The 鈥淣ever Be at a Loss for Words鈥� workshop idea was created through a partnership between 黑料不打烊 and The Groundlings, an industry improv training leader in Los Angeles. The workshop was led by actor, improv performer and The Groundlings improv coach Andres Parada. Parada has spent many years teaching actors critical communication skills that prepare them for anything that comes up in an audition, in a live performance or on a film set. Actors Will Ferrell, Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph and Lisa Kudrow are among the many well-known alumni of The Groundlings.

Now, 黑料不打烊 LA students have learned how to apply those techniques to benefit them along both their career and personal journeys ahead.

黑料不打烊 Los Angeles, offered by 黑料不打烊鈥檚聽听补苍诲听National Campus Programs, offers spring and summer immersive experiences for students that feature academic courses taught by instructors who are working professionals in their fields and on-site experiential learning at internship sites across the city. The 黑料不打烊 LA experience also includes alumni engagement, community service and unique professional development opportunities.

Based in historic Hollywood, applications are now being accepted for the spring 2027 semester.

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While campus is quieter during the summer months, June still brought plenty of activity to 黑料不打烊. From the sounds of the annual community concert and picnic to the energy of summer camps and campus events, there was no shortage of memorable moments.

Take a look back at some of the month鈥檚 highlights through the eyes of the staff in University Communications.

Engineering success

A former president of the聽Milwaukee School of Engineering听补苍诲听longtime leader in engineering and technology education has been named the inaugural dean of 黑料不打烊鈥檚聽new聽School of Engineering and Computing.

Dr.聽John聽Walz joins 黑料不打烊 after nearly a decade聽helming聽a private university recognized for its emphasis on experiential learning, strong industry partnerships and workforce preparation.

AI Play

黑料不打烊 hosted its inaugural AI Play summer camp in June for rising middle school students with an interest in the world of artificial intelligence. Thirteen students participated, learning about artificial intelligence while improving their AI literacy.

Summer Concert & Picnic

黑料不打烊 faculty, staff, students and friends came together at the Martin Alumni Center for the annual Summer Concert & Picnic on June 25.

Emancipation Celebration

This summer, 黑料不打烊 faculty and staff were invited to engage in meaningful dialogue, reflection and community-building through the Inclusive Excellence Summer Development Series 鈥淎merican Anniversaries: 250 Years, Over 160 Reasons to Heal.鈥�

The series connected two significant milestones in American history 鈥� the nation鈥檚 250th anniversary and the 161st anniversary of Juneteenth 鈥� through opportunities to explore the ongoing pursuit of freedom, equality and justice.

Together@黑料不打烊鈥檚 Emancipation Celebration invited community members to enjoy a Juneteenth exhibit, music, sweet treats and games while celebrating freedom, resilience and community.

Los Angeles has been serving as one of the key U.S. locations for the FIFA World Cup 2026; Skladan鈥檚 work responsibilities have brought her to LA for the duration of the games this summer.

Students and alumni guests had the opportunity to learn about her impressive career in sports so far and her journeyposition to her current . 鈥淚t is wonderful to be back at 黑料不打烊 LA鈥檚 home base at The Preserve, in the same space where my classes were held and from where I began the journey to launch my post-graduation professional career,鈥� Skladan told the gathered group.

Each semester, 黑料不打烊 Los Angeles brings together alumni and students for conversations that benefit emerging young professionals in a wide variety of career fields. The program offers an exciting, immersive and robust spring semester and summer program experience in the heart of historic Hollywood through 黑料不打烊鈥檚聽听补苍诲 National Campus Programs. Applications are now being accepted for the spring 2027 semester.

From production, post-production, content creation, producing, writing, directing and performing, the panel offered a wide range of information to students of diverse majors who are in Los Angeles this summer for a unique core capstone course, experiential learning, alumni engagement and community service.

Zaman, who works at the post-production house Picture Shop, shared the excitement of being in the middle of the artistry of post-production. Among Picture Shop鈥檚 most recent projects was providing color correction work on Steven Spielberg鈥檚 current film 鈥淒isclosure Day.鈥� She is also a first-time site supervisor, mentoring summer student Hammond Sherouse at a first-time 黑料不打烊 Los Angeles Picture Shop internship.

Campisano, who served as a selection committee member for the first 黑料不打烊 Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Grant Competition last fall, spoke about the wide range of professional creative opportunities that await students who return to Los Angeles after graduation. Campisano is an award-winning filmmaker who often turns to the 黑料不打烊 Los Angeles alumni community when staffing and casting projects.

