VOL. 43, NO. 19 CAROLINA FACULTY AND STAFF NEWS NOVEMBER 1 4, 201 8
From the flight deck of the USS George Washington aircraft carrier, two U.S. Navy officers launch a E-2C Hawkeye air¬
craft. Savings on the contract for the four-year Refueling and Complex Overhaul of this nuclear-powered ship are part of
the nearly $2 billion in savings that can be attributed to UNC Executive Development programs developed to help the
Navy improve its procurement process.
Leveling the playing field
A business seminar tailored for the U.S. Navy has provided
insights and strategies that have resulted in substantial savings
In 2010, as Assistant Secretary of the Navy Sean Stackley started the sec¬
ond year of a nine-year run leading the Office of Research, Development and
Acquisition, he called on Carolina for help.
Senior Navy officers in the RDA office were responsible for negotiating
the best deals they could get for everything from aircraft to ships to subma¬
rines. But there was a problem. Early on, Stackley realized his team was com¬
peting on an uneven playing field tilted in favor of the defense industry.
To get help leveling it, Stackley turned to the people he knew at UNC
Kenan-Flagler Business School’s Executive Development, said Kirk Law¬
rence, a retired U.S. Army colonel who, since 2012, directs the program at
the business school's Rizzo Center.
Soon afterward, Robert A. Connolly, an associate professor at Kenan-Fla-
gler whose research interests include financial markets and real estate devel¬
opment, was asked to develop a program to meet the Navy’s needs. Connolly
worked with retired Navy admiral Flarry Quast to create a unique seminar
for a select group of students called "Understanding the Business-Acquisi¬
tion Relationship Executive Seminar.”
See NAVY page 12
$21 million Curtis gift includes largest gift to media and journalism school
On Nov. 2, Carolina announced a $21,275 million gift
from the Curtis Foundation, thanks to the generosity of
Barbara and Don Curtis of Raleigh. The donation includes
$10 million for the largest gift ever made to the School
of Media and Journalism, in part to build a new state-of-
the-art media center to bring the forefront of the media
world to Carolina students. Additional funding will create
immersive extracurricular learning opportunities for stu¬
dents and support the pursuit of service and excellence in
both medicine and athletics.
“From his first days at Carolina, Don Curtis has dedi¬
cated his life to pioneering work in broadcast journalism,”
said Chancellor Carol L. Folt. “With the largest gift in the
School of Media and Journalism’s history, the Curtis family
is passing on his legacy' to the next generation of journalists,
creating spaces for innovation and collaboration among
our students and faculty. Their generosity and commit¬
ment to Carolina, from athletics fields to the hospital and
classrooms, is remarkable. This gift will keep us at the cut¬
ting edge.”
The gift to the School of Media andjoumalism will sup¬
port efforts to help students gain a foothold in a rapidly
changing industry. Eight million dollars will fund the con¬
struction of the Curtis Media Center, a flexible space that
brings together students and faculty in a collaborative envi¬
ronment around emerging technology'.
By eliminating both literal and figurative barriers in a
state-of-the-art environment, the Curtis Media Center will
challenge students to learn and practice their craft while
working in teams. The adaptable teaching and produc¬
tion facilities will prepare students to lead the industry into
a new era by immersing them in experiences to develop
critical thinking, creativity and collaborative skills with
the latest technology at their fingertips. The center will
See CURTIS page 11
A $21 .275 million gift from the Curtis Foundation by Barbara and Don Curtis
(at podium) includes donations to the schools of Media and Journalism and
Medicine and athletics, represented by (seated, left to right) Dean Susan
King, Dean Bill Roper and Athletics Director Bubba Cunningham, seated
with Katy Dettmer, a senior at the media and journalism school.
Meet Henry Price,
financial analyst
for Carolina.
When the sun goes
down, work is just
beginning for some.
Dean Gary Marchionini
shares his vision
for information and
library science
