The devastating images from North Carolina’s mountains after Hurricane Helene inspired an outpouring of support across the state. UNC Greensboro students and alumni were among those who answered the needs of those communities who lost homes, power, and businesses to flooding and mudslides.
Social Workers Help Schools
Tanya Little ’19, ’20 and Haleigh Gilbert ‘24 work in Randolph County Schools. When the superintendent of Buncombe County Schools asked social workers and counselors to help, they answered that call.
As many people lost their homes to the storm and many more had to evacuate, that left animals in need of new homes while local shelters also had no power or water to take care of them. Jessica Arias ’23, director of Burlington Animal Services, stepped up to make sure pets were not overlooked.
Future Olympians and Paralympians can look to one UNCG alumna for inspiration. With USA Volleyball, Jenny Johnson ’95 is changing ...
UNCG Studies Better Biochar for Cleaner Water
Posted on November 18, 2024
Biochar, a centuries-old technology for enriching depleted agricultural soils, has been getting second looks in recent years as a potential solution to a range of challenges, from making fire-resistant building materials to storing carbon from the atmosphere. At UNC Greensboro, Jianjun Wei is researching ways to make it better at removing lead, mercury and other heavy metals, plus emergent chemicals known as PFAS, from water.
A nearly $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service has funded a two-year project to use biochar created by the Forest Service and make it better at cleaning up contaminated water and resisting fire. Wei is co-principal investigator, focusing on environmental remediation.
The grant, awarded earlier this year, comes as the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering is growing its grant funding. As Interim JSNN Dean Mitch Croatt says, “Grant awards for nanoscience at UNCG are moving in the right direction, with a 40% increase over the prior year.”
Wei, a JSNN professor and chemist, is working with postdoctoral researcher Leticia de Moraes and Ph.D. student Sherif Bukari on the biochar project.
What is Biochar? Why is it important?
“Biochar” refers to charcoal made from carbon-based materials, or biomass. It’s a porous material made by burning organic waste — such as sawdust, agricultural residues and manure — in low-oxygen environments.
The Forest Service’s Forest Products Laboratory has been working for 10 years or more to develop production processes for biochar with different characteristics, Wei says. “They are looking for some breakthroughs for applications, and one of their application directions is environmental remediation.”
As the Forest Service webpage explains, the agency sees biochar as a valuable way to use the massive amount of woody residues left in forests after harvesting operations, wildfire suppression, and insect and disease outbreaks.
The Need for a Biochar Solution
Wei comes to the project with a long history of carbon materials work. His research focuses on nanomaterials — ones so tiny that they are invisible to the unaided eye and hard to detect with a conventional microscope — and recently he’s been studying ways to use such materials in environmental remediation. For example, he has explored ways to clean antibiotic-resistant bacteria from water and to detect toxic organophosphates from pesticides.
Wei’s team will use chemicals and other means to alter the biochar to make it better able to adsorb, or bind to, toxic pollutants — specifically, heavy metals ions and chemicals known as PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
PFAS are often called “forever chemicals” since they persist and don’t break down in the human body or the environment. PFAS have been used since the 1940s in a wide range of products — from cosmetics to non-stick cookware and from food packaging to firefighting foams.
While recent studies have warned that exposure to PFAS, even at low concentrations, may be linked to serious health effects, it’s long been known that heavy metals can be toxic, causing liver and kidney damage, cognitive impairment, cancer, and other ailments.
Removing heavy metal ions and PFAS from water is difficult because they are often present in extremely stable complexes and are not easily biodegradable.
“Because biochar is highly porous and has a large surface area, there are a lot of advantages for using it in the environment to remove such contaminants,” Wei says.
The Challenge Ahead
Still, the biochar needs to be altered to work efficiently. Because PFAS and heavy metal ions differ significantly in their structure, the team needs to produce methods for both contaminants, Wei says.
“If we don’t modify the biochar, it has a very weak affinity, or a specifically selective affinity, to adsorb either the heavy metal ions or PFAS,” he says.
Over the next two years, Wei’s team will work on ways to increase that affinity, first by studying the ways heavy metal ions and PFAS interact with biochar of different surface modifications.
