University Advancement

C. Philip Byers, member of the UNC Board of Governors, talks about the broad impact of the $2 billion Connect NC bond proposal that is on the March 15 ballot.

Trustee David Hauser says now is a great time for the state to invest in the $2 billion Connect NC bond measure.

The six-minute University promotional film “Big Ideas, Big Future,” created by the Office of University Communications, recently received a national Gold MarCom Award for outstanding video by an educational institution.

The Denver Broncos might have gotten the best of the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50, but UNC Charlotte came out on top against the University of Colorado Denver in a social media contest. At the end of the photo contest Feb. 5, UNC Charlotte had 14,206 likes, 8,818 shares and 1,861 comments, compared with UC Denver’s 4,580 likes, 1,349 shares and 609 comments.

The loser had to post a video with its mascot wearing Carolina Panthers garb: University of Colorado Denver.

UNC Charlotte hosted a meeting of the Charlotte Regional Partnership Board of Directors on Jan. 28, where Chancellor Philip L. Dubois delivered a presentation that outlined the economic benefits of the Connect NC bond.

On the March 15 statewide ballot, the bond includes $90 million for science education at UNC Charlotte and a total of $135 million for the Charlotte region. Dubois has said that the funds are critically important to the continued growth of the University and the long-term economic vitality of North Carolina.

Susan DeVore, president of Premier Inc. and UNC Charlotte trustee, talks about the need for highly skilled workers, particularly in STEM fields, and how the Connect NC bond will help the University’s mission.

Billy Johnson, a graduate assistant in chemistry, speaks to the need for more lab space to better educate students.

Myron Macklin, a graphic designer in the Office of University Communications, was selected by Mark Millar to collaborate in the creation of a charity comic book.

Miller, the writer behind the Kingsman, Kick-Ass and Jupiter’s Circle series, sponsored the international contest. Six artists, six writers and a cover artist were selected to use Millar’s characters in the creation of the charity comic scheduled to be released later this year.

Betty Doster, special assistant to the chancellor for constituent relations, was included on the Charlotte Business Journal’s list of behind-the-scenes newsmakers of 2015.

According to the CBJ, victories in the General Assembly for colleges and for larger cities such as Charlotte have been rare since a Republican majority shifted the state’s emphasis toward cutting taxes and tightening budgets. Among the notable exceptions: UNC Charlotte, which Gov. Pat McCrory included in his $2 billion bond proposal that goes before voters on March 15.

Bernadette Donovan-Merkert, chair of the Chemistry Department, discusses the need for increased lab space for the sciences; the Connect NC bond would provide funding for a new science building at UNC Charlotte.