The North Carolina Award, the state’s highest civilian honor, has recognized the following for their significant contributions to the state and nation in the fields of fine art, literature, public service, and science.
Joseph BathontiLiterature
Joseph Bathonti has written 10 volumes of poetry, three novels and a short story collection. He came to North Carolina with VISTA to teach at the state correctional facility in Huntersville. His interactions with the incarcerated taught him the importance of allowing others, especially military veterans, to tell their personal stories.
Dr. Linda BirnbaumHealth Sciences
Dr. Linda Birnbaum directs the Department of Toxicology at the Environmental Protection Agency in the Research Triangle Park. She is the first woman director of the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, whose research underlies regulatory decision-making internationally.
Robert J. BrownPublic Service
Robert J. Brown took leave from his High Point public relations to serve as Special Assistant to President Richard M. Nixon with responsibility for community relations, civil rights and emergency preparedness. After meeting with Nelson Mandela and many visits to Africa, he founded the BookSmart Foundation which has distributed over five million books to South African nations.
Jim GardnerPublic Service
Jim Gardner was appointed by Governor McCrory to chair the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission. As lieutenant governor, he headed Governor Jim Martin’s Drug Cabinet, spearheading campaigns against drugs and underage drinking. He also brought professional basketball to North Carolina.
Dr. Assad MeymandiFine Arts
Dr. Assad Meymandi, psychiatrist, scholar, and patriot, has transformed Raleigh into a center for art, music, literature and learning. He funded the state-of-the-art, 1,800-seat concert hall that serves the North Carolina Symphony and established the Meymandi Exhibition Center at the North Carolina Museum of Art.
Science
Dr. Aziz Sancar of UNC-Chapel Hill and Dr. Paul Modrich of Duke University were the 2015 Nobel Prize winners for Chemistry. Each researcher discovered different ways to repair damaged DNA. Their groundbreaking work has led to understanding new ways to treat cancer and other diseases.
Dr. Aziz Sancar
Dr. Paul ModrichThe Nomination Process
Nominations for the 2017 cycle will open in early 2017. Anyone can submit nominations, which are considered by a five-member committee appointed by the governor. That committee makes recommendations to the governor, who makes the final decision.