While other researchers have focused on using powdered biochar to adsorb pollution, Wei reports biochar-based panels have advantages for regeneration and reuse. Water would pass through the panels, with the heavy metal ions or PFAS clinging to the surface.
Once saturated, the panels can be treated to remove the contaminants and then reused, he says.
Research, Training Scientists Drive Wei
The project brings Wei full circle to his undergraduate days at East China University of Science and Technology in Shanghai. There, he earned a bachelor’s degree in applied chemistry, with a concentration in water recycling. In the 32 years between then and now, he’s earned a Ph.D. in chemistry and worked in both industry and academia.
Wei joined UNCG’s faculty in 2013, and he’s since won grants from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the National Institutes of Health, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, the U.S. Department of Defense, and from industries such as Syngenta, LLC.
Wei was drawn from industry to academia for two reasons.
“Working at a university allows for more freedom and flexibility in terms of my research,” he explains. “I also wanted the opportunity to work with students. Training emerging scientists is a top priority in my research.”
In just over a decade, Wei has advised or mentored 26 Ph.D. students and four postdoctoral researchers. He’s currently advising eight Ph.D. students and one postdoc, including de Moraes and Bukari who are working with him on the biochar project.
Making the World a Better Place
In addition to being committed to training and educating the next generation of scientists, Wei is committed to bringing nanoscience to bear on making the world a better place, particularly when it comes to environmental quality.
He points to statistics that show that a significant portion of U.S. water bodies are considered impaired and below U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards.
The problems aren’t limited to this country. Long-term, the world needs economically viable solutions. “We are hoping to commercialize this research, so that in the end, it has a big impact,” he says.
Story written by Dee Shore, AMBCopy LLC Photography provided by Sean Norona, University Communications
Future Olympians and Paralympians can look to one UNCG alumna for inspiration. With USA Volleyball, Jenny Johnson ’95 is changing ...
UNCG Cheerleaders Balance Busy Schedules to Bring Spartan Spirit
Posted on November 15, 2024
Spartan athletic events wouldn’t be the same without the athletes that appear on the sidelines. The cheer team connects the fans to the action on the court and brings the hype to events like NAV1GATE. For UNCG, the cheerleaders personify school spirit and elevate each event they attend to a Spartan experience.
Let’s Get This Work
For athletes who cheer, participating on the team is always fun, but it’s also a lot of hard work.
First of all, try-outs are not for the weak of heart. Candidates must learn routines and cheers before tryouts, where skills like stunting, tumbling, jumps, and chants are measured along with crowd appeal and interview scores. Judges submit scoresheets with a maximum score of 500 points.
“As the coach, I do not participate in judging,” says Liza Palazzi. “I take a hands-off approach to eliminate any perceived biases, and the team selection is based solely on scores. To make the team, the athletes must score more than 400 points.”
Team members are required to practice for two and a half hours three times a week and work out two additional days each week to prepare for games. The cheerleaders split home volleyball games with the dance team, but both teams participate in all home women’s and men’s basketball games throughout the season. In addition, the cheer team makes various appearances on campus and in the community.
“They participate in community service events and consistently demonstrate what it means to be a well-rounded UNCG student, athlete, and citizen of the community in which they live,” Coach Palazzi explains.
A Spartan in Full
Being well-rounded is second nature for the cheer team’s student-athletes. They juggle studies with their practices and workouts, and most are also involved in full—or part-time work, campus organizations, and service initiatives.
“I like to keep my schedule full,” says cheerleader Ayla Thompson, who is a full-time student, owns her own upcycling clothing business and manages social media for the cheer team. “When I have a lot on my plate, I’m more motivated to get things done.”
Despite their full schedules, members of the cheer team love representing UNCG and find the comradery of the group worth all the hard work they put in.
“Even though many people don’t see us as athletes, we strive to prove that we are,” says second-year social work major Maghen Wagner. “We are a close team that connects on more levels than just cheerleading.”
Meet a few of the cheer team’s star athletes for a glimpse into their lives on campus and what they enjoy most about UNCG and being a Spartan cheerleader:
Activities: President of UNCG’s chapter of the National Retail Federation Student Association. Pouges has already accepted a position to work for TJX Companies as an allocation analyst after graduation.
