Students
• #9 Most Beautiful Campus
• #9 Everyone Plays Intramural Sports
• #10 Their Students Love These Colleges
• #11 Best Campus Food
• #12 Best Career Services
• #12 Best-Run Colleges
• #18 Most Active Student Government
• #23 Professors Get High Marks
• #24 Best Quality of Life
• #25 Green Matters: Everyone Cares About Conservation

The Princeton Review chose the 392 colleges for the book based on its surveys in 2025-26 of 2,000 college administrators about their school’s academic offerings. The company also surveyed students attending the colleges in the book who rated their schools on dozens of topics and reported on their campus experiences at them. Only about 14% of America’s nearly 2,800 four-year colleges are in the book.

“We are delighted to name ������Ƶ one of our Best Colleges for 2027, and we recommend it to students searching for their ‘best-fit’ college,” said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief and lead author of The Best 392 Colleges.  “������Ƶ has outstanding academic programs; we also took into account the candid feedback we received about it from its very own customers—its enrolled students.”

The rankings are entirely based on the company’s surveys of students attending the schools in the book who reported on their campus experiences at their schools. Surveys of 172,000 students (about 439 per school on average) were tallied for the rankings in The Best 392 Colleges.

Information on the for the rankings and the student is published in the book and on .

Select Responses Cited in “The Best 391 Colleges”

• ������Ƶ provides “meaningful access to professors, research opportunities, internships, and leadership roles early…which allows (students) to explore their interests in practical, hands-on ways.”
• “Everyone from the most esteemed professors to our incredible dining hall workers, to the student life staff, to our groundskeepers” is described as “the most incredible support system.”
• Faculty are “highly experienced and enthusiastic” who do “constant check-ups and meetings with you. They want to make sure that you’re not only succeeding in their class, but also having an amazing, enriching time in college.”
• Students praised the small class sizes, which allow for bonding “with both my professors and my peers, and it gives me more opportunities for success.”
• ������Ƶ’s experiential learning model provides an opportunity “where students can use both classroom learning and real-world experience to understand the information being taught.”
• Students highlighted the university’s “strong culture of involvement” where “students are constantly balancing academics with leadership roles, service organizations, research, athletics, and creative projects, and that energy creates an environment where it feels normal to want to do big things.”

About the Princeton Review

The Princeton Review (), founded in 1981, is an education services company known for its tutoring, test-prep, admission services, school rankings, books, and other resources. Headquartered in New York, NY, it is not affiliated with Princeton University, and it is not a magazine.

The Best 392 Colleges is the 35th annual edition of The Princeton Review’s flagship college guide which debuted in 1992. It is one of more than 150 Princeton Review books in a published by Penguin Random House. The book and its annual student-survey-based college rankings have been featured on NBC TODAY more than two dozen times over the years and referenced by media from NPR to The Wall Street Journal and The Chronicle of Higher Education.

The 2026 North Carolina Political Landscape Report finds that the identities most widely embraced across the state are rooted in work, community, place and shared civic values—not political movements or ideological labels. By examining how North Carolinians identify themselves across 30 political, economic, cultural and lifestyle identities, the report paints a more nuanced portrait of the state’s electorate than traditional measures of party affiliation alone.

“Winning coalitions of voters are often built by group attachments beyond party labels alone,” said Jason Husser, director of the ������Ƶ Poll and professor of political science and public policy. “Outcomes in North Carolina elections are driven not only by whether the state has more Democrats or more Republicans, but also whether politicians can move those who identify with groups like working class, progressives or Second Amendment advocates. We measured the scope of some of the largest politically relevant group identities in North Carolina to offer insight into why some ideas stick in the state and others struggle.”

The broad middle is larger than the ideological edges.

Across the state, the identities most commonly selected are remarkably broad. More than three-quarters of respondents identify as working class (77%), while nearly as many identify as anti-racist (74%) and proud North Carolinian (74%). Majorities also identify as middle class (68%), religious (58%), Second Amendment advocates (58%), country people (56%), Constitutionalists (52%), environmentalists (51%) and beach people (51%).

By comparison, identities associated with ideological movements or political brands are embraced by substantially fewer North Carolinians. Only about one-third identify with MAGA (34%) or democratic socialism (29%), while even fewer identify as libertarian (20%), politically homeless (26%), anti-establishment (32%) or prepper (19%).

Taken together, the findings suggest that the political identities receiving the greatest public attention represent a smaller share of the electorate than the broader identities that unite many North Carolinians.

Republicans, Democrats and Independents have much in common

The report identifies substantial overlap among the state’s partisan groups.

Three of the top identities for Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike are working class, proud North Carolinian, and anti-racist. Middle-class identity also ranks among the most common across all three groups. These shared identities appear despite well-publicized partisan disagreements and suggest a broader common foundation than political discourse often reflects.

An anti-racist identity ranks among the ten most common choices for Republicans (66%), Independents (75%) and Democrats (80%). Likewise, large majorities across party lines identify as working class and as proud North Carolinians.

