Dr. Juan Vivero-Escoto was recently interviewed by WBTV on your side about his research on antibiotic resistant bacteria. Check out the segment here to learn more about the amazing research being done at UNC Charlotte!

Michael Walter joined the faculty at UNC Charlotte in 2011. Since then, he has secured over $2.5 million in external grant funding and published two dozen papers. He is the inventor of co-inventor for three patents, one of the patents is licensed to a local company. 

His research program, and his real-world teaching illustrations, are built around the study of various materials that use light interactions for energy. Students learn how powerful organic chemistry photochemical tools can be used to address scientific challenges. 

Undergraduate students are attracted to Walter’s research laboratory as early as their sophomore year as a result of their experiences in his classes. He has mentored 53 students from a variety of majors, including chemistry, biology, physics, public health, and mathematics.

His interactions with undergraduate students have resulted in over 50 research talks and posters with several invited talks, all presented by the students.

He developed an “e-molecules” activity where students research the structure of widely used organic molecules that might be used in pharmaceuticals or other materials. The course also includes a hands-on photochemistry activity, called  “Juice-from-Juice” where students build blackberry juice, dye-sensitized solar cells. The activity is a powerful example of how an organic molecule extracted from blackberry juice can be used to harness sunlight and convert it to usable electricity and power.

A new activity in his classes looks at the connections among the luminescent materials encountered in daily lives, from organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) in cell phone screens to the bioluminescence from fireflies seen on a summer night.

Michael Walter was the recipient of the 2022 CLAS Teaching & Research Integration award

The five inaugural recipients of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (CLAS) Distinguished Leadership Awards are “impeccable people” who have never let the college or UNC Charlotte down, emcee Ohavia Phillips ’15 told the family members, friends and colleagues who honored them on March 23.

CLAS Interim Dean John Smail agreed. “It takes leadership, and it takes people who are willing to commit time and energy,” Smail said. “It takes vision and belief to make this a top-tier institution. It’s with great pride and great humility and gratitude that I recognize our honorees.”

The new awards, to be presented each academic year, recognizes the achievements of students, alumni, faculty, staff and supporters who have made the College strong. Inaugural honorees who were recognized at a celebration at the Harris Alumni Center at Johnson Glen are:

• Twig Branch ’11 M.A., ’16 M.A., ’18 M.A.
• Nancy A. Gutierrez, Dean Emerita
• Margaret Kocherga ’16, ’20 Ph.D.
• Shawn Long, former Senior Associate Dean, Honored Posthumously
• Boris “Bluz” Rogers ’06

Among special guests were family members and friends of Long, who served Charlotte and the college as a faculty member and administrator for almost two decades. Long died Jan. 14, 2021 following a serious illness. He had joined Kennesaw State University in Georgia as dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences in July 2019.

Others recognizing the honorees included Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Alicia Bertone and Andrew Baker ‘15, president of the college Alumni Council.

Margaret Kocherga

Kocherga is an award-winning early-stage entrepreneur, scientist, TEDx speaker and choreographer who has been featured in Bloomberg, The Business Journals, WSOCTV, Yahoo, and Charlotte Magazine. Originally from Ukraine, she finds joy in exploring other cultures and has visited 32 countries. She is the founder and CEO of Light and Charge Solutions, LLC and Margik Inc., which were created with a focus on the commercialization of organic electronics materials and Organic LEDs (OLEDs).

Boris “Bluz” Rogers

Rogers is an Emmy-award winning poet, director of creative engagement for Blumenthal Performing Arts and the coach of the three-time National Poetry slam Championship team, Slam Charlotte. The author of three books is also a recording artist, and his voice is a progressive tool used to foster transformation. Rogers has worked with organizations including CBS Radio, ESPN and SPEED TV and was the first performer at the opening ceremony of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Twig Branch

Branch worked as part of his family’s business before moving to Charlotte and retiring. He then obtained master’s degrees from Charlotte in religious studies, history and Latin American studies. Branch has helped raise nearly $5 million to support CLAS and helped establish initiatives including the Salon Outreach Program, Witness in Residence Program, Equity in Memory and Memorial Project, Pharr Buchenau Study Abroad Fund, Ruff English Scholarship, several travel grants and Atkins OutLoud.

