NC-HCAP News

07.13.07

North Carolina Health Careers Access Program recognizes UNC Chancellor James Moeser with leadership award

            CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The North Carolina Health Careers Access Program (NC-HCAP) awarded the 2007 NC-HCAP Cecil G. Sheps Leadership Award to Dr. James Moeser, chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The award, presented at NC-HCAP’s Science Enrichment Preparation (SEP) Program graduation ceremony on July 12, recognizes Moeser’s unparalleled commitment in the area of diversity. The award was accepted on Moeser’s behalf by Larry Keith, Assistant Dean of Admissions/Director of Special Programs in the UNC School of Medicine.

“It is truly an honor to recognize Chancellor James Moeser with the annual NC-HCAP Cecil G. Sheps Leadership Award,” said NC-HCAP interim executive director Patrena N. Benton. “Through several initiatives, Chancellor Moeser has worked tirelessly to promote access to higher education as well as to create and sustain an inclusive and supportive environment for all students.”

NC-HCAP created the leadership award to recognize entities or individuals who have proactively sought out and implemented strategies to increase underrepresented minorities in a health sciences discipline and/or who have worked in partnership with NC-HCAP to supports its mission and activities.

Named for NC-HCAP founder Dr. Cecil G. Sheps, the award honors not only those who receive it, but also serves as a reminder of Sheps’ vision and passion for creating a diversified health care workforce.
Moeser’s work in the area of diversity exemplifies his visionary leadership and parallels that of Sheps.

He has championed a nationally-recognized commitment to improving the University’s accessibility to deserving low-income students and leads an effort to strengthen the University’s service to North Carolina’s people and communities. He has overseen an unprecedented physical transformation of the main campus, the most successful private fundraising campaign in University history, growth in faculty research, development of an academic plan and major enhancements to undergraduate education.

Moeser’s bold leadership resulted in the University’s launch of the Carolina Covenant, a groundbreaking initiative to make a debt-free UNC education possible for low-income students. When announced in 2003, the Carolina Covenant was a first for a major U.S. public university. Moeser’s leadership with the Carolina Covenant was among the reasons he received the American Council on Education’s 2007 Reginald Wilson Diversity Leadership Award, a lifetime achievement honor recognizing major contributions to the advancement of diversity in American higher education.

Past recipients of the award are: the Honorable Eva Clayton, Dr. E. Lavonia Allison, Dr. Robert Thorpe, Mr. Larry Keith, Dr. Clay Simpson, the NC Area Health Education Centers Program, the UNC Office of Minority Affairs, the NC Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities and the UNC School of Dentistry.

“[Moeser’s] courageous and transformational leadership parallels to that of NC-HCAP’s founder, Dr. Cecil G. Sheps and it is fitting that Chancellor Moeser is this year’s recipient,” Benton said.

Established in 1971 by Cecil G. Sheps, NC-HCAP is an inter-institutional program of the University of North Carolina system designed to increase the number of underrepresented minority students who successfully pursue health careers.

For more information about the North Carolina Health Careers Access Program and its activities or the NC-HCAP Cecil G. Sheps Leadership Award, contact us (919) 966-2264 or visit our Web site at http://nchcap.unc.edu.