Awards and honors

The Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) bestowed grand champion status on two initiatives led by the offices of University Communications and Alumni Affairs in the Division of University Advancement. The projects were chosen the best from among more than 1,000 competing entries.

The video “Big Ideas, Big Future” and Niner Connection, a redesigned online community for UNC Charlotte alumni, were named Grand Award winners during the recent CASE District III conference in Nashville.

Jeff Baker, chief of the University’s Police and Public Safety Department, was elected vice president of the N.C. Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (NCACLEA).

According to the association, NCACLEA works to promote professional ideals and standards for campus law enforcement in order to better serve the needs of higher education in North Carolina. In addition, the association provides professional development opportunities for its members and represents campus law enforcement agencies.

UNC Charlotte’s MBA again has been recognized as a top program in the country. CEO Magazine has ranked the Belk College of Business’ MBA in its “Tier 1” for North American universities in the newly released 2016 CEO Magazine Global MBA rankings.

The six-minute University promotional film “Big Ideas, Big Future,” created by the Office of University Communications, recently received a national Gold MarCom Award for outstanding video by an educational institution.

Jing Xiao, professor of computer science in the College of Computing and Informatics, is one of two recipients of the 2016 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Robotics and Automation Society Distinguished Service Award.

The honor recognizes individuals who have performed outstanding services to benefit the advancement of the IEE Robotics and Automation Society.

“This is a very prestigious award in the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society,” said Xiao. “I am truly honored and also humbled to receive it.”

Kathy Reichs, a forensic anthropologist and author who is on leave from her position as an adjunct professor with UNC Charlotte, is listed as one of the “30 Most Innovative Women Professors Alive Today,” according to the website “The Best Master’s Degrees.”

The female professors listed were chosen “based upon their individual successes in various fields,” and each “has done something new and different for their respective field.”

Myron Macklin, a graphic designer in the Office of University Communications, was selected by Mark Millar to collaborate in the creation of a charity comic book.

Miller, the writer behind the Kingsman, Kick-Ass and Jupiter’s Circle series, sponsored the international contest. Six artists, six writers and a cover artist were selected to use Millar’s characters in the creation of the charity comic scheduled to be released later this year.

Aayla Alexander, a graduate student in social work, is the 2016 recipient of the Presidents’ Award from the National Association of Social Workers North Carolina chapter (NASW-NC).

According to the association, Alexander was selected for exhibiting a “dedication to the social work profession through her academic excellence, community involvement and professional experience,” and the award honors her “exceptional leadership skills and professional potential.”

Edd Hauser, director of the Center for Transportation Policy Studies and the Center for Disaster Studies, recently received the academic Lifetime Achievement in Transportation Research and Education Award from the Council of University Transportation Centers (CUTC).

Brian Arreola, associate professor of voice and director of Opera Workshop, will sing the role of Tybalt in Opera Carolina’s production of Charles Gounod’s “Romeo and Juliet.” The performances will be Jan. 24, 28 and 30 in the Belk Theater of the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center.

Gounod’s treatment of Shakespeare’s famous tragedy was composed in 1867. The character of Tybalt, for tenor, is Juliet’s cousin who is slain by Romeo after killing Romeo’s friend, Mercutio.