Carolina ranks No. 7 among public universities and No. 23 overall on the 2026 Best Colleges for Future Leaders list.

“We are honored to be recognized among Time’s Best Colleges for Future Leaders, but what truly matters is the daily commitment behind that achievement,” said James Orr, senior vice provost for student success. “Our faculty and staff work together to mentor, challenge and uplift our students every day. Through thoughtful support and rigorous opportunities, Carolina is transforming potential into leadership that can make a difference.”

The University has been home to leaders across industries for more than 232 years. Carolina is committed to serving first-generation students as well as generations of Tar Heels, raising the bar in athletics, academics, research and the arts through various initiatives and programs and providing a best-in-class student experience.

Carolina’s role as a leading national university spurs opportunity for North Carolina and the world. Initiatives and accomplishments include:

• Supporting the Carolina Covenant, which has provided more than 10,000 students the opportunity to graduate debt-free through scholarships, work-study and grants
• Studying and researching specific issues impacting North Carolina residents and beyond, including new cancer therapies, technologies to address Alzheimer’s disease and treatments for brain injuries in veterans
• Welcoming community college students through the Carolina Student Transfer Excellence Program, which offers low- to moderate-income North Carolina students a pathway to transfer to and graduate from Carolina
• Creating a new school that will position itself as a national leader in applied technology, libraries, archives and data science research and teaching
• Fostering startups that employ more than 131,000 people and contribute nearly $8 billion in economic impact

To understand the career paths and formative experiences of American leaders, Time and Statista analyzed a group of 4,800 of the most influential figures shaping U.S. society today, from policymakers and corporate executives to leading scientists, educators and cultural innovators. The dataset is updated yearly to include younger leaders in emerging fields and industries.

Read the full list.

Each researcher has authored multiple papers that rank in the top 1% by citation for their field and publication year in Clarivate’s Web of Science platform over the past 11 years. The list is then refined using quantitative metrics, as well as qualitative analysis and expert judgment.

This year, 6,868 individuals across 60 countries earned the distinction.

The University’s most-cited researchers include:

Biology and biochemistry

Xi-Ping Huang, UNC School of Medicine

Clinical medicine

Dr. John B. Buse, UNC School of Medicine

Dr. Lisa A. Carey, UNC School of Medicine and UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center

Dr. Sidney C. Smith Jr., UNC School of Medicine

Cross-field

Gianpietro Dotti, UNC School of Medicine and UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center

Rachel L. Graham, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

Sarah R. Leist, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

Nigel Mackman, UNC School of Medicine

Evan Mayo-Wilson, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

Alexandra Schafer, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

Jenny P.Y. Ting, UNC School of Medicine

Chao Wang, UNC College of Arts and Sciences

Wei You, UNC College of Arts and Sciences

Yuling Zhao, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy

Engineering, environment and ecology, materials science, and physics

Jinsong Huang, UNC College of Arts and Sciences

Immunology

David van Duin, UNC School of Medicine

Mathematics

David Wells, UNC College of Arts and Sciences

Microbiology

Ralph Baric, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

Lisa E. Gralinski, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

Timothy P. Sheahan, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

Nutrition

Barry M. Popkin, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

Pharmacology

Bryan L. Roth, UNC School of Medicine, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy

Pharmacology and toxicology

Alexander V. Kabanov, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy

Plant and animal science

Jeffery L. Dangl, UNC College of Arts and Sciences

Hans W. Paerl, UNC College of Arts and Sciences and UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

Psychiatry and psychology

Margaret A. Sheridan, UNC College of Arts and Sciences

Social sciences

Noel T. Brewer, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

Stephen R. Cole, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

Yan Song, UNC College of Arts and Sciences

Nine additional researchers were also cited for work conducted while at UNC-Chapel Hill:

Cross-field

Bo Chen, formerly with UNC College of Arts and Sciences

John McCorvy, formerly with UNC School of Medicine

Zhenyi Ni, formerly with UNC College of Arts and Sciences

Dinggang Shen, formerly with UNC College of Arts and Sciences

Qi Wang, formerly with UNC College of Arts and Sciences

Haotong Wei, formerly with UNC College of Arts and Sciences

Xun Xiao, formerly with UNC College of Arts and Sciences

Pharmacology and Toxicology

Elena V. Batrakova, emeritus, UNC School of Medicine

Social Sciences

Byron J. Powell, formerly with UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

The journey to the title

Brantmeier headed into the 2025 NCAA Singles Championships as a nos. 9-16 seed set to face Bridget Stammel from Vanderbilt in the first round. The senior took a convincing 6-1 win in the first set before dropping the second, 6-4. Brantmeier and Stammel headed into a deciding third set where the Tar Heel narrowly avoided the upset by taking the set, 7-5.

