System welcomes new Presidential Scholar class for 2026-27
This month, the University of North Carolina System Office welcomes a new cohort of Presidential Scholars for the 2026–27 academic year, marking a two-decade legacy of service and professional development for dozens of public university alumni.
For 20 years, the System Office has recruited and developed talent from across its 16 public universities. What began as an internship in 2006 has now become a competitive yearlong fellowship for recent UNC System graduates who benefit from mentorship at the highest levels of public higher education administration in North Carolina, all while rotating through every department of the System Office.
“Our Presidential Scholars do excellent work and bring a hugely valuable perspective as recent graduates,” said UNC System President Peter Hans. “It’s a joy for all of us at the System Office to work with such talented young people and help them make an impact in North Carolina.”
To date, the program has helped more than 60 UNC System graduates become leaders across state and federal government, and in private and nonprofit sectors nationwide. Many former scholars now serve in leadership roles across North Carolina.
Among the most prominent are Seth Dearmin, who interned at the UNC System in 2006 and is now chief of staff for North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein. South Moore, a 2015 Presidential Scholar, currently serves as deputy general counsel for Stein. Both are UNC-Chapel Hill alumni.
Dr. A.L. Fleming, an alum of Elizabeth City State University and 2007 intern, is now the chief business officer and vice president of development at Tuskegee University. Fleming also formerly served as the senior director for development at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.
More recently, Robert Boone, a 2019 Presidential Scholar and alum of ECSU, has become the special assistant to ECSU Chancellor Keith Hargrove, dedicating his skills to growing the coastal university’s impact on the region. Katherine Shriver, an alum of UNC-Chapel Hill and member of the 2019 Presidential Scholar cohort, is now a senior associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she consults with financial institutions to strengthen regulatory compliance and internal policies.
Derrick Stanfield, a 2022 Presidential Scholar and alum of North Carolina Central University, became a special assistant to the mayor of Durham before being accepted into Harvard Law School, where he currently studies. And Chris Bouzane, another 2022 scholar and alum of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, now works as an assistant budget analyst for the New York Public Library.
2026-27 Presidential Scholars
This year, the Presidential Scholar cohort includes four outstanding graduates from four of the UNC System’s 16 universities.
- Katherine Helms graduated summa cum laude from NC State University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in statistics. A competitive swimmer, she is the first-ever Presidential Scholar to compete at the Olympic Trials.
- Zachary Tucker graduated with distinction from the UNC-Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s degree in political science and African American studies. He has served as a Higher Education Fellow at The Hunt Institute and as a policy intern with the North Carolina Collaboratory, contributing to research that informs statewide decision-making.
- Jordan Martin graduated summa cum laude from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a bachelor’s degree in political science and communication, and a minor in journalism. She also worked in UNC Charlotte’s Office of External Relations and Partnerships, preparing briefing materials, supporting outreach to policymakers, and assisting with university advocacy efforts.
- And John Squier graduated from the University of North Carolina Pembroke with a bachelor’s degree in applied physics. Squier is just the second Presidential Scholar to serve in the U.S. Army Reserves, where he is a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear specialist.