News

Shan Yan, associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at UNC Charlotte, has received a $1.7 million R01 research grant from the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. Findings are expected to offer insight into how cancers develop and to open avenues to new therapeutic strategies, especially with pancreatic cancers.

UNC Charlotte’s Devin Clegg sees a strong linkage between his selection for a prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and lessons he learned when conducting biological sciences research and playing football with the Charlotte 49ers. Clegg is affiliated with the research labs of marine biologist Adam Reitzel and molecular and cell biologist Richard Chi.

Academically talented, low-income students who want to study biological sciences can find life-changing opportunities through a new regional partnership among UNC Charlotte, Gaston College and Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. This innovative initiative is possible as a result of $4.5 million in funding from the National Science Foundation’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM) program.

Irwin Belk Endowed Professor for Cancer Research Pinku Mukherjee is the 2018 recipient of the First Citizens Bank Scholars Medal, UNC Charlotte’s most prestigious faculty award in recognition of excellence in research. Mukherjee, who also is chair of the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, is a leader in transforming how cancer is diagnosed and treated.

A new UNC Charlotte study with college-age football linemen suggests that the roots of a sleep breathing health problem in football players may begin early and points to the need to fully assess the potential consequences of college training, particularly for linemen who quit conditioning after college.

Two College of Liberal Arts & Sciences students have received the first Harper-Thomas Legacy Endowment for Study Abroad awards, presented at an event at the Levine Museum of the New South hosted by the UNC Charlotte Black Alumni Chapter. The Harper-Thomas Legacy Endowment for Study Abroad honors College of Liberal Arts & Sciences emeritus professors Mary Harper and Herman Thomas and is a scholarship of the College.

The Helping Hand Project is a student-led and faculty-backed nonprofit organization that uses 3D printers to create recreational prosthetics for children, at no cost. These forward-thinking students are using their innovative, collaborative minds and the equipment in UNC Charlotte’s
Makerspace to create the life-changing devices.

UNC Charlotte’s Bank of America Alumni Network in December honored three distinguished individuals, including CLAS alumni, for their professional and community service achievements.

The Department of English and Chemistry Associate Professor Thomas Schmedake have earned awards of excellence from Provost Joan Lorden for their commitment to students and citizens of the region. Lorden presented the Award for Excellence in Teaching to the English Department and the Faculty Award for Community Engagement to Schmedake.

The Russian Academy of Science’s Sobolev Institute of Mathematics has awarded its 2017 Gold Medal for distinguished impact in mathematics to Mikhail Klibanov, a professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at UNC Charlotte. This award is considered a lifetime achievement award in the field of mathematics.