UNC Institute for the Environment

06/11/2026

A groundbreaking and comprehensive hybrid modeling tool developed by researchers at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Abt Global, LLC for the state of New York estimates and quantifies the potential air pollution health co-benefits of decarbonization policies in the state at a high-resolution, census-tract level, resulting in localized insights not previously represented in other models or studies.

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New study provides localized insights not previously represented in other models.

06/10/2026

Professor Hans W. Paerl was recently inducted into the Order of the Long Leaf Pine after a nearly 50-year career at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, recognizing his transformative impact on the state’s critical ecosystems.

The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is the highest civilian honor bestowed by the governor of North Carolina.

Paerl, Kenan Professor of Marine and Environmental Sciences at the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences in Morehead City, also held joint appointments in UNC Earth Marine and Environmental Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences and in the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. He retired last summer but continues to be involved at IMS as a research professor.

Two of Paerl’s innovative observation programs, called ModMon and FerryMon, have underpinned the understanding of North Carolina coastal systems for more than three decades.

Paerl has long instilled in his students the importance of protecting the world’s precious water resources, and reminding them that as a global human population, “we can survive without oil, but not safe drinking water.”

Congratulations to Dr. Paerl for this prestigious honor!
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https://go.unc.edu/pine

06/08/2026

Meet Brian Naess ’01, GIS analyst and lecturer here at the UNC Institute for the Environment! Naess has been part of IE for 25 years, starting out as assistant director of the Albemarle Ecological Field Site (AEFS), now the Outer Banks Field Site. See what he's been up to the last quarter-century at Carolina.

Read the full Q+A on our website👇

Meet GIS analyst and lecturer Brian Naess!

06/07/2026

06/04/2026

While on his summer tour of N.C., Chancellor Lee Roberts made stops along the coast, which included marsh areas and living shorelines and featured a variety of Carolina projects that are protecting the state's environment, economy and people.

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As part of his eastern North Carolina tour, Lee H. Roberts learned about projects on a boat tour and at the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences.

06/02/2026

Carolina’s Sustainable Energy Research Consortium, housed in UNC Chemistry, recently celebrated the launch of new initiatives to support researchers across The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The first iteration of SERC — called the Solar Energy Research Center — was founded in 2008 to serve as a hub for research, education and outreach related to solar energy. However, around 2020, its leaders began wondering if they could broaden their scope to cover energy more holistically.

The updated center operates under three pillars: development and support of large, interdisciplinary teams; maintenance of shared core facilities; and connection within the energy research community.

Alex Miller is a chemistry professor and director of SERC.

“The consortium is intended to be a nexus where teams can come together and grow,” Miller says. “We want to empower Carolina’s energy innovators and give people what they need to do amazing things in the sustainable energy space.”

Learn more about SERC: https://go.unc.edu/Ap8b3

06/01/2026

Jason Surratt, Cary C. Boshamer Distinguished Professor of Environmental Sciences and Engineering and Chemistry in the UNC [...]

05/26/2026

05/26/2026

From the blog: See how student researcher Ariana Cotton investigated environmental quality and developed her skills to have real-world impact on campus through the Sustainable Triangle Field Site over the spring semester.

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Ariana Cotton is a junior at UNC-Chapel Hill from Memphis, Tennessee.

05/18/2026

From the blog: Protecting communities means understanding both environmental and financial risk. A closer look at flood resilience research at by UNC student researcher Olivia Payne.

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Olivia Payne is a junior at UNC-Chapel Hill from Etowah, North Carolina. She is double-majoring in Environmental Studies and Public Policy and is an undergraduate student researcher with UNC’s Institute for Risk Management and Insurance Innovation. By Olivia Payne ’27 … Read more