General News

Natasha Stracener ’98, instructional media production manager for UNC Charlotte’s Center for Teaching and Learning, is the 2023 recipient of the Erskine B. Bowles Staff Service Award, given by the UNC Staff Assembly. She is the first UNC Charlotte employee to receive this prestigious recognition. Stracener was honored at the Staff Assembly meeting held at Winston-Salem State University on Tuesday, July 25.

Beth Derrick Crigler has been appointed vice chancellor for advancement at UNC Charlotte, following a national search. She has served in this role in an interim capacity since July 2022. 

The lobby of Robinson Hall for the Performing Arts on the UNC Charlotte main campus is the location for the annual piano sale Aug. 3-5. The Department of Music has the use of new first-class pianos on a no-cost basis each school year. This arrangement is provided through an association with the Rockley Family Foundation. These instruments, those provided to other institutions and those made available by various manufacturers will be sold to perpetuate this valuable program.

Dig DEEP (Dialogue, Education, Engagement and Practice), sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the Provost’s Office, the Career Center and ADVANCE-FADO, is a series of professional development workshops to be held Aug. 8-10 for faculty who want to grow in their Inclusive Excellence content, curriculum, communication and pedagogy. 

Fushcia-Ann Hoover, assistant professor of geography and earth sciences, was named a member of the Harvard Radcliffe Institute’s 2023-24 class of fellows. As a Radcliffe-Salata Climate Justice Fellow, Hoover will explore Black feminist ecological theory as a means for anti-racist environmental planning.

Charlotte 49ers Executive Associate Athletics Director Ragean Hill is among 21 individuals selected by the NCAA for the 2023-24 Pathway Program, a yearlong initiative to prepare senior-level athletics administrators for their next career step as directors of athletics or conference commissioners.

UNC Charlotte was recognized recently by Times Higher Education for its commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

David Janowiak is the new chair of the Department of Theatre, effective July 1. He comes to UNC Charlotte from Western Oregon University, where he has spent the past seven years as professor and chair of the Creative Arts Division, following 17 years leading the WOU Theatre Department.

Following two years of study, including extensive faculty and staff input, UNC Charlotte’s College of Liberal Arts & Sciences will begin pursuing the path of creating two distinct colleges.

Kelsey Romney, Jaden Schutt and My Vuong received the inaugural Dean’s Prize for outstanding honors capstone theses/projects at a virtual ceremony held Thursday, June 22. They were nominated by their honors program directors for exemplary research, and each received a $500 prize.
To be eligible for a Dean’s Prize, candidates must be in good standing within their honors program, have earned a minimum 3.5 overall GPA and exemplify the Honors College core value of mutual investment.