Shawn Long, In Memorium

Long began his career at Charlotte, where he held faculty and administrative roles, including as CLAS senior associate dean. In 2019, he became the first black dean at Kennesaw State University. He received many awards in his lifetime, including the Lyman T. Johnson Torch of Excellence from the University of Kentucky’s African American Alumni. Long’s final career achievement was facilitating a $9 million gift to name the Norman J. Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Nancy A. Gutierrez Dean Emerita

Gutierrez retired in June 2022 after 17 years as CLAS dean. She led efforts to create new academic departments and centers, including the Office of Interdisciplinary Studies. She was instrumental to establishing a Phi Beta Kappa chapter and development of the LEADS applied learning initiative. Gutierrez served as president of the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences and offered six years of service to North Carolina Humanities, including as Board chair from 2019 to 2021.

Read More About The Honorees

Pictured (left to right) Twig Branch, Nancy A. Gutierrez, Shawn Long’s aunt Lanora F. Long, Margaret Kocherga, Boris “Bluz” Rogers and Andrew Baker | Image by: Kat Lawrence

Congratulations to Dr. Jacob Horger, Teaching Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry. Dr. Horger has been selected to participate in the 5th annual Faculty Showcase. The committee in charge of the showcase said of Jacob’s work, “The quality of the work he recently undertook with the Office of Assessment and Accreditation’s Scholarship of Assessment program to use Gradescope as a way to provide quick, high-quality feedback to students and to monitor the impact of pedagogical changes in his course deserves special recognition, and we believe his efforts will assist faculty across campus to develop their own teaching.” Faculty Showcase Announcement

Please join us for this year’s Faculty Professional Development Showcase and learn how fellow faculty made improvements in their teaching as a result of their participation in professional development activities around campus. The purpose of this event is to raise awareness and celebrate faculty best practices at UNC Charlotte.

This year’s event will take place on the UNC Charlotte campus on April 6, 2023 from 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM in the Halton Reading Room located in Atkins Library. A light lunch will be served.

This Showcase is hosted by the Office for Assessment and Accreditation, Center for Teaching and Learning, Atkins Library, and Communication Across the Curriculum.

Please register online by Friday, March 24th to let us know you’ll be attending. Visit the Faculty Showcase webpage on the Office of Assessment & Accreditation website to learn more about the upcoming showcase and past events.

Faculty Showcase

U.S. Coast Guard veteran Zach Bessant is achieving his goals through the James William Kirk Scholarship established by Kim Kirk Steffan.

Bessant, a junior physics major, was one of two speakers at the recent OASES scholarship luncheon. Toni Moss, a junior pre-communication studies major who also is a scholarship recipient, was the second speaker. Both have benefitted from life-changing opportunities presented through OASES.

After high school graduation in 2007, Bessant joined the Coast Guard and was stationed at various installations across the United States, concluding his service in Wilmington, N.C. He enrolled at Cape Fear Community College to study machining. He later transferred to Charlotte, following treatment for cancer. At Charlotte, he said he is inspired by the concepts of applied math and physics and the possibilities of working in the space industry or starting his own state-of-the-art machine shop.

Moss, a mother of two, would like to open her own business and establish a nonprofit mentorship program for underprivileged adults who aspire to work in human resources, public relations or a similar field. In 2020, she completed an associate degree in hospitality management from Central Piedmont Community College. Most recently, she worked as an HR coordinator for Raytheon Technologies through a staffing agency, and then enrolled at Charlotte, where she has received scholarships through the WINGS and ANSWER programs.

OASES, the Office of Adult Students and Extended Services, is dedicated to meeting the unique needs of nontraditional students. Each academic year, the office awards scholarships to deserving adult learners. Recently, OASES recognized scholarship recipients and donors who established the awards.

“Adult learners must juggle various commitments as they work toward completing their degrees,” Janet Daniel, OASES director, said. “This year, we were able to provide scholarship support to 89 nontraditional students through the 30 awards we administer.”

Read more about Bessant, Moss and OASES. Image: Zach Bessant (left) and Toni Moss speak at a recent OASES event.

