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Prominent Chemistry Professor Declines Invitation to UNC, Cites Nikole Hannah-Jones Tenure Case
William Yeung
A letter sent to Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz and other administrators by the UNC-Chapel Hill chemistry department revealed that the inaction on renowned journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones s tenure application is already making it hard to recruit faculty.
The letter, signed by department chair Wei You and 36 faculty members within the department and marked June 1, quotes a letter from Professor Lisa Jones, a chemistry professor currently teaching at the University of Maryland. Jones, a leading researcher in structural proteomics, withdrew her candidacy to join the faculty at UNC-Chapel Hill after Hannah-Jones s story was made public.Â
Top Candidate Turns Down UNC Job, Cites School s Mistreatment Of Nikole Hannah-Jones
Chemist Lisa Jones turned down a job at the University of North Carolina after trustees rejected Nikole Hannah Jones tenure request.
In a letter sent to school administrators, more than 30 faculty members from the chemistry department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill said the school’s refusal to grant Pulitzer-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones tenure is injuring the university and risks doing more damage.
Hannah-Jones, a highly regarded journalist who specializes in education reporting, is also the creator of The New York Times’ “1619 Project,” which examines the consequences of slavery in the U.S. and the role African Americans have played in the country’s prosperity. Since its publication in 2019, white Republicanshave tried to censor the project in order to hide its coverage of anti-Black racism.