The North Carolina legislature ratified the U.S. Constitution, and then created this university. Our founders understood that higher education is essential to sustaining democracy, a benefit not just to the people who directly receive an education, but every citizen of our state.

Throughout the years, our university has come to define leadership as service. Harry Woodburn Chase, our 12th University President, wrote that a state university “may be said to have as its central idea that of service to the commonwealth.”

This principle from 1923 has inspired generations of Tar Heels to sacrifice for the greater good.

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.

And so, what does that mean for our university right now? As we look forward and see new challenges and new responsibilities, no less profound than those faced by our predecessors, how do we stay true to our mission?

First, 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.

At a time when civil discourse is strained, Carolina has a crucial opportunity to model what it means for a public university to disagree with humility. Our School of Civic Life and Leadership was created to do exactly that, to teach our students how to tackle the most challenging issues of our time with courage and with respect.

We have, and will, disagree every day about what that looks like. Yet, as Bill Friday said, during a time that was even more divided than ours, “Universities are places where freedom should be spoken.” At Carolina, we will continue to be that place.

Second, as we stay true to our principles, leadership means we cannot hide from the dynamic reality of the present. Generative AI is irreversibly reshaping how we teach, research, and serve our state.

Carolina researchers are already achieving breakthroughs. From health care that uses machine learning to detect disease earlier, to projects in our computer science and data science programs, we are harnessing this powerful technology for the public good.

We announced this week that Dean Jeff Bardzell will lead our AI work. Together with our faculty, he will work to ensure that we are preparing our students for a world in which this technology continues to accelerate.

Third, Carolina will lead because of the dynamic, innovative and resourceful people who graduate from this place and who call it home.

Every day, our faculty discover new forms of knowledge, test ideas, and work to find the answers to the problems of our time.

Just this week alone: Frank Leibfarth became the first Tar Heel to win a Blavatnik Award for his trailblazing work on PFAS. On Wednesday, we announced that Nab Dasgupta won a MacArthur genius award for helping to prevent drug overdose deaths. And then on the same day Gabrielle Calvocoressi in the creative writing department was named a finalist for the National Book Award for poetry. Just another week at Carolina!

And every day, our alumni are making a difference. Today, we recognize men and women who have demonstrated excellence in their fields, who have led companies, served their country in uniform, mentored thousands, and saved lives.

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.

Read more about the 2025 University Day ceremony.

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We are proud to gather with you, along with your parents, family, friends, teachers, coaches and all the people who have gotten you to this important milestone.

I want you to think back to your first moments on campus: the tour you took with your parents, or summer orientation, or move-in day in August.

This campus was new and perhaps bewildering. There was little that felt familiar, and you may have missed home.

But now, this campus and its landmarks belong to you. You have memories in the library, in the Pit and rushing Franklin Street.

You probably have a favorite spot: the Bell Tower, Polk Place, the Old Well.

I have a favorite. It’s not the Old Well exactly, but the large white oak tree behind it that I can see from my window in South Building.

I’ve watched this tree change colors and mark the passage of time each semester.

Tom Bythell, our university arborist, told me that for the past 20 years, he has been pruning that tree to give the impression that it’s embracing the Old Well.

As I said on University Day last year, once you see it, you can’t help but marvel at it.

Our campus is defined by its trees, starting with our legendary Davie Poplar.

For as long as this University has existed, the trees here have stood as a reminder of the strength, patience and deep-rooted community that only the nation’s first public university could nurture.

Maybe now, you have a favorite, one that holds a special memory or that caught your attention.

Like you, the trees on this campus have stories to tell.

In South Building, there is a table made from what was the largest post oak tree in North Carolina. The center of the table is 250 years old, older than the university itself.

The rings of this tree tell stories, from the bullets that our arborist found in the tree to the telegraph insulation that the tree grew around.

No tree can grow without its roots. And throughout your time here at Carolina, you have been growing and establishing your roots.

You have been nourished by our remarkable faculty and staff who have supported and challenged you. Your years here have provided you with deep roots of knowledge, values and friendships that will support you as you venture into the world.

Now, you are taking the next step. Your future, like the branches of the trees on our campus, is reaching outward and upward, stretching toward new ideas, communities and fields.

