College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Two on-campus entities have partnered to use grant money to improve student experiences and outcomes across North Carolina.

Even before Flipper, dolphins fascinated many people. They loved that the mammals were friendly and intelligent. Dolphins seem to enjoy interacting with swimmers and have been known to protect people under attack by sharks. Despite humans’ familiarity, most people are not well informed about how dolphins evolved, how they function and how they have interacted with humans for millennia.

UNC Charlotte’s team that has conducted archaeological excavations on Mount Zion in Jerusalem announced the discovery of a rare gold coin bearing the image of the Roman Emperor Nero.

“The coin is exceptional, because this is the first time that a coin of this kind has turned up in Jerusalem in a scientific dig. Coins of this type are usually only found in private collections, where we don’t have clear evidence as to place of origin,” said Shimon Gibson, co-director of the excavation and a visiting professor at UNC Charlotte.

A recently published work by history professor Gregory Mixon analyzes one state’s process of freedom, citizenship and the incorporation of African Americans within the political and economic structure of the United States after the Civil War.

Historian Mark Wilson studies the business and politics of the American industrial mobilization for World War II in the new book “Destructive Creation: American Business and the Winning of World War II.”

Wilson spent 10 years researching the archives of companies that made weapons for the war as well as military and government archives. His search led him to the records of Boeing Aircraft and Manufacturing, Ford Motor and DuPont U.S.

The UNC Charlotte Gerontology Program celebrated its 25th anniversary earlier this year and took the opportunity to help state leaders roll out North Carolina’s first plan to comprehensively address dementia.

Ted Arrington, professor emeritus of political science and public administration, authored the third-place entry for Common Cause’s second annual Gerrymander Standard Writing Competition.

Arrington’s paper presented a “workable criteria for determining when districting arrangements so distort the process of translating votes into seats in a legislature that the process or the redistricting plan rises to a constitutional violation.”

Common Cause sponsored this national contest to generate measurements for partisan gerrymandering that could be used in court.

UNC Charlotte researcher Margaret Quinlan and colleagues received a regional Emmy nomination for the film “Creative Abundance,” which explores how art can redefine vocational opportunities and expand the lives of people with developmental disabilities.

One in every eight couples struggles to conceive or maintain a pregnancy. In Charlotte, at least 4,000 people seek infertility treatment every year. As such, the city has become a hub of knowledge and resources for patients diagnosed with infertility. A local chapter of the national infertility support group RESOLVE, embryo banks, follicle preservation and alternative health care are treatment options patients can locate in the Charlotte area.

Judy Lekoski has joined UNC Charlotte as the major gifts officer for the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. In this role, she is leading the private fundraising for the University’s largest and most diverse college.

“We have many opportunities for telling the stories of our college and for connecting donors with their philanthropic goals,” said Nancy Gutierrez, dean of the college. “We are excited about moving ahead with those opportunities, and we know Judy will be a tremendous leader in those efforts.”