Catalyze

SEVEN Talk by Randy Chang ’28: ‘A Remortgaged House, A Remodeled Tongue’

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Sun, 8 Mar 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Randy Chang ’28 delivered a SEVEN Talk at the 2025 Alumni Forum in Chapel Hill on October 19. Randy is a mathematics and politics double major at Carolina.

About SEVEN Talks

Every class of Morehead-Cain Scholars connects with seven others: the three classes ahead, its own, and the three that follow. The idea of SEVEN is to strengthen connections across generations of Morehead-Cains.

The Alumni Forum embodies this spirit through SEVEN Talks—seven alumni and scholars on Saturday, and seven more on Sunday—each sharing seven minutes of wisdom with the Morehead-Cain community.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

SEVEN Talk by Niman Mann ’18: ‘The Less I Know the Better’

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Sun, 1 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Niman Mann ’18 delivered a SEVEN Talk at the 2025 Alumni Forum in Chapel Hill on October 19. Niman works in strategic finance at Zipline.

About SEVEN Talks

How to listen

Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, with Wehazit Mussie ’26 on Professional Experience with the Clinton Health Access Initiative in Ethiopia

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 20:00:00 +0000

Welcome to Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, a miniseries by the Catalyze podcast that explores the transformative summers of the Morehead-Cain Program. In the Professional Experience summer, scholars begin to explore the transition from Carolina to the working world by pursuing a professional internship.

In this episode, host Aadya Gattu ’28 of the Scholar Media Team speaks with Wehazit Mussie ’26, a pre-dental history and medical anthropology major, about her nearly two-month internship with the Clinton Health Access Initiative in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

As a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning intern, Wehazit supported documentation, communications, and data analytics efforts across multiple program areas while collaborating closely with Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health.

Originally from Eritrea with family ties to Ethiopia, Wehazit reflects on the personal dimension of her professional experience, including reunions with relatives and visiting places her parents once lived. Their conversation explores how her academic interests in history and medical anthropology intersect with data-driven public health work, what surprised her about the role, and how being in Ethiopia added unique global perspective to her Professional Experience.

Music credits

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcastsor Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

SEVEN Talk by Ray Sawyer ’13: ‘Don’t Talk So Fast: My Southern Grandma’s Guide to Living’

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Ray Sawyer ’13 delivered a SEVEN Talk at the 2025 Alumni Forum in Chapel Hill on October 19. Ray is the chief innovation officer at Primo Partners.

About SEVEN Talks

How to listen

Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, with Raina Sohur ’27 on Global Perspective in Mauritius, Paris

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 20:00:00 +0000

Welcome to Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, a miniseries by the Catalyze podcast that explores the transformative summers of the Morehead-Cain Program. In the Global Perspective summer, scholars design their own journeys around the globe to dig into areas of personal interest, whether academic or professional.

In this episode, host Aadya Gattu ’28 of the Scholar Media Team sits down with Raina Sohur ’27 about how she crafted a summer spanning three distinct experiences across Mauritius, Southern France, and Paris.

Raina completed her RYT200 yoga certification in the French countryside, interned at a prominent law firm’s Supreme Court Litigation division in Mauritius where she navigated a bilingual office environment and accompanied lawyers to trial, and explored Paris through the lens of the Mauritian diaspora.

Their conversation delves into the intentional planning behind balancing professional development with personal growth, choosing meaningful locations, and building connections in both familiar and unfamiliar places. Raina opens up about the challenges of designing such an ambitious summer and shares the lessons she carried home about cultural identity, professional exploration, and pushing beyond comfort zones.

Music credits

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

SEVEN Talk by Robin Berholz Cory ’98: ‘Lessons in Humanity from Canada’s Bold Refugee Settlement Experiment’

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Robin Berholz Cory ’98 delivered a SEVEN Talk at the 2025 Alumni Forum in Chapel Hill on October 19. Robyn is a partner and the founder of Colbeck Strategic Advisors.

About SEVEN Talks

How to listen

Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, with Prince Rivers ’28 on Civic Collaboration with Milwaukee’s Alive Foundation

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 20:00:00 +0000

Welcome to Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, a miniseries by the Catalyze podcast that explores the transformative summers of the Morehead-Cain Program. In the Civic Collaboration summer, teams of scholars embed themselves in cities across North America to investigate community challenges, work alongside local partners, and propose solutions grounded in real needs.

In this episode, host Aadya Gattu ’28 of the Scholar Media Team sits down with Prince Rivers ’28 about his summer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Working with MKE Fellows, Prince and his team tackled the challenge of expanding access to higher education for underserved communities.

Their conversation explores how the team navigated ambiguity in their project, learned to live and work together in a new city, and discovered Milwaukee’s culture along the way, including memorable moments at local music festivals. Prince reflects on the importance of human-centered design, the value of community partnership, and what it means to propose real solutions to complex problems.

Music credits

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

SEVEN Talk by Tonya Turner Carroll ’89: ‘Cracking the Code’

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Sun, 8 Feb 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Tonya Turner Carroll ’89 delivered a SEVEN Talk at the 2025 Alumni Forum in Chapel Hill on October 19. Tonya is the owner and curator of Turner Carroll Gallery and Art Advisory.

About SEVEN Talks

How to listen

Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, with Kori Billingslea ’29 on Outdoor Leadership in Wyoming’s Wind River Range

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 3 Feb 2026 20:00:00 +0000

Welcome to Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, a miniseries by the Catalyze podcast that explores the transformative summers of the Morehead-Cain Program. In the Outdoor Leadership summer, scholars spend several weeks in the North American wilderness on a leadership course that tests their limits and inspires self-discovery.

In this episode, host Ali Slack ’28 from the Scholar Media Team sits down with first-year Kori Billingslea ’29 to reflect on her Outdoor Leadership experience in Wyoming. Fresh from the trail and adjusting to college life, Kori shares what it was like to spend a month unplugged from technology, pushing through physical and mental challenges, and discovering unexpected strengths in the backcountry.

From breaking camp at dawn to navigating group dynamics under pressure, Kori shares about stepping outside your comfort zone and the lessons that follow you long after you’ve left the wilderness.

Music credits

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

SEVEN Talk by J.B. Howard ’85: ‘Life, examined’

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Sun, 1 Feb 2026 15:00:00 +0000

J.B. Howard ’85 delivered a SEVEN Talk at the 2025 Alumni Forum in Chapel Hill on October 19. J.B. is a freelance lawyer and former counsel at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP.

About SEVEN Talks

How to listen

SEVEN Talk by Steve Toben ’78: ‘Setbacks and Advances’

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Steve Toben ’78 delivered a SEVEN Talk at the 2025 Alumni Forum in Chapel Hill on October 19. Steve is the principal at Toben Consulting, an advisory service for donors and family foundations.

About SEVEN Talks

How to listen

Chief Magistrate Judge Karen Stevenson ’79: ‘Let us meet this moment with courage’

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Who is on the horizon?

At the 2025 Alumni Forum, Chief Magistrate Judge Karen Stevenson ’79 challenged the more than 700 attendees not to look for heroes to enact change.

“Nobody’s coming. We’re it. All of us are it,” the alumna said at the Mazzocchi Alumni Dinner in Chapel Hill on October 18, 2025.

Speaking from her experience on the federal bench in Los Angeles, Karen shared her thoughts on current challenges facing American institutions, connected them to historical struggles for civil rights, and issued a direct challenge: the responsibility to build a more perfect union falls on each of us. She called on the Morehead-Cain community to lead with courage, kindness, and generosity.

“I dare to say no one is coming to extricate us from this existential moment,” the judge said. “This one is on us to lead, to act with integrity, to care for our neighbors, to move with compassion in the world, and take right action.”

Watch the keynote address on Morehead-Cain’s YouTube channel.

Karen is a member of the first class of women Morehead-Cain Scholars. She is an elected member of the American Law Institute, a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, and co-author of Rutter Group Practice Guide: Federal Civil Procedure Before Trial.

The judge was honored at the 2024 Morehead-Cain Black Alumni Reunionin Chapel Hill, alongside the first Black graduate of the Program, Harvey Kennedy ’74.

Karen and Harvey were also honored at the Forum by the unveiling of a commissioned portrait of the pair on October 17, 2025. The painting, by Durham-based artist William Paul Thomas, is on display at the Morehead-Cain Foundation.

SEVEN Talk by Godspower Mercy Lawal ’25: ‘Held by Giants’

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Godspower Mercy Lawal ’25 delivered a SEVEN Talk at the 2025 Alumni Forum in Chapel Hill on October 18. Mercy is the founder and past president of the African Students Association.

About SEVEN Talks

How to listen

SEVEN Talk by Noam Argov ’15: ‘Side Quests and B Plots’

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Sun, 11 Jan 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Noam Argov ’15 delivered a SEVEN Talk at the 2025 Alumni Forum in Chapel Hill on October 18. Noam is a writer, director, and producer with Bright Panic Pictures and an MFA candidate at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

About SEVEN Talks

How to listen

State of Morehead-Cain, with President Chris Bradford

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Mon, 5 Jan 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Happy New Year! In this episode, Morehead-Cain President Chris Bradford joins host Oni Terrado ’27 of the Scholar Media Team to reflect on an extraordinary year for the Program.

Chris shares highlights from the 2025 Alumni Forum and the launch of the Morehead-Cain Global Fellows program, which brought twelve exceptional leaders from five countries to Carolina. The president discusses how the Foundation is balancing innovation with tradition as the Program reaches its largest size ever, the arrival of former trustee Rachel Pfeifer ’02 as chief program officer, the challenge of counterprogramming pre-professional pressures, and his vision for “college as it should be.”

This year also marked major moments of community gathering: nearly 100 Black alumni and scholars celebrating 50 years of Black excellence, the reunion of the first class of women Morehead-Cains, and the 55th anniversary of the British Programme in London.

Music credits

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using ourRSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

SEVEN Talk by Jesse Stone Reeck ‘05: ‘Small Things with Great Love’

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Sun, 4 Jan 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Jesse Stone Reeck ’05delivered a SEVEN Talk at the 2025 Alumni Forum in Chapel Hill on October 18. Jesse is the executive director of Northland Pioneer College Friends and Family scholarship foundation and a 2023 Morehead-Cain Impact Educator.

About SEVEN Talks

How to listen

SEVEN Talk by David Jernigan ’00: ‘Before the Eulogy’

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Sun, 28 Dec 2025 15:00:00 +0000

David Jernigan ’00 delivered a SEVEN Talk at the 2025 Alumni Forum in Chapel Hill on October 18. David is the former CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta.

About SEVEN Talks

How to listen

SEVEN Talk by Scott Heath ‘96: ‘Black Cassette’

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Scott Heath ’96delivered a SEVEN Talk at the 2025 Alumni Forum in Chapel Hill on October 18. Scott is a visiting professor of Africana studies at the University of Pittsburgh.

About SEVEN Talks

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Alumni Forum: Making sense of AI, with alumni experts from Galleon Strategies, OpenAI, Anthropic

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 09:00:00 +0000

This episode is a recording from the 2025 Alumni Forum of a panel entitled “Making Sense of AI, and the Revolution Reshaping How We Think, Work, Learn, and Relate.”

The panel was moderated by Marina Chase Carreker ’03, founder of Galleon Strategies. Joining her were Lane Dilg ’99, former head of infrastructure policy and partnerships at OpenAI, and Thompson Paine ’05, head of product strategy and operations at Anthropic.

Music credits

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ‘22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

SEVEN Talk by Frances Seymour ’81: ‘Leaps of Faith’

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Sun, 14 Dec 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Frances Seymour ‘81 delivered a SEVEN Talk at the 2025 Alumni Forum in Chapel Hill on October 18. Frances is a senior policy advisor at the Woodwell Climate Research Center and IPAM Amazonia.

About SEVEN Talks

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Breaking the rules in finance: Live recording with David Gardner ’88 of the Motley Fool and Mary Esposito ’26

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 9 Dec 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Recorded live at the 2025 Morehead-Cain Alumni Forum, this episode of Catalyze brings together two generations of financial innovators. David Gardner ’88, co-founder and Chief Rule Breaker at The Motley Fool, shares decades of experience challenging conventional finance: what worked, what didn’t, and the lessons he’d carry forward.

This episode’s host, Mary Esposito ’26, is the founder of Money with Mary. The financial literacy initiative is designed to make personal finance approachable and empowering for Gen Z.

How to listen

SEVEN Talk by Bill Bates ’62: ‘Miracle and Mystery: My experience with In-Vitro Fertilization’

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Sun, 7 Dec 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Bill Bates ’62 delivered a SEVEN Talk at the 2025 Alumni Forum in Chapel Hill on October 18. Bill is the founding dean of the Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine at Belmont University.

About SEVEN Talks

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Leading with intention, with Kristina Chapple ’22 of 11 Tribes Ventures

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 1 Jul 2025 09:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Kristina Chapple ’22 joins scholar host Stella Smolowitz ’26 to share her fast-tracked journey from UNC–Chapel Hill to becoming a general partner at 11 Tribes Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm investing in values-driven founders.

Kristina reflects on how her undergraduate experience at Carolina, including her interdisciplinary coursework, entrepreneurship minor, and time abroad with the UNC Shuford Program in Entrepreneurship, set the foundation for a purpose-led career. A Phi Beta Kappa inductee and Wilberforce Leadership Program alumna, Kristina discusses how community and curiosity continue to shape her approach to leadership.

She offers an inside look at how 11 Tribes Ventures evaluates startups and prioritizes mission alignment and character as much as financial viability. The conversation dives into her belief in challenging conventional VC practices, supporting visionary founders, and leading with empathy in high-stakes environments.

Kristina also shares insights for young professionals on navigating early career decisions, creating meaningful impact, and maintaining integrity—plus, what it was like to be named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in venture capital.

Music credits

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Why you shouldn’t miss the 2025 Alumni Forum, with co-chairs James Dean ’89 and Madhu Vulimiri ’14

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 16:21:07 +0000

Join co-chairs Madhu Vulimiri ’14 and James Dean ’89 as they share what will make the 2025 Alumni Forum this fall an unmissable event! This invigorating weekend is a chance to reconnect, learn, and grow with alumni from around the world. The Alumni Forum will take place at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from October 17 to 19. Learn more and secure your spot on the Morehead-Cain Network.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using ourRSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Investing in the future, with North Carolina State Treasurer Brad Briner ’99

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 3 Jun 2025 08:00:00 +0000

On this episode, North Carolina State Treasurer Brad Briner ’99 shares about his new role managing the state’s financial assets. He offers insights into how North Carolina’s financial processes compare to other states; the importance of strategizing long-term fiscal stewardship; and his leadership approach for the department’s 400-person team. The conversation, hosted by Stella Smolowitz ’26, also explores his take on healthcare spending and what went into choosing the coverage plan for over 750,000 state employees. Brad assumed office in January 2025.

The alumnus also discusses how his experiences as a Morehead-Cain Scholar led him to his career in finance and public service, and how young people can make an impact in both the private and public sectors.

Music credits

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using ourRSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, with Elizah Van Lokeren ’25 and host Allyson Horst ’27

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 6 May 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Welcome to Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, a miniseries by the Catalyze podcast that showcases Morehead-Cain seniors. The second edition of the series features Elizah Liberty Van Lokeren ’25, a professional photographer, small business owner, and member of UNC football’s creative team. In this episode, the advertisement and public relations double major discusses her experiences developing a photography business, creating social media content and websites in Greece, and studying the relationship between grief and food in Japan. She also reflected on her journey from growing up in Western North Carolina to receiving the Morehead-Cain.

The video series is hosted by Allyson Horst ’27 of the Morehead-Cain Scholar Media Team.

Watch the first episode of Kickin’ It in the Kitchen featuring Nigel Parker ’25, a founding member of the Food for Thought breakfast and conversation series, the chief of staff for UNC Student Government, an Agora Fellow, and a philosophy major at Carolina.

Music credits

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Senior miniseries: Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, with Nigel Parker ’25 and host Allyson Horst ’27

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 1 Apr 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Welcome to Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, a Catalyze podcast miniseries showcasing Morehead-Cain seniors. The first episode features Nigel Parker ’25, a founding member of the Food for Thought breakfast and conversation series, the chief of staff for UNC Student Government, an Agora Fellow, and a philosophy major at Carolina.

This video series is hosted by Allyson Horst ’27 of the Morehead-Cain Scholar Media Team. Watch the episode on YouTube.

Music credits

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Eight alumnae on was it was like to be in the first class of women Morehead-Cain Scholars

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 4 Mar 2025 09:00:00 +0000

In 1974, a dozen women became the first female Morehead-Cain Scholars at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the same year the Equal Credit Opportunity Act was passed, granting women the right to open a bank account without a husband’s signature.

This past fall, eight members of the class of 1979 reunited to celebrate their 45th anniversary. During their visit, they shared memories and insights with current scholars at a coffee chat. Afterward, they sat down with Catalyze co-host Allyson Horst ’27 to reflect on their groundbreaking experiences.

We’re sharing these conversations today in honor of Women’s History Month.

Meet the Sophomore Selection scholars in the class of 2027

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 09:00:00 +0000

This past fall, fifteen students enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill joined the Morehead-Cain Class of 2027 through its Sophomore Selection process.

Morehead-Cain launched this initiative in fall 2023 to identify sophomores at UNC–Chapel Hill who have demonstrated exceptional scholarship, leadership, and character, and invite them to join the Morehead-Cain Program.

In this episode, we have members of the class sharing about the moment they received the news, their campus involvements, and what they’re looking forward to in the Program.

State of Morehead-Cain, with President Chris Bradford

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Mon, 6 Jan 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Happy New Year! Morehead-Cain President Chris Bradford sat down with scholar host Stella Smolowitz ’26 to share what we’ve learned since launching the Sophomore Selection process and Morehead-Cain’s Community Standards, and what he hopes scholars take away from their time in the Program.

Morehead-Cain launched Sophomore Selection in fall 2023 to identify sophomores at UNC–Chapel Hill who have demonstrated exceptional scholarship, leadership, and character, and invite them to join the Morehead-Cain Program. Meet the sophomores in the class of 2027.

