Rachel Quinto | UNC Center for Thriving Communities

Our team at NC CEAL is hiring for a Project Manager! The NC CEAL research initiative is one of 21 Community Engagement Research Alliance (CEAL) against health disparities in all communities. NC CEAL is committed to strengthen communities across North Carolina by championing science-based resources, fostering partnerships, and promoting innovative, community-driven research to enhance health …

Karenna Barmada, a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, recently completed their internship at the Center for Thriving Communities through the Karen M. Gil Internship Program. Karenna posted reflections about her time at the Center for Thriving Communities working on the CommunityRx-Kidney Health (CRx-K) project. Read her reflections, “Closing the Gap: …

The Healthy Vets Community Project, housed within UNC’s Gillings School of Global Public Health, aims to enhance community capacity to support Veterans and their families by reducing barriers to care and improving Veteran health across the Veterans Integrated Service Network-6 (VISN-6) region, the VA’s Mid-Atlantic health care network serving all of North Carolina and most …

A photo of 5 women sitting on a stage with percussion instruments to the left of a woman smiling and standing at a podium in a conference room.

March 17, 2026 – the North Carolina CEAL regional research team, the ACHIEVE study, and a community-driven planning committee held a UNC Community Partner Showcase and Networking Event at the annual meeting of the National Institutes of Health Community Engagement Alliance Meeting held in Charlotte, NC. The evening kicked off with a performance by the Queen …

Healthy Living Anson is recruiting and enrolling participants into a community-engaged research study that seeks to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables. If you know of anyone residing in Anson County, North Carolina, over the age of 18 with or at risk for a chronic illness who may be interested, please email the study team …

The Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program aims to improve the health of children and adolescents for generations to come by generating research that can inform healthcare practices, programs, and policies. As the program approaches its 10‑year anniversary in 2026, Abacus Evaluation, working in partnership with the ECHO Cohort Coordinating Center and the …

Advancing Maternal and Child Health Through Community‑Driven Insight Abacus Evaluation is proud to support Thriving Hearts as they work to reduce maternal and child health disparities and strengthen pregnancy care across North Carolina. Through research implementation, human‑centered design, and comprehensive evaluation and data services, Abacus Evaluation helps the program understand community needs, measure progress, and …

On February 4, 2026, the UNC-Chapel Hill Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH, pronounced “birch”) program announced its selection of three scholars for the first BIRCWH cohort. Read more about these rising women’s health researchers in the original story, UNC BIRCWH Program Announces New Cohort of Women’s Health Scholars. About BIRCWH at UNC-Chapel …

Photo of eight people posing in a group picture in front of a pull down screen.

In early January 2026, the Community-Campus Partnerships for Health (CCPH) visited several scholars from the 2025 Research Leadership Academy (RLA) cohort as part of ongoing partnerships through the North Carolina Community Engagement Alliance (NC CEAL). These site visits highlighted community-engaged research projects supported by RLA seed grants that center historically marginalized communities across North Carolina, …

Picture of two hands holding a paper cut out of people holding hands; to the left reads Health Access Research Symposium.

Registration is now available for the 3rd Annual Symposium for Health Access Research in Southeastern North Carolina, hosted by UNC and Novant Health. The symposium will bring together researchers, practitioners, and community leaders and members to share innovative research and strategies aimed at addressing health disparities in the Southeastern Carolina Region. Featured panel Mary McKinley, Associate …

We’re tabling at the 47th Annual Minority Health Conference! This year’s theme is “Uniting Words and Worlds: Innovation in Health Communication.” The conference will highlight health communication as a bridge for rebuilding trust and transforming data into action. Stop by our table to connect with team members from the Center for Thriving Communities. Register for …

A flyer that is titled Serving NC Through Rural Partnerships, Thursday February 26, 2026 at the Sonja Haynes Stone Center. It has additional text listing the schedule, a QR code to register and a URL, go.unc.edu/servenc.

🌱 Are you a changemaker invested in rural North Carolina? Join us for “Serving NC Through Rural Partnerships”, a dynamic one-day gathering during Carolina Engagement Week that brings together people and ideas strengthening rural communities across our state. Along with interactive sessions and networking opportunities, the Center for Thriving Communities will have a pop up …

Author Archives: Rachel Quinto

We’re hiring a Project Manager at NC CEAL

Gil Intern’s reflection: “Closing the Gap” with CommunityRx-Kidney Health

Abacus Partnership Highlight: The Healthy Vets Community Project

NC CEAL hosts UNC Community Partner Showcase

Participant Study Opportunity: Healthy Living Anson Study

Abacus Partnership Highlight: Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO)

Abacus Partnership Highlight: Thriving Hearts

UNC BIRCWH Program Selects Women’s Health Scholars

NC CEAL’s Research Leadership Academy Launches its Second Cohort of Scholars

March 13 | 3rd Annual Symposium for Health Access Research in Southeastern North Carolina

February 27 | Tabling at 47th Annual Minority Health Conference

February 26 | Tabling at Serving NC Through Rural Partnerships