Dr. Dan Han received her Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics in 2019 from UNC, Charlotte under the gudiance of Professor Molchanov. She joined as a tenure track Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Louisville in 2019. Her research interestes include probability theory & stochastic, statistics and their applications to problems in population dynamics, data sciences, social network science, public health, finance,  numerical analysis, big data, machine learning, and FinTech. 

Education: Doctor of Science in Mathematics, subject area “Inverse Problems for Partial Differential Equations,” Computing Center of The Siberian Branch of The Russian Academy of Science, Novosibirsk.

Biography: Dr. Klibanov has recently been recognized by the Stanford University Study as among the top 2% of the world’s most cited researchers. He was also awarded the Golden Medal for “Distinguished Impact in Mathematics” from Sobolev Institute of  Mathematics, Russia in 2017. He is an author of more than 175 papers in the leading mathematical journals and a world renowned expert in inverse problems for partial differential equations, iII-posed problems, mathematical physics including microwaves and nanoscience and more. He has made original and groundbreaking contributions in the area of coefficient inverse problems by introducing Carleman estimates for proofs of uniqueness theorems and constructions of  globally convergent numerical methods for these problems. Dr. Klibanov’s research has been supported by the US Army Research Office for his work on applied inverse problems and has continuously received funding every three years since 2005 with a total of over 3.3 million dollars. Dr. Klibanov supervised 7 postdocs and 5 PhD students. Learn more about Dr. Klibanov here.

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Shan Yan, professor and associate chair for research in the Department of Biological Sciences, is the 2023 recipient of the Education Award from the Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society.

Yan was recognized for his long-standing dedication to educating and mentoring future generations of scientists in the field of environmental mutagenesis. He is an active member of the EMGS DNA Repair and Mutagenic Mechanism Special Interest Group and has served on several of the society’s committees including as current chair of the EMGS Publication Policy Committee.

In 2021, Yan proposed and initiated the EMGS Undergraduate Research Scholarship Program to encourage research by underrepresented undergraduate students and support their attendance at EMGS annual meetings. As an editorial board member of EMGS flagship journal Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis, Yan has edited special issues related to DNA repair, genome integrity and environmental health.

Since joining UNC Charlotte in 2010, Yan has established a productive and inclusive research laboratory. He has mentored two junior tenure-track faculty members, four research faculty and staff members or postdoctoral fellows, 13 graduate students and 23 undergraduate students. His research lab focuses on the molecular mechanisms of genome integrity and cancer etiology using Xenopus egg extracts and mammalian cells as model systems. The Inside UNC Charlotte article, “Finding a cure for cancer, one DNA damage pathway at a time,” details how Yan and his lab tackle basic but significant questions in the field of genome science and cancer. 

His research findings and discoveries, often in conjunction with his mentees, have been published in top-tier peer-reviewed journals such as Trends in Cell Biology, Nature Structural and Molecular Biology, Cancer Research, Nucleic Acids Research, eLife and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“I am honored to accept the 2023 EMGS Education Award, and I greatly appreciate the support and help from my mentors, mentees, collaborators, colleagues, friends and family over the years. As a scientist-educator, I view this award as one kind of recognition of my dedication to mentoring future researchers and scientists,” Yan said.

Brown University’s Robert W. Sobol, EMGS past president and current dean’s professor of cancer research and associate director for basic research and co-leader of the Cancer Biology Program at Legorreta Cancer Center, nominated Yan for the Education Award.

Inside UNC Charlotte

The NIH proposal titled “Statistical Methods for Efficacy Trials of Vaccines and Monoclonal Antibodies Against Genetically-Diverse Pathogens”, Co-PIed by Dr. Yanqing Sun with the investigators from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and UNC Chapel Hill, has received the MERIT extension award. The award gives five additional years of $100,000 each year of funding support to Dr.Yanqing Sun as the PI from UNC Charlotte from 2024 to 2029. Yanqing has received NIH funding continuously since 2006.

Creating supportive learning environments that enable students to succeed is a hallmark of Charlotte faculty members, and this year’s nominees for the University’s teaching excellence awards exemplify that commitment.

For the Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence, finalists are Paula Connolly, professor, English; M.Lyn Exum, associate professor, criminal justice and criminology; and Amy Good, associate professor, reading and elementary education.

Deborah Beete, senior lecturer, public health sciences; Jeanne-Marie “Ree” Linker, lecturer, mathematics and statistics; and Hannah Peach, assistant teaching professor, psychological science, are this year’s finalists for the UNC Charlotte Award for Teaching Excellence. 

