Global Reach

Scott Fitzgerald, associate professor of sociology, is the 2016 recipient of the International Education Faculty Award, presented at the 22nd annual International Education Celebration.

A UNC Charlotte faculty member since 2003, Fitzgerald was instrumental in providing leadership to the Global Village Learning Community (GVLC). He collaborated with students to ensure they completed 40 hours of service learning with a variety of local organizations, including those that work with immigrant and international populations.

Offering odes to strong women who inspired them was a common thread by speakers at the recent International Women’s Day program held in the Student Union Multipurpose Room.

An annual event, International Women’s Day “acknowledges that our campus community is filled with local women who embody the richness of internationalism, and we would like to recognize these individuals for their contributions to UNC Charlotte and the world,” said Roslyn Lewis, communications coordinator in the Office of International Programs.

UNC Charlotte’s 11th annual recognition of International Women’s Day (IWD) will be 3:30 to 5 p.m., Thursday, March 31, in the Student Union, Room 340.

International Women’s Day is recognized by the United Nations on March 8 and celebrated in various countries around the world. It is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities. The UNC Charlotte campus community has celebrated IWD since 2006.

Two researchers from Brazil are working with Daniel Janies, the Carol Grotnes Belk Distinguished Professor of Bioinformatics and Genomics, to better understand the genes that allow amphibians to generate and resist the poisons they use for defense.

Greg Weeks, chair of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, will discuss Cuba and the United States for the final presentation in the UNC Charlotte Great Decisions Lecture Series. This talk is set for 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 24, at UNC Charlotte Center City.

As a researcher, Weeks focuses on Latin American politics, U.S.-Latin American relations and Latino immigration. He has authored a number of works, including “U.S. and Latin American Relations” and “Understanding Latin American Politics.”

As part of the 2016 Great Decisions Lecture Series, Kathryn Johnson, an associate professor in the Department of Religious Studies, will discuss the rise of ISIS at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 17, at UNC Charlotte Center City.

Johnson, who joined the University faculty in 1988, teaches courses in Islamic studies.

A documentary that recounts the Cold War struggles of Mario Röllig, UNC Charlotte’s “College of Liberal Arts & Sciences eyewitness-in-residence,” will premiere during the 66th annual Berlin International Film Festival in mid-February. The documentary includes scenes filmed during a visit Röllig made to UNC Charlotte in 2014.

Amal Khoury, an assistant professor in the Department of Global, International and Area Studies, will discuss the shifting alliances in the Middle East at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 10, at UNC Charlotte Center City, Room 204. This talk is part of the 2016 Great Decisions Lecture Series, sponsored by the Office of International Programs.

Khoury specializes in peace and conflict studies with an area focus on the Middle East. She is the co-author of “Unity in Diversity: Interfaith Dialogue in the Middle East.”

International Education Week, Nov. 16-20, is an opportunity to showcase global activities at UNC Charlotte through a series of events. A highlight of this observance is a screening and discussion of the documentary “The Dialogue” with director Arnd Wächter at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 17, in the Student Union Theater.

UNC Charlotte’s Office of Disability Services will receive international exposure through a recent visit from Kazakhstan’s Astana TV.

The television crew visited campus to film a documentary in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act; the goal for the project is to demonstrate how various U.S. organizations, including a large, urban university, accommodate students, employees and visitors who have disabilities.