“Spartan spirit is unique because everyone expresses themselves differently, but I love seeing everyone come together to show Spartan spirit at games. And I love having a front-row seat to all our UNCG teams.”
Activities: EcoThrifty, NRFSA, CEO Club’s Director of Media. Thompson has a part-time job at Chipotle, is the administrative and marketing assistant for Charlotte-based artist Elizabeth Palmisano, and runs her own business, Finds & Reminds, selling upcycled clothing to help reduce textile waste.
“Many of us are first-generation students, so it’s inspiring to be a part of a community that understands that drive and celebrates each other’s progress. We’re not only shaping our futures but also honoring the hard work and sacrifices that got us here, and it’s very motivational.”
Activities: Lloyd International Honors College student, parliamentarian for Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business fraternity. Sandaire has completed two kinesiology internships and volunteers with Greensboro Urban Ministry, Youth Focus, Inc., and Hope Academy.
“I love seeing the team’s growth throughout the season and building bonds with my teammates.”
Activities: Tau Sigma and Omicron Delta Kappa honor societies, a participant in the Bryan School’s Bronze Leadership Challenge. Garrison also works full-time as a manager at Chipotle on Tate Street and volunteers at her church.
“Our campus is so diverse and full of character and beauty. I could not dream of being at another college. I love cheering with my best friends at the Greensboro Coliseum.”
Activities: UNCG Marshal, SGA representative. McMasters helps coordinate service projects for the cheer team and is a kindergarten teaching intern.
“Don’t get me started about my joy for UNCG! I have been blessed to be surrounded by wonderful professors, friends, community, and opportunities. Something about cheering for the Spartans is so special! You just have to experience a game to feel the spirit that everyone has.”
Story by Becky Deakins, University Communications. Photos by Sean Norona, University Communications. White background cheer portraits were submitted by athletes.
Future Olympians and Paralympians can look to one UNCG alumna for inspiration. With USA Volleyball, Jenny Johnson ’95 is changing ...
UNCG Earns Rankings and Adds New Honors for 2025
Posted on November 14, 2024
UNC Greensboro is proud to announce continued high marks on respected 2025 lists highlighting value, social mobility, and student experience in higher education.
In a UNC System that provides exceptional options, UNCG strives to offer opportunity, excellence, and impact, both to its students and the communities that we prepare them to serve. As the 2025 accolades are tallied, it is heartening to find our name on rankings that praise universities for those same attributes.
Opportunity
UNCG helps make higher education costs manageable for its students and broadens their aptitude for lifelong career success. In addition to challenging academics and the guidance of first-rate faculty, UNCG places internships, hands-on research, and study abroad experience within reach for its students.
All these opportunities lead our Spartans – half of whom are first-generation college students – to graduate into a higher socio-economic class. But don’t take our word for it. The following lists keep UNCG at the top in 2025:
The New York Times’ most affordable institution in North Carolina for net cost
#1 in North Carolina for social mobility by U.S. News and World Report and The Wall Street Journal
Whether preparing students for careers in education, health care, science, the arts, humanities, or business, UNCG’s faculty and staff strive for excellence. Our continued accolades speak for themselves:
U.S. News and World Report’s best colleges for 34 straight years
Princeton Review’s best colleges for 25 straight years
Furthermore, independent surveys prove that students genuinely enjoy their collegiate experience at UNCG and praise their return on investment. Many of the 2025 rankings support what Spartans say about the welcoming environment, supportive resources, and career preparation they find here.
UNCG is The Wall Street Journal’s #2 university in North Carolina for student experience.
The Princeton Review named UNCG among 16 universities nationwide on its inaugural mental health honor roll.
The Military Times named UNCG as a “Best for Vets” university for our exceptional support for military-affiliated students.
Impact
The University’s impact not only benefits its students, but also our state and its communities. UNCG stimulates the Piedmont Triad economy by $1 billion, pulls in $65 million for external research funding, and leads innovative programs serving our communities. Here are a few examples of how these programs will connect Spartans with impactful funding and experiences in 2025:
Future Olympians and Paralympians can look to one UNCG alumna for inspiration. With USA Volleyball, Jenny Johnson ’95 is changing ...
