CLAS

Heather A. Smith’s students and colleagues have long praised her generosity and inclusivity. For the exceptional way she mentors others, the UNC Charlotte geographer has received the 2023 Susan Hardwick Excellence in Mentoring Award from the American Association of Geographers. Smith’s professional interests and mentoring strengths have guided a generation of geography students who have carried the impact into other spaces and places.

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

James Cook, a professor in the Department of Psychological Science at UNC Charlotte, has received the 2019 Outstanding Educator Award, a top award given by the Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA), Division 27 of the American Psychological Association. The award recognizes Cook’s long-standing and far-reaching contributions to community psychology and community research and action through education.

A team of UNC Charlotte graduate students is headed to Washington, D.C. to tackle the real-world problem of global migration, through an innovative national simulation competition called “The Refugee Simulation.” This year’s competition will focus on the issue of forced migration and refugees. The UNC Charlotte team and other teams will be asked to balance their budgets and their humanity, facing the underlying question of what sacrifices they are willing to make.

The aromas and tastes of the holiday season call forth memories of traditions and of times spent with family and friends. Hot chocolate is a particularly special drink, building connections among people worldwide. We invite you to pause for a moment to consider historical, botanical, and cultural aspects of this comforting drink. We also hope you will take a moment to savor this special time of year with those you cherish.

Africana Studies outgoing chair Akin Ogundiran will serve as Editor-in-Chief of African Archaeological Review (AAR). This is the oldest continent-wide journal in the field of African archaeology. The five-year appointment will provide students with the opportunity to be part of the editorial process of a major international journal, in addition to providing UNC Charlotte with more visibility as a research university, Ogundiran said.

Andrea Pitts, an assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy at UNC Charlotte, has received a six-month Career Enhancement Fellowship from the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. With the fellowship, Pitts will work on a book project in fall 2018, analyzing structural racism and linguistic communication.

For her transformational impact on international education at UNC Charlotte, Anabel Aliaga-Buchenau, associate professor of German, is the 2018 recipient of the International Education Faculty Award. Notable contributions include a keen focus on expanding opportunities for students to study, work and intern abroad, with a parallel focus on growing community partnerships to support students. She also has grown academic offerings and community outreach.

Anita West Moss, 74, professor of English, died Wednesday, April 11 following a brief illness. Described as an avid reader, lover of fine film and theater, enlightened conversationalist, and progressive intellectual, Moss joined UNC Charlotte’s Department of English in 1972 and continued teaching until a week before her death.

Two College of Liberal Arts & Sciences students have received the first Harper-Thomas Legacy Endowment for Study Abroad awards, presented at an event at the Levine Museum of the New South hosted by the UNC Charlotte Black Alumni Chapter. The Harper-Thomas Legacy Endowment for Study Abroad honors College of Liberal Arts & Sciences emeritus professors Mary Harper and Herman Thomas and is a scholarship of the College.