Awards and honors

Ten standout recent graduates took center stage at UNC Charlotte’s eighth annual 10 Under Ten Awards on Thursday, Feb. 19, filling the Popp Martin Student Union with Niner pride. Each year, the UNC Charlotte GOLD Alumni Network honors graduates from the past decade who not only excel in their careers but make a meaningful impact […]

Gene Johnson ’73, a dedicated UNC Charlotte advocate and donor, is one of the newest members of the North Carolina Business Hall of Fame, presented by Junior Achievement of Central Carolinas. Johnson joins the group that honors the state’s most influential business leaders. A ceremony celebrating the 2026 laureates was held Feb. 17. Johnson earned […]

UNC Charlotte had a banner year in 2025, and the region is taking notice. Charlotte Business Journal named Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber Business Person of the Year for 2025, recognizing her innovative leadership in growing the University’s national profile, expanding its presence in uptown and solidifying it as an economic driver for the region. In […]

During the University’s observance of International Education Week, Charlotte Global recognized three faculty members, a staff member and two students for their efforts to advance global learning. Aspen Hochhalter, associate professor of art and art history, received the International Excellence Award. During her tenure, she has developed and led multiple study abroad experiences including the […]

Ashley Tate, assistant professor of dance, is one of three choreographers to receive a 2025-26 North Carolina Choreographic Fellowship from Trillium Arts. This two-week fellowship in June 2026 will provide Tate and a group of four dancers with financial support, lodging and studio space at the Trillium Arts campus in Mars Hill, North Carolina. Tate will use the […]

KoKo Thornton ’97 is the 2025 recipient of the Inspiring Teacher Award, presented at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, known as the Jimmy Awards. Thornton was nominated by her former student Conor Kruger, who participated in the 2024 Jimmy Awards. He is her fifth student to go to the national competition from Enloe Magnet […]

Savannah Lake is UNC Charlotte’s digital scholarship librarian. She joined the University in January 2021 after working in the publishing industry. Lake was named a 2025 Core Emerging Leader by the American Library Association, placing her in a distinguished national cohort of professionals new to the field of librarianship. Lake discusses this honor and the […]

By Bryson Foster Four UNC Charlotte students from various academic colleges are nominees for the prestigious Truman Scholarship and the James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Program. Three of the students are part of the Honors College and the Levine Scholars Program . The Truman Scholarship offers up to $30,000 for graduate study for juniors who […]

Harrison Hieb and Whitney Wilson, staff members in Office of University Marketing and Communications, recently won a regional Emmy Award for the video “The Science of Spiders.” Hieb, the video’s cinematographer, and Wilson, its producer, were recognized at the 2025 Nashville/Midsouth Chapter of National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ceremony. The chapter, founded in […]

Erik Byker, a professor in the Cato College of Education Department of Reading and Elementary Education, is among the 2025 recipients of the UNC Board of Governors Awards for Teaching Excellence. Byker, named the University’s 2024 Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence recipient, stated, “My goal is to guide learners toward a transformation from thinking […]