Recipients for each award will be announced Friday, Sept. 22, during a reception in the Popp Martin Student Union Multipurpose Room. 

About Ree Linker

Jeanne-Marie “Ree” Linker ’98, ’23 is devoted to statistics and makes sure her students leave with the same appreciation. Focused on adaptive and active learning, along with real-world applications, Linker ensures her students and peers are set up for success.

To achieve this transition of student perspective, Linker uses group work to encourage students to engage with one another, finds relatable applications of the course material and gives a one-on-one experience for every student she encounters.

“I love my students who come in capable and self-motivated, but the students who keep me in the classroom semester after semester are the ones who are going to fall in love with math and just don’t know it yet,” said Linker.

Read Full Article on Inside UNC Charlotte

Bernadette T. Donovan-Merkert has been named interim dean of the College of Science, one of two colleges created from the reorganization of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, effective immediately. The name of the college is pending final approval from the Board of Trustees. 

“This reorganization moves us closer to our goal of serving the Charlotte region and the state of North Carolina as a top-tier research university by allowing the two distinct colleges to become more focused in their areas of expertise,” said Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Jennifer Troyer. “Bernadette’s leadership over the past several months as interim divisional dean for the departments that now comprise the College of Science has been critical to the success of the transition. I know she will continue to help foster success in research and teaching within these departments.” 

The new college comprises four science and math departments: Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Mathematics and Statistics, and Physics and Optical Science.

Prior to serving as interim divisional dean of these departments, Donovan-Merkert was chair of the Department of Chemistry for over 18 years. She also led the design and implementation of the Nanoscale Science Ph.D. program and served as the program’s director. In these roles, she worked with faculty, staff and students to promote a departmental culture that embraced excellence in research, teaching and engagement. Under her leadership, the Chemistry Department’s funding portfolio grew substantially, from less than $500,000 in extramural funding in 2005 to over $3.5 million in 2022, including major grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies.

“I have had the privilege of working with some of the most dedicated and talented faculty, staff and students during my career at UNC Charlotte,” said Donovan-Merkert. “I am thrilled to have this opportunity to work with the faculty, staff and students of the College of Science to support the University’s strategic plan by cultivating a college ecosystem that will facilitate student success, cutting-edge research, innovative teaching and engagement with the Charlotte region.” 

Donovan-Merkert received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Duke University and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Vermont. She held postdoctoral research associate positions at Dartmouth College and the University of Texas at Austin prior to her appointment as assistant professor of chemistry at UNC Charlotte in 1992. She was promoted to associate professor in 1998 and to the rank of professor in 2003.

Donovan-Merkert’s research focuses on electrochemically induced reactions of organometallic complexes. She has held leadership positions in professional organizations and was a long-time advocate for construction of the science building that opened in 2021. She was named a fellow of the American Chemical Society, was a finalist for the University’s highest teaching award, the Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence, and received the Harshini V. de Silva Graduate Mentor Award, among many internal and external honors.

Inside UNC Charlotte

Two new colleges have formed from the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, creating new pathways for student and research success — the College of Science and the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences. The colleges’ names are pending approval from the Board of Trustees at its next meeting.

“These two focused colleges allow each to evolve uniquely in ways that best encompass their expertise and strengths,” said Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber. “The transition supports our strategic plan goals of becoming a top-tier research university and adapting to meet the needs of current and future students.”

Two interim deans have been appointed. John Smail will continue his role of interim dean through June 30, 2024, overseeing the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences. Bernadette Donovan-Merkert has been named interim dean of the College of Science; her term runs through June 30, 2025. Both interim deans are currently in place supporting students, faculty and staff. 

“Our students, faculty and staff will continue to benefit from strong and consistent leadership at the helm of both of these colleges,” said Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Jennifer Troyer. “We remain confident in the guidance they will provide.”  

The College of Science will house four departments: Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Mathematics and Statistics, and Physics and Optical Science, and the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences will remain the largest of the colleges on campus. The academic departments forming the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences are:

Africana Studies, Anthropology, Communication Studies, Criminal Justice and Criminology, English, Geography and Earth Sciences, Global Studies, History, Interdisciplinary Studies, Languages and Culture Studies, Philosophy, Political Science and Public Administration,Psychological Science, Religious Studies, Sociology, and Writing, Rhetoric and Digital Studies. 

The timeline for completion of the initial transition will span the 2023-24 academic year.

The University is in the process of launching a search for the permanent dean of the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences. The search webpage contains a list of the members of the search committee and will be updated throughout the search process to include the position description, application instructions and details about finalists and campus interviews. 

