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CAIPH will serve as a hub for innovation, where ideas are cultivated, tested and implemented to improve population health outcomes using AI-driven approaches in North Carolina and globally. It aims to address pressing global health challenges using AI; draw on the School’s interdisciplinary expertise in public health, bioinformatics, biostatistics, epidemiology and computer science; and empower outstanding interdisciplinary AI research that optimizes public health.

In particular, the center will focus on the use of AI to solve challenges related to climate and environmental health, health behavior, health policy and economics, and precision public health. Researchers at the center will work closely with collaborators across UNC-Chapel Hill, including the UNC School of Data Science and Society.

The Center for Artificial Intelligence and Public Health (CAIPH) is a hub for innovation aimed at using AI-driven approaches to improve population health outcomes locally and globally.

“There are vital issues in public health that could benefit from the support of AI,” said Dean Nancy Messonnier, MD, Bryson Distinguished Professor in Public Health, “and through this center, we want to encourage their exploration with the ultimate goal of accelerating research and improving health outcomes locally and globally.”

“The Gillings School already has emerging excellence in scholarship leveraging AI to improve public health,” said Kari North, PhD, associate dean for research. “We are excited to assemble that talent at the school in this center to further foster UNC’s footprint in AI.”

The Gillings School has several exciting projects in AI that are already transforming health locally. Will Vizuete, PhD, professor in environmental sciences and engineering and the Gillings School’s first innovation strategy adviser, is leading research using AI to provide fast and accurate air quality information to the citizens of N.C. — a project that can help prevent poor air quality-related morbidity and mortality in the state.

Last year, the School also awarded Gillings Innovation Labs funding to six faculty members using generative AI to solve multidisciplinary public health challenges, including cervical cancer screening in Malawi, decision-making around HIV treatment, modeling for brain-related disorders, behavior change for weight management, poor air quality and standards of primary care in marginalized populations around the world.

CAIPH will be led by Michael Kosorok, PhD, W.R. Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor in biostatistics. In his own research, Kosorok has been working with Jeff Stringer, MD, FACOG, professor at the UNC School of Medicine, to use AI to accurately predict gestational age with inexpensive ultrasounds that can be used by sonographers in under-resourced settings with only brief training.

“I am thrilled and humbled to lead this new center,” Kosorok said. “I look forward to collaborating with my associates in the Gillings School to increase the use of AI to solve public health challenges and to advance AI use in health research.”

“We are immensely proud of the strong reputation the Gillings School has in data science and biostatistics,” said Michael Hudgens, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Biostatistics. “Our expertise in these fields is a cornerstone of the new Center for AI and Public Health. By leveraging our advanced analytical capabilities and innovative research, we are poised to make significant contributions to public health through the application of artificial intelligence. This center will not only enhance our understanding of complex health data but also drive impactful solutions to global health challenges.”

Spotlight: Michael Kosorok, PhD

Kosorok is leading the new Center for Artificial Intelligence and Public Health (CAIPH) at the Gillings School. He brings extensive expertise in biostatistics, machine learning and precision medicine. His groundbreaking research includes using AI to predict gestational age with minimal resources, helping to improve health outcomes in under-resourced settings. As the center director, Kosorok aims to advance AI applications in public health, fostering collaboration and innovation to address pressing health challenges globally.

The center will serve as a focused resource for training, strategy and technical assistance to public health agencies and their partners in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee in order to bolster the capabilities of state, tribal and local health departments, as well as community-led public health partners.

The coronavirus pandemic put immense stress on public health systems in the U.S., which are mostly decentralized and vary in access to the resources, data analysis, staffing and expertise that are critical to swift emergency responses. The new PHPR centers are part of the CDC’s effort to collaborate with agencies and improve the safeguards, resources, response plans and communications necessary to mitigate harm and health inequities in the event of another disease outbreak or natural disaster.

The regional center will build the foundation for a robust and resilient public health infrastructure that protects health in times of emergency, particularly for underserved populations and those most vulnerable to the poorest health effects.

John Wiesman, DrPH, associate dean for practice at the Gillings School, will serve as director for the center, along with co-director John Wallace, PhD, MSPH, senior data advisor for NCIPH. Last year, the team led the development of a five-year work plan for the center and is eager to begin putting it into action.

The center’s work will:

• Prioritize planning for emerging and evolving threats such as extreme weather, large chemical spills and radiologic events,
• Improve communications with the public, and
• Support public health workforce resiliency and responder mental health.

