As the University’s first Latino student body president, Alvarez embraces the challenge of representing his peers, bridging connections across campus and leadership, and ensuring that every student feels heard.

“I represent 32,000 people,” he said. “Serving as president gives me the chance to show up for students, to listen and to learn from them. I believe we’re stronger when we bring different perspectives together.”

Alvarez grew up in Guerrero, Mexico, and moved by himself to the United States when he was 16. As a high school senior, he lived alone and worked overtime at a QuikTrip gas station in Arizona to make ends meet.

At Carolina, Alvarez received a Carolina Covenant and a Wachovia Chancellor’s scholarships.

“I didn’t have much in the United States at the time; it was just me,” Alvarez said. “Carolina offered to pay for my education and had it all figured out for me. Carolina gave me everything.”

Alvarez is double-majoring in media and journalism at UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media and in global studies in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences. He has had summer internships with IHG Hotels and Resorts in Atlanta and the OneCarolina Summer Internship Program, where he got real-life experience in university development.

“In Hussman, we learn how to articulate things, how to communicate mass messaging and also balance the audiences you’re working with. That’s helped me in my term of student body president and at both of my internships,” he said. “Communication is such an important component of being in leadership.”

Since taking office, he has worked to improve communication between University administration and students. At the same time, he’s helping launch efforts like the Carolina Closet, a project to provide students with free access to professional attire for interviews, internships and job opportunities.

“By working with donors and campus partners, I hope to establish the Carolina Closet as a permanent resource, similar to a food pantry but focused on formal wear,” he said.

Since election night, Alvarez’s life catapulted into a state of constant busyness that he’s never experienced before. But he’s not fazed by it; he’s grateful.

“My life has changed a lot,” he said. “You go from being just a student to being a text away from the chancellor and serving on the UNC Board of Trustees and speaking at convocation and being on the stage at graduation. It’s such a privilege to represent so many people, and I’m genuinely excited because it gives me a reason to talk to everyone. If I see a random event on campus, even if I’m not sure I’m invited, I’ll show up and say, ‘Hey, everyone!’”

For Alvarez, serving as student body president isn’t just leadership, it’s gratitude in action, a way to honor the University that changed his life by devoting himself fully to the students he now represents.

“I always knew that I wanted to pay back everything the University gave me,” he said. “I came from an environment of uncertainty, and UNC only wanted me to worry about succeeding. I don’t see a better way to give back than representing the people, giving my energy and devoting my time to students. This opportunity is so full circle and exactly what I was hoping for, to give back to Carolina.”

In this system-wide leadership role, Carter will accelerate the translation of medical research breakthroughs into clinical applications to improve patient care not only across UNC Health’s network of hospitals and clinics, but throughout North Carolina and beyond. In partnership with key stakeholders, he will develop commercialization strategies for the UNC School of Medicine and UNC Health system, forge partnerships between researchers, clinicians and industry leaders, advise inventors and entrepreneurs, and expand access to impactful cutting-edge solutions.

Carter’s transition to UNC Health builds on his proven track record of transforming research discoveries into real-world health and economic impact, enabling him to focus on medical and healthcare commercialization and entrepreneurship – areas of critical importance to North Carolina’s research economy and patient care.

Since joining Carolina in 2023, Carter has directed Innovate Carolina and provided the strategic vision to advance and build a stronger, more cohesive innovation pipeline at the University. During his tenure, UNC-Chapel Hill-affiliated startups and commercialization activities generated nearly $8 billion in economic impact across North Carolina.

He also led pan-University collaboration through strategic partnerships with the Carolina Angel Network, Innovation Hubs, the Eshelman Institute for Innovation, the Institute for Convergent Science and the NC Collaboratory, translating foundational research and classroom knowledge into real-world impact through commercialization, startups, and partnerships.

Under Carter’s leadership, Carolina climbed 32 spots in the National Academy of Inventors Top 100 Worldwide Universities rankings – the largest single-year jump in the University’s history. He also established UNC-Chapel Hill’s chapter of the National Academy of Inventors to support and celebrate the achievements of inventors within the University community.

Carter also guided the creation of the UNC Innovation Impact Framework, a bold 10-year strategic approach designed to drive economic growth and improve lives across North Carolina and beyond. Developed in collaboration with partners across the University, this framework strengthens Carolina’s position as a national leader in innovation and innovation-based economic development, laying out a unified vision to build, support, elevate, engage and nurture innovation that serves the public good.