Review revised Policies at UNCG
Posted on November 13, 2024
This semester, UNCG has updated policies while rescinding two. All campus employees are encouraged to read and familiarize themselves with the newest versions of these policies:
Staff will be working with the Provost’s Office, Human Resources and the Office of Research integrity to update the process and procedures for reporting and reviewing and to ensure consistency with the workload policy.
Future Olympians and Paralympians can look to one UNCG alumna for inspiration. With USA Volleyball, Jenny Johnson ’95 is changing ...
Spartan Rises Nationally in USA Volleyball
Posted on November 13, 2024
Future Olympians and Paralympians can look to one UNCG alumna for inspiration. With USA Volleyball, Jenny Johnson ’95 is changing the lives and the trajectories of hundreds of thousands of young athletes. She shared her philosophy that’s driven her and is now driving athletes with the UNCG Magazine.
Future Olympians and Paralympians can look to one UNCG alumna for inspiration. With USA Volleyball, Jenny Johnson ’95 is changing ...
AI in Nursing: Real-Life Experience, Right Away
Posted on November 08, 2024
UNC Greensboro’s School of Nursing (SON) is using artificial intelligence (AI) to improve and enhance nursing instruction, patient care, and nursing practice with virtual tools that create enriching real-world experiences, underscore ownership, and increase engagement.
The immediate integration of practical experience has been a game changer, says Lindsay Draper, clinical associate professor and nursing’s director of faculty credentialing, compliance, and special initiatives.
“We can talk about a health condition in class and then put on virtual-reality headsets to practice taking care of a patient,” she says. “Right then and there, they’re able to connect theory with clinical practice before they ever get to a clinical setting.”
Further, students say virtual experiences make them feel more confident, competent, and empowered.
“They don’t have their preceptor or instructor to watch their every move – they are the nurse, and they make the decisions,” Draper says. “They tell us it’s the most they’ve felt like a nurse since starting nursing school, even after their first time in the headset, and that is a really cool thing.”
How Are We Not Using AI?
From integrated simulations to dynamic student and faculty tools, AI has played a prominent role across the UNCG Nursing educational experience.
“The big question is how are we not using AI,” Draper says, “Because it is a helpful tool to create unique, realistic patient scenarios for our students that mirror the real world.”
If the topic is diabetes, students can use AI to assess patients, determine what labs a nurse might need, and develop questions for patient conversations.
“Explaining concepts to patients is very challenging in health care,” she says. “As nurses, we understand what we’re talking about, but that doesn’t always translate to the patient, their family members, and the community.”
Students are also able to create their own case studies, then reflect on the experience: What was the AI response? What was missing or may have been incorrect?
“So, it prompts critical thinking in addition to learning,” Draper says. “It’s a wonderful tool for a more comprehensive approach to engagement, relevance, and ownership in education.”
Virtual Reality: Collaboration, Retention
Since 2023, the SON has integrated VR into the undergraduate and nurse practitioner programs, specifically as a simulation tool. They use MetaQuest2 headsets and Oxford Medical Simulation, which offers access to more than 230 scenarios and the option to create unique scenarios.
“If we have a regular simulation with a standardized patient, only so many students can participate at one time,” Draper says. “With VR, we can supplement for those not actively engaged in the scenario.”
“We can do small groups or have one person wear the headset while it’s screen-casting to a TV, so other students can see what they’re seeing,” Draper says. “It has reduced downtime in simulation and helped to make it a more rewarding experience.”
Nikolas Everhart, a senior nursing student who will graduate in May 2025, appreciated the use of VR for learning about pre-eclampsia: “It essentially provided a risk-free pathway to learn and deepened my understanding of obstetrical patient care.”
Draper also points to benefits for nursing graduates taking the national board exam, which is based on scenario-based application of learning. Because AI tools offer the opportunity to hear it, see it, then do it, students better retain information.
In the future, SON hopes to incorporate augmented reality with student VR experience and explore how VR can be used for interprofessional education and in mass-casualty simulations for disaster preparedness.
