Heel Talk

Cuts, Delays and Uncertainty: The New Reality for UNC Research

Since early 2025, federal agencies have shifted their research priorities, cutting or freezing grants that many UNC researchers depend on. Those changes have forced researchers across campus to adjust their projects, rewrite proposals and search for new funding. Professor of Nutrition at the Gillings School of Public Health Alice Ammerman describes how the shake-up has disrupted her community-based research. Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Andy Johns explains how these federal shifts are reshaping UNC's research enterprise and how the University is responding. 111 grants were terminated, leading to $38 million of lost funding as of Sept. 2, 2025. Alice Ammerman was interviewed Sept. 3. Andy Johns was interviewed Sept. 2. Audio story by Kshitiz Adhikari. Produced by Amelie Fawson. Photo by Amina Williams.

Ragebait or Real Discourse? Fearless Debates Hits UNC

Two conservative political activists from Fearless Debates sat behind a table near the Old Well on Friday, Sept. 19. With signs promoting deportation and rejecting abortion, they drew a crowd of UNC students, faculty and community members. Fearless Debates recently began their Fearless Tour, which sees the team visiting university campuses around the country to discuss hot button political issues. Hear more about Fearless Debates' political activism and UNC's reaction to it on Heel Talk. Story by Andrew Sellers

SEVIS Status Restored: What You Missed Last Week at UNC

Welcome to the last Heel Talk episode of the semester, where AV Editor Natalie Bradin sits down with staffers Kshitiz Adhikari, Tae Hong and Brodie McCartan to discuss University, City and Lifestyle news you may have missed last week. On this episode, the group chats about the restored SEVIS status of 5 international students, a proposed House Bill that would further restrict abortion in North Carolina and the University's first student-led Climate Change Symposium since the pandemic.

Terminated Visas and Contested Ballots: What You Missed Last Week at UNC

In this episode of Heel Talk, AV Editor Natalie Bradin sits down with staffers Kshitiz Adhikari, N'Nia Brickhouse and Lizzie Stoner to recap some of the biggest stories from The Daily Tar Heel that you may have missed last week. The group discusses the Trump administration's termination of six international student visas at UNC, a recent decision to count the contested ballots in the race for North Carolina Supreme Court Justice and the latest art exhibition at Carrboro's Peel Gallery.

Hiring Freeze Hits the B-School: What You Missed Last Week at UNC

In this episode of Heel Talk, AV Editor Natalie Bradin sits down with staffers Kshitiz Adhikari, William Becker and Lucy Wu to recap the biggest local news you may have missed last week. The group discusses a hiring freeze at the business school, decisions made at the Carrboro Town Council's latest meeting and a new on-campus escape room from Chapel Thrill Escapes.