Virginia C. Coyle began her career at UNC in 1960 as assistant to the director of alumni giving. Two years later, she became the School of Medicine’s administrator of projects studying the disease diabetes mellitus. She also became a research associate and wrote articles in the field.
In 1969 she was elected one of the first three non-physician members of the Board of Directors of the American Diabetes Association and became secretary and a member of the executive committee.
Since 1973, she had been administrative manager of the University’s Institute of Government, where she was responsible for support services and a 45-member staff.
Coyle’s award citation noted that she had led and improved her staff’s work “through continuous, patient improvement … both by the introduction of a variety of machines for automating work and by … training (them) to use improved technological services more effectively.”