Music credits

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Scholar stories: Celebrating 50 years of the Morehead-Cain Summer Enrichment Program

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 14:18:55 +0000

As Morehead-Cain celebrates 50 years of the Summer Enrichment Program, we asked scholars to share a few of their highlights from the past year. This episode is hosted by Allyson Horst ’27 of the Scholar Media Team.

First up, we hear from Sahil Kapadia ’28 about his Outdoor Leadership expedition trekking around Lake Superior, followed by Carolina Hoyt ’28 and her expedition in the Talkeetna Mountains of Alaska. Next, Amanda Jesuca ’27 shares about making surprising connections during her Civic Collaboration summer working at Policy Bridge in Cleveland, Ohio.

Charles Konkolics ’26 and Stella Smolowitz ’26 take us to snow-capped mountains in New Zealand on their Global Perspective, where they stumble upon some unexpected creatures along the way.

Finally, we hear about the Professional Experience summer from Owen Gast ’25, who worked at Chicago Public Schools, and Jake Rose ’26, who designed 3D-printed prosthetics in Salt Lake City, Utah.

You can hear more stories like these in Morehead-Cain’s forthcoming Year in Review, releasing later this December.

Music credits

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Where the University is headed, with UNC–Chapel Hill Chancellor Lee Roberts

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 10:00:00 +0000

Lee Roberts, the thirteenth chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, sat down with scholar host Allyson Horst ’26 to share his vision for Carolina under his leadership. The two discuss the University’s strategic priorities, with a focus on the areas of artificial intelligence, enrollment growth, investments in applied sciences, a physical master plan, the launch of the School of Civic Life and Leadership, and athletics. Roberts also responds to theUNC System’s DEI policy and rollout, recent campus protests, and his perspective on free speech at a leading public university.

Roberts was elected chancellor by the UNC Board of Governors on August 9, 2024. He succeeded previous Catalyze guest Kevin Guskiewicz. The immediate past chancellor was appointed president of Michigan State University.

Before recording this episode, the chancellor spoke with scholars at a Food for Thought event at the Morehead-Cain Foundation on September 27.

Modeled after the City Club of Cleveland, Food for Thought provides a central meeting place for members of diverse beliefs and opinions to participate in free and open discussions. The breakfast and conversation series is an initiative of Team Cleveland members from the 2022 Morehead-Cain Civic Collaboration program.

Meet John Rose, Morehead-Cain’s faculty director for Dialogue and Discourse

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 19:38:24 +0000

Dr. John Rose joined the Morehead-Cain community this fall as faculty director for Dialogue and Discourse. The initiative is designed to enhance scholars’ ability to listen, discuss, and engage in contemporary issues.

Rose speaks with Catalyze co-host Stella Smolowitz ’26 about his approach to facilitating “charity-centric” dialogue with college students, the connection for him between theology and civic leadership, and advice for navigating political conversations ahead of the November election.

Rose came to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from Duke University, where he was the associate director of the Civil Discourse Project and an instructor in the Kenan Institute for Ethics. At Duke, he also taught courses in happiness and human flourishing, Christian ethics, conservatism, and political polarization. His research focuses on virtue ethics and Christian theology.

In addition to his work with Morehead-Cain, Rose will serve as professor of the practice at the School of Civic Life and Leadership at Carolina.

So you’re thinking of taking a gap year, with Sachi Akmal ’28

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 08:00:00 +0000

Sachi Akmal ’28 visited campus during a break in her International Gap Year to speak with Catalyze host Allyson Horst ’27.

So far, Sachi has traveled to ten countries over the span of nine months. From climbing Mount Kilimanjaro with fellow incoming scholars to exploring Italian monasteries, Sachi shares some of the highlights from her time abroad. She also touches on some of the more challenging aspects of a gap year, such as coping with loneliness and navigating unfamiliar environments.

Sachi will join the scholar community at UNC–Chapel Hill this fall as a public policy major.

If you enjoyed this conversation, you can check out our previous gap year episodes, which include studying climate change in the Himalayas and interning at a children’s hospital in Cape Town, South Africa.

Morehead-Cain recipients are invited to consider taking a funded gap year between graduating high school and coming to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Music credits

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Catalyze is hosted and produced by Sarah O’Carroll for the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Patton McDowell ’89 of PMA Nonprofit Leadership on the strategies that empower change makers in philanthropy

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 08:00:00 +0000

Patton McDowell ’89 is the founder and president of PMA Nonprofit Leadership. The firm provides philanthropic and organizational consulting services. Patton is also the host of the podcast Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, a career development series focused on philanthropy.

Patton shares with Catalyze host Charles McCain ’27 how interning at Special Olympics International as a Morehead-Cain Scholar launched his career in nonprofits. The alumnus also tackles key challenges facing organizations today, from fundraising dilemmas to strategic vision and effective board governance.

Music credits

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Catalyze is hosted and produced by Sarah O’Carroll for the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Nandini Kanthi ’27, CEO and co-founder of Sensible, on increasing women’s access to cervical screenings

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 21 May 2024 13:27:48 +0000

Nandini Kanthi ’27 is the CEO and co-founder of Sensible, a startup that provides an affordable menstrual hygiene product that screens for cervical diseases. The diagnostic device uses naturally discharging menstrual blood.

The scholar shares with Catalyze host Allyson Horst ’27 about her entrepreneurship journey, from competing on a high school debate team to filing for a patent. Nandini is studying public policy and neuroscience at UNC–Chapel Hill.

Meet some of the new scholars through the Morehead-Cain Sophomore Selection Initiative

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 9 Apr 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Morehead-Cain launched the Sophomore Selection initiative in fall 2023 to identify current sophomores at Carolina who have demonstrated exceptional scholarship, leadership, and character. Fifteen students joined the Program as members of the Morehead-Cain Class of 2026.

Four members of the class joined Catalyze co-host Allyson Horst ’27 to share about the moment they received the good news, their campus involvements, and what they’re looking forward to in the Program. Learn more about the initiative.

Today’s guests: Christopher Jaime Arraya ’26, Kassandra Ciriza-Monreal ’26, Mary Esposito ’26, and Daniel Simon ’26.

Music credits

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Catalyze is hosted and produced by Sarah O’Carroll for the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on Twitter or Instagram at @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Kevin Guskiewicz, UNC–Chapel Hill Chancellor Emeritus, on his legacy at Carolina

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 08:00:00 +0000

Today’s guest is Kevin Guskiewicz, the twelfth chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Food for Thought speaker at Morehead-Cain. The chancellor emeritus spoke with Catalyze as his final engagement on campus before moving to East Lansing, Michigan, to serve as president of Michigan State University.

Guskiewicz shares with scholar host Benny Klein ’24 insights on the current landscape of public higher education in North Carolina, how he uses roadmaps as a leadership tool, and some of the highlights from his tenure at the University.

Guskiewicz received his bachelor’s of science from West Chester University of Pennsylvania, his master’s in exercise physiology and athletic training from the University of Pittsburgh School of Education, and his doctorate in sports medicine from the University of Virginia.

Before recording this episode, the outgoing chancellor spoke at the most well-attended Food for Thought event to date at the Morehead-Cain Foundation on February 2.

Modeled after the City Club of Cleveland, Food for Thought provides a central meeting place for members of diverse beliefs and opinions to participate in free and open discussions. The breakfast and conversation series is an initiative of Team Cleveland members from the 2022 Morehead-Cain Civic Collaboration program.

Music credits

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Catalyze is hosted and produced by Sarah O’Carroll for the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Josh Lee ’04 releases Lucha: A Wrestling Tale

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Most Morehead-Cain Alumni know Josh Lee ’04 as the co-founder of Green Top Farms, a farm-to-table catering and food service company based in New York City. But after the work day, you’ll find the entrepreneur in the South Bronx coaching girls how to wrestle.

Josh is the founder of the Taft High School women’s wrestling team, one of the first of its kind in the city. A new film by Nike’s Waffle Iron Entertainment chronicles the team’s path to championship over the course of two years.

Centering on the experiences of four team members, Lucha: A Wrestling Tale is a story of resilience, transformation, and victory. From family struggles to homelessness and immigration, the film gives an inside look at how the girls have found connection and success through wrestling. The docufilm was directed by Marco Ricci and produced in association with Noble Heart Films.

Lucha premiered at DOC NYC, the largest film festival in the country, and received two awards. The film will be viewed during Discovery Weekend for Morehead-Cain recipients.

Music credits

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Peter Hans, president of the University of North Carolina system, on the sustainability of affordable public education

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 6 Feb 2024 10:00:00 +0000

Today’s guest is Peter Hans, president of the University of North Carolina system and a Food for Thought speaker at Morehead-Cain.

On this episode, President Hans shares about how growing up in rural North Carolina has informed his work, his experiences as president of the North Carolina Community College System, and his perspective on the future of affordable public education in the state.

Hans received his bachelor’s in political science from UNC–Chapel Hill and a master’s of liberal arts in extension studies from Harvard.

The president served as the first Food for Thought speaker of the spring semester. He spoke with Allyson Horst ’27 of the Scholar Media Team after his talk with scholars at the Foundation.

Modeled after the City Club of Cleveland, Food for Thought provides a central meeting place for members of diverse beliefs and opinions to participate in free and open discussions. The breakfast and conversation series is an initiative of Team Cleveland members from the 2022 Morehead-Cain Civic Collaboration program.

Episode art by Aayas Joshi ’26, Scholar Media Team

Music credits

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

SEVEN Talk, by Kartik Tyagi ’23: “Haste and Hustle”

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Sun, 7 Jan 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode is a recording of a SEVEN Talk from the 2022 Alumni Forum. This talk, given by Kartik Tyagi ’23, is entitled, “Haste and Hustle.” Kartik was the senior class president at UNC–Chapel Hill.

You can watch all of the SEVEN Talks on our YouTube channel.

Morea bout Kartik

Born and raised in Cary, North Carolina, Kartik Tyagi ’23 received his BSPH in Health Policy and Management at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health.

As a senior Morehead-Cain Scholar, Kartik served as International President at HOSA-Future Health Professionals, an international career and technical student organization serving over 250,000 middle school, secondary, and postsecondary/collegiate members and 2.7 million alumni.

Kartik’s passion for service and advocacy—through uplifting and empowering the voices of others – is what has propelled both his work and his drive, be it through engagements that have enabled him to embody his leadership journey or build his professional passions in the public health policy, healthcare reform, and public service sectors.

Kartik is thankful to have had the opportunity to develop these passions in supporting work as a Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Intern within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians’ America Needs More Family DoctorsCollective Impact Initiative, and as an Alumni Policy Ambassador for NAF: Be Future Ready, a national organization aiming to transform the outlook of secondary education. Kartik also served his peers as the senior class president at UNC–Chapel Hill and as a member of the board of directors of the General Alumni Association at Carolina.

In an increasingly polarizing world, Kartik aims to utilize the unifying capability of both health and leadership as a guiding light into the 21st century, optimistically and intentionally, to secure a more accessible, equitable, and inclusive field of healthcare.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Welcoming sophomores as new scholars, celebrating educators, and what’s ahead in 2024, with Morehead-Cain President Chris Bradford

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Thu, 4 Jan 2024 10:00:00 +0000

Morehead-Cain President Chris Bradford sat down with scholar co-host Benny Klein ’24 to share about an initiative that welcomed more than a dozen sophomores from UNC–Chapel Hill into the Program last fall, recent efforts to celebrate and support educators in North Carolina and beyond, and what’s ahead for the Morehead-Cain Foundation in 2024.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

From the class of 1985 to 2020: Quick takes with five Morehead-Cain Alumnae leading in consulting, tech, nonprofits, and government

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Navigating leadership transitions. Tackling education inequities. Finding inspiration within cancel culture.

Five Morehead-Cain alumnae share with Benny Klein ’24 about their entrepreneurship journeys from the worlds of consulting, tech, nonprofits, and government.

The group shares their role models, most impactful Morehead-Cain summers from college, and what’s keeping them motivated at the moment.

Today’s guests:

Jane Sommers-Kelly ’85, founder of JSK Leadership (Chapel Hill, North Carolina)
Chesca Colloredo-Mansfeld ’87, co-founder and strategic advisor for MiracleFeet (Chapel Hill)
Caroline Lowery ’16, product and customer insights manager at Amazon (Seattle, Washington)
Cecilia Polanco ’16, director of community growth and outreach for Pupusas for Education and CEO of So Good Pupusas (Durham, North Carolina)
Pavani Peri ’20, co-founder and COO of Acta Solutions (Chapel Hill)

The group spoke with scholars at the Morehead-Cain Foundation on September 30, 2023.

Music credits

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

SEVEN Talk, by Tai Huynh ’20: “80 Days Around the Mustache”

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Thu, 7 Dec 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode is a recording of a SEVEN Talk from the 2022 Alumni Forum. This talk, given by Tai Huynh ’20, is entitled, “80 Days Around the Mustache.” Tai is a Chapel Hill Town Council Member and the co-founder and CEO of Acta Solutions LLC.

You can watch all of the SEVEN Talks on our YouTube channel.

More about Tai

Tai Huynh ’20 is a co-founder at Acta Solutions and a sitting member of the Chapel Hill Town Council. Born to Vietnamese refugees, Tai was a real estate agent before attending UNC Chapel-Hill as a first-generation college student. At UNC, he graduated with a bachelor’s in computer science with minors in anthropology and business administration, was a founding member of the UNC Institute of Politics, and was a collegiate boxer. Tai became the first Vietnamese-American elected to public office in North Carolina at 22. As a policymaker, he works to increase access to housing and economic opportunities for underserved families. His GovTech startup powers better customer service in government, and they currently serve over 1.5 million constituents across four states. Tai loves to fish and is still working towards catching a fish in North Carolina.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

A friendship forged in the wilderness: David von Storch ’80

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 16:20:50 +0000

Today we have a story from Morehead-Cain Ambassador David von Storch ’80 about how he met his classmate, Andy Spencer ’80. It’s one of resilience, connection, and gratitude.

It begins in the wilderness.

The Morehead-Cain Day of Giving is this Friday, November 17. Support the Program by the end of the Day to help us reach our goal of 50 percent alumni giving participation.

Thank you for supporting the next generation of scholars!

About Morehead-Cain Ambassadors

Morehead-Cain Class Ambassadors engage in outreach to their peers on behalf of the Foundation. The group comprises alumni with members representing each graduating class. On the Day of Giving, held every November, alumni remind their classmates to give. As a direct result of ambassadors, around 55 percent of alumni consistently participate.

Music credits

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

SEVEN Talk, by Frank Bruni ’86: “We Are Starfish”

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 7 Nov 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode is a recording of a SEVEN Talk from the 2022 Alumni Forum. This talk, given by Frank Bruni ’86, is entitled, “We Are Starfish.” Frank is a Professor of the Practice of Journalism and Public Policy at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy. The alumnus is also author of four New York Times best sellers, including his new memoir The Beauty of Dusk: On Vision Lost and Found.

You can watch all of the SEVEN Talks on our YouTube channel.

More about Frank

Frank Bruni ’86 has been a prominent journalist for more than three decades, including more than twenty-five years at The New York Times, the last ten of them as a nationally renowned op-ed columnist who appeared frequently as a television commentator. (His archive of columns, starting with the most recent, can be found here.) He was also a White House correspondent for the Times, its Rome bureau chief and, for five years, its chief restaurant critic.

Frank is the author of four New York Times bestsellers, including The Beauty of Dusk, which reached #5 on both the hardcover nonfiction and the combined print and e-book nonfiction lists. In July 2021, he became a professor at Duke University, teaching media-oriented classes in the Sanford School of Public Policy. He continues to write his popular weekly newsletter for the Times (you can sign up here) and to produce occasional essays as one of the newspaper’s Contributing Opinion Writers. He lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Ray Sawyer ’13 on re-thinking time management: ‘How do I think about where to invest my energy in the places of maximum impact?’

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 7 Nov 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Ray Sawyer ’13 is the director of community health partnerships at Well, a health tech and services company co-founded by Dave Werry ’06.

On this episode of Catalyze, Ray shares about his path from a small, rural North Carolina town to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He touches on his public service project in Uganda as a Morehead-Cain Scholar and the “happy accident” that led him to South Korea on a Fulbright fellowship. The self-designed curriculum he built in South Korea turned the English block into an exploration of dialogue on poetry and pronunciation, sports and segregation, education, and expression. Using these experiences of innovation, he began working at Google and stayed with the company for more than seven years.

Today, he serves as a coach and consultant for Project Be Better, a startup he founded. Ray describes what kinds of problems he coaches college students through, and shares about re-thinking the concept of time management and what it means to live out holistic wellness.

As a member of Morehead-Cain’s Black Alumni Working Group (BAWG) and alumni board, Ray shares his aspirations for proactive relationship building among the scholar and alumni communities. The alumnus spoke with co-hosts Stella Smolowitz ’26 and Allyson Horst ’27 of the Scholar Media Team after a coffee chat event with scholars on October 14.

Music credits

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Leadership lessons from five Morehead-Cain Young Alumni

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 09:00:00 +0000

A group of Morehead-Cain Young Alumni, all of whom graduated from UNC–Chapel Hill within the last five years, spoke with Catalyze co-host Stella Smolowitz ’26 about leadership lessons gained at Carolina.

Today’s guests include André Ceccotti ’18, Malik Jabati ’19, Sarah Mackenzie ’20, Ashton Martin ’20, and Andrew Buchanan ’23.

The alumni have pursued careers in investing (Malik), entrepreneurship (Andrew), and law (André, Sarah, Ashton). In addition to sharing reflections from their leadership positions as Morehead-Cain Scholars, the guests discuss their most impactful mentors at the University and Summer Enrichment Program experiences through the Program.

Along with Sean Nguyen ’21 and Melanie Godinez-Cedillo ’22, the alumni served on a panel at the Foundation on September 16 about leadership, from managing imposter syndrome to deciding on a career path.
Music credits

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

SEVEN Talk, by Bex Frucht ’05: “Free Your Tumbleweed Queen”

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Sat, 7 Oct 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode is a recording of a SEVEN Talk from the 2022 Alumni Forum. This talk, given by Bex Frucht ’05, is entitled, “Free Your Tumbleweed Queen.” Bex is the program manager for The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation.

