Digital Scholarship and Initiatives

Robin Cummings, 59, a Robeson County native of Lumbee descent, was elected this year as chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNC-P). Cummings grew up less than three miles from the university, but he chose to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH). There Cummings earned a bachelor’s degree in Zoology before moving on to the Duke University School of Medicine. He then became a cardiothoracic surgeon. Most recently, Cummings served as the deputy secretary for health services at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services before being offered the position at UNC-P. The third native elected to chancellor of the university, Cummings said his new job is like being the mayor of a city. He is tasked with moving the school into the future while, at the same time, honoring its 128-year legacy. While UNC-P is one of the most diverse campuses in the southeast, as it is home to 6,500 student from 26 states and 15 countries, a personal goal that Cummings has is to encourage more local tribe members to attend.