Jackie Quay, interim executive director of Innovate Carolina and the director of licensing and innovation support in the UNC Office of Technology Commercialization, will provide interim leadership for the areas of innovation, entrepreneurship and economic development following Carter’s departure.

Page will lead UNC Health at a critical time for the state’s leading academic health system and school of medicine. UNC Health has hospitals and clinics across the state, employs about 56,000 people and is focused on its mission of improving the health and well-being of North Carolinians.

Page, who has served in the positions on an interim basis since July, was elected by the UNC Board of Governors following recent action by the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees and the UNC Health Board of Directors. She will begin the roles Nov. 24.

An expert in primary care and rural health, Page has helped lead innovative health initiatives, fundraising and strategic planning and partnerships for UNC Health, broadening access to care for patients across North Carolina. She worked to develop branch campuses and grow rural residency programs to train more providers to meet the state’s growing health needs.

A Distinguished Professor of Family Medicine at the UNC School of Medicine who joined the faculty in 2005, Page has been a key player on both leadership teams, serving as president of UNC Health Enterprises in 2024-25 and chief academic officer at the medical school and at UNC Health in 2023-25. She was executive dean at the medical school from 2019 until earlier this year.

Previously, she founded and led Mission3, an educational nonprofit, and created the Fully Integrated Readiness for Service Training scholars program at the UNC School of Medicine. She led the family medicine residency program at the school from 2011 to 2018 and chaired the school’s family medicine department.

A Wilmington native and lifelong Tar Heel, she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology at UNC-Chapel Hill as a Morehead scholar, a master’s in public health and an MD at the medical school she will now lead. She has published extensively and won numerous grants and awards focused on rural health.

“In every role she has held — physician, educator, innovator and mentor — Dr. Page has led with reassuring confidence and a clear sense of purpose. She is the kind of leader who builds trust by earning it and who reminds us that the heart of health care is public service to others,” said UNC System President Peter Hans. “We could not ask for a better steward of UNC Health’s mission.”

“It is a tremendous honor and privilege to serve as CEO of UNC Health and dean of UNC School of Medicine,” Page said. “I appreciate President Hans and the Board of Governors, Chancellor Roberts and Chair Wessling for their confidence and support as I step into this important role during one of the most challenging periods in health care and academic medicine. I’m delighted to serve and lead our great team to fulfill our purpose and mission to the people of North Carolina.”

“Dr. Page is an inspirational leader and a remarkable health care provider whose dedication to serving North Carolina’s communities reflects our University’s commitment to statewide impact in all 100 counties,” said Chancellor Lee H. Roberts. “She is exceptionally qualified to guide UNC Health’s continued growth and advance its mission of saving lives across our state.”

“I have worked with Dr. Page as a member of the UNC Health Board of Directors since 2019,” said UNC Health Board Chair Greg Wessling. “She is a dynamic and strategic leader who excels in building relationships and has a heart for providing outstanding quality care across our state. I could not think of a finer person to lead UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine.”

“North Carolinians are fortunate to have Dr. Page overseeing UNC Health,” said Wendy Murphy, chair of the Board of Governors. “She has a passion for serving our citizens and the expertise to lead us into a healthier future.”

We are aware of the presence of ICE officials in the greater triangle area, which we recognize is causing anxiety for some in the Carolina and Chapel Hill community. We value all of our students, faculty, and staff and encourage them to learn more about their rights and available resources so they can be informed.

• As a public institution, UNC-Chapel Hill complies with all federal and state laws and guidance.
• Federal or state agencies are encouraged to alert UNC Police if they are executing a court order, subpoena or warrant on university property. They must have a warrant to enter offices, classrooms, and residence halls. However, they are allowed to approach individuals in public spaces.
• FERPA protects the privacy of a student’s education record, including class schedules and immigration status. A student’s directory information (e.g., name, address, phone number) is public, unless the student had previously contacted the Registrar to opt not to share that information.
• The Dean of Students webpage offers guidance on how to respond to information requests from federal or state agents over the phone, email and in person.
• Students who are concerned about the potential of federal agents on campus can reach out to the Dean of Students for individual support and resources.
• Faculty and staff can utilize the Employee Assistance Program for support and resources.

Sincerely,

James W. Dean Jr.
Interim Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost

“Jeff’s background gives him a unique perspective on AI strategy, one that the University needs if we are going to succeed at responding to the evolving needs of our students, faculty and staff,” Interim Provost James W. Dean said. “We are extremely grateful to have him in this key role, and I know he will take a thoughtful and strategic approach to AI across campus.”

