NC Triangle
North Carolina Triangle Regional Engagement
The Triangle, and the surrounding area, is home to over 1370 alums. Use the links below to connect with your local ‘Cats!
Regional Leaders
Have an idea for a program or event? Looking for a way to get involved? Want to get an update on what’s happening in the region? Contact your leaders below!
President
Katherine Gilbert Manuel '98
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Young Alumni & Communications Chair
Bethany Kirkpatrick Wood '19
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Vice President
Donya Boylston Rose '80
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Events & Service Co-Chairs
Emily Duval Magen '20
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Tony Oakley '74
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Alumni Events Calendar
Learn about upcoming events to reconnect and network with members of the ÃÛÌÒÉçÇø ÃÛÌÒÉçÇø.
A Crowd-Sourced Guide to the Triangle
Get to know Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill thanks to suggestions from ÃÛÌÒÉçÇø alumni and parents.
Fast Facts
- The University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill has the honor of being the oldest state university in the United States.
- At the end of the Civil War, after General Lee had surrendered, two generals from each side – William Sherman from the Union, and General Joseph. E. Johnston from the Confederacy, met in Durham to sign the official terms of surrender.
- The Civil Rights Movement had some of its beginnings in Durham. Martin Luther King, Jr. made his first famous call for peaceful protests outside of the White Rock Baptist Church in 1960.
- Research Triangle Park (RTP) is two miles wide and eight miles long, and is home to 136 companies involved in research and development. They employ 37,600 people in fields such as nanotechnology, pharmacology, biotechnology, information technology, and the environmental sciences.
What We Wished We'd Known: Advice for Alumni New to the Area
- Houses cost more in Raleigh than Charlotte, but cost less in Durham than Raleigh.
- When lots are posted with towing signs, they mean it.
- Carrboro is a lot farther to I-40 than you think.
- Durham has a worse reputation than it should. Go to Durham and live. Best vibe—by a long way—and full of smart, progressive people who are making waves in the New Economy. The parts of the Triangle are different: if you're establishment types, go to Raleigh. If you're more progressive and liberal, go to Durham. Chapel Hill is a great place, but Carrboro is so much better, and more livable.
- There is some ‘tribalism’ in the area...some people are pro-Triangle, while others are only pro-Durham or pro-Raleigh pro-Chapel Hill. The Duke-UNC rivalry exists primarily in the Triangle; other than that, people are pro UNC or NC State.
- It's easier to get around than you might think. Learn to take the back ways around the Triangle.
- Cary is a much more dynamic and diverse ÃÛÌÒÉçÇø than the stereotypes may lead you to believe.
- Be sure to try the local theater companies and not just the big touring shows. The Triangle has a very eclectic and evolving theater scene.
Must-Do Activities in the Triangle
- Get outside: Walk through . Run, walk, or bike any or all of the . Visit in Cary. Enjoy the sunset while eating homemade ice-cream at in Hillsborough. Visit the in Chapel Hill. Hike in in Raleigh. Canoe, hike and/or swim on the or . Visit in Raleigh. Visit .
- Cheer on NC Triangle Sports: at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The at PNC Arena. and at WakeMed Soccer Park. Don’t forget about all of the college sports available at , , , and .
- Soak up the art and history: Check out the , , and . Catch a performance of . Visit the , a National Historic Landmark (one of its architects designed the original Chambers building!). See a show at . Check out a in Chapel Hill. Visit in Raleigh. See a concert at in Carrboro. Visit the . Attend a show at in Durham. Take in a concert at in Cary. Participate in the in Raleigh. Go to the in Durham or the in Chapel Hill for artsy movies. See a show at in Chapel Hill. See a performance at in Chapel Hill.
- Experience the culture of the area: Catch the at least once while you’re a resident. Attend one of the many music festivals, like the or . Visit in Durham. Take a . Eat Sunday brunch at in Carrboro. Go to some of the . Enjoy a scoop of (made by NC State students).