You will face new challenges, and you will be tested. In a world that changes rapidly, you will have moments when you might be fearful or anxious.

You are growing in an environment that is different than the one that I, and most of us up here, grew in. It’s different than the one that Tar Heels who graduated only a few years ago grew in.

My challenge to you as you enter this new chapter of your life is this: remember your roots. Remember the investment of your families, your friends, your communities and the people of this state who you will never meet but who believe in you.

Remember what you have learned here and the community you have built. The stronger the roots, the further the branches can reach.

You will need strong roots as you face the world today. There is so much uncertainty about what a career will be in the future.

Holding onto your roots, the people and the principles that define who you are, will be more important than ever before.

I am confident that, as Tar Heels, you will be up to the challenge. You are joining an illustrious group of alumni who have been changing the world since William Richardson Davie sat under the giant poplar near the Old Well, and are working to change it again.

It won’t be easy, but you won’t be doing it alone.

When you are uncertain, when you need to be reminded of those roots, come back here and walk the brick pathways.

Listen to the bells and look at that tree embracing the Old Well. Remember what you have learned here and let it inspire you for what’s next.

Carolina will always be your home, and we can’t wait to welcome you back.

Thank you, and go Heels!

Read more about 2025 Spring Commencement.

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It is with mixed emotions that I announce Chris Clemens has decided to step down from his role as provost and chief academic officer to return to Carolina’s faculty as the Jaroslav Folda Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy in the College of Arts and Sciences, effective May 16. 

Chris has been a member of Carolina’s faculty since 1998 and was appointed as provost in 2021. For more than three years, Chris has dedicated himself to academic excellence, and I am grateful for his leadership and commitment to our students, faculty and staff. During his tenure as provost, Chris helped establish the School of Data Science and Society as well as the School of Civic Life and Leadership, welcoming world-class scholars and bringing to life a vision to encourage students to explore public discourse and civic engagement. Chris also advanced Carolina as a leader in innovation and artificial intelligence through the creation of the Provost’s AI Committee, website and community to better foster collaboration, networking and shared learning.  

As a member of the faculty, Chris has held numerous leadership roles, including chair of physics and astronomy, senior associate dean of natural sciences and the inaugural senior associate dean of research and innovation in the College of Arts and Sciences. He was the founding director of the Program for Public Discourse and the founding director of Carolina’s Institute for Convergent Science. An astrophysicist to the core, I know Chris is excited to return to our faculty. He is an invaluable adviser and friend to me, and I look forward to his continued excellence in teaching, research and leadership. 

While this news is bittersweet, I’m pleased to announce that I’ve appointed Jim Dean as interim provost as we begin this transition and the national search to fill the provost and chief academic officer position. A member of the faculty beginning in 1997, Jim served as Carolina’s provost from 2013 to 2017. He also led the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School as dean from 2008-2013. In 2018, Jim became president of the University of New Hampshire. He retired from that position in June 2024. He will begin as interim on May 17. Few others can bring the wisdom and deep expertise from over 40 years both in higher education and at Carolina that he does.  

Please join me in thanking Chris for his dedicated service and welcoming Jim back to Carolina.  

Sincerely,  

Lee H. Roberts
Chancellor 

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I am pleased to announce that UNC-Chapel Hill alumnus Paul Newton will be Carolina’s next vice chancellor and general counsel. Newton is a former general counsel at Duke Energy, a Fortune 500 company that is one of the largest in the state of North Carolina. He was the Senate majority leader and brings exceptional skills and deep experience in law, business and government to our University. He begins on Monday, April 21.

Newton, a double Tar Heel with degrees in business and law, has served as a legislative leader on numerous policy issues including energy, tax and regulatory reform, immunity from COVID-19 claims for higher education and other initiatives to advance North Carolina. He was co-chair of three committees: Finance, Appropriations on Education/Higher Education and Pensions and Retirement and Aging and was a member of seven other committees.

A native North Carolinian, Newton was in private practice before serving in multiple roles at Duke Power Company, now Duke Energy. He led legal efforts for one of the most complex businesses in the world and retired from Duke Energy as N.C. state president in 2015. He has resigned from the Senate to accept this position.

