Help & Resources

Dr. Gidi Shemer
Teaching Professor, Adviser, Director of Undergraduate Research
213A Coker Hall
bishemer@email.unc.edu

Dr. Amy Shaub Maddox
Associate Professor, Biology Honors Director
408 Fordham Hall
asm@unc.edu

Dr. Laura Ott
Teaching Assistant Professor, BIOL 395 Poster Session Coordinator
231 Wilson Hall
leott@email.unc.edu

Dr. Elaine Yeh
Research Associate Professor, Study Abroad Liaison
603 Fordham Hall
elaine_yeh@unc.edu

Summer Mongtomery
Biology Registrar
213 Coker Hall
sundance@unc.edu

• Faculty in the department are housed in Coker Hall, Fordham Hall, Wilson Hall, and the Genome Science Building.
• Your undergraduate student services manager is located in 213C Coker Hall – the best method of contact is e-mail (make sure to provide your PID). 
• The departmental fax number is (919) 962-1625.
• Biology buildings map
• Conference rooms can be reserved online via our Room Reservation Request Form. Please make sure to review the departmental room calendar to check availability before making a request (you will be prompted to sign in with your ONYEN and password to access the calendar).

Libraries: Couch Biology Library – The science library annex in Wilson Library houses the majority of the on-campus collection of natural and mathematical sciences. for information, including locations and holdings of other libraries on campus, consult the UNC Libraries website.

What to do

After a long stretch of classes and homework, it’s always refreshing to walk up to Franklin Street to find an interesting place to enjoy some food and events. Several places feature live music with a small cover charge or a “pass the hat” policy. Also located in downtown Chapel Hill are the Morehead Planetarium and the Ackland Art Museum. The ArtsCenter, also in Carrboro, showcases local companies or national touring groups in a 350-seat theater. The PlayMakers Repertory Company is a full-season theater group right in Chapel Hill with exciting performances. Further down the road, Walnut Creek is a major amphitheater with top name performers and several festivals. Just outside town is the N.C. Botanical Garden with extensive walking paths, and Duke Forest is a large area north of Chapel Hill with lots of trails. There are many local farmer’s and flea markets, including a large farmer’s market on Saturday mornings in nearby Carrboro.

The college spectator sports here are world-class. Student tickets are available for our exciting UNC Tar Heel men’s basketball and football games. Admission to most other games, such as men’s and women’s soccer, women’s basketball, lacrosse, and baseball, is free to students. Down the road the Durham Bulls provide great baseball entertainment on warm summer nights. The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional hockey team that play at their new stadium only 20 minutes from Chapel Hill. Local biking clubs provide strenuous activity as they explore the surrounding countryside. In short, it is likely that whatever your tastes and life-style, you will be able to find stimulating activities that are accessible in Chapel Hill.

And when it’s time to hit the road for a trip, you are only three hours by car from the North Carolina coast with its lovely and historic beaches, including Kitty Hawk, the site of the first heavier-than-air plane flight in the world. You are also only three hours east of the majestic Smoky Mountains, part of the Appalachian range. Smoky Mountain National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway in the western part of the state offer truly stunning views of some of the oldest mountains in the world. And the large metropolitan areas of Atlanta, Georgia, and Washington, DC are only 4-5 hours by car. Raleigh Durham International Airport is ever-expanding to accommodate more travelers, and it is easy to fly almost anywhere from here. Chapel Hill has a moderate climate, with mild winters (snow is rare) and warm summers.

All Chapel Hill buses are free. They have campus routes, so you may wish to use them as your primary mode of transportation. For schedules, check the Town of Chapel Hill Transit website.

There is an express bus to and from Duke University available to students and faculty.  The schedule is found on the website. The Robertson Express Bus is operated by Go Triangle and riders need to present either a GoPass or pay the $3.00 fare when boarding. Please visit the Transportation and Parking website for more information on how to obtain a GoPass.

There are many bicycle racks to which you can attach (and lock) bicycles on campus and in town. You are encouraged to register your bicycle at the UNC Department of Public Safety. They have a brochure you may wish to get concerning bicycle use. If you don’t drive to campus, consider registering with the Commuter Alternative Program (CAP).

• UNC-Chapel Hill Improper Relationship Policy
• UNC-Chapel Hill Policies on Discrimination, Harassment, and Misconduct
• Reporting Options/Resources
• Biology Department Safe Spaces Committee
• Grievance Reporting Form

Note: To receive UCS services, students must be receiving a degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and must not be in the MBA, MAC, MPH@UNC, Law, Medical or Dental programs, which are served by separate career offices available in their programs.

Handshake
The official jobs and career events database for all undergraduate and graduate students (except those in professional graduate programs like MBA, Law, Medical, and Dental) at UNC Chapel Hill offered through University Career Services under the Division of Student Affairs. Handshake is the #1 job board in the nation used by campus recruiters from large to small organizations; and from public to private. All UNC Students have already had accounts created for them upon enrollment. Just use your ONYEN to login and get started! Click here to schedule an appointment with Career Coaches for career planning, resume design, interview practice, and more!

Below you will find a variety of mental health resources. If you or someone you know are experiencing mental health issues, we strongly encourage you to engage these resources.

UNC Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

• You all have access to CAPS services
• No appointment is necessary for initial visit
Walk-ins 9am-12pm & 1pm-4pm Monday-Thursday
9:30am-12pm & 1pm-4pm Friday
• Can call CAPS at 919-966-3658

Additional options for mental health concerns:

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988 or chat online) – free and confidential
• Text START to the Crisis Text Line at 741 741

Heels Care Network

• A hub for all students, postdocs, faculty, and staff to access mental health and well-being resources at Carolina
• Find support for yourself and others through the extensive list of mental health resources and support groups
• Trainings
• Mental Health First Aid
HAVEN Training
• Safe Zone Training
• ReThink: Psychiatric Illness
• LSN Peer Support
• LSN is a peer support program, made up of undergraduate, graduate, and professional student volunteers, for UNC students to connect with student peers via live chat
• This is NOT a crisis resource

• DMAX

• The DMAX Club is a student-led, mental health-related organization that allows students to come together and discuss how they are feeling and help each other out.

Care Referral: Are you concerned about another student?

• If the student is a potential harm to self or others, call 911 or UNC Public Safety at 919-962-8100 or bring the student to the nearest hospital emergency department
• If the student is not a potential harm to self or others, a conversation may be the best option
• It is important to speak to the student in a private space, and to listen empathetically without judgment
• Offer the student hope and encourage them to talk about their issues
• Remember your own limits and assist the student in seeking campus resources, including Dean of Students and CAPS
• Submit a Care Referral Form for any non-emergency concerns