AROUND CAMPUS {What's going on at UNC Charlotte}
Swartz advising Charlotte Observer readers on the economic ‘Squeeze’
Carol Swartz, clinical professor of economics in the Belk College of Business, is helping readers of the Charlotte Observer maneuver through the current economic uncertainty as an advisor to the paper’s column and blog “The Squeeze.”
Moderated by Observer reporter Peter St. Onge, “The Squeeze” analyzes economic data and trends and shares stories of people coping with job loss and financial hardship.
In a comment on the blog St. Onge wrote, “We think it’s valuable to give our readers information that looks beyond the reports that are in the news. That’s why Carol Swartz is a terrific resource for ‘The Squeeze.’ She explains, with insight.”
“The Squeeze” blog is accessible online. Excerpts from the blog occasionally are published in the Observer’s print edition.
Swartz joined the Belk College in 2006. For the past 20 years, she worked in industry, including two Fortune 100 companies, Chicago Public Radio and two start-ups. Her work experience covers a broad range including services and manufacturing, international and domestic business, and consumer goods and industrial goods. Swartz, who holds a doctorate from Duke University, also has taught at the University of Notre Dame, Emory University, Roosevelt University and Aurora University.
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College of Education faculty members receive national awards
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Browder |
Culbreth |
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Three College of Education faculty members recently received national awards.
Diane Browder, special education and child development, was honored as the 2009 Distinguished Researcher Award recipient by the American Educational Research Association’s Special Education Research group. Each year, the association recognizes an individual who has made “significant and sustained contributions to research, policy and/or practice in the field.” The award was presented at the association meeting in San Diego.
The Counseling Department’s Jack Culbreth was given the Outstanding Counselor Educator Award from the International Association for Addictions and Offender Counselors for his work on the Council on Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs standards. These new standards now include both a requirement that all counseling students receive training in addictions counseling and a specialty area in addictions. The award was presented at the annual meeting of the American Counseling Association.
David Test, special education and child development, was presented the 2009 Research Award by the Division for Career Development and Transition at the annual International Council for Exceptional Children Convention in Seattle. He, too, is a First Citizens Bank Scholars Medal recipient, winning the honor in 2004.
“Our College of Education faculty are dedicated and effective researchers who are committed to advancing knowledge and improving practice in schools and communities,” said Mary Lynne Calhoun, dean of the college. “Three national awards from three different professional societies is a great tribute to their success. I extend my congratulations to Drs. Browder, Test and Culbreth to this fine recognition of their work.”
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University wins Mobile CARE Award
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| The University's motor fleet includes a number of alternative fuel vehicles. |
UNC Charlotte’s motor fleet received a 2009 Mobile CARE Award in recognition of the outstanding achievements it has made in using alternative fuels and advanced transportation technologies.
The Mobile CARE awards, presented by the North Carolina Solar Center, recognize individuals, fuel and technology providers, fleets and policy innovations that are advancing alternative fuel and transportation technology activities in the state. The awards are supported by the North Carolina Division of Air Quality, State Energy Office, and the Department of Transportation.
According to center officials, the award selection committee was impressed by “UNC Charlotte’s thoughtful and far reaching four-year-old Petroleum Displacement Program that has reduced petroleum use by 30 percent in the face of a growing campus… we recognize that UNC Charlotte has implemented a diverse set of strategies including: appropriate vehicle sizing and careful consideration of which power options are available that would help with reducing dependence on fossil fuels and what infrastructure exists on campus to support these power options.”
Larry Lane, fleet supervisor, accepted the award during the recent Charlotte visit of the Driving Clean and Green Tour, sponsored by the center’s Clean Fuel Advanced Technology Program.
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Disability services names outstanding faculty/staff
The Office of Disability Services recently announced the recipients of its 2008-09 Outstanding Faculty and Staff Awards. The honorees are Maryrica Ortiz Lottman, Spanish; David McIntosh, information technology services; Bianca Potrykus, German; and Wei Zhao, sociology.
