Layne Riggs ’24 clinches Truck Series regular‑season championship with sixth win and Novant Health’s investment in the School of Nursing

August 24, 2026

Categories: Niner Insider

Layne Riggs ’24 clinches Truck Series regular‑season championship with sixth win

UNC Charlotte alumnus Layne Riggs ’24 clinched the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular‑season championship with his sixth win of the year, capping a breakout campaign that now sends him into The Chase as the No. 1 seed.

what you need to know: faculty and staff

Academic Affairs Weekly News Digest: Nominations are open through 5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 4, for the O. Max Gardner Award given annually by the UNC System. Learn more about the award, along with other important updates in this week’s news digest.
Grand opening: Celebrate the grand opening of Half Moon Empanadas, a new restaurant in the Popp Martin Student Union, Tuesday, Aug. 25, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m.
Raise funds with Pickstarter: Pickstarter, UNC Charlotte’s crowdfunding platform, helps students, faculty and staff raise money for student organizations with support from University fundraising professionals. Attend the information session at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 25, to learn more. Applications for fall crowdfunding events close Thursday, Aug. 27.
Social media accounts: University Communications is updating UNC Charlotte’s directory of official social media accounts. If you manage an account for a University unit, please complete the brief social media account form by Friday, Sept. 4.
Deck name changes: A few parking decks have new names. West Deck is now Central Deck, CRI Deck is now Snyder Deck, CRI 2 is now Lot 32 and CRI 3 is now Lot 33. These name changes will not affect parking permit access.
Increase of Candida auris: Morgan Carter, assistant professor in the Klein College of Science, answered questions about the rise of the fungus Candida auris and its impact.
Sustainability presentations: The Office of Sustainability offers guest class presentations and tours to connect sustainability principles directly with your course material.
Estate planning guide: As National Make‑a‑Will Month comes to a close, it’s a great time to take a first step toward planning for the future. Reach out to the Gift Planning team for additional tools.

what you need to know: students

Deck name changes: A few parking decks have new names. West Deck is now Central Deck, CRI Deck is now Snyder Deck, CRI 2 is now Lot 32 and CRI 3 is now Lot 33. These name changes will not affect parking permit access.
Increase of Candida auris: Morgan Carter, assistant professor in the Klein College of Science, answered questions about the rise of the fungus Candida auris and its impact.
Apply to be a Niner Guide: Share your Niner pride and help welcome others to the University by applying to become a Niner Guide. Applications for the fall are open through Thursday, Aug. 27.
TEDxUNCCharlotte: Speaker applications are now open for TEDxUNCCharlotte through Sunday, Sept. 13. The University’s licensed event, taking place Saturday, Feb. 20, will feature students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members.

the difference is charlotte

UNC Charlotte and Novant Health are strengthening their partnership with a $500,000 investment to enhance the University’s nursing simulation labs and expand hands-on clinical training. In this Q&A, Melinda Pierce shares how immersive simulation builds confidence and clinical readiness.

professional development: faculty and staff

49er Mart users: The 49er Mart virtual forum will be held from 2 to 4 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 27. Registration is encouraged on the Learning and Development Portal and additional information can be found on the 49er Mart message board.
Concur User Group: Attend the Concur User Group virtual forum from 10 to 11:30 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 27.
Wellness webinar: Register for the virtual webinar, “Becoming a Better Listener,” from noon to 1 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 2, offered by HR in partnership with ComPsych Guidance Resources.
Charlotte Urban Institute: Register for CORE, the six-part series focusing on strengthening community-engaged research and campus collaboration.

to-do list: faculty and staff

Back-to-school photos: Check out photo highlights from the first week of the fall semester and explore additional galleries capturing the start of a new year at UNC Charlotte.
Experience the arts: Check out the upcoming performances and exhibitions hosted by the College of Arts + Architecture.
Trivia: Trivia by Niner Insider is back. Play this week’s back-to-school edition.
Stay informed: Review ongoing disruptions, delays and detours on campus.

TO-DO LIST: students

Back-to-school photos: Check out photo highlights from the first week of the fall semester and explore additional galleries capturing the start of a new year at UNC Charlotte.
Experience the arts: Check out the upcoming performances and exhibitions hosted by the College of Arts + Architecture.
Trivia: Trivia by Niner Insider is back. Play this week’s back-to-school edition.
Stay informed: Review ongoing disruptions, delays and detours on campus.

Upcoming: faculty and staff

Globally Networked funding: The Office of Global Learning is hosting an information session on submitting proposals for funding to support Globally Networked learning projects and courses from 1 to 2 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 1.
TEDxUNCCharlotte: Speaker applications are now open for TEDxUNCCharlotte through Sunday, Sept. 13. The University’s licensed event, taking place on Saturday, Feb. 20, will feature students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members.

Upcoming events: students

Join the Office of Sustainability for a sustainability themed family feud from 4 to 5 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 27, in Cone University Center, room 112B, as part of Gold Rush. Participants will be split into teams to guess the most popular answers to sustainability themed questions. Snacks will be provided.

Grand opening: Celebrate the grand opening of Half Moon Empanadas, a new restaurant in the Popp Martin Student Union, Tuesday, Aug. 25, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. The first 49 students will receive a free empanada, with additional free empanadas from 1 to 3 p.m., while supplies last.
Reach new heights at Atkins: Celebrate the official reopening of the Dalton Library Tower Wednesday, Sept. 9.