Learn moreJunior Zack Nodden grew up sporting Carolina gear and cheering for the Tar Heels, but his journey to Chapel Hill took a little longer than expected. After high school, Nodden enlisted in the Army. Ten years and several deployments later, he enrolled at Carolina to begin his path to an officer commission.
Serving veterans
Carolina is home to hundreds of student-veterans who served their country before beginning their Tar Heel careers.
They have had life experiences that are unlike many of their classmates and they are a vital component of our campus. We are proud our student-veterans have chosen Carolina and we are dedicated to providing them the best support and opportunities as they enter a new phase in their lives.
Tar Heel Veterans
Carolina offers several opportunities for student-veterans. They include Kenan-Flagler Business School’s online MBA, accounting programs and executive development courses, which host senior military leaders to accelerate transitions to new leadership roles; the School of Medicine’s physician assistant degree program; and UNC Core, an online program that prepares students for degree-completion programs by fulfilling core requirements needed to enroll.
Learn moreDuring her 35-year military career, retired Army Reserve Maj. Gen. Peggy Wilmoth became the first nurse — and first woman — to serve as the deputy surgeon general for the Army Reserve. Today, she is the executive dean and associate dean of academic affairs at the UNC School of Nursing.
>Learn moreAlec Fields, a former fleet Marine force hospital corpsman, discovered a passion for medicine while in charge of the health and well-being of the Marines stationed in Afghanistan. That led him to pursue physician assistant studies at UNC School of Medicine's Department of Allied Health Sciences.
Supporting vets on and off campus
Carolina Veterans Organization
The Carolina Veterans Organization is a student-run group that aims to provide veteran and military-affiliated students with the resources, opportunities and support to facilitate successful transitions to college life. The group is built on three core pillars of community, advocacy and outreach.
Military, veteran law clinic helps warriors receive health care
Carolina’s Military and Veterans Law Clinic, led by Army veteran John Brooker ’03 (JD), serves North Carolinians who are fighting for an upgrade or correction to their military discharge status. With Brooker’s guidance, Carolina Law students take ownership of their cases, from researching the law to representing clients before military administrative boards.
Concussion care on the front lines
A current multidisciplinary initiative led by Carolina's Jason Mihalik is tracking neurological function in elite warfighters. Mihalik has tested almost 400 soldiers to date, and the study is expanding to other Special Operations Forces populations, including a pilot project with 3rd Special Forces Groups (Airborne) at Fort Bragg.
Carolina launches new scholarship fund for military-affiliated students
A $20 million donation has provided need-based aid for the children of servicemen and women. The gift supports military dependents who qualify for the Carolina Covenant, a groundbreaking initiative that affords eligible children of low-income families an opportunity to attend Carolina without loans.