Newton is passionate about returning to his alma mater and contributing to our success. He has served on the Carolina Alumni Board and was a 2024 recipient of the William Richardson Davie Award, the Board of Trustees’ highest honor for individuals who have given extraordinary service to the University or society. His four children have all graduated from Carolina.

I want to thank Associate Vice Chancellor and Senior University Counsel Kara Simmons for her interim leadership and service on the search committee as well as the entire search committee for their work in identifying talented candidates for this important position.

Please join me in welcoming Paul back to Carolina.

Sincerely,

Lee H. Roberts
Chancellor

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It is always painful to lose a member of the Carolina community, especially a young, accomplished and promising alumna such as Captain Lobach. On behalf of the University, we extend our sincere condolences and our gratitude for her brave service.

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My heart goes out to the students who were the unfortunate victims of this unacceptable behavior. Nobody should be subjected to that behavior on our campus, or, indeed, anywhere else. There’s no place at UNC-Chapel Hill for anti-Muslim hatred and no place for hatred against any group. We condemn these actions in the strongest possible terms.

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I’m writing to share the bittersweet news that Vice Chancellor and General Counsel Charles Marshall is returning to private practice as chief operating officer at Burr & Forman LLP. Over the past five years, Charles has been an invaluable member of the University’s leadership team, and he will be missed. Charles informed me about his plans last November, and he will transition his matters by Jan. 17.

In this position, Charles has provided senior legal counsel to the administration, the Board of Trustees and our schools and units through some of our most challenging and high-profile institutional matters. He also served as a liaison with the UNC System, UNC Health, and legal staff in the state Attorney General’s Office, the Governor’s Office, and the General Assembly.

During his tenure, Charles has helped the University navigate complex legal issues, including the constitutionality of the University’s use of race in admissions and the revisions to our admissions policies and practices following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 2023. He has strengthened our risk management function by convening stakeholders to identify and mitigate dynamic University-wide risks that span multiple departments and subject matters. He launched a new governance function to develop and lead key enterprise-level policy, process and compliance projects, and over the last five years, he strengthened our legal and governance affiliation with UNC Health to further advance the mission of our academic medical center.

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced a new array of legal challenges, and Charles worked with the UNC System, state government officials and key campus leaders to advise the University during this unprecedented time. He has been closely involved in the changing landscape of college athletics and has offered a critical voice in important discussions involving NIL, revenue sharing and conference realignment. And throughout his tenure, Charles has worked on policies and practices regarding campus protests that help preserve our community’s First Amendment rights, protect campus safety and ensure that we continue our mission of teaching, research and service.

A two-time Carolina alumnus, Charles holds a faculty appointment in the School of Law to help educate the next generation of attorneys on crisis management. On a personal note, I’ve been fortunate to know Charles long before I was named chancellor, and I’m grateful for his sound advice and thoughtful approach to every matter.

Soon we will launch a national search for the next vice chancellor and general counsel. Until then, Kara Simmons, associate vice chancellor and senior university counsel, will serve as interim vice chancellor. I have no doubt that the University will be in good hands under her capable leadership.

In the meantime, please join me in thanking Charles for all he’s done for Carolina and congratulating him on his new role.

Sincerely,

Lee H. Roberts
Chancellor

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When 5,600 new students from all corners of our state and beyond gathered in the Smith Center for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s annual convocation to start the academic year, they had a lot on their minds. Many are living away from home and family for the first time and figuring out laundry and bus schedules. Some are questioning if they’ve chosen the right major. And nearly all will be wondering if these experiences are unique to them or just a rite of passage.

As the recently hired chancellor at Carolina, I am also a first-year student of sorts. I am seeing this campus and its people with the same awe and anticipation as our incoming students. I, too, am making new friends, learning a routine, and looking forward to football games and fall leaves on Polk Place. But thinking about that rite of passage led me to consider what advice I might want, or need, as a first-year student.

So, at convocation, I challenged my fellow Tar Heels to do three things: in their first month, get a meal or a cup of coffee with someone from a different city or state; in their first semester, attend a lecture or event outside of class; and in their first year, take a course that deepens their understanding of the world. This is how education happens — one experience at a time. While I was speaking directly to our new students, I think that’s exactly how all of us learn and grow — one experience, decision and connection at a time.

