Paul Hunton is the president of North Carolina Public Radio—WUNC, a National Public Radio member station licensed by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
He is also a four-time, Emmy-winning producer and director whose films have been shown at South by Southwest and the Environmental Film Festival. This week, Georgia Southern will have the honor of hosting him as the keynote speaker for the 2025 GS4 Student Scholars Symposium.
Shainaz Landge, Ph.D., associate professor of organic chemistry in the College of Science and Mathematics, is spearheading the event and is thrilled to have Hunton speak.
“We are very excited for Mr. Hunton to visit and to hear about his professional journey,” Landge said. “His experiences will undoubtedly inspire our research scholars across a wide range of disciplines.”
Each year, the GS4 symposium showcases the University’s best and brightest student scholars and gives undergraduates and graduates from many disciplines the opportunity to present their work.
The award-winning filmmaker and multimedia professional noted that communication plays a key role in translating research into real-world impact.
“Research is far more than numbers in a lab or citations in a journal,” he explained. “It’s about curiosity, storytelling and community building, even in media and filmmaking. In my career, I’ve seen how meaningful stories can elevate important issues, like climate change, to engage the public, shape policy, and inspire real change. I want students to see that no matter their discipline, their work can have a broad impact if they learn to communicate it effectively and tie it back to the human experience.”
Hunton will relay that message in his keynote address, “Unlocking Your Lore: How Personal Stories Drive Innovation and Community.” He plans to talk about his early life, growing up in a small town—something many Georgia Southern students can relate to—and how that inspired his love for storytelling and shaped his career in media. He’ll expound on the need for balanced storytelling that highlights both problems and solutions, and emphasize the importance of genuine conversation.
“I hope that students walk away knowing their personal story matters and can inspire real, positive change in their work and in the world,” said Hunton.
Notably, those personal stories can play an important role for students who may be apprehensive or unsure of how to communicate with the larger public about their research.
“The key is to meet people where they are,” Hunton remarked. “Before you dive into the complexity, help your audience see why your work matters. That could be through a personal story, a real-life example or a metaphor that connects to their daily life. We often assume people will care if we just present the facts, but it’s about framing those facts in a narrative or context that resonates with their own experiences or values.”
He added that it’s important to be intentional about your language and conclude with solutions or a sense of possibility.
“Show them that change is possible, and you’ll keep them engaged,” he said.
Hunton looks forward to the GS4 Symposium and seeing a broad range of ideas, projects, and disciplines represented.
“Hopefully, I can help them realize just how powerful their stories and research can be when shared with the right mix of rigor and creativity, because ultimately, research and creativity go hand-in-hand,” shared Hunton.
You can read Hunton’s full bio here and see the symposium schedule here.
