The university is closed today in celebration of Independence Day.

MPA Alumni Mentor Program 2025-2026

Seeking mentorship from a MPA alum? Then register as a mentee in the UNC MPA Alumni Mentor Program.

We have nearly 50 alumni prepared to be mentors and only 25 mentees registered!

A mentee is any current student looking to: 

• Build MPA community relationships that enhance learning and growth 
• Test ideas and gain insight on professional roles and opportunities 
• Gain experience with professional networking 
• Increase self-confidence and communication skills 

EXTENSION: Submit your mentee registration by Monday, July 14, 2025.

Save the Dates:

• Mentee Training: Thursday, July 10 at 12pm.
• Program Kickoff: Thursday, August 21 at 12pm

Save the Date: MPA Alumni Picnic

Join students, alumni, faculty, staff, friends, and their families for some tasty food and great conversation at the annual UNC MPA Alumni Kickoff Picnic.

When: August 23 5-7PM

Where: SOG- Knapp-Sanders Building Dining Room

RSVP: Register for the Picnic today!

MPA Alumnus Sees Applied Research Problem Published

You will all write an Applied Research Problem as part of your culminating experience in the MPA Program. Have you ever thought of what else you could do with that rich material? Amro Ilaiwy '25 published his ARP with the NC Center for Nonprofits. You can read it here. Ilaiwy gives special thanks to Chris Cody and Sarah Towne for their guidance through 747 and 478. Congrats, Amro!

Chapel Hill's 4th of July Celebration

Chapel Hill’s 4th of July Celebration returns to Southern Community Park, 1000 Sumac Road, Chapel Hill, on July 4th, 2025.

Here’s all the information. Please read on for a list of other 4th of July fireworks and celebrations around the Triangle. (To be added soon.)

The event will take place Friday, July 4, 2025. Event parking starts at 7 p.m., and the fireworks display starts at 9 p.m.

You are encouraged to bring blankets, chairs and picnics. You’re not allowed to bring tents, tailgates, pets, alcohol or glass. Please bring water, as it is not provided at the event.

The best viewing is from the Southern Community Park ball fields and the Southern Village Green.

Follow this Facebook event for updates.

Carolina Financial Well-Being Center

The Carolina Financial Well-Being Center's mission is to offer inclusive financial education, support basic needs, and empower individuals to improve their financial well-being, ensuring success for future generations. All UNC students are invited their workshops, resource library, or to meet with a Peer Financial Coach.

Carolina Family Weekend 2025: What to Know Before Going

This year’s Carolina Family Weekend is from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2 and is an opportunity for new and current families of UNC students to meet each other and explore what the campus has to offer, The DTH’s Dayna Wilkerson reports.

• Attendees can register through the UNC Family Experience Portal come late August.
• There is a nonrefundable registration fee per attendee that is to be determined, but students can register for free. 
• Several events are included with registration, such as family workouts in Campus Recreation facilities and a Carolina Family Weekend Coffee Break with Chancellor Lee Roberts.
• Some events with an added fee include Cheerwine and Design, where participants can sip while they paint, or a Sunday Biscuit Brunch with live music in the Frank Porter Graham Student Union.
• Families can explore all registration and event information for Carolina Family Weekend on the New Student & Family Programs website. More events and updates are to be added to the event schedule.

Applicants Needed for Orange County Volunteer Boards and Commissions

Applicants Needed for Orange County 

Volunteer Boards and Commissions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact: Tara May, Deputy Clerk to the Board (919) 245-2125           

ORANGE COUNTY, NC (June 6, 2025) – One way residents can positively impact Orange County's future is to serve on a volunteer board or commission.

The Orange County Board of Commissioners needs applicants for the following boards and commissions:

