College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Learn more about how to cultivate life indoors at “Healthy Houseplants,” scheduled for 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 1, at the McMillan Greenhouse.

Paula Gross and Meredith Hebden from the UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens will lead this class, which will offer tips on the best houseplants for low, medium and high light. Soil mixes for plants, watering and fertilizing will be discussion topics, too.

The Charlotte Teachers Institute (CTI) welcomed 104 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) teachers as CTI Fellows in its innovative, interdisciplinary seminars for 2016.

“This year’s CTI Fellows represent a wide range of teachers in CMS, from new to veteran, pre-K to 12th grade and physics to digital art and language arts,” said CTI Director Scott Gartlan. “We create important growth opportunities for CMS teacher-leaders looking to deepen their knowledge base and impact the lives of their students.”

Bring a lunch and enjoy a live performance by a five-piece brass ensemble at noon, Friday, May 6, at the gazebo in the UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens.

This one-hour mini-concert, which features musicians from the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, is being held in memory of UNC Charlotte founder Bonnie Cone.

The “Go Army” top fuel dragster show car will be on campus from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday, April 20, in the Motorsports Research Lab.

Neal Strausbaugh, a chief mechanic for the Don Schumacher Racing team, will provide one-hour briefs and conduct question-and-answer sessions at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m.

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.

An ambitious six-year project to address all of Shakespeare’s plays before the 400th anniversary of the playwright’s death comes to completion on Saturday, April 23, with “As We Like It” in the Belk Theater of the Robinson Hall for the Performing Arts.

Tackling six plays a year in formats ranging from lectures to full-blown theatrical productions, the “36 in 6 Project” has been an initiative of UNC Charlotte’s Shakespeare in Action.

UNC Charlotte’s Gerald G. Fox Master of Public Administration program is ranked in the top 25 percent of public affairs programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report. The MPA program continued its strong ranking in the 2017 “Best Graduate Schools” rankings released in March 2016, landing at No.  63.

UNC Charlotte alumnus Bobbie Cavnar of Gaston County is the North Carolina Teacher of the Year for 2016-17.

Cavnar, an English teacher, completed a master’s degree in English at UNC Charlotte in 2011. This is his 17th year in the teaching profession; he has taught since 2003 at South Point High School in Belmont.

“Bobbie sees public education as the one thing that is equal and fair in a child’s life,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction June Atkinson. “He sees teachers as the equalizers, the keepers of America’s promise of equal opportunity.”

How World War I transformed the Charlotte region is the focus of a documentary screening and “teach-in” scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, April 23, at UNC Charlotte Center City.

This event is free and open to the public; advanced registration is requested and includes a parking pass and refreshments.

The UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens Spring Plant Sale will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday and Saturday, April 15-16, at the McMillan Greenhouse.

Prior to the public sale, on Thursday, April 14, join Paula Gross, assistant director for the Botanical Gardens, for “Tips and Best Bets for the Novice Gardener.” Two offerings of this free information session will be presented at 11:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. in the McMillan Greenhouse Classroom. Prospective attendees should register online.