“Our mission is two-fold,” Wiesman said. “We must support a workforce that is challenged with retirements, burnout and less experienced new workers, and we need to help take the lessons learned from the pandemic response and implement best-evidence interventions to ensure strong public health emergency responses to help protect everyone.”

The regional center will build the foundation for a robust and resilient public health infrastructure that protects health in times of emergency, particularly for underserved populations and those most vulnerable to the poorest health effects.

By designing strategies where public health systems can collaborate with historically overlooked or marginalized communities, the team can create stronger regional and national partnerships and plans, as well as a more coordinated and equitable public health response.

“The center’s work aligns with much of NCIPH’s practice-based work to support and enhance public health infrastructure at state and local levels, and we are excited to continue public health preparedness and response work at NCIPH and Gillings,” said Wallace.

The new regional PHPR center is the newest part of the Gillings School’s efforts to enhance public health preparedness. The School is host to the Atlantic Coast Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and Analytics, part of a national CDC network that provides data and modeling support to public health responders as they prepare for future infectious disease outbreaks. The School also offers a Community Preparedness and Disaster Management (CPDM) Certificate Program as part of their curriculum, which provides an “all hazards” approach to disaster management through online courses, as well as the Gillings on the Ground (GoG) program, a two-semester training initiative designed to educate participants on disaster response and emergency management.

All are part of a long-standing commitment to research, teaching and practice that supports preparedness, clean air and clean water, and healthy communities and families.

Led by Dorothy Cilenti, DrPH, and Christine Tucker, PhD, of the Gillings School’s Department of Maternal and Child Health (MCH), researchers from a diverse team of academic and maternal health organizations will review evidence to determine what is effective to identify and address urgent maternal warning signs among pregnant and postpartum people to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality. Then, through a competitive process, the team will provide funding to state and local WIC sites across the U.S. to test and adapt these evidence-based interventions in a variety of WIC settings.

We are co-designing and co-creating the evidence with the practitioners, which increases the likelihood that the interventions will actually be effective and implemented in community settings.

“WIC serves around 600,000 pregnant and postpartum women a year, and many of them may need additional medical or behavioral health care following pregnancy,” Cilenti said. “They have the capacity to build awareness and educate the population, but they also are a major provider of services to local communities. So, they can be a great referral and connection point for those in need.”

“We have an amazing team leading this work,” Tucker said, “including new faculty members in MCH Lindsey Yates, PhD, and Larelle Brookhart, PhD, who bring expertise in implementation science and breastfeeding support, and Deputy Director Amy Mullenix, MSPH, MSW.”

Pregnancy-related complications result in approximately 700 deaths in the U.S. each year, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the rates of short or long-term health impacts related to labor and delivery are even higher. Risks can include cardiac events, high blood pressure, stroke, mental health crises, postpartum depression or anxiety, substance use disorder, intimate partner violence, and more.

Over five years, the research team will work closely with FNS to support adapting and testing evidence-based interventions to recognize the signs of these health risks and improve maternal health. This project is expected to result in findings that can be used to inform future approaches to support maternal health in WIC settings.

“I am excited to rigorously evaluate these interventions and contribute to the evidence base of what works to improve maternal health in WIC settings,” said Tucker.

“The Gillings School has been building capacity to support states and communities to address the maternal health crisis through the Maternal Health Learning and Innovation Center, and this work extends our reach to the WIC program,” Cilenti added. “It also demonstrates our commitment to translating what works from research or academia to the field. We are co-designing and co-creating the evidence with the practitioners, which increases the likelihood that the interventions will actually be effective and implemented in community settings.”

The grant runs through March 2029. Learn more

Iheoma U. Iruka, PhD

Professor of Maternal and Child Health; Adjunct Professor of Public Policy; Fellow, Frank Porter Graham (FPG) Child Development Institute

Iruka is an applied developmental psychologist who is focused on ensuring that racially minoritized children and children from low-income households thrive through anti-bias, anti-racist and culturally grounded mixed-methods approaches.

As the founding director of the Equity Research Action Coalition at FPG, Iruka’s action-oriented research-to-policy and practice focuses on (1) early childhood research and evaluation attending to the healthy, academic and socio-emotional development of racially minoritized children and children from low-income communities, (2) equitable policies that advance health, wealth and early educational equity, (3) mentoring and training of emerging scholars from minoritized communities, and (4) translation of science to counter deficit-oriented research, practice and policy regarding minoritized communities.

