CHESS

This summer, the Charlotte Heat Mappers, a coalition of community organizations, nonprofits and government entities led by UNC Charlotte’s Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences, will oversee a community science campaign to map variations in urban heat across the city. Charlotte is one of 14 U.S. communities and four international cities selected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to join its 2024 Urban Heat Island mapping campaign. This effort is designed to identify areas where people are most at risk during extreme heat waves.

On March 27, the namesake of the UNC Charlotte Master of Public Administration Program, Gerald “Jerry” Fox, died at the age of 91.

Fox was Mecklenburg County manager from 1980 to 2000; after retiring, he joined the MPA program as a part-time faculty member. Later, Fox was a founding member of the UNC Charlotte Practitioner Advisory Board, an organization dedicated to supporting the MPA program and its students.

Bertha Maxwell-Roddey, Ph.D., founding director of the University’s Africana Studies Department, died March 21 at the age of 93.

On March 8, Michael Whatley ’91 was elected co-chair of the Republican National Committee ahead of November’s national election. Whatley previously served as chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party since 2019.

Whatley, who earned a bachelor’s degree in history from UNC Charlotte, attended Wake Forest University, where he completed a master’s degree in religion. He also earned a master’s in theology and a law degree from the University of Notre Dame. 

Two outstanding UNC Charlotte Honors College juniors have been nominated for the 2024 Barry Goldwater Scholarship, considered one of the top awards for undergraduate U.S. STEM students. The scholarship helps identify the next generation of leaders in scientific, mathematical and engineering research, funding up to $7,500 annually for their education.

Commencement can signify a beginning for faculty members much like it does for graduating students. This fall, it does so for Robert Reimer, who will retire and start a new life chapter after 53 years at UNC Charlotte as a professor of German and film studies.

A high school crush and a broken leg helped Luther “Cole” Kissam V find his passion for writing, but working through his mental health struggles set Cole on a path to be a published author, and helped him develop the growth mindset he needed after dropping out of college, twice. Cole will graduate from UNC Charlotte in December 2023 with a bachelor’s of English, but there were many times that he wasn’t sure if he would be in college at all, much less graduating with Honors. 

As a creative writer, I am always on the prowl for a good story.

“With Thanksgiving approaching, gratitude would be a good subject,” I thought. “Better yet, the psychology of gratefulness.”

It seemed like an appropriate subject for the season. I went on my merry way, researching and reaching out to experts. I already mapped out how the article would look and feel but threw those plans out the window when I started talking to Sara Levens. Instead, I learned something far more valuable. 

Originally from Ringoes, New Jersey, Kathleen Burke, a lecturer in psychological science, has been at UNC Charlotte since 2016. Learn about her love for positive psychology and watching her students grow, as well as her advice for maintaining their mental health. 

Can you describe your role at UNC Charlotte?