Five students from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill were selected as recipients of the 2025 Anne L. and S. Epes Robinson Honors Fellowship, which provides funding for students who propose a program of study focused on some aspect of the history and culture of Europe and the Mediterranean from 5th century B.C.E. to 1920.
The Robinson Honors Fellowship was established in 2015 by a gift from UNC-Chapel Hill alumni Anne L. Robinson and S. Epes Robinson. Its purpose is to recognize and support undergraduate students at Carolina who possess extraordinary capability and independent pursuit of their education. The program provides up to $7,000 in funding for expenses for domestic or international learning experiences that explore art, literature, music, history, politics, economics, philosophy or religion Western Europe and the Mediterranean; an amount that was increased this year. The fellowship is open to all Carolina students who meet the eligibility criteria.
To be chosen as a Robinson Honors Fellow, an applicant must give convincing evidence of exceptional ability and promise through the application, recommendations, and personal interview. The proposed fellowship experience should be one that will allow the recipients to study the humanities and the ideas that have molded Western society and form the foundation of Western culture.
Claiborne Beurle (’27) is from Charlotte, NC and is pursuing a combination of European studies, geography, and entrepreneurship at UNC. Her Robinson Fellowship project dives into the enduing influence of medieval times on contemporary society, with a focus on pilgrimage and the 2025 Jubilee. By tracing the historic Via Francigena, a pilgrimage route from Canterbury to Rome, Claiborne will engage with local communities, fellow pilgrims, religious leaders, and historians to uncover ways in which our past continues to shape the present. As she navigates this ancient path through England, France, Switzerland, and Italy, she will explore intersections of religion, spirituality, and societal evolution, reflecting on how these themes present themselves in modern times. As Claiborne embodies the spirit of medieval pilgrims, she will immerse herself in the physical challenge while documenting her insights into contemporary connections to our medieval past.
Yiorgo Diatzikis (’27), from Concord, NC, is double majoring in English and comparative literature and political science. His academic interests include Latin and English poetry with an emphasis on Ovid and the Romantic era, cultural exchange, and political theory. Yiorgo’s current project examines Lord Byron’s exile in Italy, exploring how the poet’s surroundings influenced his major works. By visiting key locations, including Rome, Pisa, Ravenna, and Venice, he aims to gain deeper insights into Byron’s writings and legacy.
Madalyn Hutchinson (’26) is from Raleigh, North Carolina, and is double majoring in art history and history with a minor in archaeology. With the support of the Robinson Honors Fellowship, Madalyn will travel to multiple towns within the United Kingdom to explore late medieval wall-paintings of the Last Judgment in English parish churches. By speaking to lifelong parishioners and the local clergy, attending services, and experiencing the paintings in situ, she hopes to further understand the impact of ecclesiastical art on congregations from the medieval period to today.
Sofia Nyiri (’27) is from Chapel Hill, NC and is studying media and journalism and communication, minoring in global cinema. For her Robinson Fellowship, Sofia will travel to Paris and Lyon, France to research the origins of French cinema through the lens of instrumental filmmakers. Using Paris as both a literal and metaphorical backdrop, she aims to explore their distinct filmmaking approaches and their lasting impact on contemporary cinema aesthetics and production, through archival research, museum visits, and collaboration with local film communities.
Christopher Stacchini (‘27) is a business student from Long Island that has had a lifelong passion for studying ancient civilizations. He will use the funds from the Robinson Fellowship to recreate the Carthaginian general Hannibal Barca’s famed march on third-century Republican Rome. He will visit archaeological sites, museums, and battlefields across Spain, France, and Italy while traveling through the Alps to explore the cultural memory of Hannibal and his placement in Mediterranean identity. From this, he hopes to better understand his heritage and how public sites reflect the culmination of historical memory.
View the past Robinson Fellows’ projects here.
Read more about the Robinson Honors Fellowship here.
Honors Carolina contact: Gina Difino, (919) 962-9680, Gina_Difino@unc.edu