“It’s easy to fall into stereotypical thinking about Democrats and Republicans as monolithic and totally distinct from one another. However, we find enough overlap of group identities within North Carolina that suggest people with different political preferences often share many of the same ways of understanding themselves,” Husser said.

Similarly, the way voters in different parties describe themselves also offers potential for common ground. For example, while Democrats are much more likely to consider themselves “environmentalists” than Republicans (64% to 39%), the related label “conservationist” was chosen by 48% of Democrats and 54% of Republicans.

It’s easy to fall into stereotypical thinking about Democrats and Republicans as monolithic and totally distinct from one another.

– Professor Jason Husser, director of the ������Ƶ Poll

The differences remain meaningful

Where Republicans and Democrats diverge is in the identities associated with organized political movements and cultural priorities.

Republicans are substantially more likely to identify as Second Amendment advocates, religious, MAGA, Constitutionalists, country people, and MAHA supporters. Democrats are more likely to identify as progressives, social justice advocates, feminists, environmentalists, LGBTQ rights advocates, and democratic socialists.

Independents present a different profile. Their most common identities emphasize community and lifestyle rather than partisan ideology, including working class, anti-racist, proud North Carolinian, middle class, Second Amendment advocate, religious, environmentalist and conservationist. Unlike Republicans and Democrats, no overt political movement appears among Independents’ ten most common identities.

Views of government are similarly nuanced

The report finds that North Carolinians resist simple ideological categorization. While six in ten favor a larger government providing more services and 57% support providing more assistance to people in need even if it means higher taxes, only 17% say they trust the federal government to do what is right most or all of the time. At the same time, two-thirds believe the American economic system favors a select few rather than being generally fair.

The report is based on an online survey of 800 North Carolina adults created by the ������Ƶ Poll and fielded by YouGov between July 23 and July 31, 2026. The survey has a margin of error of ±4.24%. The full report, topline results and methodology are available at elon.edu/elonpoll.

Poll Methodology

Access the poll topline and methodology at: www.elon.edu/elonpoll. The survey was developed by the ������Ƶ Poll and fielded by the international marketing and polling firm YouGov as an online, web-based survey, self-administered through online panels. Between July 23 and July 31, 2026, YouGov interviewed 861 North Carolina adults aged 18 and older. These respondents were then matched down to a sample of 800 to produce the final dataset.

The matched cases were weighted to the sampling frame using propensity scores based on age, gender, race/ethnicity, years of education, and home ownership. The margin of error for registered voters in this survey (adjusted for weights) is +/-4.42%.

About the ������Ƶ Poll

Established in 2000, the ������Ƶ Poll conducts national and North Carolina surveys on issues of importance to voters and residents. Information from these polls is shared with media, citizens and public officials to facilitate informed public policymaking through the better understanding of citizens’ opinions and attitudes. The poll is fully funded by ������Ƶ and operates as the neutral, non-biased information resource.

The ������Ƶ Poll is a charter member of the , a program created by the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) in 2014 to educate polling firms on ways to better share how they collect and interpret their information. The ������Ƶ Poll’s voluntary participation in this initiative signifies a willingness to clearly state in its reports how questions were asked, in what order, who funded the poll and who conducted it, and a definition of the population under study, among other details.

Among all those who said they were registered to vote, Cooper is favored by 51% and Whatley is favored by 35%, with 11 percent saying they were undecided or planned to vote for someone else and 3% saying they do not plan to vote.

The survey of 800 North Carolina adults was conducted from July 23-31, 2026, and has a margin of error for likely voters of 5.6%. Ninety-eight percent of poll respondents said they are registered to vote in the state. This is the first ������Ƶ Poll to ask voters who they plan to vote for in this year’s U.S. Senate race. A previous ������Ƶ poll in March 2026 found that Cooper had much stronger familiarity and favorability ratings, compared with Whatley, who has never run for office in the state.

In this new poll, 84% of registered voters said they had heard “a great deal” (55%) or “some” (29%) about Cooper, who was North Carolina governor from 2017 to 2025 and previously served 16 years as the state’s attorney general. In comparison, 53% said they had heard “a great deal” (17%) or “some” (36%) about Whatley, the former chair of the Republican National Committee and the North Carolina Republican Party. Twenty percent said they had heard nothing at all about Whatley compared with only 5% who had heard nothing at all about Cooper.

“The North Carolina U.S. Senate race has been shaped from the beginning as a contest between a very well-known Democrat and a relatively unknown Republican,” said Jason Husser, director of the ������Ƶ Poll. “While Roy Cooper continues to be much more familiar to voters than Michael Whatley, Whatley’s familiarity among voters has increased meaningfully between March and July. Moreover, among the roughly half of voters who have heard a great deal or some about Whatley, the race becomes very close. This leads me to expect some tightening in polls over the next two months.

Fifty-three percent of registered voters expressed favorable views of Cooper, compared with 36% who had favorable opinions of Whatley.

Cooper is favored by 93% of Democrats. Whatley is preferred by 84% of Republicans. Independents split 49% for Cooper and 22% for Whatley. Third party candidates Shannon Bray (Libertarian) and Michael Dublin (Green) had 1% and 2% support overall, respectively.

Strong interest in the election

Sixty-three percent of registered voters said it is “absolutely certain” they will vote in November and another 20% said it is “very likely” they will cast a ballot.

Despite questions being raised about election integrity and potential foreign interference in U.S. elections, 63% of registered voters said they were “very confident” (27%) or “somewhat confident” (36%) that the election process overall will be fair. Twenty-nine percent said they had little or no confidence in there being a fair election process.

Asked how big of a problem voter fraud is in the United States, 37% of registered voters said it is a major problem, with 30% saying voter fraud is a minor problem. Twenty-four percent said it is not a problem at all and 9% said they are unsure.

Registered voters are split on the threat of foreign interference in U.S. elections, with 39% saying it is a major problem, 35% saying it is minor problem and 10% saying it is not a problem at all, with 17% unsure.

Asked specifically about the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, 55% said Joe Biden was the winner, while 33% maintained Donald Trump won that election and 12% were unsure.

“While a majority of North Carolina voters overall in our sample believe that Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, views of the election are highly polarized,” Husser said. “Nearly three-fourths of North Carolina voters who approved of President Trump expressed that Trump actually won the 2020 election.”

Approval ratings and the data center policy issue

President Trump continues to have low approval ratings among North Carolinians, with 54% of poll respondents disapproving of the job he is doing as president and 36% approving – an 18% gap. Ten percent were unsure about the president’s job performance. In comparison, in the March 2026 ������Ƶ Poll, Trump had a 55% disapproval rating and a 35% approval rating – a 20% gap.

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein has a 46% job approval rating in this poll, compared with a 43% approval rating last March.

Opposition has grown against technology data centers in the state. Fifty-three percent said they oppose locating data centers in their communities and 20% support data centers, with 27% unsure. In the poll last March, 44% opposed data centers in their communities and 24% supported data centers, with 32% unsure.

“As local governments in North Carolina have grappled with land use regulations and economic development questions regarding data centers over the last five months, we found that data centers have become more unpopular across major political and demographic divides,” Husser said.

Poll Methodology

Access the poll topline and methodology at: . The survey was developed by the ������Ƶ Poll and fielded by the international marketing and polling firm YouGov as an online, web-based survey, self-administered through online panels. Between July 23 and July 31, 2026, YouGov interviewed 861 North Carolina adults aged 18 and older. These respondents were then matched down to a sample of 800 to produce the final dataset.

The matched cases were weighted to the sampling frame using propensity scores based on age, gender, race/ethnicity, years of education, and home ownership. The margin of error for registered voters in this survey (adjusted for weights) is +/-4.42%.

About the ������Ƶ Poll

Established in 2000, the ������Ƶ Poll conducts national and North Carolina surveys on issues of importance to voters and residents. Information from these polls is shared with media, citizens and public officials to facilitate informed public policymaking through the better understanding of residents’ opinions and attitudes. The poll is fully funded by ������Ƶ and operates as the neutral, non-biased information resource.

The ������Ƶ Poll is a charter member of the , a program created by the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) in 2014 to educate polling firms on ways to better share how they collect and interpret their information. The ������Ƶ Poll’s voluntary participation in this initiative signifies a willingness to clearly state in its reports how questions were asked, in what order, who funded the poll and who conducted it, and a definition of the population under study, among other details.

Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather III delivered the Call to Honor, challenging students to consider not only what they hope to accomplish as lawyers, but whom their work will ultimately serve.

“The lawyer, and the law student, who demonstrates fidelity to the field is always in the fight because they are thinking of what someone else needs from them — fighting for someone else’s interest as if it were their own,” Merriweather said during ceremonies held Mon., Aug. 10, at ������Ƶ’s Charlotte Center at 330 W. Tremont Ave. in Charlotte’s South End neighborhood.

Merriweather leads the district attorney’s office for North Carolina’s 26th Prosecutorial District, the state’s largest. His connection to ������Ƶ Law is also personal: his wife, Lila Riley L’10, is a member of the law school’s second graduating class.

Describing law as a vocation rooted in serving others, Merriweather reflected on experiences that shaped his own path, from witnessing lawyers pursue justice following a racially motivated killing in his hometown of Mobile, Alabama, to working with a grieving father as a first-year law student interning in the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office.

“Those who are fulfilled in this practice believe that it is something that we are called to do,” Merriweather said. “If you truly commit to pursuit of this practice, you do so because you believe that you have a charge to keep: to speak up for someone, and to tell someone’s story with full impact.”

Merriweather urged students to:

• Be ambitious, curious, studious and sharp, while never losing sight of the people the law is meant to serve.
• Build a reputation for integrity.  Future clients and colleagues must be able to rely on a lawyer’s word, competence and credibility.
• Find your own sense of purpose in the law. When the work becomes difficult, Merriweather encouraged students to return to a simple question: “What are you here to do?”

The Flex Program allows students to earn a law degree through a part-time, in-person course of study designed for working professionals and place-bound students in the Charlotte region.

Flex Program Student Bar Association President Raygan Angel LF’28, a member of the program’s inaugural cohort, encouraged new students to build a supportive community rather than view classmates as competitors.

