ANNOUNCEMENTS

U.S. News: Charlotte’s Psychology Program Among Best in Carolinas, #1 Among Public Programs

UNC Charlotte’s Department of Psychological Science ranks as the best public undergraduate program in the Carolinas and is among the highest ranked nationwide, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 Best College rankings.

Two New Colleges Form From CLAS, Creating Additional Pathways to Top-Tier Research, Student Success

Two new colleges have formed from the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, creating new pathways for student and research success — the College of Science and the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences. The colleges’ names are pending approval from the Board of Trustees at its next meeting. Bernadette T. Donovan-Merkert has been named interim dean of the College of Science; John Smail will continue as interim dean of the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences.

STUDENT STORIES

Gold Reel Film Festival: X Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Student Film Festival, As Part Of Film Studies Offerings

Gold Reel Film Festival: X marks the tenth anniversary of the UNC Charlotte student film festival on Friday, April 21 at 6 p.m., celebrating student films at the fabulous Independent Picture House. Students in Rodney Stringfellow's "Film Festivals: Production & Theory" class in the Film Studies program, part of Interdisciplinary Studies, have organized the festival to showcase films created by over two dozen student filmmakers.

Non-Traditional Students Benefit From Scholarships, Other Support Through OASES

Scholarship recipients Zach Bessant and Toni Moss have benefitted from scholarships and other life-changing opportunities offered through OASES. They shared their stories at the recent OASES scholarship event.

ALUMNI & FRIENDS

Inaugural Distinguished Leadership Awards Recognize Five Honorees Who Have Helped Make CLAS Strong

The five inaugural recipients of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (CLAS) Distinguished Leadership Awards have helped make the college strong, leaders say. Honorees are Twig Branch, Nancy A. Gutierrez, Margaret Kocherga, Boris "Bluz" Rogers and Shawn Long, who was honored posthumously.

Inaugural Mathematician-In-Residence Connected Students, Faculty With Business Community As He Shared Core Skills and Insights

Risk management and data analysis are critical life skills for Grayson Dill, ’11. Students, faculty and staff at UNC Charlotte have benefitted from Dill’s expertise and vision over the past months, as he brought risk management to life in his work as the inaugural mathematician-in-residence in Charlotte’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

UNC Charlotte Experts Plan Community Oz Event, With North Carolina Humanities Support

In fall 2024, the city of Charlotte will continue America’s tradition of embracing the adaptable, celebrated fairy tale The Wonderful Wizard of Oz through a community-oriented Oz festival, organized by two UNC Charlotte experts and supported by seed money from North Carolina Humanities. CharlOz will be centered around the book L. Frank Baum wrote in 1900, but which has been interpreted and adapted in ways that continue to reflect America, its values and its diversity.

Psychological Science Professor Receives National Campus Compact Award For Engaged Scholarship

Professor Kimberly Buch has been a leader in the transformation of UNC Charlotte’s culture of service over the past two decades, while directly inspiring 500 UNC Charlotte students to devote 25,000 hours to hands-on service learning. In recognition of her work, Buch has received Campus Compact’s Thomas Ehrlich Civically Engaged Faculty Award, a national honor that celebrates faculty’s exemplary engaged scholarship accomplished through their teaching and research.

HONORS & AWARDS

Geographer Receives National Award For Mentoring Of Students, Colleagues

Heather A. Smith’s students and colleagues have long praised her generosity and inclusivity. For the exceptional way she mentors others, the UNC Charlotte geographer has received the 2023 Susan Hardwick Excellence in Mentoring Award from the American Association of Geographers. Smith’s professional interests and mentoring strengths have guided a generation of geography students who have carried the impact into other spaces and places.

INK

New Book "Invisibility" Brings Continued National Visibility For Charlotte Optical Physicist Gregory J. Gbur

Charlotte optical physicist Gregory J. Gbur turned to stacks of science fiction stories, a treasure trove of horror films, and his scientific expertise and discoveries when writing his new book, “Invisibility: The History and Science of How Not to Be Seen.”

Book Including Charlotte Historian's Essay Gains Instant Best Seller Status on The New York Times List

A new book that includes an essay by UNC Charlotte historian Karen L. Cox on myths related to Confederate monuments has landed on The New York Times Best Seller List just nine days after its release, making it an instant best seller. The book, “Myth America: Historians Take on the Biggest Legends and Lies About Our Past,” debuted on the hardcover nonfiction list at No. 8.

TEACHING & ADVISING

CLAS Faculty Earn College Awards For Teaching Excellence

For their exceptional teaching and student engagement, Paola Lopez-Duarte, Samantha Suptela and Lennin Caro have received the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences’ 2023 Excellence in Teaching Awards. Six other faculty were honored as finalists for three awards.

CLAS Faculty Member Terry Shirley Jr. Named University Teaching Excellence Award Winner; Two Finalists From CLAS Recognized

Terry Shirley Jr., associate chair and senior lecturer in the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, has earned the 2022 UNC Charlotte Award for Teaching Excellence. Students and colleagues describe Shirley as dedicated, innovative, and holding a passion for teaching and learning.

RESEARCH

Historian Wins National Book Award For Research On Women's Important Role In Dutch Reformed Church

A book by Amanda Pipkin, History Department chair and professor, has received the Society for the Study of Early Modern Women and Gender’s national 2022 Best Book Award. Through compelling, detailed case studies of women, the researcher reveals the vital contributions women made to the spread and practice of the Reformed faith.

New Model Reimagines National Parole And Probation Practices To Break Recidivism Cycle

Earning probation or parole may be challenging, but having it revoked is surprisingly easy – clogging prison systems and derailing an individual’s ability to build a productive life. Nationwide, one in four state prison admissions in 2017 were a result of a technical violation by someone on supervised release. With support from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), UNC Charlotte professor Shelley Johnson and her colleagues are building and piloting a novel approach they hope will break the cycle of recidivism and lead to a new national model for parole and probation practices.

Antibody Invented At Charlotte Shows Promise For Pancreatic Cancer Treatment

An antibody that was invented at UNC Charlotte could be used to curb pancreatic cancer relapse and metastasis, a new UNC Charlotte study has found. Pancreatic cancer is particularly cruel  — and deadly. Yet, there is hope for improved treatment options. UNC Charlotte researchers are among those leading the search for solutions, including research by Mukulika Bose ’22 Ph.D. and collaborators, including Bose’s mentor Pinku Mukherjee, published in the journal Translational Research.

IN MEMORIAM

Charlotte Community Remembers Geography and Earth Sciences Faculty Member Harry Campbell

Harrison (Harry) Sherwood Campbell Jr., a professor in the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, died Saturday, Oct. 8. A celebration of life will be held Friday, Oct. 14, at Heritage Funeral Home, 3700 Forest Lawn Drive, Matthews, North Carolina. The family will receive friends beginning at 5 p.m., followed by a celebration of life starting at 6 p.m.

Charlotte Mourns The Loss Of Botanical Gardens Director Emeritus Larry Mellichamp

The Charlotte community mourns the Sept. 12 death of UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens Executive Director Emeritus Thomas Lawrence (Larry) Mellichamp ‘70, known by many affectionately as Dr. M.

GLOBAL REACH

CLAS Faculty Building Innovation In Global Student Engagement, Working With OIP, Partner Universities

CLAS faculty members are leaders among those throughout UNC Charlotte who persevered during the pandemic to provide their students with global learning, partnering with the Office of International Programs to pilot a new initiative called Globally Networked Learning (GNL).