In the second round of the tournament, Brantmeier faced an ACC opponent in Sophie Llewellyn from SMU. Brantmeier once again opened with a dominant first set before dropping the second. Brantmeier regrouped to finish strong in the third set, winning 6-2. With her second-round win, Brantmeier earned All-America honors for the seventh time in her career.

Brantmeier headed into the third round of singles play on Thursday against Ava Esposito from Auburn and yet again battled to claim the victory in three sets (6-2, 3-6, 6-1).

In the biggest matchup of the tournament to that point for Brantmeier, the Tar Heel faced second-seeded Carmen Andreea Herea from Texas in the quarterfinals. Brantmeier jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first set before Herea worked her way back in to even the score at 5-5. The opponents would continue battling to force a tiebreaker to decide the first set, which Brantmeier eventually won, 10-8. The Whitewater, Wisconsin, native capitalized on the momentum to win the second set in dominant fashion, 6-0.

In the semifinals, Brantmeier competed against Jana Hossam Salah from USC. The semifinal matchup was another display of grit from the senior. Brantmeier and Hossam Salah split the first two sets, sending the match into a third. The Tar Heel stormed back after dropping the second to win the third, 6-2, clinching her spot in the finals. With the semifinal win, Brantmeier also qualified for the U.S. Open Singles Playoff next summer.

On Sunday against Folch, Brantmeier worked through the first set before pulling away late to take it, 6-3. In similar fashion, the second set was back and forth before Brantmeier pulled away for another 6-3 victory to seal the deal and earn the national champion.

Career accolades

Brantmeier has had a standout career at Carolina. She and the rest of the Tar Heelteam will look to put together a strong 2026 campaign after reaching the Final Four last season in the team competition.

The 2025 Singles National Championship is another accolade Brantmeier can add to her decorated resume:

• 2025 NCAA Division I Singles National Champion
•  All-America in both singles and doubles in fall of 2025
• 2025 ACC Player of the Year
• All-America honors in both singles and doubles in spring of 2025
• 2025 first-team All-ACC in singles and doubles
• 2025 ACC Championship Most Valuable Player
• 2025 Academic All-America of the Year
• 2025 NCAA Elite 90 Award
• 2024 All-America
• 2024 first-team All-ACC in both singles and doubles
• Fall 2023 ITA Singles and doubles title
• ACC Academic Honor Roll & ITA Scholar-Athlete
• Member of the 2023 NCAA national championship team
• 2023 ITA All-America
• 2023 NCAA All-Tournament Team
• 2023 NCAA Doubles National Runners-Up with Elizabeth Scotty
• 2023 first-team All-ACC in both singles and doubles
• 2023 Academic All-ACC

UNC-Chapel Hill also ranked No. 1 in North Carolina for study abroad participation and placed among the national leaders for program length, coming in at No. 11 for short-term programs (eight weeks or less) and No. 12 for mid-length programs (one semester). This year, the state of North Carolina ranks No. 7 in the nation for study abroad participation.

The report was released Nov. 17 by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and the Institute of International Education, and it summarizes international exchange across U.S. colleges and universities, including study abroad participation for credit and international student enrollment.

“Year after year, the Open Doors Report affirms our deep commitment to providing the richest menu possible of global experiences to every Tar Heel,” said Barbara Stephenson, vice provost for global affairs and chief global officer at UNC-Chapel Hill. “When nearly half of our undergraduate students study abroad, it speaks volumes about the culture of curiosity — and the strength of the Global Guarantee — that define the Carolina experience.”

Carolina’s 2025 Study Abroad Impact Report, released alongside the national rankings, highlights the University’s continued progress in expanding access to international education. The report includes participation trends, student stories, campus benchmarks, and scholarship achievements, underscoring Carolina’s mission to prepare students to lead and collaborate across cultures.

“Our goal has always been to make a global education part of every student’s Carolina journey,” said Jason Kinnear, associate dean for study abroad and exchanges in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences. “We’re proud that students from all majors and backgrounds are finding ways to engage with the world, whether through short-term faculty-led programs, semester opportunities, internships or research abroad.”

According to the 2025 Open Doors report, Carolina’s international student enrollment grew by 6.7% in fall 2024 over the previous year. The top countries of origin for international students are China, India and South Korea.

The Open Doors Report is published annually during International Education Week, Nov. 17-21. Fall 2025 international student enrollment data will be published next year in the 2026 Open Doors Report.