You can watch all of the SEVEN Talks on our YouTube channel.

More about Bex

Bex Frucht ’05 is a self-ascribed “Tumbleweed Queen” whose eclectic personal and professional journey has taken her from the red carpet to the Rocky Mountains. After a decade of big-city adventures in media, communications, sustainability, freelance writing, and finally anchoring a daily cable TV show and weekly web series—she blew up her urbanite existence to live and work on an 87,000-acre cattle ranch, and has been exploring the intersection of open range and open minds ever since. If it wasn't for that formative backcountry experience with Outward Bound, she might still be stuck in LA traffic.

Bex loves telling stories almost as much as living them—she's shared escapades onstage for NPR’s “The Moth,” launched a storytelling series to destigmatize and advocate for reproductive justice, and enjoys helping organizations and individuals wrangle their narratives. As a program manager for the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation’s Montana-based philanthropy, she supports innovative nonprofit programming hosted at West Creek Ranch. Bex also moonlights as an environmental educator, amateur cowgirl, karaoke professional, rainbow influencer, and unicorn believer.

At UNC, she served as senior class vice president and Freshman Camp (now Carolina Kickoff) counselor, and taught a seminar on “The MTV Generation.” She's lucky to call the funky river town of Livingston, Montana, home, where she floats the Yellowstone with her “Mantana” Kyle Joe, chases their muppet dog Zucca and spoons their kitties—Aldo Meowpold and Ralph Waldo Emerpuss the Catservationists.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Skip Griffin, senior associate at Dialogos, on productive discourse: ‘We are much more golden than we’ve been taught to believe’

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 3 Oct 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Today’s guest is Skip Griffin, a senior associate at Dialogos and an expert on engaging in productive discourse.

Griffin was a plaintiff in Virginia’s 1964 school desegregation lawsuit; led Harvard’s Black students through the tumult of the late 1960s; and later worked in a range of community leadership roles in public schools, at Northeastern University, and
at the Boston Globe.

Griffin received his bachelor’s in government from Harvard and a master’s of education in organizational and social policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Dialogos is a management consulting and leadership development firm that seeks to catalyze organizational transformations.

Griffin served as the first Food for Thought speaker of the fall semester. He spoke with Catalyze co-hosts Stella Smolowitz ’26 and Sarah O’Carroll, Morehead-Cain’s content manager, after his talk at the Foundation.

Modeled after the City Club of Cleveland, Food for Thought provides a central meeting place for members of diverse beliefs and opinions to participate in free and open discussions. The breakfast and conversation series is an initiative of Team Cleveland members from the 2022 Morehead-Cain Civic Collaboration program.

Music credits

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Catalyze is hosted and produced by Sarah O’Carroll for the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on Twitter or Instagram at @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

The Catalyze podcast: Ashton Martin ’20 of the USET Sovereignty Protection Fund on championing rights for Tribal Nations

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 18:13:17 +0000

Today’s guest is Ashton Martin ’20, a health policy analyst for United South and Eastern Tribes Sovereignty Protection Fund in Washington, D.C. The nonprofit is an intertribal organization that advocates on behalf of thirty-three federally recognized Tribal Nations, from the Northeastern Woodlands to the Everglades and across the Gulf of Mexico.

On this episode, Ashton shares about their social justice work as student body president at Carolina (and reflections from the 2023 reunion of former student body presidents at the Morehead-Cain Foundation), their path to working in public policy for Tribal Nations as a recent graduate, and the complexities of working in tribal law and policy. Ashton also gives guidance in using respectful language when referring to Tribal Nations.

Prior to joining the fund, Ashton worked as the Rodney B. Lewis Fellow in American Indian Law and Policy at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP. During their time at Carolina, Ashton worked as a strategy and fundraising intern at Feedback Labs in Washington, D.C., a company co-founded by Dennis Whittle ’83. They previously worked as a summer investigations intern at the Cook County Public Defender in Chicago law officeand as chief of staff for Daymaker, a charitable giving platform led by CEO Brent Macon ’12.

Ashton spoke with Morehead-Cain at a café in Dupont Circle before the 2023 D.C. Regional Event for alumni and scholars.

Music credits

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

SEVEN Talk, by Ricky Hurtado ’11: “Roses in the Concrete”

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Thu, 7 Sep 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode is a recording of a SEVEN Talk from the 2022 Alumni Forum. This talk, given by Ricky Hurtado ’11, is entitled, “Roses in the Concrete.” Ricky is the state representative for the North Carolina House of Representatives. He is the first Latino Democrat to serve in the N.C. House.

You can watch all of the SEVEN Talks on our YouTube channel.

More about Ricky

Ricky Hurtado ’11 is a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, representing the state’s sixty-third district. As a first-generation college student, Ricky found his passion for public service while at Carolina, mentoring students who grew up in similar circumstances and were working hard to make their dreams come true. Ricky studied business administration at Carolina, later attending graduate school at Princeton University, where he focused on how to create effective public policy to fight poverty and inequality and build strong, vibrant communities.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

From Capitol Hill: A sit-down with Aaron Hiller ’03, chief counsel and Democratic deputy staff director for the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 5 Sep 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Today’s guest is Aaron Hiller ’03, chief counsel and Democratic deputy staff director for the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary.

On this episode, Aaron reflects on the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and what it was like to work on the ensuing two impeachments of former president Donald Trump. The alumnus also shares his thoughts on having a free and fair presidential election this November, his legal heroes, and why he thinks college students should consider working in politics.

Aaron spoke with Morehead-Cain from his office on the Hill before the 2023 D.C. Regional Event for alumni and scholars.

The alumnus received his bachelor’s in biology and philosophy from Carolina. He earned his JD and master’s in public policy from Georgetown University in 2007.

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Sam Lowe ’20, Scott Diekema ’19, Nicholas Byrne ’19, and Jonny Huang ’24 of recycleReality on launching a creative technology studio in New York

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Today’s guests are Sam Lowe ’20, Scott Diekema ’19, Nicholas Byrne ’19, and Jonny Huang ’24, who Zoomed with Morehead-Cain from Brooklyn.

Sam, Scott, and Nicholas are the co-founders of recycleReality, a creative technology studio in New York that specializes in bespoke design and software solutions in music, fashion, art, and architecture. Jonny interned with the alumni this summer for his Morehead-Cain Professional Experience summer.

On this episode, the Morehead-Cains share about the early collaborations at UNC–Chapel Hill that led to forming their own company, how their different backgrounds and skillsets (computer science to communications and music) complement one another, and a music responsive light box that recycleReality plans to release within a year.

recycleReality garnered recognition earlier this year with two OBIE Awards as part of the 2022 “Breakthrough Artist” ad campaign by Amazon Music and Overall Murals. The alumni won the OBIE Craft Award for Best Illustration and a Silver OBIE Award in the Billboards category. The OBIE Awards, presented annually by the Out of Home Advertising Association of America, recognize outstanding contributions to the world of advertising and design.

Nicholas and Sam are returning Catalyze guests. The two (along with Eric Lee ’18) spoke with Morehead-Cain back in 2020 during a road trip across the country with a U-Haul-turned-mobile-recording-unit.

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Director and producer Taylor Sharp ’16 of Blue Cup Productions on his founding story, following the NBA G League through creative storytelling, and upcoming works

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 8 Aug 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Taylor Sharp ’16 is a director and producer based in Brooklyn, New York. The alumnus co-founded the independent production company Blue Cup Productions with Holland Randolph Gallagher, a writer and director.

Taylor spoke with Catalyze at a neighborhood cafe a day after the 2023 New York City Regional Event for alumni and scholars.

Hailing from a creative household in Burke County, North Carolina, Taylor recounts his upbringing alongside two older brothers, both Carolina alumni, who immersed themselves in music and imaginative projects (Taylor’s brother, Jacob, is one of the founding members of the string band Mipso). These early explorations paved the way for his career in filmmaking.

As a Morehead-Cain Scholar, Taylor interned at the Zimbabwean nonprofit Hoops 4 Hope, experiences that informed his 2017 documentary, Hoops Africa: Ubuntu Matters. He also worked at a sports agency with Jim Tanner ’90, president of Tandem Sports + Entertainment, and in New York with Malcolm Turner ’93, then president of what would become the G League.

On today’s episode, Taylor shares other memories from UNC–Chapel Hill, how conversations at He’s Not Here (a famous haunt on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill) led to the founding of Blue Cup Productions, his work with Shaquille O’Neal and the NBA G League, and more.

Earlier this year, Taylor and John Zimmerman were inducted into the Southern Fly Fishing Hall of Fame for their humanitarian contributions within the sport. In 2012, they co-founded Casting for Hope, a nonprofit that supports women with ovarian and other gynecological cancers, which has since raised over $1,000,000 for its financial and emotional assistance, programming, and fly-fishing retreats.

A natural fundraiser, Taylor is also a Morehead-Cain Class Ambassador, collaborating with peers to support the Foundation’s annual fundraising campaigns.

The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

SEVEN Talk, by Malini Moorthy ’91: “We Are Not in Golden Rock Anymore”

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Mon, 7 Aug 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode is a recording of a SEVEN Talk from the 2022 Alumni Forum. This talk, given by Malini Moorthy ’91, is entitled, “We Are Not in Golden Rock Anymore.” Malini is the General Counsel of argenx, a biotech company.

You can watch all of the SEVEN Talks on our YouTube channel.

More about Malini

Since 2022, Malini Moorthy ’91 has served as the General Counsel of argenx, a biotech company committed to innovating and delivering lifechanging immunology solutions to patients. She has extensive global legal and compliance experience in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries and is a devoted leader known for building, developing, and mentoring high-performing and inclusive teams. Malini is also passionate about equity, diversity, and inclusion and is leading argenx’s internal efforts to establish a formal DEI policy and programming and to champion robust sponsorship and mentorship initiatives.

Before joining argenx, Malini was the Senior Vice President & Chief Deputy General Counsel, Legal, Compliance & Government Affairs at Medtronic. Prior to Medtronic, Malini spent four years as the Head of Global Litigation & Investigations at Bayer and ten years at Pfizer where she progressed to lead civil litigation globally.

Recognized for her handling some of the most challenging and complex litigation in the life sciences industry, Malini was named a Visionary Leader in litigation by Inside Counsel magazine and selected for Lawyers of Color’s inaugural Nation’s Best List. Malini also has been recognized by the National Center for Law and Economic Justice for her service to the legal profession and to the nonprofit community, the South Asian Bar Association for her achievements as corporate counsel and Lawyers for Civil Justice for her contributions to civil justice reform.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

SEVEN Talk, by Bruce Gellin ’77: “Serendipitous Lessons”

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Fri, 7 Jul 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode is a recording of a SEVEN Talk from the 2022 Alumni Forum. This talk, given by Bruce Gellin ’77, is entitled, “Serendipitous Lessons.” Bruce is the Chief of Global Public Health Strategy at The Rockefeller Foundation.

You can watch all of the SEVEN Talks on our YouTube channel.

More about Bruce

Bruce Gellin ’77 has pursued a career that’s blended medicine, science, policy, and public health with a focus on infectious diseases and pandemics. He traces all of this to his days at Carolina, where he crafted an interdisciplinary studies program in human biology. When he took a year off in the middle of medical school at Cornell (’83) as a Luce Scholar in the Philippines, he came back with a clearer picture where he was headed.

After completing a residency in internal medicine at Vanderbilt (’86), he became a disease detective in CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service that put him on the ground investigating outbreaks from Leavenworth Penitentiary (a foodborne outbreak of “homemade” ice cream) to New Zealand (an epidemic of bacterial meningitis).

His career in vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases included work at Johns Hopkins and NIH and as a Warren Weaver Fellow at the Rockefeller Foundation. In 2002, he moved to Washington as an Assistant Secretary for Health and Director of the National Vaccine Program Office at the Department of Health and Human Services.

After 15 years in that post (SARS, MERS, Bird Flu, H1N1, and a growing anti-vaccine movement), he was the president of global immunization at the Sabin Vaccine Institute until last year, when he returned to the Rockefeller Foundation as Chief, Global Public Health Strategy, where he is overseeing their Global Vaccine Initiative and their recently launched Pandemic Prevention Institute.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

From the dugout to the boardroom: Bobby Evans ’91 and his path to becoming general manager of the San Francisco Giants

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 13:06:33 +0000

On a spring day in Chapel Hill, Bobby Evans ’91 joined scholar host Benny Klein ’25 outside the Morehead-Cain Foundation to share about his life and career as a Major League Baseball executive. Bobby is the former general manager of the San Francisco Giants, a role he served from 2015 to 2018.

Bobby speaks about his grandmother’s pivotal advice as a high schooler, his start in baseball as an intern at UNC–Chapel Hill, the opportunities that led to the general manager role, and the highs and lows of working with the Giants. He also gives his perspective on a people-first approach to team building.

Bobby now serves on the national leadership council for the Positive Coaching Alliance, a nonprofit that provides research-based training materials and resources for coaches, parents, athletes, and leaders to promote positive youth development experiences through sports. The alumnus also collaborates with Because Baseball, a nonprofit founded by Kemp Gouldin ’02 that aims to “build bridges of friendship” in the Middle East using baseball.

“It’s very important not to feel the weight of the world on your shoulders alone, because no one person can manage all of that. You put good people around you.” —Bobby Evans ’91

Music credits

The first and second songs in this episode are by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

SEVEN Talk, by Sophie Cho ’23: “Searching Beyond the Well”

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Wed, 7 Jun 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode is a recording of a SEVEN Talk from the 2022 Alumni Forum. This talk, given by Sophie Cho ’23, is entitled, “Searching Beyond the Well.”

You can watch all of the SEVEN Talks on our YouTube channel.

More about Sophie

Sophie Cho ’23 of Raleigh received her bachelor’s in public policy, business, and statistics from Carolina. During her time as a scholar, she interned with the U.S. House of Representatives and a sustainability consultancy with Amirah Jiwa ’15, sharpened her Korean langauge skills in Seoul, and embarked on various Lovelace Fund for Discovery projects, from meeting her Morehead-Cain Mentor, Dele Carroo ’99, in Los Angeles to taking singing and acting classes. On campus, you could find her singing with The Loreleis, acting in a student film, working with Kenan-Flagler’s Community, Equity, and Inclusion Board, or in the Foundation’s scholar lounge writing a paper. After graduation, she moved to Los Angeles to work as a business analyst for McKinsey & Company.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Seniors Spotlight: Advice and reflections from Roli Enonuya ’23 and Maggie Helmke ’23

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Fri, 12 May 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Maggie Helmke ’23 and Roli Enonuya ’23, two graduating scholars, joined Catalyze to reflect on their four years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Maggie and Roli share with scholar host Stella Smolowitz ’26 about their favorite classes and memories, challenges they overcame, and advice for incoming and current scholars. The seniors also share their plans following graduation on May 14.

At UNC–Chapel Hill, Maggie designed her own C-START (Carolina Students Taking Academic Responsibility through Teaching) class about poetry, while Roli was involved in the UNC Campus Y’s Helping Youth by Providing Enrichment (HYPE) program, where she served K-5 students at local community centers through social, cultural, and educational experiences.

Following graduation, Maggie will take her Global Perspective summer through the Morehead-Cain, then pursue teaching. Roli will travel to Columbia and Brazil for her Global Perspective summer, then take a consulting role in Atlanta. (Both scholars’ final Summer Enrichment Program were delayed to this year due to the pandemic.)

At the end of the episode, other members of the Morehead-Cain Class of 2023 share advice, kudos, and college memories. Thank you to Charlotte Dorn ’23, Amy Feng, McKenzie Martin ’23, and Kartik Tyagi ’23 for sharing your story!

Music credits

The intro music is by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

The Catalyze podcast is a series by the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The show is directed and produced by Sarah O’Carroll, Content Manager for Morehead-Cain.

You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram at @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

SEVEN Talk, by Janel Monroe ’10: “Finding Freedom Through Fertility”

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Sun, 7 May 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode is a recording of a SEVEN Talk from the 2022 Alumni Forum. This talk, given by Janel Monroe ’10, is entitled, “Finding Freedom Through Fertility.” Janel is the strategy senior manager for Accenture.

You can watch all of the SEVEN Talks on our YouTube channel.

Janel Monroe ’10 is an inclusion, diversity, and equity practitioner who currently works as a strategy senior manager at Accenture. Prior to joining Accenture, she led inclusion and diversity at Campbell Soup Company and spent seven years in strategy consulting, focusing on talent and human potential. Janel resides in Philadelphia but enjoys traveling to warm and tropical locations, as well as internationally. Janel double majored in communication studies and cultural studies at Carolina.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Miniseries on sustainable farming in North Carolina, Pt. 3: Carolyn Roff Henry ’87 of Tryon Mountain Farms

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Fri, 21 Apr 2023 09:05:00 +0000

For Earth Day, we’re releasing a three-part miniseries on sustainable farming in North Carolina.

Elias Guedira ’26 and Stella Smolowitz ’26 of the Morehead-Cain Scholar Media Team traveled to Tryon (Polk County) to understand more about the food we consume and those who produce it.

The two co-hosts spoke with representatives of a farmer’s market, the founder of a creamer, and Carolyn Roff Henry ’87 of Tryon Mountain Farms. The alumna moved back to her hometown to take over the family business after a career in the food industry.

On this episode, Carolyn shares how she and her husband, Tracy, have found a niche through their specialization in seasoning salts and simple syrups, as well as the importance of stewarding native species while exploring new flavors. She also shares advice for how anyone can support local agriculture.

After graduating from Carolina with a bachelor’s in English, Carolyn worked with Cargill Incorporated in Food Sales. The alumna earned a master’s in food science from North Carolina State University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Commerce from Lincoln University in New Zealand. She worked as a food scientist at Sealed Air Corporation before building Tryon Mountain Farms.

Special thanks

The Scholar Media Team trip (the first of its kind!) was made possible by Carolyn, who hosted the scholars for the visit. Thank you, Carolyn, for your hospitality and support!

