Chancellor Holden Thorp
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
By John Galles
                      
Tim Newman was proud to introduce Holden Thorp to Rotarians as a former classmate of his at UNC Chapel Hill. Chancellor Thorp's credentials were lengthy. He assumed his duties as Chancellor on July 1, 2008. He previously served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and was the Kenan Professor of Chemistry at the university. He received his B.S. in Chemistry from UNC in 1986. Three years later, he obtained his Ph. D. from California Institute of Technology, and was a post doctoral associate at Yale from 1989 to 1990.
 
He taught chemistry for two years at N.C. State University before becoming an assistant professor at UNC-CH in 1993. He became a full professor in 1999 and has held a number of other roles including Director of the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center and Chairman of the chemistry department. He has researched and published extensively in the field of DNA and RNA and has 19 patents either issued or pending. In 2001, Thorp led a faculty delegation to Qatar when the university was considering a branch campus in that Middle Eastern nation.
 
His hobbies include music. He plays the keyboards for a jazz group named Equinox. He is married with two children. Thorp was appointed to the chancellor position at age 43. Two of his predecessors were younger. Robert House was 42 and William Aycock was 41.
 
Thorp opened his comments with the dichotomy of exciting times and troubling times. He was especially pleased to have witnessed UNC winning the NCAA championships in Detroit and to have participated in the ceremonial cutting of the nets at the end of the game. He also referred to the tough economic times and the challenges it presents. He said that being chancellor of UNC is much like being the mayor of a city. He oversees the school system, the security system, churches, hospitals, roads and the infrastructure adjoining them and much more.
 
Thorp talked about having the opportunity to visit an operating room at the hospital with Bill Roper from the med school. He said that even with a gown, cap and mask that the attending surgeon still recognized him and asked for tickets to the Duke basketball game. Thorp told him he had none.
 
Thorp is pleased that UNC-CH is participating in the Nutritional Research Institute in Kannapolis and looks forward to its growth and development as well as its research progress.
 
Thorp commiserated with the economic times and said that he knows that the entire state is suffering and that he is doing his best to prioritize within the budget that he has to operate from.
 
He remains focused on four primary objectives. First, he wants to maintain the excellence in education that UNC CH is known for. Second, he will do all he can to maintain educational freedom for faculty and students. Third, he wants to expand access to higher education. And fourth, he wants to improve access to healthcare.
 
Thus far, he has been expected to give back 7% from his current state budget. He fully expects that more cuts will have to be made in the new state budget.
 
The good news he had to share included that UNC CH had two Rhodes scholars this year and three Luce awards. From a research grant perspective, he said that UNC raised $678 million in 2008 and hoped to raise over $800 million in 2009. He said he was most optimistic that admissions were up 8 percent for the next year. Most of all he said that he expected that UNC CH would lead the way into the new economy with innovations that would be most valuable.
   
 
Head Table: Jerry Walters, David Zimmerman, Mac McCarley, Tim Newman, Chase Saunders, Tony Lathrop;
Invocation: Anthony Foxx;
Visitors & Guests: Sheila Cottringer; Health & Happiness: Natalie English; Song: Pam Jefsen; Piano: Thomas Moore; Photos: Bert Voswinkel

• President Mac expressed his thanks to Regina Patton for her leadership in coordinating the GSE Egypt visit. Others involved in hosting, vocational appointments and logistics: Will Barnhardt, Mary Ciminelli, Mark Norman, Mike Hawley, Leigh Derby, Karen Calder, Joni Davis, Ed Wadsworth, Bert Voswinkel, Phil Volponi, Dale Gillmore, MaryLynne Calhoun, Tony Zeiss, Sandy Osborne and Tim Newman.
          
• The World Affairs Council of Charlotte will present the World Citizen Award to The Carolinas Freedom Foundation (founded by Col. J. Quincy Collins, Jr., USAF, Ret.) on May 7, 2009 at the Westin Charlotte Hotel. In addition, the Harold P. Josephson Award will be presented to Donald E. Haack posthumously for his significant contributions to the Council and the international life of the community. For tickets or questions, contact the Council's office at 704-687-7757 or 704-687-7759. Payment deadline is April 24th.
  
• Pam Jefsen, Karen Calder and Natalie English have been named one of the 50 most influential women in Mecklenburg County; Mike Rash has been named to the American Red Cross National Leadership Council; WFAE (Roger Sarow) News Department received five regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for excellence in electronic journalism.
    
• Biff Virkler and Beverly Jordan have organized a tour of the Nutrition Research Institute at the NC Research Campus in Kannapolis on May 7th. Those interested in attending are asked to notify the Rotary office. You will meet at Noon for lunch at Restaurant Forty Six, located at Cannon Village, 101 West Avenue, Kannapolis (704-250-4646). The tour will begin at 1:30 and should last for a couple hours.
      
• This year's District Conference will be a reunion for Districts 7670 and 7680. All are invited to attend what promises to be a great event! May 1-3, Marriott Resort & Spa at Grande Dunes, Myrtle Beach, SC. Registration forms for the conference and hotel can be found on the District's website, http://rotarydistrict7680.org.

The National Rotarian I Bat for the Cure Prostate Cancer Foundation Program is coming to the Charlotte Knights Stadium on June 5th. Charlotte Rotarians are eligible to purchase Lower Level Reserve tickets for $8. We also need 3 or 4 Rotarians to man a table at the game to help distribute the Prostate Cancer information. There is a minimum of 20 people attending to get this ticket price. If you have an interest, please contact the Rotary office immediately.