“The relationships you grow here will matter just as much as the cases you’re going to have to study,” Angel said. “So introduce yourself, form the study group, share an outline and celebrate each other’s wins instead of measuring yourself against them. The legal profession needs more lawyers who compete with integrity and lead with generosity.”

Vice Dean and Professor of Law Alan Woodlief opened the ceremony by recognizing the commitment required of Flex Program students, many of whom will balance full-time careers and other responsibilities with law school. He told the third cohort that faculty and staff “marvel at” and respect the work they have done to organize their lives around pursuing a legal education.

The ceremony concluded with an ������Ƶ tradition connecting the newest law students to the university’s name and history. “������Ƶ” is the Hebrew word for oak. The university has long used the growth of an acorn into an oak tree as a symbol of education, transformation and individual potential.

Woodlief presented each student with an acorn as they crossed the front of the room, where Dean and Professor of Law Zak Kramer greeted them and shook their hands. The students will receive oak saplings at Commencement.

Kramer closed the ceremony by reflecting on the significance of the third Flex Program cohort and the community that has grown around the program. He also echoed Merriweather’s message about finding a calling in the law, urging students to lean into the law school experience and promising that ������Ƶ Law would take seriously their ambitions and dreams.

“Your calling is what brought you here, and our charge, as we see it, is to make sure that you can answer that call, whatever that call is,” Kramer said. “The call is up to you. We will follow it, and we will do everything we can to support you and launch you into your career.”

About ������Ƶ Law

������Ƶ Law is the preeminent school for engaged and experiential learning in law. With a focus on learning by doing, it integrates traditional classroom instruction with a required, full-time Residency-in-Practice field placement for all full-time students during the winter or spring of their second year. The law school’s distinctive curriculum offers a logically sequenced program of professional preparation and is accomplished in 2.5 years, which provides exceptional value by lowering tuition and permitting graduates early entry into their careers.

������Ƶ Law has graduated more than 2,000 alumni since opening its doors in 2006. Its annual enrollment now tops 500 students and the law school is regularly featured in the top tier of preLaw Magazine’s “Best Schools for Practical Training” rankings. In 2026, ������Ƶ Law received ABA approval to launch a full-time 2.5-year J.D. program on the campus of Queens University of Charlotte beginning in Fall 2027. The ������Ƶ Law Flex Program, a part-time, in-person program of legal study for place-bound students at ������Ƶ’s Charlotte campus, welcomed its third cohort in Fall 2026.

A recent graduate of Queens University of Charlotte has been elected to serve as a youth trustee for ������Ƶ, bringing to the role his record of student leadership on campus with a commitment to service across the community.

will serve a three-year term as Youth Trustee, joining Elizabeth “Liz” Kwon L’23 and Rafi Dahdal ’24 G’24 in youth leadership roles for the university’s governing body.

The Board of Trustees has ultimate corporate and fiduciary responsibility for ������Ƶ. It oversees ������Ƶ’s long-term health and strategic direction, educational policy, finances and operations, and overall advancement of the university’s mission.

As a Presidential Fellow in the Office of the President at Queens, Omari supported executive leadership through institutional research, governance analysis for the Board of Trustees, strategic benchmarking of peer institutions, coordinated executive-level events, and board communications.

Omari, who described his youth trustee appointment as “truly an honor,” also served as senior class president, a four-term international representative in the Student Government Association, president of the iBelong Mentoring Program and co-president of the Health Equity Alliance.

Additional leadership roles include service on the Student Alumni Council, the Data Analytics Student Association executive board and as an admissions ambassador. In recognition of his achievements, , the most prestigious undergraduate award bestowed at Queens.

Originally from Accra, Ghana, Omari attended Ghana National College before coming to the United States in 2021 through the AFS Intercultural YES exchange program and spending a year at Charlotte Country Day School. He later enrolled at Queens University of Charlotte as an international student and Presidential Scholar, graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in data analytics and minors in finance and mathematics. He begins working in September as an AI & Data Associate Consultant with Ernst & Young in New York City.”

With experience spanning data, artificial intelligence, institutional governance and student leadership, Omari said he looks forward to joining the ������Ƶ Board of Trustees as a youth trustee and contributing his recent student perspective informed by academic achievement, public service and cross-campus leadership.

“My role as a youth trustee presents an opportunity to help shape a historic moment for both institutions,” Omari said. “I’m excited to contribute a recent student perspective to conversations about how the traditions of both institutions might be honored while creating a stronger future together.”

About ������Ƶ

������Ƶ is a nationally recognized leader in engaged, experiential learning that prepares graduates to be creative, resilient, ambitious and ethical citizens of our global culture.

At ������Ƶ, more than 7,000 students learn through hands-on experiences and close working relationships with faculty and staff whose priorities are teaching and mentoring. The curriculum is grounded in the liberal arts and sciences with emphasis on global experiences and career development. More than 80 undergraduate majors are complemented by professional and graduate programs in law, business, education and health care. ������Ƶ is ranked No. 1 for excellence in undergraduate teaching by U.S. News & World Report.

