4Q, 2009 - UNC Charlotte Magazine by UNC Charlotte

UNC Charlotte The magazine of The University of North Carolina at Charlotte for Alumni and Friends â&#x20AC;˘ v16 n4 q4 â&#x20AC;˘ 2009

Religious Studies Enlightening how we construct our world

UNC CHARLOTTE |

c h a n c e l l o r â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s l e t te r

Plan Will Guide Campus Growth

The Campus Master Plan is the end product of a proactive, deliberative approach to future growth.

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

Although we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a crystal ball, we can look at growth trends and other available demographic data to project future enrollment growth at UNC Charlotte. The numbers suggest that we could expect to enroll as many as 35,000 students by 2020, a gain of approximately 10,000 students over the course of a decade. With increased student enrollment will come expansion of our programs, faculty and staff. To prepare for the campus of the future, an interdisciplinary committee has been working for 18 months to develop a Campus Master Plan. The Plan, which was recently approved by the Board of Trustees, includes an assessment of how many new classrooms, laboratories, residential beds, administrative and faculty offices, and other facilities the University will need by 2020. It also calls for a new football stadium, a variety of academic and student support buildings, a recreation center, redesigned outdoor quads, and a performing arts center, among other things (read more about the plan on page 14). But the Master Plan is much more than a wish list. It makes tangible the values and aspirations we hold as a campus community. For instance, in order to strengthen the student experience at UNC Charlotte, we aim to create a traditional campus

environment that focuses on pedestrianfriendly development. To benefit our students and the communities surrounding campus, we also seek to create memorable places that meld the beauty of our facilities with the natural beauty of our nearly 1,000 acres. We have involved individuals from on and off campus in this process because another goal is to build stronger relationships with nearby neighborhoods in University City, which includes finding new ways to draw people to campus and creating communities around campus that are attractive to students and faculty members. The Campus Master Plan is the end product of a proactive, deliberative approach to future growth. I look forward to seeing the Plan in action and am certain the University will emerge stronger and more integrated into the community as a result. Cordially,

Philip L. Dubois Chancellor

www.UNCC.edu

contents

| UNC CHARLOTTE

features

departments

News Briefs

49ers Notebook

Center Stage

Building Blocks

Perspective

14 18

Religious Studies Enlightens our World Ready, Steady, grow! the Master Plan Anatomy of a Spinoff

Urban Institute at 40

HIV/AIDS Among older Adults

global Public Relations Spans Cultures

Becoming Health Literate

arts profile 25

David Russell

alumni profiles 32

Noah Lazes, Impressario

On the cover: The spirit of religion remains a powerful force in shaping American values. Cover illustration by SPARK Publications.

www.UNCC.edu

25 Q409

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

U N C C H A R LOT T E

| e d i to r ’s d e s k

Happy (Your Favorite Seasonal Holiday Here)! We chose the article on the Religious Studies program as our cover article because it’s a great story and because many of the major religions of the world are celebrating during this time of the year. Depending on when you read this, you may be celebrating or recently celebrated Christmas, Chanukkah, Muharrum, Kwanzaa, or that all-purpose day of reflection and celebration, New Year’s Day. One way UNC Charlotte marks this time of year is by shutting down the University for the entire week following Christmas. Before coming to UNC Charlotte four years ago, I’d never taken extra time off at year’s end. I’ve since found that I treasure this down time precisely because it comes at the end of an always-hectic semester and because it dovetails so nicely with this period of joy. It helps me reflect and recharge. If you’re reading this, then chances are you’re “invested” in UNC Charlotte. You value the university, want it to reach its full potential and you wish us — the staff and faculty — well in our efforts to move this institution onward and upward. Many of you provide the volunteer leadership to help direct and support us. So, it seems timely to tell you “Thanks” and to ask for your continued support. One of the many great things about working at UNC Charlotte is that, as an organization, we are one of the good guys. We’re working thoughtfully and collaboratively with care and goodwill to make this university indispensible to the Charlotte region. That work is paying off. We’re more valuable than ever and becoming recognized as such. During the holiday break, we friends of UNC Charlotte reflect, recharge and tie our running shoes in anticipation of another exciting semester. We look forward to seeing you along the way.

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte Volume 16, Number 4 Philip L. Dubois Chancellor Ruth Shaw Chair of the Board of Trustees Vice Chancellor for University Relations and Community Affairs David Dunn Editor Director of Public Relations John D. Bland Creative Director Fabi Preslar Contributing Writers Rhiannon Bowman Phillip Brown James Hathaway Lisa Patterson Paul Nowell Staff Photographer Wade Bruton Circulation Manager Cathy Brown Design & Production SPARK Publications

UNC Charlotte is published four times a year by The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28223-0001 ISSN 10771913

Regards,

Editorial offices: Reese Building, 2nd floor The University of North Carolina at Charlotte 9201 University City Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28223 704.687.5822; Fax: 704.687.6379

John D. Bland, Editor Director of Public Relations

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is open to people of all races and is committed to equality of educational opportunity and does not discriminate against applicants, students or employees based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age or disability. In the last edition we failed to give proper credit to an outstanding photographer. This photo of Brandon Kirkley was taken by Chris Myers. Printed on 17,500 copies of this publication were printed at a cost of $.52 per piece, for a total cost of $9,210. 2

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

Q409

recycled paper

www.UNCC.edu

Manage Pain with Meditation

Study proves efficacy of mindfulness meditation training

By James Hathaway

Living with pain is stressful, but a surprisingly short investment of time in mental training can help you cope. A new study examining the perception of pain and the effects of various mental training techniques has found that relatively short and simple mindfulness meditation training can have a significant positive effect on pain management. Though pain research during the past decade has shown that extensive meditation training can have a positive effect in reducing a person’s awareness and sensitivity to pain, the effort, time commitment, and financial obligations required has made the treatment not practical for many patients. Now, a new study by researchers at UNC Charlotte shows that a single hour of training spread out over a three day period can produce the same kind of analgesic effect. The research appears in an article by psychologists Fadel Zeidan, Nakia S. Gordon, Junaid Merchant and Paula Goolkasian, in the current issue of The Journal of Pain. “This study is the first study to demonstrate the efficacy of such a brief intervention on the perception of pain,” noted Fadel Zeidan, a doctoral candidate in psychology at UNC Charlotte and the paper’s lead author. “Not only did the meditation subjects feel less pain than the control group while meditating but they also experienced less pain sensitivity while not meditating.” Over the course of three experiments employing harmless electrical shocks administered in gradual increments, the researchers measured the effect of brief sessions of mindfulness meditation training on pain awareness measuring responses that were carefully calibrated to insure reporting accuracy. Subjects who received www.UNCC.edu

Fadel Zeidan

the meditation training were compared to controls and to groups using relaxation and distraction techniques. The researchers measured changes in the subjects’ rating of pain at “low” and “high” levels during the different activities, and also changes in their general sensitivity to pain through the process of calibrating responses before the activities. While the distraction activity — which used a rigorous math task to distract subjects from the effects of the stimulus — was effective in reducing the subject’s perception of “high” pain, the meditation activity had an even stronger reducing effect on high pain, and reduced the perception of “low” pain levels as well. Further, the meditation training appeared to have an effect that continued to influence the patients after the activity was concluded, resulting in a general lowering of pain sensitivity in the subjects — a result that

indicated that the effect of the meditation was substantially different from the effect of the distraction activity. The finding follows earlier research studies that found differences in pain awareness and other mental activities among long-time practitioners of mindfulness meditation techniques. “We knew already that meditation has significant effects on pain perception in longterm practitioners whose brains seem to have been completely changed — we didn’t know that you could do this in just three days, with just 20 minutes a day,” Zeidan said. In assessing the first experiment, the researchers were not terribly surprised to discover that meditation activity appeared to be affecting the experimental subjects’ perception of pain because the researchers assumed that the change was mainly due to Continued on p. 38 Q409

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

UNC CHARLOTTE |

n ew s b r i e f s

news briefs Go Long! Trustees Take Long-term View, Approve Financing for 49ers Football UNC Charlotte’s Board of Trustees on Dec. 11 unanimously approved plans to move forward with a football program in 2013. The proposal calls for the university to borrow $40.5 million to construct a permanent stadium and field house. Prior to the board’s approval, Chancellor Philip L. Dubois said while the financing plan does require imposing higher fees on students, it also offers several distinct and tangible advantages over other options. Most notably, he said, the plan approved by the trustees would permit the university to take advantage of a favorable bidding environment for construction and historically low interest rates. Other advantages include eliminating the need for rentals for things like temporary bleachers, concessions and restrooms. It also could stimulate interest in season ticket sales and private fund raising efforts with donors and sponsors. Before the vote, Dubois said he supported the proposal. “I’m concerned about student costs, of course,” he said. “But to delay this would kill it (football). We would have a hard time convincing people three years from now that we are serious.” Several trustees also spoke in favor of the plan. “I endorse it without any reservation,” said trustee Karen Popp. “This is a long-term strategic plan that will pay huge dividends for students, alumni, faculty and staff at this vibrant university,” Dubois said. “It will foster a full university experience that many students crave as undergraduates. “It also will help build closer relationships with our growing ranks of UNC Charlotte alumni and the greater Charlotte community,” he said. “Despite the economic challenges facing us all, this university is growing by leaps and bounds. We expect

In Memoriam: UNC Charlotte Loses Longtime Benefactor UNC Charlotte lost a devoted friend and benefactor with the recent passing of Sara Harris Bissell, who died after a long battle with cancer on Nov. 8. She was 71. From 1983 to 1989, Bissell served on the Board of Trustees of UNC Charlotte, but her service and devotion to the university went far beyond that title. Her husband, Charlotte developer H.C. “Smoky” Bissell, also served as chairman of the UNC 4

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

Q409

to have 35,000 students on campus by 2020 and we have strong support for football. We expect that will grow even stronger as we get closer to making it a reality.” Under the plan, students would begin paying an additional $50 operational fee beginning in the fall of 2011 for the football program. That would increase by $50 per year to $200. An additional $120 fee for debt service will begin in the fall of 2010 to cover the costs to build training and practice facilities and a new stadium on the campus. Now the proposal must be approved by the UNC System Board of Governors and it is also subject to review by the North Carolina General Assembly. “We still have a long way to go, but this is an important first step,” Dubois said after the vote was greeted by applause.

Charlotte Board of Trustees. In 2006, UNC Charlotte bestowed the Distinguished Service Award to Sara Bissell. Established in 1987, the award is presented annually to a citizen whose exemplary service has helped advance UNC Charlotte in its mission to serve the state and metropolitan region and whose personal leadership has

Sara Harris Bissell

improved the Charlotte community. Previously, the university dedicated the new Chancellor’s Residence on campus as the Sara H. Bissell House. Her family has long been prominent in North Carolina. Her father was former Gov. Cameron Morrison. Survivors include her brothers, Charlotte businessmen Cameron Harris and Johnny Harris. www.UNCC.edu

University Dedicates Road for Former Engineering Dean A campus road has been dedicated in honor of Robert D. Snyder, former dean of the Lee College of Engineering. Snyder, who joined UNC Charlotte in 1975, led the college for more than 20 years and spearheaded the development of its master’s and doctoral programs. In his remarks, the chancellor noted, “Bob understood the college’s priorities should reflect UNC Charlotte’s new mission as a research university.” Snyder was credited with increasing emphasis on applied research that laid the foundation of the Cameron Applied Research Center. Today, the center brings together students, faculty, staff and community partners to conduct applied scientific, technological and policy research and to pursue commercial development. Snyder Road is located on the UNC Charlotte research campus; it connects with Phillips Road. Yale Initiative Names Charlotte to its League of Teachers Institutes The Yale National Initiative announced recently that the Charlotte Teachers Institute (CTI) has become the newest member of its League of Teachers Institutes®. CTI, an innovative educational partnership among Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), Davidson College, and UNC Charlotte, joins Teachers Institutes established in New Haven, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Each Institute links institutions of higher education with a school district that serves a significant proportion of students from low-income communities. Institutes focus on the academic preparation of school teachers and on how to apply what they study at the Institute in their own classrooms. “We are impressed by the enthusiasm and commitment to CTI expressed by the three partner institutions,” said Initiative Director James R. Vivian. “CTI promises to become precisely the kind of exemplary Teachers Institute that we hope to develop in each state.” Vivian announced CTI’s admission into the League during the Initiative’s fifth Annual Conference, attended by hundreds of teachers, school district officials and higher education administrators from 11 participating cities and counties. Each Teachers Institute offers seminars on www.UNCC.edu

Charlotte Research Institute Opens $2.8 Million State-of-the-Art Lab

The Charlotte Research Institute at UNC Charlotte hosted nearly 100 people this fall to celebrate the grand opening of 14,000 square feet of state-of-the-art laboratory space in Grigg Hall. Grigg houses the Physics Department and the Center for Optoelectronics and Optical Communications. Funding for the $2.8 million lab was provided jointly by the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration and the State of North Carolina. The lab provides an environment where regional businesses can collaborate with UNC Charlotte researchers in order to leverage talent, provide access to cutting-edge facilities, grow businesses and create new jobs. The grand opening celebration was held in conjunction with the annual 2009 UNC Charlotte Optoelectronics Symposium which focused on industry-university partnerships designed to establish a new National Science Foundation Center for the Development of Metamaterials.

