May 10, 2016

Twenty of the 217 seniors who graduated on May 8 as Buckley Public Service Scholars were students at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health.

buckley service scholars_2The Buckley Service Scholars program, part of the Carolina Center for Public Service, supports and strengthens Carolina students’ commitment to service by providing a framework in which to make a positive impact. To receive recognition in the program, students must have a minimum grade-point average, document at least 300 hours of service, take one service-learning course, attend four skills-training workshops and complete a final reflection activity.

Many of this year’s graduates surpassed these requirements, completing more than 450 hours of service on average. Five students reported more than 1,000 hours each, and one submitted more than 2,000 hours.

Buckley Public Service Scholars from the UNC Gillings School include:

Marnie Lalon Blalock, Katherine Cavagnini, Courtney Marie Hardy, Jade Hinsdale, Rebecca McKee Jordan, Mia Lei, Pooja Patel, Preeya Atul Patel, Shauna Marie Rust and Rhea Wyse (health policy and management); Nainisha Chintalapudi, Anita Gandhi, Megan Seeima Gurjar, Anna Meade, Pranati Laxmi Panuganti and Richa B. Patel (nutrition); and Nicole Frey, Atima Huria, Katelyn Leigh McIntosh and Radha Piyush Patel (environmental sciences and engineering).

The scholars were honored May 6 at a pre-graduation ceremony in Memorial Hall. All graduates received a Carolina blue and white cord to wear at commencement to signify their achievement.

Launched in 2003, the program has enrolled about 10 percent of the undergraduate student body, representing about 80 percent of majors on campus.

Participants build portfolios reflecting their learning and unique experiences throughout North Carolina, the nation and the world; connect to others who care about similar issues; and are involved in training and coursework that make their service more effective.

The 2016 class of Buckley Scholars represents 45 N.C. counties, as well as 20 other states and China. The students honored this year joined the 1,941 previous Buckley Public Service Scholars who have graduated since 2004, bringing the total number of scholars to 2,158.

Read more about this year’s Buckley Scholars.


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Gillings School of Global Public Health contact: David Pesci, director of communications, (919) 962-2600 or dpesci@unc.edu

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