Awards and honors

The selection committee for the Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence and the new UNC Charlotte Award for Teaching Excellence is accepting nominations through Thursday, Nov. 15. These awards are two of the most important and prestigious awards at UNC Charlotte as they honor outstanding professors and provide an example of the University’s commitment to excellence in teaching.

The strongest nominations include specific examples from students; just submit a nomination and the professor will be considered for the award for which they are eligible.

The College of Computing and Informatics (CCI) was awarded the second annual CMD-IT University Award for Retention of Minorities and Students with Disabilities in Computer Science by the Center for Minorities and People with Disabilities in IT (CMID-IT). This honor highlights organizations that have exhibited commitment and success in accommodating students from underrepresented groups in undergraduate Computer Science programs.

In 2004, UNC Charlotte’s automotive fleet shifted its goals to focus on building a more sustainable one. Since then, the University has realized continual fleet improvements and a significant decrease in harmful emissions by campus vehicles.

For its efforts, the University once again has earned a Green Fleet Award; this is the fourth consecutive year for this distinction.

Lee College of Engineering’s Tony Schmitz invests significant time in his students with a goal to “train decision makers.” For his efforts, he was named the 2018 recipient of the Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence, one of UNC Charlotte’s most prestigious accolades.

Two teams from the School of Architecture have won top awards in the 2017-18 Steel Design Student Competition hosted by the American Institute of Steel Construction and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture.

The competition recognizes exceptional projects in two categories, one addressing affordable housing and the other for open submissions that explore a variety of issues related to the use of steel in design and construction. More than 300 projects were submitted from universities across the United States and abroad; 16 projects were honored.

The Black Alumni Chapter is seeking nominations for its 2018 Excellence in Leadership Award. The program, established in 2011, recognizes the accomplishments of UNC Charlotte alumni and friends in the greater Charlotte region who have achieved excellence in the areas of education; entrepreneurship; financial services; health care; philanthropy; public service; and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). More information and a nomination form are on the web.

A new faculty honor, the UNC Charlotte Award for Teaching Excellence, will be presented for the first time in fall 2019 in conjunction with the Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence.

Robert Cox, Celine Latulipe, Heather Perry, Drew Polly and Tony Schmitz are the 2018 finalists for the Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence, one of UNC Charlotte’s most prestigious honors.

Recent Charlotte graduates Haley Pace and Martha Thomas, remarkable student-athletes for the 49ers’ softball and women’s soccer teams, respectively, have been named Conference USA Scholar Athlete Award winners for their sports. Pace is a repeat honoree.

 The C-USA Scholar Athlete of the Year Awards are presented to the top student-athletes in each conference-sponsored sport, determined by a vote of the league’s 14 faculty athletic representatives. The award is based on academic achievement (GPA), athletic achievement and service.

Heather Coffey from the Cato College of Education’s Department of Middle, Secondary and K-12 Education is this year’s recipient of the Bonnie E. Cone Early-Career Professorship of Teaching.