Diversity Stories

She expands global connections for students
The Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies director launched a lecture series and taught global courses. She is also Roshan Institute associate professor in Persian studies.

Blair Kelley uncovers roots of Black working class
The Center for the Study of the American South director hopes to amplify the work ethic carried from enslavement to freedom.

Rooted: María DeGuzmán
María DeGuzmán, the Eugene H. Falk Distinguished Professor of English & Comparative Literature and the founding director of the UNC Latina/o Studies Program, has been contributing to research at UNC for 24 years.

Tar Heels build language confidence with virtual reality
Tar Heels in Caroline Sibley’s Advanced Arabic class use virtual reality to explore a virtual world with students in Morocco and Algeria in real-time to hone their language skills.

Black opera enters a golden age
Artists debut new works about Black culture and history while scholars like Naomi André rediscover pieces long hidden in segregation’s shadows.

Rooted: Karla Slocum
Karla Slocum has worked for UNC-Chapel Hill for 27 years in a variety of roles, most recently as senior associate dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) for the UNC College of Arts and Sciences. She is also a professor of anthropology and the Thomas Willis Lambeth Distinguished Chair in Public Policy.

Creating community in the classroom
Ariana Vigil teaches and conducts research in Latina/o literature, militarization, and gender and sexuality.