Board of County Commissioners, and Centralina Council of Governments member George Dunlap and U.S. Economic Development Administration Southeast Regional Manager Robin Cooley participated in the event with Charlotte Research Institute Executive Director Robert Wilhelm, Associate Director Barry Burks and UNC Charlotte Provost Joan Lorden.

subjects teachers request in the humanities and sciences. During seminars, faculty members contribute their knowledge of a subject, while the school teachers contribute their expertise in elementary and secondary school pedagogy, their understanding of the students they teach, and their grasp of what works in the classroom. Teachers write a curriculum unit to be used in their own classroom and to be shared with others in the same school and other schools through both print and electronic publication.

Currently 50 teachers participate in four CTI seminars, and the Institute plans to double its offerings in fall 2010. Seminars take place at Davidson College and UNC Charlotte. Participating teachers, called Fellows, are treated as members of each campus community with access to all campus facilities. To learn more about the Charlotte Teachers Institute, contact CTI Director Molly Shaw at (704) 687-0078 or visit www. charlotteteachers.org. Q409

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

UNC CHARLOTTE |

n ew s b r i e f s

news briefs Dubois Signs Climate Commitment Chancellor Philip L. Dubois has signed the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, which designates UNC Charlotte as one of 16 colleges or universities across North Carolina to sign the pledge to address global climate change. By signing the pledge, UNC Charlotte also joins more than 650 institutions of higher education across the nation that have declared they will address global warming by neutralizing their greenhouse gas emissions and accelerating research and educational efforts to equip society to re-stabilize the earth’s climate. “Anyone who is familiar with this university’s legacy understands we have had a strong commitment to environmental protection, and signing the Presidents’ Climate Commitment shows we are demonstrating how a large public institution can be a good environmental steward,” Dubois said. “We also realize signing this piece of paper is just a start, not the conclusion,” he said. “We must continue to discover practical sustainability goals for our students and employees and do what we can to help them succeed.” Under Dubois’ leadership, the university has launched a number of initiatives that demonstrate a commitment to sustainability and environmental protection. The ACUPCC will be viewed as a key driver to future sustainability efforts on campus. One of Dubois’ first moves in support of the agreement was to appoint a UNC Charlotte Sustainability Committee. The panel will meet several times each year to review the progress of the implementation of the commitment and also will play a key role to ensure the resources and expertise of the institution are brought to bear on this project. UNC Charlotte already has a proven track record in

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

Q409

environmental stewardship and sustainability and research, said David Jones, sustainability coordinator at the university. As part of the Presidents’ Climate Commitment, other steps will be taken to move the campus closer to climate neutrality. In the short term, the University will take the following actions: Adopt an energy-efficient appliance purchasing policy requiring purchase of ENERGY STAR certified products in all areas for which such ratings exist. Work towards adoption of green standards for buildings, following U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) construction guidelines. LEED certification is being sought on new capital projects, including the new Center City Building and the EPIC Building. Encourage use of and provide access to public transportation for all faculty, staff, students and visitors. Participate in the Waste Minimization component of the national “RecycleMania” competition, and adopt several other associated measures to reduce waste. “The fact that Chancellor Dubois is willing to sign on to this agreement sends an important message to our students, faculty and staff as well as the Charlotte community at large,” said Jones. “It says our efforts to reverse the effects of global warming are critically important to everyone on this campus.”

www.UNCC.edu

Charles Burnap Tapped for Top Teaching Award Charles Burnap was selected this fall as the 2009 recipient of the highest teaching honor bestowed by UNC Charlotte — the Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence. Burnap, an associate professor of mathematics, was selected from a prestigious list of finalists for the award, which was started in 1968. Burnap joined the UNC Charlotte faculty as an assistant professor in 1982 and was promoted to associate professor in 1985. After completing a bachelor’s degree in physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic University, he earned a master’s and a Ph.D. in physics from Harvard University. Prior to joining UNC Charlotte, he served on the faculty of the University of Florida and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. According to Burnap, his teaching is grounded in well-developed goals and practices. “While setting high standards is important, it is essential to realize that most courses include students with a wide range of mathematical backgrounds, interest and talent,” he said. “Consequently, it is important that high level goals be approached in small steps. Because mastery comes from the act of doing, students must be engaged in classroom activities and must attempt assigned work.” One former student wrote, “He teaches calculus, which can be very difficult to understand. However, Dr. Burnap breaks it down and teaches in a way that I can understand. He gives examples and offers extra help. He sends the class e-mails on what we covered in class and what the homework is, plus additional announcements. We also have Web work assignments. He seems like he loves what he does, and he really wants us to do well.” In addition to classroom teaching and individual tutorials, Burnap has a long history of involvement with other teaching/studentrelated activities.

E.K. Fretwell and family were present at the unveiling ceremony. The University’s second chancellor set UNC Charlotte on a path to national recognition.

Bronze Busts Honor Former University Leaders

Former chancellors E.K. Fretwell and Jim Woodward returned to campus this fall for a special ceremony to unveil bronze busts of their likenesses. The event honored the chancellor UNC Charlotte’s third chancellor, Jim Woodward, emeriti’s contributions as the comments on his likeness to the bronze bust created University’s second and third in his honor. Woodward led efforts to make UNC leaders. Charlotte a doctoral research institution. “Today, UNC Charlotte is North Carolina’s urban research university. It would not be so were it not for the visionary leadership of E.K. Fretwell and Jim Woodward,” said Chancellor Philip L. Dubois. “The two individuals we celebrate today set about their work with a clear vision of what the University needed in the moment as well as what the University could become. E.K. and Jim, thank you for your service and dedication.” Long-time University benefactor Irwin “Ike” Belk commissioned sculpture John Heibenstreit to create the busts, which are located in the lobby of the J. Murrey Atkins Library. The artist also sculpted the bronze bust of first chancellor Dean Colvard, unveiled last year.

Charles Burnap is the 2009 winner of the Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence. www.UNCC.edu

Q409

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

UNC CHARLOTTE |

n ew s b r i e f s

news briefs Nursing Professor Earns Prestigious Health Policy Fellowship Professor in the College of Health and Human Services’ School of Nursing Margaret C. Wilmoth has been selected by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as a Health Policy Fellow for 20092010. Wilmoth joins nine other health professionals in Washington, D.C. for the 2009-2010 academic year to learn about

the health policy process at the federal level. Fellows are immersed in the theoretical aspects of the policy process during the fall semester and joined the American Political Science Association in November to complete their orientation to the federal policy process. Lectures will be conducted

Board of Governors Tap Cook for Excellence in Public Service Associate professor of psychology James Cook was the 2009 recipient of the UNC Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Public Service. The highly prestigious honor recognizes and rewards “sustained, distinguished and superb achievement in university public service and outreach and contributions to improve the quality of life of the citizens of North Carolina.” A member of the UNC Charlotte faculty for 29 years, Cook has cultivated an outstanding record of distinguished community service. A trained psychologist, Cook has worked with economically and socially disadvantaged citizens and those with disabilities in the greater Charlotte region for almost 30 years. “Throughout Dr. Cook’s career at UNC Charlotte, he has been, in many ways, the University’s exemplar of community service,” said Provost Joan Lorden. “From his first days on campus, he has been actively involved in the community, and he has involved students in community service through his classes, grants and contracts, supervision of master’s theses and creation of paid student assistantships. He has actively worked to address the needs of North Carolina’s most vulnerable citizens through system change.” From 1986 to 1989, he served as a member of the Housing Task Force of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Citizens Forum, which worked to find ways to provide affordable housing. Between 1994 and 2002, Cook was actively involved with Homeless Services Network, a coalition of agencies providing services to the homeless. During this time, he wrote proposals that resulted in more than $15 million in supportive housing and services. Since 1986, Cook has been a member of the board of directors for Mecklenburg Open Door, an organization serving adults with serious mental disorders. He also has served on the board of directors for the Mental Health Association. During his tenure on the board, the association started the Compeer program to provide peer support to people with mental illnesses. In 1997, the Cleveland County mental health director approached Cook to help the county become part of the state’s efforts to transform mental health services. For seven years, he worked with the department to change mental health service delivery in the county. 8

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

Q409

Peggy Wilmoth

by key policy makers and other experts in health and public policy. Following interviews with members of the U.S. Congress and other federal agencies in December, Wilmoth will spend the remainder of the Fellowship engaged full-time on Capitol Hill participating in the policy process.

James Cook and Erskine Bowles

www.UNCC.edu

49 e r s n o t e b o o k Let Me Play Raises Funds for Athletes More than 350 female corporate and community leaders came together at the Charlotte Convention Center for the 49ers 6th Annual Let Me Play Luncheon in November. The event is designed to illustrate the importance athletics can play in the development of young women. The luncheon seeks to mobilize female leaders in support of athletics. Noted golf professional Dana Rader served as the event’s keynote speaker while current 49ers women’s basketball player Aysha Jones discussed her life as a student-athlete. The event, sponsored by OrthoCarolina, Goodrich, Presbyterian Hospital, Wachovia Wells Fargo, The Edmund Center, Carolina Panthers and Charlotte Bobcats, surpassed its goal of raising $75,000. University to Host 2011 NCAA Tournament The NCAA has announced that the Charlotte 49ers will host the first and second rounds of the 2011 Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. The event will take place at Time Warner Cable Arena in uptown Charlotte. The dates for the first and second rounds are currently slated for March 18 and 20, 2011. With 80 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament games hosted, the city of Charlotte ranks third in tournament history behind Kansas City (116) and Salt Lake City (83). The 49ers also hosted the 1996 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Final Four. Ticket information for the first and second rounds of the 2011 Division I Men’s Basketball Championship will be released in March, 2010. Football Update The architectural team of Jenkins-Peer/ DLR Group has been selected to design the football fieldhouse, practice fields and football stadium. The complex will be located between Mariam and Robert Hayes Baseball Stadium and the Charlotte Research Institute. Meanwhile, sales of 49ers Seat Licenses (FSL’s) continue in an effort to raise the necessary start-up monies. Individuals interested in purchasing FSLs who have not yet done so are strongly encouraged to visit charlotte49erfootball. www.UNCC.edu

Chancellor Dubois has reasons to smile about 49ers football.

