Born and Bred

To say Ann Rankin Cowan ’75 is Tar Heel born and bred would be an understatement.

Seventeen of her family members, spanning three generations, have graduated from Carolina. The Rankin family holds an impressive 26 degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill and includes Morehead Scholars, editors for The Daily Tar Heel, a UNC Clef Hanger, a former president of the General Alumni Association and a former mayor of Chapel Hill. 

“Carolina opens your world, giving you a curiosity to go out and discover your passion and what you want to do with your life,” said Cowan. “How you choose to give back enriches your whole life and provides you with the platform to use your education and to continue it.”

Cowan’s most recent gift, supported through a planned gift and the Cowan Family Foundation, establishes the Ann Rankin Cowan Excellence Fund for High-Impact Research, which will help advance early-stage research projects in the department of psychology and neuroscience.

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