Awards and honors

CarlosAlexis Cruz, associate professor of theatre, is the 2024 Engaged Faculty Award  recipient as presented by North Carolina Campus Engagement.

Five members of UNC Charlotte’s faculty or staff have been named to Who’s Who in Black Charlotte. An entity of Real Times Media, Who’s Who in Black Charlotte documents the positive achievements of Black Charlotteans who are making outstanding contributions to the communities and organizations they serve. 

A highlight of commencement is the recognition of individuals for exceptional and distinctive service to the University or the greater community through the awarding of an honorary degree from UNC Charlotte. The Nominations, Honors and Awards Committee is seeking assistance in nominating persons for this honor.

The University’s Board of Trustees has established the following criteria regarding prospective nominees:

M. Lyn Exum and Deborah Beete are the 2023 recipients of the Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence and UNC Charlotte Award for Teaching Excellence, respectively.

UNC Charlotte faculty members Brittany Anderson, Janaki Gooty, Tehia Starker Glass and John Tobias ’94 are among the top 100 “power players” helping to build a more diverse, inclusive Queen City.

W. Frank Dowd IV and Roddey Dowd Jr. are the 2023 recipients of the UNC Charlotte Distinguished Service Award.

Kelsey Romney, Jaden Schutt and My Vuong received the inaugural Dean’s Prize for outstanding honors capstone theses/projects at a virtual ceremony held Thursday, June 22. They were nominated by their honors program directors for exemplary research, and each received a $500 prize.
To be eligible for a Dean’s Prize, candidates must be in good standing within their honors program, have earned a minimum 3.5 overall GPA and exemplify the Honors College core value of mutual investment. 

Adriana Medina, associate professor, reading and elementary education, is one of 17 outstanding faculty members to receive the 2023 Awards for Excellence in Teaching from the UNC Board of Governors.

Heather A. Smith’s students and colleagues have long praised her generosity and inclusivity. For the exceptional way she mentors others, the UNC Charlotte geographer is the 2023 recipient of the Susan Hardwick Excellence in Mentoring Award from the American Association of Geographers.

Charlotte faculty members Kirill Afonin and Margaret Quinlan are the 2023 recipients of the First Citizens Bank Scholars Medal and the Harshini V. de Silva Graduate Mentor Award, respectively.