com or call 704/687-4949. Board of Trustee Vice Chair Gene Johnson continues to lead the capital campaign component of the fundraising efforts. The Board of Trustees has committed to contributing $1.6 million in personal gifts to the 49ers football program. In recognition of their commitment, the Student-Athlete Academic Center within the football fieldhouse will be named in their honor. 49ers Have Hearts of Gold This fall 108 49er student-athletes spent their Saturday morning walking, talking and playing with families and kids they had never met — all in an effort to raise money to benefit those with epilepsy. For studentathletes a free Saturday morning is like gold, but on this day the student-athletes demonstrated they have hearts of gold. The 49ers played games, painted faces and created crafts with the throng of people that turned out for the Fall Stroll for Epilepsy. After dancing, running and playing, the players joined forces with the families and began the walk around the Belk Track and Field. And they walked. And walked. The fall stroll was nothing new for the student-athletes, who frequently participate in community service projects. In August, they assisted the Tools For Schools program. In September, they hosted the annual 9/11

| UNC CHARLOTTE

Blood Drive in Hayward Practice Gym. In November, the volleyball team raised close to $8,000 with their Dig Pink campaign in support of Breast Cancer Research. And in December they will visit children’s hospitals and collect gifts for the U.S. Marines’ Toys For Tots program. “Our student-athletes enjoy participating in various activities, from reading at local elementary schools to food and clothing drives to benefit the homeless to healthrelated ventures like the Blood Drives, Epilepsy Walk and Dig Pink,” said Mark Verburg, assistant director of the athletic academic center and life skills coordinator. The involvement of the student-athletes in community service projects is farreaching. Last year, the 49ers contributed a record 2036.5 volunteer hours to a variety of projects. Reading to children at area elementary schools, running clinics or holding autograph sessions are just some of the ways the 49ers reach out to the community. Last fall, the entire athletic department turned out for the Rayce Playce Playground Build, in which several community entities joined forces with Mecklenburg Parks and Recreation to create a racecar-themed playground in the Nevin neighborhood off nearby Statesville Road. The 49ers drilled, hammered, painted, sanded, raked, shoveled, carried and cut to make the playground a reality. Whether they’re spending time with a family, or visiting a child in the hospital or building a new slide, the 49ers go the distance. And in doing so, they gain a true appreciation for all that they have and for all that they have to offer. The Community Service Project program is just as valuable to the student-athletes as it is to the communities they serve. “Different student-athletes are passionate about different causes and this program allows them to donate their time to things that are important to them,” Verburg said. “Hopefully, participation fosters a life-long love of giving back.” The 2036.5 hours equate to nearly 85 full, 24-hour days of community service. And much of that time is spent putting smiles on children’s faces. That’s a life experience UNC Charlotte students will hold dear for years to come. Q409

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

Religious Studies

Enlightening how we construct the world in which we live

By Phillip Brown

Americans live in a complex age. One in which technology has enabled individuals, corporations and countries to interact more globally. However, differences in values, culture and society continue to be sources of conflict and tension. From “hot button” issues related to gender and sexuality, to socio-economic concerns of poverty, homelessness and class, to the violence born out of extremism, culture clashes continue to divide. The early 19th-century French historian Alexis de Tocqueville recognized the vital role religion 10

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

Q409

plays in shaping American life. He wrote, “This civilization is the result … of two quite distinct ingredients, which anywhere else have often ended in war but which Americans have succeeded somehow to meld together in wondrous harmony; namely the spirit of religion and the spirit of liberty.” Even after almost two centuries, the “spirit of religion” remains a powerful force in shaping the views and values of the American people. This nation’s pursuit of religious liberty has enabled Charlotte, like the rest of the nation,

to become home to a plurality of traditions and practices. To better understand, the connections between Americans’ religious beliefs and practices and their cultural, social and political views, one should look to religious scholars. UNC Charlotte’s Department of Religious Studies is home to 14 faculty members dedicated to the academic study of religion in contrast to theology. “So much of our culture is based upon religious assumptions and backgrounds. They are a guide as to how we have gotten to where we are now,” www.UNCC.edu

said James Tabor, professor of religious studies and department chair. “Ideas, morals and values are all derived from religious traditions and practices. Our goal, as religious studies scholars, is to shed light and understanding on topics rather than advocate a theological perspective.” According to Richard Wentz, writing in the Chronicle of Higher Education, the discipline of religious studies is relatively new to the academy. “Its roots may be found in the research of language and literature scholars dating back to the 18th century, and in the scholarship…of modern anthropology-work that took seriously the study of religious phenomena and culture. While many private liberal arts colleges and universities in the early 20th century had departments of religion, the nature of those departments changed significantly with the emergence of religious studies in public colleges and universities in the 1960s.” UNC Charlotte’s Religious Studies Department was created during this ‘60s era drive to study religion academically. Bonnie Cone, University founder, was president of then Charlotte College when she hired Loy Witherspoon, an ordained United Methodist minister, to teach. Witherspoon, now professor emeritus of religious studies, served as the founding chair of the department in 1968. He earned his bachelor’s and divinity degrees from Duke University and his doctorate from Boston University. Prior to developing the Religious Studies Department, Witherspoon laid the groundwork by helping to create the Philosophy Department in 1964. According to Witherspoon, some faculty members were reticent about the creation of a Religious Studies Department. But eventually, it was approved, and Witherspoon set out to hire faculty members who were experts in religious fields, not only Christianity, but Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and the phenomenon of religion more generally. “From the outset, our goal has been to talk about religion from an intellectual point of view and utilize the best scholarship in the field. To look at religion from a historical and textual aspect – what do the texts say?” “Loy was truly a pioneer in the field of religious studies,” said Tabor, who earned his Ph.D. in New Testament and early Christian literature from the University of Chicago. “He understood the importance of teaching religion academically. How can you have a University, a place of universal knowledge, and www.UNCC.edu

Kent Brintnall in the classroom.

not study from an academic perspective the most important cultural and historical factor in our collective lives?” Within the last few years, new faculty members have been hired within the department. The majority of these new professors are products of Religious Studies Departments that developed during the late 1960s. As such, they have a strong desire to foster a positively critical examination of religion and its role in society. “Religious studies may be the only place in society where one can explore spirituality without having to commit to a certain group. Our students learn about and are exposed to other perspectives that are different from their own religious traditions,” Tabor stated. “In that regard, religious studies is at the center of a liberal arts education, because what we do intersects with all humanities and social sciences – history, psychology, literature, sociology, philosophy and anthropology.” Religious studies scholars understand that human beings use religious assumptions, practices and traditions to construct their own worldviews. It is one method of how people explain the world in which they live and who created it. This imposition of reality has profound implications on society when worlds collide. Religion, gender and Sexual Identity The concept of two genders, behaviors attributed to these genders and sexual behavior and morality

are at the root of a number of “hot button” issues in society. Same-sex marriage, abortion, masturbation, pre-marital sex and feminism are just a few topics for which people have polarizing opinions shaped by religious tradition. For Kent Brintnall, a one-time lawyer now religious studies scholar, his goal in teaching about gender and sexuality is for students to consider religion’s investment in certain sexual behaviors, practices and identities. Brintnall, who earned his doctorate from Emory University, joined UNC Charlotte in fall 2008 after serving as the first post-doctoral fellow in religion and sexuality at Emory. After completing his undergraduate degree in philosophy from Fort Hays State University, Brintnall obtained a law degree from Northeastern University School of Law. After several years of practice, Brintnall decided to pursue a Ph.D. He focused on religious discourse because of how people used religious narratives, practices, rituals and communities. He teaches courses in feminist and queer theory, visual and popular culture, masculinity studies and the Christian tradition. “There is a strong overlap between what we call ‘sexuality’ and what we call ‘religion,’” said Brintnall. “For example, in many traditions, erotic Q409

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

Julia Robinson-Harmon

In her course “Race, Religion and Murder,” Julia Robinson-Harmon discusses how religious fervor has been the impetus for violent acts, including lynchings carried out by the Ku Klux Klan and the selfimmolation of Buddhist monks to protest the Vietnam War and religious persecution.

language is the primary way they describe the relation between the believer and the divine.” Because all religious traditions have a variety of ways on how to answer questions over time, one can get a variety of answers. Brintnall’s goal is for students to understand that there are no singular answers across traditions. “People are free to organize their life as they like. But I do want to give my students the tools to think about the interaction between religious traditions and sexual morality,” said Brintnall. “It goes back to fostering critical thinking and reading skills. There are questions you have to answer before you get to the moral questions. Historically, textually – what are the reading and interpretive strategies that you need to be aware of before you ask if this sexual practice is good or bad?” For some issues, religious practitioners, in the case of Christians, rely on sacred texts, such as the Bible. Brintnall urges his students to look beyond the text. The Bible “doesn’t exist outside historical and cultural influences. There are questions to ask to determine how authoritative any religious text is, and this requires a different way of thinking.” Most importantly, Brintnall wants his students to make informed decisions. While religious traditions have viewpoints on gender and sexuality, he encourages students to be aware of the range of possibilities. “As a person, a human being, a member of a religious tradition, you should be aware of the number of legitimate and plausible answers to lots of questions.” 12 UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

Q409

Religion, Race and Violence Civil rights era church bombings and acts of domestic and international terrorism are among the topics explored in the class “Race, Religion and Murder.” Michigan native Julia RobinsonHarmon, assistant professor of religious studies, teaches the class, which focuses on how religion can influence violent acts. According to Robinson-Harmon, one part of the class attempts to deconstruct the term terrorist by examining some of the religious, social and political realities behind what society would call terrorist action. “Since 9/11, the term terrorist has been taken at face value. But we look at the background of the terrorist to see how one evolves to become a suicide bomber and the religious influences,” said Robinson-Harmon. “Students get a different view of religions and how they inform violence.” The class is exposed to religious extremism from a number of traditions – Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. In some cases, race is a component of the discussion, which, when added to the conversation, yields a different outcome in terms of power and identity. As an example, Robinson-Harmon pointed to the case of Bobby Chambliss, the Ku Klux Klan member, who was convicted of murder in 1977 for his role as a co-conspirator in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in 1963 in which four girls were killed. “What in his faith inspired

him to engage in such violence? Students look at Christianity from both perspectives and see how race operates as an ideology for a rallying point. We deconstruct the event and tease out the racial and religious dynamics and implications.” Before coming to UNC Charlotte in fall 2005, Robinson-Harmon taught in the Comparative Religion Department at Western Michigan University. Besides a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, RobinsonHarmon holds a doctorate in American and African American history from the Michigan State University. Her Ph.D. studies focused on American and African American religious history. In approaching religious studies, RobinsonHarmon studies historical events and how they shape the practice of religion and society. “History becomes a method to shed more light on how religion shapes power and those who are deemed other.” As students explore the intersection of religion, race and violence, Robinson-Harmon hopes they develop a healthy skepticism about religious tradition and understand it is acceptable to challenge religious assumptions. “I don’t want students to forsake their beliefs but to distance them,” said Robinson-Harmon. “To understand the traditions of any religion, students must examine it on its own merits and not through the lens of a certain perspective. This allows them to acknowledge that other religious traditions shape race relations and perceptions. It www.UNCC.edu

fe a t u re helps them become more aware of the world and prevents them from functioning in a vacuum.” Religion, Media and Social Class When discussing religion and the media, it has become increasingly popular for certain faith communities to rail against the “liberal media elite” and its bias against religion. Associate professor Sean McCloud is a recognized scholar who researches religion and social class. He said media bias is not a function of political extremism but is based upon social class and race. According to McCloud, scholars, using a number of studies, have researched who are journalists and discovered they are predominantly from white, middle-class families with traditional Protestant backgrounds – liberal and conservative. “Any perceived bias has nothing to do with the political left or right,” said McCloud, who double majored in religious studies and journalism at Indiana University. He earned a master’s degree from University of Miami, Ohio, and a doctorate in comparative religion from UNC Chapel Hill. “Anything out of the norm from the white, upper/middle class tends to get marginalized. So while evangelicals may get represented negatively; neopagans, Wiccans or leftwing Catholics aren’t represented positively. It’s much more complicated than television pundits and commentators would have you think.” McCloud contends that social class is one of the most important distinctions between religious traditions. Since the 1930s, researchers have studied 20 religious groups and have ranked them by class, based upon income, education and occupation. The traditions that appeal to different social classes remain virtually the same now as in the 1930s. In his book “Divine Hierarchies,” McCloud attempts to address social networks at play in religious traditions and the forces of habit by which they operate. He created four categories to explain the social class stasis associated with religion – Divine Hierarchies, Economic Arminianism, Social Harmony and Classconscious Christ. Divine Hierarchies is the concept that class difference resulted from God, most famously expressed in John Winthrop’s sermon prior to the Puritans leaving the ship to found the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Winthrop asserted that “God wants some to be poor, some to be rich and that’s the way it will www.UNCC.edu

