PEMBROKE, N.C., April 30 -- The University of North Carolina at Pembroke issued the following news release:

UNC Pembroke faculty were recognized for excellence in teaching, scholarship and service during the university's annual Faculty Appreciation Banquet. The evening celebrated both individual achievement and the collective impact of faculty across campus.

Dr. Diane Prusank, provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, acknowledged the evolving landscape of higher education, emphasizing the importance of faculty engagement in navigating complex and often challenging questions about the value and purpose of education.

"These are not peripheral questions," Prusank said. "They go to the core of our identity as educators and scholars ...