Academic Affairs

Michelle Meggs is the new executive director of the Women + Girls Research Alliance (W+GRA), an organization that works collaboratively with faculty, students and the community to provide opportunities for research and education on policy issues affecting women.Meggs, whose diverse background includes work in academia, the nonprofit sector and ministry, envisions the W+GRA becoming the place for scholars across the state and nation to come together to advance gender equity and social mobility.

Amy Wartham, director of corporate training at UNC Charlotte, and alumnae Sallie Jarosz ’82, Cristi Lewis ’96 and Angelica Srivoraphan ’10 were among the individuals honored at this year’s Charlotte Business Journal (CBJ) Women in Business Awards event held Tuesday, Feb. 24.This annual awards program, now in its 24th year, honors 25 outstanding businesswomen from the region who have made significant contributions to their professions and communities in the past year.

John Cox, associate professor of Global Studies and History will be the final speaker of the 2020 Great Decisions Lecture Series. His presentation, scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 26, at International House, will touch upon Ronald Weitzer’s article “Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking.”Great Decisions talks focus on topics selected by the Foreign Policy Association. Addressing slavery and human trafficking, Weitzer wrote about how billions of dollars have been allocated to curbing human trafficking and slavery and how the international community can combat them.

Lt. Gen. Michael Nagata, former director of the National Counterterrorism Center, will present “Is America Winning?” at 3 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 26, as part of the spring 2020 International Speaker Series.Nagata assumed the position of director, Directorate of Strategic Operational Planning at the National Counterterrorism Center, on May 13, 2016. Previously, he was commander, Special Operations Command Central, a sub-unified command of the U.S. Central Command, from June 2013 to October 2015.

UNC Charlotte has launched the Writing, Rhetoric and Digital Studies Department, the first academic department of its kind in the Carolinas. The new department brings together curriculum and resources that prepare students to be analytical readers of digital and print texts, critical thinkers about information sources and engaged citizens capable of communicating effectively to diverse audiences in a variety of contexts.

The J. Murrey Atkins Library is holding a book sale Friday and Saturday, Feb. 28-29, in the Halton Reading Room.More than 5,000 duplicated and selected items will be on sale, including academic monographs, paperbacks, children’s literature, LPs, DVDs and more.The sale will be open to just the campus community from 9 a.m. to noon, Feb.28. The public is invited from noon to 7 p.m., Feb. 28, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Feb. 29

The Learning, Design and Technology program, formerly Instructional Systems Technology, underwent a change in name to reflect current trends in the field and better represent the program’s focus.

Ritika Prasad, associate professor in the Department of History, is the fourth speaker of the 2020 Great Decisions Lecture Series. She will talk about “India and Pakistan,” at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 12, at Charlotte Country Day School.

Richard Tankersley, UNC Charlotte’s vice chancellor for Research and Economic Development, has been named by Gov. Roy Cooper to the North Carolina Board of Science, Technology and Innovation.

Academic Affairs and the Office of Sustainability are collaborating to expand the University’s annual Earth Month celebration to “Earth Semester” in recognition of this year’s 50th Earth Day.Traditionally observed April 22, Earth Day has been celebrated since 1970. In recent years, the University’s Earth Month expanded to increase awareness beyond one day. Last year marked the largest event yet and featured an Earth Day Festival in Belk Plaza.