General News

2015 was a big year for UNC Charlotte – this holiday video recaps the year’s top 15 highlights.

Michael Lizotte, University sustainability officer, was appointed a technical advisor by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

A nonprofit membership organization, AASHE empowers higher education faculty, administrators, staff and students to be effective change agents and drivers of sustainability innovation. AASHE enables its more than 900 members to translate information into action by offering essential resources and professional development to a diverse, engaged community of sustainability leaders.

Lee Rose, former Charlotte 49ers men’s basketball coach who has devoted more than 50 years to the sport, has been nominated for enshrinement into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. The list of candidates for the 2016 class was released by the Basketball Hall of Fame, and included Rose, who guided the 49ers to the 1976 NIT Finals and the 1977 NCAA Final Four.

Rose’s impact on the sport spanned every level across six decades, including experience at the high school, NAIA, NCAA Div. I, II and III, NBDL, NBA and International levels.

Dean Hood has joined the Charlotte 49ers football program as assistant head coach and tight ends coach. He spent the last eight years as the head coach at Eastern Kentucky and also served as Wake Forest’s defensive coordinator.

Saturday’s two commencement ceremonies were streamed live to an international audience, and people around the world tuned in to watch. According to Web analytics, there were 6,814 unique viewing locations in 65 countries, including the United States.

Sejal Foxx, associate professor and director of the School Counseling program, and Clare Merlin, assistant professor of counseling, will be the guests on the Dec. 18 edition of “The Live Wire,” Inside UNC Charlotte’s streaming webcast. Starting at noon, they will discuss how school counseling has changed and where they see the profession going and why it matters in today’s turbulent times.

John Connaughton, a faculty member in the Belk College of Business, talks about interest rates; his comments were made earlier this month following his quarterly economic forecast.

Third-year special education master’s student Maureen Mensing was one of two individuals honored by the National Association for Gifted Children. She received the association’s Master’s and Specialist Award for Exceptional Contributions to Gifted and Talented Education. This honor recognizes professionals who have contributed to the field in a host of manners, including through teaching, writing, advocacy, curriculum development and community service in gifted education.

“Clarity,” the debut album by the Unhinged Sextet and featuring Associate Professor of Music Will Campbell on alto saxophone and three original tunes by him, was named a “Best Release of 2015” by All About Jazz. The review calls the album “smoking hot … a first-class collection of modern jazz, with strong playing and exciting, varied original compositions.”

Reliable, trustworthy and safe – important concepts in the field of transportation, and Helena Connors is focused daily on achieving these benchmarks.

As UNC Charlotte’s transportation manager, Connors oversees the University’s arrangement with CATS, the daytime and evening SafeRide program, the Zipcar rental program and other efforts to move students, faculty and staff around campus.

 “Every day is different,” said Connors. “We’re constantly exploring ways to improve our current services, and we’re researching new programs, such as a bike-share offering.”