Music credits

The intro music is by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

The Catalyze podcast is a series by the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The show is directed and produced by Sarah O’Carroll, Content Manager for Morehead-Cain.

You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram at @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Miniseries (extra!) on sustainable farming in North Carolina: Sights and sounds of Tryon Mountain Farms, with co-hosts Elias Guedira ’26 and Stella Smolowitz ’26

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Fri, 21 Apr 2023 09:00:00 +0000

For Earth Day, we’re releasing a three-part miniseries on sustainable farming in North Carolina.

Elias Guedira ’26 and Stella Smolowitz ’26 of the Morehead-Cain Scholar Media Team traveled to Tryon (Polk County) to understand more about the food we consume and those who produce it.

The two co-hosts spoke with representatives of a farmer’s market, the founder of a creamer, and Carolyn Roff Henry ’87 of Tryon Mountain Farms. The alumna moved back to her hometown to take over the family business after a career in the food industry.

In this audio tour, Elias and Stella describe the sights and sounds of the farm while feeding bananas to Carolyn’s goats.

Up next: On Carolyn’s episode, she shares how she and her husband, Tracy, have found a niche through their specialization in seasoning salts and simple syrups, as well as the importance of stewarding native species while exploring new flavors. She also shares advice for how anyone can support local agriculture.

After graduating from Carolina with a bachelor’s in English, Carolyn worked with Cargill Incorporated in Food Sales. The alumna earned a master’s in food science from North Carolina State University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Commerce from Lincoln University in New Zealand. She worked as a food scientist at Sealed Air Corporation before building Tryon Mountain Farms.

Special thanks

The Scholar Media Team trip (the first of its kind!) was made possible by Carolyn, who hosted the scholars for the visit. Thank you, Carolyn, for your hospitality and support!

Music credits

The intro music is by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

The Catalyze podcast is a series by the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The show is directed and produced by Sarah O’Carroll, Content Manager for Morehead-Cain.

You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram at @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Miniseries on sustainable farming in North Carolina, Pt. 2: Jen Perkins, owner of Looking Glass Creamery in Columbus County

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Miniseries on sustainable farming in North Carolina, Pt. 1: Maranda Williams and Jessica Mullen of Travelers Rest Farmers Market

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Special thanks

The Scholar Media Team trip (the first of its kind!) was made possible by Carolyn, who hosted the scholars for the visit. Thank you, Carolyn, for your hospitality and support!

TRAILER: Miniseries on sustainable farming in North Carolina, with Carolyn Roff Henry ’87 of Tryon Mountain Farms

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 18 Apr 2023 18:13:01 +0000

Special thanks

The Scholar Media Team trip (the first of its kind!) was made possible by Carolyn, who hosted the scholars for the visit. Thank you, Carolyn, for your hospitality and support!

Josh Stein, attorney general of North Carolina and gubernatorial candidate, on academic freedom in public universities, college access, and increasing economic equity in the state

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Josh Stein, attorney general of North Carolina, spoke with the Scholar Media Team’s Cate Miller ’25 and Content Manager Sarah O’Carroll before his Food for Thought talk this spring.

Stein shares about his career path to serving as attorney general, his views on academic freedom and college access, and his plans to run for state governor.

Food for Thought is a breakfast and conversation series held on Friday mornings at the Foundation. You can learn more about the initiative and RSVP for upcoming events on the Morehead-Cain Network.

SEVEN Talk, by Naimul Huq ’08: “The Un-blockable Chain”

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Fri, 7 Apr 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode is a recording of a SEVEN Talk from the 2022 Alumni Forum. This talk, given by Naimul Huq ’08, is entitled, “The Un-blockable Chain.” Naimul is the senior vice president of operations at VaynerNFT, a Web3 consultancy.

You can watch all of the SEVEN Talks on our YouTube channel.

More about Naimul

Naimul Huq ’08 is the SVP and head of operations for Vayner3, a Web3 consultancy. Founded by entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk in 2021, Vayner3 guides enterprises, blockchain startups, and nonprofits into the next era of human interaction through NFTs, cryptocurrencies, mixed-reality experiences, and the use of decentralized protocols.

Prior to his metaverse obsession, Naimul built the Data and Analytics practice at Precision Strategies, working alongside President Obama’s former campaign managers on progressive political campaigns and international public affairs. In his free time, he was the CMO of RentCity, the first apartment-level review site in NYC. Before that, he led Analytics and Planning for Lippe Taylor Group, an award-winning media and advertising firm specializing in consumer brands. He honed his research and marketing interests over many years with Real Chemistry—a global PR agency focused on healthcare.

After leaving Carolina pre-med with a bachelor’s in English, Naimul worked in Humana’s Innovation Center and realized the world-changing potential of Web 2.0 through the advent of social media. Naimul was raised in Omaha, Nebraska, where he waited for faster internet. You’ll find him online at naimul.com. Naimul lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Neha, a pediatrician and so much more.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Cindy Parlow Cone, president of U.S. Soccer, on the historic agreements that achieved equal pay for women soccer players

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 4 Apr 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Cindy Parlow Cone, president of U.S. Soccer, spoke with the Scholar Media Team’s Laurelle Maubert ’25 and Content Manager Sarah O’Carroll before her Food for Thought talk this spring. On this episode, Cone shares about historic equal pay agreements she led as president, her goals for the federation, and advice for female college athletes.

Cone is the first female president of U.S. Soccer and the first former player of a senior U.S. National Team to serve in the role. She is also the youngest player to win an Olympic gold medal and a Women’s World Cup title.

In May 2022, U.S. Soccer, the United States Women’s National Team Players Association, and the United States National Soccer Team Players Association agreed on collective bargaining agreements to achieve equal pay for women soccer players.

A UNC–Chapel Hill alumna, Cone was a four-time All-American for the Tar Heels. She later served as assistant coach at Carolina, leading the women’s team to four NCAA titles.

Food for Thought is a breakfast and conversation series held on Friday mornings at the Foundation. You can learn more about the initiative and RSVP for upcoming events on the Morehead-Cain Network.

Edward Ndopu, UN SDG Advocate for Accessibility and Inclusion, on “radical humanity”

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 13:49:23 +0000

Humanitarian Edward Ndopu joined Catalyze co-hosts Sarah O’Carroll and Elias Guedira ’26 during his visit to the Morehead-Cain Foundation this spring. Ndopu represents accessibility and inclusion as one of the 17 official UN Advocates for the Sustainable Development Goals.

Ndopu shares about his experiences becoming the first disabled Black man to receive a master’s degree from Oxford University, his career in activism for intersectional disability justice, and advice for leaders in higher education to envision “radical inclusion” on college campuses.

Ndopu also previews his upcoming memoir, Drinking Dom Perignon Through a Straw, and talks about what it would be like to be the first disabled person to travel to space.

Edward delivered a Food for Thought talk on January 27 to an audience of Morehead-Cain Scholars and students at UNC–Chapel Hill. The breakfast and conversation series is held on Fridays at the Foundation this semester. Learn more and RSVP for upcoming events on the Morehead-Cain Network.

SEVEN Talk, by Emily Vasquez ’06: “The Social Life”

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 7 Mar 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode is a recording of a SEVEN Talk from the 2022 Alumni Forum. This talk, given by Emily Vasquez ’06, is entitled, “The Social Life.” Emily is a Bridge to the Faculty Fellow in Sociology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The alumna is also an ethnographer of science, medicine, and public health.

You can watch all of the SEVEN Talks on our YouTube channel.

Emily is also a previous guest on the Catalyze podcast: “How a ‘national genome’ can reinforce social inequality, with Emily Vasquez ’06, ethnographer of science, medicine, and public health.” (November 15, 2022)

More about Emily

Emily Vasquez ’06 is a Bridge to the Faculty Postdoctoral Fellow in the department of sociology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she teaches courses on the sociology of health and medicine and on race and ethnicity in scientific and medical practice.

Her research examines how social inequalities are entangled with and reinforced through the production of medical knowledge and technologies. She has published on these issues in journals, including Engaging Science, Technology, and Society, American Anthropologist, Perspectives on Science, and Medicine, Anthropology, Theory and led an edited volume published by Routledge in 2020 entitled Social Inequities and Contemporary Struggles for Collective Health in Latin America.

Her current book project draws on 20 months of ethnographic research based in Mexico City examining the fraught politics of diabetes prevention in Mexico, where diabetes has been declared a National Sanitary Emergency. She worked previously in HIV-prevention in Paraguay with a LGBTQ+ grass-roots organization supported by the Global Fund and served for seven years as managing editor of the journal Global Public Health.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

How sports entrepreneurship can cultivate social change, with Steven Aldrich ’91, chair of the Oakland Roots Sports Club and former chief product officer of GoDaddy

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Steven Aldrich ’91, a seasoned entrepreneur and executive with a wealth of experience in growing successful companies, joined Catalyze during a visit to UNC–Chapel Hill this spring.

Steven shares with scholar co-hosts Elias Guedira ’26 and Stella Smolowitz ’26 about his experiences starting GoDaddy’s California offices and taking the company public as chief product officer; selling an online insurance marketplace he co-founded to Intuit; and his current role as chair of the Oakland Roots Sports Club, a community-focused pro soccer team in Oakland, California. The alumnus also serves on the Boards of Blucora, Xero, and Ruby Receptionists.

Steven earned a bachelor’s in physics from Carolina, and an MBA from Stanford as an Arjay Miller Scholar. As a Morehead-Cain Scholar, the alumnus was co-captain of the fencing team.

Music credits

The intro music is by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

The Catalyze podcast is a series by the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The show is directed and produced by Sarah O’Carroll, Content Manager for Morehead-Cain.

You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram at @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

SEVEN Talk, by Antonio McBroom ’08: “Pardon My Passion”

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 7 Feb 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode is a recording of a SEVEN Talk from the 2022 Alumni Forum. This talk, given by Antonio McBroom ’08, is entitled, “Pardon My Passion.” Antonio is a franchise developer at Ben & Jerry’s.

You can watch all of the SEVEN Talks on our YouTube channel.

More about Antonio

Antonio McBroom ’08 is the franchise developer of Ben & Jerry’s with multi-unit double-digit retail and business locations throughout the Southeast and Midwest. Antonio grew up in rural North Carolina and began his journey with Ben & Jerry’s while he was a scholar at Carolina, “scooping his way up” from minimum-wage scooper to shift leader to shop manager. In 2008, he seized the opportunity to purchase the Chapel Hill shop, becoming the youngest franchisee in the company’s history. Antonio and his “Team Primo” have propelled and innovated the off-premise catering category by double-digit sales growth annually.

While becoming a business owner, Antonio taught mathematics through the Teach For America program in North Carolina, as well as internationally with World Teach in South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. His passion for education continues through the Myron Headen Scholarship Program, founded in honor of his mother.

As a partner with the Vickers Bennett Group, Antonio is the lead curator and developer for multiple 100+ acre land assemblages. He plays an instrumental role in the Vickers Village mixed-use development project, by creating innovative affordable housing solutions with a community of 180+ homes, dozens of condos, and a commercial retail village center.

Antonio’s strength of character makes him a standout beyond his business endeavors, including his outstanding volunteerism in the communities in which he does business. In addition to serving others, he is involved with “we are” (working to extend anti-racist education) for social justice reform. Since 2020, Antonio has served as a member of the board of the Chatham Economic Development Corporation (EDC). Antonio’s professional and civic leadership has earned him many accolades; most notable are: the 2018 Black Enterprise Franchisee of the Year Award, the 2021 UNC Black Alumni’s Harvey E. Beech Outstanding Alumni Award, and the prestigious Ben & Jerry’s “Big O” 2021 Operator of the Year Award. Antonio holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and African American Studies from the University of North Carolina. He currently resides in North Carolina with his wife, Katie, and their two children.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

David Price ’61 retires from Congress after more than three decades of service to North Carolina’s fourth district

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 18:29:54 +0000

Former congressman David Price ’61 joined Catalyze with scholar co-hosts Benny Klein ’24 and Elias Guedira ’26 in December 2022 during the politician’s final month in office. Price, who retired this January, represented North Carolina’s fourth district, including Orange County, Chapel Hill.

The alumnus visited the Foundation to share about his lifetime career of public service and his over three decades serving in the U.S. House of Representatives. Price also spoke about his involvement as a scholar in the civil rights movement at UNC–Chapel Hill, some of his proudest political accomplishments, and his post-retirement plans.

Price released the fourth edition of his book, The Congressional Experience, in 2020. He revised the book to cover the Obama and Trump administrations.

After receiving his bachelor’s degree at Carolina, he pursued graduate studies at Yale University to earn a theology degree (1964) and a PhD in political science (1969). Price is a professor of political science at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy.

Music credits

The intro music is by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

SEVEN Talk, by Debbie Weston Harden ’79: “Can I Do It All?”

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Sat, 7 Jan 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode is a recording of a SEVEN Talk from the 2022 Alumni Forum. This talk, given by Debbie Weston Harden ’79, is entitled, “Can I Do It All?”

You can watch all of the SEVEN Talks on our YouTube channel.

Debbie is a partner at Womble Bond Dickinson. The alumna was a member of the first class of women scholars.

More about Debbie

Debbie Weston Harden ’79 is a member of the first class of female scholars, who were dubbed the “Dirty Dozen.” As a scholar, she was one of the first to participate in five summer programs, which led her to a career in law.

As a partner based in the Charlotte office of Womble Bond Dickinson, Debbie has practiced law for more than three decades, focusing on complex commercial litigation and counseling of boards of directors and other fiduciaries. She is a Chambers USA–ranked commercial litigator who has also been selected for inclusion by Woodward-White Inc. in five industry/practice areas in The Best Lawyers in America recognitions.

Debbie and her husband, Mark (UNC Class of ’77; MBA ’81), have three children, all of whom have completed their graduate education and begun their “adult” lives. While their children were younger, both Mark and Debbie’s community service focused on the family’s interests and activities. Debbie served on the Uptown YMCA’s Board of Directors, as a former chair, and later served on the Board of the Children’s Theater of Charlotte/ImaginOn and the Greater Charlotte Cultural Trust.

Most recently, as an empty nester, Debbie has pursued her passion for quality and affordable family housing, serving six years on the Board of Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region. During her spare time, Debbie enjoys reading, travelling with her family, spending time in the North Carolina mountains, and playing golf with Mark.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

The Catalyze podcast: State of Morehead-Cain, with Foundation President Chris Bradford and scholar host Elias Guedira ’26

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 3 Jan 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Morehead-Cain president, Chris Bradford, joined Catalyze with scholar host, Elias Guedira ’26, to share about the state of the Program after his first year and a half in the role. The president talks about the progress the Morehead-Cain community made in 2022 and what opportunities he sees for the Program in 2023 and beyond.

You can learn more about the Program by viewing the online 2021–2022 Year in Review.

Chris joined the Morehead-Cain Foundation in the summer of 2021 after 17 years with African Leadership Academy (ALA), an educational institution based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Music credits

The intro music is by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

The Travel Episode: Stories from the Morehead-Cain International Gap Year, with Aayas Joshi ’26, Olu Kopano ’26, and scholar host Elias Guedira ’26

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 13 Dec 2022 10:00:00 +0000

A night under the stars in the Himalayas. A lion hunt from a safari van in Africa. A dune climb in Morocco. Aayas Joshi ’26 (the first Morehead-Cain Scholar from Nepal), Olu Kopano ’26, and scholar host Elias Guedira ’26 share about their global experiences on the Morehead-Cain International Gap Year.

At the end of the episode, we also hear from current gap year scholars Abbey Beebe ’27 about swimming in bioluminescent waters in the Caribbean Sea and Chandler Beals ’27 from an airport in Las Vegas between trips.

Morehead-Cain recipients are invited to consider taking a funded gap year between graduating high school and coming to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Listen to the first gap year episode from last year: Gap year dispatch with Emile Charles ’24 (and ft. Taylor Shinal ’25, Mark Finamore ’25, Asher Wexler ’25, and Noah Gottlieb ’25). Emile interned at a children’s hospital in Cape Town, South Africa; visited his father’s Caribbean home in St. George’s, Grenada; worked on a global public health collaboration between the Carolina and the Malawi Ministry of Health; and organized Black Lives Matter protests in Chapel Hill.

The Travel Episode TRAILER: Elias Guedira ’26 describes climbing Erg Chebbi in Morocco

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 19:55:10 +0000

To hear more from Elias about the Morehead-Cain International Gap Year, catch his Catalyze podcast to be released on Tuesday, November 13, 2022, on all podcast apps.

A night under the stars in the Himalayas. A lion hunt from a safari van in Africa. A sand dune climb in Morocco. Aayas Joshi ’26, Olu Kopano ’26, and scholar host Elias Guedira ’26 will share about their global experiences on the Morehead-Cain International Gap Year. At the end of the episode, we’ll also hear from current gap year scholars Abbey Beebe ’27 about swimming in bioluminescent waters in the Caribbean Sea and Chandler Beals ’27 from an airport in Las Vegas between trips. Morehead-Cain recipients are invited to consider taking a funding gap year between graduating high school and coming to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

The Travel Episode TRAILER: Aayas Joshi ’26 describes a night under the stars from the base of Mount Everest

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 19:51:53 +0000

To hear more from Aayas about the Morehead-Cain International Gap Year, catch his Catalyze podcast to be released on Tuesday, November 13, 2022, on all podcast apps.

Morehead-Cain recipients are invited to consider taking a funding gap year between graduating high school and coming to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

The Travel Episode TRAILER: Olu Kopano ’26 describes a lion hunt during an African safari

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 19:51:48 +0000

To hear more from Olu about the Morehead-Cain International Gap Year, catch his Catalyze podcast to be released on Tuesday, November 13, 2022, on all podcast apps.

Morehead-Cain recipients are invited to consider taking a funding gap year between graduating high school and coming to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

(Episode art contributed by Taylor Shinal ’25)

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

SEVEN Talk, by Harvey Kennedy ’74: “Carolina Memories and Inspiration”

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Wed, 7 Dec 2022 11:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode is a recording of a SEVEN Talk from the 2022 Alumni Forum. This talk, given by Harvey Kennedy ’74, is entitled, “Carolina Memories and Inspiration.”