Kamaria Mason, MS, MPH, RDN, LDN

Assistant Professor of Nutrition

Mason is an educator who contributes to the nationwide discourse on public health nutrition. Her commitment to excellence in education extends beyond the classroom. Her insights gained from roles in academia, clinical nutrition, local government, research and community engagement uniquely position her to shape the next generation of public health nutrition leaders.

As a co-founder of the Culture of Wellness, she works with organizations to empower individuals, communities and food systems to make changes from the inside out to create a food culture where healthy choices are inclusive, balanced and accessible. In her role at UNC Gillings School of Public Health, she works primarily with students enrolled in the bachelor’s and master’s programs seeking to become registered dietitians. She teaches three nutrition counseling, communication and culture courses, and a nutrition practicum course.

Bryce Rowland, PhD

Assistant Professor of Biostatistics

Rowland is an assistant professor in the Department of Biostatistics at the Collaborative Studies Coordinating Center (CSCC). His research expertise is at the intersection of precision medicine, applied biostatistics and team science. Currently, Rowland serves as a co-investigator on clinical trials in chronic pain and cardiovascular disease funded by both the National Institutes of Health and Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. During his National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, Rowland researched extending polygenic risk score methodologies and analyzed biobank-sized ‘omics data.

Rowland is committed to training the next generation of collaborative biostatisticians. This is done through a combination of teaching and mentorship through hands-on work at the CSCC.

Minzhi Xing, MD, MPH

Assistant Professor of Public Health Leadership and Practice; Adjunct Assistant Professor of Radiology

Xing is a medical epidemiologist and health services researcher with a background in local and global public health practice. She has extensive experience in conducting epidemiological, patient-focused and community-engaged research and in developing public health solutions to advance health equity. The overarching goal of her work is to bridge the gap between the practice of medicine and public health by using data-driven and community-centered shared leadership approaches to create, develop, implement and evaluate interventions. Xing collaborates extensively with community-based partners, local and state health departments, and health systems to increase health care accessibility and improve the quality of care, with the goal of reducing barriers and eliminating disparities in health.

Smritee Thapa

First-year MPH in Health Equity, Social Justice and Human Rights

I came to the realization that I wanted to pursue public health several months after my undergraduate graduation. I have long been passionate about transforming systems of inequity, drawing from both my personal experiences and hearing others’ stories. I also realized that I often gravitated towards equity-related roles in my academic, professional and personal life and knew that I wanted to continue in that direction. Knowing this, some friends suggested that I look into the public health field, and it quickly felt like the right fit for me.

I was specifically drawn to the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree in Health Equity, Social Justice and Human Rights at Gillings due to my prior experiences and my belief that public health and equity are intertwined, and one cannot exist without the other. Gillings was one of the few schools that I considered that offered a concentration of its kind. Other factors that I took into account primarily included location, cost and funding availability. Now that I am at Gillings, I am excited to learn and grow over these next two years. Although the field of equity is full of questions that do not have one correct answer, I hope to achieve a greater understanding of the role that I can play in eliminating inequities through community-led initiatives.

Laura Hergenrother, MPhil

Second-year doctoral student

As a young person, I always envisioned a career focused on improving the health of those around me. With time, I came to realize that my ideal path included research, advocacy and mentoring. Through these means, I hope to become a leader in reducing inequities in maternal and child health outcomes, which is why I chose to pursue a doctoral degree in public health.

From the first moment I walked through the doors, I knew Gillings would be a wonderful place to pursue research on health outcomes associated with family-friendly policies like paid family leave. Not only did the research and practical commitment to health equity draw me in, the feeling of community and inclusion was instant. I was looking for a friendly and rigorous place to train and build confidence in my next steps as a researcher, and Gillings fulfilled those needs.

I considered several other programs, mostly in the United Kingdom, which is where I did my master’s. While the emphasis on doctoral training overseas is on research, I realized that I sought additional training in quantitative analysis to round out my qualitative skillset and achieve my career goals in health policy research. Gillings and my wonderful, wonderful mentors offer fantastic training to achieve these aims. The skills and knowledge that I have gained in the past year have empowered me to believe that I am ready to produce a dissertation that I am extremely proud of. Moving forward, I know that Gillings will equip me to start my career leading research projects on socioeconomic policies that promote equitable health benefits for our parents, infants, families and communities.

