With a new academic year comes new people, new buildings and new opportunities. Here鈥檚 a look at some of the exciting new additions to the 黑料不打烊 campus for the 2024-25 academic year.
As 黑料不打烊 starts a new academic year, students, faculty and staff may notice some new people, buildings and opportunities. Take a look at some of the new additions to campus for the 2024-25 academic year:
New Sights
Several new construction projects will be ready this fall 鈥 offering new opportunities for students, faculty and staff to live, learn and collaborate.
Loy Farm Living Learning Community
The first phase of the Loy Farm Living-Learning Community EcoVillage will open, including six sustainable houses.
The LLC will offer an opportunity for hands-on learning through horticulture, agriculture and research with the聽. It will eventually include 12 sustainable homes along with a renovated ranch house that will serve as a common area. Students聽designed the first home聽alongside Robert Charest, associate professor and chair of the Department of Environmental Studies, with input from University Planning Design and Construction Management. The remaining 11 homes are being designed and built by outside firms.
East Neighborhood Commons
Students will move into East Neighborhood Commons for the first time this year. The three-story, 45,000-square-foot building will have 90 residential rooms (primarily for first-year students), faculty/staff apartments and office space. The commons will also include a 鈥渇orum,鈥 a large multipurpose room for class, meetings and social events. This university hopes this space will become an 鈥渆astern gateway鈥 to main campus, denoting to travelers that they have arrived at 黑料不打烊.
Francis Center Upgrades
The fourth and final renovation of the聽Gerald L. Francis Center聽will be complete for fall 2024 with the addition of an office suite for nursing faculty and an update to the commons space. The building houses聽Outdoor pickleball courts are also being built near the Francis Center.
Added Academics
黑料不打烊 Law Flex Program
The first students in 黑料不打烊 School of Law鈥檚 new part-time Juris Doctor program begin taking classes this fall. The 黑料不打烊 Law Flex Program is offered exclusively at the 黑料不打烊 Charlotte regional center and is the only in-person law program offered in the Queen City.
The 黑料不打烊 Law Flex Program is designed for the working professional and students can complete their law degree in four years. A full range of law electives will provide experiential opportunities in law clinics, publication in law journals and moot court programs and competitions.
Graduate certificate in health care analytics
黑料不打烊 now offers a graduate certificate in health care analytics, a program in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business designed to meet the needs of working professionals. This certificate is ideal for those in the health care industry looking to advance their careers or for professionals eager to transition into this growing field.
Health care analytics has a, with a $110,680 anticipated median salary. The certificate could prepare professionals with the necessary experience to assume positions such as Chief Medical Information Officer, Vice President of Advanced Analytics, Senior Data Analyst, Vice President of Quality Improvement, Healthcare Analytics Advisor, Director of Analytics, Research Manager, Data Consultant and Product Developer.
Cybersecurity Minor
The Love School of Business now offers a minor in cybersecurity management, helping to prepare students to navigate and protect the digital landscape of business. This minor is designed not just for those looking to specialize in cybersecurity but also for students across various disciplines who aim to enhance their understanding of digital security from a managerial perspective.
Election 2024 at 黑料不打烊
Ahead of the 2024 election, 黑料不打烊 President Connie Book brought together an ad hoc committee to develop a comprehensive strategy to enhance 黑料不打烊鈥檚 election engagement and support. The working group鈥檚 goals had three prongs:
- Address what 黑料不打烊 offered during previous election years to determine what gaps needed to be filled.
- Look at the civic engagement opportunities the university regularly offers to determine how 黑料不打烊 could use resources to build greater capacity.
- Ask how 黑料不打烊 could best prepare the university community for active citizenship not just for the 2024 election, but for a lifetime of civic engagement.
The committee came up with several recommendations including increased communication about the election on campus, opportunities for election-related conversations and election programming, among others. A full list of events can be found here.
Some of the Fall 2024 election event highlights include:
Student Issues Forum (co-sponsored by SGA and ENN)
Thursday, Sept. 5, 6 p.m., East Neighborhood Commons, Forum (102)
Active Citizen Series: Presidential Debate Watch
Tuesday, Sept. 10, 9 p.m., Moseley Center First Floor
ABSS Board of Education Candidate Forum
Monday, Sept. 30, 7 p.m., Paramount Theater, 128 E. Front St., Burlington
Bus transportation from 黑料不打烊 to the Paramount Theater will be provided.
