$1.5M UNCG-led Collaborative Focuses on Green Energy Innovations
Posted on July 23, 2024
In the search for new types of environmentally friendly energy systems, the initiative “Nature Inspired Collaborative Energy Research” draws inspiration from the complex molecules found in fungi and other natural organisms.
Weatherspoon Art Museum Gives UNCG Faculty a Second Classroom
Posted on July 24, 2024
An art class led by Raechel Cook, associate curator of academic programming at the Weatherspoon Art Museum.
Throughout her teaching career, Dr. Neelofer Qadir has always looked for ways to bring artwork into class discussion.
“Students are familiar with commenting on visuality,” she says. “It gives them another entryway into the topics that may feel very dense in text.”
For Qadir, one of the draws of joining UNC Greensboro’s English department was the access to the Weatherspoon Art Museum. From introductory classes to upper-level coursework and graduate student projects, she helps her students take advantage of this resource a few blocks away from her classrooms.
“It really pervades across my pedagogy to bring students to Weatherspoon,” says Qadir, “They can work with me and with museum staff like Emily Stamey, or they can visit on their own.”
Qadir and other faculty have shown that the Weatherspoon is a springboard for deeper analysis for all academic programs and not just art.
“There’s demand at UNCG for object-based learning across curriculums,” says Dr. Emily Stamey, Elizabeth McIver Weatherspoon Curator of Academic Programming and Head of Exhibitions. “Taking the time to study art objects in person, thinking about an object from different perspectives, trying to place our analysis of the art into other contexts. That is a skill that transfers to every single discipline.”
Tapping a Rich Campus Resource
UNCG faculty can work with any of the 6,600 items in the Weatherspoon’s collection, not just the ones currently on display. Anne and Ben Cone Memorial Endowed Director Juliette Bianco says, “That’s the beauty of a teaching museum. We can pull any of those objects out of storage for a class if a professor requests them.”
Dr. Emily Stamey works closely with faculty to help students learn from the exhibitions at the Weatherspoon.
Qadir had students in “Introduction to International Global Studies“ choose an item from the Weatherspoon or Library’s Special Collections, then demonstrate how it can tell a global story. “They get the conceptual vocabulary from the class,” says Qadir. “Then they fill that in with additional research, triangulating between the primary source, the secondary sources, and so on.”
A visit to the Weatherspoon is a no-brainer for faculty in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. “If you spend too much time in a classroom, looking at a projector can get stale,” says Rodgers Dameron. “Students need that real-world experience.”
As assistant professor of animation, Dameron took interest in the Disney exhibition. Using the storyboards and cels from 1937’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and 1942’s “Bambi,” he showed students how the digital animation tools they use today are based on older techniques. He says, “I think it gave them an appreciation for how much work goes into the older style of animation.”
Dr. Heather Holian, professor of art and Margaret and Bill Benjamin Faculty Fellow, helped curate the Disney animation exhibit.
Dameron says the museum is invaluable to artists. “Thinking back to when I was in school, at a college in Brooklyn, one of the big advantages was literally every week, I would go up to the Met or to Soho’s art galleries.”
Other students have even helped with curation and programming. Assistant Professor of Art History Nicole Scalissi brought students to work with Stamey and curate a collection of early 20th century Mexican prints. Graduate students of dance came up with “Drawn to Dance,” inviting art students to sketch dance students in motion.
Art Cultivates Global Engagement
Dr. Etsuko Kinefuchi, professor of communication studies, followed up on an email from the Weatherspoon inviting faculty to check out its teaching resources. At the time, Wangechi Mutu’s “The End of Eating Everything” was on display. The exhibit explored materialistic lifestyles and consumption. Kinefuchi jumped at the chance to bring her environmental communication class to see it.
Elaine Gustafson, curator and head of collections and facilities, also found relevant artwork in the Weatherspoon’s collection to show Kinefuchi’s class.
Kinefuchi has since incorporated museum visits into other courses. When students return to the classroom, they can apply what they saw to communication concepts about framing, perspective, and emotion. Kinefuchi says, “Art helps us think about different ways we engage with the world, not just the verbal communication which tends to dominate our pedagogical world.”
