Daniel Reeves ’07, an economics and political science major, from Purlear, N.C., was the first Dowd Scholar at Carolina. He is currently a fourth-year Ph.D. student in economics at Cornell University. His research interests focus on the intersection of behavioral economics and public finance. Daniel’s research includes taking insights from psychology and economic models to better understand the effects of government policies. He hopes his research will help to improve future policies one day.
Daniel said, “I’m very grateful for the Dowd Scholarship. It’s what tipped the balance and eventually led to me attending UNC. UNC was a fantastic choice for me, as among many other great experiences there, UNC’s professors helped me discover my passion for economics. The financial freedom provided by the scholarship allowed me to then pursue my dream career of one day becoming an economics professor by going to graduate school, without a mountain of undergraduate student loan debt pursuing me.”
The Elizabeth “Pepper” Dowd Carolina Scholars
The Elizabeth “Pepper” Dowd Carolina Scholars Fund was established in 2002 with a $1 million gift from the Dowd Foundation of Charlotte in honor of Pepper Dowd.
Edward “Ned” Hardison, president of the Dowd Foundation and a 1955 UNC alumnus said, “Pepper’s service to the University of North Carolina has been truly remarkable, and we, the directors of the Dowd Foundation, wanted to honor her in this special way.”
A 1953 Carolina graduate, Dowd served on the Board of Trustees from 1983 to 1991, including two years as its vice chairman. Dowd was a founding member of the Arts and Sciences Foundation and served on its board of directors as vice chairman from 1975 to 1995. She received two of the highest awards bestowed by the university: the William R. Davie Award, given by the Board of Trustees in 1993; and the Distinguished Service Medal, given by the General Alumni Association in 1990. The Dowd Foundation’s gift created six new merit scholarships for North Carolina students in the Carolina Scholars Program, which is designed to enhance the intellectual environment of the University by attracting truly outstanding students to Carolina. By providing full, merit-based academic scholarships to the most sought-after incoming undergraduate students, this program allows Carolina to compete with other top-ranked universities for the most promising high school graduates.
By Sarah Upton