������Ƶ’s academic divisions include ������Ƶ College, the College of Arts and Sciences; the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business; the School of Communications; the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education; the School of Engineering and Computing; the School of Health Sciences; and the School of Law, with programs in Greensboro and Charlotte, North Carolina.

In 2025, ������Ƶ and Queens University of Charlotte announced plans to merge, pending final approval from SACSCOC and the U.S. Department of Education by 2028.

As they helped parents prepare legal documents designed to ensure their children would continue receiving care and education if the unexpected happened, students found themselves doing something equally important: listening to families navigating uncertainty and providing greater peace of mind.

Organized by ������Ƶ Law’s Pro Bono Board in partnership with — an agency that advocates for and serves immigrants in the Triad — the May 2025 clinic responded to concerns from families who wanted to prepare for the possibility of sudden family separation. Under the supervision of licensed attorneys — including an ������Ƶ Law alumna and a faculty member — students assisted parents in completing powers of attorney that would allow trusted caregivers to make educational and medical decisions for their children if needed.

“It was something concrete we could actually do,” recalled Molly Hohler L’26, who helped organize the clinic through the Pro Bono Board.

Families spoke candidly about their fears as they contemplated possible detention or deportation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Working alongside fellow board leaders Frank Edwards L’25, Adnan Omer L’25, Saniya Pangare L’25 and Cameron Riordan L’25, Hohler organized the clinic with FaithAction International, Professor of Law Andy Haile and attorney Abigail Seymour L’17. Together, they identified a way to use their legal training to meet a community need and serve real clients.

More than a year later, that student-led effort earned statewide recognition. during the association’s Annual Meeting this summer, recognizing an “outstanding law student group whose pro bono project advanced access to justice in North Carolina.

“You have that script of what you want to say, and then all of that goes out the window because you recognize the emotions your client is experiencing. It taught us that you have to approach clients with empathy, not just legal answers.”
— Adnan Omer L’25

The idea grew from conversations with FaithAction International, which identified an urgent community need and contacted the Pro Bono Board. Immigration legal advice was beyond the scope of what students could provide, but powers of attorney offered a meaningful way to serve clients under attorney supervision.

For Adnan Omer L’25 and others, the clinic quickly became much more than a legal exercise.

“People come to you on one of the hardest days of their lives,” said Omer, now an associate attorney with Vrapi Weeks Immigration Attorneys in Albuquerque, New Mexico. “You have that script of what you want to say, and then all of that goes out the window because you recognize the emotions your client is experiencing. It taught us that you have to approach clients with empathy, not just legal answers.”

Seymour L’17, who founded Greensboro-based Camino Law in 2019, was the supervising attorney for the clinic. As a former Pro Bono Board member herself, she understood the value of the experience for students. Throughout the day, she observed, interpreted and worked alongside them during client meetings in the one-day clinic.

“The main purpose of this clinic was to give people a sense of control and preparation,” Seymour said. “Peace of mind to know that if the worst were to happen, they would have a plan.” ������Ƶ Law students “were wonderful and jumped right in. They didn’t hang back.”

“The most important lesson is learning to work with clients who are facing significant challenges that we as lawyers may never experience ourselves. In class, we can debate and discuss these abstract issues of law and policy, but when you see how they affect real people, that makes it a different lesson.”
— Professor of Law Andy Haile

In recommending the clinic for the statewide award, Seymour praised the students’ “extraordinary professionalism, leadership and compassion,” writing to the NCBA that they approached the work “not as an academic exercise, but as a professional responsibility.” The project exemplified “the highest ideals of pro bono service in North Carolina,” she wrote.

Haile, who also supervised students during the clinic, said the experience demonstrated why experiential learning is critical for legal preparation. Some skills can’t be learned in a classroom.

“The most important lesson is learning to work with clients who are facing significant challenges that we as lawyers may never experience ourselves,” Haile said. “In class, we can debate and discuss these abstract issues of law and policy, but when you see how they affect real people, that makes it a different lesson.”

For Pangare, whose family immigrated to the United States, the project carried special meaning.

“It was an opportunity to help people feel more secure in their homes, their surroundings and their communities,” said Pangare — now an associate attorney at Hall Booth Smith P.C. in Asheville, North Carolina. “We wanted to help a community we knew felt vulnerable and let them know we were there to support them.”

“We have unique skills as soon-to-be lawyers. The more we can use those skills to help people, the better lawyers we become in the process.”
— Molly Hohler L’26

She joined Hohler and Shannon Ward L’26, current Pro Bono Board co-director, in accepting the award on behalf of ������Ƶ Law during the NCBA Annual Meeting on June 26.

Hohler said that public service has been a throughline in both her personal and professional life. Serving on the Pro Bono Board gives her an opportunity to channel that instinct alongside classmates who share a commitment to service.

“I love working with clients. It gives me new energy,” Hohler said. “We have unique skills as soon-to-be lawyers. The more we can use those skills to help people, the better lawyers we become in the process.”

The record surpassed the previous high of 82.7%, set by ������Ƶ Law’s charter class in 2009. In all, 132 of 136 December graduates sat for a bar examination in winter and spring 2026.

