General News

For incoming freshmen and transfer students, Monday, Aug. 24, will be “Day 1,” a shared experience in which they will come together to learn more about what it means to be a 49er.

Day One, or Day of Convocation, is a campus-wide initiative designed to formally induct new students into the UNC Charlotte academic community.

Bill Anderson, special assistant to the dean for community relations in the College of Education, and Eric Davis, a member of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and North Carolina State Boards of Education, will be the guests on the Thursday, Aug. 13, edition of “The Live Wire,” Inside UNC Charlotte’s streaming webcast, which airs at 2 p.m. 

Deep underground in a basement auditorium, a high schooler is teaching about nanoparticles. It’s the end of a hot summer spent in cool laboratories for the fortunate juniors and seniors chosen for the research experience at UNC Charlotte. Delivering their presentations marks the culmination of more than a month of study for the six high school students, who were paired with professors to work on complex scientific questions.

Charlotte 49ers offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Phil Ratliff is being remembered not only for his “loving spirit” but “the spectacular impact he made on others and his positive outlook on life.” He passed away, Sunday, Aug. 9.

Ratliff, who was entering his fourth season with the 49ers, joined the program in January 2012, as Charlotte welcomed its first recruiting class. He was on the sidelines for the Charlotte 49ers in 2013 and 2014 and helped the 49ers prepare for the 2015 season as the team makes its debut in the FBS as a member of Conference USA.

On Saturday, Aug. 15, Chancellor Philip L. Dubois will participate in a Ballantyne Breakfast Club panel discussion about education in the Charlotte region. He will join Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Ann Clark and Tony Zeiss, president of Central Piedmont Community College.

As the new director for UNC Charlotte’s Center for the Study of the New South, Ashli Stokes will draw upon her research expertise and knowledge, along with her leadership and community engagement experiences, to lead the center in its work.

The center promotes discourse and dialogue on a rich and diverse constellation of topics and ideas relating to the New South. Known as the period of regional history from the end of the Civil War to the modern era, the New South offers a bold tapestry of history, culture, social movements and political issues ripe for reflection and study.

UNC Charlotte is joining University City Connect for its inaugural school supplies donation drive to benefit the schools that comprise Governor’s Village.

From Monday, Aug. 10, through Friday, Aug. 21, faculty, staff and students are encouraged to donate school items for students in the four Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools that make up Governor’s Village: John M. Morehead STEM Academy, Nathaniel Alexander Elementary, James Martin Middle and Zebulon B. Vance High. These schools are located less than five miles from the University.

A new offering of the 15-week weight-management program Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less is scheduled to begin Monday, Aug. 31.

This program has been developed by health experts, and State Health Plan members can participate for $30 with a $25 refund for those who attend 10 of the 15 sessions.

During the one-hour classroom sessions, an experienced instructor will provide information and motivation for participants to make healthy choices related to nutrition and physical activitiy.

Jamie Franki, associate chair of the Department of Art + Art History, has created the commemorative medal for the American Numismatic Association’s (ANA) 2015 World’s Fair of Money, which takes place in Chicago Tuesday, Aug. 11, through Saturday, Aug. 15.

The medal, the fourth in a series inspired by the stars on the Chicago municipal flag, depicts the city’s famed 1933-34 World’s Fair, the Century of Progress.  Franki will present a special “Money Talks” lecture on Friday, Aug. 14.

The Charlotte Area Transit Authority’s Blue Line Extension construction team continues efforts to prepare the campus for light area.

Major changes have occurred along North Tryon Street and along the path to the UNC Charlotte Main Station, and crews have started to build the ramp for the underpass that approaches campus. Workers also have advanced the bridge construction across Toby Creek toward the station.