General News

UNC Charlotte’s International Festival is back and better than ever. The University’s longest-running cultural event is set for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 23, in and around the Barnhardt Student Activity Center.

For the second year in a row, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, or FIRE, has ranked UNC Charlotte among the nation’s top universities for free speech.  

In its recently released 2024 College Free Speech Rankings report, FIRE ranks Charlotte No. 21 with an overall score of 62.54.    

The ranking is based on a composite of 13 areas, six of which assess perceptions of freedom of speech on campus through student surveys. 

Charlotte joins several Charlotte-based companies on the list, including Duke Energy, Atrium Health and Bank of America.

UNC Charlotte and boutique jeweler Kendra Scott are partnering for a fundraising event to benefit the Ellis Reed Parlier Scholarship. From Sept.15-30, 20% of all online proceeds will be donated to the scholarship. 

Mariah Manley wasn’t planning on getting an internship last summer, especially after her first year in college. The Honors College student knew that it was difficult for freshmen like herself to receive summer internships, and she planned on working hard her freshman year so she could enjoy her summer. There would be time for internships when she became an upperclassman.

Manley is majoring in health systems management  with a minor in public health and Spanish. She plans to graduate in May 2025 and eventually work in the management side of a hospital or a clinic. 

Prashant Jha’s dream is to become an medical oncologist. After a lengthy application and interview process, he was one of two undergraduates chosen to work with Ludmila Prokunina-Olsson at the National Cancer Institute last summer. 

At UNC Charlotte, Styrofoam turns into gold. It’s not literal gold. The recycling team has an innovative way to condense ceiling-high Styrofoam to the size of a shoebox, which saves space, time and money. 

Every piece of Styrofoam on campus, most of which comes from the thousands of excited students moving into the dorms with their decorations, lamps and new appliances. The mini-fridge and lava lamp go in, and the Styrofoam packaging always comes out. 

Multiply that by 100 and the result is 900 pounds of Styrofoam with nowhere to call home. 

Classroom management, curriculum development and dance instruction. These were the tasks given to a talented, motivated group of students from the University’s Department of Dance who interned at Barre Belle over the past summer.

Students from the William Lee States Lee College of Engineering spent the past summer gaining valuable real-world experience thanks to the involvement of the college’s business partners and industry professionals. 

Here is what three engineering students had to say about their summer internship experiences.

Safeguard Medical

This fall, UNC Charlotte welcomed to campus its largest-ever class of first-time college students. In combination with new highs for graduate and international students, and along with those transferring from other institutions, they pushed Charlotte’s total enrollment to 30,298.