Physics major Jennifer Kassel and computer science and mathematics major Jonathan Knighten have received two of the three National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships awarded to UNC Charlotte students for 2015.

The third recipient at UNC Charlotte is Kathryn Smith, who completed her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at UNC Charlotte in 2013 and is currently enrolled in the electrical engineering doctoral program.

These highly prestigious awards recognize and support outstanding graduate students who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral programs. The research fellows receive a $32,000 annual stipend for three years within a five-year fellowship period. They also receive a $12,000 cost-of-education allowance and professional development opportunities.

During their time at UNC Charlotte, Kassel and Knighten have found opportunities to conduct hands-on research while also helping others through volunteerism focused on science and technology.

Kassel Looks Ahead With Plans for Research

After completing her bachelor’s degree in May, Kassel plans to pursue a doctoratal degree, with future plans for teaching and leading her own research lab. Her field of study is Physics and Astronomy – Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics; she has received offers from several universities. Michael Walter with the Department of Chemistry in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and the interdisciplinary Nanoscale Science Ph.D. Program is her advisor.

“I would like to stay in academia, contributing not only to scientific advancement, but the interest and understanding of our future scholars as well,” Kassel said. “I find well-known scientists like Carl Sagan, Neil Degrasse Tyson, and even Bill Nye inspiring in the way they share their fascination with the search for understanding. I see their candor as an attempt to spread that passion in hopes to spark a lifelong quest beyond the brink of human knowledge. If I can have that effect on just one person in my lifetime, I will consider my work a success. But I’ll never stop aiming for more.”

After high school, Kassel immediately entered the workforce for a few years. She then completed her associate’s degree in science at Central Piedmont Community College and later enrolled at UNC Charlotte. She quickly became involved with Tau Sigma and Omicron Delta Kappa honor societies and with the Society of Physics Students. She was chosen by fellow students to become the society’s president.

The students have volunteered with UNC Charlotte’s Science and Technology Expo, showcasing physics and astronomy. “We also help run the Star Party, educating registered guests to our campus on the telescope targets for the night while they get to view some of the cosmos a little closer,” she said.

Kassel learned about the graduate research fellowships opportunity as a participant in the Charlotte Research Scholars program. She furthered her knowledge about fellowships and research as one of 10 participants in the NanoSURE REU program.

Kassel is part of a interdisciplinary team of students, led by Walter and architecture faculty member Mona Azarbayjani, that has created a solar-responsive design material that transforms windows into environmentally-responsive surfaces that can simultaneously provide shade and convert sunlight into usable electric energy. The team won honorable mention in the People, Prosperity, and Planet Student Design Competition for Sustainability held by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Alexandria, Virginia in April.

Knighten Plans to Pursue Ph.D. at Cornell University

After graduation in May with bachelor’s degrees in computer science (College of Computing and Informatics) and mathematics (College of Liberal Arts & Sciences), Knighten plans to seek his doctoral degree in computer science at UNC Charlotte. He will draw upon his hands-on research experiences at UNC Charlotte. Jamie Payton, faculty in the Department of Computer Science in the College of Computing and Informatics, is his research advisor.

“Hands down the program that has had the biggest impact in my life is the Charlotte Research Scholars initiative,” Knighten said. “The CRS program opened my eyes to what research is and what it can be. It quickly became a passion. If it wasn’t for programs like CRS, I honestly do not know what I would be doing with my life right now.” Knighten learned about the fellowships while participating in the Charlotte Research Scholars program.

“Another major program that’s helped me find my way as a researcher is the NSF Research Experience for Undergraduate program,” he said. “Last summer I participated in the Data Intensive Computing REU held at Clemson University. Although I had already found my passion for research, the REU helped me mature and grow even more as a researcher. My experiences at Clemson showed me how important interdisciplinary research was and how amazing things can come out of having people with different academic backgrounds work together to tackle a problem.”