Congratulations to Dr. Shan Yan on the 2022 Outstanding Data Science Faculty Research Award! Each year, SDS awards an SDS faculty member for their significant achievements in data science research. As this year’s winner, Dr. Yan will receive a plaque acknowledging his outstanding research contribution and a $2,000 research award that can be used to cover any research-related expenses, such as conference travel, data and software purchase, and compensation for study participants.

Dr. Shan Yan is Professor and Associate Chair for Research in the Department of Biological Sciences within the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (CLAS) and Affiliated Faculty with the School of Data Science (SDS) at UNC Charlotte. He has initiated and directed the Charlotte Biology and Biotechnology (CBB) Exchange Group co-sponsored by North Carolina Biotechnology Center (NCBC) and UNC Charlotte since 2017. He is the Director of the Board for the Federation of American Society For Experimental Biology (FASEB, representing ~27 scientific societies and ~115k scientists), and is also the Program Leader of the Genome Integrity and Cancer Initiative (GICI) at UNC Charlotte. He has served as grant reviewer for the NIH study sections and NSF Review Panels. Dr. Yan also serves as managing editor or editorial board member for several journals such as Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis, and manuscript reviewer for ~46 scientific journals including Science, PNAS, and eLife. His research laboratory is focused on the molecular mechanisms of genome integrity and cancer etiology using Xenopus egg extracts and mammalian cell lines as model systems. His research program is highly interdisciplinary and collaborative and often involves collaborators with expertise in data science, structural bioinformatics, chemistry and nanoparticles, physics and structural biology, cancer biology, and therapeutics. During 2022, he published 4 peer-reviewed articles and 2 preprints as corresponding or senior author and submitted 1 patent application to USPTO as the sole inventor. His original research article on APE1 function and mechanism in liquid-liquid phase separation and nucleolar DNA damage response in Nucleic Acids Research has led to his Forum Article featured in Trends in Cell Biology. These high-impact studies in top-tier journals have been highlighted in a news release in EurekAlert by AAAS and media reports such as Science Magazine. Dr. Yan also co-authored a research article in Small demonstrating a nanoparticle-based approach for targeted delivery of chemotherapy drugs to pancreatic cancers, which has brought a total cost of $2.1M NIH/NCI R01 grant to UNC Charlotte (as Co-Investigator). In 2022, his pioneering research on APE2 in genome integrity has also been awarded an NIH/NCI R03 grant (as Principal Investigator).

Dr. Vivero-Escoto’s lab has been quite busy and it really shows! Read below about 3 projects that have recently been funded:

Project Number1R16GM145434-01 Antimicrobial resistant bacteria (ARB) and genes (ARGs) are one of the biggest public health issues of the 21st century. In this project; we propose to develop a light-activated silver nanoparticulate system for the effective treatment of ARB and ARGs. The proposed research is relevant to public health because it will develop reliable technologies for the effective elimination of ARB and ARGs. Project Number1R15CA274239-01 Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is associated with younger age, African American and Hispanic ethnicity background, BRCA gene-mutated populations, and has the worst prognosis compared with other types of breast cancer. In this project; we propose to develop RNA-loaded silica-based drug delivery nanocarrier to improve the photodynamic and siRNA therapy for the successful treatment of TNBC. Project Number1R01CA263897-01A1 Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the fourth-leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States having the worst prognosis with 5-year survival rate of 10%. In this project, we pursue the development of a sequential therapy using targeted stimuli-responsive drug delivery nanocarriers for the treatment of advanced PDAC. https://features.charlotte.edu/juan-vivero-escoto

Please join the department in congratulating Dr. Kirill Afonin for being named this year’s recipient of the First Citizens Bank Scholars Medal!

The First Citizens Bank Scholars Medal was first awarded in 1988 and recognizes outstanding scholarship, creativity, and research among senior full-time faculty members. Each year the University, with support from First Citizens Bank, presents this award in order to recognize and foster the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and creative endeavors.

