5 Cool Things
1. LEGO my bricks
As part of the Towers of Tomorrow with LEGO® Bricks exhibition, Discovery Place Science and the UNC Charlotte School of Architecture host a discussion on Aug. 23 about the future of cities. Moderated by Emily G. Makas, associate professor of architectural history, with UNC Charlotte alumni and faculty members, including Sean Gallagher ’00, who is leading the redesign of Discovery Place; Jefferson Ellinger, associate professor of architecture and Nick Ault ’06, M.Arch. Register here.
2. Trio’s transformative t-shirts
The founders of the 704 Shop became friends during their time at the University. Fast-forward a few years and the trio, Scott Wooten, Jerri Shepherd ’14 and Chris Moxley ’03, presented a $50,000 check for the Niner Nation Unites Fund. This donation was made possible thanks to more than 4,000 individuals who purchased the 704 Shop’s special-edition #CharlotteStrong T-shirt (buy one here). Proceeds support those affected by the April 30 tragedy.
3. Cleared for launch
The halls of the NASA Langley Research Center are usually filled with leading researchers and top engineers. However, on one day each year, aspiring teachers fill the oldest NASA field center as honored guests. This summer, UNC Charlotte student and future STEM teacher Parks Drake toured the center. She is one of only 13 students in North Carolina to be awarded the STEM Pre-Service Teacher Education Scholarship.
4. Dancing doctoral candidate
Margaret Kocherga is a scientist and artist who is making connections, encouraging others, discovering and sharing knowledge as both a dancer and Nanoscience Ph.D. candidate.
5. Crusading work
A decade-long archaeological dig led by UNC Charlotte on Jerusalem’s Mount Zion has confirmed previously unverified details from nearly 1,000-year-old historical accounts of the First Crusade. The archeologists’ work sheds new light on the five-week siege, conquest, sack and massacre of the Fatamid (Muslim)-controlled city in July 1099.