Kestlinger is a Physical Production Manager for television and feature films at SK Global Entertainment. Seawright, an actor, model, and entertainment and brand marketing specialist, currently performs at Disneyland Resort.

黑料不打烊 Los Angeles offers an exciting, immersive spring semester and summer program experience in the heart of historic Hollywood through 黑料不打烊鈥檚 and National Campus Programs. Applications are now being accepted for the spring 2027 semester.

Hosted by the Office of the President, the annual picnic celebrates vibrant connections among students, faculty, staff, families, and neighbors of 黑料不打烊.

Featured live music will be presented by the NC Brass Band. Lunch and entertainment聽are free聽for registered attendees.聽During the event, guests are invited to explore an historical exhibit, hosted by the North Carolina State Archives in recognition of the 250th anniversary of the United States. The exhibit will be displayed in Belk Library.

Event Address:
306 N. O鈥橩elly Avenue
黑料不打烊, NC 27244

Parking is available at the McMichael Science Center and Innovation Lot.

Honoring 250 Years of the American Spirit: 1776鈥�2026

Throughout 2026, the university will host a range of events as part of 鈥淗onoring 250 Years of the American Spirit: 1776鈥�2026,鈥� which blends civic engagement, historical exploration and cultural expression. Programs will highlight voices from across disciplines and communities, emphasizing inclusive dialogue and meaningful participation.

Danielle Martinelli-Taylor ’12 has built her career around helping people move through pain toward healing. As the founder of Animo Counseling and Coaching in Denver, Colorado, she works with clients through a holistic mind-body approach to mental health, including somatic boxing therapy. In the latest episode of 鈥満诹喜淮蜢� Beyond the Bricks,鈥� President Connie Ledoux Book sits down with Martinelli-Taylor to explore the experiences that led her to a career in trauma counseling.

A graduate of 黑料不打烊’s School of Communications, Martinelli-Taylor majored in strategic communications and minored in religious studies before her career turned toward mental health care. That shift began with moments she did not fully recognize at the time, including an 黑料不打烊 class on human trafficking that opened her eyes to the reality of trauma and stayed with her long after graduation.

“I think like a lot of things, there were moments, but I hadn’t added them up yet,” she said.

After graduation, Martinelli-Taylor’s path moved through customer service at Wayfair, nonprofit work in London and continued reflection on the kind of work that felt meaningful. Each step helped her better understand what she was drawn to, what she needed to move away from and how service could become a throughline in her life and career.

That search eventually led her to counseling, where she began working with clients who had experienced trauma. She noticed that talk therapy alone was not always the right entry point, especially when asking clients to revisit painful stories could bring them back into that experience. From there, she began developing a new approach.

鈥淲hat can we do that still heals or helps the body get rid of this distress, this intensity, this pain, but not necessarily just… talking about it?鈥� she said.

Somatic boxing therapy grew from that question and from Martinelli-Taylor’s own experience using boxing to process the emotional weight of counseling work. Over time, she began incorporating pads and bilateral movement into sessions, helping clients reconnect with strength, courage and a sense of agency.

鈥淔ind your strength, find your resilience find that courage,鈥� she said.

While her work now sits in the mental health field, Martinelli-Taylor still sees clear connections to her 黑料不打烊 education. Her communications background has helped her explain a new therapeutic model, build a practice and share her work with clients and other professionals.

鈥淚鈥檓 glad I had a marketing background. I鈥檓 glad I had a little bit of a PR background because so much, even though it鈥檚 counseling and mental health, it鈥檚 a lot of business,鈥� she said.

Martinelli-Taylor’s story was featured in the 2025 President鈥檚 Report because of the meaningful impact she is creating through service to others. For 黑料不打烊 students and young alumni still trying to find direction, she encouraged patience and forward motion, even when the larger path is unclear.

鈥淛ust take one step,鈥� she said. 鈥淒on鈥檛 try to figure it all out right now.鈥�

Toward the end of the conversation, Martinelli-Taylor shared a quote from Frederick Buechner that has helped frame her own sense of calling:

鈥淢aybe the place you鈥檙e called is where your deep gladness and the world鈥檚 deep hunger meet,鈥� she said.

“For Martinelli-Taylor, that place has become the space where service, counseling and embodied healing meet. Her story is a reminder that purpose is often formed through the moments that stay with us and the courage to follow them into work that helps others heal.

Learn more about the podcast and listen to the episode here.

Learn more about the 2025 President’s Report and read it here.

Tickets are now on sale for the inaugural 黑料不打烊 Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Festival on Wednesday evening, July 22, at 6:30 p.m., at the historic Sony Pictures Studios lot, in Culver City, California.