She says the museum staff do an excellent job of guiding meaningful peer-to-peer discussions. “Emily allowed the students to voice how they perceived things. One student might say, ‘This stood out to me for this reason.’ And another student would say, ‘I didn’t think of that.’ The conversation in that space gives them the ability to see that, ‘Oh, there are other interpretations out there that I should be thinking about.’”
team-ups that Inspire
The Weatherspoon recently created a department dedicated to helping faculty design classes around the museum. They hired Raechel Cook as associate curator of academic programming to help facilitate meaningful art encounters for students.
Using the Weatherspoon’s collections, Raechel Cook creates a holistic educational experience for UNCG students.
Bianco says, “It’s about understanding faculty members’ pedagogical goals or content goals, and also understanding that skill goals – empathy, critical thinking, curiosity, creativity, and problem solving – can also be taught in front of original works of art. Our plan is only to increase the accessibility of the Weatherspoon’s collection in the years ahead.”
Kinefuchi, Qadir, and Dameron hope more faculty at UNCG will look at the Weatherspoon’s offerings. “It’s an incredible resource for students to have,” says Qadir. “It is truly their place.”
“When students are exposed to that quality of art, they gain confidence,” says Dameron. “It raises their own expectations.”
The museum is currently undergoing renovations, thanks to a grant from the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation to improve the experience for students, faculty, and all visitors. It will reopen with its fall season on August 13.
Story by Janet Imrick, University Communications Photography by Sean Norona, University Communications
Coeds everywhere are busy preparing to move back to campus in August. It feels like an overwhelming process for many, but UNC Greensboro is here to help. The staff at Housing and Residence Life (HRL) has advice to remove students’ summer stress with move-in hacks and tips.
“At HRL, we understand that a good move-in experience puts students in the right frame of mind for the whole semester,” explains Mary Steele, assistant director of marketing and communications for HRL at UNCG. “We’ve set up several processes to make moving in easier – like renting a mini fridge so it’s delivered to your room or submitting your id photo online so you don’t have to wait in line for your Spartan ID on move-in day. We want all students to have a good experience and contact us with any specific questions they have.”
STOP, DROP, AND ROLL SIMPLIFIES MOVE-IN
Perhaps the best insider tip for moving to UNCG is to sign up for Stop, Drop, and Roll appointments available July 26 through August 4, so you can set up your room early.
Stop, Drop, and Roll dates vary by residence hall. All students living on campus should have received an email that prompts them to sign up for a one-hour block to bring their belongings and set up their rooms, rather than bringing everything when they move in August 14-19.
Lee, Lexington, Haywood, and Phillips-Hawkins residence halls are used for summer programs and do not participate in Stop, Drop, and Roll, but if you are assigned to these halls you can sign up for early move-in (on August 8,9,12, or 13) at no extra charge.
set up electronics with new Wi-Fi settings before your hall is full of others trying to do the same
get a feel for your new living space before move-in day
Stop, Drop, and Roll appointments were enacted during times of social distancing but became permanent when everyone realized how much stress it removed from students before their classes began. “Make that extra trip to Greensboro and you’ll have greater access to move-in carts, time to put in maintenance requests, and an early opportunity to get excited about your room,” reminds Steele. “It’ll make your First Week at the G so much easier.”
DON’T BE AN OVERPACKER!
A classic move-in mistake made by first-year students is packing more than they need. Overpacking generally stems from overthinking. HRL encourages students to be organized, without trying to anticipate every need that may arise over the semester.
“We have seen students who move in using U-Haul trucks,” Steele reveals. “Much of what they’ve brought is unnecessary.” She encourages students to curb their tendency to pack too much by learning from those who have overpacked before them.
5 Things Not to Pack for College:
Refrigerator Before you disregard the rest of this list, rest assured that every student absolutely needs a mini fridge for their room. We are simply suggesting that you don’t pack it! Instead, rent a mini fridge. For a rental fee, the fridge will be waiting in the room for you upon move-in and you can leave it when you move out. If you order it by August 1, you can skip the extra hauling in favor of convenience.