There are many ways for Tar Heels to experience the Global Guarantee. UNC Global Affairs and the Study Abroad Office are available to help students find the right opportunities for their time at Carolina.

Seniors Rotimi Kukoyi and Gabrielle Moreau received the honor on Saturday, joining fellow senior Tiana Dinham in the 2026 Rhodes scholars class. With 57 recipients in its history, UNC-Chapel Hill is now a No. 1 public university for Rhodes scholars.

“On behalf of the University, I am delighted to congratulate our newest Rhodes Scholars, Tiana Dinham, Rotimi Kukoyi and Gabrielle Moreau,” said Chancellor Lee H. Roberts. “They embody Carolina’s mission through their commitment to service and meaningful impact. This recognition reflects their exceptional promise and dedication to using their talents for the greater good. We are confident they will seize this opportunity and continue to make Carolina proud.”

Kukoyi is from Hoover, Alabama, and won a Rhodes scholarship for the U.S. constituency. Kukoyi is a Morehead-Cain scholar and Honors Carolina student majoring in health policy and management at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health with minors in chemistry and biology. He is senior class president, a Truman scholar and a “Jeopardy!” champion.

Kukoyi is a public health leader and has worked for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and the Clinton Health Access Initiative in Nigeria. On campus, he has leadership roles with Campus Health as well as the UNC Student Health Action Coalition. At Oxford, Kukoyi will pursue the Master of Science in health improvement and evaluation and the Master of Science in evidence-based social intervention and policy evaluation.

“Being selected as a Rhodes scholar is one of the greatest honors of my life,” Kukoyi said. “At Oxford, I will study how we build health systems that prevent harm before it happens. Public health is at an inflection point, and we need leaders who can bridge evidence-based policy with the lived realities of the communities most affected.”

Moreau is from Toronto and won a Rhodes scholarship for the Canada constituency. Moreau is a Robertson scholar and Honors Carolina student majoring in geography at the UNC College of Arts and Sciences with a second major in environmental science from Duke University. She is a citizen of both Canada and the Métis Nation of Ontario.

Moreau is a leader in Indigenous governance and environmental conservation. For the past five years she has served as the Ontario representative of the Métis Nation of Ontario Youth Council. Moreau has participated in multiple international summits, including being a youth delegate at COP16 in Colombia. She has worked at the Harvard Project on Indigenous Governance and Development, gained on-the-ground experiential learning in the arctic through the Students on Ice program, and studied abroad at both King’s College London and the School for Field Studies in Cambodia. At Oxford, Moreau plans to pursue a Master of Philosophy in political theory.

“I am still in disbelief that I’m now a Rhodes scholar,” said Moreau. “At Oxford, I plan to pursue an MPhil in political theory to engage with theories of justice and human rights. I hope later to bring this knowledge to bear upon doctoral work in human geography on Indigenous conceptions of knowledge and justice.”

Dinham is from Jamaica and won the scholarship for the Jamaica constituency. She is also a Robertson scholar and Honors Carolina student, majoring in geological sciences at the UNC College of Arts and Sciences with a minor in geography.

She focuses her work on the fate and transport of contaminants in groundwater and sediment systems and explores ways to harness the Earth’s resources while also preserving the environment. In a ceremony hosted by the governor-general of Jamaica to announce the scholarship, Dinham dedicated the honor to the people of west Jamaica, who were recently struck by the devastating Hurricane Melissa.

Established in 1902, the Rhodes scholarship provides fully funded graduate study at the University of Oxford and is considered one of the world’s most prestigious academic awards.

“Carolina’s 2026 graduating class has three Rhodes scholars. Our students are amazing,” said Marc Howlett, executive director of the Office of Distinguished Scholarships in Honors Carolina. “I’m fully confident that Rotimi Kukoyi, Gabrielle Moreau and Tiana Dinham will make significant and lasting positive impacts on the world. I can’t wait to see what they do at Oxford and beyond.”

Originally from Jamaica, Dinham won the Rhodes scholarship for the Jamaica constituency, and she was honored by the governor-general of Jamaica, Patrick Allen, in a Thursday ceremony.

A Robertson scholar and an Honors Carolina student, Dinham studies geological sciences at the UNC College of Arts and Sciences, with a minor in geography. Dinham focuses her work on the fate and transport of contaminants in groundwater and sediment systems and explores ways to harness the Earth’s resources while also preserving the environment.

Established in 1902, the Rhodes scholarship funds study at the University of Oxford in England. Dinham is the first Rhodes scholar at UNC-Chapel Hill since a record three Tar Heels earned the prestigious honor for the 2022 class, and she is the first Carolina Rhodes scholar from Jamaica.

