General News

With the purpose of teaching the science and engineering of solar energy and partnering with industry to research methods for producing more-efficient and lower-cost solar cells, the Lee College of Engineering has opened the new Photovoltaic Technology Research Laboratory.

Located in the Energy Production and Infrastructure Center, the new photovoltaic lab is under the direction of Aba Ebong, professor of electrical and computer engineering.

Since learning about the University’s migration to Google Calendar and Gmail, Laura Williams, interim controller in financial services, has tapped into Google technology to encourage a collaborative working environment among her team members.

The College of Education’s Mickey Dunaway, a former principal and superintendent and an expert on public school law, will be the guest on the June 25 edition of “The Live Wire,” Inside UNC Charlotte’s streaming webcast. He will talk about how schools today continue efforts to maintain the delicate balance between students’ freedom of expression and right to privacy with teachers’ need to maintain a strong learning environment.

Watch “The Live Wire” via computer or mobile devices starting at 2 p.m.

The UNC-TV program “N.C. Now” will broadcast a segment on the University’s Mobile Arts & Community Experience (MAX) facility as part of its June 19 show, which airs at 7:30 p.m.

The UNC Charlotte Office of University Communications produced the video feature in conjunction with UNC-TV.

MAX is a mobile performance venue/community gathering space that can accommodate everything from circus arts to a neighborhood association meeting; it was built by Boxman Studios and funded through a grant from the Knight Foundation.

From Gandy dancer to UNC Charlotte Employee of the Year could be the title of Kurt Richter’s biography.

Richter, an instructional technology specialist in the Center for Teaching and Learning, was honored earlier this year; his plaque rests within a special place inside his Kennedy Building office – his halibut/orange roughy fishing net.

Tara Pritchett, a staff auditor in the Internal Audit Department, recently received a Janet Royster Scholarship to pursue specialized professional development in the field of internal audit.

Pritchett, who holds a master’s degree in accounting, plans to use the scholarship to obtain certification in internal controls self-assessment through the Institute of Internal Auditors. According to Tom York, director of internal audit, this certification is a building block toward the profession’s ultimate credential – certified internal auditor.

UNC Charlotte continues to grow, and it welcomes countless visitors to administrative and academic offices, performances venues and Charlotte 49ers athletics events throughout the year. As part of ongoing efforts to protect the campus community, the Environmental Health and Safety Office (EH&S) recently purchased four automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for campus buildings.

With UNC Charlotte’s campus footprint continuing to grow, the University is taking the steps to ensure one of the its most valued natural resources is being sustained — trees.

Beyond a source of shade, trees help clean the air and add an aesthetically pleasing element to campus. UNC Charlotte’s commitment to effectively manage its tree population has led to it being named a Tree Campus USA by the Arbor Day Foundation.

Math and science classes have long been the stuff of nightmares for many, but there is a movement under way to change that perception.

UNC Charlotte’s College of Education recently hosted one of the faces of that movement – Oakland University engineering professor Barbara Oakley, author of “A Mind for Numbers.” Her research delves into the neuroscience of learning in an approachable way. It explores topics ranging from the specific ways the brains focuses, to why people procrastinate and how to stop.

Bank of America is a major employer in the Charlotte region, and a large number of UNC Charlotte graduates work for the global financial services leader.

Recently, the UNC Charlotte Alumni Association held a reception for Bank of America employees who are University alums. Nearly 200 attended the event where Chancellor Philip L. Dubois provided them with an update on their alma mater, and how the University and Bank of America have forged a beneficial, long-term relationship.