The Carolina Center for Public Service at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill held its 2025 Public Service Awards ceremony on April 16 to celebrate individuals and organizations for their impactful contributions to communities statewide.
Two of this year’s honorees had close ties to UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center: the Fort Bragg Public Health Partnership and UNC student-athlete Tylee Craft.
Fort Bragg Public Health Partnership
The Fort Bragg Public Health Partnership — a collaboration between UNC Lineberger, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, the Fort Bragg Department of Public Health and other state and academic organizations — was honored with the Office of the Provost Award for Engaged Partnership. The award recognizes the partnership’s impactful and ongoing work to address health and wellness concerns among military families at Fort Bragg.
Home to nearly 10% of the Army’s active forces, Fort Bragg in Fayetteville is the largest U.S. Army installation by population and one of the largest installations in the world. More than 65% of Fort Bragg soldiers live off-base in eight surrounding counties.
The partnership emerged from discussions in 2018 between Fort Bragg leaders and Kurt M. Ribisl, PhD, Jo Anne Earp Distinguished Professor and UNC Lineberger member, regarding the need for better data on tobacco use within the Army. Since then, the coalition has expanded to include state, local and academic entities to focus on cancer prevention, smoking cessation and food insecurity in military families.
Hannah Prentice-Dunn, MPH, administrative director of UNC Lineberger’s Cancer Prevention and Control Program, oversees the day-to-day activities of the partnership and coordinates the partners’ work.
During the past six years, program initiatives have improved HPV vaccination rates, expanded cancer screening initiatives and reduced tobacco use on base.
Lt. Col. Teresa Pearce, MD, MPH, who recently retired as director of the Fort Bragg Department of Public Health, accepted the honor on behalf of the partnership. “Thank you for what I think is the biggest gift of this partnership, which is the power of possibility,” Pearce said, acknowledging the benefit of defense, academic and local and state organizations uniting to drive positive change within their communities.
Tylee Craft
Eric Montross, who played basketball at UNC from 1990-1994 and then played eight seasons in the NBA, passed from cancer in 2023. He was well-known for his work supporting UNC Children’s Hospital and the Be Loud! Sophie Foundation, which helped launch UNC Lineberger’s Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Program.
Established in 2025, the award celebrates Montross and his legacy of service. The award will be given annually to a student-athlete who exemplifies outstanding engagement and service to the state of North Carolina.
The inaugural award recognized Tylee for increasing awareness of the high rates of lung cancer and low rates of screening in North Carolina while he was being treated for stage four large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. He passed in September 2024, two years after being diagnosed with the rare form of lung cancer. His volunteer work with Team Draft, The White Ribbon Project LiveLung, and the American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative inspired and involved many, leaving a legacy of hope.
Tylee’s mother, September Craft, accepted the award in his honor and shared a powerful story about her son’s impact on others.
While on duty as a deputy sheriff in Sumter County, SC, September responded to a car accident with assistance from the local fire department. One of the firefighters on the scene recognized September as Tylee’s mother and approached her to share a memory from high school. Having been in class Tylee, the young woman disclosed how he helped her during a period of mental health challenges. Tylee’s words of encouragement during that time led her to seek counseling and later to become a firefighter. After his passing, she honored him by tattooing his football jersey number, 13, on her wrist.
Reflecting on the encounter, September said, “Even though my son is gone, he touched so many people, and stuff like this [having awards given in his honor] always makes me feel like, okay, Tylee did what he was supposed to do on this earth.”
A complete listing of the winners and a video of 2025 Carolina Public Service Awards ceremony are available.