Harvey is a partner at Kennedy Kennedy Kennedy & Kennedy LLP. The alumnus was the second Black Morehead-Cain Scholar.

You can watch all of the SEVEN Talks on our YouTube channel.

More about Harvey

Harvey Kennedy ’74 has spent the last 45 years practicing law in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in the law firm of Kennedy, Kennedy, Kennedy & Kennedy, LLP. He represents individuals against major corporations and the government in employment, medical malpractice, and wrongful death cases. Harvey is listed in Best Lawyers in America, and was selected as one of the top twenty employment lawyers in North Carolina by North Carolina Lawyers Weekly in 2021.

Harvey has served on the board of directors of the National Urban League, the Winston-Salem Symphony, the Children’s Center of Winston-Salem, and the National Black Theatre Festival. He received his JD from Harvard Law School in 1977 and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with highest honors in history in 1974.

While at Carolina, Harvey was a member of the UNC Varsity Debate Team, served in the student legislature, and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. Harvey is married to Pat Kennedy.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

How a ‘national genome’ can reinforce social inequality, with Emily Vasquez ’06, ethnographer of science, medicine, and public health

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 11:00:00 +0000

Emily Vasquez ’06 joined Catalyze on the Saturday afternoon of the 2022 Morehead-Cain Alumni Forum in Chapel Hill this past October. Earlier that morning, she delivered a SEVEN Talk entitled, “The Social Life,” to over 500 Forum attendees.

During this episode, recorded on campus in the Pit, Emily shares with scholar host Elias Guedira ’25 about her ethnography research in Mexico and its parallels to the U.S. healthcare system. Her work investigates how the development of a national human genome has exacerbated social inequalities.

Emily is a Bridge to the Faculty Postdoctoral Fellow in the department of sociology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she teaches courses on the sociology of health and medicine and on race and ethnicity in scientific and medical practice. Her research examines how social inequalities are entangled with and reinforced through the production of medical knowledge and technologies. Emily’s work has been published in the journals Engaging Science, Technology, and Society; American Anthropologist; Perspectives on Science; and Medicine, Anthropology, Theory, among others.

Watch Emily’s SEVEN Talk from the 2022 Alumni Forum.

Music credits

The intro music is by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul. The ending song is “We Bubbles,” by Freedom Trail Studio (YouTube Audio Library).

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

What public universities can do to improve accessibility on their campuses, with UNC Campus Y co-president Laura Saavedra Forero ’25 and activist Eleanor Bolton ’25

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Laura Saavedra Forero ’25 and Eleanor Bolton ’25 joined Catalyze with scholar co-host Elias Guedira ’26 from the Scholar Media Team to talk about their call to activism for disability rights on the campus of UNC–Chapel Hill. The two also share about how Morehead-Cain Alumni can support disabled college students at Carolina through their advocacy, expertise, and other resources.

Laura and Megan Murphy (UNC–Chapel Hill ’23) were elected co-presidents of the UNC Campus Y for the 2022–2023 academic year this past spring. Eleanor serves as the co-chair of the Disabilities Advocacy Committee for the social justice hub.

Music credits

The intro music is by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul. The ending song is by Nicholas Byrne ’19. Follow Nicholas @art.sandcrafts on Instagram.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

The Catalyze podcast: Oscars announcer and Forum emcee Janora McDuffie ’99 on reframing success

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 10:00:00 +0000

The year of 2022 has been a remarkable one for Janora McDuffie-Ryan ’99, an actress, voiceover artist, and host. The alumna catches up with Catalyze about the past eight months, which have included movie deals, hosting Kia’s launch event in Phoenix for their first-ever electric vehicle, attending Pride Celebrations at the White House and Vice President Harris’s residence, announcing the Institute for Responsible Citizenship’s 20th anniversary celebration at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., and, of course, serving as the first African American and openly gay female announcer for the 94th Academy Awards.

As a diehard Tar Heel fan, Janora also includes in her personal highlight reel for 2022 watching Coach K lose his last game and cheering on the UNC men’s basketball team at the Final Four championship game in New Orleans. Go Heels!

Janora sat down with Catalyze in August at her home in downtown Long Beach, California, following her return from a movie set in Atlanta. (The alumna will be in a Disney comedy and Christmas special starring none other than Ludacris!) We met up before an ‘Unleashing the Network’ event with Morehead-Cains at the home of Alec Hudnut ’87 that Janora organized with Ellie Teller ’18.

We talked about the illusion of “making it” in Los Angeles and elsewhere, what it was like to be behind the mic in Dolby Theatre for the Oscars, and Janora’s early career days, when she decided to leave the corporate world of consulting to chase her dreams in entertainment on the West Coast.

Janora will serve as the emcee for the 2022 Morehead-Cain Alumni Forum this October.

More about Janora

Janora has appeared in television shows such as Grey’s Anatomy, Criminal Minds, and This is Us, among others. Her portfolio also includes films, podcasts, and video games, and she’s represented companies as a speaker, moderator, interviewer, and host.

The alumna is also the managing partner of Cashmere and Gold Entertainment, an events and entertainment company, along with her wife. The two lead boat tours, including wine and cigar experiences, along Long Beach Marina.

Learn more about Janora.

Music credits

The intro music for this episode is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Federal judge nominee Jerry Blackwell ’84 on the story behind the Chauvin trial as special prosecutor

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 26 Jul 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Trial lawyer Jerry Blackwell ’84 sat down with Catalyze hosts Sarah O’Carroll and Benny Klein ’24 to share his story of joining the prosecution team, some of the strategies behind the case, and what it was like to deliver the closing remarks of the trial.

Jerry has been nominated by President Biden to become a federal judge for the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. The alumnus is the founding partner, CEO, and chairman of Blackwell Burke P.A.

Listen to the episode.

“You were told . . . that Mr. Floyd died because his heart was too big,” Blackwell said to the jury on April 20, 2021.

“And now, having seen all the evidence and having heard all the evidence, you know the truth, and the truth of the matter is that the reason George Floyd is dead is because Mr. Chauvin’s heart was too small,” he said.

Jerry will deliver the keynote address at the 2022 Morehead-Cain Alumni Forum this October. Listen to his Alumni Speaker Series talk from fall 2021.

Music credits

The intro music for this episode is by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul. This episode also includes the song, “Jazz Mango,” by Joey Pecoraro.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Brad Rathgeber ’01, CEO of One Schoolhouse, on a relationships-first approach to online learning, with scholar host Benny Klein ’24

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Brad Rathgeber ’01 is the head of school and CEO of One Schoolhouse, a “partner to independent schools that envisions and embodies what’s next in education, online learning, and professional development.”

The alumnus talks with host Benny Klein ’24 of the Scholar Media Team about working with three other Morehead-Cains as a rising second-year college student for a nonprofit scholarship program in Zimbabwe (co-founded by Galahad Clark ’99 and Jeff Pike ’99), teaching and coaching at Holton-Arms School in Washington, D.C., and how his time at the school for girls formed the groundwork for building his own company.

Brad talks about the difference between online learning and “emergency learning,” and how he approaches an inclusive framework to education through identity-affirming classes.

“A great coach helps someone see something in themselves that they don’t yet see, and then helps them find a pathway to get there.” —Brad Rathgeber ’01

Music credits

The intro and ending music for this episode is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

The music featured mid-episode is by scholars Asher Wexler ’25 and Emmaus Holder ’23, with voice-over by scholar Tucker Stillman ’25.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Podcast producer Nick Andersen ’12 on navigating his career in media and what it’s like to work for PBS MASTERPIECE

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Nick Andersen ’12 is a podcast producer for GBH Boston, the primary PBS member station in Boston.

Nick shares with host Benny Klein ’24 of the Scholar Media Team about his work on the PBS MASTERPIECE series. Before joining GBH, the producer worked for WBUR, Boston’s NPR news station, and NPR’s On Point show.

The alumnus is also the senior producer for Ministry of Ideas, a “small show about big ideas.” The Harvard Divinity School series is dedicated to investigating and illuminating the ideas that shape our society.

As a Morehead-Cain Scholar, Nick wrote for the Daily Tar Heel, the University of North Carolina’s student-run newspaper. He earned degrees in history and journalism.

Music credits

The intro and ending music for this episode is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

The music featured mid-episode is by scholars Asher Wexler ’25 and Emmaus Holder ’23, with voice-over by scholar Tucker Stillman ’25.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. Catalyze is hosted and produced by Sarah O’Carroll for the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on Twitter or Instagram at @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Jamie DeMent Holcomb ’01 on how saying ‘yes’ led her to success as a museum CEO, venture capitalist, writer, chef, and farmer, with scholar host Benny Klein ’24

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 13:29:49 +0000

Jamie DeMent Holcomb ’01 stopped by the Foundation in March 2022 to speak with host Benny Klein ’24 of the Scholar Media Team during her campaign for North Carolina Senate (District 23).

Jamie shares about growing up in Franklin County, North Carolina; watching the Duke vs. UNC game during her final selection weekend; spotting Brad Pitt and Quentin Tarantino on the Universal Studios set, and her love of science museums.

Jamie is CEO of the Kidzu Children’s Museum in Chapel Hill, where she seeks to increase access to science for youth in fun and engaging ways. The alumna is also a managing partner at the North Carolina Venture Capital Fund, a firm that invests in innovative startups throughout the state and Southeast writ large.

Music credits

The intro and ending music for this episode is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

The music featured mid-episode is by scholars Asher Wexler ’25 and Emmaus Holder ’23, with voice-over by scholar Tucker Stillman ’25.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

A quick message from the Morehead-Cain Scholar Media Team, with Tucker Stillman ’25

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 13:25:07 +0000

Tucker Stillman ’25 from the Morehead-Cain Scholar Media Team shares about the latest stories from the team.

First up, a series on self-starters by Sarah Chocron ’25 and Ria Patel ’25 features Morehead-Cains who took the initiative to fill gaps within their communities.

The first edition highlights Isabella Grandic ’25 and her startup Boob Blurb, a card-game-turned-social-movement inspired by women’s liberation, women’s health and wellness, and women’s rights. Up next is Mercy Adekola ’25 of Nails Have Mercy, an affordable Gel-X nail business that caters to the budgets and tastes of college students at Carolina.

The series wraps with Scott Diekema ’19 and his story of co-founding the Meantime Coffee Co., a cozy coffee spot nestled within the UNC Campus Y, the University’s largest advocacy and public service student organization.

Secondly, Tucker shares about a feature from Laurelle Maubert ’25 on Lily Roberts ’12, the managing director of the Center for American Progress. Lily shared about misconceptions surrounding the “Great Resignation,” why women are being driven out of the workforce, and how the federal government can continue to reduce poverty rates during COVID-19.

Lastly, Tucker highlights his own piece with Brad Ives ’86 about the entrepreneur’s social enterprise, Credo ESG Solutions, based in Durham, North Carolina. Credo is an advisory firm that provides forward-thinking environmental, social, and governance (ESG) solutions to private equity firms and their portfolio companies.

Music credits

The music for this episode was produced and contributed by Asher Wexler ’25 and Emmaus Holder ’23.

About the Morehead-Cain Scholar Media Team

The Morehead-Cain Scholar Media Team is an extracurricular program and internship run by the Foundation’s communications team. Scholars of all backgrounds and class years collaborate to produce multimedia content on the topics and issues they’re passionate about, as well as support Morehead-Cain’s institutional communications.

Members cover the following beats, tied to Morehead-Cain’s departments: selections and recruitment, the scholar experience, development, and alumni engagement. Scholar-generated content is distributed across all of Morehead-Cain’s channels, including social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube), the Catalyze podcast, email newsletters, and the website (moreheadcain.org). The team’s audience comprises more than 3,300 scholars and alumni and their constituents.

Current members of the team for spring 2022 include Sarah Chocron ’25, William Dahl ’25, Benny Klein ’24, Laurelle Maubert ’25, Cate Miller ’25, Ria Patel ’25, Lia Salvatierra ’24, and Tucker Stillman ’25. The team is led by Sarah O’Carroll, Content Manager of the Morehead-Cain Foundation.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Scholar Media Team, contact the communications team. Participation is a semester-long commitment.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Consultant and entrepreneur Bradley Opere ’17 of FarmMoja: ‘Africa is a place that a lot of people are waking up, step by step’

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 15:48:27 +0000

Bradley Opere ’17 is the co-founder of FarmMoja, an agriculture social enterprise in Nairobi, Kenya.

Bradley joined Catalyze to share about what got him interested in the agriculture industry, how FarmMoja is working to rehabilitate land and support smallholder farmers, and why it was important for the alumnus to return to Africa after graduating as a Morehead-Cain Scholar.

For his day job, Bradley is now a consultant at Dalberg. Prior to joining the global consulting firm, he was a young leadership fellow at McKinsey & Company. The entrepreneur co-wrote an article with McKinsey colleagues in the spring of 2020 about the impact of COVID-19 on Africa’s food systems and what governments and private actors can do to respond.

As an undergraduate student at UNC–Chapel Hill, the alumnus was the first student from Africa to be elected student body president.

Portfolio manager Ying Hua ’10 on the two approaches to investing and what college students should know about getting started

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Fri, 4 Mar 2022 16:53:31 +0000

Ying Hua ’10 is a portfolio manager at Balyasny Asset Management, a hedge fund with $15 billion of assets under management. On this episode, Ying breaks down the two approaches to investing (fundamental and quantitative) and gives personal finance advice for college students. She also shares how to embrace volatility and risk in your career.

Prior to joining Balyasny in 2020, Ying was an analyst at Citadel for four years and an equity research associate at Goldman Sachs before that. She studied economics at Carolina and later received a master’s degree in data science from the University of California at Berkeley.

The intro music for this episode is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Episode teaser: 60 seconds of career advice, from Ying Hua ’10

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 22:27:05 +0000

Our next Catalyze guest is Ying Hua ’10, a portfolio manager at Balyasny Asset Management in San Francisco. Ahead of releasing her full episode, we’re sharing 60 seconds of her advice for college students interested in pursuing a career in finance. Listen before your next interview, or if you just need a pep talk.

Music credits: “Outside the Box,” by Patrick Patrikios.

Meet Dr. Brandi Brimmer, Morehead-Cain Alumni Associate Professor in the Department of African, African American, and Diaspora Studies at UNC–Chapel Hill

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 8 Feb 2022 15:35:17 +0000

Catalyze is honored to have Dr. Brandi Brimmer on the series to talk about her first year so far at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, her background in African American social and political history, and her current and upcoming research projects.

Dr. Brimmer, an associate professor in the Department of African, African American, and Diaspora Studies (AAAD), is one of three Morehead-Cain Alumni Professors teaching at UNC–Chapel Hill. She joined the Morehead-Cain and Carolina communities in summer 2021 from Spelman College in Atlanta, where she was an associate professor of history and a Mellon-HBCU Fellow through the National Humanities Center.

She received her bachelor’s degree in history from Spelman and her master’s in African American Studies and Ph.D. in U.S. history from the University of California, Los Angeles.

To hear more from Dr. Brimmer, join her online event on Wednesday, February 23, entitled “Weeping No More: Black Women’s Battles for Civil War Pensions in the Post-Emancipation South.” Her talk is informed by her book, Claiming Union Widowhood: Race, Respectability, and Poverty in the Post-Emancipation South (Duke University Press, 2020).

Learn more about The Road Back to Chapel Hill online event series.

Music credits

This episode features music by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul. The ending song is “Lights,” by TrackTribe.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

MLK Day Special: Wendell McCain ’92, son of Greensboro Four civil rights activist Franklin McCain, with scholar host Benny Klein ’24

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Mon, 17 Jan 2022 11:00:00 +0000

For MLK Day, scholar host Benny Klein ’24 interviews Wendell McCain ’92, the son of activist Franklin McCain of the Greensboro Four. Wendell shares about what it was like to grow up around one of the leaders of the civil rights movement and the lessons he learned from his father about pursuing justice. He also talks about his journey through the financial world and how he’s found ways to support and uplift those around him.

Wendell is the chair and CEO of Onset Capital Partners, a global asset management firm based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The alumnus received his bachelor’s degree in economics from UNC–Chapel Hill, followed by an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

This is the first episode hosted by Benny Klein ’24 and produced by Lia Salvatierra ’24 of the Morehead-Cain Scholar Media Team. In his new series, Benny speaks with Morehead-Cain Alumni about how they’ve been able to balance their career aspirations while creating a positive impact on the world.

Music credits

This episode features songs by Nicholas Byrne ’19 of Arts + Crafts and Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

From the Los Angeles Times to freelance: documentarian Rob Gourley ’18 on making the jump

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 11 Jan 2022 11:00:00 +0000

Rob Gourley ’18 is a documentary producer, cinematographer, and video editor based in Chico, California. During the pandemic, the alumnus was working for the Los Angeles Times as a video producer when an opportunity came up to work for PBS on a NOVA series about electric airplanes. What was intended to be a sabbatical turned into the launch of Rob’s career into freelance.

Rob shares with Catalyze about his decision to take a big risk, his aspirations to make a documentary about wildfires, and how he became one of the first videographers for the show Doug to the Rescue.

Music credits

This episode features songs by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul, and Nicholas Byrne ’19 of Arts + Crafts.

The power of third parties to keep countries accountable on climate action, with economist Billy Pizer ’90

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 7 Dec 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Upon his return from the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, Billy Pizer ’90 joined Catalyze to analyze the major announcements made and new global carbon market rules. The economist also shares his thoughts on the role of technologies backing cryptocurrencies in emissions reporting and payments.

Billy is the vice president for research and policy engagement for Resources for the Future, a nonprofit research institution based in Washington, D.C. The alumnus worked in the U.S. Department of the Treasury as deputy assistant secretary for environment and energy.

Billy received his bachelor’s degree in physics as a Morehead-Cain Scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He earned a combined master’s and PhD in economics from Harvard University in 1996.

