Donors In Focus

For Molly Whitehurst Bourne ’93, attending Carolina is a family tradition. She likes to say she is “Tar Heel Bourne.” Her years at Carolina were filled with camaraderie, academic exploration, and unforgettable moments, including celebrating the 1993 national championship on Franklin Street — on her birthday. After graduating with a degree in political science, Molly pursued a JD/MBA from Wake Forest University, where she met her husband, Fairbanks. They co-founded Bourne Partners in Charlotte, focusing on consumer health services, a field deeply ingrained in her family’s history. Her great-grandfather was a community doctor, her grandmother a community nurse, and her father attended medical school at Carolina. Despite her busy schedule, Molly is committed to giving back to Carolina. She serves on the boards of UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School’s 100 Women and the Shuford Program in Entrepreneurship, which she learned about as a member of the Carolina Women’s Leadership Council. Molly and Fairbanks also give generously to these programs. Her children, Fairbanks and Mary Pope, are also Tar Heels, continuing the family tradition.

Caroline Shaffer Vroon ’91, a member of the Carolina Women’s Leadership Council, comes from a six-generation Tar Heel family known for its philanthropy. Her grandfather, Charles Shaffer Sr. ’35, was the University's first director of development, leading the Carolina Challenge campaign. Her father, Charlie Shaffer Jr. ’64, transitioned from a law career to nonprofit work, becoming CEO of Marcus Autism Center and co-chairing the Carolina First Campaign, raising $2.1 billion. He chose Chapel Hill for the 1996 Olympic torch relay due to his love for Carolina, as part of the "Atlanta Nine" responsible for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. After Charlie's passing in 2021, the family established the Charles M. Shaffer Jr. Distinguished Fellow in Philanthropy at UNC to honor his legacy. The fellowship aims to inspire students in effective philanthropy. Despite their loss, the Shaffer family, including siblings Caroline, Emi Gragnani ’99, and Charles Shaffer III, continues to support the fund, hoping to make a lasting impact. Charlie's spirit lives on through his family's dedication to Carolina.

Dr. Katrina Avery, from Sanford, North Carolina, pursued biology and chemistry at Carolina, where she was active in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the Black Student Movement. She returned for medical school, focusing on obstetrics and gynecology. Her career includes leadership roles such as division chief at Harris & Smith OB-GYN and serving on the Duke Regional Board of Trustees. Retiring in July 2023, she remains active in volunteer work and mentoring. Katrina and her husband, Elbert Avery ’82, are dedicated volunteers and benefactors to UNC, supporting various initiatives and programs, including the Morehead-Cain Alumni Fund, the Chancellor’s Global Education Fund, the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black History and Culture, the UNC School of Medicine, and UNC Health. They have directly supported 12 medical students through the Howard Avery National Loyalty Fund. Dr. Avery has served on several UNC boards and committees, advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion. In retirement, she continues to promote community service and mentor younger generations.

Molly ’93 and Banks Bourne of Charlotte, North Carolina, are no strangers to entrepreneurship. Since co-founding their eponymous firm Bourne Partners in 2001, Molly has focused on building the business while giving back to their communities. In 2022, Molly and Banks created the Bourne Family Excellence in Entrepreneurship Fund. This fund supports the Shuford Program in Entrepreneurship, which has created a learning environment where students can explore new ideas and think outside the box. Molly also serves as a mentor for the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School’s 100 Women, a women-led movement that seeks to grow the number of women pursuing business degrees by attracting and mentoring strong, ambitious, and collaborative female leaders. Molly and Banks are leading by example and have made a significant gift in support of this program. The Bournes know building the next generation of entrepreneurs is important work, and they aim to provide students with transformational learning opportunities to help them succeed. Now two-time Carolina parents, Molly and Banks are investing in the future of Carolina and supporting students by providing new, enriching opportunities for growth and development.

