College of Science

Odie, the rare Titan Arum tropical plant at UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens, began unfurling around 12:30 p.m. on Friday, July 17, 2015. The McMillan Greenhouse will be open extended hours for visitors who want to see — and smell — this botanical rarity.

UNC Charlotte student scholars are researching diverse topics ranging from lightning strike patterns in the Southeast U.S. to the connection between Maya Angelou’s poetry and contemporary hip-hop to the impact of UNC Charlotte’s student-run food pantry.

Joshua R. Stokell, a UNC Charlotte post-doctoral fellow, died on Monday, June 8 as a result of complications arising from his lifelong battle with Cystic Fibrosis. Visitation will be Thursday, June 11, from 3 to 7 p.m. at McEwen Derita Chapel, 6300 Mallard Creek Road, Charlotte. The funeral service will follow at 7 p.m.

A research team including a senior biology major has made progress towards finding a weak spot in the architecture of a group of enzymes that are essential to antibiotic resistance in a number of bacteria, using a complex modeling program that helps analyze the physical dynamics of large, structurally complex protein molecules.

Larry Mellichamp, who retired as director of UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens after almost 40 years, shares his insights on this edition of UNC Charlotte’s The Live Wire.

Students from the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences earned top honors for their research at UNC Charlotte’s 15th annual Graduate Research Symposium, held in April, 2015 in the J. Murrey Atkins Library. The Graduate Research Symposium seeks to provide an inclusive and competitive environment for UNC Charlotte students to present their work.

Physics major Jennifer Kassel and mathematics and computer science major Jonathan Knighten have received two of the three National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships awarded to UNC Charlotte students for 2015. Both students have found opportunities to conduct hands-on research while also helping others through volunteerism focused on science and technology.

Janna Shedd, Tonya Bates and Robin James have received the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ 2015 Teaching Awards for their dedication, teaching and research contributions and lasting impact on students.

Tonya Bates of Biological Sciences is one of three nominees for the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Award for Outstanding Teaching by a Full-Time Lecturer. Bates is currently a lecturer in the Department of Biological Sciences and recently took on the role of undergraduate coordinator.

John Taylor of Mathematics and Statistics is one of three nominees for the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Award for Outstanding Teaching by a Full-Time Lecturer. Taylor has taught as a faculty member at UNC Charlotte since 2006.