Awards and honors

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) bestowed its first-ever Civilian Medal of Valor posthumously to Riley Howell, who lost his life in the campus shooting. Members of his family attended the annual CMPD Awards Ceremony, Wednesday, May 15, to accept the honor.

Howell, who died during the April 30 campus attack, displayed “courage, sacrifice and honor” in his actions to charge the gunman, said CMPD Lt. Brad Koch.

In recognition of his 33 years of service to UNC Charlotte, Wayne Maikranz, director of Student Niner Media, was honored with the establishment of a student media award in his name.

The Charlotte men’s and women’s programs both won gold, being crowned the 2019 Air Force Reserve Conference USA Track and Field Champions at the Irwin Belk Track and Field Center on Sunday, May 12. This is the first time since joining C-USA that both the men’s and women’s programs have won the Outdoor Conference Championship in the same season.

Jennifer Munroe, Sarah Pollock and Lane Rhodes recently received the 2018-19 Excellence in Teaching Awards presented by the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (CLAS). The three were lauded for the innovative ways they challenge and engage students, including through research opportunities, interactive lectures and real-time projects.

Cato College of Education professor Chuang Wang and student Maria Garcia are the recipients of the International Education Awards (IEA) presented by the Office of International Programs.

Judy Rose, a trailblazer in her field who helped elevate the Charlotte 49ers to great heights during her longtime career, will be one of eight athletic directors inducted into the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) at the organization’s 54th annual convention, June 12.     
    

James Cook, a professor in the Department of Psychological Science at UNC Charlotte, has received the 2019 Outstanding Educator Award, a top honor given by the Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA), Division 27 of the American Psychological Association.

Yuehan Shao, who is working on a Ph.D. in applied mathematics, and Katie Wilkers, a master’s student in kinesiology, were named Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistants for 2018-19.

The Graduate School bestows the awards, which are presented at the doctoral and master’s levels, to recognize outstanding and innovative teaching techniques.

The UNC Charlotte Mu Tau Beta chapter of the international counseling honor society Chi Sigma Iota recently honored three outstanding graduate students and two faculty members in the Department of Counseling.

The seven alumni, faculty and friends of the University who were honored at the 2019 Alumni Awards Luncheon included accomplished business leaders, public servants, community leaders, educators and philanthropists.