Susan Barber Culp ’68 and her husband, Robert “Rob” Culp III ‘68, spent years taking their children, Iv, Graham and Lee, to Carolina basketball games. “I remember going to the 1982 National Championship with my parents, the last game in Carmichael, the first game in the Dean Dome,” said Iv. “It was one of those things that just passed down generationally, and we enjoyed being a part of it.” When Rob passed in 2018, it made sense for the Culp family to honor his legacy by finding ways to support Carolina Athletics. The idea to honor Rob came from a discussion with Carolina Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham. “It just came up in passing, and Bubba said, ‘You know, I hate how dirty the seats are in the Smith Center,’” Iv recalled. “I thought to myself, ‘Wait a minute. This is something we can fix.’” Iv is currently the president and CEO of CULP Inc., one of the largest textile companies in North America, founded in 1972 by his father, Rob, and grandfather, Robert G. Culp Jr. In talking with The Rams Club about giving, Iv, his family and CULP Inc. decided there would be no better way to honor Rob Culp than to adorn the seats in the Smith Center with the fabric created by the company he started nearly 50 years ago.

Susan Gravely ’73, ’79 (M.S.R.A.) knows the power of travel. When Susan took her first trip to Italy in 1983 with her mother, Lee, and sister, Frances, she fell in love with the Italian culture. This trip sparked the idea that grew into the hugely successful company, VIETRI. With the support of her husband, Bill Ross, the couple made a $530,000 donation in Susan’s name to the Office of Study Abroad in the College of Arts and Sciences. The gift, called the Susan Gravely Study Abroad Scholarship, will fund scholarships to undergraduate students participating in summer, semester, or year-long study abroad programs. “I hope that many Carolina students will have their lives enriched by this gift,” said Gravely. “I hope they will take the things that they learn through global experiences and focus on creating solutions to the problems facing our world. For us, this gift is an investment in the lives of young people. We want as many people as possible to have life-changing global experiences that can help them grow into the kind, thoughtful people the world needs.”

Mary Mills and Lee Borden of Goldsboro, NC, made a commitment to establish and endow a family scholarship in 2021. The W. Lee & Mary Mills Borden Founders Scholarship is a merit-based academic scholarship designed to reward those who have shown a strong work ethic and academic achievement in high school. “Lee and I are both Tar Heel graduates, class of 1982,” said Mary Mills. “We have two children and a daughter-in-law who are also Carolina alums. We chose to endow a merit-based scholarship in the hopes of helping to attract worthy students to UNC. Sometimes a small financial recognition of an applicant’s achievements can help that student select Carolina over a competing university.” Lee enjoyed serving on the Shuford Program Advisory Board as well as the UNC Board of Visitors, and Mary Mills serves on the Women’s Leadership Executive Committee.

Charlotte and John Wickham of Charlotte, NC, pledged gifts to UNC Kenan-Flagler, Arts Everywhere, and the Institute for the Arts and Humanities. Charlotte and John have helped expand creative opportunities at Carolina. Charlotte is an active member of the Carolina Women’s Leadership Council and sits on the Arts Everywhere Board and the Board of 100 Women at UNC Kenan Flagler, John is a chair of the Institute for Arts and Humanities Advisory Board, and they both volunteer across campus. “UNC is such an asset to our state and the world at large,” Charlotte said. “Students and faculty alike come to UNC, then go out and make an impact in our local communities and internationally. We volunteer and give back to UNC because it has given us more than we could ever return. It’s been an honor, and our hope is that Carolina will not only thrive but grow.”