Bardzell, who has led SILS since 2024, accepted a secondary position leading the University’s AI strategy in October. Recognizing the urgency of a comprehensive AI plan across the University’s academic mission, Bardzell is stepping into this new role full-time, focusing initially on teaching and learning.

In his new role, Bardzell is considering ways to bolster and connect existing AI work across teaching and learning at the University. He sees opportunities to support student learning in three ways: courses in basic AI literacy as part of the general education curriculum, courses covering technical and responsible use of AI that cross-cut numerous professional tracks, and technically focused courses for students interested in working in AI-related or -adjacent fields.

Unlike other institutions that have appointed leaders with data science backgrounds to similar positions, Bardzell’s experience in human-centered computing offers a different perspective to AI challenges and opportunities.

“AI brings considerable opportunities and also risks,” Bardzell said. “Higher education has a critical role to play in shaping how AI unfolds, and preparing students for a world where its use is ubiquitous is one of the most impactful ways we can do so. I am excited to collaborate with faculty, staff, and students to help shape that future.”

Diane Kelly, Wilson Distinguished Professor in the School of Information and Library Science, has been named interim dean. She will serve in this role while SILS works alongside the School of Data Science and Society to create a new school focused on preparing students for work in information- and data-intensive professions and settings, including libraries and archives. This yet-to-be-named school will launch in July 2026.

“It is an honor to serve as interim dean,” said Kelly. “One of my main reasons for coming back to Carolina was to be able to use my administrative and leadership experience in a way to help the school, and more specifically, the people that I care about so deeply.”

Kelly has previously served as vice provost for faculty affairs at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, where she led academic personnel services, including hiring, review, tenure and promotion of all faculty, and faculty development and advancement.

“Diane’s experience and expertise, including her long history with SILS, make her a great leader for the school,” Interim Provost Dean said. “I have enjoyed working with her, and the University is appreciative of her willingness to serve as interim dean, particularly in this time of transition and opportunity.”

“Diane has deep experience as an academic leader, and I know the school is in good hands as it makes this transition,” said Bardzell.

From 2016 to 2020, Kelly was director and professor in the School of Information Sciences at Tennessee, where she guided the school through several significant successes, including an enrollment increase in the MSIS program and the creation of a new bachelor’s degree in information sciences. Kelly began her faculty career at Carolina in 2004 where she served as assistant, associate and full professor at SILS.

“We are delighted to welcome Magnus Egerstedt to our Carolina community, and I look forward to working alongside him,” said Chancellor Lee H. Roberts. “With a distinguished record of leadership and deep expertise in higher education, he is exceptionally well-suited for this role. His scholarship reflects an innovative spirit and a commitment to improving the well-being of others, central tenets in our mission to be the leading public university. I am excited to see how he will help us move Carolina forward.”

Egerstedt’s research centers on the control and coordination of large-scale robotic networks, with transformative applications in environmental monitoring, disaster response and sustainable infrastructure. He is the architect of the Robotarium at Georgia Tech, a first-of-its-kind remotely accessible swarm robotics laboratory that has empowered over 7,000 users worldwide to conduct real-time experiments with hundreds of autonomous robots. At UC Irvine, he directs the Robot Ecology Lab, an air-ground swarm robotics facility pioneering algorithms for deploying heterogeneous robot teams in dynamic natural environments, including wildfire zones and marine ecosystems.

“Carolina is a remarkable university that has managed to stay true to its identity as the first public university in the nation yet being a forward-looking and innovative institution. I have been highly impressed with the energy and ambition I have experienced around campus, and I am honored to have been entrusted with this opportunity by Chancellor Roberts,” said Egerstedt. “I am looking forward to working with Carolina’s outstanding faculty, students and staff on the next chapter in this storied university’s history, with AI, engineering and enrollment growth now at the forefront.”

Prior to joining UC Irvine, Egerstedt was the Julian T. Hightower Chair at Georgia Tech, where he co-founded the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines. He received a master’s in engineering physics and a doctorate in applied mathematics from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden, a bachelor’s in philosophy from Stockholm University, and was a Postdoctoral Scholar at Harvard University.

A fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, International Federation of Automatic Control and multiple other professional engineering societies, and a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, Egerstedt has garnered numerous accolades, including the Alumni of the Year Award from KTH and prestigious teaching and research honors from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Defense.

