Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø

Mario Martinez Estrada ’27 Strives to Expand Healthcare Access

His family’s fears of getting sick while uninsured and struggles to overcome language barriers inspired Mario Martinez Estrada ‘27 to pursue a medical career. The El Salvador native –now a U.S. citizen–works part-time at a local hospital and is conducting research to help remove roadblocks to healthcare in Hispanic communities.

Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø Scholar-Musician Awarded Rhodes Scholarship

Madeline Dierauf, a Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø senior and professional fiddler, was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship Saturday, making her one of 32 Americans selected this year for one of the most prestigious graduate scholarships in the world. Learn more.

Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø Faculty Team Up to Explore the Benefits and Pitfalls of AI

As AI tools proliferate, Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø faculty and students experiment to find ways to enhance learning and test limitations. Learn more.

Alumni Couple's Library Gift Brings New Gathering Place to Campus

Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø alums Jordan ’77 and Patti Phillips Clark ’77 have named the Clark Family Café in The George Lawrence Abernethy Library. The rooftop café will become a central gathering space on campus. Learn more.

New Need-Based Scholarship Honors Beloved Professor and Lifelong Friend

Learn more about how a new need-based scholarship will benefit students, and how the relationships students at Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø develop last a lifetime.

A College Credit Turned Into a Career in Uniform

Alum Denise Fanuiel Blackwell became the first woman and first Black student to graduate from the Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø Reserve Officer Training Corps. On Veterans Day, we thank her and those who’ve served in the United States military for their service.

Spotlight on the Union Board, Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø’s Biggest Social Programmers

President of the Union Board, Davis Varnado ’25, shares some of his favorite events hosted throughout the year by Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø’s largest student programming organization from parties to off-campus excursions and trivia to student performances.

Colleges and universities are bracing for what’s to come when control of the executive branch changes hands in January. Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø Professor Chris Marsicano outlines some of the hot button education issues that will occupy the next administration.

Leigha Hofmann ’25 on Dance, Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø and Daring to Dream

During her time at Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø, Leigha Hofmann '25 has pursued a unique academic path that combines her passions for dance, psychology, and education. Learn more about the dancer, choreographer and leader. 

Punk Rock Ph.D.: Jeremy Hunt ’03 Brings Creativity to Personal Pursuits and Projects for Alma Mater

An experimental musician and record label creator, Jeremy Hunt '03 reflects on how Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø shaped his interests in theology, music and storytelling. Learn more.

Election Day and Beyond: Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø Fosters Civil Discourse and Civic Engagement

Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø’s long tradition of nurturing civil discourse and civic engagement will continue well beyond election day. Learn more about the college’s efforts to bridge partisan divides and educate students for lives of leadership and service.

Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø Remembers Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty Price Zimmermann

Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø remembers T.C. Price Zimmerman, late vice president of academic affairs and dean of faculty. Zimmerman died Oct. 5.

DCI Forum Asks, ‘How Should Americans Respond to Income Inequality?’

The Deliberative Citizenship Initiative at Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø brings people together to productively engage with one another on difficult and contentious issues. A recent forum examined economic inequality in the United States. Learn more.

Lebanese Artist Elie Bou Zeidan Hosts Art Dialogue for Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø Students

Students in Arab Studies and French and Francophone Studies participated in art workshops with a local Lebanese artist, Elie Bou Zeidan. 

Growing with Purpose: Charlie Hinnant ’72 Fund Supports Naming of Lucid Bots Founder Andrew Ashur ’19 as Innovator-in-Residence

Lucid Bots Founder Andrew Ashur ’19 will be the next Alumni Innovator-in-Residence at Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø’s Jay Hurt Hub for Innovation & Entrepreneurship. Ashur will help students innovate, learn and make connections as they develop new business ideas.

Scholarship Empowers Disability Advocates

Anna Morrow ’28 writes about Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø sports and offers analysis for different teams through the ’Cats Stats program. She’s also the first recipient of the McArthur-Fitzpatrick Scholarship for Disability Advocacy.  Alex McArthur ’09 and Owen Fitzpatrick ’09 established the scholarship to support students while making Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø a more accessible place — financially, physically and socially. 

Pardon Me, But I Disagree: Civility Rules At Phi-Eu Debate

The traditional Phi-Eu Debate showed that Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø students can provide what the nation’s political climate needs: the capacity to disagree and debate civilly and respectfully.

Don’t Lose Heart: Maurice J. Norman ’20 Marries Poetry and Music in New Production

Writer and poet Maurice J. Norman ‘20 became fascinated with the Smithville community during his studies at Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø. It’s one of Mecklenburg County’s largest intact Black communities, and Norman shares its residents’ stories in Don’t Lose Heart, a live  words-set-to-music production that debuts on November 2 in Cornelius.

The Hon. Anthony Foxx ’93 to Chair Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø Board of Trustees

Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation and Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx has been elected chair of the Â鶹ÊÓƵ¹ÙÍø Board of Trustees. Five new trustees were appointed to the board at an October meeting. Read more.

My Summer as a Sustainability Scholar at Trane Technologies

Jingyan Chi ’26 shares insights from his summer as a Sustainability Scholar working at Trane Technologies where he studied embodied carbon reduction and gained valuable professional experience.