Dr. Carol Durham, professor emerita at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has been named a recipient of the 2025 Governor James E. Holshouser, Jr. Award for Excellence in Public Service. The award was presented by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors and honors faculty who demonstrate a strong commitment to service and community engagement within the UNC System.
Durham is recognized for her leadership in simulation-based education as director of the Education-Innovation-Simulation Learning Environment at UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Nursing. Her work in this area has contributed to improved patient care both in North Carolina and across the country.
In his nomination letter, UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Lee H. Roberts stated, “While her influence extends around the world, the depth of her impact in North Carolina is especially profound.”
Beyond her innovations in healthcare simulation, Durham has mentored many faculty members and students throughout the UNC System, including those at North Carolina Central University, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and Western Carolina University. She has also played a key role in developing partnerships aimed at training future leaders and has helped educate thousands of healthcare professionals during her career.
From 2012 to 2016, Durham served as president of the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning. In North Carolina, she led NCFutureCare’s mobile simulation training program that reached over 80 skilled nursing facilities statewide. She also developed a Medication Aide Training Course for the NC Board of Nursing; this course was introduced two decades ago and remains active today.
Durham began working at UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Nursing in 1981 while pursuing her Master of Science in Nursing. Over time she advanced from clinical instructor to clinical professor and became director of the school’s simulation center in 1988. She earned a Doctor of Education degree from NC State University in 2009 and has received nearly 20 awards from various institutions during her career.
“Dr. Durham has been a role model for so many across North Carolina,” said UNC System President Peter Hans. “Some of her former students are now faculty mentors themselves, inspiring future generations of nurses to improve the health and wellbeing of their communities.” Board of Governors Chair Wendy Murphy added: “We are grateful to Dr. Durham for years of dedication in the classroom and simulation lab. Her commitment to her students, the nursing profession, and our state has been exemplary.”