One of our great strengths as a nation, state and university is a vibrant culture of robust and spirited debate. Civic engagement and peaceful protest have a long and noble history at Carolina. We have spent over 200 years questioning and deliberating how this purpose is put into practice, and that is still true for the most searing political and cultural conflicts of today.

We don’t always get it right, but the purpose of a great public university, especially the nation’s first, is to provide a place where we can try repeatedly. Where ideas can be stated and challenged, weighed and evaluated. For that to work, everyone on campus must embrace the freedom to exchange these ideas without compromising the safety of our students and colleagues, and without disrupting the operations of the University and our ability to serve the public.

At Carolina, every member of our community contributes to that culture by engaging with each other, by sharing and testing their views and by navigating complicated conversations about the great issues of the day. We know that friction and tension are inevitable when people who have different experiences, ideas and viewpoints live and work together.

But — on this I want to be clear — no one person’s freedom of expression is more important than another person’s right to teach, learn, discover, work or speak free from harassment and discrimination. No one has the right to disrupt campus operations, threaten or intimidate others or vandalize public property. Policies must and will be consistently applied to everyone, regardless of content or viewpoint, so that Carolina remains a steadfast supporter of free expression while fulfilling our mission of teaching, research and service to the state and society.

We are a university and a nation in a time of great polarization about fundamental ideas of freedom, culture and democracy. There will be many opportunities this year to debate and demonstrate. We should welcome that dialogue as a sign of a healthy society, and a full education. But we should also expect, maybe even demand, that we engage with enthusiasm and respect for the principles of free expression that have been dear to this university for so many years.

This Carolina tradition has shaped generations of Tar Heels who are serving across our state and around the world. Our newest students are joining that legacy of civic engagement and as they take their first steps toward graduation, we hope Carolina sets them on a path for a lifetime of mutual respect and connection.

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Press play above to hear from Roberts as he becomes the chancellor.

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I could not be more honored to be selected as the 13th chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This is an exceptional place with an unparalleled mission — not only to teach and learn — but to serve others and improve the world around us.

Early in my tenure as interim chancellor, someone said to me that Carolina runs on love. I’m sure many in this room have heard me quote that before, but it really is true, and as I’ve spent time on this extraordinary campus, I see it’s more true every day. I also think that love grows on you — on anyone who sets foot on this campus — and I can tell you that’s certainly true for me.

I was, of course, familiar with Carolina. I call the state home — I have friends, colleagues and mentors with ties to this University and they represent it well.

I knew that work being done here is a benefit to people across the state. Public service has always been important to me. It was obvious that this is a great place to help carry out work that so greatly and so evidently benefits our community. And I quickly learned that this is THE place to support ambitious and curious students, top scholars, caring and hardworking staff and the most impressive initiatives to benefit our state, our country and our world.

Our reach is broad. We have more than 367,000 living alumni across all 50 states and and 151 countries.

Almost 200,000 of those graduates are North Carolinians. At its core, this University exists in a covenant with the state — with the community around us and with all the people who choose to study, work and research here.

Edward Kidder Graham saw this impact, and he clearly saw the University’s role. He aimed to put the University “in warm and sensitive touch with every problem in North Carolina life, small and great.”

I’ve already seen that mission in action in remarkable ways.

We are making a college degree accessible through programs like the Carolina Covenant, Tar Heel Guarantee and Blue Sky Scholars. We’re ensuring student success with Project Uplift, C-Step and our Veterans Resource Center.

And we are saving lives through groundbreaking research on Parkinson’s, brain cancer and clean water. Last year, more than 2,400 research projects directly addressed the needs of North Carolina’s families. There is no higher calling than supporting our mission every single day.

To me this University stands, above all else, for the ideal of public service — for helping the people of this state and all those who are touched by this place to achieve their greatest potential.

As chancellor, I promise to be guided by that principle as we work together to carry Carolina into the future. I’m here to listen and learn, to partner with you and do what I can to build on our 230-year legacy of excellence in service.

I want to thank my family, my wife Liza. They have been with me and supported me through this process.

We have been so grateful to get to know and love the Chapel Hill community. And we couldn’t be more thankful for the warm and generous welcome.

Thank you all again.

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