Awards and honors

In recognition of their exceptional teaching, Allison Hutchcraft, Susan Hodge and Joseph Kuhns received the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Excellence in Teaching Awards for 2016.

Scott Fitzgerald, associate professor of sociology, is the 2016 recipient of the International Education Faculty Award, presented at the 22nd annual International Education Celebration.

A UNC Charlotte faculty member since 2003, Fitzgerald was instrumental in providing leadership to the Global Village Learning Community (GVLC). He collaborated with students to ensure they completed 40 hours of service learning with a variety of local organizations, including those that work with immigrant and international populations.

The Belk College of Business recently presented annual awards to faculty and staff who have excelled in teaching, research and service. This year’s recipients are:

Bruce Gehrig, associate professor in the Engineering Technology and Construction Management Department in the Lee College of Engineering, has received a Fulbright grant to teach civil engineering and conduct water resource management research at Namibia University of Science and Technology in Namibia, Africa, in 2017.

The J. William Fulbright Scholars Grant program sends faculty of all experience levels and backgrounds to projects throughout the world. Gehrig will travel to Namibia from January to December 2017.

UNC Charlotte Chancellor Philip L. Dubois is the 2016 recipient of the World Citizen Award, presented by the World Affairs Council of Charlotte. This prestigious honor recognizes his commitment to improving the international presence of the Charlotte region. He was given the award formally at a dinner Wednesday, April 20.

Nicholas Brawner, catering chef for UNC Charlotte Center City, earned a silver medal in a culinary challenge held at the Southern regional conference of the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) at Murray State University. 

Competing for top national and international academic scholarships is a team effort, and the Honors College recently recognized endorsed candidates for these awards and other grants.

Biology major Heidi Cope was recognized for receiving a research Fulbright grant to India, where she will investigate the intersections of marriage culture and the sexual health of adolescent women; Diane Zablotsky from the Levine Scholars Program was her program director.

Bruce Taylor, an associate professor in the College of Education Department of Reading and Elementary Education, is among the 2016 recipients of the Governor’s Volunteer Service Award.

This honor, created in 1979, recognizes individuals, groups and businesses that make a significant contribution to their community through volunteer service.

Taylor was nominated by the United Way of Central Carolinas for his work with the United Way’s Project 1,000 effort.

John David Smith, the Charles H. Stone Distinguished Professor of American History, is the 2016 recipient of the First Citizens Bank Scholars Medal, UNC Charlotte’s most prestigious faculty award in recognition of excellence in research.

A ceremony was held Tuesday, April 12, at the Harris Alumni Center to formally honor Smith. Each year since 1987, the University with support from First Citizens Bank presents this award to recognize and foster the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and creative endeavors.

Four degree candidates in the College of Education Department of Middle, Secondary and K-12 Education have received fellowships to participate in the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History’s prestigious Teacher Seminar program.

Brittany Gibson, Renae Kaister, and Marticia Turner are teachers at Newell Elementary School; Erin Byrd teaches at Butler High School. Gibson, Turner and Kaiser are pursing master’s degrees in teaching English as a second language; Byrd, a master’s in secondary education.