Academic Affairs

Congressman Patrick McHenry (10th District) and Brett Keeter (’99), congressional district director and former UNC Charlotte Alumni Association president, recently visited campus to learn more about UNC Charlotte’s Data Science and Business Analytics initiative.

In addition to meetings with Chancellor Philip L. Dubois and Bob Wilhelm, vice chancellor for economic development and research, McHenry and Keeter observed several project demonstrations related to Big Data at the University’s Charlotte Visualization Center.

In a joint press conference, the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and UNC Charlotte announced a partnership for an annual reporting on homelessness issues spearheaded by the University’s Urban Institute.

The Charlotte Venture Challenge (CVC) will showcase 39 finalists selected from more than 100 startup competitors located throughout the Southeastern United States. These contenders will be introduced to investors, corporate executives and the business community at the CVC finals, Thursday, May 1.

With the opening of PORTAL, Charlotte Research Institute officials have announced that Lester “Chip” Yensan will remain at CRI as associate director for infrastructure through the current calendar year.
Prior to joining CRI in August 2012, Yensan was assistant vice president for student affairs at the University of Rhode Island; he held positions at the University of Connecticut and Michigan State University, too.  

Effective May 1, Chandra Williams will be interim director for Lab Animal Resources. The appointment was announced by the Research and Economic Development Office.
With nearly two decades of professional veterinarian experience, Williams has served as a driving force in the development and implementation of a wide range of policies and procedures to ensure the proper use and care of animals for research purposes. She has dedicated her time and service to ensuring that researchers and facilities are equipped for the best care of research animals.

The Blumenthal Foundation of Charlotte has awarded the University $22,500 for a collaborative initiative that will increase the profile of and engage the public in issues about the natural environment.

Tuesday, April 1, is the deadline for submissions for the Undergraduate Research Conference, scheduled for Friday, April 25, at the Barnhardt Student Activity Center.

In its third year, the Undergraduate Research Conference showcases projects being completed by undergraduates from all levels and from all colleges/departments. The Office of Academic Affairs, Atkins Library and new this year, the Levine Scholars Program, are cosponsoring this event.

University leaders, governmental officials, business and industry partners and members of the greater community were on campus Friday, Feb. 28, for the formal dedication of the PORTAL building, a facility developed to harness the power of UNC Charlotte to stimulate business growth and job creation.

James Currie recently joined UNC Charlotte as the associate director for PORTAL. He comes to the University from Ohio State University, where he was program director for industry engagement and economic development for the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.

UNC Charlotte’s new PORTAL building is the latest example of the University’s commitment to foster partnerships with private industry. The facility was designed to stimulate business growth and job creation along with promoting research and innovation.
The four-story, 96,000-square-foot,  PORTAL building, which sits on a prominent site at the Tryon Street entrance of the Charlotte Research Institute campus, will be formally dedicated on Feb. 28.