College of Science

“I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues. And I am asking you at the top of my lungs.” Many of us recognize this quote from Dr. Suess’ book The Lorax from when we were young. Biological Sciences faculty member Aaron Kampe describes the Arbor 49er project in which he and his students have created a physical and virtual educational experience focused on 49 distinct tree species on UNC Charlotte’s campus.

Associate Professor of Chemistry Daniel Jones is among the five finalists for one of the University’s highest honors – the 2016 Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence. In a 43-year career at UNC Charlotte, Jones has taught more than 5,000 students. Throughout these years, his teaching philosophy has been student-centered and holistic.

Larry Mellichamp, retired director of the University’s Botanical Gardens, received the 2016 Tom Dodd Jr. Award of Excellence at the Cullowhee Native Plant Conference held at Western Carolina University in late July. Currently president of the North Carolina Native Plant Society, Mellichamp was recognized for his dedication to the study, propagation and promotion of the native plants of Southeastern North America.

Gain an intoxicating perspective on the leaves, bark, seeds, roots, flowers and fruit imbibed around the world when Amy Stewart, best-selling author of The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World’s Great Drinks, keynotes a UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens’ 50th Anniversary Symposium on Saturday, October 8, 2016.

Frogs and their tiny eggs are helping a UNC Charlotte researcher unlock the mysteries of genomic instability, with implications for cancer and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease. Biological sciences assistant professor Shan Yan researches DNA damage that human cells sustain from thousands of internal and environmental assaults each day.

UNC Charlotte distinguished cancer researcher Pinku Mukherjee has received a 2016 Inspiring Women in STEM Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education. The Inspiring Women in STEM Award honors women who work to make a difference in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

English language learners in Mariella Duarte’s eighth-grade class at Whitewater Middle School in Charlotte face the steep task of learning middle school math in a language they have yet to master. For these students, the cognitive load can prove overwhelming. Anthony Fernandes, a mathematics professor at UNC Charlotte, is seeking solutions to that struggle.

At the May 14 College of Liberal Arts & Sciences’ commencement ceremony, Stanley Schneider, Biological Sciences, officially received a 2016 UNC Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching. As a teacher, one of Schneider’s goals is to change the way students think about and live on Earth. “I want them to experience awe and a sense of privilege and responsibility for living on this planet,” he says.

An international research team led by Adam Reitzel of UNC Charlotte Biological Sciences is investigating how epigenetic regulations and microbial communities influence the adaption of coastal marine species to climate change. The team received funding in March from the Human Frontier Science Program, as one of only seven teams to receive a Young Investigators’ Grant.

For her entrepreneurial approach and her scientific discoveries, UNC Charlotte distinguished cancer researcher Pinku Mukherjee has received the “Charlotte International Cabinet Patrick McCrory International Entrepreneur Award.” As the Irwin Belk Endowed Professor of Cancer Research at UNC Charlotte, Mukherjee is transforming the ways in which cancer is diagnosed and treated. She has designed innovative approaches […]