The award is in its fifth year, and recipients were selected from student and colleague nominations. According to Kristin Kolin, associate director for disability services, the award recipients all have exhibited a strong commitment to accessibility- and disability-related issues. Lottman, Potrykus and Zhao were recognized for their one-on-one support to students and efforts to provide them with access materials and teachings in a seamless manner. McIntosh was selected for his commitment to Web site accessibility.
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Atkins Library creates new reading area
Atkins Library patrons now can relax in a new browsing/popular reading collection area, located on the second floor by the Reserves Desk. A wide selection of titles from the New York Times reviewed book collection as well as the Charlotte Observer’s repository donations is available. Most books can be checked out for a three-week period with two renewals possible. The campus community also can use the Atkins Express service to obtain these books.
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Doctoral student wins PEO Scholar Award
Lindsay Baran, a doctoral student in business administration, finance, was named a recipient of the Philanthropic Educational Organization Scholar Award. Restricted to women who are within two years of completing their degree, the award was for $15,000. A past recipient of the TIAA-CREF doctoral fellowship, Baran is completing her dissertation, which deals with the analysis of changes in access to capital markets and cost of capital. She is the second UNC Charlotte doctoral student to win this prestigious award; Judith Oakes, who is graduating with a Ph.D. in biology, received the award last year.
The local PEO chapter also recognized three Graduate Assistant Support Plan Scholars: Heather Britt (educational leadership), Kaia Buhl (optical science and engineering) and Caroline Ziemkiewicz (information technology).
PEO was founded in 1869 by seven students at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. According to its Web site, PEO exists to be a source of encouragement and support for women to realize their potential in whatever worthwhile endeavor they choose. Nearly 77,800 women have benefited from the organization’s educational grants, loans, awards and special projects.
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Time share condominium available in August, proceeds benefit Relay for Life
As part of its American Cancer Society Relay for Life fund-raising effort, the Campus Activities Board has the use of a time share condominium at DeerCreek Vacation Rentals near Myrtle Beach. The four-bedroom unit is available Aug. 23-30 for a reasonable donation to the American Cancer Society. It is valued at $1,000. For more information or pictures of the time share, e-mail jfsingle@uncc.edu.
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U.S. DOT official to speak at International Hydrail Conference
Walter Kulyk, director of the Office of Mobility Innovation at the Federal Transit Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, will be the keynote speaker at the fifth International Hydrail Conference, which the UNC Charlotte Charlotte Research Institute will host June 11-12.
The conference will highlight the trend away from overhead power for streetcars, which could bring Charlotte’s Beatties Ford to Eastland line and downtown-to-airport rail within easier economic reach. Hydrail is an emerging technology using hydrogen fuel cells instead of traditional diesel-electric generators to power rail equipment traction motors. The earliest hydrail applications will be streetcars and commuter rail equipment. The program agenda and conference registration are available on the Web.
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CCI students receive information security and privacy scholarships
Joshua Schroeder and Salem Adnan, students in the College of Computing and Informatics Department of Software and Information Systems, were awarded $3,000 scholarships from the Charlotte Metro Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) chapter.
Charlotte Metro ISSA was the first chapter in the country to offer these scholarships, which will support future information security professionals. Applicants must be a student pursuing a career in information security and privacy and must be an active, full-time UNC Charlotte student, undergraduate or graduate.
Bill Chu, CCI interim dean, congratulated the students and expressed his appreciation to Charlotte Metro ISSA for supporting the college’s efforts to produce the best students in information security and privacy. “This again shows the quality of students who are enrolled at the College of Computing and Informatics,” he said.
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Deadline extended to submit information for media guide
Due to overwhelming response, the Public Relations Office has extended the deadline for submissions for the next edition of its “UNC Charlotte Experts: A Guide for the Media.” In 2007, the PR Office compiled and produced the publication, which was distributed to print, radio and TV outlets across the metropolitan Carolinas. To be included in the guide, faculty members received an e-mail with a link to a Web-based survey/questionnaire. The new deadline to respond is Friday, April 24.