Araba Oduro

Second-year MPH student in Global Health

I became interested in public health because of its holistic approach to addressing health disparities and improving the well-being of communities, particularly underserved populations. My background as a clinician in child health and my experience working on various health projects, like Operation Zero Mortality and MEBCI 2.0, showed me how social determinants and systemic inequities can deeply affect health outcomes. Public health felt like a path where I could make a broader impact beyond individual patient care, focusing on preventative care and health equity.

Gillings stood out to me because of its emphasis on innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration and commitment to addressing real-world health challenges.

Gillings stood out to me because of its emphasis on innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration and commitment to addressing real-world health challenges, especially in global health, which aligns with my concentration. The School’s strong reputation — being the number one public school of public health in the United States and second best overall — its dedicated faculty and opportunities for hands-on experience made it feel like a place where I could grow and develop new skills for a career in public health.

When considering a school, I look for a curriculum that balances theory and practical application, faculty expertise, the availability of research opportunities, and strong support for student engagement and networking. A commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion are also key factors for me. I considered other schools but ultimately chose Gillings because it offered the best combination of academic excellence, affordability, and a commitment to inclusion and diversity that aligned with my professional and personal values.

Through my program at Gillings, I hope to gain the skills and knowledge to lead impactful public health initiatives, particularly those that address health disparities and improve maternal and child health outcomes in low-resource settings. I also aim to build a strong network of public health professionals and engage in meaningful research that contributes to policy and practice.

Ariel Snyder

Second-year MPH student in Maternal, Child and Family Health Concentration

In 2020, I was diagnosed with Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Prior to my diagnosis, I had been seriously ill for several years with symptoms that my doctors struggled to classify. Receiving my long-awaited PCOS diagnosis was bittersweet, as it offered only short-term relief. Like so many people with PCOS, of which there are nearly five million in the U.S., I was immediately informed by my health care provider that viable treatments were essentially nonexistent. In the ensuing three years, I would be diagnosed with a range of comorbid chronic health conditions associated with PCOS, mostly metabolic health issues — all of which lack integrated treatment protocols. Influenced by my personal journey and frustration with the lack of reproductive disorder research and interventions, I made the decision to pivot into public health and enroll in the MPH program in the Maternal, Child and Family Health concentration at the Gillings School.

As a first-generation student from a lower-resourced family and an older returning student with chronic health issues, I wanted to find a school that would value my lived experience as much as my professional and academic experiences. Additionally, since reproductive disorders remain an overlooked issue across all public health institutions, I knew the Gillings School’s maternal and child health (MCH) department would provide me the best possible access to explore the intersection of reproductive health research, implementation science, reproductive health policy and reproductive justice. I also found that I matched the energy of previous MPH students, and I wasn’t wrong – my fellow second-year MCH students are among the smartest and loveliest people.

Culture was of paramount importance when evaluating MPH programs, along with mentorship opportunities. Ultimately, I sought an inclusive, supportive, friendly and rigorous learning environment. Location was another factor. The access to nature that Chapel Hill/Carrboro affords was a big selling point! I also considered other great programs, but they didn’t meet the culture fit or offer the research opportunities I found at the Gillings School.

Ultimately, I hope to transform my lived experience with PCOS into positive, systemic solutions that will decrease time to diagnosis, produce more accurate measures of prevalence, increase federal funding for reproductive disorder research and reduce PCOS patient suffering. In terms of immediate next steps, I plan to continue my education in hopes of becoming an implementation scientist and eventually translate reproductive disorder research into improved policies, medical guidelines and treatments.

Mary Feser

Second-year MPH in Applied Epidemiology

While I’ve always been interested in health, my interest in public health solidified while working in HIV cost-effectiveness research after college (coinciding with the start of COVID-19). These experiences sparked an interest in infectious disease epidemiology and control, which I’ve further explored during my MPH program. More broadly, because health is foundational — our health and the health of others around us impacts all facets of life — and because all our societal choices impact health, I think public health is a particularly rich and fascinating field.

What set Gillings apart from other top public health schools was the quality of the epidemiology methods education, the culture and the affordable cost. The epidemiology department is one of the best in the country, but it retains a collaborative and welcoming culture. From when I was first accepted to the program, I was struck by how often faculty or staff reached out, offering to answer questions or connect me with others who shared my interests. Gillings also offers this world-class education at a fraction of the cost of many of the other schools I considered, which I think reflects a commitment to making an education in public health accessible to all those who want to pursue it.

During my time at Gillings, I hope to develop a strong foundation in epidemiological methods and to learn to translate findings from research to practice. I hope to use these skills to pursue a doctoral program in epidemiology and eventually to serve communities effectively and responsibly in a governmental public health role.

