AROUND CAMPUS {What's going on at UNC Charlotte}
Finalists named for Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence
Since 1968, UNC Charlotte has recognized outstanding instruction through the presentation of the Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence. The 2009 finalists for the award are: Charles Burnap, associate professor, mathematics and statistics; Richard Lejk, associate professor, computer science; James Lyons, professor, educational leadership; Patrick Moyer, associate professor, physics and optical science; and Lori Van Wallendael, associate professor, psychology. The University and Bank of America will announce the recipient at a reception Friday, Sept. 25. Prior to the winner’s selection, Campus News will feature each finalist in alphabetical order.
Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence Finalist Spotlight – James Lyons
Jim Lyons has taught educational leadership at UNC Charlotte for 30 years. He arrived on campus in 1979 with a newly acquired Ph.D. in educational administration from Ohio State University. His previous educational experience included working as a secondary school teacher in Edgecombe County and principal in Lenoir County.
For a short time, Lyons employed the “sage on the stage” technique, but he quickly realized that his mature graduate students had much to offer from their own “knowledge, insights and experiences.” Also, he understood that passively absorbing knowledge was not in the best interest of students who were preparing to be school leaders who would have to be actively involved in educational problems and be primarily oral communicators.
Lyons revised his approach to be a “catalyst of learning.” He structured his classes in recognition of the fact that the schools and school systems in which his students would practice their professions would be “dynamic places rife with uncertainties and unpredictable events.” In his active learning environment, he uses cooperative learning, group assignments, case studies and role playing.
Students praise Lyons’ teaching. “His content knowledge, pedagogical skills and professional behaviors are exceptional, but this is not what I think sets Dr. Lyons apart from other professors. His gift is motivating his students to use the knowledge and skills taught in his class in the educational field. Dr. Lyons teaches ordinary people who do extraordinary things. His students are teachers principals, and superintendents: they are responsible for major educational decisions that impact prekindergarten to 12th grade students in North Carolina.”
During his career, Lyons has taught more than 15 courses. In his research, he focused on areas where there has been a void in the body of knowledge and where better understanding of an area would benefit his students. To date, Lyons has contributed significantly to student scholarship, directing 26 doctoral dissertations and serving as an advisor for more than 125 master’s degree projects.
For Lyons, the greatest reward is observing the accomplishments of his students, including 12 superintendents, 24 assistant superintendents, more than 600 school principals and five university faculty members. Beyond the classroom, he has offered professional development programs across the country, published extensive research and conducted a major study to inform large, urban districts on hiring of principals.
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Peacock to work with Levine Scholars Program
Effective Sept. 1, Kelley Peacock is associate director for scholar selection and operations for the Levine Scholars Program. In this capacity, Peacock will work with Al Maisto, interim director of the Levine Scholars Program, and the staff of enrollment management.
Previously, Peacock served as the senior assistant director of admissions and scholarships for merit coordinator for UNC Charlotte, where she coordinated large scale recruitment events, reviewed scholarship applications, participated in the selection committee decisions and administered all freshman merit-based awards. In addition, she worked closely with the Honors College to recruit and enroll honors students. Prior to UNC Charlotte, she served as a school counselor in Cabarrus County for three years.
A UNC Charlotte alumna, Peacock holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a Master of Arts in Counseling. As an undergraduate student, she enrolled as a North Carolina Teaching Fellow. During her master’s program, she worked as a graduate assistant in the University’s Teaching Fellows Program helping to recruit and advise prospective scholars. Information about the Levine Scholars Program is on the Web.
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H1N1 Update: UNC Charlotte faring better than other N.C. schools
After the first week of fall semester, UNC Charlotte, so far, has been spared from the H1N1 flu (swine flu). Other North Carolina campuses have been less lucky. At press time today, only two cases of swine flu have been reported on campus, according to officials at the Student Health Center. Those cases are being treated – including voluntary isolation by the affected students – and there is no cause for undue concern.
Faculty, staff and students should continue to follow basic preventative measures such as washing hands frequently, using proper cough and sneeze etiquette and taking sick leave when feeling ill. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published guidance for higher education institutions to deal with influenza.
Across the state, other campuses have reported larger numbers of flu cases. Most notably, UNC Wilmington had reported approximately 335 cases in the first several days of classes – the most in North Carolina. Even so, a news report indicated that most of those cases are mild and are successfully being treated by voluntary isolation. According to data provided in a meeting of UNC Charlotte’s Pandemic Response Committee, Wake Forest University had reported 80 cases of H1N1 and Western Carolina reported 70. People between the ages of six and 24 are especially susceptible to the H1N1 flu.
Campus News will publishH1N1 updates as conditions dictate.
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University Fulbright scholars share advice with visiting Fulbright students
Thirty-six incoming Fulbright students recently received advice from 10 UNC Charlotte Fulbright Scholars as part of a new pre-academic program developed by the Office of International Programs (OIP).
The students arrived from across the globe, including Ecuador, Gaza, Germany, Haiti, Israel, Japan, Madagascar, Senegal, Spain, Taiwan, Uzbekistan and Yemen. During their stay in the U.S., they will work toward master’s degrees or doctorates in various disciplines, such as African-American studies, architecture, engineering, film, international relations, literature, public health and sports business management.
