Published July 18, 2025
Chancellor Lee H. Roberts has embraced Carolina’s commitment to leading public progress and engaging with North Carolina communities as a personal mission. In a nod to Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera, Roberts plans to visit around the state each summer, as President Cabrera has done for the past six years.
In July 2025, Roberts visited western North Carolina to meet with area leaders and residents to discuss how the University can continue to support the area in disaster recovery efforts, economic development and regional health care. To see how Carolina continues to provide resources and assistance to impacted areas of western North Carolina, please visit Assisting Western North Carolina’s Hurricane Helene Recovery.
Over several days and cities, Roberts connected directly with Carolina alumni, elected officials and key partners in western North Carolina to hear what the region’s residents need and find opportunities to match the University’s expertise to those needs as recovery from Hurricane Helene continues.
Learn how Carolina’s continued partnership supports residents and businesses as they rebuild.
Roberts’ first stop was Spruce Pine, a town of 2,100 still recovering from Helene. He joined N.C. Sen. Ralph Hise and Aimee Wall, dean of the UNC School of Government, on a visit to Mayland Community College’s small business center, created with support from Carolina’s NCGrowth program.
NCGrowth has provided consulting and technical assistance to businesses, local governments and other community organizations in western North Carolina.
N.C. Sen. Ralph Hise
Allen Cook, Mitchell County manager
Kirk Boone, associate professor, UNC School of Government
Scenes from Biltmore Village were among the first visuals many North Carolinians saw in the aftermath of Helene. Roberts met with Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer ’94 (MPA) ’98 (JD) and other business leaders for a walking tour of the area. He also met with a team of Asheville community leaders to learn more about recovery successes and post-Helene challenges.
-Esther Manheimer ’94 (MPA) ’98 (JD), mayor of Asheville
UNC Health Sciences at Mountain Area Health Education Center has played a vital role in addressing North Carolina’s health care needs post-Helene. Students training to work in medical, dentistry, pharmacy and global public health fields, along with faculty and staff, have helped to set up medical clinics, deliver food, remove fallen trees and more.
Here, Roberts toured the health sciences building, observed activities in a simulation lab and met with Dr. Bill Hathaway, CEO of MAHEC.
-Dr. Bill Hathaway, MAHEC CEO
On the eve of his first summer tour, Lee H. Roberts talks about why it’s so important for Carolina to support this region.
Kenan Institute experts helped the community college secure funding for the resource hub in its redevelopment project.
Carolina’s Asheville health care campus continues to address urgent needs and aid those in western North Carolina.
The North Carolina Rural Health Research Program and others are leading rural health innovation in western North Carolina.
Following Hurricane Helene, professor Saif Khairat’s team created a map to pinpoint who needed help and where.
A trip to Old Fort affirmed their commitment to serve others through the Rural Medicine Pathway Program.
APPLES Service-Learning students traveled to the mountains and Charlotte to work on rebuilding and other projects.
Assistant professor Antonia Sebastian describes her work in flood modeling and flood hazard research.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, UNC School of Government’s Kirk Boone stepped up to support tax assessors.
Zeb Smathers ’08 (JD) advocates for his western North Carolina hometown as mayor and through his law practice.
The industrial hygienist makes Carolina safer and used that expertise to help another university recover from Hurricane Helene.
Taylor Galyean has been caring for the rural Bryson City community since graduating from Eshelman’s Asheville campus.
When the hurricane hit Mills River, Matt McKirahan set up a resource hub to supply food and water to local residents.
Read more about Carolina’s public service, entrepreneurship and research in The Well, the University’s newsletter. It sends twice a week over the summer and three times a week during the academic year.