“I’m thrilled with the selection of Dr. Egerstedt as Carolina’s next provost. Our faculty were adamant in their desire for a provost with a strong academic background, which he most certainly has,” said Beth Moracco, chair of the faculty and a member of the provost search committee. “I was impressed by his understanding of the breadth of what we as faculty at Carolina do, inside and outside of the classroom, and by his commitment to public higher education, academic freedom, and authentic shared governance. I look forward to working with him as our next chief academic officer.”

The search committee was co-chaired by Stan Ahalt, dean of the UNC School of Data Science and Society, and Nancy Messonnier, dean of the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and Bryson Distinguished Professor in Public Health. The University also thanked interim Provost Dean for the exceptional leadership he has provided to advance Carolina’s commitment to academic excellence.

A new Division of Student Success will capture student experience, enrollment and academic success, Orr said. The organizational structure will support a vision that connects the dots across the student experience, creating a “no-wrong-door experience” while continuing Carolina’s promise to provide the nation’s strongest return on an investment in higher education.

Johnson’s role will be critical in creating this new organizational structure. She will lead strategies that elevate student success, including a comprehensive review of Carolina’s student onboarding and orientation experience, and guide significant updates to ConnectCarolina through the Students First project. The move is effective Dec. 5.

Amy Johnson, seen here during Move-In Week of 2023, spearheaded several initiatives involving student well-being across the past five years. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)

Johnson arrived at Carolina in August 2020. Since then, she has led COVID-19 student support, testing and response resources, as well as wide-ranging initiatives around mental health and well-being, community, access and student belonging. In 2021, she launched the Heels Care Network, designed to increase access to mental health and well-being resources and reinforce Carolina’s culture of compassion and care.

Johnson has also worked in close partnership with several student government administrations to champion the renovation of student facilities and the development of a Student Recreation and Wellness Center. In 2025, as a result of these efforts and our campuswide resources, the University was recognized as one of 16 universities on the Princeton Review’s Mental Health Honor Roll.

“We are grateful for her continued leadership and commitment to building meaningful learning and engagement experiences for Carolina students,” Orr said. “We will make this transition as smooth as possible for the team and students, particularly during this busy time of the year. I appreciate Amy’s support as we transition.”

Jonathan Sauls ’94, ’97 (JD), senior associate vice chancellor for student success and administration, will provide leadership to the offices in student affairs during the transition, also effective Dec. 5. He has served in various roles with student affairs across the past 20 years.

“We’re asking ourselves some pretty tough questions that take some time to work through,” Knuffman said. “It’s not just a superficial one-time effort to find savings on a short-term basis — but to really think about what it means to be Carolina at its core.”

Knuffman spoke with The Well about this work, including ServiceFirst, research funding and how Carolina is positioned to handle the current moment.

The state of North Carolina has yet to pass a budget. How has (or hasn’t) this affected the University?

We’re continuing to monitor the state budget situation closely. There was a lack of funding in the mini bill, at least for enrollment and salaries, which are the biggest impacts to UNC-Chapel Hill.

Enrollment funding is critical as we start to think through our strategic priority of growing enrollment in the coming years. The dollars associated with that are going to be important to the institution moving forward.

I think the fiscal situation in the state largely underscores the need to have strong fiscal management and was part of our rationale for having a budget-savings effort. It’s going to allow us to execute our top fiscal priorities: to be able to make sure we can grow enrollment, invest in AI, help with needed infrastructure repairs and even invest in academic programs the state needs from us.

How has the outlook on federal research funding changed as the year’s gone on?

The good news is most of the feared outcomes don’t seem likely to come to fruition, but there still is a significant amount of uncertainty. We’re very thankful that we’re not in the same position as many of our peers, and I appreciate the leadership of Chancellor Roberts and what he’s done to help manage risk and advocate for UNC-Chapel Hill as we move through these uncertain times.

Penny Gordon-Larsen, our vice chancellor for research, together with our Federal Affairs team, has been making a strong case for the critical value of research. We’ve been working diligently with the administration and members of Congress on how best to navigate recent changes in research funding. We also recognize that the landscape for how research is supported will likely continue to evolve in the years ahead.

Negotiations are currently underway with the Office of Management and Budget regarding a flat reimbursement level for indirect costs. This would likely increase the types of expenses that would be covered under direct costs but reduce the overall amount available for indirect costs. It’s unclear yet what the net impact of that might be. But we do recognize it’s likely to result in a very different funding mix for campus, and we’ll need to rethink how to manage our indirect costs.

