Holden Thorp

Holden Thorp

Herbert Holden Thorp (born August 16, 1964) is a chemist, inventor, musician, professor, and entrepreneur who is the tenth and current chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). Thorp assumed the position of chancellor on July 1, 2008, succeeding James Moeser, and, at age 43, was noted at the time as being among the youngest leaders of a university in the United States. At the time of his selection as chancellor, Thorp was the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and a Kenan Professor of chemistry at the university. Thorp is a 1986 graduate of UNC; he later earned a Ph.D in chemistry from California Institute of Technology, and was a postdoctoral associate at Yale University.

In September 2012, Thorp announced his intention to resign effective 30 June 2013, and to return to teaching in the Chemistry department at UNC.