Items that will get you fined Lots of the items on HRL’s Do Not Pack list are common sense no-no’s like weapons, drug paraphernalia, and fire hazards. Review the list and be warned that there will be health and safety checks where your contraband can be confiscated. Also avoid items like LED light strips and nails to hang pictures, which are prohibited in your residence hall. Anything that will damage the walls will lead to a hefty fine when you move out.
Furniture All residence hall rooms are equipped with the furniture you need and space for extra items is minimal. Furniture cannot be removed from the rooms. Use what is provided and focus your attention on decorative items to personalize your room and organizers to maximize the space and storage for your needs.
Duplicates of stuff your roommate is bringing Maximize space in your room and minimize your packing list by comparing notes with your roommate. One roommate brings a microwave, the other a TV. Items like mirrors or coffee makers are often duplicated and cleaning supplies can be shared. It’s a simple conversation that will save you headaches on move-in day.
Valuables Consider leaving irreplaceable valuables at home – and certainly don’t bring valuables or perishables to Stop, Drop & Roll before you officially move into your room. If you are concerned about electronics or jewelry, think about purchasing an insurance policy that will protect your belongings from loss or theft. HRL does recommend that you bring your bike to Stop, Drop & Roll, but make sure to secure it to a bike rack near your residence hall with a lock.
SHOW OFF YOUR SPACE
When students avoid common move-in mistakes, they can focus on making their rooms comfortable and uplifting environments for the new academic year. HRL encourages all students to celebrate their creativity and show off practical space hacks by entering the Best Dressed Room contest by September 15. It’s been a UNCG tradition for over 15 years, and this year, up to $650 in merchandise will be awarded to top winners.
“We hope to receive over 300 submissions this year so we can top last year’s participation,” says Steele, who organizes the contest. “To incentivize our students, we’ve added more ways to win like the UNCG Spirit Award and Director’s Choice Award. We are also encouraging students to submit videos and compete for a $250 prize for the Best Room Tour Video.”
In general, HRL advises students not to sweat it! Taking advantage of packing tips and processes like Stop, Drop, and Roll should keep move-in day fun and exciting for all.
If you are a student preparing for your move to UNCG, consult HRL’s Move-In webpage for answers to questions and helpful links. And always, email hrl@uncg.edu with any specific questions you have along the way. We can’t wait to see you at the G!
Story by Becky Deakins, University Communications. Photography by Sean Norona, University Communications.
Career-Building Gaming Day at UNCG Celebrates Students Who Take the Lead
Posted on July 19, 2024
North Carolina is home to different paths that turn a love for video games into a career. That was on display at UNC Greensboro’s Esports Arena, where a meeting of student-led organizations helped youth see what skills could prepare them for a dream profession.
Middle school and high school students came from across the state to the arena at Moran Commons on July 13 for the Wakaboomee & Friends Gaming Day at UNCG, an event of gaming and inspiring presentations by seven student-led organizations that promote STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics). The young people with each of these groups received pins and certificates from North Carolina District 71 Representative Kanika Brown, recognizing their work promoting STEAM in their communities.
The Wakaboomee Program a nonprofit based in Morrisville, puts together virtual and in-person sessions for K-12 students to learn coding, robotics, sports, music, video games, and other hobbies with appeal to youth. They also develop skills in leadership, entrepreneurship, and wellness.
“These innovative student-led organizations are already making a real impact in our communities,” says Wakaboomee Program Founder Narkie Nartey. “Coupled with UNCG providing a clear roadmap to careers in the gaming industry and other professions aligned with their thriving initiatives, our students are destined for greatness.”
Each of these organizations capitalize on the interests of North Carolina youth. With the help of podcasts, workshops, tutoring, competitions, and other services, they show them how to direct their talents toward success as they grow up.
“I am proud that we are recognized for promoting STEM education and contributing to an innovative society where we produce critical thinkers,” says Anay Ravidra, co-founder of YSO.
“I am constantly inspired by the transformative power of our youth,” says Youth Ambassadors of Service Executive Director Sonali Ratnasinghe. “By providing the tools and support they need, we are not just shaping future leaders; we are creating a ripple effect of positive change that will resonate through our communities for years to come.”
Upon meeting at the Esports Arena, the students heard remarks from Rep. Brown, one of the supporters of the event. Gaming Day was also made possible by Eaton, Givefinity, Lenova, and Andrew Cagle, director of UNCG’s state and external affairs.
