The following is a press release on August 26, 2026 from the UNC Health Foundation.
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, August 26, 2026 – $100,000 gift honors the memory of Carolyn C. Mattingly and will position UNC Health and the UNC School of Medicine as leaders in this important work.
The support from The Luv u Project will establish a one-year fellowship in the UNC School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry dedicated to mental health in the workplace research. The fellowship, known as the Luv u Fellowship for Workplace Mental Health, will advance this critical research across UNC Health and the School of Medicine while honoring the memory of Carolyn C. Mattingly.
This investment from The Luv u Project will provide dedicated research support through the recruitment of a fellow to work in collaboration with a number of existing UNC Health and School of Medicine programs. Primary partners will include the UNC Department of Psychiatry and its Taking Care of Our Own Program, the UNC Health and SOM Integrated Well-Being Program, and the UNC Department of Radiation Oncology’s Healthcare Engineering Division, which works with healthcare providers on advancing workplace wellness through both physical and mental health initiatives.
The Luv u Project was founded by C. Richard Mattingly in 2015 following the tragic death of his wife, Carolyn, the previous year. Since then, the organization has focused on a strategic approach to finding solutions to workplace mental health challenges from multiple perspectives. The fellowship marks an expanded investment in research to create tools that can be used across a wide range of workplaces.
“We are grateful to partner with UNC Health and the UNC School of Medicine to create a meaningful opportunity to advance this important research,” said Mattingly, Founder and President of The Luv u Project. “Mental health challenges touch all of our lives, and this fellowship will honor Carolyn by working to better understand and address those challenges we all face.”
“We are deeply honored to partner with The Luv u Project to create the Luv u Fellowship for Workplace Mental Health,” said Samantha Meltzer-Brody, MD, MPH, Executive Dean of the UNC School of Medicine and Chief Academic Officer at UNC Health. “This new fellowship training program will support innovative, research-driven approaches and expand expertise in this critical field that supports the well-being of healthcare professionals and the broader workforce.”
The Luv u Fellow will be actively integrated into ongoing workplace mental health research and programs and will produce at least one scholarly publication during the fellowship. The fellow will be supported by a multidisciplinary team of faculty and staff with expertise in psychiatry, workplace well-being, healthcare engineering, clinical mental health, research, and data analytics. The fellowship aims to advance research and develop evidence-based resources, including educational materials, toolkits, and psychoeducational programming designed to improve workplace mental health.
The fellowship will complement the School of Medicine’s broader investment in workplace mental health, research infrastructure, wellness initiatives, and fellowship administration. The Luv u Fellow will have access to established programs, mentorship, and institutional resources that advance the fellowship’s research objectives.
To learn more about The Luv u Project, visit theluvuproject.org.
To learn more about the Luv u Fellowship for Workplace Mental Health and supporting this area of research, contact Margaret Ann Bollmeier, President, UNC Health Foundation, at [email protected].