“These students were inquisitive, outgoing, enthusiastic and highly motivated. They were the cream of the crop,” said Susan Lambert, director of the Office of Intercultural Outreach Programs (IOP).
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| UNC Charlotte faculty Fulbright Scholars who participated in a recent panel discussion with students. |
UNC Charlotte former Fulbright Scholars on the panel were: Judy Aulette, sociology, (South Africa); Bill Brandon, political science, (Oman); Michael Eldridge, philosophy, (Hungary); Gary Ferraro, anthropology, (Czech Republic); Sybil Huskey, dance, (New Zealand); Janet Levy, anthropology, (Finland); Martha Miller, languages and culture studies, (Brazil); Douglas Shafer, mathematics and statistics, (Belgium); Beth Whitaker, political science, (Kenya); and Paul Youngman, languages and culture studies, (Germany). Joёl Gallegos, assistant provost for international programs, and Lambert moderated the panel.
Faculty members responded to a number of questions from the students, including “What should I do to have a full American experience?” and “How do I cope when the culture shock is overwhelming?”
According to Rebecca Vincent, coordinator of international initiatives, the common theme of the responses was for the students to embrace the challenges as part of the learning experiences. They were encouraged to engage with the community and to see as much as possible for a richer experience.
The panel discussion was the culminating experience in a three-week pre-academic program developed by IOP. Lambert and Maureen White, program coordinator for the office, facilitated the experience, which consisted of sessions to prepare the students not only for the academic expectations of U.S. graduate schools but graduate student life and cross-cultural experiences. UNC Charlotte faculty presented sessions, such as “On the Right Track: Getting the Most out of Your Graduate Education,” Adapting to American Teaching Styles” and “U.S. Government and Politics.” The students also participated in a number of cultural activities, including visits with host families and whitewater rafting. In all, more than 70 faculty, staff and students from the University assisted to welcome the grantees and to provide information to facilitate their adjustment to life and academic achievement in the United States.
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Reminder on news dissemination, media outreach
University Policy No. 29 “Dissemination of News” directs all proactive outreach to the media be coordinated through the Public Relations Office in the Division for University Relations and Community Affairs.
The PR Office is available to work with faculty/staff members to develop story ideas that it determines to be of compelling interest to external audiences. In developing such stories, PR will contact the media and facilitate interviews. Members of the office are available to help faculty/staff prepare for interviews.
Faculty and staff members who have ideas for news stories should contact a member of the PR Office: John Bland, director, (e-mail jdbland@uncc.edu); Paul Nowell (pmnowell@uncc.edu) or Buffie Stephens (dbsteph1@uncc.edu), external media; Phillip Brown (pbrown59@uncc.edu), internal audience; or Lisa Lambert (llambe17@uncc.edu), UNC Charlotte magazine.
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Continuing education to offer new programs for fall
The Office of Continuing Education offers a wide variety of classes and certificate programs in various fields to help individuals and employers achieve professional and organizational goals. Classes and programs are provided in a variety of areas, including accounting, business, engineering, event planning, exam preparation, human resources, information technology, law, management, paralegal and project management, to name a few. The office also can design tailored programs to meet corporate objectives and deliver the programs on-site or at one of three convenient UNC Charlotte educational facilities: Uptown, the main campus or Ben Craig Center.
In efforts to expand its courses, the office is offering these new programs:
“Search Engine Optimization, Marketing and Metrics,” which is a certificate program designed to teach participants how to market Web sites through organic and pay-per-click methods. Participants will learn how to create and submit search-engine-friendly sites and modify sites based on visitor behavior in order to achieve a higher rank on search pages that may translate into more business transactions. In addition, participants will learn how to track this information to calculate and communicate a return on investment.
“Finance and Accounting for the Non-Financial Manager” is a certificate series that provides an introduction to accounting and its processes for financial evaluation. The program targets organizational stakeholders heavily involved in goal setting and decision making processes. Participants will learn how to read financial statements and reports to formulate strategic business plans. Emphasis will be placed on understanding assets, liabilities, capital, return on investment, risk management, balance sheets, cost accounting, cash flow and strategies for better communication with financial professionals.
“Certified Internal Auditor Exam Prep” is a course that allows internal auditors to prepare for the four components of the CIA certification examination. The CIA designation, sponsored by the Institute for Internal Auditors, is the only globally accepted certification for internal auditors. Upon completion of this course, participants will be qualified and prepared to sit for the Certified Internal Auditor Examination. In the aftermath of recent accounting scandals, professional certification is even more important to ensure that accountants’ credentials and knowledge of ethics are sound.
“CBAP Exam Prep” is a two-day course designed to help individuals prepare for and pass the Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) exam using the new 2.0 version of the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge. The CBAP exam preparation course and all of the office’s business analysis courses can be applied toward the 21 hours of professional development required to apply to take the CBAP exam.
Continuing education also is offering a wide variety of online courses this fall. Subject areas include forensic accounting, energy/green building practices, LEED exam preparation, HR, strategic planning, Office 2007 and financial management.