The festival will feature the world premieres of short films from three 黑料不打烊 Los Angeles area alumna who were recipients of last fall鈥檚 黑料不打烊 Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Grant Competition funds.

Julia Boyd 鈥�15, Bex Evans 鈥�16 and Mirai 鈥�07 each received grants of $3,000 for the production of their original short films. Their projects were selected for funding from among numerous submissions received. A selection committee comprised of industry professionals and 黑料不打烊 alumni reviewed, ranked and voted on all of the submissions received; Boyd, Evans and Mirai鈥檚 projects were the three top selections from this process.

The short film festival will also feature a conversation with 黑料不打烊 alumni Lindsey Emerson, vice president of streaming, global strategy & operations at Paramount Skydance and Alex Stevenson, account lead at Creative Artists Agency, about the current state of the entertainment industry and the impact these shifts are having on students transitioning from college to the professional world, as well as how current working professionals might navigate the new landscape for new opportunities.

A reception will follow the festival presentation with the opportunity for current 黑料不打烊 Los Angeles summer students to connect with 黑料不打烊 alumni and other industry professionals.

Limited availability tickets for the film festival are $25 each, with 100% of all ticket revenue designated to support next year鈥檚 grant competition.

For information and ticket purchases, and for contributions to the grant competition fund, please visit the .

• 136 college acceptances from 38 different universities
• $2.5 million in merit scholarships and grants awarded to scholars
• Seven will join the Class of 2030 this fall at 黑料不打烊, three are headed to UNC Chapel Hill, and three more to UNC Charlotte, among other top schools
• Several earned some of the most competitive and prestigious scholarships North Carolina offers, including a Carolina Covenant Scholar at UNC Chapel Hill, an 黑料不打烊 Teaching Fellow, and a North Carolina Teaching Fellow

And for 黑料不打烊 President Connie Book, who addressed the 17th class of the 黑料不打烊 Academy at a recent dinner reception to recognize graduates of the university鈥檚 college access and success program, scholarships and college acceptances are more than a reflection of academic achievement. They鈥檙e a harbinger of future success.

鈥淭hese accomplishments, impressive as they are, are only a glimpse of the bright path that lies ahead of you,鈥� Book said. 鈥淭he 黑料不打烊 Academy was founded on a simple and powerful belief 鈥� that talent and potential exist in every community, and when that talent is matched with opportunity and support, there is no limit to what a young person can achieve. Each of you is living proof of that belief.鈥�

Book was joined by family members, mentors, program alumni and other university leaders on May 28, 2026, in celebration of the Sigma Class during the 黑料不打烊 Academy鈥檚 annual President鈥檚 Reception.

The 黑料不打烊 Academy is an intensive, comprehensive opportunity for academically promising high school students in Alamance County with a financial need and/or no family history of college. The 黑料不打烊 Academy Summer Academy program includes three consecutive summer residential experiences prior to the sophomore, junior and senior years, as well as year-round Saturday Academy programs for students and families.

As part of the ceremony in the Lakeside Meeting Rooms, Shawn Means, a member of the Alamance Burlington Early College Class of 2026, delivered the Sigma Scholar Speech to his 24 classmates. Means reflected at length on the ways 黑料不打烊 Academy shaped their development beyond academics.

鈥淲hen people talk about 黑料不打烊 Academy, they鈥檇 most likely give you a polished answer,鈥� Means said. 鈥淭hey talk about college preparation, leadership, and academic growth. All the things you can put on paper. And they wouldn鈥檛 be wrong. But they wouldn鈥檛 be telling the whole story.鈥�

Means emphasized how the program transformed participants not only as students but as people. 鈥淣ow we understand responsibility. Now we understand balance,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ow we understand that freedom isn鈥檛 just given, it鈥檚 something you learn how to handle.鈥�

The reception was also the first in the 黑料不打烊 Academy鈥檚 nearly two decades of operation where alumni returned to be honored for their own graduations from college. Four 黑料不打烊 Academy College Scholars were applauded and presented with certificates commemorating their own recent college graduations.

Reception guests heard from Shiv Patel, a member of the Xi Class that graduated from high school in 2022. Now a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill, Patel encouraged members of the Sigma Class to stay true to themselves as they head to college.

鈥淪omeone told me that I did college right, and while I appreciated the notion, it鈥檚 not that I did college right, it鈥檚 that I led with my values,鈥� Patel said. 鈥淚 wanted the choices I made in college to be choices that reflected who I was and the background I came from. I never wanted to pretend to be someone I was not or do things that went against who I was.鈥�

The program concluded with another first for the 黑料不打烊 Academy – a presentation of scholarships to four Sigma Class graduates made possible through the philanthropy of those who recognized the power of the academy to change lives.