The recipients are honored annually at a spring ceremony and reception presided over by the Chancellor, officials of First Citizens Bank, and other University officers. They are presented with a framed citation, a medal, and cash prize

For more information regarding this award, visit the First Citizens Bank Scholar website

Risk management and data analysis are critical life skills for Grayson Dill, ’11, who draws upon these core attributes while scaling mountain summits around the world and working as a wilderness EMT. Along with expertise and drive, they also have helped advance his banking career, propelling him to his current position as a risk management leader at Bank of America.

Dill Shaped New College Role

Students, faculty and staff at UNC Charlotte have also benefitted from Dill’s expertise and vision over the past months, as he brought risk management to life in his work as the inaugural mathematician-in-residence in Charlotte’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics. Through that role, Dill helped shape the department’s real-world connections.

“By positioning a local business leader in the department,” Dill said, “we have challenged faculty and staff to bring about greater alignment between research and education goals and the needs of the local business community. We also have challenged students to think more practically about how they might apply mathematics professionally, which will better prepare them for their careers.”

A centerpiece of the effort has been a one-credit hour class that applies mathematics to business problems commonly encountered in the financial services industry, with special emphasis on risk management. “With the help of guest lecturers, we have spotlighted actual examples of risk mitigation,” Dill said. “We challenged students to develop their own creative thinking on the subject through work on a semester project. The seminar constantly reinforced the theme that business is complicated, and mathematics rarely applies neatly. But when applied thoughtfully, mathematical tools can deliver amazing insights and efficiencies.”

Master’s Degree Student Saw Relevance

For Kimberly Mays ‘22, who earned a master’s degree in applied statistics, an especially useful aspect of the applied mathematics seminar was seeing varied examples of professional applications of math concepts.

“I especially appreciated our guest lecturers and the scope of companies they represented,” Mays said. “On a personal note, I also find myself evaluating risk differently as a result of the class. For example, since I took the class, I had two fraudulent bank charges show up on my account, one of which was flagged by the bank as possible fraud and one which was not. It was interesting to consider what decisions and programs led to one charge triggering an automatic alert in the context of what we learned in the seminar.”

Mays found that her commitment to digging into the class topics resulted in deeper learning. “My favorite topics were those I really thought through on my own,” she said. “My own involvement made the difference, whether that meant completing outside reading, making time to attend office hours that week, or just heading to class with a list of questions.”

Students should be prepared to think about finance, and to think creatively about applications of math, Dill said. “We have challenged students to understand a holistic approach to problem-solving, including consultation with partners to develop coherent business problems, to use data engineering as a precursor to complex quantitative analysis, and finally, to strategically communicate results.”

As a senior vice president and client quantitative analytics manager, Dill is particularly experienced in business problems related to Bank Secrecy Act compliance and mitigation of financial crimes risk. He graduated summa cum laude from Charlotte in 2011 with bachelor’s degrees in economics and mathematics, and a concentration in political science, after receiving a bachelor’s degree in history from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2005. He earned a master’s degree in applied economics from Johns Hopkins University in 2017.

Department Chair Appreciates Bridge-Building

Positioning a local business leader in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics has spurred faculty and staff to think of ways to align research and education goals and the needs of the local business community, said department Chair Taufiquar (TK) Khan.

“The mathematician-in-residence initiative helps students and faculty cross the bridge to collaborate with business, industry and government,” Khan said. “Students learn transferable skills to be successful in employment after graduation. The mathematician-in-residence also helps faculty to learn about the mathematics applied in the local industry.”

Bank of America Supports Initiative

Khan and Dill expressed appreciation to Bank of America. “I’ve been warmly supported in this endeavor by my full-time employer, Bank of America,” Dill said. “The company’s support is a great testament to its commitment to our communities, and to the Charlotte market.”

As for Mays, she has explored career paths that would draw upon her knowledge of mathematical principles and her ability to apply her skills and knowledge to situations such as those she encountered in Dill’s seminar and in her internships, including one in sports analytics.

“I was drawn to mathematics originally by curiosity,” she said. “I like that the same mathematical principles that help evaluate risk in banking can also be applied to sports, public health, ecology, education, and other areas. The most interesting parts of the world seem to exist in the sometimes-messy intersection of the quantifiable and everything else.”

