Qi Zhang PhD
Dr. Qi Zhang, Professor and Associate Chair of Community and Engagement in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, has been named the inaugural Arrel Toews Research and Teaching Distinguished Term Professor, effective July 1, 2025. This professorship recognizes Dr. Zhang’s outstanding contributions to research, education, and the academic community.
A dedicated educator, Dr. Zhang has taught core courses in the biophysics training program for over a decade and has mentored numerous graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. He has also played key leadership roles in student admissions, faculty recruitment, and departmental engagement. His selection for this distinguished professorship reflects his enduring commitment to excellence in research and education and his efforts to foster a collaborative and supportive academic environment.
Arrel Toews PhD
This professorship is named after Arrel Toews PhD, who was a dedicated professor in our department for nearly 40 years teaching Biochemistry and Biophysics classes at UNC. He made significant contributions to the field, particularly in research and education.
Research
Arrel came to UNC in 1977 as an Environmental Pathology Fellow, working under the direction of Pierre Morell (Biochemistry) and Martin Krigman (Pathology), and has been at UNC ever since. His initial research involved examining the effects of heavy metal exposure on myelin integrity and most all of his work has been in the area of neurochemistry. Among other projects, he examined the axonal transport of proteins and lipids in both CNS and PNS and various aspects of the biochemistry, molecular and cell biology and pathology of demyelination and remyelination in both CNS and PNS. Virtually all of his research at UNC was in collaboration with Pierre Morell until his untimely death in 2003, as well as Glenn Matsushima in the later years. Arrel has 62 publications in refereed journals and 16 chapters in books. As an example of his collegiality and generous spirit, he would be the first to note that none of his research could have been carried out without the advice, assistance, support, and mentoring of his valued colleagues.
Teaching and Service
Arrel has always enjoyed teaching and has worked hard to do as much of it as possible throughout his professional career, which at UNC spanned 37 years. His formal teaching began as a sophomore in college when he was a teaching assistant for an earth science class. He subsequently served as a TA each remaining semester in various biology and chemistry courses. During graduate school, he served for two years as a tutor in the “Personalized System of Instruction” Biochemistry program for first-year medical students.
He began his teaching activities in the department at UNC in 1980 with teaching Biochem 100L, a biochemistry lab techniques course. Shortly after, he became involved in medical student teaching, initially by helping with lab and small group exercises, but soon as a lecturer also (1997-2014). He has been the course director for “Introduction to Biochemistry” – Biochem 107 (1995-2013) and Biochem 108 (1992-2014), and given almost all of the lectures. He has also been heavily involved in medical student education, giving lectures, managing small group sessions, and helping develop new curricula. He also lectured to first-year dental students and has been the course director for the Biochemistry course in the summer Medical Education Development (M.E.D.) Program since 2001. He was a Medical School Teaching Scholar during the 2005-2006 academic year and was an inaugural Medical School Teaching Champion from 2011 until his retirement. Arrel also served 2 terms on the UNC Faculty Council and on the UNC Medical School Admissions Committee (2009-2013) and Student Promotions Committee (2011-2014).
Most notably, Arrel has been awarded all of the university-wide teaching excellence awards he has been eligible for, and graciously shares credit for much of those achievements to the guidance and mentoring of his fellow faculty colleagues. These teaching awards include the James M. Johnston Teaching Excellence Award (1996), the William C. Friday/Class of 1986 Teaching Excellence Award (2003), and the Tanner Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (2009). He was also selected for the “Faculty of the Year” Award by the UNC Student National Medicine Association in 2008. In 2009, he was selected by the UNC medical students to present the Richard H. Whitehead Lecture, one of the highest honors bestowed by UNC medical students. He has enjoyed all of his teaching duties and worked hard to do well by them. Not being able to teach students and help change their lives is what he missed most during his retirement.
Giving Opportunities
Leave a Legacy: Opportunities are now available to support our department with named professorships at the $1M-$5M level.
Eminent Professorships – $5 million
An Eminent Professorship is the only endowed professorship that can create and fully fund a new or existing senior faculty position at Carolina.
Distinguished Professorships: $2 million
An endowed Distinguished Professorship may be awarded to a faculty member at the rank of full professor for the duration of his or her full-time service at Carolina. This professorship may be awarded to an assistant or associate professor for a time-limited, renewable period with a change in the working title of the endowed chair to Distinguished Fellow or Distinguished Scholar, respectively.
Term Professorships – $1 million
A Term Professorship is typically awarded for a period of three to five years.
Please contact our Development Office