Catalyze

Morehead-Cain

This is Catalyze, a podcast from the Morehead-Cain Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Inspired by our namesake chemist benefactors, Catalyze reflects the energy of transformation, action, and momentum. Each episode features conversations with Morehead-Cain Alumni and Scholars who are shaping their communities, industries, and the world. From formative moments at Carolina to career pivots, leadership philosophies, and personal values, we explore the stories behind the people who lead with character and purpose.

  1. Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, with Raina Sohur ’27 on Global  Perspective in Mauritius, Paris

    5H AGO

    Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, with Raina Sohur ’27 on Global Perspective in Mauritius, Paris

    Welcome to Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, a miniseries by the Catalyze podcast that explores the transformative summers of the Morehead-Cain Program. In the Global Perspective summer, scholars design their own journeys around the globe to dig into areas of personal interest, whether academic or professional.  In this episode, host Aadya Gattu ’28 of the Scholar Media Team sits down with Raina Sohur ’27 about how she crafted a summer spanning three distinct experiences across Mauritius, Southern France, and Paris.  Raina completed her RYT200 yoga certification in the French countryside, interned at a prominent law firm’s Supreme Court Litigation division in Mauritius where she navigated a bilingual office environment and accompanied lawyers to trial, and explored Paris through the lens of the Mauritian diaspora.  Their conversation delves into the intentional planning behind balancing professional development with personal growth, choosing meaningful locations, and building connections in both familiar and unfamiliar places. Raina opens up about the challenges of designing such an ambitious summer and shares the lessons she carried home about cultural identity, professional exploration, and pushing beyond comfort zones.  Music credits The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.  How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcastsor Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

    22 min
  2. Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, with Prince Rivers ’28 on Civic Collaboration with Milwaukee’s Alive Foundation

    FEB 10

    Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, with Prince Rivers ’28 on Civic Collaboration with Milwaukee’s Alive Foundation

    Welcome to Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, a miniseries by the Catalyze podcast that explores the transformative summers of the Morehead-Cain Program. In the Civic Collaboration summer, teams of scholars embed themselves in cities across North America to investigate community challenges, work alongside local partners, and propose solutions grounded in real needs. In this episode, host Aadya Gattu ’28 of the Scholar Media Team sits down with Prince Rivers ’28 about his summer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Working with MKE Fellows, Prince and his team tackled the challenge of expanding access to higher education for underserved communities.  Their conversation explores how the team navigated ambiguity in their project, learned to live and work together in a new city, and discovered Milwaukee’s culture along the way, including memorable moments at local music festivals. Prince reflects on the importance of human-centered design, the value of community partnership, and what it means to propose real solutions to complex problems.  Music credits The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.  How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcastsor Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

    18 min
  3. Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, with Kori Billingslea ’29 on Outdoor Leadership in Wyoming’s Wind River Range

    FEB 3

    Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, with Kori Billingslea ’29 on Outdoor Leadership in Wyoming’s Wind River Range

    Welcome to Kickin’ It in the Kitchen, a miniseries by the Catalyze podcast that explores the transformative summers of the Morehead-Cain Program. In the Outdoor Leadership summer, scholars spend several weeks in the North American wilderness on a leadership course that tests their limits and inspires self-discovery.  In this episode, host Ali Slack ’28 from the Scholar Media Team sits down with first-year Kori Billingslea ’29 to reflect on her Outdoor Leadership experience in Wyoming. Fresh from the trail and adjusting to college life, Kori shares what it was like to spend a month unplugged from technology, pushing through physical and mental challenges, and discovering unexpected strengths in the backcountry.  From breaking camp at dawn to navigating group dynamics under pressure, Kori shares about stepping outside your comfort zone and the lessons that follow you long after you’ve left the wilderness.  Music credits The episode’s intro song is by scholar Scott Hallyburton ’22, guitarist of the band South of the Soul.  How to listen On your mobile device, you can listen and subscribe to Catalyze on Apple Podcastsor Spotify. For any other podcast app, you can find the show using our RSS feed. You can let us know what you thought of the episode by finding us on social media @moreheadcain or you can email us at communications@moreheadcain.org.

    24 min
  4. Chief Magistrate Judge Karen Stevenson ’79: ‘Let us meet this moment with courage’

    JAN 19

    Chief Magistrate Judge Karen Stevenson ’79: ‘Let us meet this moment with courage’

    Who is on the horizon? At the 2025 Alumni Forum, Chief Magistrate Judge Karen Stevenson ’79 challenged the more than 700 attendees not to look for heroes to enact change.  “Nobody’s coming. We’re it. All of us are it,” the alumna said at the Mazzocchi Alumni Dinner in Chapel Hill on October 18, 2025.  Speaking from her experience on the federal bench in Los Angeles, Karen shared her thoughts on current challenges facing American institutions, connected them to historical struggles for civil rights, and issued a direct challenge: the responsibility to build a more perfect union falls on each of us. She called on the Morehead-Cain community to lead with courage, kindness, and generosity.  “I dare to say no one is coming to extricate us from this existential moment,” the judge said. “This one is on us to lead, to act with integrity, to care for our neighbors, to move with compassion in the world, and take right action.” Watch the keynote address on Morehead-Cain’s YouTube channel. Karen is a member of the first class of women Morehead-Cain Scholars. She is an elected member of the American Law Institute, a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, and co-author of Rutter Group Practice Guide: Federal Civil Procedure Before Trial.  The judge was honored at the 2024 Morehead-Cain Black Alumni Reunionin Chapel Hill, alongside the first Black graduate of the Program, Harvey Kennedy ’74. Karen and Harvey were also honored at the Forum by the unveiling of a commissioned portrait of the pair on October 17, 2025. The painting, by Durham-based artist William Paul Thomas, is on display at the Morehead-Cain Foundation.

    21 min
5
out of 5
21 Ratings

About

This is Catalyze, a podcast from the Morehead-Cain Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Inspired by our namesake chemist benefactors, Catalyze reflects the energy of transformation, action, and momentum. Each episode features conversations with Morehead-Cain Alumni and Scholars who are shaping their communities, industries, and the world. From formative moments at Carolina to career pivots, leadership philosophies, and personal values, we explore the stories behind the people who lead with character and purpose.