Ned Brooks Award
The Ned Brooks Award for Public Service honors the contributions and values of Ned Brooks, who has served the University since 1972, making significant contributions to the mission of service and engagement, including a leadership role in the development of the Carolina Center for Public Service. The award recognizes a staff or faculty member of the UNC-Chapel Hill community who throughout his/her career has, in a collaborative and sustained manner, made a difference in the larger community by:
- encouraging active involvement of others in service to and engagement with the community beyond the University, and/or
- directly providing public service beyond the University and
- mentoring, inspiring and providing opportunities for others to effectively make a difference in the larger community.
The award is based on a sustained record of service over a period of years carried out through the individual’s role(s) at the University rather than as a private citizen. All faculty and staff are eligible. One award is given annually. The recipient will receive a $1,200 award and recognition at the annual Public Service Awards ceremony. Self-nominations and previous recipients of this award are not eligible. To view a list of past recipients, click the “Previous Award Recipients” button at the bottom of this page.
Nominations for the 2025 Ned Brooks Award are accepted from November 2024 until mid-February 2025 in the CCPS Application and Nomination Portal.
Have questions? Visit our PSA FAQs2023 Ned Brooks award recipient
Giselle Corbie, Kenan Distinguished Professor of Social Medicine; Director, Center for Health Equity Research; Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs. Corbie was recognized for her distinguished and sustained record of service to Carolina and the larger community. Corbie is noted for her dedication and commitment to fostering healthier, stronger and more equitable communities across the state and mentoring others in addressing health inequities in underserved populations through authentic partnerships and community-engaged research.
Among many notable accolades, Corbie was recognized for founding the UNC Center for Health Equity Research (CHER), which brings teams of scholars, community members, medical professionals and other stakeholders together to advance health equity and improve health outcomes in underserved communities by fostering innovation and translational research. Under Corbie’s leadership, CHER has grown to become a key convener and clearinghouse for equity-based education and capacity building across the state. As the Associate Provost for Rural Initiatives, Corbie founded UNC Rural, a campus-wide entity dedicated to creating campus-rural partnerships to strengthen rural communities and to further advance equity across North Carolina.
According to nominator Patricia Harris, “Those commitments to fostering healthier, stronger and more equitable communities across the state are abundantly apparent in Corbie’s work with our faculty and University communities,” says Harris. She adds, “She has a particular passion for supporting faculty development, a passion that is evident in her efforts as a co-investigator in the Clinical Scholars Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.”
In early 2023, Provost Chris Clemens appointed Corbie to a newly created position, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and stated, “We are proud to have a leader with Giselle’s depth of experience and commitment join us in serving the University community. And we are delighted to work with a scholar and person who so fully evidences a commitment to excellence, equity, and ultimately to making the world a more just, more humane, and better place.”