(Photo by William Bossen via Unsplash)

Music credits

This episode features intro music by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

What women want at work and what companies can do to reduce the gender gap in the post-pandemic workforce, with Ursula Dimmling Mead ’02 and Anna Pickens ’23 of InHerSight

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 23:30:20 +0000

Since the beginning of the pandemic, millions of women have dropped out of the workforce, and many have yet to rejoin.

Ursula Dimmling Mead ’02 has been studying what women want at work for the bulk of her career. She built a tool to help women make data-informed decisions about where to apply (and where to avoid applying).

Ursula is the founder and CEO of InHerSight, the largest company-reviews platform for women. The alumna joined Catalyze to share how the pandemic has changed the ways in which women seek and conduct work, how companies can become more women-friendly and attract female talent, and strategies for women to find their best workplace fit.

Catalyze is also joined by Anna Pickens ’23, who interned at InHerSight during summer 2021.

Music Credits

This episode features songs by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul, and Nicholas Byrne ’19 of Arts + Crafts.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

The role U.S. universities play in driving nuclear weapons research and development, with Seth Shelden ’98 of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 9 Nov 2021 14:01:41 +0000

Seth Shelden ’98 is the United Nations liaison for the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). The coalition was awarded the Nobel Peace Price in 2017 for its work to bring about the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).

The TPNW outlaws the use, testing, development, production, possession, and transfer of nuclear weapons, and it outlines how countries can destroy their own stockpiles. It also stipulates victim assistance, environmental remediation, and other humanitarian efforts as part of each participating country’s obligations.

Seth is also a partner in the law firm of Farkas & Neurman, an adjunct professor at the City University of New York School of Law, and vice president of Ground UP Productions. The alumnus received his bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a major in international studies (with concentrations in economics and peace, war, and defense). He earned his J.D. from University of California, Berkeley, School of Law in 2002.

Seth offers insights on Biden’s projected nuclear arms policy, how U.S. universities serve as research and development pipelines, and what anyone can do to divest from companies involved in building and maintaining nuclear weapons.

ICAN reports, resources, and other references mentioned in the episode:

Follow ICAN on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can follow Seth on Twitter.

Episode Credits

The intro music for this episode is by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul. The outro song, “On the Island,” is by the artist Godmode.

How Chattanooga is building a model for smart cities, with Geoff Milliner of the Chattanooga Enterprise Center, and Morehead-Cain’s Montez Thomas

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 13:46:32 +0000

Catalyze is joined by Geoff Milliner, the COO of the Chattanooga Enterprise Center and a 2021 Civic Collaboration host for Morehead-Cain, and Montez Thomas, assistant director of scholar advising at Morehead-Cain. This episode is the second in a two-part series on the Civic Collaboration program.

The Enterprise Center tasked their team of Morehead-Cain Scholars to explore the impact of “smart city” investments and technologies on quality of life, as well as its intersection with social determinants of health. The center is a nonprofit devoted to establishing Chattanooga as a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship.

More than a dozen teams of scholars participated in this year’s Civic Collaboration program. Rising second-year scholars investigated their designated communities’ challenges and opportunities and proposed meaningful solutions.

Learn more about the 2021 Civic Collaboration program.

Becoming a Civic Collaboration host for Morehead-Cain

Hosts propose a problem or issue for scholars to address together, provide guidance and mentorship, and share information and resources pertinent to the projects. The Morehead-Cain Scholarship provides each scholar with a cost-of-living stipend and transportation to and from the host city (hosts are not expected to provide financial assistance to scholars).

To learn more about partnering with Morehead-Cain for future Civic Collaboration projects, contact Montez Thomas or visit our website.

Music Credits

This episode features songs by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul, and Nicholas Byrne ’19 of Arts + Crafts.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Liz Kistin Keller ’04 of Albuquerque’s Office of the Mayor on increasing access to digital services in local government

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 13:35:11 +0000

Catalyze is joined by Liz Kistin Keller ’04 of the City of Albuquerque’s Office of the Mayor and a 2021 Civic Collaboration host for Morehead-Cain. This episode is the first in a two-part series on the Civic Collaboration program.

The Office of the Mayor tasked their team of Morehead-Cain Scholars to explore the online user experiences of the 50+ population in order to improve their access to internet-based services provided by local government.

More than a dozen teams of scholars participated across the country in this year’s Civic Collaboration program. Rising second-year scholars investigated their designated communities’ challenges and opportunities and proposed meaningful solutions.

Learn more about the 2021 Civic Collaboration program.

Becoming a Civic Collaboration host for Morehead-Cain

To learn more about partnering with Morehead-Cain for future Civic Collaboration projects, contact Montez Thomas or visit our website.

Music Credits

This episode features songs by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul, and Nicholas Byrne ’19 of Arts + Crafts.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Managing an international business in Myanmar through a military coup and the COVID-19 pandemic, with J. R. Ching ’01 of Yoma Strategic Holdings

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 10:00:00 +0000

We’re launching our fall season with J. R. Ching ’01, the chief financial officer for Yoma Strategic Holdings. We asked J. R. to join the show to help us understand the military coup in Myanmar and to hear how his company has managed the ongoing crisis as the Delta variant continues to surge throughout the country.

Credits

The music for this episode was produced and contributed by Nicholas Byrne ’19 of Arts + Crafts.

Nicholas is a producer, guitarist, and singer, and a graduate student at the Parsons School of Design in NYC. The alumnus earned his bachelor’s degree from the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media with a minor in music.

Follow Nicholas @art.sandcrafts on Instagram or on Spotify.

This episode also featured intro music by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul. An audio clip of protests used in this episode was contributed by YouTube user Bendobrown. You can watch the full video here.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

We’re back! Fall events lineup for Morehead-Cain

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Catalyze is back for the fall season, and we have a lot to share about.

RSVP for this semester’s events:

Music credits

The music for this episode is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Ads, algorithms, and reversing capitalism in art, with producer and musician Nicholas Byrne ’19

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 13:17:11 +0000

Catalyze invited Nicholas Byrne ’19 of Arts + Crafts back to the series to talk about his latest music projects, and because we thought you might want to learn more about the artist behind the music that’s featured on the show.

We first brought Nicholas to Catalyze in October 2020 as the producer, guitarist, and singer was road-tripping across the country with Eric Lee ’18 and Sam Lowe ’20.

Nicholas spoke with us from Smithonia, an unincorporated community about 20 minutes outside Athens, Georgia. He shared about his collaborations with Sam (whose music project is called Sacra Monet) and singer-songwriter and guitarist Audrey Walsh (UNC-Chapel Hill Class of 2023), a DJ at Carolina’s student-run radio station, WXYC 89.3 FM.

Nicholas also talked about how AI-powered tools will advance digital music production, how a “shake-up” in the creative landscape of social media platforms could shift dollars back into the hands of content creators, takeaways about manipulating sound and light from Berlin’s music scene, and a new opportunity on the horizon in New York City.

More about the music

Sam is a graduate student at Stanford University pursuing a master’s degree in computer science with minors in cognitive science and music. Follow the alumnus at @sacra.monet on Instagram or on Spotify.

Nicholas earned his bachelor’s degree from the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media with a minor in music. In addition to his music, Nicholas works on freelance video assignments and digital advertising and social media campaigns. In spring 2021, the alumnus was accepted into the MFA program in lighting design at the Parsons School of Design in New York City.

Follow Nicholas @art.sandcrafts on Instagram or on Spotify.

This episode also featured music by Jake Wilson (UNC-Chapel Hill Class of 2020) of Untldsnd.

Note: This interview was conducted over the internet for a video recording. You can view the video teaser for this episode on Morehead-Cain’s Youtube or Instagram page.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Gap Year Dispatch: Emile Charles ’24 (and ft. Taylor Shinal ’25, Mark Finamore ’25, Asher Wexler ’25, and Noah Gottlieb ’25)

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 30 Mar 2021 10:00:00 +0000

For this special segment of Catalyze, Emile Charles ’24 shares the most impactful aspects of his international gap year, pandemic disruptions included. The scholar interned at a children’s hospital in Cape Town, South Africa; visited his father’s Caribbean home in St. George’s, Grenada; worked on a global public health collaboration between the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Malawi Ministry of Health; and organized Black Lives Matter protests in Chapel Hill.

Gap year scholars Taylor Shinal ’25, Mark Finamore ’25, Asher Wexler ’25, and Noah Gottlieb ’25 also sent in audio diaries from their current corners of the world. You’ll be taken to a Tanzanian safari, a Slovenian market, an ancient Egyptian tomb, a Scottish seacoast, and a ski slope in Utah.

Music credits

The music for this episode was produced and contributed by Nicholas Byrne ’19 of Arts + Crafts and singer-songwriter and guitarist Audrey Walsh, a sophomore at UNC-Chapel Hill and a DJ at student-run WXYC 89.3 FM.

Based in Athens, Georgia, Nicholas is a producer, guitarist, and singer. The alumnus earned his bachelor’s degree from the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media with a minor in music. In addition to his music, Nicholas works on freelance video assignments and digital advertising and social media campaigns.

Follow Nicholas @art.sandcrafts on Instagram or on Spotify.

This episode also featured intro music by Scott Hallyburton '22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Chris Bradford, incoming president of Morehead-Cain, on building transformational educational opportunities in Africa; reimagining ‘lifelong impact’ at Morehead-Cain

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 10:00:00 +0000

The road that brought Chris Bradford to Chapel Hill began in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and included stops in New Haven, Connecticut; Palo Alto, California; Oundle, England; and Johannesburg, South Africa.

Chris spoke with Morehead-Cain from his home in Johannesburg to share his story of founding African Leadership Academy (ALA), his personal mission (which he says is to “build platforms that enable individuals to reimagine what’s possible for themselves and their societies”), and his vision for Morehead-Cain as the incoming president.

Chris, CEO and co-founder of ALA, will succeed Executive Director Chuck Lovelace ’77, who leaves this summer after 37 years with the Foundation.

Learn more about Chris.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Music credits

The intro music is by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

The music for the ending is by Nicholas Byrne ’19. Follow Nicholas @art.sandcrafts on Instagram.

Amber Koonce ’12, civil rights attorney at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, on juvenile justice advocacy; redefining beauty standards for women of color

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 2 Mar 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Amber Koonce ’12 is a civil rights attorney at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

Amber shares how her Morehead-Cain summers working at a women’s correctional center in Ghana and at a young boys’ correctional center in Scotland helped inform her vocation to defend human rights and civil rights in representing incarcerated people, particularly people who’ve been incarcerated as children.

Following the alumna’s graduation from Carolina and before entering Yale Law School, Amber worked as a juvenile justice policy analyst at the Humanitarian Legal Assistance Foundation in the Philippines on a Luce scholarship. After earning a JD, she clerked on the U.S. federal judiciary for the Honorable William Fletcher on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Amber is also a social entrepreneur and the founder of BeautyGap, a nonprofit that supports the development of girls worldwide by distributing dolls of color. Since 2009, BeautyGap has distributed Black and brown dolls to girls in orphanages throughout Ghana, Kenya, Haiti, and the Philippines.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Music credits

The intro music is by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

The music for the mid-episode break and ending is by Nicholas Byrne ’19. Follow Nicholas @art.sandcrafts on Instagram.

Karen Stevenson ’79 on her nontraditional path to federal court judge: “No one else can tell you what your path should be”

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 11:00:00 +0000

When reporters and public relations professionals come calling, Karen Stevenson ’79 knows what to expect: They are going to ask her about being “the first.”

As a high school senior, Karen became the first African American woman to receive the Morehead-Cain Scholarship as part of the inaugural group of female Morehead-Cain Scholars. In 1979, the alumna made national headlines as the first woman from the University and the first African American woman from the United States to receive the Rhodes Scholarship.

On this episode, Karen shares her thoughts about the renown she's received for being "the first" of so many accomplishments; how she approaches her work as a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Central District of California; and how she's maintaining a sense of equilibrium during the pandemic.

The Los Angeles-based alumna will deliver the keynote address during Morehead-Cain’s Virtual Final Selection Weekend on February 26.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Music credits

The intro music is by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

The music for the mid-episode break and ending is by Nicholas Byrne ’19. Follow Nicholas @art.sandcrafts on Instagram.

Andrew Patterson ’06 of Greenfly, Inc., on growing online communities through brand ambassadors in sports, politics, and business

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 2 Feb 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Andrew Patterson ’06 is the vice president of partnerships and strategy at Greenfly, Inc., a software platform that helps organizations build their communities through brand advocacy.

Andrew shares about Greenfly’s role in connecting major sports leagues to fans through more authentic and personalized game coverage; successful strategies that the Biden campaign and 2020 Democratic National Convention Committee implemented through the technology; and what any organization can do to empower their communities to be co-creators and ambassadors.

Before joining Greenfly, Andrew was the senior director of new media at MLB. If you’re interested in learning more about Andrew, you can view his SEVEN Talk from the 2018 Alumni Forum.

Connect with a mentor

Andrew is also currently a Morehead-Cain Mentor. The Morehead-Cain Mentoring Program is designed to leverage the power of the Morehead-Cain network by cultivating connections between scholars and alumni, and providing structure and support to these relationships so they can develop based on shared values and interests. All rising juniors and seniors are eligible to participate.

How to listen

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Music credits

The intro music is by Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

The music for the mid-episode break and ending is by Nicholas Byrne ’19. Listen to the full song, “Loosen Up” on Spotify or follow Nicholas @art.sandcrafts on Instagram.

Alan Murray ’77 of Fortune on political polarization, growing revenue streams in media, & the future of work

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Alan Murray ’77 is CEO of Fortune Media.

Prior to joining the media organization in 2015, Alan served as president of the Pew Research Center in Washington, D.C. For nearly two decades, he held a number of roles at The Wall Street Journal, including deputy managing editor, executive editor online, and the Washington bureau chief. Alan also served as the Washington bureau chief at CNBC and as a cohost of the nightly show Capital Report.

Alan will headline Morehead-Cain’s spring Virtual Alumni Speaker Series on Wednesday, January 27, at 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). The alumnus will talk about restoring trust in America.

View the full slate of virtual events this spring on the Morehead-Cain Network.

More about Alan

Following his graduation from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Alan moved to Tennessee to edit the business and economics sections for the Chattanooga Times Free Press. (The alumnus was nominated for the Morehead-Cain Scholarship by the Chattanooga-based Baylor School.)

In 1980, he began reporting for the Congressional Quarterly in Washington, D.C., and the Japan Economic Journal in Tokyo a year later, after earning a Luce Scholarship.

Alan earned his undergraduate degree in English literature from Carolina and a master’s degree from the London School of Economics. In 2005, he completed the Stanford Executive Program (SEP) through the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Alan resides in Greenwich, Connecticut, with his wife, Lori.

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

The music for this episode is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

UNC-Chapel Hill’s 51st Rhodes Scholar: Sarah Mackenzie ’20 on the connections between poverty and participation in the criminal justice system

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 5 Jan 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Sarah Mackenzie ’20 of Calgary, Alberta, has received the Rhodes Scholarship to pursue a fully funded postgraduate degree at the University of Oxford beginning this fall. The recent graduate is one of 11 Canadians selected to join the 2021 cohort, and she is the 51st Rhodes Scholar from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, according to the University’s announcement of the award on November 23.

Sarah is the 32nd Morehead-Cain to receive the scholarship and one of just two Carolina students to receive it this year. The second awardee, Peter Andringa, graduated in 2020 with degrees in journalism and computer science.

Established in 1902, the Rhodes is one of the oldest and most prestigious international scholarship programs. Scholars are selected based on academic excellence, character, leadership, and commitment to service.

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

The music for this episode is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

Morehead-Cain Mentoring Pair: Tom Thriveni ’10, comedy writer for The Late Late Show with James Corden on CBS, and guest co-host Lauren Gornto ’21

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Our first guest for this episode is Tom Thriveni ’10, a comedy writer on The Late Late Show with James Corden on CBS. As a Morehead-Cain Scholar, he interned with Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, an opportunity offered by Jon Benson ’06 (Jon produced field segments on the show at the time).

Following his graduation from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Tom began pursuing a career in investment banking. As he shared in a Virtual SEVEN Speaker Series event this past spring, it took a traumatic brain surgery to help him realize that he wasn’t following his passion.

With support from Dave Bernath ’89, then the executive vice president of programming and multi-platform strategy for Comedy Central, Tom returned to late-night television in 2014. After two years as a researcher on CC’s The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, Tom moved to Los Angeles to be a writer’s assistant for James Corden. He rose to his current position in the fall of 2018.

Our second guest is Lauren Gornto ’21, a business administration and management major at Carolina with minors in philosophy, politics, and economics (PPE) and music. The scholar is the music director of Tar Heel Voices, the University’s oldest co-ed a cappella group, and the co-founder of “ACTing Up,” a summer theater camp for children. In summer 2021, Lauren plans to join Insight Sourcing Group in Atlanta as a summer analyst in the consulting practice.

Lauren is Tom’s mentee through the Morehead-Cain Mentoring Program; this is the scholar’s and alumnus’s second year participating together. The program strives to leverage the power of the Morehead-Cain network by cultivating connections between scholars and alumni, providing structure and support to these relationships so that they can develop based on shared values and interests. Scholars enroll annually beginning in April and all rising juniors and seniors may participate. You can learn more about the Morehead-Cain Mentoring Program by contacting Emily Olson, our alumni engagement manager, at emily@moreheadcain.org.

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

This episode closes out our fall season of the podcast. We’ve covered everything from politics and activism to tech startups, music, and meditation. Thank you for listening. You can let us know what you thought of the season or who you want to hear from in 2021 by finding us on Twitter or Instagram at @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org. Until next time, stay safe.

The music for this episode is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

Morehead-Cain election roundup: Ricky Hurtado ’11 elected to NC House of Representatives as only Latino to serve in state legislature, other victories across the state

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Thu, 5 Nov 2020 21:48:05 +0000

We’re sharing a brief roundup from the 2020 General Election on November 3. We had a number of Morehead-Cain Alumni running for office; here’s how their races turned out.

