The Winston National Center on Technology Use, Brain and Psychological Development in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences is a national leader in conducting scientific research on the long-term effects of technology and social media use on the adolescent brain and how it impacts relationships, behavior, and well-being.
Jim Winston was the driving force behind the Winston Family Initiative on adolescent brain development and technology at UNC. Increasing national attention on the effects of digital technology on children and adolescents motivated Winston to conceive of the Winston National Center on Technology Use, Brain, and Psychological Science at UNC. He was instrumental in securing the funding in 2022 to jump start the scientific research center.
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Your gift to the Winston Center allows UNC researchers to advance groundbreaking research that will enable parents, caregivers, and teens to make more informed choices about how they interact with technology and social media.
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We welcome the opportunity to discuss specific giving opportunities with individuals, foundations, and corporations.
Anne Collins
Senior Associate Dean and Executive Director
The Arts and Sciences Foundation
(919) 962-0108
anne.collins@unc.edu
Winston Family Foundation provides seed funding for nation’s leading research center
The Winston National Center on Technology Use, Brain, and Psychological Development was established with a $10 million gift to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2022. This transformational gift followed an initial gift of $3 million from the Winston Family Foundation which provided the seed funding for the initial research and launched the initiative.
“The goal of the center is to help families and educators understand how the increased use of technology shapes children,” said Jim Winston, a director of the Winston Family Foundation. “We have discovered that high levels of device use and social media consumption alters neurobiological development in ways that can be detrimental to well-being.”
The Winston Family Foundation’s generous gift was critical in providing UNC researchers with the funds necessary to establish the Winston Center. Ongoing financial support from individuals, foundations, and corporations is needed to carry forward the important work of the Winston Center researchers.
“Carolina researchers are leading the way in studying the impact of technology on young people. Gifts from the Winston Family Foundation and others will fuel more of the scientific discovery we need to fully understand these issues.” Jim White, Dean, UNC College of Arts & Sciences