Talking to our peer institutions across the country, we’re thankful to have the all-funds budget in place. It puts us in a stronger position because we have a better understanding of where our indirect dollars are and how they’re used.

The University is making $70 million in budget cuts. How much of this has already been achieved and what are the leading priorities?

We’ve tried to be measured, principled and strategic in our approach, rooted in protecting what is core to UNC-Chapel Hill, and asking ourselves tough questions about what we may not want to continue to do.

We’ve tried to use as much data as possible and be as transparent as possible through the process. We did not want to make just superficial one-time changes. We wanted to have strategic cuts that didn’t treat everything the same but differentiated so we have the capacity to invest in our top priorities.

We’ve already been able to achieve $10 million in savings — that’s the vacancy and food reductions. The ServiceFirst work on the administrative restructuring around campus is well underway, and there’s been hard work by many campus participants with lots of good campus engagement.

Could you dive deeper into the $17M in cuts in out-of-state financial aid and how that’s being administered over an extended timeline?

We are having to make difficult choices. The most important consideration is the commitment to our residents and the taxpayers of North Carolina. In this case, we’re prioritizing our finite aid dollars for North Carolina residents. Regarding the impact to nonresidents, it’s important to understand there are still a number of aid packages, and it’s going to be phased in over four years. Also, this doesn’t impact current students.

In what ways is Carolina uniquely positioned to handle the current moment in higher education?

One, I think the chancellor has an incredibly high budget IQ and has made difficult decisions on public resource allocation throughout his career. That experience and background during challenging fiscal times is an incredibly great attribute to have in a leader. I think that differentiates us from many institutions across the country.

Two, we have a commitment to a plan that’s not superficial or about one-time budget savings. Instead, our plan is measured with an eye toward broader restructuring intended to help us operate more efficiently and effectively.

For example, we didn’t approach ServiceFirst with an eye toward simply finding some savings. That initiative is aimed at restructuring how we work so we can elevate our service and service quality, leverage technology and accomplish some efficiency. That’s much harder work, but I think it will serve the institution well long term.

What are some of the key budgetary questions the University is working to find answers to right now?

We’re at a key stage with ServiceFirst. We’re talking about organizational structures and what will best position our administrative services. We haven’t decided on a specific structure yet, although we’re likely to move toward more centralization and shared services. We believe this will allow us to find savings and improve operations over time.

Compared to our peers, we’re more decentralized, especially in the areas of information technology, human resources and finance, each among the focus areas for ServiceFirst.

In the areas where we are more centralized — facilities and research administration, for example — we tend to be more efficient than our peers as well. There does seem to be a correlation between your level of centralization and your level of efficiency, which I think is informative.

There’s great work being done on centers and institutes and academic programs as well. It’s too early for specific recommendations, but we can say that enrollment and degrees will be key factors in identifying low-performing programs. In thinking about centers and institutes, we expect an assessment of return on investment to play an important role. We’ll talk more about each of those areas to the Board of Trustees in November.

During her interim tenure and in her first months as dean, Hamm has also continued to build collaborative relationships within the School of Education and with schools and units across the Carolina campus to strengthen community partnerships, advance teaching and research, and increase engagement and development efforts.

Hamm, William C. Friday Distinguished Professor of Education, has served as a faculty member in applied developmental science at Carolina since 1999. Before becoming dean of the School, Hamm was the inaugural associate dean for research and faculty development (2017-24). In that role, she led in the development and implementation of the school’s strategic plan and helped grow the school’s annual research expenditures from $6.2 million in 2016 to $25 million in 2024 — greatly expanding the school’s ability to serve people and communities in North Carolina and beyond.

In the following Q&A, she talks about her Carolina journey and where she sees the school going next.

What brought you to Carolina in 1999? 

Jill Hamm’s original OneCard from 1999. (Submitted)

I came to UNC-Chapel Hill, first and foremost, because of its status as an R1 university. Carolina has a vibrant community of scholars who are collaborative and collegial, and they’re all focused on the greater good — of North Carolina, the nation and the world. As a young scholar starting a career as a developmental and educational psychologist, I was excited to join the School of Education because I knew I would have great colleagues.