• Adult Care Home and Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee – This committee works to maintain the intent of the Adult Care Home and Nursing Home Residents' Bills of Rights and promote community involvement and cooperation with these homes to ensure quality care for older and disabled adults. This committee typically meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 5:00 pm. There is an initial training period before appointment by the Board of County Commissioners. There are currently four (4) vacancies.
• Animal Services Advisory Board – This board advises the Board of County Commissioners on matters of concern regarding animal issues and animal services in Orange County. The Animal Services Advisory Board works with the Animal Services Director to ensure quality animal services and maintains contact with the stakeholder groups from which its members are appointed. The board also provides a venue by which stakeholders’ concerns about animals, animal policies and issues, and animal services programming may be voiced, considered, and referred to other resources as appropriate. The Animal Services Advisory Board typically meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 6:30 pm. There is currently one (1) vacancy for a resident of the Town of Hillsborough.
• Animal Services Hearing Panel Pool – The charge of the Animal Services Hearing Panel Pool is to hear appeals concerning violations of the Orange County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 4 (“Animal Control Ordinance”), as provided in the Orange County Code of Ordinances, Section 4-53 Appeals and potentially dangerous dog appeals as prescribed by N.C. Gen. Stat. §67-4.1(c). The pool conducts fair and impartial hearings for these appeals and receives training in law and proper procedures before participating in a hearing. Panels are convened on an as-needed basis for hearings. Applicants are needed to fill one (1) seat for a resident living in the Town of Carrboro, one (1) seat for a resident living in the Town of Chapel Hill, one (1) seat for a resident living in the Town of Hillsborough, and one (1) at-large seat.
• Arts Commission – The Arts Commission recommends strategies to promote the artistic and cultural growth of Orange County, advises the Board of County Commissioners on matters involving the arts, and acts as the granting panel for two annual funding programs available to individual artists and non-profit groups sponsoring arts projects in Orange County. This commission typically meets on the second Monday of each month at 6:00 pm. There is currently one (1) at-large vacancy, and the commission specifically encourages local teachers to apply to serve.
• Board of Equalization and Review – The Board of Equalization and Review hears appeals from residents concerning various property tax issues, including valuation and exemption appeals. The Board of Equalization and Review is charged with ensuring that all taxable property is appraised and assessed according to the standards required by the North Carolina General Statutes. This board meets up to three days per week, for approximately three to four hours per meeting, for up to three consecutive months (typically April-June). Additional meetings may occur as they are needed during the year. Members will be compensated for all meetings attended at a rate of $75 per meeting. Orange County residents with knowledge of real estate are specifically encouraged to apply, however, others will also be given consideration. Applicants are needed to fill an alternate position. Alternates participate in hearings when the regular board members are unavailable.
• Carrboro Board of Adjustment – The Carrboro Board of Adjustment hears and decides appeals from any order, decision, requirement, or interpretation made by the Zoning Administrator. It also hears and decides on applications. This board typically meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:00 pm. There is currently one (1) vacancy for a resident of the Carrboro Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ). Applicants who reside in the Carrboro Transition Area are also encouraged to apply. Please review the map at the following link to see the boundaries of the Carrboro ETJ: http://orangecountync.gov/DocumentCenter/View/16597/Chapel-Hill-and-Carrboro-Boundaries-Map. You may also confirm the zoning information of your address by visiting: http://aries.orangecountync.gov/Aries/ZoningInformation.aspx.
• Chapel Hill Board of Adjustment – The Town of Chapel Hill’s Board of Adjustment is authorized to hear variance cases regarding the provisions of the Chapel Hill Land Use Management Ordinance and appeal cases regarding decisions made by Town staff. The Chapel Hill Board of Adjustment meets on the 1st Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm, at Chapel Hill Town Hall, 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Chapel Hill, in the Council Chamber on the first floor. There is currently one (1) vacancy for a resident of the Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) or Joint Planning Area (JPA) to serve as alternate. Please review the map at the following link to see the boundaries of the Chapel Hill ETJ and JPA areas: http://orangecountync.gov/DocumentCenter/View/16597/Chapel-Hill-and-Carrboro-Boundaries-Map. You may also confirm the zoning information of your address by visiting: http://aries.orangecountync.gov/Aries/ZoningInformation.aspx. 
• Hillsborough Planning Board – This board acquires and maintains information in order to understand past trends, prepare and amend the comprehensive plan for the development of the area, and prepare and recommend ordinances promoting orderly development. The Hillsborough Planning Board typically meets on the third Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm. There are currently two (2) vacancies for an applicant residing in the Hillsborough Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ). Please review the map at the following link to see the boundaries of the Hillsborough ETJ: http://orangecountync.gov/DocumentCenter/View/16598/Hillsborough-Boundaries-Map. You may also confirm the zoning information of your address by visiting: http://aries.orangecountync.gov/Aries/ZoningInformation.aspx.
• Human Relations Commission – The Human Relations Commission studies and makes recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners concerning problems in the field of human relationships. This commission seeks solutions to community issues that may create animosity and unrest, makes recommendations designed to promote goodwill and harmony among groups in the county, and addresses and attempts to remedy the violence, tensions, polarization, and other harm created through discrimination, bias, hatred, and inequity. The Human Relations Commission typically meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 6:00 pm. There are currently two (2) at-large vacancies and one (1) vacancy for a Chapel Hill Town resident
• Opioid Advisory Committee – The Opioid Advisory Committee is charged to discuss opioid-related health concerns and issues impacting the residents of Orange County and advise the Board of Commissioners on options to expend funds to remedy opioid impacts. The committee also plans and hosts an annual meeting open to the public to receive input from municipalities on proposed uses of the settlement funds and to encourage collaboration between local governments. This committee typically meets on the second Monday of each month at 6:00 pm. There is currently one (1) vacancy for an Orange County resident with lived experience with Opioid Use Disorder and one (1) vacancy for an employment provider.
• Orange County Housing Authority Board – The goal of the Orange County Housing Authority Board (OCHA Board) is to provide decent, safe, and sanitary housing for low and moderate-income families in Orange County. The OCHA Board oversees the running of all OCHA programs, chiefly the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV/Section 8) program, funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Board monitors all HCV processes and approves major policy changes and updates. This board typically meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 6:00 pm. There is currently one (1) vacancy for a participant of Orange County’s Housing Choice Voucher Program.

If you are interested in filling any of the above positions, please apply at www.orangecountync.gov/Apply.

Orange County strives for diverse representation on volunteer boards and commissions. Orange County residents of all backgrounds, identities, and perspectives are encouraged to apply. Volunteers appointed by the Board of County Commissioners have the opportunity to directly influence local decisions, policies, and priorities.

For additional information, contact Tara May at 919-245-2125 or tmay@orangecountync.gov.