Twenty years after his graduation from UNC, Dr. Satish Gopal will return to campus as the 2017 winter commencement speaker.
Gopal lives in Malawi as the cancer program director for UNC Project-Malawi, a medical initiative to improve the nation’s healthcare system. He said being the winter commencement speaker is an honor and a way for him to reflect on the many opportunities UNC has given him.
“I’m super excited about this opportunity and the chance to highlight how important the University has been for me,” Gopal said.
As one of the only oncologists in Malawi, Gopal’s specific areas of research include HIV-associated cancers and other prevalent cancers in sub-Saharan Africa.
Gopal said returning to UNC for winter commencement will feel like coming full circle since his graduation in 1997. Although he lives in another continent, Gopal said he still feels a connection to UNC.
“The irony now of course is that I live halfway around the world with my family but still feel connected to the University, and that sort of crystallized in this opportunity to come back and speak at commencement,” Gopal said.
Chancellor Carol Folt said she hopes Gopal’s global endeavors since graduating from UNC will inspire other students in their future pursuits.
“His dedication and commitment to improving the health of the Malawi people – and work to teach future generations of caregivers – will inspire the minds and spark the imaginations of our graduates who are now prepared to go out and make their own impact in our state, nation and world,” Folt said.