“We are incredibly proud of the Class of 2025,” Dean Zak Kramer said. “Our graduates put in the work and supported each other along the way. Together, they raised the bar for all future ������Ƶ Law graduates.”

The nationwide result comes two months after ������Ƶ Law announced a record 91.96% first-time pass rate on the February 2026 North Carolina Bar Exam. The newly compiled data provides a broader measure of graduate success, showing that 90.9% of the law school’s 132 graduates who sat for a bar examination passed on their first attempt, regardless of jurisdiction.

The results also reflect the advantages of ������Ƶ Law’s accelerated 2.5-year J.D. curriculum in Greensboro and — beginning in Fall 2027 — Charlotte. Students graduate in December, sit for the February bar exam and, upon passing, can begin practicing law months earlier than graduates of traditional law programs. The accelerated timeline allows graduates to enter the profession and begin earning sooner.

The energy in the building around the bar exam has changed. They feel it. We all feel it. We’re looking forward to continuing this trajectory.

– Assistant Dean for Academic Success Jenny Lane

This year’s record-setting performance reflects a culture shift at ������Ƶ Law and growing momentum around the law school’s programs and outcomes. ������Ƶ Law adopted a “One and Done” motto and mindset around the bar exam, with faculty and staff expanding academic support initiatives. In particular, the Office of Academic Success provided additional coaching, workshops, practice examinations and individualized support to reinforce that message throughout students’ legal education and bar preparation.

“What is special about this class is that they truly embodied ������Ƶ Law’s ‘One and Done’ mission,” said Jenny Lane, assistant dean for academic success. “They understood the power of coming together as a community and conquering the bar exam.

“It matters when we invest in students and believe in them. The energy in the building around the bar exam has changed. They feel it. We all feel it. We’re looking forward to continuing this trajectory.”

Twenty graduates sat for bar examinations in 11 states outside North Carolina. Seventeen passed on their first attempt, including every graduate who sat in nine of those jurisdictions.

For graduates, passing the bar exam marks the culmination of years of legal study and the beginning of professional practice. For ������Ƶ Law, the Class of 2025’s record-setting results reflect the success of a model of legal education built around experiential learning, practical training, and preparing students to enter the legal profession ready to serve clients and communities from day one.

“The value proposition of this law school is incredible,” Kramer said. “A skills-based education, in 2.5 years, with incredible outcomes like this. Big things are happening at ������Ƶ Law and we’re just getting started.”

Dr. John Walz will join the ������Ƶ University administration on June 30, 2026, after nearly a decade helming a private university recognized for its emphasis on experiential learning, strong industry partnerships and workforce preparation.

Walz’s appointment follows a national search and comes as ������Ƶ debuts an academic division that will leverage the university’s nationally ranked approach to undergraduate teaching and its emphasis on engaged, experiential learning in pursuit of human transformation.

“John Walz is an accomplished academic leader whose career reflects a deep commitment to student success, engaged learning, innovative program development and strong connections between higher education and industry,” Provost Rebecca Kohn said. “His experience leading engineering programs, combined with his collaborative leadership style and strategic vision, make him exceptionally well suited to guide the School of Engineering and Computing during this important moment in its history.”

John Walz is an accomplished academic leader whose career reflects a deep commitment to student success, engaged learning, innovative program development and strong connections between higher education and industry.

– Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Rebecca Kohn

Walz will provide leadership for the School of Engineering and Computing’s academic programs, strategic planning, fundraising and external partnerships while helping advance the university’s goals for innovation, engaged learning and student success.

When the school formally opens for the 2026 Fall Semester, anchoring the university’s Innovation Quad in the heart of campus, it will include 20 full-time faculty and three full-time staff positions with more than 300 undergraduate students.

Engineering is among the university’s most rapidly expanding academic areas, reflecting both national demand and student interest. ������Ƶ’s existing ABET-accredited engineering program offers programs in biomedical, computer, mechanical, and environmental, as well as dual-degree pathways.  The school will include computer science and cybersecurity majors and a minor in game design.

������Ƶ President Connie Ledoux Book said Walz’s background aligns with ������Ƶ’s vision for the new school.

“The launch of the School of Engineering and Computing represents an exciting step forward for ������Ƶ,” Book said. “Dr. Walz brings a rare combination of academic leadership, industry engagement and commitment to student-centered education. His leadership building engineering programs, supporting faculty excellence and preparing graduates for meaningful careers will position the school for continued growth and distinction.”

Walz has spent more than three decades as a faculty member, researcher and academic administrator. During his tenure as president of Milwaukee School of Engineering, he led the development of a comprehensive strategic plan, launched the institution’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign, expanded academic offerings in computer science and artificial intelligence, strengthened student retention initiatives and oversaw significant investments in academic facilities and student success programs.

Under his leadership, Milwaukee School of Engineering achieved record undergraduate enrollment, increased student diversity, expanded industry partnerships and raised more than $150 million in philanthropic support for capital projects and academic initiatives.