Other Uses of AI
Faculty are using AI to create course descriptions; to design, improve and revise curriculum; to streamline assignments from learning objectives; and to generate rubrics.
“Health care and nursing can be complex, and AI is a really good tool to simplify instruction and make content more relevant to students,” Draper says.
SON has used AI to create its new master’s curriculum, its undergraduate curriculum, and its DNP curriculum, which consolidated efforts and inspired creative ideas. These curricula are in the approval process and should be available to students in Fall 2025.
Students in NUR 375 Nursing Informatics and Technology 2 were asked to use AI to create class assignments for a designated week.
“The use of AI was mind-blowing to me at first,” says nursing student Richelle Hensen. “However, I quickly became aware of AI’s value in creating assignments, test questions, or outlines for studying. AI thinks creatively and can illuminate new avenues in nursing studies. I do fear it could be used too much.”
Critical Thinking Required
Draper is not at all concerned with the views that AI will halt learning.
“I think it’s the exact opposite,” Draper says. “Used correctly, AI is going to help people get smarter because there’s that critical thinking piece, an evaluation process, and creativity involved.”
“It’s not a passive tool; it doesn’t do anything unless you do something with it,” she says. “And that’s why we’re teaching our students, from the get-go, how to use it to enhance their learning, not replace their thinking.”
Draper says balanced integration of AI is paramount for both faculty and students: What is AI? How to use it ethically and responsibly? What does academic integrity look like when you start using AI?
A module developed as part of the UNCG AI Teaching Grants will be implemented across three courses in various nursing programs to address these critical questions.
What’s Ahead?
As SON builds multiple dynamic uses of AI, they also spread the word and hope to bring others along.
“We are all in” says Dean Debra Barksdale. “AI is transforming student learning, faculty productivity, and patient care.”
Barksdale and several UNCG nursing faculty contribute to these advancements through their roles in the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) AI special interest group. Additionally, as liaison to the American Academy of Nursing’s AI Task Force, Barksdale will shape health policy and address ethical AI use.
“We think about how we can share what we’re doing here in the School of Nursing, not only with the campus, but with the broader community as well,” Draper says.
That includes speaking at conferences and to various groups across the state about the changing state of health care and using AI to prepare and upskill the workforce.
“We also continue to explore how we better introduce and incorporate AI tools students will use in practice into the academic setting,” Draper says.
Future Olympians and Paralympians can look to one UNCG alumna for inspiration. With USA Volleyball, Jenny Johnson ’95 is changing ...
UNCG Trains to Help Prevent Suicides
Posted on November 12, 2024
Rebecca Mathews believes anyone can save a life
When leading a teacher training on suicide prevention in a rural district school, UNC Greensboro Clinical Assistant Professor Rebecca Mathews was met with some healthy skepticism.
“One teacher said, ‘I’m never going to use this. I’m not a counselor, so no student is going to talk to me about suicide,” Mathews says.
Though reluctant, the teacher finished the training. A few days later, he sent Mathews a message saying one of his students had shown signs of suicide, and no counselor or administrator was available. Because the teacher was trained, he asked the right questions to immediately address the student’s crisis and was able to get the student the support and treatment they needed.
Working in the UNCG School of Education’s Department of Counseling and Educational Development (CED), which is consistently ranked third nationally and first in North Carolina as the top graduate program, Mathews trains future and current counseling practitioners, teachers, and community leaders in suicide prevention, teaching them to recognize warning signs and how to intervene.
Her experience with the teacher in the rural district is common. Often within weeks of a training session, she will get a phone call or an email from one of the participants who says that the training allowed them to recognize a student or friend was having suicidal thoughts and then take the right steps to help them.
“Anybody can save a life,” she says. “To me, the most important work that I do is around helping. It really is life-saving work, and I consider it an honor to help prevent suicide through research and training.”
Finding a different answer
“I fell in love with helping someone experience hope,” says Mathews, who, in addition to teaching, advises K-12 teachers, educational administrators, and medical professionals about suicide prevention. “People get better when they have support and can work through hard things without feelings of inner or external judgment.”
