College of Health and Human Services

Historically, graduating students have been welcomed into the nursing profession with a pinning, said Peggy MacKay, a lecturer in the UNC Charlotte School of Nursing. But faculty in the school wanted to do a little more for the graduates to formally usher them into the field.

The result was a White Coat Ceremony. Each semester, graduates receive a white coat to symbolize their embarking upon their careers as nurses. MacKay said faculty members write notes of encouragement to place in the pockets of each jacket.

The U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 list of Best Graduate Schools rankings are out, and once again, UNC Charlotte recorded a number of superlatives.

As part of continued efforts to grow its connection with the health care industry and prepare graduates to succeed in their careers, the UNC Charlotte Department of Public Health Sciences continues to welcome a growing list of highly qualified external adjunct professors to its classrooms.

The School of Nursing 2019 Distinguished Alumni Conference, Opioids: What Every Nurse in Charlotte Needs to Know, will be from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 7, at Hope Haven in Charlotte. Tickets are $75 per attendee and include admission to the conference, lunch and light refreshments. 

The UNC Charlotte School of Nursing’s online master’s programs jumped 13 spots in the 2019 U.S. News & World Report rankings and remain in the top 50 percent of programs nationally. The programs ascended to 62 in the national rankings, up from 75 last year.

Graduates of the UNC Charlotte/Carolinas Medical Center Nurse Anesthesia Program recently obtained a 100 percent first-time taker’s pass rate on the National Certification Exam for the Class of 2018.

Erin Vinoski Thomas, a fourth year Ph.D. candidate in the UNC Charlotte Department of Public Health Sciences, received the National Association of County and City Health Departments’ (NACCHO) 2018-19 Health and Disability Fellowship.

UNC Charlotte alumna and College of Health and Human Services adjunct faculty member Tchernavia Montgomery has received the 2018 Charlotte ATHENA Leadership Award for Service, honoring her accomplishments with the Crisis Assistance Ministry. The award honors professionals in the nonprofit sector who give back to improve quality of life in the Charlotte community and assist women in discovering their full leadership potential.

The Barnhardt Student Activity Center Salons recently served as the location for UNC Charlotte’s nationally ranked School of Social Work’s Field Education Fair. Students like Tachina Hardy buzzed around the tables, speaking with agents and learning about upcoming internships. Hardy is well aware of the networking opportunities the fair presents and has logged hundreds of hours in field experience in pursuit of undergraduate and graduate degrees.

A photo of a rusted shovel with a broken handle, aged by years of harsh Appalachian weather and hard work, was displayed in UNC Charlotte’s Atkins Library during most of November. Seth Flynn, the creator, is a senior who is minoring in gerontology; he submitted it as part of a contest hosted by the Gerontology Program.