always be.” Economic Arminianism, developed during 19th century Evangelical revivalism, focuses on individual determination – people have 100 percent free will over salvation and economic prosperity. In Social Harmony, as typified in antebellum Protestant writings and Catholic social teachings of the late 19th and early 20th century, God set up classes and while it is possible to shift between classes, ultimately we are to live in harmony and demonstrate the ability to get along with one another. For the Class-conscious Christ, McCloud depicts Jesus as a member of the working-class proletariat who promotes the concept of communal living – to strive for the common good. While social class may be an indicator of religious tradition and practice, McCloud believes technology and changes in the media are prompting people to move beyond traditional ways they talk about and live their faith. “I’m fascinated by people and their behavior in how they construct their world, which is through religious languages but can be mixed with what they read in self-help books or see on ‘Oprah.’” Examples of how social class, media presentation and technology are impacting religious practices are illustrated through the “mega church” movement that combine multimedia presentations resembling variety shows, or, in Charlotte, where small groups meet in movie theatres and use the venue to screen videos as part of the service. Religious Studies and Its Value to Liberal Arts Education Look at the fall course offerings for the Religious Studies Department and one will find classes that span across an interdisciplinary range – introductory courses in Western and Asian religions, sections on Christianity and Islam along with “The Power of Mourning: Violence, Loss and the Audacity to Hope” and “Queer Theory.” Many of the department’s offerings are regularly cross-listed in other departments and programs, such as Gender and Women’s Studies or Africana Studies. For the roughly 100 majors in the department, religious studies is not a form of vocational or technical training, noted department chair Tabor. “Our majors pursue careers in just about any field because the major is impressive to potential employers. It takes a more inquisitive type of person to delve into the subject

| UNC CHARLOTTE

Sean McCloud

matters we cover.” Brintnall, the former lawyer now religious scholar, echoed these comments. He noted that he and his colleagues want students to be able to study documents closely and carefully, to write well and to think critically - skills that are highly transferrable to many professions and are mandatory for advanced graduate education. “Religious studies is so broad that an undergraduate can’t master the content,” said Brintnall. “I need to teach them how to think, and if they go into the world to think about religion, I want to give them the necessary tools to do that – give them the critical apparatus to read, listen, communicate and ask questions. Information gathering, assessment and evaluation are critical to be successful and are skills that will serve them well in the world.” As students study the history of religions and learn to think critically about issues, phenomena, traditions and assumptions, they begin to understand how human beings have constructed their world. Along the way, they should discover how to create balance between their own personal traditions and those of others. Faculty members in the department stress that religious studies is a “fine example” of what a liberal arts education should be and it can equip graduates to be better members of the commonweal. Phillip Brown is internal communications manager in the Office of Public Relations. Q409

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine 13

UNC CHARLOTTE |

fe a t u re

Ready, Steady,

Grow!

New master plan unveiled By Lisa A. Patterson

In the movie Field of Dreams, mysterious voices implore Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella to construct a baseball diamond in the middle of a cornfield. With the diamond complete, the ghost of baseball legend Shoeless Joe Jackson appears, uttering the oft-repeated 14

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

Q409

phrase, “If you build it, he will come.” The phrase might be modified as follows to suit our purposes: If you don’t build it, they will continue to come, but there won’t be anywhere to house them, and there definitely won’t be anywhere to park.

“They” are the 35,000 students expected to enroll at UNC Charlotte by 2020. In anticipation of projected enrollment growth, nearly two years ago the University embarked on an ambitious, all-encompassing master planning project. www.UNCC.edu

fe a t u re

And none too soon, according to Peter Franz, UNC Charlotte planning director. “With our existing facilities and rate of construction we would reach capacity with a student population of approximately 29,000,” he said. This fall, the University’s enrollment hit 24,700. Franz explained that the plan integrates all aspects of campus life, such as research, teaching, recreation, student housing, and student life, with improved connectivity to the surrounding community. The Baltimore Md. firm of Ayers Saint Gross, with other consultants, were hired to create the Master Plan over a two year period. The first phase of planning involved various members of the University’s faculty,

community was the challenge. This was resolved by a series of public forums focusing on the variety of constituents on and around campus,” Franz said. “We conducted a series of presentations on campus to smaller groups to try to capture opinions from perspectives in addition to the University administration.” The consultants distributed surveys on topics including transportation and off-campus issues such as housing and entertainment. “We found a definite opinion that the University area needs more student oriented entertainment venues at the campus perimeter. This was the most successful survey with around 7,000 responses,” Franz noted.

| UNC CHARLOTTE

Charlotte Campus Master Plan adopted three principles to guide the outcomes of the plan. Those guiding principles include strengthening the collegiate experience; creating memorable places; and engaging with the community at large. The resulting draft plan outlines a campus capable of accommodating 40,000 students. A Science Building, Student Health and Wellness Center, Student Academic Success and Retention Center, and Arts and Humanities Building are among the capital projects on the horizon. Some of the additional projects highlighted include a football stadium, LYNX light rail station and a K-8 grade school in collaboration with the College of Education. “What is now clear is that it is obvious

With our existing facilities and rate of construction we would reach capacity with a student population of approximately 29,000. UNC Charlotte trustees look on as details of the Master Plan are revealed by a representative from the consulting firm Ayers Saint Gross.

staff, and student body, who participated in multi-day workshops to discuss four thematic areas: Academic Affairs, Athletics, Student Life and Campus Perimeter. “Initially getting input from the campus www.UNCC.edu

In June 2009, the Chancellor and his working group refined options generated during the workshops to create a draft plan for the University. The Steering Committee of the UNC

that our destiny is to be the state’s largest urban university,” said committee member Dennis Bunker, III (’81). Bunker, whose expertise includes real estate development, site selection and Q409

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

UNC CHARLOTTE |

fe a t u re

investment, has seen UNC Charlotte change considerably since his undergraduate days. “Witnessing what was once a small, suburban commuter school turn into a major urban research university accessible by multiple modes of transportation is exciting,” he said. Indeed, UNC Charlotte has claimed the mantle as the state’s only urban research university. The Master Plan will allow the University to further explore its unique identity in the way of partnerships with both the City of Charlotte and in the surrounding University City area.

The vehicular corridors that border UNC Charlotte — Tryon Street, University City Blvd., and W.T. Harris — were once viewed as impediments to growth but are now seen as veins of opportunity. Going forward, NCDOT will be an important collaborator in helping connect the University to the rest of the region. So will an extension of the Lynx light rail system to serve the northeast corridor of Charlotte, should it gain approval and funding. “Students, faculty and staff could utilize the rail line to commute to campus, thereby

on one hand and beautiful on the other,” Bunker said. “What I’ve seen often in my career is that those physical features get neglected. We often try to alter or do away with them, versus honor them.” In keeping with the University’s efforts to implement environmentally sound practices, the Plan addresses parameters for future land use, landscaping, space planning and sustainable development. The fruits of the Master Plan project will be visible all over campus and in the surrounding community during the course

reducing the need to accommodate additional parking spaces,” Franz said. Additionally, UNC Charlotte alumni and individuals in the Uptown area would be able to travel to campus with ease for cultural and sporting events. The Plan also will protect one of the University’s best assets – its forested natural areas. “Our campus has so much varying terrain — its physical features are challenging

of the next decade. Although the speed at which many of the construction projects come online depends upon availability of funding from private and public sources. The proposal currently does not include a cost estimate; no money has been allocated for most of the projects. “The campus has the room to build the required buildings and other facilities to accommodate 35,000 students, but with

Witnessing what was once a small, suburban commuter school turn into a major urban research university accessible by multiple modes of transportation is exciting. Ease of travel via pedestrian walkways, bike lanes and vehicles will facilitate these important partnerships. UNC Charlotte is working more closely with state and local agencies to traffic flow on and off campus. Danny Pleasant, Charlotte Department of Transportation director, and Barry Moose, North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) division engineer, are members of the master plan steering committee. 16

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

Q409

www.UNCC.edu

fe a t u re

| UNC CHARLOTTE

The Student Union (below) and the Bioinformatics building (right) are two major recent additions to the campus.

Obviously it is important to do things right the first time.

A campus planning process similar to the current Master Plan process was the genesis of the new Student Union, pictured here while under construction. The Union opened to much acclaim this fall.

the current economic conditions and state funding it is difficult to say whether we can build fast enough,” Franz said. The Plan, while indicating specific building sites, is a guide and must be flexible to accommodate changes in the economy, changes in the need for certain academic programs and other unforeseen factors, Franz explained. Peering into the future is difficult but www.UNCC.edu

necessary at an institution that has more than quadrupled in size in four decades. With each decade come new fads, some of which turn into trends while others fade away and leave future generations scratching their heads and wondering, “What were they thinking?” It is likely that the campus that emerges with guidance from the Master Plan will leave future students, employees and visitors

delighted rather than perplexed. “Obviously it is important to do things right the first time,” Bunker said. “In the real estate development world, we generally build for a 20- to 50-year life cycle; but when you’re building a university, you know it’s going to be there for generations.” Lisa Patterson is senior writer in the Office of Public Relations. Q409

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

UNC CHARLOTTE

fe a t u re

Anatomy of a 18

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

Q409

www.UNCC.edu

fe a t u re

| UNC CHARLOTTE

Mark Clemens, biology, and Charles Lee, engineering, developed technology that restores function to damaged livers. Their company, HepatoSys, was founded to bring the potentially life-saving technology to the market place.

By Lisa A. Patterson

Universities bring great ideas to the market place

Consider the presence or absence of the tiny heart icon on your driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s license, the one that signifies the organ donor. Behind that promise, there is a process. The process involves skilled medical professionals and complex medical technology. UNC Charlotte researchers have created a process and a product that may lead to a breakthrough in organ transplantation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but first they have to navigate the treacherous waters of modern entrepreneurship. In 2008, more than 23,000 lives were saved in the United States by organ transplant. However, three times that number are on transplant waiting lists. The number of individuals in waiting eclipses the supply of organs because the success of an organ transplant largely depends

Spinoff www.UNCC.edu

on how much time passes between the death of a donor and the actual transplant procedure. Dr. Mark Clemens, a professor of biology and vice chair for research at UNC Charlotte, said this is in part because most organs used for transplant in the United States come from individuals who have been declared brain dead. According to The Coalition on Donation, of the 2.2 million people who die in America each year, relatively few die under circumstances that make them medically eligible to be either organ or tissue donors. Brain dead organ donors have suffered complete and irreversible loss of all brain function, but mechanical ventilation and medications keep their hearts beating and blood flowing to their organs. Less than one percent of all deaths in the United States are brain deaths. Without blood flow organ function starts deteriorating fast said Clemens, who is an internationally known expert on liver blood flow. Large numbers of potential organ donors die from cardiac arrest, after which the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s organs are deprived of blood and are rendered useless for transplant. Clemens, a physiologist who worked closely with clinicians for nearly two decades in surgery departments at Yale and Johns Q409

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

UNC CHARLOTTE

fe a t u re

Hopkins, has made a career of improving liver preservation techniques. When Clemens arrived at UNC Charlotte, he joined a budding group of researchers in the colleges of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Engineering with interests in biomedical engineering. A collaboration among the researchers resulted in a $2.5 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to develop a partnership to work on liver support systems. Among other objectives, the five-year project called for the development of organ preservation methods. Clemens and Dr. Charles Y. Lee, associate professor of mechanical engineering, in consultation with a transplant surgeon colleague, took the lead in that area. “The transplant surgeon told us that if we could satisfy our original goal, which was to

further,” Clemens said. Clemens and Lee decided to add “entrepreneur” to a list of roles already including faculty member, researcher and administrator. Their company, HepatoSys, was born. Taking the Plunge When faced with the opportunity to bring an original idea to the marketplace, university faculty increasingly find themselves in a quandary over whether to make the leap from academic to entrepreneur. But the concept of the “academic spinoff” company is nothing new. Academic spinoffs have early roots in the formation of the modern university in Germany during the 18th century as research discoveries began to trickle into the mainstream, said Carl Mahler II, executive director of the UNC