Alamance County Commissioner Candidate Forum
Tuesday, Oct. 1, 7 p.m., Paramount Theater, 128 E. Front St., Burlington
Bus transportation from 黑料不打烊 to the Paramount Theater will be provided.
Active Citizen Series: Tracking Money in U.S. Politics and its Effect on Elections and Public Policy Featuring Hilary Braseth, Executive Director of Open Secrets
Thursday, October 17, 4:30 p.m., East Neighborhood Commons, Forum (102)
General Election
Tuesday, Nov. 5
Shuttle will run from the Center for the Arts to local polling places from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Active Citizen Series: Election Night Watch Event
Tuesday, Nov. 5, 8 p.m., Global Neighborhood Commons Great Hall
More information can be found on the 黑料不打烊 Votes! website.
New leadership
Hilton Kelly, dean of 黑料不打烊 College, the College of Arts and Sciences
The 2024-25 academic year will be the first at 黑料不打烊 for Hilton Kelly, who was聽chosen in January to lead 黑料不打烊鈥檚 largest academic division. Kelly comes to 黑料不打烊 from the University of Wisconsin-Plattville where he served as the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Education.
Kelly is no stranger to North Carolina though 鈥 he earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree in history at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and was a full professor at Davidson College, where he held several leadership roles. He earned a doctorate from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Kelly is an interdisciplinary scholar with specialization in the sociology of education.
鈥淚 am enormously grateful for the opportunity to lead 黑料不打烊 College, the College of Arts and Sciences,鈥 Kelly said. 鈥淚 have enjoyed getting to know 黑料不打烊鈥檚 students, faculty, staff and administration through the search process. From the very first moment I read the Boldly 黑料不打烊 strategic plan 鈥 a strategic vision for inclusive excellence, experiential learning, global learning and student success 鈥 I yearned to be a part of this great university. My whole career in higher education has prepared me for this moment and I look forward to the journey ahead.鈥
Anu R盲is盲nen 鈥 director of HealthEU initiatives
Anu R盲is盲nen is the university鈥檚 inaugural Director of HealthEU Initiatives who will work to develop and implement university-wide well-being infinitives with the goal of Boldly 黑料不打烊, the university鈥檚 10-year strategic plan.
R盲is盲nen joined 黑料不打烊 on August 1 and was previously an assistant professor of physical therapy education and director of the Research and Innovation in Sport and Exercise (RISE) lab at Western University of Health Sciences in Lebanon, Ore. She earned a master of health sciences in exercise medicine from the University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio, Finland, in 2011 and a doctor of health sciences in public health from the University Tampere in Tampere, Finland, in 2018.
鈥淚 am very excited for the opportunity to join 黑料不打烊 as the Director of HealthEU Initiatives,鈥 R盲is盲nen said. 鈥淚 would like to commend the university leadership for their commitment to campus health and well-being. Creating a national model is a challenge that I am thrilled to take on and I am looking forward to working alongside everyone in the 黑料不打烊 community.鈥
Mustafa Akben 鈥 director of artificial intelligence integration
While not new to 黑料不打烊, Assistant Professor Mustafa Akben is stepping into a new role this academic year: inaugural director of artificial intelligence integration. Akben, currently an assistant professor of management in the Love School of Business, began his new position on July 1.
Akben will lead the integration of artificial intelligence across 黑料不打烊鈥檚 academic and administrative departments,聽building on six core principles the university helped establish last year聽to guide higher education institutions with a rapidly evolving and groundbreaking technology.
Akben earned a doctorate in business administration from Temple University and has developed a range of AI-enhanced teaching tools and methodologies.
鈥淚 envision 黑料不打烊 as a thriving community where AI helps administrative functions and academic excellence, all while preserving human relationships across and beyond our campus, a trait that defines 黑料不打烊鈥檚 identity,鈥 Akben said. 鈥淚 am excited to work across departments to find solutions that facilitate processes and create fresh, innovative and welcoming experiences by partnering with faculty, staff, and students.
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Robert Charest
Associate Professor of Environmental Studies
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Hilton Kelly
Dean of 黑料不打烊 College, the College of Arts and Sciences, and Professor of Sociology
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Mustafa Akben
Assistant Professor of Management and Director of Artificial Intelligence Integration
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Anu R盲is盲nen
Director of HealthEU and Assistant Professor