In addition to his academics and his research efforts, Knighten participates in the STARS Alliance and volunteers with Citizen Schools. He helps run an outreach program through STARS called MAD Investigators. “In MAD Investigators we teach middle school kids at MLK Middle School the fundamentals of Mobile Application Development, or MAD,” Knighten said. “During the outreach, students develop an Android app that tackles some type of issue in their community.”

For the last three years he has worked at Tutorial Services, which is a division of the University Center of Academic Excellence at UNC Charlotte. He was a senior peer tutor, meaning he was responsible for tutoring students and training other tutors. Through this work, he found a passion for teaching and mentoring others.

Three Former Chemistry Students Receive Honorable Mention Honors

In addition to the three students chosen to receive the fellowships, three chemistry students received honorable mention recognition.

• Patrick Quinlivan completed his bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 2013 and is attending Columbia University. Another participant in the CRS, his undergraduate advisor was chemistry professor Dan Rabinovich.
• David Townsend Smith received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 2012 and is attending the University of Arizona. While at UNC Charlotte, he worked with chemistry professor Craig Ogle.
• Marissa Styron received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 2013 from UNC Charlotte and is currently a Nanoscale Science doctoral student at UNC Charlotte. She is a recipient of the UNC Charlotte Graduate School’s 2013/2014 Everett Foundation First-Year Doctoral Fellowship. Rabinovich also was her advisor.

Over a period of 60 years, the NSF has awarded 48,000 fellowships in a wide range of disciplines including engineering, life sciences, economics, social sciences, psychology, mathematical sciences, physics and astronomy, chemistry, geosciences, computer and information science and engineering, STEM education and learning research and materials research. To date, 40 NSF fellows have gone on to become Nobel laureates. The NSF this year awarded just 2,000 fellowships among a national pool of 16,500 applications. UNC Charlotte ranks #4 in North Carolina for numbers of students awarded NSF Graduate Research Fellowships over the past six years.

Words: Brittany Algiere and Michael Eccles, CLAS Student Communications Assistants
Images: Courtesy of Kassel and Knighten

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.

Shedd of Religious Studies won the College’s Award for Outstanding Teaching by a Part-Time Faculty Member. Bates of Biological Sciences won the College’s Award for Outstanding Teaching by a Full-Time Lecturer. James of Philosophy won the College’s Integration of Undergraduate Teaching and Research Award.

They received their awards at a ceremony on Monday, April 20. Also at the ceremony, the finalists for each award were honored.

The two finalists for the Outstanding Teaching by a Part-Time Faculty Member Award are Allison Hutchcraft of English and Lawrence Blydenburgh of Criminal Justice and Criminology.

The two finalists for the Outstanding Teaching by a Full-Time Lecturer Award are John Taylor of Mathematics and Statistics and Sue Hodge of Criminal Justice and Criminology.

The two finalists for the Integration of Undergraduate Teaching and Research Award are Joe Kuhns of Criminal Justice and Criminology and Paula Connolly of English.

“These faculty members help students understand that taking risks is part of intellectual and emotional growth,” said Dean Nancy A. Gutierrez. “They help students understand that their capacity for success is constrained only by obstacles of their own invention. This is the power of a liberal arts education.”

Janna Shedd: Award for Outstanding Teaching by a Part-Time Faculty Member

Shedd is a part-time lecturer in the Religious Studies Department of the University of North Carolina Charlotte, where she has taught since 2009. Janna completed her master’s degree at UNC Charlotte and her bachelor’s degree at UNC Asheville. Her research interests are South and East Asian religions, the effects of globalization on religion and culture, and multicultural education. For the last 18 months she has volunteered at a weekly community and educational outreach program for local Southeast Asian youth.

She has traveled to China for month-long excursions to religious sites across the country and was adopted by a monkey on her last trip three years ago. Shedd hopes to expand her travel destinations and the frequency of her trips in the future. Her goals for the next two years include publishing articles on teaching religion, leading a student tour group to Daoist sites in China, and expanding her scholarly expertise to include Japanese religions.