“We had two choices: One was to hang the nice patent certificate on our wall and stop there, and the other was to be proactive and start a company to develop the process even further.” prolong the period you could preserve the liver, everyone would be happy,” Clemens said. But, the surgeon added, meeting that objective wouldn’t satisfy a critical need — to make the organs of cardiac death donors available for people in need of transplants. “Making those organs available would go a long way to alleviate the organ shortage,” Clemens noted. Through the partnership, Clemens and Lee developed technology that restores function to damaged livers. Recently, the technology has been shown to work on kidneys as well. He explained, “We’ve developed a process that can take those organs and what we call perfuse them — substitute for blood flow — at a low temperature, except with a special solution we’ve developed. The process allows the organ to recover its function so when you then do the 20 UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

Q409

transplant, it works.” Clemens and Lee launched a company called HepatoSys to further develop, and eventually bring to market, the technology. “The company started with a patentable idea. We were constantly nagged, harassed, pushed and prodded [by UNC Charlotte’s Office of Technology Transfer] to file a patent request,” Clemens joked. Once the intellectual property was protected, Clemens and Lee recognized that they likely wouldn’t be able to interest an existing company in the technology because a substantial amount of time and money would be required to develop it further. “We had two choices: One was to hang the nice patent certificate on our wall and stop there, and the other was to be proactive and start a company to develop the process even

Charlotte Office of Technology Transfer. World War II and the Cold War accelerated the pace of university research and development. Lab findings were frequently turned into marketable products and services to meet government and industrial needs. However, it wasn’t until the passage of the Bayh-Dole Act in 1980 — which gave universities the property rights from federally funded research — that a wave of new developments flooded the market. Prior to the act’s passage, only a handful of new companies formed each year, but in 2000 more than 500 business ventures were launched. UNC Charlotte has launched more than 37 spinoffs since the University refined its mission to become North Carolina’s urban research institution, Mahler said. In his book, “Academic Entrepreneurship: www.UNCC.edu

fe a t u re

University Spinoffs and Wealth Creation,” author Scott Shane found that university spinoffs are remarkably high-performing in comparison to the average new company. In fact, a spinoff from a typical university is 108 times more likely to go public. Shane purports that the creation of these companies impacts local and national economies, benefits society and helps universities raise income and advance their teaching and research missions. In less than a decade, UNC Charlotte formed 30 start-up companies that have attracted approximately $9.5 million in venture capital funding and created 75 new jobs, Mahler said. Of the 68 technologies transferred by the university in that time period, 62 were to North Carolina companies. The most successful company to date founded on the university’s technology was Digital

Our device touches the organ between donation and transplant.” In laboratory space leased from the Charlotte Research Institute, and with funding from the NIH Small Business Innovative Research Program, Clemens and Lee have been able to move the technology forward. Next comes the really tricky part. Within a year, Clemens and Lee expect the device will be ready to enter the crucial clinical trial phase, during which they will need outside investors willing to back an untested product. And angel investors are a rare commodity in a down economy. “We’re optimistic we’ll get over this hurdle, and we’re hoping to be able to do some early clinical trials within two years,” Clemens said. While finding funding is, without doubt, a

| UNC CHARLOTTE

significant obstacle to entrepreneurial endeavors, for the academic entrepreneur, making the time to run a company can be just as onerous. Clemens, who spends upward of 10 hours a week on HepatoSys, said “An important thing for people to keep in mind is for a faculty member to start and run a company in their ‘free time,’ on top of their normal duties, is an incredible amount of work.” Clemens maintains a very active research lab as well as a teaching schedule comparable or more rigorous than that of his colleagues with similar research duties. HepatoSys works in part because Clemens’ wife, Elizabeth Miescher-Clemens, is acting president and chief financial officer of the company. “Fortunately we work pretty well together, and we still actually like each other,” Clemens laughed.

An important thing for people to keep in mind is for a faculty member to start and run a company in their ‘free time,’ on top of their normal duties, is an incredible amount of work. Optics Corporation, founded by faculty members in 1991. It was acquired by Tessera Corporation in 2006 for $59.5 million in cash. Clearing the Hurdles Despite the positive aspects of academic entrepreneurship, too many good ideas meet their ends in university labs because of funding-related roadblocks. After all, it routinely takes upwards of a decade and hundreds of millions of dollars to take a pharmaceutical product from research to market, and anywhere from 3 to 10 years for medical devices. “We estimate that before we get something in routine clinical practice it will cost roughly 10 to 15 million dollars,” Clemens said. “The cost is specific to the device — if it’s permanently implanted, it’s going to take longer and cost more. www.UNCC.edu

“But it can be a stress under the best conditions.” On the business side, Miescher-Clemens’ involvement has been a boon for HepatoSys. On the research end, the synergy between Clemens and Lee and the partners’ ability to create a workable division of labor is essential to the company’s survival. “To make the company stuff work things like sleep and personal life get sacrificed, but it’s been worth it,” Clemens said. With a little luck, an infusion of capital and favorable clinical trials, thousands of people in the United States and millions worldwide might experience first-hand the life-saving fruits of a company that began as a university spinoff. Lisa Patterson is senior writer in the Office of Public Relations. Q409

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine 21

UNC CHARLOTTE |

fe a t u re

UNC Charlotte Urban Institute

Celebrates 40th Anniversary By Paul Nowell

The year 1969 is remembered for some remarkable, if disjointed, events and happenings: Man walks on the moon. Woodstock. The first e-mail sent on the Internet. On a lighter note, both Sesame Street and Monty Python’s Flying Circus make their debut on the small screen. Some important institutions also got their start in 1969, including the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute. And much like the enduring impact of these historical events, the Institute continues to wield significant influence in the region some four decades after its founding. In 2009, the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute is marking its 40th Anniversary. The Institute, a nonprofit arm of the university, investigates 22 UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

Q409

and finds solutions to the social, economic, and environmental challenges facing the Charlotte region. The Institute also offers technical assistance and training, public-opinion surveys, land-use and natural-resources consulting, economicdevelopment research and community planning. By conducting research, collecting and managing data, and analyzing policy, the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute provides relevant, accurate, and non-partisan information to lawmakers, scholars, elected officials, planners, and citizens. While the wording of the Institute’s mission statement sounds very technical, the purpose of the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute can be

John Chesser, Jeff Michael, Erskine Bowles, Ann Ponder (Chancellor UNC Asheville) with others at the opening of the RENCI Engagement Center office of UNC Asheville at the Grove Arcade in downtown Asheville, October 1st. Chesser and Michael presented work with UNCA to expand their urban growth model to western North Carolina.

understood by the retelling of a story from the University’s earliest days as an institution. Always a visionary, UNC Charlotte’s first chancellor, Dean Colvard, asked UNC System President Bill Friday to establish a community outreach initiative for the new “urban” university in Charlotte that would be modeled after the www.UNCC.edu

fe a t u re

successful agricultural extension service at North Carolina State University and other land-grant universities. Friday agreed and the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute was born. Similar centers were established at UNC Chapel Hill and NCSU. “The appropriations that went to each of the three campuses were in the $275,000 range,” said Bill McCoy, who served as director of the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute from 1986 to 2001. “While this amount is not large, in 1969 it probably seemed like a healthy amount, and what it did is provide enough to establish the infrastructure necessary to support the institutes. “It is telling that in the coming and going of small non-academic units in a university setting these three institutes have lasted 40 years and are still going strong,” McCoy said. The three institutes developed independently so there was little overlap in their primary missions and work programs. The one at UNC Chapel Hill has worked primarily on grantfunded major research projects and statewide applied research projects. The one at NCSU plays the role of primary researcher for the Legislature. The UNC Charlotte Urban Institute’s role has been primarily regional and focused on applied research projects. According to the Institute’s director, Jeff Michael, its primary mission continues to be to seek solutions for social, economic and environmental challenges facing the region’s communities. While those challenges have evolved along with the community, the work remains as vital today as it did at the outset. www.UNCC.edu

A lot of things have changed over the last 40 years, but what hasn’t changed is the core mission of the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute remaining fully aligned with the mission of the university and the region “A lot of thing have changed over the last 40 years, but what hasn’t changed is the core mission of the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute remaining fully aligned with the mission of the University and the region,” said Michael, who has been director of the Institute since 2003. “There’s a hunger and a thirst for research on some very important public policy issues. “Because this is a research university, it allows us to get out in front on such issues as growth, economic development and transportation,” Michael said. “And we can be nimble because we are a non-teaching part of the University.”

| UNC CHARLOTTE

John Vogler, researcher at CAGIS with John Chesser from Urban Institute at UNC Charlotte with their display at the opening of the RENCI Engagement Center office of UNC Asheville at the Grove Arcade in downtown Asheville.

Owen Furuseth, an associate provost at UNC Charlotte, said the Institute’s role in meeting the needs of the region and state has become more sophisticated. Current economic challenges only reinforce the principle that public higher education and community needs are inseparable, he said. As Associate Provost for Metropolitan Studies and Extended Academic Programs, Furuseth oversees all of the University’s communitybased research organizations, including the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute. Along with his administrative duties, Furuseth works with research teams in the Urban Institute on neighborhood and community planning projects for local governments and philanthropic organizations. Currently, he and Heather Smith, a professor of geography and earth sciences and an Urban Institute Faculty Fellow, are working with researchers and other colleagues at UNC Charlotte, Carolinas Medical Center, and the Latin American Coalition on long-term projects examining the Charlotte region’s rapidly growing and changing Latino immigrant community. The UNC Charlotte Urban Institute exemplifies the truly “engaged urban university,” Furuseth said. “In a remarkable way, the legacy of the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute has mirrored the route of the University over the past 40 years,” he Q409

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine 23

UNC CHARLOTTE |

fe a t u re

said. “From Chancellor Colvard to our current chancellor, Philip L. Dubois, our leaders have fully understood and supported the mission of the Institute.” Several major projects in 2009 continue to demonstrate just how the Institute maintains its public policy analysis focus. The Citistates Report. Published simultaneously in several of the region’s newspapers, including the Charlotte Observer, the Citistates Report calls for bold public policy action to leverage growth into opportunity and preserve quality of life. Conducted in partnership with nationallyknown writer and planner Neil Peirce, the report offers a region-wide assessment of Charlotte’s future economic, environmental and leadership challenges and is often quoted by policy makers. Another is the Regional Indicators Project. The Project builds on the work of several earlier attempts to establish a benchmarking initiative for the Charlotte region, and has also drawn heavily upon the experiences of similar efforts in other areas across the country, such as the Boston Indicators Project and Sustainable Seattle. “This is a method to keep our collective fingers on the pulse of what is occurring in the region, the challenges and the success stories, “said Furuseth. “It drills down below the surface to see how our region stacks up against other parts of the country.” The Regional Indicator data sets cover 10 theme areas, ranging from economic vitality to the arts, recreation and cultural life, and environmental quality. Using these data, public leaders and planners can assess current conditions in single counties or across the Charlotte region. The Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI) at UNC Charlotte is part of a larger collaborative venture involving other public and private universities and the state of North Carolina. It brings together academia, government, industry and computing and technology resources to find practical solutions to real world challenges. UNC Charlotte’s RENCI project is an innovative research partnership that brings together the unique talents of three university centers — the Center for Applied Geographic Information Science, the Charlotte Visualization Center and the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute — to study growth and urbanization and their impact in the state of North Carolina. In particular, the UNC Charlotte research scientists have developed a sophisticated urban 24 UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