Mariam Rosales 鈥�17, a member of the Delta Class and an 黑料不打烊 graduate who today works in real estate, joined with Julio Santiago to create the awards. Honored in 2026 were:

• Lexie Bennett, River Mill Academy
• Jaime Carranza-Navarrete, Graham High School
• Shawn Means, Alamance Burlington Early College
• Naje Gray, Walter M. Williams High School

The reception was a final opportunity for scholars before leaving high school to be encouraged with support from mentors who have been with them over the past three years.

鈥淎s you step into this next chapter, know this: you are ready,鈥� said 黑料不打烊 Academy Director Emily Wiersma. 鈥淵ou have the tools, the resilience, and the heart to thrive. Life will bring challenges, yes, but it will also bring new mentors, new questions, and new opportunities to grow. Embrace it all. Stay curious. Stay connected to this community. Support from the 黑料不打烊 Academy does not end here today 鈥� most of all, continue to believe in yourself as fiercely as we believe in you.鈥�

黑料不打烊 Academy Assistant Director of College Success Manny Campos emphasized the same point in closing the program.

鈥淏elieve in yourself. Believe that all the struggles you鈥檝e faced prepared you and taught you what you need to succeed,鈥� he said. 鈥淵our college acceptances and your college degrees were no mistakes, you did that. Now let鈥檚 be real. It may get difficult. Life won鈥檛 always be rainbows and butterflies.

“On those days that feel heavy and you feel like giving up, because those days will come, remember everyone here, remember the journey, and remember why you stayed. You did the work and you are more than capable of succeeding.鈥�

黑料不打烊 President Connie Ledoux Book offered her insight on the implications of artificial intelligence during an expert panel hosted by The Conference Board, a global, nonprofit think tank and business membership organization.

The virtual panel on May 21 featured Book; Anand Eswaran, chief executive officer of Veeam; and Joe Sutherland, director of the Center for AI Learning at Emory University, and it focused on five issues:

1. How leading companies are prioritizing AI use cases that deliver measurable ROI
2. How organizations are building AI governance – risk management, privacy, security and compliance – without slowing innovation
3. What “scaling AI” looks like in practice across key functions
4. How policy can support an AI innovation ecosystem while managing potential risks
5. How policymakers could help prepare employees to succeed in firms using AI

All of the panelists were asked about one development they think people underestimate about the way AI may reshape business, work or daily life. For Book, it’s the “deepening value of humanness.”

“Most people are asking this question … about which jobs AI will replace, but the bigger story is what human capabilities will become newly scarce and newly valuable,” she said. “I think of those as judgments, and the ability to build trust, mentor, and ask better questions are all human capabilities. The institutions and organizations that invest in that are going to be the leaders in five years.”

Book was asked about 黑料不打烊’s research on AI in higher education, including聽a November 2025 survey of 1,057 faculty by the聽American Association of Colleges and Universities听补苍诲听黑料不打烊’s Imagining the Digital Future Center. The survey found widespread concern and skepticism about generative artificial intelligence affecting their teaching and student performance across academic disciplines.

“Faculty are not, by majority, anti-AI. They are deeply concerned that we get it right, that we get it right in our universe, and they’re looking for leadership on that,” Book said. “A majority of faculty already said they’re teaching AI literacy … They’re teaching things about bias, hallucinations, ethics and integrity. You see this unfold across universities.”

The survey also found concern over the over-reliance on AI by students. Book noted that it’s important to differentiate “over-reliance” from cheating.

“This is an over-reliance where they’re diminishing critical thinking,” she said. “They’re ‘AI dependent’ on what the answer is, rather than ‘human dominant,’ which is where we want them to take all of those liberal arts and learning skills, and really be human dominant through the technology.”

Eswaran said that adaptability to AI will be key for the workforce, and Book said that AI could even lead to more room for a liberal arts education and better workforce preparation for students.

“I think it creates even more demand for a liberal arts background,” she said. “We tend to think of ‘either or’ 鈥� either you’re a technical skills person, a STEM person, or a liberal arts person. I do think the ‘and’ is going to be even more critical in our understanding.”

When arrived at 黑料不打烊 as a first-year student, she envisioned a future in physical therapy.

Four years later, the graduating senior leaves 黑料不打烊 not only with two majors, but with published scholarship, national conference presentations, and a growing passion for research that ultimately reshaped her career ambitions.