Ricky Hurtado ’11 was elected to North Carolina’s House of Representatives. The alumnus will represent District 63 in Raleigh. The Representative-elect will be the only Latino to serve in the current state legislature, according to the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. Ricky is the co-executive director and co-founder of LatinxEd, an educational initiative that provides multi-year support to Latinx students and immigrant families seeking access to higher education in North Carolina. The alumnus is also an adjunct instructor in UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Education.
Roy Cooper ’79 was reelected against his Republican challenger, Dan Forest, the state’s lieutenant governor.
David Price ’61 was reelected to the U.S. House to represent North Carolina’s 4th Congressional District.
Kristin Dutrow Baker ’85 of Concord secured her seat as a representative in North Carolina’s House of Representatives for District 82. This November’s election was the alumna’s first race for office.
In other states, Jim Cooper ’75 was reelected to the U.S. House to represent Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District. The alumnus has served Davidson County since January 2003.
In Kentucky, Doug Farnsley '73 was elected to the city council in Prospect.
Tom Ciszek ’03 was one of 21 candidates for the Santa Monica City Council in California.
Wayne Goodwin ’89 of Raleigh sought a third term for North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance (Wayne was defeated by incumbent Mike Causey).

That’s it for our Morehead-Cain election roundup. We’ll be back on Tuesday, November 10, for our last episode of the season featuring Tom Thriveni ’10, a staff writer for The Late Late Show on CBS, and Lauren Gornto ’21.

Special thanks to Nicholas Byrne ’19 for contributing music for this episode. Listen to the full song, “Loosen Up” on Spotify.

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Image: Representative-elect Ricky Hurtado ’11. Photo created and copyright owned by Andie Rea (permission to publish granted by photographer).

Mindfulness miniseries Pt. 2: Breathing exercise (5 mins), with Reiki practitioner Jenny Cimaglia ’07

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 10:00:00 +0000

For the second episode in our miniseries on mindfulness, wellness professional Jenny Cimaglia ’07 guides a five-minute breathing exercise. All you need is a quiet space.

The previous episode is a 10-minute walking meditation guided by Jenny.

About Jenny

Jenny Cimaglia ’07 is a yoga teacher and Reiki practitioner based in Westport, Connecticut. Following her graduation from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the alumna worked in cultural heritage preservation at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, as a Fulbright Scholar and later in culture-tourism strategy in Hanoi, Vietnam, as a Luce Scholar.

Her experiences in Vietnam introduced Jenny to Confucianism and Buddhism and informed her interest in exploring religious studies. She received a Master’s of Buddhist Philosophy at the University of Hong Kong in 2011 as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar.

Jenny returned to the United States in 2012 to work as a special events and development coordinator for the David Lynch Foundation in New York City. Through the foundation, she provided meditation classes to underserved populations, including veterans, victims of domestic violence, and elementary school students.

Jenny began her training to become a yoga teacher in 2015 and studied massage therapy, health, and wellness through the Swedish Institute: A College of Health Sciences. The alumna’s dynamic teaching style brings together her academic expertise on Buddhism and her training in a collaborative theatre style called devised theatre, incorporating elements of nature into her classes.

Jenny earned a degree in Classics and a minor in anthropology from UNC-Chapel Hill.

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Mindfulness miniseries Pt. 1: Walking meditation (10 mins), with Reiki practitioner Jenny Cimaglia ’07

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 10:00:00 +0000

We're sharing two episodes as a special miniseries on mindfulness to help you relieve some stress. The first is a 10-minute walking meditation that you can do indoors or outside (wherever you have at least 10 to 15 feet of space). This session is guided by wellness professional Jenny Cimaglia ’07.

The following episode is a five-minute breathing exercise guided by the alumna.

About Jenny

Jenny’s experiences in Vietnam introduced her to Confucianism and Buddhism and informed her interest in exploring religious studies. She received a Master’s of Buddhist Philosophy at the University of Hong Kong in 2011 as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar.

She returned to the United States in 2012 to work as a special events and development coordinator for the David Lynch Foundation in New York City. Through the foundation, Jenny provided meditation classes to underserved populations, including veterans, victims of domestic violence, and elementary school students.

Jenny earned a degree in Classics and a minor in anthropology from UNC-Chapel Hill.

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Eric Lee ’18, Nicholas Byrne ’19, and Sam Lowe ’20 on making music, art on the road with U-Haul

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Outside their Airbnb in Cheyenne, Wyoming, three Morehead-Cains shared about their adventures thus far in road tripping across the country with a U-Haul-turned-mobile-recording-unit.

Eric Lee ’18, Nicholas Byrne ’19, and Sam Lowe ’20 had spent the last six months or so with seven other Tar Heels on a historic farm in Colbert, Georgia. The unincorporated community called Smithonia is about 20 minutes outside of Athens. Following Nicholas’s graduation in December 2019, the musician moved to the farm belonging to his grandparents, converted a former commissary into his own production studio, and invited his friends and fellow creatives to stay indefinitely.

After collaborating throughout the spring and summer on music and other entrepreneurial and artistic pursuits to make the most of anxiety-ridden times in quarantine, the “Smithonia 10” have since scattered—all but the current trio, that is. Their mission for this trip is to get Eric back to his home base in San Francisco after taking the hiatus off work to recharge in rural Georgia.

As a student at Carolina, Eric co-founded a microfinance initiative for entrepreneurs in the Triangle area called Build The Hill. He earned a degree from UNC-Chapel Hill in economics and minors in entrepreneurship and philosophy, politics, and economics. Prior to Covid, the alumnus was working as a business operations analyst in the Bay Area. Eric worked remotely half-way through the summer before deciding to take full advantage of time with friends during extraordinary circumstances.

Sam will also be joining the West Coast community of Tar Heels to pursue a master’s degree in computer science from Stanford University beginning in January 2021. The alumnus was a computer science major with minors in cognitive science and music. As a scholar, he applied for and was awarded a Morehead-Cain Discovery Fund grant to visit Stanford’s Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA).

As for Nicholas, he plans to continue focusing on his solo digital music project Arts + Crafts and on freelance video assignments. Throughout this year, he has worked on a number of digital advertising and social media campaigns for major Nashville-based artists including Luke Bryan, Sam Hunt, and Keith Urban. Nicholas and Sam also released an EP the day after recording this interview. Listen to “Slowe Byrne.”

U-Haul sponsorship

During Sam’s junior year, he applied for and was awarded another Discovery Fund grant to rent a 15-foot U-Haul to use as a mobile recording studio. The recent graduate and Cameron Champion ’20 collaborated with musicians throughout the trip, eventually arriving in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Before embarking on this fall’s road trip, Sam contacted U-Haul to pitch a partnership in documenting their journey to the West Coast. The company agreed to sponsor based on their previous success and content.

You can follow along their road trip to California on Instagram:

The music for this episode, entitled “The Softest ‘Yo’ Ever Spoken,” is by Nicholas Byrne (Arts + Crafts) and Sam Lowe (Sacra Monet).

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Sanya Shah ’22 on the life and legacy of composer Florence Price

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 10:00:10 +0000

A performance by Sanya Shah ’22 will release this Friday, October 2, 2020, at 1 p.m. EDT through an online event hosted by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Department of Music and Arts Everywhere.

Sanya (soprano) and UNC junior Lauren Ragsdale (mezzo-soprano) will perform the works of composers Florence Price and Betty Jackson King. Price became, in 1933, the first African American female composer whose work was played by a major orchestra. King was an African American pianist, singer, educator, conductor, and composer.

This “Virtual First Fridays” series, founded by the department in collaboration with Arts Everywhere, is featuring music by underrepresented voices this semester. You can tune in to the free performance on October 2 through the department’s website or Facebook page, and it will be available anytime following the original air date.

Sanya is a neuroscience and music major with a minor in chemistry. The scholar is working to launch a music medicine group through the Alpha Epsilon Delta Pre-Health Honor Society (AED) with the aim of providing patients with the healing benefits of music. The junior is also a member of the UNC Opera and the Carolina Ukulele Ensemble.

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

The music for this episode is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

Learn to Win and the rise of e-coaching, with Andrew Powell ’15 and Sasha Seymore ’15

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 10:00:13 +0000

Andrew Powell ’15 and Sasha Seymore ’15 (as well as UNC alumnus and former football player Tommy Hatton) are the co-founders of Learn to Win, a mobile learning platform that uses a content creation engine and data analytics suite to build and deliver training materials for instructors, coaches, and teachers of all kinds. The two alumni worked on building the startup as undergrads at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and later as master’s students on the West Coast.

Learn to Win has collaborated with athletic departments at Carolina, as well as at the University of Michigan, University of Texas, and University of Notre Dame, among other universities, sports organizations, and government and enterprise clients. The company is also partnering with Special Olympics USA to train athletes for the 2022 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Kazan, Russia. The organization will use the platform to improve coaching instruction and competition preparation.

Over the summer, Learn to Win hosted nine Morehead-Cain Scholars as interns: Olivia Bell ’22, Naomi Burns ’23, Luke Buxton ’21, Alexandria Chadwick ’21, Varun Jain ’21, Helen Johnston ’22 (who interned as part of a Women in Sports Tech fellowship), Krupa Patel ’22, Olivia Romine ’22, and Jackson Stone ’23. The current Learn to Win team includes Luke, a member of the marketing and design team, and Olivia (Romine), a strategic projects analyst who helped drive the Special Olympics USA parternship. In May of this year, Learn to Win hired Morgan Howell ’17 as the director of engineering and Jack Turner ’20 as a product manager and the People Operations Lead.

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

The music for this episode is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

Civic Engagement Pt. 1: Voting this November, with political scientist John Sides ’96

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 1 Sep 2020 10:00:23 +0000

To launch our fall season, we spoke with John Sides ’96, a professor and William R. Kenan, Jr. Chair in the Department of Political Science at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. His research focuses on comparative and American politics. The alumnus is co-author of the book, “Identity Crisis: The 2016 Presidential Campaign and the Battle for the Meaning of America.” John is also co-founder, former editor-in-chief, and publisher of The Monkey Cage via The Washington Post.

Learn more about John’s work.

This episode is the first of our two-part series on civic engagement. The following episode features activist Greear Webb ’23, the co-founder of Young Americans Protest (YAP!) and the NC Town Hall.

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

The music for this episode is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

Civic Engagement Pt. 2: Community organizing and activism, with Greear Webb ’23

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 1 Sep 2020 10:00:21 +0000

For our second episode of our two-part series on civic engagement, we spoke with Greear Webb ’23 of Raleigh, co-founder of Young Americans Protest (YAP!) and the NC Town Hall. At Carolina, the scholar serves on the Commission on Campus Equality and Student Equity and as co-chair of the political action committee for the Black Student Movement (BSM) at UNC-Chapel Hill. This summer, Greear was selected by Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education to participate in the Making Caring Common program as a Voter Mobilization Ambassador.

If you haven’t already, you’ll want to catch our previous episode on voting, featuring John Sides ’96, a political scientist at Vanderbilt University and a publisher for The Monkey Cage via The Washington Post.

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

The music for this episode is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

When the coronavirus takes over your beat: Laurel Wamsley ’06, reporter for NPR, on covering the pandemic

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 12 May 2020 10:00:11 +0000

Before March of this year, Laurel Wamsley ’06 covered stories for NPR focusing on cities, technology, policy, and criminal justice. Now, the Washington, D.C.-based alumna covers the coronavirus which, of course, has impacted all aspects of society.

In between filing stories, Laurel spoke with Morehead-Cain from her home in the Columbia Heights neighborhood to share what the past two months have been like, how NPR has changed its approach to reaching Americans, and her thoughts on the impact the pandemic will have on public trust in local media and national news organizations.

Morehead-Cain has also been gathering stories from alumni on their efforts to help those most affected by COVID-19 outbreaks throughout the world, support health care workers, increase access to research, and so much more.

Here are just a few of them:

Norton Tennille, Jr. ’62, founder of the nonprofit South African Education and Environmental Project (SAEP), is raising funds to buy and deliver grocery packages and vouchers for families in Cape Town, South Africa.
Natalie Feingold ’15, a global account executive at Flexport, is helping coordinate logistics surrounding the supply of emergency equipment to healthcare workers worldwide through the Frontline Responders Fund.
Josh Lee ’04, the founder of Green Top Farms, is helping manage a program to feed food-insecure families by partnering with pantries and shelters in New York City.

You can access the full list on the “COVID-19 Response” page on the Morehead-Cain Network.

The intro music for this episode is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul. The ending song, entitled “Morning Light,” is by Jakob Hamilton ’19, a keyboardist and composer. You can find more of his recordings on his YouTube channel.

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Online events, kudos, other news from Morehead-Cain. Also: an update from Corrie White Conrad ’02 of Sephora

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 10:00:04 +0000

These are strange times to be living in, but it’s also a very busy time for Morehead-Cain, so we wanted to get everyone up to speed.

Last Thursday, we announced the Morehead-Cain Class of 2024. We want to wish a warm welcome to the 70 new scholars who are joining the Carolina community.

This week, we’re launching our Virtual Morehead-Cain SEVEN Speaker Series, starting with Shilpi Somaya Gowda ’92. The bestselling author will offer advice and encouragement about getting started as a writer. Her talk begins at 7:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 29.

Next Wednesday, Tom Thriveni ’10, a staff writer for The Late Late Show with James Corden on CBS, will speak about overcoming self-doubt. You can learn more about the virtual series and upcoming speakers on the Morehead-Cain Network.

We’re also rolling out the 2020–2021 Morehead-Cain Mentoring Program. Rising juniors and seniors, if you want to be matched with an alumni mentor, fill out the scholar survey form on the MCN by June 1st.

Some shout-outs

Congratulations to seniors Daniel Malawsky for receiving the Churchill Scholarship and the Gates Cambridge Scholarship to study medical genetics in England, Wesley Price for receiving the Luce Scholarship to pursue policy research in Indonesia, and junior Mina Yakubu for receiving the Truman Scholarship to study immigration reform in law school.

We also had eight Morehead-Cains receive Chancellor’s Awards this semester. Congratulations to the following scholars for the recognition, and thank you or your positive impact at UNC.

2020 Chancellor’s Awards Recipients

Agnes Ezekwesili ’20
Evelyn (Evie) Morris ’20
Megan Raisle ’20
Ruth Tomlin ’20
Uzorma (Ozzie) Owete ’20
Wesley Price ’20
Donald (Don) Fejfar ’21
Sean Nguyen ’21

Lastly, we want to congratulate all of our scholars—but particularly our graduating seniors–for finishing a tough semester, to say the least. Wishing you all best of luck with your final exams this week. You got this.

Our featured Morehead-Cain for this episode is Corrie White Conrad ’02, the VP for social impact, sustainability, and inclusion and diversity at Sephora. We spoke in early March when Corrie flew from San Francisco to Chapel Hill for Final Selection Weekend. The music for this episode is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.Catalyze is hosted and produced by Sarah O’Carroll for the Morehead-Cain Foundation, home of the first merit scholarship program in the United States and located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on Twitter or Instagram at @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

Bruce Gellin ’77 on the race for a coronavirus vaccine and the defense against COVID-19’s return

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 10:00:05 +0000

Morehead-Cain called Bruce Gellin ’77, president of global immunization at the Sabin Vaccine Institute in Washington, D.C., to get a better understanding of what would need to take place before a coronavirus vaccine could protect against the next global outbreak.

We also asked scholars to share their coping strategies amidst the pandemic (thanks to Nina, Drew, Lauren, Cameron, Lizzie, Michael, Cho, Grayson, and Luke for sharing their creative ideas). You’ll hear their responses at the end of the episode. The music for this episode is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

Niki Shamdasani ’15 on launching Sani, bringing South Asian-inspired formalwear to Rent the Runway

communications@moreheadcain.org (Morehead-Cain Foundation) — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 10:00:06 +0000

The Catalyze podcast returns with Season Four, headlining with Niki Shamdasani ’15, the co-founder and CEO of Sani Designs.

People told Niki and her sister, Ritika, that they were “delusional” for aspiring to break into the fashion world with South Asian formalwear. But in the past two years, the sisters have proved the naysayers wrong in big ways.

Sani recently launched a partnership with Rent the Runway, a fashion subscription service for luxury items, to increase access to Indian occasion wear for women across the globe. In between business trips, Niki stopped by the Foundation in Chapel Hill to share the news and what’s next for the startup.

Niki graduated with a political science major and business administration minor from Carolina.

You can learn more about the company on their website or Instagram, and you can shop Sani’s styles on Rent the Runway. The Sani Fashion Show, previously scheduled for April 5 as a benefit event for UNC Children’s Hospital, has been postponed to this fall due to the expanding COVID-19 pandemic.

The music for this episode is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.

On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed.

This past month has been unlike any that Carolina—that the world—has ever experienced. We know that many of you have had your lives upended by the impact of the coronavirus. We want our scholars, from the incoming class to our graduating seniors, our alumni, and everyone else in the Morehead-Cain community, to know that we are here for you.

Episode 22: Michelle Jana Chan ’96

communications@moreheadcain.org (Catalyze by Morehead-Cain) — Wed, 29 May 2019 20:00:07 +0000

This episode features Michelle Jana Chan ’96, an award-winning journalist based in London. Michelle began her career with Newsweek magazine in New York, Beijing, and London, before she moved into radio and then television as a news producer for CNN.

She is now travel editor of Vanity Fair, contributing editor at Conde Nast Traveller, and the BBC’s presenter of Global Guide. She also writes for the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, Travel & Leisure, and Tatler.

Michelle has been the Travel Media Awards’ Travel Writer of the Year, the AITO Travel Writer of the Year, and Latin American Travel Association’s Writer of the Year. Her writing has been included in three anthologies. Her debut novel, titled Song, was published in July 2018.

In our conversation you'll hear more about Song, about Michelle's forthcoming new book Duet, and about the rest of her incredible travel-writing career.

Episode 21: David Royle ’78

communications@moreheadcain.org (Catalyze by Morehead-Cain) — Wed, 22 May 2019 16:44:08 +0000

Today you'll hear from David Royle, Morehead-Cain Class of 1978. Originally from Bristol, David leads the editorial team that launched the Smithsonian Channel—which is the youngest channel to have ever won an Emmy.

