Chancellor Carol L. Folt calls them "zingers" — imaginative ideas that, when coupled with years of fundamental research, produce enormous breakthroughs in science.

And in just the past three years, Folt says in the accompanying video, UNC Chapel Hill has made extraordinary research advances in fields such as biomedical engineering, cancer and Big Data.

"We've become a real innovation center, with students, faculty, staff, the community all interested," she says. "We've seen powerful results."

The University now ranks sixth among all U.S. universities for receipt of federal research dollars. It attracts close to $1 billion a year for research, generating almost 100,000 jobs in North Carolina and a $7 billion economic impact.

A former professor of biology and environmental science, Folt is particularly pleased with the involvement of students.