North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics

06/16/2026

J-Term in June? Maybe it’s the balmy summer weather or the recent departure of the Class of 2026, but we feel compelled to look back on the adventures and discoveries that kicked off the year. Join us as we return to J-Term 2026 🚀– starting with this video shot and edited by Tess, our 25-26 Curator who is off to UNC Chapel Hill in the fall. She showed us a glimpse of her J-Term trip to Morocco. Our students explored the culturally and historically-rich cities of Casablanca, Fes, and Marrakech during their time in Morocco. They made their way through bustling markets, learned how to make local artisanal goods, rode camels in the desert, and enjoyed delicious food along the way. Tess, thank you for sharing your perspective with us on this project and all of last school year, best of luck at UNC next year! 🩵

06/15/2026

Head to the link in the comments below now to read about the shared commitment between the University of North Carolina System and NCSSM that encourages our graduates to remain in North Carolina for college and build careers in communities large and small throughout the state.

06/12/2026

06/12/2026

06/11/2026

We want to take a moment to acknowledge the extraordinary educators who were honored this academic year with NCSSM Teaching Awards. Chancellor Roberts presented seven NCSSM faculty members with their awards during a ceremony held in Durham and streamed live to the Morganton campus. Congratulations to this year’s Teaching Awards recipients! Thank you for all of the work you put in to make our students inspired to learn, grow, and reach their goals!

Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching:

John Woodmansee, Instructor of Humanities

NCSSM Outstanding Teacher Awards:

Layla Aldousany, Instructor of American Studies and Humanities

Heather Mallory, Instructor of Biology

NCSSM Exceptional Contribution Awards:

Classroom Innovation: Courtney Long, Instructor of Visual Arts

Outreach: Letitia Hubbard, Instructor of Engineering and Mentorship

Scholarship: Alexa Garvoille, Instructor of American Studies and Humanities

Service to Students: Matt Hilton, Instructor of Computer Science

06/10/2026

In May, NCSSM Team Monster, led by captain Sanika Agarkar, had a spectacular day at the American Rocketry Challenge National Finals in Manassas, VA. Team Monster weathered the challenges inherent in a rocketry competition to eventually place 29th among the 100 finalists and 1107 total teams that participated this launch season. This was NCSSM Rocketry’s best ARC placement since 2017! 💫 Team Monster would also be awarded the “Most Creative” prize in the Northrop Grumman Rocket Building Contest for their quick-build creation “Duck-Duck-Goose!”. What a wonderful display of teamwork, ingenuity, and resilience. Congratulations! And thank you to the sponsors, mentors, instructors, and chaperones who made this achievement possible!

06/09/2026

The opening of the UNC Health Blue Ridge Student Wellness and Activities Center (SWAC) and Joiner Hall mark the completion of NCSSM-Morganton’s opening chapter. Take a moment to read about the finishing touches on the final construction projects on the NCSSM-Morganton campus at the link in the comments below.

06/08/2026

NCSSM creates exemplary students in every discipline! Congratulations to Lamar Richardson ‘11, who has earned a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical as lead producer of Broadway’s “Ragtime.” ⭐️

06/04/2026

NCSSM students and chaperone Heather Mallory were part of the North Carolina contingent to the 2026 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair held May 9-15 in Phoenix, AZ. In addition to the competition, students networked with scientists and students from around the world, and the group met with NCSSM alumna and President and CEO of Society for Science, Maya Ajmera ’85.

Congratulations to our students for participating, placing in the competition, and winning awards for your work and thank you Heather for making this trip possible! 💙

06/01/2026

The past and present joined together in celebration of Scott Laird's 40-year career in music education at the final concert of the academic year at NCSSM, where Laird has spent the last 25 years of his career. Nearly 200 participants took to the stage to deliver a moving and powerful testament to the collaborative spirit of music. Joining current students in both the orchestra and choir were a significant number of NCSSM alumni and members of local organizations with whom Laird had collaborated. To read more about this "Musical Thank You" head to the link in the comments below.