David was previously Executive Vice President of Production for National Geographic Television & Film, where he helped launch the National Geographic Channel. He was the Executive Producer of the award-winning television series National Geographic Explorer. Under his leadership, Explorer won more News and Documentary Emmy Awards than any other show on TV.

As an independent filmmaker in New York, prior to working for National Geographic, David produced and directed programming for a wide range of broadcasters.

David has won all of America’s major broadcasting awards, including: nine Emmys, the George Polk Award, the Edward R. Murrow Award, the Peabody Award, and du Pont-Columbia University Awards Silver and Gold Batons.

After graduating from Carolina, he earned a master of arts at the University of Minnesota as a Rotary International Journalism Scholar.

Episode 20: Audience Q&A with Taylor Branch ’68

communications@moreheadcain.org (Catalyze by Morehead-Cain) — Thu, 16 May 2019 13:37:56 +0000

You're about to hear the second half of a recorded visit with Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian Taylor Branch. Last week we published a moderated Q&A with him, and now you're about to hear an audience Q&A. This conversation was recorded live during a recent visit Taylor made to the Foundation, when he was in Chapel Hill to be inducted into the NC Media and Journalism Hall of Fame.

A member of the Morehead-Cain class of 1968, Taylor is best known for his trilogy of books chronicling the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and much of the history of the American Civil Rights Movement. The first of those books—Parting the Waters—is what won him the Pulitzer Prize.

Taylor grew up in Atlanta in the 50s and early 60s. After graduating from Carolina, he earned an M.P.A. from Princeton University. Taylor has worked as an editor and columnist for a number of national magazines. Over the years, he developed a friendship with Bill Clinton—a relationship that continued into Clinton's time in the White House. Taylor later wrote a book about that relationship, which he titled The Clinton Tapes: Wrestling History with the President.

Taylor's many awards include a MacArthur Fellowship (also known as a "genius grant"), the National Humanities Medal, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Lifetime Achievement Award, and the BIO Award from Biographers International Organization.

Taylor now lives in Baltimore with his wife, Christy.

Episode 19: Taylor Branch ’68

communications@moreheadcain.org (Catalyze by Morehead-Cain) — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 19:57:07 +0000

Catalyze Season Three continues with a bonus episode featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and author Taylor Branch ’68. This interview was recorded in front of an audience during a recent visit Taylor made to the Foundation, when he was in Chapel Hill to be inducted into the NC Media and Journalism Hall of Fame.

Taylor grew up in Atlanta in the 50s and early 60s. After graduating from Carolina in 1968, he earned an M.P.A. from Princeton University. Taylor has worked as an editor and columnist for a number of national magazines. Over the years, he developed a friendship with Bill Clinton—a relationship that continued into Clinton's time in the White House. Taylor later wrote a book about that relationship, which he titled The Clinton Tapes: Wrestling History with the President. In our upcoming conversation, you'll hear some entertaining stories from Taylor about that experience.

Taylor now lives in Baltimore with his wife, Christy.

Episode 18: Jim Exum ’57

communications@moreheadcain.org (Catalyze by Morehead-Cain) — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 15:16:53 +0000

Today you'll hear from Jim Exum, one of eight members of the first class of undergraduate Morehead-Cain Scholars: the Class of 1957. Jim is also a former Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court.

After attending law school on a full scholarship at New York University, Jim practiced law in North Carolina until 1967, when he began a term in the North Carolina House of Representatives. The same year he joined the House, the governor appointed him Resident Superior Court Judge in Guilford County.

In 1975, Jim joined the North Carolina Supreme Court, where he eventually became Chief Justice. Jim wrote more than 400 opinions for the court.

In the mid-90s, Jim returned to private practice. As a lawyer, he has helped brief and argue more than 40 appeals in state and federal appellate courts.

Throughout the early 2000s, Jim served as Distinguished Jurist-in-Residence at Elon Law. He taught law as a professor there from 2000 until his retirement in 2018.

Jim has received multiple awards for his commitment to civil liberties and justice.

Episode 17: Danae Ringelmann ’00

communications@moreheadcain.org (Catalyze by Morehead-Cain) — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 19:59:44 +0000

On this episode of Catalyze, you'll hear from Danae Ringelmann ’00, co-founder of Indiegogo—a crowdfunding platform that disrupted the fundraising industry when it hit the market in 2008.

While Danae and her team were getting the company off the ground, people told them it was a mistake to host it online. In more recent years, the company has faced criticism for its “anything-goes” approach to its mission of democratizing finance. Danae and her team have weathered it all, helping 15 million people raise $1.3 billion for all kinds of projects—including independent films, an electric bike company you'll hear about in a few minutes, and many, many niche products that most likely would never have gotten off the ground otherwise.

Through her work with Indiegogo, Danae has been named to a number of major influencer lists, including Fortune Magazine's 40 under 40. She's spoken at all kinds of conferences around the world. She's even testified for a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee about innovative ways for small businesses to raise capital.

A few months ago, Danae stepped back from Indiegogo to pursue new directions in her life, which she discusses in the recorded conversation. However, she still serves on Indiegogo's board.

Episode 16: Jim Cooper ’75

communications@moreheadcain.org (Catalyze by Morehead-Cain) — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 15:36:23 +0000

You're about to hear from U.S. Representative Jim Cooper, Morehead-Cain Class of 1975. Born in Nashville, TN, Jim represents the state's 5th District, which includes Nashville and surrounding areas. In Congress, he's known for his bipartisan work on the federal budget, health care, and government reform. When Congress is not in session, Jim teaches part-time at Vanderbilt.

After Carolina, Jim won a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford, where he earned a B.A./M.A. in politics and economics. He also has a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Episode 15: Jenny Youngblood Campbell ’95

communications@moreheadcain.org (Catalyze by Morehead-Cain) — Wed, 6 Mar 2019 19:46:01 +0000

You're about to hear from Jenny Youngblood Campbell ’95, chief marketing officer for the dating app company Tinder. Jenny formerly worked as a managing director at the marketing agency 72andSunny—with clients including adidas, Google, Starbucks, Uber, and eBay. Before that, she was a senior global brand director at Nike. In our conversation, you'll hear more about her fast-paced career, the cultural value of the high-profile companies she's worked for, and her year-long trip around the world with her husband and their two young children.

Episode 14: Peter Henry ’91

communications@moreheadcain.org (Catalyze by Morehead-Cain) — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 19:58:29 +0000

On this episode, you'll hear from Peter Henry ’91, an expert in global economics and a recent recipient of UNC's Distinguished Alumni Award. Peter was the youngest person ever to serve as dean of New York University Stern School of Business. In January 2018 he stepped down—after eight years in the role—to return to his economic policy research. Prior to NYU, Peter was a member of the faculty at Stanford University.

Peter led an economics advisory group for Barack Obama's presidential campaign in 2008. He then led the Presidential Transition Team in reviewing international lending agencies including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Peter has also advised the governments of Ghana and Jamaica on macroeconomic policy.

His current research focuses on the impact of economic reform on the lives of people in developing countries. In his first book, which is called Turnaround, Peter argues that the secret to emerging countries' success (and to the future prosperity of the developed world as well) is discipline.

At Carolina, Peter was a reserve wide receiver on the varsity football team. He later received a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford, where he earned a BA in mathematics and a Full Blue in basketball. Peter also has a PhD in economics from MIT.

Episode 13: Jim Reston ’63

communications@moreheadcain.org (Catalyze by Morehead-Cain) — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 21:14:13 +0000

You're about to hear from author and playwright Jim Reston, who graduated in the Morehead-Cain Class of 1963. Jim is from Washington, D.C. and has been not only an eyewitness to major historical events of the last few decades, but actually participated in them: from the Civil Rights movement, to the Vietnam War, to the Watergate scandal, and more.

Jim's father was James Reston Sr, a prominent New York Times journalist and editor—but Jim managed to blaze his own trail in the writing world. Jim has published eighteen books, three plays, and numerous articles in national magazines. His various works have been translated into many different languages, optioned by Hollywood, and included on international best-seller lists.

From 1976 to 1977, Jim advised David Frost for the famous Frost/Nixon Interviews, which 57 million people watched from around the world. His narrative of that experience, published in 2007, was the main inspiration for the hit London play, "Frost/Nixon." In the Hollywood adaptation of the play, which was nominated for five Academy Awards, Jim's character is played by the actor Sam Rockwell.

Jim has been a fellow at the American Academy in Rome, a fellow at the Kluge Center at the Library of Congress, and a senior scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C.

Episode 12: Jonathan Reckford ’84

communications@moreheadcain.org (Catalyze by Morehead-Cain) — Wed, 19 Dec 2018 19:14:17 +0000

Our final episode of our second season features someone who knows a great deal about living a life of service. We talk with the CEO of Habitat for Humanity International: Jonathan Reckford, Morehead-Cain Class of 1984.

Listen to Jonathan talk about his varied career path, which includes a stint in strategic planning for Disney and an SVP role at the company that founded CarMax. The conversation ranges from the elements of leadership, to the importance of data in nonprofit work, to the real meaning of the word “vocation.”

Episode 11: Cathy Alston-Kearney ’81

communications@moreheadcain.org (Catalyze by Morehead-Cain) — Wed, 12 Dec 2018 19:32:20 +0000

This week we talk with Cathy Alston-Kearney, an alumna from the Morehead-Cain Class of 1981. Cathy grew up in Nashville, North Carolina and now lives in Warrenton, North Carolina—population 862.

For twenty-one years, Cathy was the executive director of the Warren Family Institute, helping underprivileged families find affordable housing. She now works as the student success director for Warren County Schools and as a pastor for Oak Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church—a denomination known as AME for short.

Cathy was a SEVEN Speaker at the 2018 Alumni Forum, just a few weeks ago. Her talk, which she titled “The Men in My Life,” received a standing ovation. Soon you'll find out why.

Episode 10: Jason Kemp ’03

communications@moreheadcain.org (Catalyze by Morehead-Cain) — Wed, 5 Dec 2018 18:31:24 +0000

This episode of Catalyze features Major Jason Kemp, former commander of India Company, Third Battalion, Second Marines—and now an officer in the U.S. Marine Reserves. Jason currently lives in Raleigh, and he works for a utilities company called Pike Electric. On top of that, he spends a few hours a week helping veterans get connected to the Triangle community through a network called Marine for Life.

During his ten years of active duty, Jason completed two deployments to Iraq and another on a U.S. Navy ship that visited Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. He says his geography degree was extremely useful on deployment.

Our conversation dips into the fascinating parallels between service in the Marines and working for a utility company, Jason's unfulfilled dream of being a farmer, and a very helpful life-planning exercise for any age.

The son of a Vietnam War veteran, Major Jason Kemp grew up in Mount Airy, N.C.

Episode 9: Jed Lau ’98 and Kerry Anne Harris ’11

communications@moreheadcain.org (Catalyze by Morehead-Cain) — Wed, 28 Nov 2018 17:51:18 +0000

Gender roles often prescribe that a husband should be the breadwinner while a wife should stay at home. But the modern feminist movement can also make women feel guilty if they do choose to stay at home with their kids. How does a high-achieving, values-driven college graduate like a Morehead-Cain navigate these challenges?

In this episode of Catalyze, Jed Lau, Morehead-Cain Class of 1998, and Kerry Anne Harris, Morehead-Cain Class of 2011, share their unique stories of intentional living through full-time parenthood.

During our talk, Jed mentions a spreadsheet with his family’s five-year plan. You can see a copy of it here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1X2-9NYuBp8Pt0lkT-EN4exu_MaTqvv4KBzgDNdbf5pM/edit#gid=0

Episode 8: Meg VanDeusen ’14

communications@moreheadcain.org (Catalyze by Morehead-Cain) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 16:23:30 +0000

This week we’re continuing a season that highlights lives of service.

You'll hear from Meg VanDeusen, Morehead-Cain class of 2014. Meg is a former Fulbright English Teaching Assistant, former Girl Scout Troop leader, and current senior manager of operations and finance at a small nonprofit called Feedback Labs.

Our conversation starts with her foundation in service: through the Girl Scouts and the Carolina Center for Public Service. We also discuss her experiences teaching abroad and her current work and what she sees is a key component of providing service to others.

Episode 7: Amir Barzin ’06

communications@moreheadcain.org (Catalyze by Morehead-Cain) — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 20:03:19 +0000

Welcome to Season 2 of Catalyze, a podcast from the Morehead-Cain Foundation at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

As we shared during our first season, Catalyze features stories of values-driven leadership. This season we’ve chosen to highlight lives of service.

Our first episode this season is a conversation with Dr. Amir Barzin ’06, a Persian-Texan who works in family medicine at UNC. After attending Carolina as a Morehead-Cain, Dr. Barzin worked as a law-clerk and an EMT before earning a master's in medical science and then a DO: which stands for doctor in osteopathic medicine. We dive into what that means, during our conversation.

Today, Dr. Barzin is the director of UNC's Family Medicine Center, director of UNC Urgent Care, and director of Family Medicine In-Patient Service.

Episode 6: David Gardner ’88

communications@moreheadcain.org (Catalyze by Morehead-Cain) — Thu, 4 Oct 2018 15:01:58 +0000

This is the last episode of our first season, and we are sad to have it end. But don't despair, we'll be back soon enough. And this week we've got a very special guest for you to close out the season: David Gardner, Morehead-Cain Class of 1988.

David is cofounder of a whimsical financial services company called The Motley Fool (https://www.fool.com/), which he established in 1993 along with his brother and a friend. David is incredibly successful at picking stocks, and he's known among the Morehead-Cain community for a legendary SEVEN talk at the 2009 Alumni Forum where he picked seven stocks alumni should've invested in right then. If someone in the audience had invested $1,000 across those seven stocks that day, they'd have more than $13,000 today. And that is not a fluke or a lucky break. David picks successful stocks like these literally every day.

In our conversation, we talked about the story of The Motley Fool, how David learned about stocks, and what he wishes everyone knew about financial investing. David's energy is palpable, and his optimism irresistible. This was a fun conversation by any standards—and way more fun than you'd expect a conversation about stocks to be!

Follow David’s 2009 Alumni Forum stock picks here: http://caps.fool.com/player/moreheadreunion9.aspx

Episode 5: Barbara Hyde ’83

communications@moreheadcain.org (Catalyze by Morehead-Cain) — Thu, 27 Sep 2018 20:14:11 +0000

Welcome to Catalyze, a podcast produced by the Morehead-Cain Foundation at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

This week we sat down with Barbara Hyde, Morehead-Cain Class of 1983. Barbara has spent much of her life finding ways to support causes she cares about. She’s the chair and CEO of the Hyde Family Foundation—a nonprofit credited with helping transform the city of Memphis.

Barbara also cares a great deal about Morehead-Cain and Carolina. She has been Co-Chair of the 2015 and 2018 Alumni Forums, helped found Morehead-Cain's first fundraising efforts, and is on the board of the Morehead-Cain Scholarship Fund. She has also served on the University's Board of Trustees and helped launch its massive, four-billion-dollar fundraising campaign last fall.

In our conversation, we discussed what it's like to have kids at UNC—including a daughter with the Morehead-Cain Scholarship!—the unique strengths and challenges of Memphis, and what it's like living a life of philanthropy.

Episode 4: Wade Smith ’60

communications@moreheadcain.org (Catalyze by Morehead-Cain) — Fri, 21 Sep 2018 16:13:50 +0000

Welcome to the fourth episode of Catalyze, a podcast from the Morehead-Cain Foundation at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This week we speak with Wade Smith, a Raleigh-based attorney from the Morehead-Cain class of 1960—when it was known as just the Morehead.

Wade was born in Albemarle, North Carolina, in 1937. His parents were textile workers. In high school, Wade was an All American football player, and he received multiple college football scholarship offers. You'll be happy to hear he chose the Morehead-Cain instead.

At UNC he served as captain of the football team and earned membership in the University’s highest honorary, The Order of the Golden Fleece. Wade then attended UNC School of Law. After clerking for a North Carolina Supreme Court Justice, Wade co-founded the law firm Tharrington Smith, where he still works today. He’s tried dozens of cases in state and federal courts alike—including multiple cases that made national headlines and live on in courtroom lore.

Episode 3: Becca Frucht ’05

communications@moreheadcain.org (Catalyze by Morehead-Cain) — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 15:08:47 +0000

Welcome to the third episode of Catalyze, a podcast from the Morehead-Cain Foundation at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Becca Frucht discovered her passion for the entertainment industry—specifically the intersection between pop culture, politics and social awareness—as a college intern in MTV's London office. After UNC, her career ranged from advertising to sustainability to pop culture writing and on-camera reporting.

While working for MTV Act and Rock The Vote, Becca covered the Democratic National Convention and interviewed artists at Lollapalooza. With media outlet PopSugar, Becca co-hosted live coverage of the Grammys and SAG Awards. Then, she gave up her glamorous and thriving Hollywood lifestyle to live and work on an isolated ranch in Colorado.

Episode 2: Noam Argov ’15

communications@moreheadcain.org (Catalyze by Morehead-Cain) — Fri, 7 Sep 2018 19:07:11 +0000

Welcome to the second episode of Catalyze, a podcast from the Morehead-Cain Foundation at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

This week, we’re excited to introduce you to Noam Argov, Morehead-Cain Class of 2015. Her professional experiences have been a mashup of tech-y startups, outdoor adventuring, and creative production.

Noam has been lucky enough to attend the last two Alumni Forums, and will be a panelist at this year's Forum to discuss her recent career pivot from startups in the tech industry to documentary filmmaking for National Geographic.

Episode 1: Brad Ives ’86

communications@moreheadcain.org (Catalyze by Morehead-Cain) — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 20:22:39 +0000

Welcome to the first episode of Catalyze, a brand-new podcast from the Morehead-Cain Foundation at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The first guest joining host and producer Caroline Leland is Brad Ives ’86. Brad is Carolina’s Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus Enterprises, which means he oversees the University’s Auxiliary Services, Energy Services, Transportation and Parking, Student Stores, and Trademarks and Licensing. This encompasses a $175 million budget with hundreds and hundreds of employees.

Brad is also the brain behind the biggest of all Morehead-Cain events: the Alumni Forum. He shares where the idea came from—and how he pulled it off.