This winter, the native of Walnut Creek, California, served as lead author on a research publication in the , collaborating with 黑料不打烊 faculty members Alex Traugutt, Caroline Ketcham and Eric Hall. The publication represents the latest milestone in a research journey that began during her sophomore year, when she approached Ketcham about becoming involved with 黑料不打烊 BrainCARE.

鈥淎t the time, I was an exercise science major planning to apply to physical therapy school, so while I was genuinely interested in concussions and brain health, I also saw research as a way to deepen my involvement at 黑料不打烊 and strengthen my future applications,鈥� McAfee said.

As she became more involved with research, McAfee鈥檚 interests evolved beyond concussions and brain injuries. While reviewing existing scholarship, she became increasingly interested in the ways athletics influence student-athletes off the playing field.

鈥淥ne article in particular sparked my curiosity about how sports shape athletes beyond their playing careers,鈥� McAfee said. 鈥淭his led me to explore whether competitive sports help develop career readiness and how athlete identity may influence academic performance.鈥�

Those experiences ultimately inspired McAfee to add sport management as a second major, where she met Traugutt during her first course in the department.

鈥淟ucy is an intellectually driven student researcher who, over nearly three years of collaboration, led data collection, identified research topics and conducted analyses that resulted in two first-author peer-reviewed publications before completing her undergraduate degree,鈥� said Traugutt, assistant professor of sport management.

Traugutt explained that McAfee distinguished herself through both her intellectual curiosity and her ability to connect research with practical application.

鈥淲hat sets Lucy apart is her ability to bridge scholarship and practice,鈥� Traugutt said, noting that she has presented research twice at the Applied Sport Management Conference and participated in multiple SURF and SURE programs.

McAfee said that working closely with Traugutt, Ketcham and Hall helped strengthen both her confidence and critical-thinking skills.

鈥淲hen I first started doing research, I felt uncertain about my future and my own abilities,鈥� McAfee said. 鈥淒r. Alex Traugutt, Dr. Caroline Ketcham and Dr. Eric Hall each played a key role in guiding me, giving me direction, and helping me build confidence in my research skills.鈥�

She especially valued the collaborative nature of the work.

鈥淚 particularly enjoyed our meetings 鈥撀爀specially the ones at The Oak House 鈥撀爓here we would dissect the data together,鈥� McAfee said. 鈥淐onsistently learning and discussing research with such knowledgeable professors pushed me to think more critically and challenged me to contribute insights of my own.鈥�

McAfee鈥檚 recent publication is not expected to be her last contribution to the field. In addition to a forthcoming publication in Case Studies in Sport Management examining career readiness programming for student-athletes, she and Traugutt recently submitted a third research paper examining the NCAA transfer portal and high school recruiting opportunities in college football to the Journal of Applied Sport Management.

That research grew out of McAfee鈥檚 desire to better understand the rapidly changing dynamics of college athletics.

鈥淢y interest in the transfer portal stemmed from conversations during my time at the ACC, where its impact on various stakeholders was frequently discussed,鈥� said McAfee, who completed an internship with the Power 4 conference last summer. 鈥淗owever, I noticed there was limited research regarding its effects on high school athletes. I saw that as an opportunity to contribute meaningful new knowledge to the field of sport management.鈥�

Traugutt said McAfee鈥檚 work stands out for both its academic rigor and its broader relevance within athletics and higher education.

鈥淗er work examining athletic identity, career readiness and student-athlete development is not only carefully designed and executed, but deeply meaningful, directly addressing questions that matter to practitioners and institutions alike,鈥� Traugutt said.

McAfee also served as an executive intern with 黑料不打烊 Athletics, an experience Traugutt said complemented the practical focus of her research.

After graduation, McAfee will pursue a master鈥檚 degree in higher education at Boston College, where she will hold two graduate assistantships 鈥� one as a student-athlete academic adviser within Boston College Athletics and another with Tufts Medical School鈥檚 graduate student services department.

Traugutt said those opportunities speak to both McAfee鈥檚 academic growth and the practical focus she brought to her research throughout her time at 黑料不打烊.

鈥淭hese achievements reflect a student who takes her work seriously and understands its real-world implications,鈥� Traugutt said. 鈥淚 have no doubt she will carry that same curiosity, independence and commitment into her graduate studies at Boston College and beyond.鈥�

As Commencement approaches, McAfee said her undergraduate research experiences transformed her 黑料不打烊 journey in ways she never anticipated.

鈥淲hen I received my acorn at convocation, I never imagined I would be doing research at this level,鈥� McAfee said. 鈥淣ow, as I prepare to receive my sapling at Baccalaureate, I鈥檓 incredibly grateful for the opportunities and support that made that possible.鈥