William O. McCoy C arolina s faculty bus tours introduce new faculty to the people, history and culture of the Tar Heel state every spring. This spring, thanks to a generous grant from Glaxo Wellcome, another bus takes to the road from Chapel Hill. Officially called the Traveling Science Laboratory but nicknamed Destiny, this high-tech lab on wheels introduces high school students and teachers to the latest scientific knowledge. Destiny is a perfect example of our efforts to find new ways to serve the people of the state. We want to share the thrill of scientific discovery with young North Carolinians, and the bus represents a creative investment in our state s future.
Science increasingly plays a major role in fueling the North Carolina economy.
Science also played a major role in the University s development. For instance, in 1891 John Motley Morehead, working with UNC student William R. Kenan Jr. and chemistry professor Francis P. Venable, discovered a gas that burned with a white-hot flame. Morehead formed the Union Carbide Company to market his discovery acetylene gas. He and Kenan became two of the greatest philanthropists in University history, creating the Morehead Scholarships and W.R. Kenan Jr. Professorships. Today s Carolina students and faculty are making discoveries we could not have imagined a few years ago.