College Up Close
Get to know the College of Arts and Sciences like never before in our new series, College Up Close. Follow along as students from each of the College’s 43 academic departments and curricula share favorite experiences and memories from their studies, research and time at Carolina.
And, be the first to meet Tar Heels across the College. Follow the series on Instagram @unccollege or on Facebook and X for weekly updates.
Robert Denny
Aerospace Studies
U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Denny wanted to be part of something bigger than himself at Carolina ➙
Jorren Biggs
African, African American and Diaspora Studies
Social justice work, activism and leadership were integral to Biggs’ time as a Tar Heel ➙
Sarah Frisbie
Art and Art History
A recent graduate, Frisbie pursued her love of creating art while preparing for a career as a curator ➙
Logan Dosher
Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
An Honors Carolina Weir Fellow, Dosher has studied Mandarin abroad and in Carolina’s classrooms ➙
Riya Shah
Biology
A 2023 winter graduate, Shah’s pursuit of research and an honors thesis made her time at UNC “unforgettable” ➙
Sunita Agarwala
Biomedical Engineering
An Air Force ROTC cadet, Agarwala takes classes at both UNC and NC State as a biomedical engineering major ➙
Kimmy Hansen
City and Regional Planning
Hansen is using a fellowship to study the impact of construction on maritime forests off the coast ➙
Elsa Huebsch
Chemistry
Called by a passion to fight climate change, Huebsch transferred to UNC as a sophomore to study chemistry ➙
Ty Patterson
Classics
Faculty, friends and mentors at Carolina ignited Patterson’s passion for classics ➙
Avni Singh
Communication
A recent graduate, Singh founded a film production company with fellow Tar Heels ➙
Ayana Monroe
Computer Science
From a young age, Monroe knew she wanted to use code as a tool to help people ➙
Güzin Karagöz
Contemporary European Studies
Karagöz, a senior from Istanbul, Turkey, has explored European politics and international relations inside and outside the classroom ➙
Jocelyn Chatman
Dramatic Art
A costume production MFA student in the dramatic art department, Chatman makes performances come alive ➙
Webster Woltersdorf
Economics
Woltersdorf’s interest in economics and passion for international research go hand in hand ➙
Jenna Gartland
English and Comparative Literature
A Thomas Wolfe Scholar, Gartland has grown as a writer and created space for LGTBQ+ performance at UNC ➙
Victoria Farella
Environment, Ecology and Energy Program
An undergraduate student, Farella is turning her love for the outdoors into her intended career path ➙
Blair Smith
Exercise and Sport Science
A senior Honors Carolina student, Smith is passionate about advancing oncological care ➙
Aden Laws
Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures
As part of the Russian Flagship Program, Laws spent a summer honing his language skills in Kazakhstan ➙
Lizabeth Bamgboye
Global Studies
Bamgboye chose a major in global studies to engage with the people, cultures and ideas behind the social movements that inspire her ➙
Kirsten Giesbrecht
Mathematics
A doctoral student, Giesbrecht uses mathematical modeling to study the embryonic heart➙
Emily Elkas
Military Science
A recent graduate, Elkas had an extraordinary college experience as a student, athlete and Army ROTC cadet ➙
Erin Storch
Naval Science
During her time as a student, Storch balanced her mathematics major with Navy ROTC ➙
Elizabeth Cake
Peace, War and Defense
“I never get bored with such a diverse range of topics,” said Cake, a junior, of her PWAD major ➙
Te’Aja McCoy
Political Science
Studying political science and social and economic justice at UNC was a catalyst for McCoy’s pursuit of law school ➙
Jieni Zhou
Psychology and Neuroscience
A social psychology Ph.D. student, Zhou researches the intersection of well-being and romantic relationships ➙
Katie Noble
Public Policy
Noble’s passion for public policy has led her to seminars and an internship in the nation’s capital ➙
Conor Kerr
Statistics and Operations Research
A founding member of the Sports Analysis Intelligence Laboratory, Kerr teams up sports statisticians with Carolina’s varsity athletics ➙