Words and Images: Lynn Roberson | Additional Images Courtesy of Grayson Dill

Risk management and data analysis are critical life skills for Grayson Dill, ’11, who draws upon these core attributes while scaling mountain summits around the world and working as a wilderness EMT. Along with expertise and drive, they also have helped advance his banking career, propelling him to his current position as a risk management leader at Bank of America.

Dill Shaped New College Role

Students, faculty and staff at UNC Charlotte have also benefitted from Dill’s expertise and vision over the past months, as he brought risk management to life in his work as the inaugural mathematician-in-residence in Charlotte’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics. Through that role, Dill helped shape the department’s real-world connections.

“By positioning a local business leader in the department,” Dill said, “we have challenged faculty and staff to bring about greater alignment between research and education goals and the needs of the local business community. We also have challenged students to think more practically about how they might apply mathematics professionally, which will better prepare them for their careers.”

A centerpiece of the effort has been a one-credit hour class that applies mathematics to business problems commonly encountered in the financial services industry, with special emphasis on risk management. “With the help of guest lecturers, we have spotlighted actual examples of risk mitigation,” Dill said. “We challenged students to develop their own creative thinking on the subject through work on a semester project. The seminar constantly reinforced the theme that business is complicated, and mathematics rarely applies neatly. But when applied thoughtfully, mathematical tools can deliver amazing insights and efficiencies.”

Master’s Degree Student Saw Relevance

For Kimberly Mays ‘22, who earned a master’s degree in applied statistics, an especially useful aspect of the applied mathematics seminar was seeing varied examples of professional applications of math concepts.

“I especially appreciated our guest lecturers and the scope of companies they represented,” Mays said. “On a personal note, I also find myself evaluating risk differently as a result of the class. For example, since I took the class, I had two fraudulent bank charges show up on my account, one of which was flagged by the bank as possible fraud and one which was not. It was interesting to consider what decisions and programs led to one charge triggering an automatic alert in the context of what we learned in the seminar.”

Mays found that her commitment to digging into the class topics resulted in deeper learning. “My favorite topics were those I really thought through on my own,” she said. “My own involvement made the difference, whether that meant completing outside reading, making time to attend office hours that week, or just heading to class with a list of questions.”

Students should be prepared to think about finance, and to think creatively about applications of math, Dill said. “We have challenged students to understand a holistic approach to problem-solving, including consultation with partners to develop coherent business problems, to use data engineering as a precursor to complex quantitative analysis, and finally, to strategically communicate results.”

As a senior vice president and client quantitative analytics manager, Dill is particularly experienced in business problems related to Bank Secrecy Act compliance and mitigation of financial crimes risk. He graduated summa cum laude from Charlotte in 2011 with bachelor’s degrees in economics and mathematics, and a concentration in political science, after receiving a bachelor’s degree in history from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2005. He earned a master’s degree in applied economics from Johns Hopkins University in 2017.

Department Chair Appreciates Bridge-Building

Positioning a local business leader in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics has spurred faculty and staff to think of ways to align research and education goals and the needs of the local business community, said department Chair Taufiquar (TK) Khan.

“The mathematician-in-residence initiative helps students and faculty cross the bridge to collaborate with business, industry and government,” Khan said. “Students learn transferable skills to be successful in employment after graduation. The mathematician-in-residence also helps faculty to learn about the mathematics applied in the local industry.”

Bank of America Supports Initiative

Khan and Dill expressed appreciation to Bank of America. “I’ve been warmly supported in this endeavor by my full-time employer, Bank of America,” Dill said. “The company’s support is a great testament to its commitment to our communities, and to the Charlotte market.”

As for Mays, she has explored career paths that would draw upon her knowledge of mathematical principles and her ability to apply her skills and knowledge to situations such as those she encountered in Dill’s seminar and in her internships, including one in sports analytics.

“I was drawn to mathematics originally by curiosity,” she said. “I like that the same mathematical principles that help evaluate risk in banking can also be applied to sports, public health, ecology, education, and other areas. The most interesting parts of the world seem to exist in the sometimes-messy intersection of the quantifiable and everything else.”

Words and Images: Lynn Roberson | Additional Images Courtesy of Grayson Dill