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Computer science professor receives NSF grant to research ad hoc wireless networks
Yu Wang, assistant professor in the College of Computing and Informatics Department of Computer Science, has received a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the collaborative research project “An Integrated Environment-independent Approach to Topology Control in Wireless Ad Hoc Networks.” The total grant, which is for $462,561, is from the foundation’s Networking Technology and Systems Program.
“I am delighted to receive this research grant from one of the extremely competitive NSF programs,” said Wang, who will serve as one of three principal investigators. “It will establish new collaborations between my group at UNC Charlotte and researchers at Drexel and Lehigh to keep our research at the cutting edge of an exciting and growing field. We hope that the algorithmic strategies designed in this project will allow us to achieve better performance and energy efficiency of the next generation wireless networks.”
Wang, in collaboration with Harish Sethu from Drexel University and Liang Cheng from Lehigh University, will study how to intelligently control the topology of wireless ad hoc networks so energy consumption and network interference are reduced while capacity is maximized. These new algorithms will speed up the actual deployment of energy-efficient high-performance wireless ad hoc networks with benefits to many known civil or military applications.
A wireless ad hoc network is a loose collection of wireless devices that are capable of communicating with each other without the aid of any established infrastructure or centralized administration. Minimal configuration and quick deployment make wireless ad hoc networks suitable for a variety of applications, such as disaster recovery or military battlefields. Wireless ad hoc networks are expected to play an important role in the future wireless generation.
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Friendship and Culture Exchange Program seeking participants
The International Friendship and Culture Exchange Program is an opportunity for American and international students to spend an hour together each week in interesting one-on-one conversation; sharing the ideas, customs and concerns of their respective countries. The program, sponsored by the International Student/Scholar Office in the Office of International Programs, is seeking student participants. The ability to speak another language is not required and the one-hour meetings are held to accommodate participants’ schedules.
Faculty members are encouraged to promote the Friendship and Culture Exchange Program in their classes and direct interested students to apply to participate via the Web. The application deadline is Sunday, Sept. 13.
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NSCS chapter recognized with Gold Award
The UNC Charlotte chapter of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) was recognized with the organization’s Gold Award at the NSCS Honor Gala in Washington, D.C.
The National Society of Collegiate Scholars is an honors organization for high-achieving freshmen and sophomores. Chapter officers represented the University at the national conference.
The members of UNC Charlotte’s chapter are amazing, said Blair Edwards, NSCS national staff representative. “They have gone above and beyond by creating innovative programs and expanding and improving existing programs. They have truly embraced the ideals of NSCS.”
The University’s NSCS chapter was founded in 1999; nationally, there are more than 240 student-run chapters across the nation.
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OIP to present International Film Series
The Office of International Programs will sponsor an International Film Series during the 2009-10 academic year. Six films will be screened, including the Chinese film “Getting Home,” Brazil’s “Mutum” and Morocco’s “What a Wonderful World.”
According to Rebecca Vincent, coordinator of international initiatives, the critically acclaimed films in the series will examine universal themes of love, tragedy, family and community.
The film series is being co-presented with Global Film Initiative and is funded through a grant from the Chancellor’s Diversity Challenge Fund. Final details regarding the screenings are pending. For more information, contact Vincent at ext. 7-7305 or e-mail rebecca.vincent@uncc.edu.
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Power outages to affect parts of campus Sept. 5-6
Memorial Hall and Belk Gym will experience a complete electrical outage Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 5-6, in order for facilities maintenance to pull new high voltage cabling and make final connections to the campus’ power grid.
During this same period, four additional outages may take place. The first outage would affect Belk Track and the old field house; the second, Barnard, Friday, Kennedy and Macy Buildings; the third, Auxiliary Services, Burson and Prospector Buildings; and the fourth, Cato and Storrs Buildings, East Deck and Parking Lots 4, 4A, 5, 5A and 6. Each outage will last up to two hours; the exact time of the outage on either of these two days needs to be flexible.
Direct questions or concerns regarding these outages to Anthony Horn, high voltage supervisor, at ext. 7-2880 or Mike Burriello, central operations manager, at (704) 604-0400.
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Robinson Hall performing arts season unveiled
UNC Charlotte’s Robinson Hall for the Performing Arts has released its 2009-10 season lineup of events presented by the departments of Dance, Music and Theatre. Highlights of the season include productions of Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” and Stephen Sondheim’s “Assassins,” concerts of new and reconstructed choreography for the University’s Dance Ensemble and the new Faculty & Friends Concert Series featuring the inaugural recital of violinist David Russell, the newly appointed Anne R. Belk Distinguished Professor of Music.
According to Chris Barton, Robinson Hall marketing and Box Office manager, the price of tickets for UNC Charlotte faculty and staff will be lower this season than in prior years with an even greater discount offered to those who subscribe to a series of performances. “Along with our students, the faculty and staff are our most important audience and a goal for the 2009-10 season is to welcome more of the campus community to the many exciting performing arts events at Robinson Hall. Our hope is that significantly lowering the cost of attending these performances will be a part of attaining that goal.”
For more information about the upcoming season, visit the Web site www.performances.uncc.edu/.