The UNC School of Government is proud to launch a new interactive website that showcases the Service mural, physically located on the dining hallway of the Knapp-Sanders Building. This project was in conjunction with UNC Creative.

There has been desire for several years to build a better online presence for SERVICE. This site was born out of a conversation in the early days of the pandemic, when an inability to physically access the Knapp-Sanders building meant that a visitor could not experience or interact with SERVICE. For those who are not familiar with it, SERVICE is a 5’ x 50’ mural located across the dining room in the Knapp-Sanders building. It depicts 40 African Americans and eight “scenes” pivotal to North Carolina history and culture.

The site includes historical information on how the mural came to be, perspective from artist Colin Quashie on the conceptualization and creation of the mural, a panel-by-panel breakdown of the individuals and scenes depicted in the work, resources for K-12 educators, and more. Most descriptive pages now include at least one resource to learn more about the individual described. We hope this is just a starting point for the site. In the coming weeks and months, we plan to explore adding more multimedia elements, such as audio description. If you have ideas, we would love to hear from you.

We invite you to share this new site with anyone you know who might be interested—on campus, in the community, or across the state. This mural is a treasure for the School and we hope this new site provides a user-friendly and accessible way to appreciate both the work and the important people it highlights.

Working on this project was incredibly meaningful and I encourage each of you to spend time exploring SERVICE both online and in person. It is time well spent.

Best, 

Makayla Hipke (she/her/hers)

Advancement Communications Manager School of Government

The 2022 lecturer is CU Denver School of Public Administration Distinguished Professor Mary Guy. Guy’s lecture, “Fired Up, Burned Out, or Both? Making Sense of the Public Service Workforce,” explores how those who deliver public services – elections officials, public health professionals, police officers, teachers, caseworkers, parks & rec workers, city bus drivers – are the nerve endings of the policy process and speak towards challenges confronting the workforce, what happens when state meets street, and changes on the horizon.

Take a break from your studies to join us fellow students and faculty for a lunch and learn with Mary Guy, the 2022 Deil S. Wright Lecturer on Thursday, March3, at 12 pm in 3301 Knapp-Sanders. Guy is well recognized in the field of public administration for her work on issues related to social justice. Amongst her numerous accomplishments, she currently serves as a Distinguished Professor for the University of Colorado Denver, is the 2022 Nesta M. Gallas awardee, a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, past-President of the American Society for Public Administration, and Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Social Equity and Public Administration.

This is a one of a kind opportunity to engage with Mary, in an intimate setting, while enjoying boxed lunch. Registration is required no later than February 28^th Register here (meal preference can be selected as part of your registration). NOTE - lunches will only be ordered for those who complete the following registration form.

 Please direct any questions or concerns to Kristin Pawlowski.

She is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, past President of the American Society for Public Administration, and Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Social Equity and Public Administration. She has received numerous awards, including the Waldo Award, the Van Riper Award, the ASPA-NASPAA Distinguished Research Award, and five Best Book awards.

Recent books include Human Resource Essentials for Public Service; Achieving Social Equity; The Palgrave Handbook of Global Perspectives on Emotional Labor in Public Service; and Essentials of Public Service.

Read a letter from Smith that shares his decision and plans for the future here.

Noon Zoom Session

We are pleased to announce the launch of the Heels Care Network website at care.unc.edu, a result of campus feedback and discussion at our Mental Health Summit last fall.

There are many avenues to find the right support, and our hope is that the Heels Care Network coordinates the numerous resources from across campus into one easy-to-navigate website. The central feature of the website is a comprehensive searchable and filterable database of mental health resources to support all members of the campus community.

We want to thank the campus partners who have contributed to the Heels Care Network website to help ensure the most timely and relevant resources and information are posted. We encourage anyone who may have additions to our mental health resources, organizations or educational content, to provide feedback at care.unc.edu.

Black History Month

This year’s theme for National Black History Month, “Black Health and Wellness,” takes a look at how American healthcare has often underserved the African American community. The theme acknowledges the legacy of not only Black scholars and medical practitioners in Western medicine, but also birth workers, doulas, midwives, naturopaths, herbalists, etc., throughout the African Diaspora.

Numerous events are held across campus (both virtually and in person) during Black History Month in recognition of the historical background that has shaped the contributions of African Americans to our country. These include panel discussions, lectures, discussions, and more. Check the official UNC Black History Month event page often for updates.