The curriculum in Global Studies continued to foster academic excellence and a broader global curiosity among its students in Spring 2013 through the mentorship of our dedicated faculty and the coordination of a range of thought-provoking events. The success of our program is perhaps most evident in the recent approval by the Board of Governors to officially establish a Masters in Global Studies at UNC. We are excited to announce that in the Fall we will be accepting applications for incoming graduate students. We anticipate that the Masters program will contribute to the rigorous and engaging environment we strive to cultivate here in the curriculum.

We hope you enjoy reading about some of the highlights of the semester that attest to this lively academic atmosphere.

Students. Once again, our students have amazed us with their accomplishments, whether it be through the sophistication of their research in the classroom, or the level of their service to the global community. This semester, our majors have been inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, and awarded Rhodes, Fulbright and FLAS scholarships, among other achievements. We are also proud that next week we will be graduating over 200 majors, who have significantly contributed to the global culture of UNC and will continue to inspire others and distinguish themselves in their future careers.

Faculty. From producing cutting-edge research, to investing in our undergraduate majors through extensive mentoring, our faculty ensures that Global Studies is an intellectually rich and stimulating program. To facilitate opportunities for faculty-student engagement, this year we continued the Global Studies Faculty-Student partnership fund, awarding three student $500 to work closely with faculty on their research.

Events. To further critical dialogue on key global issues on campus, Global Studies hosted a series of events that engaged students, faculty and members of the community. Last semester, the highlight of these conversations was a public panel discussion, launching the UNC LGBT Rights and Representation Initiative. This semester, we were excited to continue the series with Frank Bruni from the New York Times and Jonathan Capehart from the Washington Post. We were also delighted to bring best-selling author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie to UNC to discuss the relationship between literature and human rights.

Global Studies has grown hugely in size and scope over the last decade, but financial constraints still make it difficult to provide the experience that we would wish for all of our engaged students. If you have the capacity, consider supporting Global Studies at UNC-CH with a gift. If you are unable at this point in time to donate, we would value your expertise and would welcome your involvement in the curriculum by acting as a career contact for our undergraduates, or emailing us when you have internships available. We would appreciate the gesture.

Very best wishes,

Andy Reynolds