UNC Pembroke News

Alicia Thomas sitting on a bench shows off her museum award
May 01 Mark Locklear

UNCP’s Alicia Thomas Earns Statewide Museum Professional Award

Alicia Thomas, curator of museum education and community engagement at the Museum of the Southeast American Indian at UNC Pembroke, has been named the recipient of the 2026 Emerging Museum Professional Award by the North Carolina Museums Council.

Michela Gritti and Sean Hancock_regional writing award winners
April 30 Mark Locklear

UNCP Students Win First Place in Regional Journalism Competition

Two UNC Pembroke student journalists are earning regional recognition for their storytelling and commitment to the craft, proving that impactful journalism can thrive even in the smallest of newsrooms.

Faculty Appreciation
April 30 Mark Locklear

UNCP Honors Faculty Excellence at Annual Appreciation Banquet

UNC Pembroke faculty were recognized for excellence in teaching, scholarship and service during the university’s annual Faculty Appreciation Banquet.

SGA Delegation of the Year
April 30 Mark Locklear

UNCP SGA Named Delegation of the Year in UNC System

UNC Pembroke’s Student Government Association (SGA) has been named Delegation of the Year by the Association of Student Governments (ASG), recognizing the university’s leadership, engagement and impact across the UNC System.

Jaylen Jones
April 27 Mark Locklear

Composing His Future: UNCP’s Jaylen Jones Heads to Top Jazz Graduate School

Sitting on stage during his senior recital, tenor saxophonist Jaylen Jones found himself in a moment that once felt far out of reach —performing original compositions, confident in his sound and certain of his path.

UNCP Air Force ROTC Cadet Maximus Lang stands in front of a Piper PA-28-161 Warrior II at Fayetteville Regional Airport.
April 24 Mark Locklear

Air Force ROTC Cadet Maximus Lang Earns National Aviation Scholarship

As Cadet Maximus Lang guided a small aircraft through the skies above Fayetteville Regional Airport, preparing for one of aviation’s most challenging maneuvers, he realized something had shifted.

Dr. Bryan Sales examines a plant with a student and local farmer in a field.

UNC Pembroke to grow next generation of agricultural leaders with new degree

Beginning in fall 2026, UNC Pembroke will offer a new Bachelor of Science in Agriculture — a program designed to prepare students to lead the future of farming while strengthening one of the region’s most vital economic engines.

Brad Crawford on set at CBS Sports HQ
April 22 Kaiana Apollo

Building a National Voice in College Football

Brad Crawford ’09 leveraged his UNC Pembroke Mass Communication degree into a career in sports media, now serving as a college football analyst for 247Sports (CBS Sports).

Mia Baca stands beside their coral sculpture in an indoor campus setting at UNC Pembroke. The piece features twisting, branch-like coral forms in soft white, peach and blue tones, visually reflecting the beauty and fragility of ocean life.
April 22 Adrielle Cooper

UNCP Student Uses Art to Raise Awareness About Coral Reefs

Mia Baca’s coral reef artwork draws viewers in with beauty, then asks them to look closer at the realities of pollution and climate change.