Chancellor sees Carolina’s impact ‘everywhere you look’ on eastern NC tour

Published June 17, 2026

Chancellor Lee H. Roberts spent several days visiting communities in eastern North Carolina to demonstrate UNC-Chapel Hill’s commitment to serving and engaging with those across the Tar Heel State as part of his second annual summer tour.

The tour, which included time with students, alumni, community leaders and military personnel, allowed Roberts and other University leaders to directly connect with residents, learn about research across the region and find opportunities to make greater impact.

Roberts began the tour with two days at Fort Bragg, gaining a better understanding of operations at one of the world’s largest military bases and identifying areas for future partnerships.

He and other leaders also had the chance to go through physical training exercises with the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.

Carolina’s presence is felt along the state’s coastline, where the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences powers critical environmental and marine research.

Roberts spent a day on a boat with members of Carolina’s environment, ecology and energy program, stopping at marsh areas and living shorelines, before visiting IMS.

In New Bern, Roberts announced a statewide two-year collaborative planning and pilot study aimed at understanding how communities around the state are encountering generative artificial intelligence and how local libraries can support AI literacy in meaningful, locally relevant and sustainable ways.

Roberts visited the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, meeting with Chancellor Dr. Robin Cummings ’78 about collaborations between the two UNC System institutions.

Roberts spent an afternoon on the USS North Carolina Battleship in Wilmington, meeting with Carolina alumni who have served our nation.

Roberts ended his tour at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, where he and University leaders learned about ways to broaden and deepen connections with the military.