Are you ready to choose Gillings? Apply now.

What’s your role in public health?

I’m the director of admissions within Student Affairs at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health.

Access to higher education is a public health issue — it’s a social determinant of health — and I like being part of systemic change on that front. I’m also proud to work with and support students, faculty and staff who are change agents in local and global communities.

I often get asked by prospective students, “What makes Gillings unique?” Community is at the heart of everything we do at the Gillings School. That’s what keeps me here and that’s what sets us apart.

Can you describe your focus area in one sentence?

I lead a team that creates, implements and promotes best practices that boost college access and increase student success.

This is important work for us to be engaged in within our own community and also globally. It’s about the democratization of education.

No matter what our role, we should be intentional about equitable practices, accessibility and fostering a sense of belonging. I appreciate that, at Gillings, this is not a one-off conversation but rather something we strive to embed in all we do. To me, that’s critical to being “passionately public” both in public education and in public health.

What brought you to public health?

I would have studied it if I’d known what it was earlier in my life. As an early admissions recruiter, I met an academic adviser who shared an analogy with me: Picture a river that people are falling into. Doctors and nurses and other professionals we all grew up learning about are pulling the victims out, assessing them and treating their injuries one by one. The public health professional goes to the source to find out why people are falling into the river in the first place and addresses that problem so it doesn’t happen again.

Public health is prevention. It’s about systems and communities. It redefines the unacceptable.

Most of my career has been related to public health, though maybe indirectly. I earned a master’s degree in rehabilitation and mental health counseling and I am also a certified health coach and personal trainer. I applied to a student success role with the Gillings School’s Department of Nutrition about seven years ago because I wanted to continue working with students, increase access to higher education and contribute to a field that aligns with my values. I became the School’s director of admissions about two years ago. I’ve worked with recruitment and admissions as well as college access programs for about 16 years now. It seems my real job is to stay in college forever!

How have you pivoted during your public health career?

When I was with the nutrition department, I loved my role because I was engaged with students throughout their time at the School. I’m still connected with many people I advised in that position, but my new role allows me to forge relationships with faculty, staff and students across Gillings departments. It also allows me to have more influence on policies and best practices.

The internal and external pressures on higher education have changed so much in the past year. It feels like every day is a pivot, or perhaps an invitation to be innovative. It’s important for us all to love what we do. There are too many people counting on us for us not to be fully invested in our work. I’m grateful to work with a team of people who truly love what they do and who are genuinely passionate about helping students pursue their interest in public health.

Who are you when you’re at home?

I’m a student — of life and in a doctoral program! I’m starting the dissertation phase of a doctorate in higher ed leadership. Studying higher education and discussing challenges in the field with my brilliant cohort have really helped me to remember my “why.”

I am a certified personal trainer, spend as much time as I can outdoors and have a “senior pup” (he’s 13!) named Tommy Pickles. I love to travel, binge watch terrible reality TV and go to local trivia nights. I really enjoy living in Durham, especially for the food scene.

I’m also a painter. I’ve always been into art and, as a kid, wanted to be an animator for Disney. Instead, I got a business degree! I returned to painting during the pandemic, largely as a response to political and social events. People commissioned pieces from me and I was proud to raise funds to support voting rights, Black Lives Matter and The Trevor Project.

More Pivot interviews

To that end, we are wrapping up a strategic communications and marketing review that will help our unit strengthen its processes and bring dynamic communication to the broad audiences we serve.

We have grown our team to include a role that is focused on admissions communications, enabling us to stay in closer touch with prospective students as they navigate the admissions process.

News travels fast, and mis- and disinformation travel even faster. We continue to resist the urge to throw up our hands in response to what can seem like an insurmountable wave of bad information and, instead, continue to connect the dots that lead to beneficial public health impact and outcomes.

Our faculty’s expanding presence in mainstream media outlets, in addition to scientific journals, increases the reach of public health messaging to broader audiences who benefit from reliable information.

Finally, thanks to the generous support of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, our Public Health Communications Fellowship continues to instill talented Master of Public Health students with the communications skills necessary to address ongoing public health challenges.

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In this role, she leads the School’s fundraising efforts and manages the advancement team in its development, external affairs and alumni relations activities. She also serves as executive director of the UNC Public Health Foundation and in a senior management capacity on the Dean’s Council in addition to managing the School’s Advisory Council and Alumni Association Advisory Board. Carroll is, by her own account, a mission-driven leader who holds a deep appreciation for Carolina that was shaped by Dean Smith’s Carolina Way. Additionally, she brings to the Gillings School personal experience developing, soliciting and stewarding donors across five continents.

