Honors College Receives Prestigious NCHC Portz Grant

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Dec. 9, 2025) — The Honors College at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has been selected as one of only three recipients nationwide for the highly competitive 2025 National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) Portz Grant. The award will support the innovative “Honors Without Borders – Global Virtual Honors Collaboratives” program, designed to connect high-achieving students with peers and experts across all seven continents through interdisciplinary virtual exchanges.

The NCHC Portz Grant is awarded annually to outstanding honors programs that demonstrate creativity, impact and a commitment to advancing honors education. This year, only three out of 16 applications nationwide were selected, underscoring the exceptional merit and vision of N.C. A&T’s proposal.

“Honors Without Borders” will launch in January 2026 led by Gerard Dumancas, Ph.D., associate dean of Research and Program Innovation in the Honors College and professor of chemistry.

The program will offer Honors College students a unique opportunity to engage in virtual study abroad experiences, featuring keynote lectures and interactive sessions with distinguished speakers from Asia, Africa, Antarctica, Latin America, North America, Europe and Oceania. Topics will range from artificial intelligence and health equity in the Philippines to indigenous climate action in Canada, ethical innovation in the United Kingdom, and youth migration in the Americas.

With nearly 900 scholars and a highly competitive admissions process, A&T’s Honors College represents the top tier of undergraduate talent at the nation’s largest public historically Black university. The new virtual program addresses financial and logistical barriers to traditional study abroad, expanding access to global learning for students from diverse backgrounds. Nearly half of A&T’s student body comes from low-income households, making this cost-free, high-impact initiative especially meaningful.

“We are honored to receive the NCHC Portz Grant and grateful for the opportunity to launch a truly global initiative. ‘Honors Without Borders’ will empower our students to connect, collaborate and learn from diverse cultures and disciplines,” said Dumancas. “By removing barriers to international engagement, we are helping shape the next generation of leaders who are prepared to address complex global challenges.”

“This recognition by the National Collegiate Honors Council affirms our commitment to providing transformative global experiences for our students,” said Margaret Kanipes, Ph.D., Honors College dean. “‘Honors Without Borders’ exemplifies our mission to foster equity, innovation, and cross-cultural understanding. We are excited to see our scholars engage with peers and thought leaders from around the world, broadening their perspectives and preparing them to lead in a global society.”

The “Honors Without Borders” program is the first of its kind to offer honors students affordable, impactful engagement with all seven continents. Each virtual exchange will foster dialogue, cultural understanding and interdisciplinary learning, aligning with NCHC’s Shared Principles and Practices of Honors Education. The initiative, funded by the $1,500 grant, also lays the groundwork for future partnerships, including formal Memoranda of Understanding for student and faculty exchanges, joint research and collaborative academic projects.

“We are pleased to contribute to the success of ‘Honors Without Borders – Global Virtual Honors Collaboratives’ at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University,” said Kerry Wynn, co-chair of the NCHC Awards and Grants Committee. “We look forward to learning more about the impact of this project and hope it will serve as a replicable model for honors education nationwide.”