UNC Charlotte Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber named Business Person of the Year for 2025 by Charlotte Business Journal

UNC Charlotte had a banner year in 2025, and the region is taking notice. Charlotte Business Journal named Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber Business Person of the Year for 2025, recognizing her innovative leadership in growing the University’s national profile, expanding its presence in uptown and solidifying it as an economic driver for the region.

In 2025, the University achieved a record fall enrollment (32,207 students), earned Research 1 status and broke ground on a $70 million football stadium expansion. The University also announced a partnership with Honeywell that will launch an Innovation Hub on campus and opened CO-LAB at UNC Charlotte Center City — a space across from The Dubois Center that connects local entrepreneurs to UNC Charlotte experts. 

“I think we’ve done a lot to become more visible, and we recognize that we are intimately tied to the growth of Charlotte,” Gaber told the Charlotte Business Journal. 

The title of Charlotte Business Journal’s Business Person of the Year is just the latest accolade Gaber received for her leadership. This past fall, she received the World Citizen Award, presented by the World Affairs Council of Charlotte, and was twice named to CBJ’s Power 100 list, which recognizes leaders who drive growth in the region.