Before I accepted the offer, I visited an area classroom with two future colleagues, Carol Malloy, a math educator, and Judith Meece, a fellow educational psychologist. The three of us observed a high school math classroom in Durham and talked about how we interpreted different classroom events, like the teacher’s instruction and students’ engagement with the teacher and each other. I was so excited by that conversation, and after other meetings with faculty, I decided Carolina was for me. In fact, that conversation with Carol and Judith formed the basis of a National Science Foundation grant the three of us received in 2001 to study middle school math classrooms and student achievement from instructional, motivational and social lenses.

What’s kept you here? 

I’ve stayed at Carolina because the school continued to provide great opportunities for research collaborations with faculty colleagues and fantastic students.

As a faculty member, I’ve taught exceptional students in both our teacher education and doctoral programs. As an administrator, I’ve had opportunities to work with colleagues who are equal parts visionary and hardworking.

From leadership to faculty to staff to students, so many people have worked very hard to make this the school that it is today. I want to continue that upward trajectory.

What does your vision for the school look like?

Jill Hamm addresses graduates and families at the UNC School of Education’s graduation ceremony May 10, 2025. (Submitted photo)

For years, we’ve recognized the importance of emergent technologies, and now those include GenAI. Another area in which we have really great potential is in putting research into practice. I want to remove barriers to bring our research findings to help schools across North Carolina and beyond.

Our work at Carolina Community Academy and in Person County is one great example of how a public R1 university can and should serve a community. I want us to continue to learn from our lab school and share those lessons with our university peers and with school districts.

Read more about Dean Jill V. Hamm.

Q: Carolina enrolled its largest first-year class in school history this fall, over 6,000 students. Enrollment growth is one of your goals here at Carolina. Can you share how we’re supporting more students in our current infrastructure and our plans to increase capacity?

A: It’s an exciting time; the entire UNC System saw record enrollment this fall. The Carolina Housing team has laid out a strategy to add 2,000 new beds and renovate 2,500 existing ones over the next decade. To accommodate this year’s increased enrollment, Avery Residence Hall was recently renovated and designated for incoming first-year students, and Granville Towers converted rooms for incoming students as well. Our next set of plans includes breaking ground for a new residence hall with 700 beds, as well as renovating Hinton James, Ehringhaus and Craige residence halls. In terms of dining, seating has been added to Lenoir Dining Hall, and Carolina Dining Services introduced mobile ordering through the Hello Heels app, with more enhancements still to come. Our Finance and Operations team is also leaning into technology and increasing efficiency to work with more students. I’m looking forward to working across campus to expand campus features so that more students can experience all that Carolina has to offer.

Q: Another goal is to bolster Carolina’s research and expertise in artificial intelligence. How are teams across campus supporting this effort in becoming an “AI University”?

A: Many researchers across multiple disciplines at Carolina are identifying ways to use AI for the greater good of the world. I’ve been incredibly impressed by the work that is currently happening in this emerging field. For instance, Jeffrey Stringer in the School of Medicine is using AI to make pregnancy sonograms more accessible across the globe; Ha Nguyen in the School of Education is designing technology to eventually provide students with tailored feedback; and Francesca Tripodi is unpacking how AI influences how we access and understand information.

We also recently revamped our AI at Carolina website, designed to be a hub compiling our efforts. Thank you to the provost’s AI committee and University Communications and Marketing for creating a site that showcases our AI experts and shares ethical AI practices and resources for students, faculty and staff. Last week, we announced the School of Information and Library Science and the School of Data Science and Society will join together as founding leaders of a new school that will position the University as a national leader in applied technology, data science research and teaching.

UNC Kenan-Flagler also launched BlueChipAI this semester, a new platform to explore capabilities, advance AI literacy and skills for students, faculty and staff within the school. It’s been remarkable to see how our University is currently using and researching AI, and I’m excited to work across campus to position Carolina as a leader in this space.

Q: ServiceFirst has been underway for several months. Could you share any updates on progress and how the University is improving efficiency and consistency?

A: Scott Savage, our inaugural associate vice chancellor for organizational strategy and performance, has done a fantastic job leading our initiative to identify operational efficiencies across Carolina. Right now, there are several expert task forces discussing how we can improve service quality through consistency and accountability. We’ve divided these task forces into areas like HR, finance, procurement, IT, research, administration and communication. These teams are working to define and clarify tasks performed in each functional area across campus, and to provide a plan for improvement moving forward. Scott also finished up a campus-wide listening tour and will use the insight in determining recommendations for the ServiceFirst process. His team has built out a ServiceFirst website and will share updates there monthly. I’m thankful to this team’s diligent efforts to unlock ways for our University to work smarter and free up resources to reinvest in our core mission.