“Their efforts have paved the way for our nonprofit to experience a day of gaming and inspiration,” says Nartey.
Students Progress to the Next Level
This event is the latest in UNCG Esports’ effort to engage with children and youth across North Carolina. The program also partnered with SparkNC to develop on-demand learning units for high school students interested in high-tech career fields; and provided mentors for the Girls Who Game pilot program for middle and high school students in Guilford County.
The event gave students plenty of time to play and socialize, but the hope of all involved is that the fun and games will become the next step in their journey to becoming tomorrow’s leaders.
“This event is an excellent opportunity to recognize the compassion of the impressive student-led organizations that support The Wakaboomee Program and communities across North Carolina,” says Nartey.
Story by Janet Imrick, University Communications Photography by Sean Norona, University Communications
UNCG Psychology Student Studies Profanity in Humor
Posted on July 18, 2024
During her first year at UNC Greensboro, Meriel Burnett recruited more than 800 of her fellow students to tell jokes.
She set up different premises – for example, reacting to someone’s bad cooking. The students had to craft a joke about the experience. She got more than 2,000 jokes.
They ranged from clean…
“It was so bad they gave it a reality show.”
…To crass…
“It made Lady Gaga’s meat suit look [expletive] scrumptious.”
The point of Burnett’s research, supported by Dr. Paul Silvia, professor of social psychology, was to make sense of who uses profanity in creative ways.
“You can learn a lot about a person by the sorts of thing they find funny,” says Burnett.
Her study of swearing in humor caught the attention of scientists in the American Psychological Association (APA)’s Division 10, its charter division dedicated to cognition, creativity, motivation, personality, and the relationship between pathology and the arts. Her presentation earned first place in the student showcase of the division’s 2024 conference.
Profanity’s Place in Creative Thinking
Meriel Burnett
Having already earned a bachelor’s in psychology, Burnett came from Canberra, Australia to UNCG to get her master’s. She chose to focus on the psychology of creativity. “Psychology of intelligence is generally tested by the things you know. Psychology of creativity is broader than that,” she explains.
Creativity comes into play when we tell a joke, formulate a theory, or when we embellish our retelling of an event. It’s critical for problem-solving and abstract thinking.
Silvia was an appropriate mentor for Burnett. He has spent years working on ways to measure creativity and artistic expression, publishing five books through the American Psychological Association about speaking, writing, and day-to-day life assessment. Other UNCG students have worked with him to research perseverance and daydreaming.
Burnett centered her work on the psychology of language and how people’s choice of words may relate to individual differences like personality. “We use something called a joke stems task,” she says. “We gave people three setups for a joke, and they created the ending.”
Burnett says text data is exciting to work with because of the variety of parameters she can apply to it. “There’s obviously how funny a joke is. But there are so many other linguistic qualities: What kind of joke do they make? Is it abstract? Is it concrete? Is it really long? Really short? Did they use sarcasm or a double entendre?”
What Language Tells Us About People
Researching profanity may sound tongue in cheek, but it has practical applications for understanding social interactions. Swearing can be used in jest – Burnett told her participants to imagine telling their joke to their friends – but it can also hurt or degrade someone. It’s used to measure the appropriateness of a response – cursing about bad food will be taken differently from cursing during a life-or-death scenario.
Furthermore, some people may laugh at a crude joke but never make one themselves. Out of the responses from UNCG participants, only seven percent used swearing.
The participants also had to rate how funny they thought their own joke was and fill out personality surveys. Burnett computed personality scores based on the five categories of the NEO Five-Factor Personality Inventory: neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. She and Silvia then entered all that data into a machine learning model along with the subjects’ ages and gender.
Burnett’s findings suggested that the category of “agreeableness” may predict a person’s use of profanity in a joke. “Someone with high agreeableness generally wants smooth social relationships, while low agreeableness is more of a troublemaker,” she explains.
The disparity was most notable in men. She says, “Men high in agreeableness never used profanity. Women might use a little bit of it, but men with low agreeableness who thought they were funny ended up being the big swearers.”
