Alumni

Education alumna named Teacher of the Year
Cato College of Education alumna Emily Wagoner ’14 is the 2019-20 Cabarrus County Schools Teacher of the Year.

Alum’s company produces ‘world changing idea’
Atom Power, the standout energy company co-created by UNC Charlotte alumnus Ryan Kennedy ’04, was recently recognized as part of Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards.

Prepping to race—from home
Before he graduated from UNC Charlotte with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Eric Duncan ’20 was working for Germain Racing, a NASCAR team based in Lexington, North Carolina.

Alumnus, staff member produces ‘quarantine concerts’
Working from home this spring, in his position as senior research administrator of invoicing in Grants and Contracts Administration at UNC Charlotte, Zack Tarlton ’13 started playing piano during his lunch hour. While his academic training is in architecture, Tarlton has a long history in musical theatre.“I basically grew up at Matthews Playhouse,” he said. As a student at UNC Charlotte, he managed to sneak away from his desk in Storrs to perform in the Department of Theatre production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”

Bravo Team builds entrepreneurs
An engineering design firm made up of UNC Charlotte students and alumni has its roots in the Lee College of Engineering.

Music alum named Union County Teacher of the Year
Dareion Malone ’13 is the Union County Public Schools 2020-21 Teacher of the Year. He is the chorus teacher at Marvin Ridge High School in Waxhaw.When Malone’s corporate job was eliminated in the 2008 economic downturn, he decided to return to school to pursue his first love, music.“That was always my initial choice,” he said in a 2018 interview for CoA+A Community. “I was discouraged from studying music for my first degree because of low teacher pay.” He had instead studied business administration.

Nursing alum shares challenges of caring for COVID-19 patients
In nearly 11 years working as a nurse at Regional Medical Center in San Jose, California, Christy Murray Stromska ’07 ’09 has seen it all.

Water from Fire: Collectively making music from the heart
John Woodall ’14 and Kevin Brawley ’13 met at UNC Charlotte. They were pursuing bachelor degrees in music, developed a mutual respect for each other’s abilities and became fast friends.

The impact of COVID-19 on data science in health care
Alum’s expertise heightens the coronavirus conversation.

An education in crisis communications
In a matter of months, Jordan Estabrook ‘19 went from a communications student to crisis communicator, as she has helped UNC Charlotte’s Business Affairs Division navigate its response to COVID-19.