See how Carolina celebrated University Day
The annual tradition, held Oct. 12, marked UNC-Chapel Hill’s birthday, honored outstanding Tar Heels and recognized Carolina’s commitment to the state.
UNC-Chapel Hill celebrated its 232nd birthday with the annual University Day celebration Oct. 12 at Memorial Hall.
The date marks the laying of the cornerstone of Old East, the University’s first building and oldest state university building in the nation.
At the ceremony, Carolina honored seven Distinguished Alumni Award winners and recipients of the Edward Kidder Graham Faculty Service Award, Rebecca Clark Staff Award for Moral Courage and the O. Max Gardner Award.
Several student performances took place during the ceremony, including a brass quintet, opera performance, a ballroom dance demonstration and a Mozart piano quartet. The ceremony concluded with the a cappella group Tar Heel Voices singing Carolina’s alma mater, Hark the Sound.
Take a look at memorable moments and quotes from the ceremony.
University Day marks the anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone at Old East, the nation’s first public university building. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)
Chancellor Lee H. Roberts: “Throughout the years, our University has come to define leadership as service. … Today, we celebrate not just that rich history of service, but our ongoing responsibility to lead in areas that matter most to the people of our state.”
Leah Frazier, graduate and professional student government president: “Carolina means community, resilience and opportunity. It is where people from across the state, country and world come together to learn, discover and serve.”
Adolfo Alvarez, student body president: “Carolina’s greatest contribution to our state is its people. Our teachers are steering public schools. Our medical researchers drive innovation in the Research Triangle, and our graduates in public health support rural communities across North Carolina.”
At University Day, Chancellor Lee H. Roberts spoke about Carolina’s history and how the University will continue to lead on the key issues facing the world. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)
Chancellor Roberts: “As America’s first public university, we were created to nurture democratic citizens. That means defending free expression and open debate, absolutely. And it also means cultivating the skills to listen, to challenge ideas respectfully, and to ensure that every Tar Heel feels both the freedom and the responsibility that comes with having a voice.”
Malcolm Turner, chair, UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees: “Carolina is a place of aspiration. It’s a place where we ask, ‘What’s next?’ And a place comprised of people who want to do more.”
Rebecca Howell, chair, Employee Forum: “I came here seeking a career change, only to have Carolina remind me that working with students and helping them find their passion and chase their dreams, is exactly where I belong.”
Beth Moracco, chair of the faculty: “It’s a place of collaboration and community, where faculty, students and staff work together to shape a better future for North Carolina and beyond.”
Veronica M. Flaspoehler, president, Carolina Alumni: “While our impact is wide-ranging, it all comes back to one core contribution: people. A continuous pipeline of skilled, service-minded citizens.”
Chancellor Roberts: “If leadership means anything, it is this: to confront the most pressing issues of our age, not with fear, but with purpose. So let us recommit to that leadership. Let us continue to pioneer in science and scholarship, in medicine and the arts, and in the conversations that strengthen democracy. Let us show North Carolina and the world what it truly means to be a flagship public university dedicated to teaching, discovery, and service.”
From left to right: Kristin Acquavella, William N. Starling Jr., Jenna Robinson, Ramsey White, Chancellor Lee H. Roberts, Chad R. Pike, William Vaughn Moore, Lewis Niles Black and William Edwin McMahan. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)
Award recipients
The Distinguished Alumni Award winners include:
- Kristin Acquavella ‘93
- Lewis Niles Black ‘70
- William Edwin McMahan ‘66
- William Vaughn Moore ‘93
- Chad R. Pike ‘93
- Jenna Robinson ‘05 (MA) ‘12 (PhD)
- William N. Starling Jr. ‘75
Dr. Jeffrey S.A. Stringer, Clarke-Pearson Distinguished Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the UNC School of Medicine, is this year’s recipient of the O. Max Gardner Award, the highest honor in the UNC system.
Bob Goldstein, James L. Peacock III Distinguished Professor in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences’ biology department and adjunct professor of art, received the Edward Kidder Graham Faculty Service Award. The honor recognizes the outstanding service of Carolina’s voting faculty.
Michael F. Almeida, postdoctoral research associate at the UNC School of Medicine’s McAllister Heart Institute, is the recipient of the Rebecca Clark Staff Award for Moral Courage.
Watch the livestream of the ceremony on YouTube.
The Brass Quintet was one of several musical performances. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)
Seniors Victoria Song and Jessica Cotton, along with pianist and senior Angela Liu, perform “Sous le dôme épais” from Lakmé by Léo Delibes. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)
Carolina’s Club Ballroom Dance Team performed a Latin dance demonstration. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)
Tar Heel Voices concluded the ceremony with a performance of Hark the Sound. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)