Dinham spoke with Jamaican newspaper The Gleaner after earning the scholarship, saying she dedicated the honor to the people of west Jamaica, who were recently struck by the devastating Hurricane Melissa.

“I think I will be looking forward to some good news because, as you can imagine, this entire hurricane situation has brought a lot of devastation to a lot of people,” Dinham told The Gleaner. “They lost their homes, they don’t have food, they don’t have water. So even just a small thing like winning the scholarship will bring joy to some people — like hope at the end of the tunnel.”

“We are immensely proud of Tiana and this extraordinary achievement as Carolina’s 55th Rhodes Scholar,” said Chancellor Lee H. Roberts. “Her deep commitment to service, especially to the people of west Jamaica following the devastation of Hurricane Melissa, reflects the very best of Carolina’s mission and demonstrates her remarkable character. We are eager to see the impact she will undoubtedly make.”

Katz, who is also the founding director of the Next Level Cultural Diplomacy Program, uses the power of music in this new project to support the rehabilitation of incarcerated individuals across North Carolina.

Developed in close collaboration with the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction, as well as currently and formerly incarcerated people, CPMI offers music instruction, performance opportunities and training in music-related skills. The program not only fosters creative expression and pro-social behavior within correctional facilities, but it also works to equip participants with valuable skills to support successful re-entry into society.

The program’s full launch begins this fall with two courses, Introduction to Music and Songwriting, which will culminate in public performances.

Re-entry activities will include career coaching to develop entrepreneurial and networking skills, provide access to recording studios and craft individualized action plans for participants. Guest artists and speakers will supplement rehabilitative and re-entry activities.

CPMI stands out for its bold, collaborative approach, bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders, including prison staff, volunteers, musicians, faith leaders and members of the Carolina community. With its emphasis on dignity, creativity and equal partnership, CPMI aims to humanize and empower prison-impacted individuals, while also promoting social cohesion, lowering recidivism rates and improving public safety and understanding.

“The North Carolina Department of Adult Correction is committed to developing and offering a wide array of rehabilitative opportunities for those incarcerated in our state, and we are excited and grateful to partner with the Carolina Prison Music Initiative to open doors to the transformative power of music within our institutions,” said Charles Mautz, NCDAC director of rehabilitation services.

Katz’s award recognizes not only the academic excellence of the proposal but also its real-world impact and potential to transform lives across the state.

“Through CPMI, we aim to connect the resources of UNC with the creativity and resilience of people impacted by incarceration,” Katz said. “Receiving the Harvey Award affirms the importance of this work and the value of building bridges between the University and the community.”

Proposals for the 2026 Harvey Award are due by Jan.12, 2026, and may be submitted via the Carolina Center for Public Service application portal.

C. Felix Harvey III ’43 and his family endowed the C. Felix Harvey Award to Advance Institutional Priorities at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In creating this award, the family fulfilled its longstanding mission of social service and intended to recognize exemplary faculty who reflect the University’s commitment to innovative engagement and outreach for the benefit of communities on a local and statewide level.

The family gift has been groundbreaking from its inception, funding projects in the humanities and social sciences that take exemplary faculty scholarship and move it out into the community to address real-world challenges. The award takes a model of scholarly engagement and outreach that is familiar in business and science and extends it to disciplines that have not been encouraged to grow or reach out in the same ways. Central to the family’s mission is support for the University’s commitment to entrepreneurship and innovation.

With the victory, Carolina became the first school to reach 300 ACC titles across all sports.

 

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The Tar Heels (19-1), who seem to be hitting their stride at the perfect time, seized control of the game early and never looked back. Mendez’s opening goal came in the fourth minute of play. Her second score doubled the Tar Heel lead, and a goal by Charly Bruder made it 3-0 in the second period.

Holding a 3-1 lead at the half, Carolina locked down Virginia with its defense. The Tar Heels didn’t allow a single shot from the Cavaliers after the break.

True first-year Reese Anetsberger, assisted by Mendez, closed out the scoring for Carolina with a goal just one minute into the second half.

Merritt Skubisz started in goal and made three saves in the first half before giving way to Katie Wimmer, who held the Cavaliers scoreless for the final 30 minutes.

Carolina’s 28 ACC titles are more than all other teams combined, and nine consecutive championships is the longest streak in conference history.

The Tar Heels, who’ve won 11 national titles, now turn their attention to the NCAA tournament. The 18-team field and bracket will be announced Nov. 9.

