Teaching & Advising

Two of the three finalists for each of the University’s two teaching excellence awards are faculty in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. They are Oscar Lansen, Jordan Poler, Terry Shirley Jr., and Jennifer Webb.

In recognition of their exceptional and innovative teaching, Jennifer Munroe, Sarah Pollock and Lane Rhodes have received the College’s Excellence in Teaching Awards for the 2018-2019 academic year.

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.

Since 1966, the UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens has served as an outdoor oasis and vibrant classroom for the campus and broader Charlotte community. The Botanical Gardens are open to the public and offer 6,000 plant species over its 10 acres.

The hushed tones of UNC Charlotte students add another note to the song in the UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens, as faculty turn to the Gardens to study subjects ranging from graphic design to ecological interactions. They and their students embrace nature and gain inspiration from the natural world.

In recognition of their exceptional teaching, Ashley Bryan, Nishi Bryska and Ian Marriott have received the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences’ Excellence in Teaching Awards for 2017. Dean Nancy A. Gutierrez and the awards committee chairs commended the honorees and award finalists for their innovation, creativity and focus on engaging students in scholarship and research.

Through a pilot program called the Summer Research Experience for Teachers, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools teachers collaborated with professors and graduate students in UNC Charlotte lab settings for the first time in summer 2016, to increase teachers’ access and exposure to the settings where scientific research occurs.

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences faculty will lead Charlotte Teachers Institute 2016 seminars on a wide variety of engaging, interdisciplinary topics for Charlotte-Mecklenburg teachers from all grade levels and subject areas. CTI recently announced its new seminars, which also will be led by faculty members from UNC Charlotte College of Education and Davidson College.