Q409

growth tool that projects the rate and pattern of residential and commercial development across the Charlotte region, through the year 2030. This tool helps to identify and address the opportunities and challenges that new urbanization presents. Researchers at RENCI recently announced plans to expand their study of development patterns in North Carolina to rapidly-growing counties in western North Carolina as well as the Triad and Research Triangle regions of the Piedmont. The original study, released in 2008, found development in the Charlotte region had increased over 850 percent between 1976 and 2006. The study also forecasted an additional 2.2 million acres to be developed by 2030, or 30 percent of the region’s landscape, with Mecklenburg County expected to convert all unprotected lands within 25 years. New study results will be available this fall with the release of data on four counties surrounding Asheville followed by a report on land conversion rates in western North Carolina in the spring of 2010. Reports on the Triad and Triangle areas will be available later in 2010. In addition, the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute works on other projects, including Crossroads Charlotte and a social capital building initiative of the Foundation For The Carolinas in Mecklenburg. “One of the biggest strengths of the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute is its ability to respond to challenges literally on the run,” Furuseth said. “A lot of organizations know they can reach out to us when they are in need of our services.” The collaboration began under the leadership of Norm Schul, who was named the first director of the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute in 1969. Schul also was the the Dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at UNC Charlotte. One of his first initiatives was to host a regional conference on urban issues with speakers from national organizations such as the Brookings Institute. In the mid-1970s, Schul resigned to devote himself exclusively to his duties with the college. After a national search, Jim Cox was hired and he was succeeded by Jim Clay. Clay, who taught geography at the university, moved quickly to move the Institute back to its original mission: applied research projects for the regional community. Clay’s primary effort was planning and implementing the development of University Place, a mixed-used shopping

complex adjacent to the campus. Clay became so involved with the development of University Place that he could no longer do both, which resulted in his resignation as the director of the Institute. Mary Dawn Bailey, a long-time professional employee of the Urban Institute, became the interim director while yet another national search was done. In 1986, McCoy was named director of the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute and he served in that position until 2001. Now retired, he still works on projects at the center and Michael call him an invaluable advisor. “Our work is as much about process as it is about results,” McCoy said. “I always thought that our work was all about providing our clients, often political or nonprofit entities, better information than they would have without our help to improve their decision making capacity.” The UNC Charlotte Urban Institute performs a wide variety of research services – surveys, focus groups, interpreting data, stakeholder interviews, document searches – for the primary purpose of providing good OPinformation on which to base decisions. For example, the center is responsible for the creation of UNC Charlotte’s on-campus survey center, which has become one of the university’s greatest resources for on-campus and community-based research. Much of the work is an attempt to force clients to look into the future. Among these processes are strategic planning, comprehensive planning, physical planning and meeting facilitation. “While it is difficult to measure success, I believe that the Institute has had some positive impact in providing the research, developing processes and exposing new ideas to enhance the decision making skills of our regional partners,” McCoy said. Michael said his biggest challenge is to figure out how to harness all the academic muscle at the rapidly growing campus, which has added a lot of new programs and disciplines in recent years. “I inherited an institution that was on solid ground,” he said. “Bill McCoy left it in great shape when he left this job and we have great brand recognition.” Paul Nowell is media relations manager in the Office of Public Relations. www.UNCC.edu

fe a t u re

| UNC CHARLOTTE

A Musician with Something

Interesting to Say By Chris Barton

After 24 years on the faculty of one of the most renowned conservatories in the world, violinist David Russell left the Cleveland Institute of Music. He joined the faculty of UNC Charlotte’s Music Department in August as the inaugural Anne R. Belk Distinguished Professor of Music. Russell is on a mission to create a new destination and a new model for educating talented musicians. In tandem with a degree of prestige, the conservatory experience comes with staggering tuition costs and an education focused almost entirely on the development of the art form. “Players with great technique are a dime a dozen,” Russell said. “Musicians with something interesting to say is the element that makes the difference. Without the human element, the performance is nothing more than science and patterns.” In Russell’s opinion, the intense and singular focus of a conservatory education may not be the best means of educating and developing healthy, complete individuals. “I want to create an environment of balance [at UNC Charlotte] where a student can grow as an individual and as a human being and also become a great performer.” There are 116 music majors and 42 music minors among the nearly 25,000 students at UNC Charlotte. “The role of the arts in a public university needs to be broad,” Russell said. In searching for a distinguished professor of music, the music faculty search committee pinpointed a model of greatest interest and developed a position profile — Russell’s teaching style and artistic ambitions proved an ideal match. “The typical model for a distinguished professor of music is a globe-trotting virtuoso whose name brings prestige to the institution but who actually spends very little time on www.UNCC.edu

its campus,” said Jay Grymes, coordinator of Undergraduate Studies in Music and chair of the search committee. “Recognizing that the Anne R. Belk Distinguished Professor of Music would instantly become the most visible member of our faculty, we decided instead to look for someone who would reflect the values of our department, college and the University; an established authority who continually demonstrates excellence as both a performer and a teacher. In envisioning the perfect candidate, David immediately came to mind. We were thrilled when we received his application,” Grymes noted. “A number of eminent violinists also applied. It was clear from our discussions with various candidates that this was one of the most desired jobs in the country. David’s exceptional combination of artistry, pedagogy and collegiality made him the ideal choice.” In addition to his teaching schedule,

Russell will perform and act as an ambassador of the University around the world. He will appear often on stage at UNC Charlotte and throughout North Carolina. Most recently, he performed an inaugural recital in October and will play several chamber music masterworks with faculty colleagues in January 2010. A renowned master teacher, he has been invited to teach all over the world and will travel to conservatories in Cordoba, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal; Bristol, England; and to the Moscow Conservatory, where Tchaikovsky once taught theory and harmony. During Holy Week in April, Russell will travel to Israel to teach at the Keshet Eilon Music Center in Western Galilee. In a spirit of unity similar to the much-publicized WestEastern Divan Orchestra, led by former Chicago Symphony director Daniel Barenboim, Russell will provide private instruction and master classes to young Israeli, Palestinian and IsraeliArab Durs. Audition and transfer requests, including some from the prestigious Manhattan School of Music, are arriving in the Music Department far earlier than usual. With a noted master pedagogue and performer joining the already accomplished and forward-thinking music faculty, UNC Charlotte is poised to establish the new model of educational balance and artistic excellence that David Russell envisions. In doing so, UNC Charlotte’s Department of Music will move one step closer to fulfilling its destiny as a standard-bearing institution in the field of music education. The distinguished professorship was established by a generous gift from Irwin and Carol Belk. Chris Barton is Marketing/Box Office Manager for Robinson Hall for the Performing Arts. Q409

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine 25

UNC CHARLOTTE |

c e n te r s t a g e

Run 49ers, Run! With financial aid applications up 30 percent and the economy way down, the UNC Charlotte community and kind folks from the Charlotte region came together on a rainy morning to raise money for need-based student scholarships (and get a little exercise in the process). In the end, more than 600 people signed up for the first annual 4.NINER K run/walk event. Some conquered the hilly campus, others simply hung out soaking up (or soaking in) the atmosphere, enjoying food, music and camaraderie. Over $27,000 was raised to help UNC Charlotte students stay in school.

26 UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

Q409

www.UNCC.edu

Q409

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine 27

UNC CHARLOTTE |

fe a t u re

By Lisa A. Patterson

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Your

Status? HIV/AIDS on the rise among older adults

28 UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

Q409

www.UNCC.edu

fe a t u re Even in the Age of Information myths and misconceptions abound about HIV/ AIDS prevention and transmission. But, according to UNC Charlotte Associate Professor of Sociology Diane Zablotsky, the most damaging response to HIV/AIDS is silence. Silence has contributed to an upsurge of HIV cases among individuals 50 and older over the course of the epidemic. Currently, about 19 percent of all people with HIV/AIDS in the United States are age 50 and older. This number reflects a combination of people over 50 who have been recently diagnosed with HIV, as well as people who have been living with the virus for decades since improved treatments are helping people with HIV live longer. According to a 2005 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, individuals over 50 remain a relatively small segment of those at-risk group for sexually transmitted diseases, with four times as many HIV diagnoses occuring in people ages 25 to 44. However, by the end of 2007, approximately 131,742 Americans aged 50 and older were diagnosed with AIDS. But a confluence of conditions has created an environment for HIV to flourish in a traditionally low-risk, and therefore overlooked, population. “Historically when you looked at AIDS diagnoses people 50 and older accounted for 10 percent of all diagnoses,” Zablotsky said. Midlife and older adults have always been present in the epidemic. By 2007, they made up 12.5 percent of all Americans diagnosed with AIDS. There are approximately 72 million Baby Boomers (individuals born between 1946 and 1964) in the United States today. Americans who Diane Zablotsky make it to age 65 will live longer on average than their counterparts in the industrialized world, and many will remain sexually active well into their golden years thanks to pharmaceuticals (think Viagra) and other health technologies. Many older Americans come out of lengthy marriages or relationships and rewww.UNCC.edu

“When I first started my work, when we were trying to explore the situation with HIV generally, our first approach was to alert people that this [HIV/AIDS] was something that people across the life course need to know about.”

enter the dating scene. Some are uneducated about HIV/AIDS or have antiquated views about the virus. A huge group of the over50 crowd never received sexuality education in school. Evidence suggests women, who can expect to live an average of five years longer than men, are especially vulnerable. In an analysis of National Health Interview data, Zablotsky found that almost half of women over age 50 were totally uninformed about HIV, compared with only 14 percent of younger adults. In the early days of the epidemic, Zablotsky explained, blood transfusion was the primary mode of HIV transmission in older people. Currently, the primary mode of transmission for both older men and older women is through sexual activity. While working at the National Institutes of Aging, Zablotsky published one of the first papers on the issue. “When I first started my work, when we were trying to explore the situation with HIV generally, our first approach was to alert people that this [HIV/AIDS] was something that people across the life course need to

| UNC CHARLOTTE

know about,” she said. Though the health community has made strides in tailoring education messages, Zablotsky noted, most funding for preventive education in the last 20 years has targeted traditionally high-risk populations, often excluding older adults because of assumptions about their behaviors. Zablotsky said prevention begins with open conversation, as well as the acknowledgment that humans are sexual beings across the life course. Labels and stigma associated with sexually transmitted disease remain barriers to conversation, but Zablotsky said fewer people might tune out messages that frame sexual health as a lifelong wellness issue. “What we need to talk about is how you make choices to stay well,” Zablotsky said. Research conducted by AARP indicates that older patients feel uneasy discussing sexual behavior with their physicians. Conversely, many young doctors are uncomfortable talking about risky sexual behavior with people old enough to be their parents or grandparents. “One of the things that has been part of the discussion is how we can ask about risk factors when we do other types of screenings. The big thing is to keep asking people about their behaviors regardless of age,” Zablotsky said. These conversations do not have to take place within the confines of the doctorpatient relationship. Increasingly, public health professionals and advocates are encouraging teens and their parents to sit down and talk to their elders about HIV prevention. Seventy-two-year-old HIV prevention advocate Jane Fowler made headlines with just such a suggestion. Fowler, who was diagnosed with HIV in her 50s, said people need to get over their embarrassment and start talking. She encourages doctors, friends, kids, grandchildren, and everyone else to check on the HIV prevention knowledge, motivation and skills of their elders. Zablotsky concurs. “As a sociologist my goal is make conversations a part of our everyday activity,” she said. “The risk does not disappear if we fail to discuss it.” Lisa Patterson is senior writer in the Office of Public Relations. Q409

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine 29

UNC CHARLOTTE |

fe a t u re

Spanning Borders, Cultures

Public relations program casts its net worldwide

By Matt Wayton

The modern public relations practitioner is more than a communicator; he or she assumes a leadership and management role that establishes and maintains relationships. In today’s globally interconnected economy, PR practitioners must span borders and reach across cultures to be effective. At UNC Charlotte, future practitioners have the opportunity for global immersion. Earlier this year, the University established the Global Center for Public Relations. Dean Kruckeberg, recognized as among the top public relations scholars in the world, joined the University to launch the center. Kruckeberg, a tenured, full professor at the University of Northern Iowa for 25 years, was content at the Iowa institution, where he served as coordinator of the public relations degree program and the mass communication division in the Department of Communication Studies. However, he recognized UNC Charlotte as an institution of enormous potential. “I came and saw the quality of faculty, the support from the administration, the attributes that Charlotte and the region offered and the potential for the center, and I shared their vision,” said Kruckeberg. The dedication of the Center for Global Public Relations Feb. 21 featured top leaders in public relations from throughout the region and the world. According to Kruckeberg, the center’s mission is to encourage the evolution of global public relations as a specialization that can help people and organizations worldwide through communication and understanding. The goal is for the center to serve a resource for 30 UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

Q409

Dean Kruckeberg has extensive global public relations experience, especially in Russia and Eastern Europe.