“The media guide is a valuable resource for promoting the University,” said John Bland, PR director. “Every day, our office fields calls from reporters, editors and columnists who seek expert commentary and authoritative perspective on a variety of subjects. Our faculty members not only possess a wealth of information, but they are engaged in innovative research. Journalists value the respected, authoritative sources that the University offers, which helps enhance the academic reputation of the institution and professional reputation of the source.”
For more information, contact Phillip Brown, internal communications manager, at ext. 7-5829 or e-mail pbrown59@uncc.edu.
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Crime, race and class subject of community dialogue
April’s installment of the monthly University-sponsored speaker series “Community Conversations: Changing Times…Changing Minds” sparked lively dialogue among panelists and audience members.
The discussion, “Space for Justice: Race and Class in Our Criminal Justice System,” addressed perceptions and causes of crime in the Charlotte region, how crime is covered by the media and the ways in which policy makers and community members can help in short- and long-term crime reduction. Panelists included Bruce Arrigo and Jennifer Hartman from the Criminal Justice and Criminology Department and James Ferguson, founding partner of the firm Ferguson, Stein, Chambers, Gresham and Sumter.
As the education sponsor of the Levine Museum’s “Changing Places: From Black and White to Technicolor” exhibit, the University will host the speaker series at the museum every third Wednesday through February 2010. Dialogues will begin at 6 p.m., with a reception to follow. These community conversations are free and open to the public. For more information, go to video.uncc.edu/conversations; to register, send e-mail to communityaffairs@uncc.edu or call ext. 7-8502. The next discussion, May 20, will focus on how growing communities provide and pay for infrastructure.
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Engineering students to present senior projects at design expo
Seniors of the William States Lee College of Engineering will present their year-long projects at the college’s annual Senior Design Exposition Wednesday, April 29. All campus faculty, staff and students are invited to attend.
More than 50 student projects will be displayed. Examples include a powered rollout garbage bin mechanism, home water disinfection system that uses ultraviolet light emitting diodes, Sternal surgery closure simulator and an instrumented solar power system for grid attachment.
The event will take place throughout the University Cone Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Following the exposition, Danny Kent, lead robotics expert from Defense Technologies, will deliver the keynote address, and there will be an awards session in McKnight Hall.
The expo provides great opportunities to observe how our students and local companies work together to solve a variety of design problems, said Bill Heybruck, director of the college’s Industrial Solutions Lab. He added one of this year’s success stories is a light-rail system for transporting materials at a nuclear power plant. The project is being implemented by sponsor AREVA. He estimated the company saved more than $100,000 in engineering expenses by working with the student team.
For more information, contact Heybruck at ext. 7-2934 or e-mail wfheybru@uncc.edu or visit the expo Web site.
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Crime and punishment in China
A book, a plant and a fish – these three “gifts” are what convicted felons are given on their first day in prison in China, one of the world’s oldest civilizations.
While most of us would raise an eyebrow to this type of criminal justice, Paul Friday, criminal justice and criminology, believes the unusual items given to the new prisoners represent far more than inappropriate offerings. To find out why, read “Crime and Punishment: Professor expands understanding of China’s criminal justice system” in the latest issue of UNC Charlotte magazine.
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Volunteers needed for May commencement
Volunteers are needed to assist with various duties for the University’s two spring commencement ceremonies Saturday, May 9, in the Barnhardt Student Activity Center. The Office of Events and Special Projects cannot successfully hold these memorable ceremonies for the graduates without the help of the many University volunteers.
The morning ceremony for the College of Education and the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences will be at 10 a.m. The afternoon ceremony for the colleges of Arts + Architecture, Business, Computing and Informatics, Engineering and Health and Human Services will be at 3 p.m.
Volunteers may work either ceremony or both. Possible duties include ushering, checking in dignitaries, lining up students for the processional, helping with robes, etc. A continental breakfast and buffet lunch will be available for all volunteers. To volunteer, e-mail Gail Pankas, events and special projects, at gpankas@uncc.edu or call ext. 7-5839.
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