Bernadette T. Donovan-Merkert Named Interim Dean of the College of Science

Bernadette T. Donovan-Merkert has been named interim dean of the College of Science, one of two colleges created from the reorganization of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, effective immediately. The name of the college is pending final approval from the Board of Trustees. 

“This reorganization moves us closer to our goal of serving the Charlotte region and the state of North Carolina as a top-tier research university by allowing the two distinct colleges to become more focused in their areas of expertise,” Troyer said. “Bernadette’s leadership over the past several months as interim divisional dean for the departments that now comprise the College of Science has been critical to the success of the transition. I know she will continue to help foster success in research and teaching within these departments.” 

Prior to serving as interim divisional dean of these departments, Donovan-Merkert was chair of the Department of Chemistry for over 18 years. She also led the design and implementation of the Nanoscale Science Ph.D. program and served as the program’s director. In these roles, she worked with faculty, staff and students to promote a departmental culture that embraced excellence in research, teaching and engagement. Under her leadership, the Chemistry Department’s funding portfolio grew substantially, from less than $500K in extramural funding in 2005 to over $3.5 million in 2022, including major grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies.

“I have had the privilege of working with some of the most dedicated and talented faculty, staff and students during my career at UNC Charlotte,” said Donovan-Merkert. “I am thrilled to have this opportunity to work with the faculty, staff and students of the College of Science to support the University’s strategic plan by cultivating a college ecosystem that will facilitate student success, cutting-edge research, innovative teaching and engagement with the Charlotte region.” 

Donovan-Merkert received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Duke University and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Vermont. She held postdoctoral research associate positions at Dartmouth College and the University of Texas at Austin prior to her appointment as assistant professor of chemistry at UNC Charlotte in 1992. She was promoted to associate professor in 1998 and to the rank of professor in 2003.

Donovan-Merkert’s research focuses on electrochemically induced reactions of organometallic complexes. She has held leadership positions in professional organizations and was a long-time advocate for construction of the science building that opened in 2021. She was named a fellow of the American Chemical Society, was a finalist for the University’s highest teaching award, the Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence, and received the Harshini V. de Silva Graduate Mentor Award, among many internal and external honors.

Have you ever wondered why some people never became sick from COVID-19? A study published today in Nature shows that common genetic variation among people is responsible for mediating SARS-CoV-2 asymptomatic infection. The results indicate that individuals having this variant never feel sick once infected. This exciting discovery was a result of a U.S.-Australia collaborative work led by Danillo Augusto, Ph.D., assistant professor of biological sciences at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Jill Hollenbach, Ph.D., professor at the University of California San Francisco; and Stephanie Gras, professor at La Trobe University in Australia.

Genetics explains why some individuals never have COVID-19 symptoms

Shan Yan and his research group at UNC Charlotte conduct basic research to scout next targets in the battle against cancer.

This year, around 64,000 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which has a five-year survival rate of just 12%. That means in 2023 alone, around 50,000 Americans will die from the disease. One lab at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte is trying to change those numbers, starting at the molecular level.

Read more at Inside Charlotte

Following two years of study, including extensive faculty and staff input, UNC Charlotte’s College of Liberal Arts & Sciences will begin pursuing the path of creating two distinct colleges: one will include the departments of biological sciences, chemistry, physics and optical science, and mathematics and statistics. Additional departments that may join this college, and the constitution of the second college, will be determined soon.

The process will begin July 1. 

“This proposed new academic structure will cluster and create coherence among smaller groups of related disciplines,” said Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber. “Each college can build greater visibility and a shared identity among its departments and other units. A more targeted focus would permit the two proposed colleges to contribute significantly to our strategic plan, particularly in research, engagement and teaching.”

Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Jennifer Troyer led the Committee on CLAS Review, which identified possible options for the organization of CLAS, identifying strengths and weaknesses associated with each option and how each option aligned with the University strategic plan.

“Creating two distinct colleges offers an exciting opportunity for each to chart their own unique paths forward,” Troyer said. “The focused, more agile colleges can find innovative and targeted ways to enhance student success, contribute to our goal of expanding and elevating our research, and support faculty and staff.”

Two separate deanships for the proposed colleges will be created to help with the facilitation of the ongoing process. College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Interim Dean John Smail will continue as the interim dean for one of the proposed colleges. Other information about the proposed colleges’ structure and leadership, including the interim dean for the second proposed college, will be forthcoming.  

Monday, June 26, 2023, Inside UNC Charlotte