students, practitioners and educators who want to increase their knowledge through onsite research, educational opportunities and global partnerships. The center also offers research, seminars, online courses, professional development and guest teaching for practitioners and students. Scholars and educators are invited to spend their sabbaticals or breaks at the center as scholars-in-residence. The globalization of the University public relations program, located in the Communications Studies Department, began in earnest about a decade ago. Public relations professor Alan Freitag helped lead the charge. He knows about international public relations on a global scale. He literally co-wrote the book on it Global Public Relations: Spanning Borders, Spanning Cultures (with UNC Charlotte professor Ashli Stokes). As former director of media relations and press aide to the Supreme Allied Commander for NATO from 1990-93, Freitag also served as director of media relations for the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization at the Pentagon. In his travels with the NATO commander, Freitag visited former Soviet bloc territories and saw throngs of people proudly waving NATO flags and cheering the arrivals. As the Cold War barriers between the East and West broke down, Freitag felt

The globalization of the University public relations program, located in the Communications Studies Department, began in earnest about a decade ago. www.UNCC.edu

fe a t u re the world was going to become much more interconnected, and there was going to be an explosion of international discourse and commerce. Freitag, who earned his doctorate following his professional military career, had many options to teach nationally and internationally after his 22-plus years as an Air Force officer, but he selected UNC Charlotte. The University “shared my vision of wanting to build the premier program in international public relations in the world,” Freitag said. “UNC Charlotte is a growing university, in a growing city, in a region that already has a prominent international footprint and is accessible to the world.” When Freitag first arrived in 1998, communication studies included one public relations professor offering two classes. Freitag felt students needed more than just an introduction to public relations; they needed to study cross cultural communications. Students needed to build on traditional origins in journalism and publicity and move forward with their skill sets. The international public relations concentration was created and classes have been growing every year since. “One of the strengths of our program is that we offer a balance between an academic and professional focus” said Freitag.

Alan Freitag brought an international perspective to UNC Charlotte’s public relations academic program. He currently serves as president of the Faculty Council.

The University “shared my vision of wanting to build the premier program in international public relations in the world.” “We have people who have been almost exclusively academic, but we also have people who are primarily professional, which gives us a great balance.” To provide students with international exposure, communication studies professor Barbara DeSanto started a small summer trip to London. During the four-week program students stay at Regents College and have class time with the program leader and various special guest speakers. They also get an insider’s look at London via tours of and visits to the U.S. Embassy, IBM’s European headquarters, international PR firm Ketchum, British Broadcasting Corp. and many other organizatioins. The department also offers the Joe S. Epley Certificate in International Public www.UNCC.edu

Relations - the only one of its kind in higher education today. The certificate helps students acquire a deeper understanding of the factors that complicate human and mass communication across cultures. Although the certificate does not require students to take extra coursework, it crafts their electives toward an international focus. At the graduate level, the University offers a master’s degree with a public relations focus. The program is researchbased, planning-driven and managementoriented to help future practitioners achieve organizational objectives and facilitate organizational change. Students engage in critical analysis of public relations models, functions and roles. There also is an overseas exchange program that partners with

| UNC CHARLOTTE

Oreboro University in Sweden, Manchester Metropolitan University in England and Zeppelin University in Germany. Through a consortium arrangement, master’s students study their first two semesters at UNC Charlotte and then spend the third semester studying at one of the three partner universities. With the newly established Center for Global Public Relations, UNC Charlotte has established itself as a leader in the field. “We are fulfilling a need with the center to expand public relations’ body of knowledge, sharpen its focus on further research and to formalize professional education for public relations practice on a global scale,” said Kruckeberg. Freitag envisions that the University will “expand the pallet.” He said, “Public relations needs to be the guiding light in the area of expanding relationships, culture-toculture and nation-to-nation.” The three skill areas needed to achieve these goals are the ability to critically analyze an issue or crisis, to develop creative solutions and to communicate effectively. UNC Charlotte’s location affords opportunities to not only practice global PR but also to learn from highly respected experts. Charlotte is an internship-rich environment in virtually every type of organization, including Fortune 500 companies, professional sports teams, government agencies, nonprofit organizations and public relations firms. The program’s academic reputation has allowed it to attract many guest lecturers and instructors. For example, the department’s media relations course was taught recently by the director of media relations for Bank of America. UNC Charlotte constantly brings in great professionals because of the proximity to one of the most vibrant cities in the country. The tremendous support from University leaders combined with an elite faculty, unique initiatives and a strong relationship with the city of Charlotte has enabled UNC Charlotte to build one of the premier public relations education programs in the world. Matt Wayton graduated from UNC Charlotte in December 2009. He interned with the Office of Public Relations from May-July. Q409

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

UNC CHARLOTTE |

a l u m n i p ro f i l e

Noah Lazes

King of Charlotte’s Entertainment Scene By Rhiannon Bowman

“The day after giving the commencement speech to Tau Beta Pi, I opened Fat Tuesdays.” If it weren’t for a thoughtful dean, Charlotte wouldn’t be the city it is today. Robert Snyder, retired dean of UNC Charlotte’s William States Lee College of Engineering, saw something in Noah Lazes, and he made sure the young student saw something in Charlotte, too. Lazes, president of the ARK group, is the man responsible for the N.C. Music Factory and numerous other clubs throughout the Queen City. Before choosing to attend UNC Charlotte, he applied to Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech and Penn State University. He says Dean Snyder told him to consider the cities surrounding each university, and pay close attention to the entrepreneurial opportunities each offered. “You could see Charlotte transforming,” Lazes says. “At that time, it felt like a small town with a lot of potential.” He chose to attend UNC Charlotte, despite not knowing a soul in the city. A choice, it turns out, that was fiscally wise as well. He credits the Noah Lazes 32 UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

Q409

www.UNCC.edu

a l u m n i p ro f i l e skills and knowledge gained at the University with saving his company countless dollars. For instance, he was able to save $2 million on a retaining wall at the Regal Starlight Theater, near Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, because of his engineering expertise. Lazes, who graduated in 1994 with a civil engineering degree, enjoyed his time on campus. While at the University, he obtained his pilot’s license, learned to play the guitar, rushed Lambda Chi Alpha and eventually became the president of Tau Beta Pi, the oldest and most prestigious engineering honor society in the nation. He also fostered his entrepreneurial spirit. It didn’t take long for him to notice Charlotte lacked an entertainment district. So, with the Chamber of Commerce’s blessing and funding, he and a friend organized an event called “Street of Champions” when the NCAA announced Charlotte would host the 1994 Final Four championship basketball games. Lazes said they took over several burnt out buildings on Tryon Street and made an entertainment district appear, practically overnight. He earned enough money from that venture to open his first club. In fact, he says, “The day after giving the commencement speech to Tau Beta Pi, I opened Fat Tuesdays.” That endeavor, once on the corner of Fifth and College streets where Blue Restaurant and Bar is today, is now on ice. But, the rest, as the saying goes, is history. By 1996, The Charlotte Business Journal was commenting on the city’s blooming Uptown nightlife writing, “While city boosters are scrambling to draw national restaurants and clubs into a planned Uptown complex, a collection of locally owned clubs are carving out their own entertainment district.” Soon after graduation, Lazes began what has evolved into Center Cityfest and now attracts more than 100,000 people each year. At first, though, he says locals didn’t like the idea of closing Uptown streets for a bunch of bands. Now, it seems, they are not only used to the inconvenience, they look forward to it. Before long, Lazes attracted the attention of international developers and event promotion companies who encouraged his involvement in projects throughout the country. At one point, he says, he had a stake in 25 restaurants and clubs. All the while, though, he was accumulating properties in Charlotte — like the old www.UNCC.edu

| UNC CHARLOTTE

Lazes began what has evolved into Center Cityfest and now attracts more than 100,000 people each year. textile factory he’s since transformed into one of the city’s hottest new attractions, the N.C. Music Factory. The 31-acre project has put a new face on the Fourth Ward, and it’s only getting started. (So far only 9 acres have been developed.) Currently, it boasts such nationally recognizable venues as Butter, a restaurant and nightclub that got its start in New York City, and The Fillmore, whose original venue is part of historic San Francisco. At first, though, Lazes had to work hard to convince big name clubs to give the city a chance. But, he says, once they did “they were wildly impressed.” Something he appreciates about Charlotte is that local politicians and businesspeople are accessible. And, he’s proud of his alma mater, saying he likes to celebrate UNC Charlotte’s accomplishments and milestones. “I remember when 20,000 students was a dream,” he says. Now he’s the father of a young child and glad he chose Charlotte to raise his family. He even convinced his business partner and father, Rick Lazes, to move to the city from New Orleans mere months before Hurricane Katrina struck. As far as what the future holds for Lazes, you never can tell. “We joke,” he says, “Some people play golf, some people race horses ... we have a flare for entertainment.” And, he’s always ready to listen to suggestions. “We don’t like to pigeonhole ourselves,” he says. “I’m happy to work with whoever has the next great idea.” One thing he’d like to see happen is for someone to create a company of engineers whose mission is to help developers find aesthetically pleasing ways to solve problems and save money at the same time. He’d do it himself, he says, but he’s a little busy right now. Lazes transformed an old textile factory in the Fourth Ward into one of the city’s hottest new attractions, the N.C. Music Factory.

Rhiannon Bowman, ’08, is a freelance writer based in Charlotte. Q409

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine 33

UNC CHARLOTTE |

fe a t u re

Becoming Health Literate

Nurse educator to develop diabetes intervention

By Lisa A. Patterson

What’s the number one predictor of healthcare access? Health insurance, or lack thereof. Individuals who don’t have insurance, studies show, fear the cost of care and therefore avoid seeking care. Consequently, one of the largest stressors on the nation’s health care system comes from uninsured individuals who use hospital emergency rooms as a primary means of care. They do so because they can’t be turned away from the emergency room and because, without health insurance, it is nearly impossible to find affordable primary care services, said UNC Charlotte assistant professor of nursing Maren Coffman. People who use emergency rooms for treatment are more likely to wait until they are in crisis to visit the hospital. Often, an illness that might have been treated and managed becomes debilitating, expensive and chronic. Coffman, who is developing a diabetes intervention, said the disease is one such example. Diabetes disproportionately affects ethnic minorities: nearly 15 percent of Latinos adults living in the United States have diabetes, compared to 9 percent of non-Latino whites. Poor nutrition and lack of exercise increase their risk for diabetes, diabetes-related complications, and poor health. Charlotte, with a 932 percent increase in Latino residents between 1980 and 2000, has one of the highest Latino growth rates in the nation accompanied by an estimated 65 to 70 percent Latino uninsurance rate. “In this community, many barriers prevent this vulnerable and largely immigrant population from accessing medical care, negatively affecting overall community health,” Coffman said. 34 UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

Q409

Maren Coffman

Many Latinos in the area do not know how to access care and many do not have a regular health care provider (61 percent). Low health literacy and health care barriers suggest that Latinos with diabetes are failing to get preventive care, delaying needed care, and misusing the emergency department. Coffman recently became one of just 15 nurse educators from around the country to receive a competitive grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to conduct research on health literacy and diabetes among Latinas. The three-year $350,000 “Nurse Faculty

Scholar” award is given to junior faculty who show outstanding promise as future leaders in academic nursing. “As a young nurse, I had an opportunity to spend over a year living in South America, where I learned the customs of the people and became fluent in the Spanish language. This experience led to my passion to understand and respond to the health care needs of Latinos wherever they live,” said Coffman. “Access to health care and an understanding of the health care system has been challenging for many Latinos in the area, causing even those with serious illnesses to defer medical treatment,” she added. Coffman will use a health literacy instructional framework in her experimental study. Health literacy is the ability to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services. Health literacy skills help individuals better comprehend health issues, navigate the health system, and take independent action with regards to their health. She will focus on Latina women with diabetes in the Charlotte area and will reach out to study participants using local Latino churches, community service agencies, and Spanish language newspapers and radio. Mary A. Nies, Professor and Carol Grotnes Belk Endowed Chair in Nursing, and Owen Furuseth, Professor and Associate Provost for Metropolitan Studies, Academic Affairs/ Department of Geography, will serve as her mentors. “Coffman’s research on health literacy and Latinas with diabetes will not only benefit a population in need, but will highlight the Continued on p. 37 www.UNCC.edu

with apparel and gear from

For the latest looks and largest selection of UNC Charlotte merchandise, visit the Barnes & Noble at UNC Charlotte Bookstore in the Student Union. www.UNCC.edu

