Group photo of the Endeavors staffphoto by Peggy Mullin

Our mission

A marine scientist flies drones off the coast of North Carolina to gather data on native bonnethead sharks. A psychologist offers treatment to women and children addicted to opium in Afghanistan. A historian leads the nation in biographies on Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

These are UNC-Chapel Hill’s researchers, and we are Endeavors — the publication that introduces you to them. Committed to showcasing Carolina’s best science, we use well-crafted stories and vibrant visuals to immerse you in our inspiring research.

Why is requiring police officers to wear body cameras more complicated than it sounds? What happens when a marine scientist teams up with a local fisherman? Why does a nuclear laboratory have a collection of empty champagne bottles? Can virtual reality change the way we communicate?

Browse through our stories and you’ll see why UNC-Chapel Hill is one of the leading research institutions in the nation. You’ll get a glimpse of the people who make Carolina research so special, and a new perspective on the way the world works. Thanks for reading.

-the Endeavors team

Meet the Team

Portrait: Layla Dowdy

Layla Dowdy | Director

Layla Dowdy develops and executes communication strategy for the Office of Research Communications, which publishes Endeavors. In her role as director, she oversees content production that aims to increase awareness of the value and impact of Carolina’s research accomplishments.

She relishes in promoting the diverse diversity of research at Carolina. When she’s not immersed in communicating science, she can be found spending time cheering on the Tar Heels with her family.

(919) 962-7765
lhdowdy@email.unc.edu

Portrait: Alyssa LaFaro

Alyssa LaFaro | Editor

On any given day, Alyssa LaFaro can be found photographing the effects of climate change, digging up long-lost information in the University Archives, or writing furiously in her office. As the editor of Endeavors, she’s produced upwards of 50 multimedia stories on multiple topics including genetics, art history, nuclear physics, psychology, business, and health humanities, just to name a few.

When she’s not behind a camera or a computer, she’s meeting regularly with communicators, students, and faculty from across campus to learn about the latest research projects and unlock new opportunities for collaboration.

(919) 962-6136
amlafaro@email.unc.edu


Portrait: Megan May

Megan May | Photographer & Video Producer

As a communications specialist for UNC Research and Endeavors, Megan May splits her time between photographing, producing video, and writing to highlight the variety of research projects both on and off campus. With a background in photojournalism, she has a passion for using visuals as a medium to connect people in unexpected ways.

(919) 962-7767
meganann@email.unc.edu

Portrait: Darren Abrecht

Darren Abrecht | Webmaster

Darren Abrecht is the webmaster of endeavors.unc.edu and research.unc.edu. A lifelong learner, his career as a web producer has been split between online journalism and university research support. He lives in Durham with his son and two cantankerous felines.

(919) 962-6137
darren@unc.edu


Portrait: Corina Cudebec

Corina Cudebec | Graphic Designer

Corina Cudebec has been designing since she was 14, after receiving her first design software. From illustrations to web design, layouts to infographics, Corina is in charge of the look and branding for UNC Research and the Endeavors digital magazine. She enjoys wheel throwing, snuggling with her two cats, Pixel and Archer, and floral patterns.

(919) 962-6023
ccudebec@email.unc.edu

Portrait: Peggy Mullin

Peggy Mullin | Communications Intern

As a child, Peggy Mullin’s passion for science and storytelling started somewhere between spending all day splashing through the muddy creeks of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and poring over a different National Geographic before bed every night.

An environmental science major with minors in marine science and photojournalism, Peggy is a strong believer in the mutual benefits of art and science. As the Endeavors multimedia communications intern, she is dedicated to making science accessible and understandable and believes that stories can change the world. Her other passions include concerts, tea, and her dog, Penny.

pegmull@live.unc.edu


Portrait: Ellaina Smith

Ellaina Smith | Communications Intern

Ellaina Smith is a UNC senior studying communications. She has a passion for writing and photography, which she brings to her role as the communications intern at the UNC Office of Research Communications and its digital magazine, Endeavors. She loves coffee, Chinese food, and her dog, Luke.

ellaina@live.unc.edu
https://endeavors.unc.edu/about/
endeavors.unc.edu
crawl=CC-MAIN-2018-17
41293
application/http; msgtype=response
sha1:JRATYQJBZUOIJSVKAX7MTUKSQWFDHPON
<urn:uuid:cd4c58f3-af29-4307-9d0d-83e777aaab21>
2018-04-24T01:17:45Z
207.38.94.39
text/html
sha1:FQBUQ6YVFFDI5ESPDKVW2E2TCVLJKKU3
<urn:uuid:f1df7538-4b1b-4557-9a7c-b0cd658bc907>
https://endeavors.unc.edu/about/
length
response
<urn:uuid:d7677aa9-e993-49f6-ba54-df5beb1e06e5>
robots: classic
hostname: ip-10-237-244-20.ec2.internal
software: Nutch 1.6 (CC)
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2018-17
operator: Common Crawl Admin
description: Wide crawl of the web for April 2018
publisher: Common Crawl
format: WARC File Format 1.0
conformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf