College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

A capacity crowd of more than 325 people recently attended a Personally Speaking Lecture in which James Tabor, professor of religious studies, spoke about the influence of the Apostle Paul.

“The foundations of Western civilization rest in a singular way on the heavenly visions of the Apostle Paul,” said Tabor. “In a way, we are the cultural heirs of Paul.”

Akin Ogundiran, chair of the Department of Africana Studies, will be a presenter for “The Arts in Global Africa” being held at the Mint Museum Randolph on Saturday, Nov. 15.

This symposium, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., will feature talks by leading scholars in African art. In addition to Ogundiran, presenters will be Herbert Cole, professor emeritus, University of California at Santa Barbara; Henry Drewal from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; Cecile Fromont, University of Chicago; and Victoria Rovine of UNC-Chapel Hill.

Enajite Ojaruega, a faculty member in the Department of English and Literary Studies at Delta State University, Nigeria, will present “Women’s Education in Nigeria: Challenges and the Chibok Girls” at 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 4, in the Storrs Building, Room 290.

Chibok is the location of a school from which 276 girls were abducted by the Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram.

The Africana Studies Department and African Studies Academy are cosponsoring this public talk.

UNC Charlotte’s Botanical Gardens, a top visitors’ attraction for the Charlotte region, will be featured on the Oct. 31 edition of UNC-TV’s “North Carolina Now.” The show airs at 7:30 p.m.

Approximately 25,000 individuals each year make a trip through the 10-acre Botanical Gardens, which includes the McMillan Greenhouse, Susie Harwood Garden and the Van Landingham Glen. Throughout the year, Botanical Gardens personnel promote learning about different plants and flowers through public presentations.

Cole Carter, office manager for the Aerospace Studies Department (Air Force ROTC Detachment 592) in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, was named “University Civilian of the Quarter” by the U.S. Air Force.

She was selected for the honor from among 33 college employees in the Southeast region; officials cited her positive impact on the University’s Air Force ROTC program.

As the business officer for the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (CLAS), Eleanor Stafford has her eyes on the money. That means she is immersed in budgetary matters.

Geography and Earth Science Department’s Jean-Claude Thill, Knight Distinguished Professor and director of Project Mosaic, is the most recent winner of a $250 U.S. Airways gift card. The prize was an incentive in this year’s Giving Green campaign to encourage participants to support the Arts & Science Council.

The Apostle Paul is the single most influential figure in human history, suggests UNC Charlotte Religious Studies Professor James Tabor in his latest book “Paul and Jesus How the Apostle Transformed Christianity.” Tabor argues that Paul’s influence trumps even the great “founders,” whether Jesus, Moses, the Buddha or Mohammed.

Christopher Poulos, associate professor and chair of the Department of Communication Studies at UNC Greensboro, will present “Writing a Bridge to Possibility: Life, Death and the Redemptive Power of Autoethnography” at 9 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 28, in the Barnhardt Student Activity Center Salons.Poulos received his doctorate in human communication studies from the University of Denver. His research interests include relational and family communication, dialogue, communication ethics and film.

William Brandon, the Metrolina Medical Foundation Distinguished Professor of Public Policy in Health at UNC Charlotte, will be among the panelists for “Healthcare for All – Can We Make it Happen?” This discussion will be from 4:30 to 6 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 26, at Myers Park Baptist Church, 1900 Queens Rd.