College of Science

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.

Glenn Boreman, chair of the Department of Physics and Optical Science, earlier this year was elevated to the status of IEEE Fellow by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, in recognition of his significant contributions to optical and infrared antenna technologies.

This summer, dozens of College of Liberal Arts & Sciences undergraduate students from varied majors and disciplines will gain experience in research through UNC Charlotte initiatives that emphasize learn-by-doing models. They also will benefit from professional development opportunities, mentoring and interactions with each other.

Mukulika Bose, a doctoral student in biological sciences, has received a 2018 P.E.O. International Scholarship from the P.E.O. Sisterhood, an organization focused on helping women around the world participate in graduate study in the U.S. and Canada. Bose is a member of Pinku Mukherjee’s lab in the Department of Biological Sciences.

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.

UNC Charlotte biology alumna and Cabarrus County teacher Jessie L. Enlow stood at the front of the UNC Charlotte Biological Sciences laboratory, holding up slips of paper that were marked up to represent DNA sequencing. As part of the NC Science Festival series of events at UNC Charlotte, Enlow was a member of a team presenting ways for public school teachers to incorporate biotechnology concepts and tools in their classrooms.

A classroom approach in which students seek solutions to problems rooted in real meteorological data; non-traditional teaching techniques to help students grasp organic chemistry; and a focus on students choosing research projects geared to their interests are just some of the innovative, hands-on approaches this year’s CLAS Excellence in Teaching Awards recipients use to challenge students.

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.

The solution to an intricate mathematical problem is a thing of beauty for UNC Charlotte researcher Xingjie (Helen) Li – much like a poem, with its economy, precision and ability to give joy. “With a poem, you often just use a few words to describe something,” Li says. “And in mathematics, we also use a few expressions to describe a problem. It’s complicated stuff, but you know there is a unique path to this complex thing. And through the truth of mathematics, you can identify this unique path.”