Before becoming president, Walz served as dean of the , where he led efforts to establish a common first-year engineering program, expanded student success resources and strengthened relationships with industry partners. Earlier leadership roles at Virginia Tech and Yale University included overseeing faculty recruitment, program growth and research initiatives while maintaining active teaching and scholarship responsibilities.

Throughout his career, Walz has emphasized strategic planning, student retention, faculty support and partnerships with industry and community organizations. He has also championed initiatives that broaden participation in engineering and technology fields and expand pathways for students to connect classroom learning with professional experiences.

Walz said the opportunity to help shape a new school at ������Ƶ was particularly appealing because of the university’s emphasis on engaged learning and interdisciplinary collaboration. He also expressed gratitude to Book, Kohn and members of the search committee for the opportunity.

“I am deeply honored and excited to be selected as the inaugural dean of the School of Engineering and Computing,” Walz said. “I have long admired ������Ƶ’s commitment to engaged learning and believe it provides an ideal environment for educating the next generation of engineers and computer scientists.

“The combination of ������Ƶ’s strengths in the liberal arts and its investment in engineering and computing creates a unique opportunity to prepare graduates with both the technical expertise and leadership skills needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving, globally connected world.”

Walz earned a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in chemical engineering at Tulane University before completing a Doctor of Philosophy in chemical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. He and his wife, Moira, have three daughters.

About ������Ƶ

������Ƶ is a nationally recognized leader in engaged, experiential learning that prepares graduates to be creative, resilient, and ethical citizens and leaders.

At ������Ƶ, more than 7,000 students learn through hands-on experiences and close working relationships with faculty and staff who prioritize teaching and mentoring. The curriculum is grounded in the liberal arts and sciences with emphasis on global experiences and career development. More than 80 undergraduate majors are complemented by professional and graduate programs in law, business, education and health care. ������Ƶ is ranked No. 1 for excellence in undergraduate teaching by U.S. News & World Report.

������Ƶ’s academic divisions include ������Ƶ College, the College of Arts and Sciences; the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business; the School of Communications; the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education; the School of Health Sciences; the School of Engineering and Computing; and the School of Law, with programs in Greensboro and Charlotte, North Carolina.

In 2025, ������Ƶ and Queens University of Charlotte announced plans to merge institutions. Final approval from the U.S. Department of Education is anticipated by 2028.

Applications will be accepted starting Sept. 1, 2026.

The ABA approval clears the way for ������Ƶ Law to expand its nationally recognized model of full-time legal education to North Carolina’s largest city. At that point, ������Ƶ Law will offer three pathways to a law degree in North Carolina: a full-time program in Greensboro, a full-time program in Charlotte and the part-time ������Ƶ Law Flex Program in Charlotte.

“This comes at an incredible moment for ������Ƶ Law,” said ������Ƶ Law Dean Zak Kramer. “Within the last year, we’ve celebrated historic bar passage rates and employment outcomes for our graduates, along with record enrollment and student applications. The ABA’s approval of our Charlotte program builds on that momentum, allowing ������Ƶ Law to bring our signature approach to legal education to one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities.”

The inaugural Charlotte class, consisting of up to 75 students, will begin studies in August 2027 on the campus of Queens University of Charlotte. The charter cohort will graduate in December 2029, following ������Ƶ Law’s existing 2.5-year, seven-trimester academic calendar in Greensboro. The ������Ƶ Law Flex Program will also begin holding its part-time evening classes on the Queens campus in Fall 2027.

The full-time Charlotte program will replicate the innovative curriculum established at ������Ƶ Law’s Greensboro campus. The hallmark of ������Ƶ Law’s experiential, skills-based, community-centered approach to legal education is the Residency-in-Practice Program: a course-connected placement that pairs every student with a practicing attorney or judge during the winter or spring of their second year.

That experience moves students beyond studying the law to begin living it — working alongside attorneys and judges, serving clients and communities, and developing the professional judgment and practical skills expected of new lawyers. Students return to campus with greater confidence, stronger professional connections and a clearer sense of the kind of lawyer they will become.

������Ƶ Law is in the early stages of hiring a full complement of professors, administrators and student support personnel who will lead the full-time program in Charlotte. The move aligns with the proposed merger of ������Ƶ and Queens University, which remains subject to final approval from SACSCOC and the U.S. Department of Education.

������Ƶ leaders are working closely with Queens University to ensure law students benefit from a vibrant campus experience and the resources of a thriving university community.

The expansion also builds on ������Ƶ Law’s longstanding relationships throughout Charlotte’s legal community. Already, more than 10 percent of the law school’s alumni live and work in the Charlotte area. Law school leaders plan to strengthen existing partnerships, develop new connections and grow opportunities for students to serve in a region with a need for legal talent, legal services and innovative legal education.

Through clinics, residencies and community partnerships, ������Ƶ Law students regularly work alongside attorneys, judges, nonprofit organizations and public agencies to help address unmet legal needs.

“We’ve been in Charlotte all along through our students, alumni and community partnerships,” Kramer said. “This approval gives us an opportunity to deepen our commitment to Charlotte. We’re excited to invest here, build new partnerships and help shape what comes next.”

