This week on StrictlyVC Download, Connie Loizos sits down with Lee Roberts, chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, to discuss his ambitious plan to make AI the university’s North Star amid a tumultuous year.
Roberts walks through his decision to merge UNC’s School of Data Science and Society with its School of Information and Library Science, explaining why breaking down academic silos is essential when the technology moves faster than universities typically can. He addresses the $38 million in terminated federal research grants — concentrated in areas like public health — and why he’s less concerned about funding cuts than he was at the start of the year. Roberts also defends his $10 million annual commitment to Bill Belichick despite the team’s rocky start, explaining why football revenue is essential to supporting UNC’s 2028 sports programs.
StrictlyVC Download posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop.