Laura and Mike Grace of Charlotte, NC, first discovered the Learning and Writing Center (LWC) at a first-year orientation session with their son Patrick ’19 and it lit a spark that stayed with them. The Learning and Writing Center provides personalized coaching and resources to help students find success both in and out of the classroom. Programs include writing and academic coaching, peer tutoring, study groups, test prep, online resources, English language support and more. Their gift established the Learning and Writing Center Relocation Fund. The fund jump-starts a partnership between the LWC and University Libraries to strengthen the center’s offerings and improve accessibility for students. The LWC’s message of inclusivity, collaboration and assistance aligns with the couple’s core values and was a message instilled in Laura at an early age from her father, who was grateful for the opportunity to go to college. “I feel fortunate that I grew up in a family that was very open-minded and truly believed that we are all created equal and all have a variety of gifts to share,” she said. Additionally, Laura and Mike along with Laura's brother, Jim endowed a Blue Sky Scholarship in honor of their father, Jim Babb ’57.

A three time Carolina parent, Louise chairs the Shuford Program Advisory Board and is an excellent example of women's leadership at the University. She and her husband Jim made a $1 million planned gift to the Campaign for Carolina.

Clay Grubb, CEO of Grubb Properties, gave $100,000 to establish the Gwendolyn Harris Smith Diversity Graduate Student Excellence Fund in the College of Arts & Sciences. In addition, Grubb chose to dedicate the first new office building in the Glen Lennox redevelopment to Gwendolyn Harris Smith, the first Black woman to attend UNC. Grubb said his company purposefully chose to honor somebody who does not get talked about often, but who had tremendous impact on the community. Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz said the University and Grubb Properties are encouraging intersectional conversations through the announcement of the scholarship, which will be used to help recruit diverse graduate students.

Best-selling author and Carolina alumna Kristy Woodson Harvey ’07 reflects on her journey as a writer, highlighting her love for Beaufort, North Carolina, the place she calls home. With 10 novels published since 2015 and an 11th on the way, Kristy's Southern-inspired Peachtree Bluff series is being adapted for NBCUniversal. Carolina's influence on her writing style and the sense of family and connection continue to play a central role in her successful career. Her membership of the Carolina Women’s Leadership Council and support of the University Libraries solidify her strong connection to Carolina.

Thanks to the generosity of Barbara and Don Curtis ’63 and their daughter, Donna Curtis McClatchey ’93, the Curtis Foundation gave a generous donation of $21.275 million, which included a $10 million gift to the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media. This gift also supports the UNC School of Medicine, UNC Hospitals and UNC Athletics. Donna has been a member of the Carolina Women’s Leadership Council for more than 10 years and is a member of the executive committee.

Aurelia ’85 and William Monk ’86 and Molly ’84 and John Mears, on behalf of the Bill & Agnes Monk Family Foundation, gave $1 million to the Campaign for Carolina. Most of this gift will support students in the Shuford Program in Entrepreneurship — both those participating in internships in eastern North Carolina and for students from eastern North Carolina embarking on internships. American Studies, Kenan-Flagler Business School, and UNC Athletics will also be greatly supported by this generous gift.

Chase Wood, in partnership with The Dickson Foundation, pledged $100,000 to support the Nutrition Online Degree Program at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. This program prepares public health professionals to assess scientific evidence for dietary guidelines and effectively communicate nutritional information to the public.

Leigh and Rob Edwards pledged $1 million to support the University, most significantly to the Institute for Convergent Science, a campaign signature initiative. Their gift also supports the Shuford Program in Entrepreneurship, Global Studies and the Rams Club. Leigh and Rob are active volunteers and Carolina parents to Robert and Jake.

Good friends Carol, Laura and Francie serve on the Learning Center Advisory Board and made leadership gifts to the center. The Learning Center helps students by providing resources, including one-on-one academic coaching, peer tutoring, study workshops and online tools to achieve their goals and succeed in the classroom and beyond.

Priscilla Taylor made a planned gift of $224,000 to support UNC-Chapel Hill scholarship programs, including Blue Sky Scholars and the Carolina Covenant. Her gift will also support University Libraries, Honors Carolina and the Graduate School. In addition to serving on countless boards at Carolina, Priscilla served on the UNC Board of Governors for 17 years.