The 2025 recipients are James Koman ’86, Allie Ray McCullen ’68 and the late Eric Montross ’94.

Davie, a Revolutionary War hero who introduced and won passage of a 1789 General Assembly bill to charter the University of North Carolina, is considered the University’s father. The awards were first given in 1984.

James Koman is CEO and founder of ElmTree Funds, a private equity real estate firm, and has 40 years of commercial real estate and development experience. A former Tar Heel football player, Koman and his wife, Jennifer, made a significant gift in 2020 to support a new football initiative focused on student-athletes’ lifelong success and to name its new practice complex. The gift was made to honor Koman’s late father, William J. “Bill” Koman Sr. ’56, who also played football at Carolina and later the NFL. In 2023, Koman furthered his support of Carolina Athletics by creating the North Carolina Hall of Fame to honor former Carolina student-athletes, coaches and contributors who have excelled in their chosen sports and beyond.

Allie Ray McCullen, a lifelong resident of Sampson County, is the owner of The McCullen Group Inc., a real estate sales and appraisal firm. He began his undergraduate studies at NC State before transferring to Carolina. For more than five decades, McCullen has been an ardent champion for education and health care, especially in eastern North Carolina. He served on the boards of trustees for UNC-Chapel Hill, Sampson Community College and Sampson Regional Medical Center as well as on various state and federal boards and commissions.

Eric Montross, a posthumous honoree, is one of Carolina’s greatest men’s basketball players. The 7-foot center helped lead the Tar Heels to the 1993 NCAA championship, and his talent, leadership and commitment to his teammates earned him All-American honors. After playing eight seasons in the NBA, Montross embraced a new chapter as a broadcaster for Tar Heels men’s basketball and also served as a senior major gifts director at the Rams Club. But Montross’ true legacy was his commitment to service. He was a tireless advocate for children’s health, notably with UNC Children’s Hospital, for which the Eric Montross Father’s Day Basketball Camp is an annual fundraiser.

For DuVal and the students she teaches, America’s early days are a living, breathing thing, with untold stories and perspectives to consider that can illuminate our past and shape our present.

Her latest book, “Native Nations: A Millennium in North America,” was recently awarded a 2025 Pulitzer Prize, recognized for its “panoramic portrait of Native American nations and communities over a thousand years, a vivid and accessible account of their endurance, ingenuity and achievement in the face of conflict and dispossession.”

The book previously received the prestigious Cundill History Prize, the Bancroft Prize and the Mark Lynton History Prize.

So much of common knowledge about Native Americans begins with the arrival of Europeans and the colonization of many Native tribes, DuVal said. Those stories often center the destruction, displacement and sadness Native Americans experienced.

But who were they before that flash point in history, and how did they survive colonization? This is the story DuVal wants to tell.

“What people often say to me when they learn what I teach and write about is, ‘Oh, it was so sad.’ And it was. But that takes Native peoples out of the story,” said DuVal, the Carl W. Ernst Distinguished Professor of History. “We seek to understand them as making their own choices in the world and having successes and failures — and should not assume that they were always taken over by someone else.”

DuVal wrote the book to extend to wider audiences the vibrant history she teaches in her undergraduate course Native North America, where she reaches further back in time and bridges that history to the present day, covering 1,000 years of Native life and culture. Before the arrival of Europeans, Native Americans built urban cities and governments, and later smaller societies, and had agency as the protagonists of their own lives.

By pairing archaeological facts about that millennium with oral histories from that time, she invites students to explore Native American history through the rise and fall of urbanized communities, the design of environmentally and economically sustainable ways of life and the movement of tribes across America.

“It’s been a puzzle — how did it happen?” she said. “And I think history tells us, yes, people were making these decisions for themselves.”

DuVal, who came to Carolina in 2003 and has taught the survey class on and off for two decades, said the evolution of her work has been inspired by the process of teaching, engaging with her students and taking in their new questions and curiosities.

Her teaching and her scholarship are “completely intertwined.”

“I love teaching and working with UNC students,” she said. “They are so giving and open, and just about every time I teach, I learn more about their ideas. And I chose the particular nations that I focus on, in large part, because of colleagues who are citizens of those tribes, so they could introduce me to sources to make sure I didn’t get things wrong.”

America is constantly changing, and students are more interested than ever in examining the country’s earliest centuries to make sense of how people lived then and now, particularly in her courses U.S. History to 1865 and The American Revolution. Where the 18th century once felt relevant simply for Americans’ beginnings, students can connect that to their lives now, DuVal said.

“American history and Native American history absolutely have everything to do with today and help not only explain how we got here, but also help us understand where we want to be.”