Q309

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine 35

600 Runners Defy Rain, Net $27K+ for Scholarships In October, more than 600 runners and dozens of volunteers turned out on a drizzly but triumphant morning today, raising more than $27,000 for need-based scholarships at UNC Charlotte. All proceeds from the inaugural 4.NINERK event will be provided to students who need financial aid to remain in school next semester. The focal point of the event was a 4.9 kilometer footrace along an undulating course on the UNC Charlotte campus. “It’s gratifying to see so many people turn out and make this race an overwhelming success,” said Chancellor Philip L. Dubois. “Almost every day I receive e-mail messages from students faced with financial decisions no student should have to make. Their families are suffering financially and cannot help them, and they often already work, sometimes more than one job, to supplement the financial aid they receive. The proceeds from today’s run will help many stay in school.” For the fall semester, UNC Charlotte welcomed a record enrollment of more than 24,700 students. Come spring, a significant number of these students may be unable to continue their studies due to state budget cuts to need-based financial aid. Due to the current economic climate, an even larger number of students applied for financial aid this fall. However, the state budget eliminated several sources of potential aid. “This year, financial aid applications are up 30 percent. With less aid from the state, some of our neediest students would be unable to return in the spring,” said David Dunn, vice chancellor for university relations and community affairs. Major sponsors included the UNC Charlotte Alumni Association, Presbyterian Hospital Huntersville, The Charlotte Observer, Fifth Third Bank, 49Fanatics.com, Chartwells and Trader Joe’s. 36 UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

Q409

Charlotte 49ers’ mascot Norm the Niner and Carolina Panthers’ mascot Sir Purr joined Joel Gallegos director of the Office for International Programs and Niles Sorensen, vice chancellor for development and alumni affairs as they reach the finish line.

49ers cross country teammates Junior Aurora Trujillo (left) and Freshman Alyssa Bradley (right) barely broke a sweat.

49ers men’s basketball Head Coach Bobby Lutz joins alums Wingho Liu ’07 (right) and Johnathon Romero ’06. www.UNCC.edu

alumni notes

1970s Henry Doss, ’70, recently was elected president of the board of directors of the National Committee for the New River (NCNR). He has served on the NCNR board for two years. In addition, Henry was recently appointed by the North Carolina Legislature to serve a four-year term on the Western North Carolina Regional Economic Development Commission. He continues to provide volunteer care to patients and families of Hospice.

1980s William G. (Bill) Whittaker, ’79, Past-president of the UNC Charlotte Alumni Association (2006-2008), was named Charlotte Catholic High School’s Distinguished Alumnus for 2009. He was honored for accomplishments including establishment of need-based scholarships sponsored by the Alumni

www.UNCC.edu

Association of UNC Charlotte and named after Dr. Gregory Davis.

2000s Tarek Elshenwy, ’07, is currently working as an industrial engineer at UPS in Charlotte. He also is pursuing an MBA degree through Queens University.

What are you doing? It is time to share what you’ve been up to lately and let other Alumns help you toot your horn or spread the word on small or large achievements. We want to hear from you. Visit Alumni Affairs Web site at www.unccharlottealumni.org and tell us what you’ve been doing. Or write Alumni Affairs, UNC Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28223-0001

| UNC CHARLOTTE

Continued from p. 34

important role nurses play in the greater health care arena,” Nies said. “The findings of her research will be easily transferable to other areas, beyond diabetes, and the health literacy findings will be useful to nurses in a wide variety of health care settings.” Coffman’s study will consist of 10 culturally appropriate, small group classes that focus on reading, interpreting and applying health text and information. Participants will learn to understand written health information, healthy nutrition and physical activity practices, and to access and use primary health care services. Interventions that improve health literacy could provide Latina women with diabetes the skills they need to navigate the U.S. health care system and improve healthy behaviors. If found effective, the intervention could be widely used in practice to improve diabetes self-management; it could also be applied to other populations and with other health conditions. Lisa Patterson is senior writer in the Office of Public Relations.

Q409

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine 37

Continued from p. 3

distraction, a well-known effect. However, subsequent findings began to indicate that the effect continued outside of the periods of meditation. “When we re-calibrated their pain thresholds after the training had started and we found that they felt less pain, compared to the control subjects,” Zeidan noted. “This was totally surprising because a change in general sensitivity was not part of our hypothesis at all.” “We were so surprised after the first experiment that we did two more. We thought

“The short course of meditation was very effective on pain perception,” Zeidan said. “We got a very high effect size for the periods when they were meditating. “In fact, it was kind of freaky for me. I was ramping at 400-500 milliamps and their arms would be jolting back and forth because the current was stimulating a motor nerve. Yet they would still be asking, ‘A 2?’ (‘2’ being the level of electrical shock that designates low pain) It was really surprising,” he said. Zeidan suspects that the mindfulness training lessens the awareness of and sensitivity to pain because it trains subjects’ brains to pay attention to sensations at the

Though the results are in line with past findings regarding mindfulness practitioners, Zeidan says that the findings are important because they show that meditation is much easier to use for pain management than it was previously believed to be because a very short, simple course of training is all that is required in order to achieve a significant effect. Even self-administered training might be effective, according to Zeidan. “What’s neat here is that this is the briefest known way to promote a meditation state and yet it has an effect in pain management. People who want to make use of the technique might not need a meditation

EEG (electroencephalogram) caps were worn by study participants to measure how meditation affects the perception of pain as measured by brain waves.

that no one was going to listen to us because no one had done this before… and we got a robust finding across the three experiments.” Zeidan stresses that the effect the researchers measured in the meditation subjects was a lessening of pain but not a lessening of sensation. The calibration results showed little change in the meditation subjects’ sensitivity to the sensation of electricity, but a significant change in what level of shock was perceived to be painful. 38 UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

Q409

present moment rather than anticipating future pain or dwelling on the emotions caused by pain, and thus reduces anxiety. “The mindfulness training taught them that distractions, feelings, emotions are momentary, don’t require a label or judgment because the moment is already over,” Zeidan noted. “With the meditation training they would acknowledge the pain, they realize what it is, but just let it go. They learn to bring their attention back to the present.”

facilitator — they might be able to get the necessary training off the Internet,” Zeidan said. “All you have to do is use your mind, change the way you look at the perception of pain and that, ultimately, might help alleviate the feeling of that pain.” The research was funded in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation. James Hathaway is research communications manager at UNC Charlotte. www.UNCC.edu

Building Blocks

| UNC CHARLOTTE

REQUIEM FOR THE TWO-HANDED

SET SHOT the 49er’s men’s basketball season is off to a fast start and Coach Bobby Lutz recorded his 200th victory at Charlotte. 49ers basketball has a rich history – the ’77 Final Four providing the pinnacle so far. But did you know our roots go way, way back. Yep all the way back to these intrepid “cagers” of Charlotte College, circa 1952. Here, Coach Irving Edelman poses with his charges, including co-captains Henry Beatty and Nick Chamis, Jack Proctor and Johnny Long.

www.UNCC.edu

Q409

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

UNC CHARLOTTE |

D ev e l o p m e n t N ew s

The press conference announcing the Kulwicki gift featured (left to right) Dean Bob Johnson, motorsports impresario Felix Sabates, Chancellor Philip L. Dubois, motorsports engineering program director Ahmed Soliman and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Dean Michael Lovell.

Kulwicki Family Gifts to Fund Scholarships, Motorsports Facilities To honor the legacy of former NASCAR racing champion Alan Kulwicki, his family has committed nearly $1.9 million to support engineering education at UNC Charlotte. A trust fund will benefit the Motorsports Engineering Program in the William States Lee College of Engineering’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Sciences. Considered the largest individual gift ever received by the engineering school, the funds will be used for student scholarships and to construct a new motorsports engineering facility on the UNC Charlotte campus. The Kulwicki family also is contributing nearly $630,000 to his alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The gift also will be used for scholarships and to create the Alan Kulwicki Memorial Student Center in the university’s engineering building. 40 UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

Q409

All UNC Charlotte race cars are now emblazoned with references to Alan Kulwicki

In recognition of the Kulwicki family’s generosity, the UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees has approved naming the university’s existing motorsports research laboratory in honor of Kulwicki, who

died in a plane crash several months after he won the 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup championship. The facility will be called the Alan D. Kulwicki Motorsports Laboratory. The gift also will elevate the status of the university’s motorsports engineering program, which produces some of the most qualified applicants in motorsports. Roughly 10 percent of all NASCAR engineers are UNC Charlotte graduates. “Currently we have nearly 100 students enrolled in the program,” said Lee College of Engineering Dean Bob Johnson. “Besides rigorous classroom work, these students get a lot of hands-on experience in various levels of racing, from drag racing to design-and-build teams such as Formula SAE and Mini Baja. Along the way, they gain additional valuable experience in such areas as management, scheduling, fabrication and teamwork skills.” Kulwicki earned a mechanical engineering degree from UWM in 1977 and was the first college graduate to win stock car racing’s premier title. www.UNCC.edu

perspective

| UNC CHARLOTTE

Charlotte Needs Strong Hometown Research University By Yi Deng Dean, College of Computing and Informatics The 21st Century economy is innovation driven — innovation drives economic growth, job creation and solutions to critical societal problems. For any major economic and population center like Charlotte, a world class research university is critical to maintain and strengthen the region’s competitiveness. The potential impact of the research university on its surrounding community is evident in examples including, Stanford University and UCBerkeley and the Silicon Valley; the University of Washington and the city of Seattle; and Duke University, UNC-Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University and the Research Triangle Park region. With its deep pool of talent and resources, top-notch education programs, cutting-edge research and entrepreneurial culture, UNC Charlotte not only supplies the region with a highly trained workforce, but also serves as an innovation powerhouse for the region’s industry and economy, a hotbed for start-up companies and as the magnet to attract new business, capital and top talent. One might say that the Research Triangle universities can supply the innovation and human capital that Charlotte needs to maintain its competitiveness. After all, these universities are North Carolina’s leading academic institutions; and it is certainly true that they have been a major source

www.UNCC.edu

of talent and resources for Charlotte and its industries. I would argue, however, that Charlotte needs a large-scale, world class research university in its backyard. Such universities are not only direct providers of education and research, but also serve as the catalysts for and the centers of a strong regional ecosystem, which is needed for supporting and sustaining the innovation-driven economy and community in Charlotte. The current economic crisis underscores the need for such an ecosystem in Charlotte and will drive the diversification of the regional economy. This ecosystem embodies and propels a dynamic culture of entrepreneurship, a broad base of talent and expertise, a home-grown network for information, knowledge, collaboration and partnership, which helps to enhance the city’s

prestige and attract new capital. Universities from afar cannot provide these benefits to Charlotte. Charlotte needs and deserves a world class research university in its backyard. UNC Charlotte is Charlotte’s research university. Despite its short history, UNC Charlotte has quickly emerged as one of the top up-andcoming national universities in the country with rapid growth in scale and quality. The future of Charlotte and the University is intrinsically linked. The city needs UNC Charlotte’s continued growth and improvement to sustain and expand its economy and industries; and the concerted support from Charlotte’s industrial base and community is indispensible for the University to achieve status as one of the nation’s premier research universities. This symbiotic relationship is mirrored by a timely initiative from the UNC General Administration entitled “Innovate, Collaborate, Accelerate,” which articulates the UNC vision for innovation and technology development. It further highlights UNC Charlotte’s responsibility as a key partner to the Charlotte community and the region’s economic development. Our community and our University are both facing significant challenges right now. But I am confident that if we work together, there is no obstacle we cannot overcome. The future for Charlotte and for UNC Charlotte is bright, indeed.

UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Charlotte, NC Permit No. 949

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte 9201 University Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28223-0001

Looking from the front porch of the student union, all is calm on the plaza