She earned her master’s degree in religious studies from UNC Charlotte in 2009 and has been a part-time lecturer with a 4-4 load since fall semester of that year. With her tremendous sense of initiative and imagination, she has developed courses, including an online version of Death and the Afterlife.

Students describe her as engaging, passionate and patient. They express appreciation for the way she shows them other ways of life that differ from their own, and how their respect for other cultures and choices grows through her example. She shows this respect in the classroom.

One student commented, “Professor Shedd was possibly one of the most impressive, intelligent and compelling professors I have had the good fortune of enjoying in five semesters. She was able to get even the most timid and quiet student engaged. Neither obscure nor fatuous questions seemed to slow her down, and if ever she did not know an answer, she always found it out for us.”

To explain her motivation for teaching, Shedd said, “By the time they leave my class at the end of the semester, I hope that each student feels more confident in their ability to take on the world and all it has to offer. In the end, I am really trying to teach students how to teach themselves, to value each other, and to see their own education as relevant, active, and ongoing.”

Tonya Bates: Award for Outstanding Teaching by a Full-Time Lecturer

A native North Carolinian, Bates earned a master’s degree in biology and as a graduate student taught introductory biology and microbiology labs at UNC Charlotte. After graduation, she worked as a researcher in industry, at UMASS Amherst, and at Carolinas Medical Center, which provided her with a broad range of clinical and technical skills. Along this journey, she discovered that more than doing bench research, she enjoyed sharing biology through teaching and mentoring.

Bates is currently a lecturer in the Department of Biological Sciences and recently took on the role of undergraduate coordinator. She teaches majors and non-science majors in a variety of courses including Principles of Biology, Nature of Science and Current Topics, and Public Health for educators. The undergraduate coordinator position enables her to have an impact on the undergraduate curriculum of biology majors in a way that is not possible as an instructor.

By participating in the Communication across the Curriculum program, she has initiated improving writing in her department by facilitating the use of peer writing mentors in select writing intensive courses.

Recently she was selected to participate in the Top 40 faculty academy to write a resource guide for new faculty in these large enrollment freshman courses. In her spare time, she promotes science in the community by participating in events such as the UNC Charlotte Science and Technology Expo and Science Olympiad. With colleagues, she continues to develop many professional development workshops for middle, high school, and AP biology teachers.

Bates’ other scientific achievements and involvement include participation in the SouthEast Summer Institute for Undergraduate Education in Biology in 2012, the position of liaison for the Center for Teaching and Learning, election to the Department Advisory Committee, and representing for the Women in Science program at UNC Charlotte.

One student nominator said this:  “She is able to make small group projects work in a large class of 200 students, which seems like a magic trick to me.”  Another student nominator said, “Professor Bates constantly gives creative analogies and finds ways to link what we are learning in class to our own lives.  She is truly a phenomenal professor.” On of these creative endeavors includes “DNA Theater,” during which Bates and her students “dynamically act out the processes of DNA transcription and translation.”

Bates said, “Since 2010, I’ve taught biology to approximately 3,000 students. Each of these students has provided an opportunity to re-examine and reflect on why I do things the way I do inside and outside the classroom…. My personal goal has been to use my background as a scientist as an opportunity to do research to improve, develop, and refine my teaching and ultimately be able to communicate and disseminate this knowledge.”

Robin James: Integration of Undergraduate Teaching and Research Award

James is an associate professor of Philosophy at UNC Charlotte. She is the author of two books: Resilience & Melancholy: pop music, feminism, and neoliberalism, which was published by Zero books in February 2015, and The Conjectural Body: gender, race and the philosophy of music, which was published by Lexington Books in 2010.

Her work on feminism, race, contemporary continental philosophy, pop music, and sound studies has appeared in The New Inquiry, Noisey, SoundingOut!, Hypatia, differences, Contemporary Aesthetics, and the Journal of Popular Music Studies. She is also a digital sound artist and musician, and often works as a member of citation:obsolete. She blogs at its-her-factory.com and is a regular contributor to Cyborgology and xcphilosophy.

For James, the integration of teaching and research means using classroom conversations as a place to begin and continue her own research practice and teaching students some of the practices, including blogging, public writing, creative research in sound and the process of writing a book. “Often the questions I bring to class are ones I’m still working on, to which I don’t yet have answers,” James said. “The classroom is a place where the students and I work through philosophical questions, concepts, and problems together.”

Shannon Sullivan, Chair and Professor of Philosophy, said, “[I]t is not so much her scores that make Dr. James truly deserving of this award. It is what she does in her classes. Dr. James and her students do philosophy together.”

“As I understand it, philosophy is not so much a content […] but more of a how, a doing, a practice. So in all my classes, we do philosophy, we think,” James said.

James plans to integrate students’ thinking with media and philosophy. She has developed a new team-taught course for spring 2016, supported by an SOTL grant, that will give students the opportunity to engage philosophy via new media including film, video, websites and social media. They will interview Charlotte people on topics that connect philosophy to their lives. This will continue her practice of giving students hands-on experience developing philosophical ideas in ways that model what scholars do.

Students commend James for being, as one student described it, “a valuable living resource.” The student commented, “She encourages us, and in doing so helps us to realize the potential works that lie within us. But what distinguishes her from other professors I have is not just her ability to understand her students, but her affinity for understanding her students.”

Words compiled and edited by Taryn Walls, Student Communications Assistant
Images: Lynn Roberson, College Communications Director.

Pictured in top photo (left to right): Tonya Bates, Janna Shedd, Robin James, Nancy Gutierrez

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. The other nominees are John Taylor of Mathematics and Statistics and Sue Hodge of Criminal Justice and Criminology.

A native North Carolinian, Bates earned a master’s degree in biology and as a graduate student taught introductory biology and microbiology labs at UNC Charlotte. After graduation, she worked as a researcher in industry, at UMASS Amherst, and at Carolinas Medical Center, which provided her with a broad range of clinical and technical skills. Along this journey, she discovered that more than doing bench research, she enjoyed sharing biology through teaching and mentoring.

Bates is currently a lecturer in the Department of Biological Sciences and recently took on the role of undergraduate coordinator. She teaches majors and non-science majors in a variety of courses including Principles of Biology, Nature of Science and Current Topics as well as Public Health for educators. The undergraduate coordinator position enables her to have an impact on the undergraduate curriculum of biology majors in a way that is not possible as an instructor.

By participating in the Communication across the Curriculum program, she has initiated improving writing in her department by facilitating the use of peer writing mentors in select writing intensive courses.

Recently she was selected to participate in the Top 40 faculty academy to write a resource guide for new faculty in these large enrollment freshman courses. In her spare time, she promotes science in the community by participating in events such as the UNC Charlotte Science and Technology Expo and Science Olympiad. With colleagues, she continues to develop many professional development workshops for middle, high school, and AP biology teachers.

She describes her teaching philosophy as “student-centered” and she strives to use a range of engagement strategies including low-stakes formative assessment, hand-on activities, and small group exercises.  Her goal is to make students scientifically literate.  One student nominator said this:  “She is able to make small group projects work in a large class of 200 students, which seems like a magic trick to me.”  Another student nominator said that “Professor Bates constantly gives creative analogies and finds ways to link what we are learning in class to our own lives.  She is truly a phenomenal professor.”

After graduating, Taylor accepted a positon as a professor of mathematics at Nash Community College as well as working as an adjunct professor at NC State and Peace College in Raleigh. During his time at Nash Community College, Taylor became known among students and faculty as the “Math Guy” and his excellence in teaching was again recognized by being awarded the Teacher of Year. Ever since graduating with his undergraduate degree, he also worked part-time at the North Carolina State Archives as a Military historian and accompanied lecture tours for history and genealogy.

He eventually came to UNC Charlotte to complete his doctoral degree in Mathematics.  As a graduate student, Taylor continued teaching and very quickly gained popularity among students for his unique and effective teaching style and won the Graduate Teacher of the Year award.

In 2006 he graduated with his Ph.D. in Commutative Ring Theory, and was immediately offered a position at UNC Charlotte. Taylor still works for UNC Charlotte, and is an in-demand faculty member in the Mathematics and Statistics Department.

He believes that “teaching is a complex art and effective teaching involves a multitude of variables. My mission as a teacher is to carefully consider all these elements and to provide a teaching-learning environment which is conducive to each student’s learning.” Students agree that he is successful in achieving this mission. One student nominator said this: “Dr. Taylor helped me so much. His voice is still in my head, in a good way I mean. He engraved Calculus I and II in my head. So in my major classes I’m finding it very easy to use calculus-related equations while I see others struggle.”

Distinguished cancer researcher Pinku Mukherjee was honored with the O. Max Gardner Award – the highest faculty accolade given by the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina.

The award, established by a provision in the will of Gov. O. Max Gardner, recognizes UNC system faculty members who have “made the greatest contribution to the welfare of the human race.” It is the only award for which all faculty members on the 17 UNC campuses are eligible. The honor, given annually since 1949, carries a $20,000 cash prize.

The 2015 North Carolina Science Festival, a statewide celebration of science and technology, is again offering cool things for the public to experience from April 10-26. UNC Charlotte is ramping up its participation as part of the festival’s seasonal offerings. In addition to its traditional Science and Technology Expo (now in its fourth year), the University will offer a science activity series, science and society panel series, two award-winning science documentary films and a star party.

The always-popular Science and Technology Expo will remain the University’s grand finale, closing out the festival. It will be from noon to 4 p.m., Sunday, April 26, with activities including robotics, rocketry, virtual people, live animals, lab experiments, explosive chemistry, exotic plants, fire engines, race cars, boats and drones. The event is for the science-curious of all ages, featuring 100-plus hands-on activities and presentations in chemistry, physics, geology, computer science, engineering and biology developed by University personnel and a host of industry and community organizations.

REGISTRATION CLOSED: The UNC Charlotte Observatory’s night of expertly-guided star-gazing, during its second annual N.C. Science Festival Star Party at 8 p.m., Friday, April 24 is sold-out.

As the festival opens on Friday, April 10, the UNC Charlotte College of Arts + Architecture and UNC Charlotte’s Urban Institute invite the public to the Projective Eye Gallery, located in UNC Charlotte Center City, to explore an environmental issue going on in their own neighborhoods and backyards as the gallery’s ongoing “Keeping Watch” initiative presents “City of Creeks.” Works by artists Lauren Rosenthal, Stacy Levy, Marek Ranis, and Nancy Pierce explore Charlotte waterways in diverse media and from a range of perspectives – geographic, scientific, aesthetic and spiritual. A host of College of Liberal Arts & Sciences students, faculty and alumni also have provided research for the effort. The exhibition runs through June 17.

On Saturday, April 11, UNC Charlotte’s Graduate School will host the University’s annual Graduate Research Symposium: explore the world of University research, as seen through the work of graduate researchers – scholars and scientists at the beginning of their professional careers in expanding human understanding. The day-long symposium (Atkins Library, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) features poster sessions where the researcher explains the work he or she has conducted, as well as a program of research presentations.

On Friday, April 17, the College of Computing and Informatics will present “Inside the Design Studio,” an interactive design studio tour from 8 to 11 a.m., in Woodward Hall, Room 308. Touring one of the University’s most innovative learning and research labs, visitors will learn about the innovative ideas generated by students designing new interactive systems for the kitchen. Each semester, the Interaction Design Studio develops and integrates novel technologies in gesture, speech and tangible interaction to design new ways of interacting with the environment. This semester, the studio is working with the design innovation manager at Electrolux to focus on a better collaboration between people and appliances for interactive food preparation, intelligent food storage and minimizing food wastage. Visitors will be invited to explore the lab and critique student efforts. Advance registration is required.

With a nod to the N.C. Science Festival’s 2015 theme of “science and music,” UNC Charlotte is capping off its list of interactive events with a free concert, “Tape, Loop, Delay: Science, Technology and Contemporary Percussion Music.” In this event, percussionist Scott Christian will explore the science of sound and the role of new technologies in contemporary concert music, with a performance-demonstration that features music for percussion and live and recorded electronics. The concert, which is free and open to the public, is scheduled for 12:30 p.m., Friday, April 24 in PORTAL Building, Room 102.

Continuing with the goal of making festival offerings engaging, event planners have modified the University’s traditional faculty lecture series into “Science and Society Panel Discussions,” featuring talks on controversial (and sometimes confusing) science and technology issues, led by noted researchers in the field. All events in the series are free and open to the public.

The first event in this series is at 7 p.m., Monday, April 13, in EPIC Building, Room G256, and is entitled “Humans and Technology: Conflict or Convergence? UNC Charlotte and the Watson Story.” Following the example of IBM’s “AI” Watson, the panel will explore data science possibilities and potential problems to help the audience understand the promises and challenges of a field of research that is literally working to mold the technological future of humanity. The panel will feature UNC Charlotte data analytics researchers Mirsad Hadzikadic, Wlodek Zadrozny (a researcher in the Watson Project) and Diane Fodell.

“Controversies and Concerns: Agricultural Biotechnology and GMOs” is a panel discussion on the publicly contentious (and often poorly understood) issue of genetically modified organisms and their use in food, medicine and in the environment. This event will be led by two prominent biotechnology researchers, UNC Charlotte biologists Kenneth Bost and Kenneth Piller. They will lead a conversation about GMOs current use in medicine and agriculture, their future potential and public fears. The panel is scheduled for 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 15, in the Bioinformatics Building, Room 105.

Concluding the series, in a discussion that is sure to be of interest to teachers, administrators, coaches and every parent of a school athlete, will be “Controversy and Concerns: Concussions in Sports.” This panel-led presentation and discussion will examine the risks of concussion injuries in sports, the science of brain trauma and the social issues involved. The expert panel features College of Health and Human Services researchers Erik Wikstrom, Tricia Turner and Bret Wood. The event is scheduled for 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 21, in the Bioinformatics Building, Room 105.

The University’s Science Film Series will focus on award-winning documentaries about science in the news.

The two-film mini-festival opens with a screening of “Shored Up” at 7 p.m., Monday, April 20, in the Student Union Movie Theater. The film is a documentary about climate change and sea level rise – an issue of some concern in North Carolina. According to the producers, “’Shored Up’ is a documentary that asks tough questions about our coastal communities and the relationship to the land. What will a rising sea do to our homes, our businesses, and the survival of our communities? Can we afford to pile enough sand on our shores to keep the ocean at bay? In Long Beach Island, New Jersey and the Outer Banks of North Carolina, surfers, politicians, scientists and residents are racing to answer these questions.” A panel discussion featuring environmental science and earth science researchers Scott Hippensteel, UNC Charlotte; Alex Glass, Duke University; and Andrew Coburn, Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines, Western Carolina University, will follow.

The film series concludes with a documentary about the biggest news in physics for years: “Particle Fever” at 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 22, in the Student Union Movie Theater. A documentary about the hunt for the Higgs Boson, “Particle Fever” is both about science at its geekiest and most romantic.

All events are sponsored by UNC Charlotte in association with the N.C. Science Festival. University sponsors include UNC Charlotte Research and Economic Development. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is a community partner, and WCNC TV is the media partner. Support has been provided by the University of North Carolina General Administration through a grant administered by the N.C. Science Festival.

Words: Jim Hathaway
Images from 2014 events: Lynn Roberson
Little Sugar Creek image: Nancy Pierce