That lifelong desire to help people inspired Mathews to study counseling and psychology. While earning her doctorate in her home state of Texas, she worked in criminal justice, in-home counseling, and a hospital setting with kids and teens struggling with suicidal thoughts.
“Suicide is not the problem, but the person’s answer to what they’re going through,” she says. “If we can help them find a different answer, we remove the problem of suicide.”
After building an 18-year career as a counselor, consultant, and educator in her community and hospitals, Mathews was called to teach and improve training for colleagues in her field. In 2020, she joined the faculty in UNCG CED, determined to make an impact on future counselors.
“The community deserves good, ethical, solid counselors, and I wanted to be part of the pipeline that supported their development,” she says.
Training toward prevention
Mathews began her teaching career with UNCG training master’s students to become mental health counselors. She soon became a counselor educator with the North Carolina Physicians Health Program (NCPHP). Through NCPHP, she provides suicide prevention training and conducts research related to the prevalence of suicide among physicians in North Carolina. “When they graduate, we want them to be ready to help clients, whoever may walk in their door.”
“Dr. Mathews’ dedication to helping persons dealing with suicidal ideation and teaching others how to prevent the tragedy of suicide are clearly a calling for her as evidenced by her academic work,” says Joseph P. Jordan, CEO of NCPHP. “Her work with NCPHP has sparked a national movement to recognize and address the tragedy of physician and other medical professional suicides. She is truly a catalyst of state and national change in this area.”
Her work also extends to training for K-12 schools about trauma and suicide prevention.
“We have a wonderful community of schools where professionals are asking for help. We’ve developed a training on what trauma looks like, how it shows up in the classroom, and how to interact in ways that are helpful,” Mathews says.
Mental health challenges are alarmingly prevalent in young adults. According to the American Psychological Association, more than 20% of teens have considered suicide.
“We’re seeing increased rates related to anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors,” she says. “It’s a challenging time to be a kid or a teenager, and to be the parent or teacher who’s trying to figure out how to be supportive and helpful in a world of bullying that follows them home through social media.”
One of the most effective trainings she administers is QPR – question, persuade and refer – which helps individuals who are not mental health professionals recognize signs of suicide and intervene.
“An example of an intervention is saying, ‘Often, when a person feels the way you’re feeling, they might wish they could go to sleep and not wake up. Do you ever have those thoughts?’ This opens the door to a conversation. You can listen and persuade them to get help, then connect them to a medical professional,” she says.
In addition to suicide prevention trainings in schools and communities, Mathews worked with former UNCG colleague Anita Faulkner to develop the Trauma-Informed Professional Practice (TIPP) for Educators and Mental Health Professionals, developed in partnership with the North Carolina Academy for Stress, Trauma and Resilience (NCA-STAR). The online series includes video modules for practitioners that help participants better understand trauma, trauma reactions, and the physiological effects of trauma.
“Dr. Mathews brings a kind, compassionate, and strong voice of guidance” to all areas of her work, says Anita Faulkner, former director of NCA-STAR who now owns Family Solutions, a local community mental health agency.
“Most people want to relieve suffering when they see it,” says Mathews, “but suicide is a hard topic and feels overwhelming. I want to help people build confidence so they can be effective in those moments and know how to help save lives.”
If you or a loved one struggles with suicidal thoughts, help is available through calling or texting 988.
Future Olympians and Paralympians can look to one UNCG alumna for inspiration. With USA Volleyball, Jenny Johnson ’95 is changing ...
Faculty Research Excellence Nominations Open
Posted on November 08, 2024
PIC21306 2018 Brand Nutrition Lab: Milk storage research, Microscope on the computer screen
Now through December 13, you can nominate faculty members for the annual Early Career Research Excellence Award and the Senior Research Excellence Award.
Future Olympians and Paralympians can look to one UNCG alumna for inspiration. With USA Volleyball, Jenny Johnson ’95 is changing ...
$3.75M Boosts UNCG’s Support for NC Youth on Path to Adulthood
Posted on November 08, 2024
UNCG’s collaboration with North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services aims to improve outcomes for youth in our state diagnosed with mental health disorders, with a focus on improving access to behavioral health services as youth transition out of child-centered services into adult systems of care.
