Rural Interprofessional Longitudinal Scholars

Rural Interprofessional Longitudinal Scholars (RIPLS) brings together health profession students from Carolina, UNC Pembroke and UNC Wilmington to collaborate, learn and lead in rural healthcare settings. RIPLS is one program of the Rural Interprofessional Health Initiative funded by the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust.

Addressing NC's Health Workforce Shortage

0%

of Counties Have Primary Care Provider Shortage

0%

of Counties Have Mental Health Provider Shortage

0%

of Counties Have Dental Health Shortage

RIPLS Impact

Scholars

Disciplines

Tuition Assistance

Serving Rural Populations

UNC-Chapel Hill

  • Mackenzie Christensen: Gillings School of Global Public Health
  • Emma Elliott: Gillings School of Global Public Health
  • Enel Garcia: School of Social Work
  • Kistler Hunt: Gillings School of Global Public Health
  • Nan Jiang: Eshelman School of Pharmacy
  • Jada McLeod: School of Social Work and Gillings School of Global Public Health
  • Anuj Thakkar: Gillings School of Global Public Health
  • Bella Thomas: Gillings School of Global Public Health

UNC Pembroke

  • Madison Teague: College of Health Sciences, Occupational Therapy
  • Youssef Houissa: College of Health Sciences, Social Work
  • Jori Jones: College of Health Sciences, Kinesiology
  • Nyiah Long: College of Health Sciences, Kinesiology
  • Dustin McGirt: College of Health Sciences, Social Work
  • Isabel Nobles: College of Health Sciences, Social Work
  • Lahna Raine Sampson: College of Health Sciences, Occupational Therapy
  • Carrie Waleisky: College of Health Sciences, Occupational Therapy

University of North Carolina Wilmington

  • Janaki Beharrysingh: College of Health and Human Sciences, Gerontology
  • Lela Blount: College of Health and Human Sciences, Nursing
  • Jessica Coley: College of Health and Human Sciences, Public Health
  • Angela Franklin: College of Health and Human Sciences, Nursing
  • Laura Grossheim: College of Health and Human Sciences, Public Health
  • Catalina Nery-Gonzalez: College of Health and Human Sciences, Public Health
  • Melissa Warren: College of Health and Human Sciences, Nursing
  • Toni Williams: College of Health and Human Sciences, Nursing

UNC-Chapel Hill

  • Zoe Bestmann-Smith: Gillings School of Global Public Health
  • Gabriella Everly: Eshelman School of Pharmacy
  • Adriana Gaona: Gillings School of Global Public Health
  • Abdulhafiz Kedir: Gillings School of Global Public Health
  • Rachel Moon: Gillings School of Global Public Health
  • Parker Perry: Gillings School of Global Public Health
  • Keaton Thorum: Eshelman School of Pharmacy and Gillings School of Global Public Health
  • Ima Varghese Mac: Gillings School of Global Public Health and School of Social Work

UNC Pembroke

  • Arli Alfaro-Alcocer: College of Health Sciences, Kinesiology
  • Cheyenne Eckard: College of Health Sciences, Social Work
  • Kate Hernandez-Quijada: College of Health Sciences, Social Work
  • Ratavia Merritt: College of Health Sciences, Occupational Therapy
  • Miracle Sinclair: College of Health Sciences, Kinesiology
  • Alberto Vazquez: College of Health Sciences, Social Work
  • Sophia Williams: Mckenzie-Elliott School of Nursing

University of North Carolina Wilmington

  • Leah Gillikin: School of Nursing
  • Salma Haija: School of Health and Applied Human Sciences
  • Keri-Ann McGonigle: School of Nursing
  • Keelyn Oakes: School of Nursing
  • Kayla Olson: School of Social Work
  • Leslie Sanchez-Rodriguez: School of Health and Applied Human Sciences
  • William Wylie: School of Health and Applied Human Sciences
  • Catharine VanWoert: School of Health and Applied Human Sciences

Coming soon!

UNC Health Southeastern

Half of the scholars partner with UNC Health Southeastern in Lumberton for their summer immersion project.

Novant Health

Half of the scholars partner with Novant Health in Wilmington for their summer immersion project.

This program taught me that the limits of my knowledge are not a weakness — they are an invitation to turn to the person next to me. Others, shaped by different lived experiences and professional backgrounds, bring questions I would never think of asking, and it is in those questions that we begin to see the full picture.

Zoe Bestmann-Smith, MPH RIPLS Cohort 2025-2026

Impact

Community-Campus Partnerships

Student Success

Give

UNC Rural is part of Academic Excellence within the Division of Student Success in the Office of the Provost

UNC Rural

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

333 South Columbia Street

Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7240

uncrural.unc.edu | uncrural@unc.edu

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill