General News

Historian Shepherd McKinley’s book “Stinking Stones and Rocks of Gold: Phosphate, Fertilizer and Industrialization in Postbellum South Carolina” was named the winner of the South Carolina Historical Society’s 2014 George Rogers Jr. Book Award as the best book about South Carolina history published last year.

Clay Andrews is the assistant director for corporate partnerships at the Charlotte Research Institute; he joined the University March 2.

Paula Connolly, associate professor of English, will discuss her work “Slavery in American Children’s Literature, 1790-2010” at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 24, at the J. Murrey Atkins Library. This talk is part of the Personally Speaking series, presented by the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and the library.

“Slavery in American Children’s Literature, 1790-2010” is considered the first comprehensive study of its kind. The work examines the politicizing nature of children’s literature and explores how political ideologies intersect childhood with nationhood.

The UNC Charlotte Continuing Education Office is sponsoring “Estate Planning: Getting Your House in Order” from noon to 1 p.m., Thursday, March 19, at UNC Charlotte Center City. Part of the office’s Brown Bag Series, this event is free, but advanced registration is required.

Frank Pasquale, author of the top-selling “The Black Box Society:  The Secret Algorithms that Control Money and Information” is the featured speaker for the fourth annual TIAA-CREF Lecture scheduled for 7 p.m., Thursday March 12, at UNC Charlotte Center City.

The lecture will be preceded by a reception beginning at 6 p.m., and a dessert reception will follow at 8 p.m.

Reservations are required.

Olympian Shawn Johnson, author of “Winning Balance, will share her experiences as a gold medal-winning gymnast at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 19, in Cone University Center, McKnight Hall.

North Carolina native Todd Drake is known for works that address human rights issues among marginalized communities; they have touched on the struggles of undocumented immigrants, Muslim Americans and Palestinians.

Through a series of photo exhibits and talks “Just Us: Breaking Boundaries with Images,” the artist will share his perspective. Most recently, he returned from working in Palestine, where he traveled and conducted workshops throughout the West Bank and Jerusalem.

Jane Hamilton-Merritt, author of “Tragic Mountains: The Hmong, the Americans and the Secret Wars for Laos, 1942-92,” will be the featured guest for the Asian American Lecture Series “Voices for Change.”

This free, public event includes a lecture by Hamilton-Merritt at 6 p.m., Wednesday, March 18, in the Cone University Center, McKnight Hall. On Thursday, March 19, there will be a panel discussion with the author, Hmong American veterans of the “secret wars” and Hmong American youth born and raised in the United States, starting at 10 a.m., in Cone Center’s McKnight Hall.

Barnes & Noble at UNC Charlotte, located in the Student Union, will host the Commencement Fair from Tuesday, March 17, through Thursday, March 19.

Between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., seniors who graduate in May will have the chance to pick up their caps and gowns, obtain tickets for commencement and shop for commencement-related items and alumni merchandise.

Economist John Connaughton will give his quarterly forecast for the North Carolina economy at a luncheon and press conference Wednesday, March 11, at UNC Charlotte Center City. His presentation will begin at noon in the auditorium. A Belk College alumni coffee will be held at 11 a.m., and lunch will be available beginning at 11:30 a.m.