Additional information about admissions, faculty hiring and program development will be announced in the coming months.

About ������Ƶ Law

������Ƶ Law is the preeminent school for engaged and experiential learning in law. With a focus on learning by doing, it integrates traditional classroom instruction with a required residency-in-practice field placement for all full-time students during the winter or spring of their second year. The law school’s distinctive full-time curriculum provides a logically sequenced program of professional preparation and is accomplished in 2.5 years, which offers exceptional value by lowering tuition and permitting graduates early entry into their careers.

������Ƶ Law has graduated more than 2,000 alumni since opening its doors in downtown Greensboro in 2006. Its annual enrollment now tops 500 students. The law school is regularly featured in PreLaw Magazine’s “Best Schools for Practical Training” rankings, maintaining an A+ rating each year since 2023. ������Ƶ Law was also among schools highlighted by Bloomberg Law in 2023 for its innovative approach to student development.

The ������Ƶ Law Flex Program, a part-time, in-person program of legal study, launched in Charlotte in 2024. Designed for students balancing work, family and other commitments to earn their J.D. in under four years, it will enroll its third cohort in Fall 2026.

Sixty-eight percent of American adults say they are proud to be American, and 79% agree the United States plays a uniquely important role in world history. At the same time, 69% believe the signers of the Declaration of Independence would feel more disappointment than pride about modern American democracy.

The survey of 1,000 adults in the United States, conducted April 30-May 4, 2026, explores how Americans view the nation’s past, present and future as the country prepares to commemorate its semiquincentennial.

“As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Americans have complex and diverse feelings about America 250,” said Jason Husser, director of the ������Ƶ Poll and a professor of political science and public policy. “We found several points of optimism among Americans, including pride in being American and belief that the United States has a uniquely important role to play in world history. At the same time, many Americans expressed significant concern about the health of American democracy today, and the country is split on its outlook over the next 50 years.”

More than half of Americans (52%) say the United States is unsuccessfully living up to its founding ideals, while only 30% say the nation is successfully living up to them. Nearly three-quarters of Americans (73%) rate the overall health of U.S. democracy as only “fair” or “poor.”

The survey also found widespread concern about political instability and civic division:

• 68% believe elected officials today are worse than leaders of the past
• 80% say they at least sometimes feel no political party or movement represents their views
• 70% say the country is more turbulent than average compared with other periods in U.S. history
• 64% say they have little or no confidence that U.S. political institutions will make mostly good decisions over the next 50 years
• 68% predict America will become more politically divided by 2076

Americans are also pessimistic about the country’s long-term future in several key areas. Majorities predict that by 2076 the nation will have less freedom, less economic equality, a lower standard of living, and more pollution. More Americans also believe technology will create more harm than benefit over the next 50 years.

Despite those concerns, the poll found Americans still hold strong connections to the nation’s democratic ideals and history.

When asked which event best represented American democracy at its highest ideals, respondents most frequently selected the Civil Rights Movement and World War II. Abraham Lincoln was named both the historical figure who best exemplified democratic ideals and the greatest president in U.S. history.

The survey also revealed broad bipartisan resonance for many historic presidential messages when respondents were not told who made the statements. More than three-quarters agreed with quotations from George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, while large majorities also agreed with statements from John F. Kennedy and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Looking toward the nation’s semiquincentennial celebrations, Americans expressed greater interest in reflection than pageantry. Nearly seven in 10 (68%) said America250 should focus more on reflecting on U.S. history and values than simply celebrating national achievements, and 71% said smaller local events would feel more authentic than large national celebrations.

The survey found Americans entering the anniversary with mixed emotions. The most common feeling was pride, cited by 38%, followed by gratitude at 17%. But 21% said they have no strong feelings, 12% described themselves as conflicted, while others reported disappointment or frustration.

The margin of error for the ������Ƶ Poll survey is +/- 3.95%.

Poll Methodology

Access the poll topline and methodology at: www.elon.edu/elonpoll. The survey was developed by the ������Ƶ Poll and fielded by the international marketing and polling firm YouGov as an online, web-based survey, self-administered with online panels. Between April 30 and March 4, 2026, YouGov interviewed 1,077 U.S. adults aged 18 and older. These respondents were then matched down to a sample of 1,000 to produce the final dataset.

The matched cases were weighted to the sampling frame using propensity scores based on age, gender, race/ethnicity, years of education, and home ownership. The margin of error for this poll (adjusted for weights) is +/-3.95%.

About the ������Ƶ Poll

Established in 2000, the ������Ƶ Poll conducts national and North Carolina surveys on issues of importance to voters and residents. Information from these polls is shared with media, citizens and public officials to facilitate informed public policy making through the better understanding of citizens’ opinions and attitudes. The poll is fully funded by ������Ƶ and operates as the neutral, non-biased information resource.

The ������Ƶ Poll is a charter member of in 2014 to educate polling firms on ways to better share how they collect and interpret their information. The ������Ƶ Poll’s voluntary participation in this initiative signifies a willingness to clearly state in its reports how questions were asked, in what order, who funded the poll and then conducted it, and a definition of the population under study, among other details.