Dean of Students
From Utilizing Pantries to Overseeing One
By Teagan Welch, Assistant Director of Communications for Student Affairs
For Joshua Boyd, helping people combat food insecurity isn’t just a passion for him, it hits home too.
Boyd has been at UNC Charlotte since 2022, rejoining the Dean of Students office in December 2024 as program director of basic needs. He was originally hired to support New Student Orientation (in Student Affairs and later Enrollment Management), and is returning to the division in a brand new role that speaks to his personal experiences.
“I’ve had experiences with pantries ever since I was a child,” Boyd said. “My mom would come home with boxes of bread from the church or the neighborhood pantry. And then during my undergrad as a student, I used the pantry on campus all the time. Seeing the impact pantries can have on people of all ages made me want to be a part of it.”
The Jamil Niner Student Pantry offers a variety of non-perishable foods, as well as fresh produce on a weekly basis. In Boyd’s role, he helps make sure all of that food is up to standard. That means sorting through the food and composting the produce that is starting to go bad.
“I go through the produce and make sure everything is fresh and ready to be passed out, stock the pantry, stock the shelves and help direct volunteers” he explained. “We make changes on items we have in stock depending on the needs of the shoppers.”
Although a large part of Boyd’s job is operations, he makes an effort to be there for the shoppers, even helping pass out the food when they arrive.
“I get in the weeds with the volunteers and the members of the community coming to the pantry to show them I’m here to help,” Boyd said. “I want their experience to be something they can take with them after they leave.”
Boyd also supervises Swipe Out Hunger — a nationwide program that partners with colleges to help put an end to student hunger and assist those who struggle with food insecurity — here at Charlotte. Boyd says he’s happy to be a part of something so important to day-to-day life.
“In a perfect world nobody goes hungry but we don't live in a perfect world,” he said. “That’s why what I do is so important. People rely on us and seeing that impact is so rewarding.”
Although Boyd has only been in his role for about six months, he has big plans for what the future of the Jamil Niner Student Pantry holds.
“I’m excited to see over the next few years what we can turn this into,” Boyd said. “Building that connection with the pantry and the outer Charlotte community is essential and I want to leave a legacy here in terms of the work that I have done.”