UNC Hussman professors recognized by Morehead-Cain Scholars as instrumental in their journey at Carolina

By Beth Hatcher

Three UNC Hussman professors were honored by the Morehead-Cain Foundation for the role they’ve played in the journey of Morehead-Cain Scholars at the school.

Professor of the Practice Jules Dixon, Teaching Assistant Professor John Robinson and Associate Professor Ryan Thornburg were nominated by graduating Morehead-Cain Scholars Cullen Duval ’23, Kate Carroll ’23 and Jacob Turner ’23, respectively, for the positive impact they’ve made on the students during their time at UNC.

The students invited the professors to a recent faculty appreciation luncheon held by the Foundation, which provides a merit-based four-year, fully funded educational experience for exceptional student leaders at UNC. Established in 1945 and inspired by the Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University, the Morehead-Cain Scholarship provides undergraduates with funding for study outside the classroom as well, including multi-week summer enrichment courses that focus on topics like civic collaboration, global perspectives and internship experience.

Robinson and Carroll are pictured at right.

Duval said he wanted to recognize Dixon — a public relations professor at the school and member of the NC Media & Journalism Hall of Fame — because her class was always the highlight of his day. “She runs her class like an agency, and I think that creates collaboration amongst all her students,” he said. “I also nominated her because of the welcoming environment she cultivated.”

Duval, who hails from Brevard, North Carolina, plans on working in advertising after graduation. “I love helping the client turn their ideas and goals into a reality,” he said.

For Dixon, the recognition holds a special place in her heart. “Over my 30-plus years in the advertising and public relations industries, I have been incredibly blessed to win many awards from clients and our industry luminaries,” she said. “But this recognition from the Morehead-Cain Foundation matters to me in a very special way — because the submission came from one of my treasured Hussman students.”

Dixon and Duval are pictured above.

Carroll said Robinson, a former editor of the Greensboro News & Record who teaches reporting and writing at the school, has been a huge part of her success. “The creativity he displays in his teaching and the concern he shows for his students comes through in every class, ” she said. 

Carroll, a Charlotte, North Carolina, native will take what she learned from Robinson and her other Hussman professors to Washington, D.C. after graduation where she’ll work in development communications for Daymaker, a UNC alumni-founded company that supports nonprofits serving children in traditionally underserved and underrepresented communities.

“I cannot wait to work with a purpose-driven team that aligns with my values while also getting the opportunity to use my toolbox of journalistic and communications skills in a meaningful way,” Carroll said.

Carroll also spoke of the life lessons Robinson imparted during his teaching, such as talking to the students about professional resilience, important in the competitive worlds of journalism and communication.

“Every time a student says ‘You’ve made a difference’ is fulfilling. It’s why I was a journalist, and it’s why I teach,” said Robinson. “In this case, Kate said that I helped and that I matter to her. That’s the highest honor.”

For Thornburg, whose work focuses on data-driven journalism, the act of teaching itself is recognition enough.

“I’ve worked a lot of jobs in my life, but I’ve never been in one so challenging and stimulating as engaging with and attempting to inspire college students — or as fun,” Thornburg said. “They bring the world to life. How can you not enjoy that?”

A Cary, North Carolina, native, Turner hopes to work in tech policy after graduation.

“I’ve always been drawn to emerging technologies, and I believe it’s a powerful tool in improving — and sometimes harming — others,” he said. “But government is often slow to act, and I hope to act as a mediator between policymakers and developers as a reporter or researcher.”

Turner spoke of Thornburg’s ability to bring the real world into his classes, which often focus on the use of technology in reporting.

“Ryan does a great job of marrying the classroom with the world outside the walls. He frames lectures, skills and advice in the context of being the best journalist possible for the world as it is today,” Turner said. “He’s constantly looking for ways to grow as a professor, and his classes are never just slides and papers. I’ve always appreciated his sense of humor and grace.”