New fund brings visiting scholars to Carolina
The fund honoring John Preyer, member and former chair of the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees, will support visiting scholars at the School of Civic Life and Leadership.
A new fund has been established to support visiting scholars at the UNC School of Civic Life and Leadership. Joanie Preyer ’91 set up the John P. Preyer Visiting Scholar in the School of Civic Life and Leadership Fund to honor her husband John Preyer ’90, former chair of the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees.
As a member and then chair of the BOT, John Preyer championed the creation of the new school, which offered its first courses in fall 2024. He envisioned the School of Civic Life and Leadership as a unique forum for open dialogue on divisive issues, and his efforts helped Carolina affirm its commitment to embracing diverse viewpoints and robust debate in classrooms and throughout campus.
“It was important to me that John be recognized for the work he’s done at Carolina, particularly in establishing the School of Civic Life and Leadership,” said Joanie Preyer. “I felt that establishing this fund would be the best way to create a continuing impact at the school and a continuing legacy for John. I hope the new fund will provide more opportunities for students to hear from scholars of all backgrounds and then take what they learn out into the community.”
The School of Civic Life and Leadership provides an interdisciplinary home for the study and practice of public discourse, civic life and civic leadership. The school is led by impressive faculty who came from institutions such as the University of Oxford, Harvard University and the University of Virginia. It offers programming and courses that prepare students for citizenship in a pluralistic democracy, including How to Think in an Age of Political Polarization, America Through Foreign Eyes, and Courageous Conversations: Israel and Palestine on Campus. The school launched a minor in civic life and leadership in fall 2024.
The school’s visiting scholars program brings leaders, thinkers and practitioners to campus each semester, where they engage with the Carolina community in a meaningful, sustained way. It is an immersive program in which visiting scholars participate in classroom discussions, student panels, informal meals with students and small group conversations — ensuring opportunities for personal connections and a lasting impact on the Carolina community.
The John P. Preyer Visiting Scholar in the School of Civic Life and Leadership Fund will allow the school to host its first Preyer Visiting Scholar during the 2025–26 academic year. Once the endowment fund is generating income, the school will bring one distinguished scholar to Carolina each semester, with visits ranging from a week to a month or even a full academic year.
“The Preyer Visiting Scholar promotes viewpoint diversity by enabling distinguished guests to enjoy sustained visits to the Carolina community,” said Jed Atkins, director and dean of the School of Civic Life and Leadership. “They will bring new ideas and enrich the campus dialogue with meaningful conversations that will resonate long after they depart.”
Joanie Preyer invited the couple’s family, friends and colleagues to contribute to the fund, making it a group effort. Among the initial supporters of the fund is UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees Secretary Ramsey White.
“Brien and I are excited to honor John and his leadership — especially his commitment to student voices and the School of Civic Life and Leadership — with a gift to the Preyer Visiting Scholars fund,” said White. “John is a strategic thinker who championed open dialogue and daily excellence, and a visiting scholar is the perfect way to celebrate his legacy on the Board of Trustees.”
John Preyer’s term as chair of the board ended in May 2025; but with this fund, his family and friends are ensuring his legacy lives on. “I’m so proud of John’s accomplishments, and so are our children Lacy and Pike. This fund will honor John’s legacy at Carolina in a lasting way and benefit countless future scholars,” said Joanie Preyer.
Those interested in supporting the visiting scholars program can contribute directly to the fund. If the endowment reaches $1 million, the school also has the option to use the funding to create an endowed professorship.