Cultural Differences
As an Australian studying in the United States, Burnett understood countries and cultures have different norms for swearing – including its overall acceptability and the degree of offensiveness tied to each word. To make sure she did not miss any profane words, she utilized an online database typically used by websites to filter out swearing in comments.
There is an enormous collection of words considered to be profane in some way, and they range from quite mild to extremely severe,” says Burnett. “We were able to sidestep the issue of cultural differences by taking this massive profanity dictionary and then manually correcting if it flagged a word in error.”
Award-Winning Findings
As Burnett’s award demonstrates, professionals take profanity seriously.
The student showcase was open to any student in higher education. Each presenter had to give a three-minute talk with one PowerPoint slide. “It was a very friendly conference. Everyone was so nice,” says Burnett. “But the other speeches were so excellent that I didn’t think I had much of a chance of winning.”
Burnett’s student showcase presentation
She was pleasantly surprised to take first place, especially after swearing like a sailor in front of the judges.
“I was firing off swear words like nobody’s business,” she laughs. “I censored them on my slide so it would not be too shocking to look at them. I do try to be polite and adjust to the culture, but I was saying an F-word here and there. It’s all for science.”
Story by Janet Imrick, University Communications Photography courtesy of Meriel Burnett, College of Arts and Sciences, and Adobe Stock
Thanks to this initiative launched during the last academic year, UNCG groups have a new way to engage with one another and support projects that will help students excel.
Spartans Give, which operates out of University Advancement, creates an infrastructure for peer-to-peer fundraising. UNCG groups can turn to this program to help raise money for equipment, travel expenses, scholarships, and other tangible resources that directly support scholarly work, campus community-building, and philanthropy and service.
Spartans Give will accept applications for new crowdfunding proposals from August 12-30 and is holding informational sessions to help UNCG groups decide if this would be a viable tool for their meeting their goals.
Dates of meetings July 23 at 1 p.m. August 22 at 1 p.m. August 27 at 1 p.m.
Sign up for one of the hour-long sessions here. All prospective applicants are required to attend an interest meeting before they apply.
This application period is for Fall 2024, Spring 2025, and Summer 2025. Applicants whose proposals are accepted will be notified in early September.
Success of Crowdfunding
The Center for New North Carolinians was one of UNCG’s centers that successfully crowdfunded through Spartans Give.
Since the soft launch of Spartans Give in 2022, 274 donors have contributed. Groups receive the funds raised even if the crowdfunding project does not reach its target goal.
These are the previous campaigns hosted by Spartans Give and their funding success:
• Spartan DRIVE Carbon Offset – 82% • UNCG Genetic Counseling – 155% • CNNC: Opening New Doors – 223% • School of Theatre Name a Seat – 117% • Grads Gather @ the G – 96%
Changes for 2024
Spartans Give is making some changes for the 2025 fiscal year. They will no longer sort campaigns into two tiers. All will be considered crowdfunding. Projects may have a goal between $500-$10,000, but if it is a group’s first Spartans Give campaign, the public goal may not exceed $5,000. If a group meets their goal before the campaign ends, they can continue fundraising beyond their initial goal.
Groups must raise at least 30% of their goal before the campaign’s public launch.
University Communications has released the third season of its “Follow Me” video series, featuring four students who give viewers a peek into their daily lives at UNC Greensboro.
This most recent season stars students with nursing, political science, music education, and biology majors. All four are living full lives on campus with personal passions, academic drive, and a penchant for service to others. Find out how they are using their time on the UNCG campus to prepare for careers that will uplift their future communities.
Be inspired by how our Season 3 Follow Me students are already serving those around them and subscribe to UNCG’s YouTube channel to be the first to see new content from across the campus.
Lauren McWhinnie: from poolside lifeguard to neuroscience nurse
Taking a CHANCE Pays Off for Prospective Students Visiting UNCG
Posted on July 23, 2024
Each summer since 2017, around 100 Hispanic and Latino high schoolers have visited UNCG to learn about college readiness, meet mentors, and explore academic programs.
Funding Friday: Relationship Problem Solving and Sleep’s Impact on Weight
Posted on July 12, 2024
Thanks to new funding awards, UNCG faculty continue to advance research in a wide range of areas. These projects will include an expansion of slave deeds and study materials for flow batteries.
