The Graduate School Dean’s Award is a new award created in 2025 to honor the remarkable scholarship and leadership contributions of Carolina graduate students and to demonstrate The Graduate School’s commitment to student success. The inaugural cohort of recipients have been recognized for their outstanding character, leadership, scholarship and service to the University.
Joel Begay
Joel Begay is a doctoral student in cancer epidemiology at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. Raised on the Navajo Nation in Shiprock, NM, he brings both personal and professional experiences to his research on understanding the social and biological factors contributing to delayed cancer diagnoses. His journey into public health is grounded in community, identity, and a deep sense of responsibility.
Beyond research, Begay represents epidemiology students as a senator in the Graduate and Professional Student Government, advocating for policies that support student well-being and fostering constructive dialogue. He also serves on the steering committee of the Graduate Student Experience Initiative, working to improve the experience of graduate students across the University. Most recently, he co-founded the UNC Association of Native American Medical Students, serving as treasurer.
Begay describes his approach to leadership as “loving service,” a philosophy grounded in humility, compassion, and a desire to uplift others. “I do all of this work because it’s my way of paying it forward,” he said. Begay’s long-term goal is to become an educator dedicated to building public health infrastructure through teaching and mentorship of the next generation of epidemiologists.
Rebecca Lesnefsky
Rebecca Lesnefsky is a dedicated educator and researcher graduating this year with a doctorate in culture, curriculum, and teacher education (CCTE) from the UNC School of Education. Her research centers on preparing teachers-in-training and developing innovative curricula by integrating socio-scientific issues. She has led curriculum development projects, conducted professional development workshops, and worked closely with teachers to implement these curricula in their classrooms.
Having grown up in a small town in East Texas, Lesnefsky is committed to improving rural education. She demonstrated this commitment through her work supporting teachers in under-resourced rural North Carolina communities. As a student, Lesnefsky cofounded the CCTE professional seminar, served as the assistant director and lead supervisor for the M.A. in teaching program, and was actively involved in recruiting and mentoring her fellow graduate students in the School of Education.
After graduating, Lesnefsky will become a tenure-track assistant professor in education at SUNY Cortland. Her work will focus on elementary STEM teacher education, and she hopes to continue improving science education by discovering ways to help teachers deliver innovative curricula.
“I want to focus on how we prepare teachers to do what they have not done before in the classroom,” Lesnefsky said. “Whether it’s navigating controversial conversations or being inquiry-driven in situations where there is no easy answer, I want to contribute to rethinking how we approach learning science.”
Verdant Julius
Verdant Julius is a graduating master’s student in the maternal and child health department. He is passionate about improving the health of families and communities through research, policy and advocacy. Julius has applied his academic training across North Carolina, including in nonprofits, a hospital system, academic institutions, and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
As a research assistant in the Fry Lab, Julius leads a project focused on adverse childhood experiences and maternal health and has shared his research at professional and community conferences. Through his fellowships with the North Carolina Black Alliance and the NC DHHS, he has worked to enhance healthcare access, implement community programs, and advocate for equitable health policies.
Julius has served in numerous leadership roles within the Gilling School of Global Public Health, including as co-president of the Minority Student Caucus, as a representative for his classmates in the MCH department, and as a student ambassador for the Gillings admissions office. He has also continued to give back to his alma mater, North Carolina A&T State University, by speaking on panels and mentoring students, some of whom he has guided to graduate programs at Carolina.
After graduating, Verdant will remain at Carolina as a doctoral student in epidemiology. He aims to work as an applied epidemiologist for a state or federal health agency and then sees himself returning to academia as a research professor. He ultimately hopes to teach, establish a research lab, and train the next generation of public health scholars.
“I believe that what I do must have a meaningful impact on the people and the world around me,” Verdant said. “I am dedicated to improving the social welfare of communities and helping to create a world that we haven’t yet seen, but that I deeply hope for.”