Mary Margaret Carroll leads the School’s advancement efforts, connecting donors with impactful public health initiatives through trust and authentic communication.

“I’m a different person than when I came to Carolina, and it’s because of the experiences I’ve had, the people I’ve met, the missions I’ve served and the places I’ve been,” she said. “I resonate deeply with the mission statement of the Gillings School. We have a responsibility to contribute to public health around the world, to challenge the inequities we see and to better them.”

Carroll adopts an approach to philanthropy that centers on trust, which she builds with donors and friends through transparent, consistent and relevant communication about philanthropy’s role in a project paired with timely updates about progress and outcomes.

One experience that drove home the need to pair passion with authentic communication came during a trip to Uganda with Ross M. Boyce, MD, assistant professor of epidemiology at the Gillings School, who studies the epidemiology of vector-borne diseases in rural communities, both in North Carolina and East Africa. The experience of working directly with local community members left her feeling better able to connect with passionate individuals, researchers and funders to make a case for the project.

“I feel genuinely rewarded when the right donor is matched with the right program, research opportunity or greatest need that can be met through philanthropy,” said Carroll.

Before coming to Gillings, Carroll most recently served as interim associate dean for advancement at UNC Kenan Flagler Business School. There she worked with a team of fundraising professionals to “dig deeper,” developing an approach that focused on key areas of impact to fund research, faculty support, scholarships and capital improvements.

She joined the Kenan-Flagler Business School team in 2021, initially serving as executive director of development before becoming assistant dean for advancement. Prior to that, she was senior executive director of development at UNC Health, where she oversaw a team dedicated to securing philanthropic support for medical research, patients in need and global health-related initiatives.

“We are fortunate to welcome Mary Margaret Carroll to the role of associate dean for advancement,” said Nancy Messonnier, MD, dean and Bryson Distinguished Professor in Public Health at the Gillings School. “She is a seasoned development professional with a track record of success in both fundraising and leading teams. I look forward to working with her to connect potential donors with members of the School’s staff, faculty and student body around shared passions to achieve outstanding results.”

Katie Kaney, DrPH, MBA, FACHE

Founder, Whole Person Index; Author: Both/And: Medicine and Public Health Together; Public Health Foundation Chair

Kaney, a former C-suite health care leader, has more than 25 years of experience enhancing care and promoting health. Founder of the Whole Person Index, she is chief executive officer of LovEvolve and an advisor to several health companies. Kaney holds a Doctor of Public Health degree from the Gillings School. “As members of the Foundation Board, we are sponsors of this great school – advocating for its mission through education, connection and fundraising – to ensure it continues to be the best and lead globally, resulting in better health for all.”

LeVelton R. Thomas, MHA

Clinical AI Strategy Executive, Microsoft; Alumni Association Advisory Board Chair

Thomas is an accomplished health care and technology executive who holds a bachelor’s and Master of Healthcare Administration degree in health policy and management from the Gillings School. He has extensive experience in public health, health care administration, technology and advisory roles. “Serving as chair of the UNC Gillings Alumni Association Advisory Board is a profound honor. It allows me to give back to the community that shaped my career, foster connections among alumni and support the next generation of public health leaders. Together, we can drive impactful change in public health.”

Donald A. Holzworth, MS

Entrepreneur in Residence; Advisory Council Chair

Holzworth is a serial entrepreneur who has founded and led multiple successful health and biotech companies. He chairs Couplet Care and serves on various boards, including the Southern Environmental Law Center, and holds degrees in systems analysis and environmental science, with advanced biostatistics training. “My role on the Advisory Council is to help recruit members, prepare faculty members or students who have been chosen to speak at meetings and to guide stimulating conversations so that members learn about the School’s impactful work and the dean can gain valuable feedback/advice on areas of critical importance.”

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UNC Gillings School graduate honored with 2024 Distinguished Alumnus Award

Gary White, MS ‘94 (Environmental Sciences and Engineering) has devoted his life to creating sustainable solutions to provide access to safe drinking water and sanitation to millions of people throughout the world. He is a humanitarian, social entrepreneur and innovator who leads Water.org and WaterEquity, two nonprofits he co-founded with actor Matt Damon to end the global water crisis. During the University Day celebration on Oct. 11, White received one of four Distinguished Alumni Awards.