General News

Ken Smith is a numbers guy, and virtually every day, he’s inundated with data, figures and spreadsheets.
In his role as the assistant University budget director, Smith works primarily with UNC Charlotte’s General Fund Budget, comprised of state appropriations and tuition and fees. For the 2013-14 fiscal year, it totals around $330 million.

International Open Access Week is Monday, Oct. 21, through Sunday, Oct. 27, and the J. Murrey Atkins Library will hold a number of public events to promote the open access movement in the publishing of scientific and scholarly literature.

Mayoral candidates Patrick Cannon and Edwin Peacock along with three area journalists will participate in the free, community “Solving It Together” event scheduled for 7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 23, at UNC Charlotte Center City.
WCNC anchor Dave Wagner will moderate the discussion; the event will be streamed live on WCNC.com and CharlotteObserver.com.
Individuals are encouraged to register online to attend.

The University’s Environmental Health and Safety Office, in partnership will the Charlotte Fire Department, Sigma Tau Gamma and the student group Fire and Safety Technologists, will hold a fire safety event at 4 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 22, on the front recreational fields near Moore Residence Hall.
The event will be a simulated fire of a residence hall room. Organizers will demonstrate the difference that occurs when a fire starts in a room that is equipped with sprinklers versus one without sprinklers.

The University’s Energy Production and Infrastructure Center is the location for the joint UNC Charlotte and N.C. State University Photochemistry Symposium, scheduled for 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 26.
Photochemistry, basically stated, is the study of chemical changes caused by light. The symposium will focus on early-career researchers and students as a way to grow knowledge and enthusiasm for photochemistry and its implications for society, said symposium organizers.

Jerry Coughter, executive director of UNC Charlotte Center City, recently climbed Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds to help eradicate polio worldwide.
Coughter made the excursion with a group of Rotarians from Charlotte Rotary District 7680. Rotary International sponsors the End Polio Now campaign. According to Coughter, Rotary International and its partners have raised funding to provide polio vaccine worldwide since 1985.

The Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling will coordinate a campus-wide cleanup from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 31, in conjunction with Campus Sustainability Week. In addition, there will be a fall tree planting.
 
The Student Government Association and EARTH Club are organizing student volunteers, and Chancellor Philip L. Dubois has authorized 90 minutes of release time for all faculty and staff members who are interested in volunteering in this effort. Participation must be approved by supervisors based upon the office/department/unit needs.

WCCB-TV has added the Nov. 2 road game versus Coastal Carolina University to its coverage of Charlotte 49ers football.
Being billed as the “Battle for the Carolinas,” the game is slated for a 3 p.m. start. WCCB is the Charlotte 49ers television partner for its inaugural season.
Charlotte 49ers fans who are interested in attending the game in Conway, S.C., should contact the 49ers Ticket Office at 704-687-4949.

Charlotte 49ers redshirt freshman quarterback Matt Johnson is among the initial 20 candidates on the “Watch List” for the Sports Network’s Jerry Rice Award, given to the top first-year player in the FCS, whether a true freshman or a redshirt freshman.