Posted on November 21, 2024
At Spartan Dining, it’s faculty and staff’s turn to make their voices heard at Student Choice. For the week at December 16, campus employees get to choose what will be served at the food station in the EUC Food Court.
They can choose:
Cast a vote here or by scanning the QR Code. Don’t miss your chance to shape the menu, and vote now!
November 20, 2024
A commitment to meeting students where they are, forming healthy habits, tackling the anxieties of academics, and providing a path t...
November 19, 2024
UNCG CEO student vendors and entrepreneurs promote their work at the student marketplace and share how the Bryan School of Business ...
November 19, 2024
UNCG’s comprehensive campaign has surpassed its original $200 million mark. Now, the University sets its sights on specific campai...
Posted on November 20, 2024
When it comes to ensuring the mental health and well-being of our students, UNC Greensboro is considered one of the best. Premiere initiatives supporting students on their personal and academic journeys have been noticed by international advocates for mental health and well-being.
UNCG became one of just 16 schools in the United States to be named to The Princeton Review’s inaugural 2025 Mental Health Services Honor Roll.
The Princeton Review partnered with the Ruderman Family Foundation, which seeks to end the stigma associated with mental health, selected its recipients based on an exceptional commitment to their students’ mental health and well-being.
At UNCG, mental health is never “one size fits all.” The services, many of them organized by Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) within Student Health Services, let students choose from one-on-one interventions, group sessions, and engaging activities. They can develop good mental health habits, tackle the anxieties that are common with earning a degree, or turn to specialized programs for personal challenges like trauma and addiction.
“UNCG is proud to promote a culture of care that ensures every member of the UNCG community plays an instrumental role in supporting students’ mental health, well-being, and academic success,” says Dr. Cathy Akens, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. “We understand the connection between how students are feeling and their ability to do well academically and personally, so we provide an abundance of resources to ensure all students have every opportunity to thrive as Spartans.”
Through activities and workshops, students form communities where they find validation and support, while also combating the epidemic of loneliness. CAPS meets students where they are. Some of its most popular programs are:
UNCG is committed to providing our community with the knowledge, tools, and resources to support our community’s well-being and prevent barriers to success, however they may be defined. Spartan Well-Being has a variety of programs and support designed to promote a culture of care and help students Be Well and Stay Well.
The Campus Violence Response Center (CVRC) is a dedicated space for victims and survivors of violence. Its services include:
UNCG prepares Spartans to step in when it comes to averting a mental health crisis. Training programs are made available to faculty, staff, students, even parents and families to increase mental health and substance use literacy and build up the community’s capacity to intervene, reduce stigma, and make appropriate referrals.
While UNCG works diligently to meet all students’ mental health needs, it’s also committed to advancing society’s understanding of mental health issues. Students take the initiative to create pathways to wellness based on their personal experiences, including Yeong-Jun Seo, a kinesiology student who experienced first-hand the difficulties of moving on after a professional athletic career in South Korea. Joining forces with Dr. Erin Reifsteck, Seo dedicated his research to helping student athletes transition out of college sports.
This is also apparent in the plentiful research advanced by UNCG faculty, some of whom have been awarded millions of dollars in grant funding from federal and state agencies, non-profits, and private companies that recognize the benefits of mental well-being programs.
In the School of Education, Dr. Rebecca Mathews is teaching community leaders how to recognize the signs of a suicidal inclination, and she regularly hears back from trainees who were empowered to step up and help someone close to them.
In the College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Anne Parsons makes sure people never forget the history of mental health treatment. Her Care and Custody exhibit has made stops in multiple states, educating scores of people on the ramifications of institutionalization.
UNCG’s Center for Youth, Family and Community Partnerships has emerged as a leader through countless programs that are active across North Carolina. From Bringing Out the Best that helps children overcome behavioral, social, and emotional challenges, to its High Fidelity Wraparound training process that has strengthened family and community groups, there is a reason the 20-year-old center has received a record-breaking $6.8 million in funding and grown to a staff of 30.
Story by Janet Imrick, University Communications
Photography by David Lee Row and Sean Norona, University Communications
November 20, 2024
A commitment to meeting students where they are, forming healthy habits, tackling the anxieties of academics, and providing a path t...
November 19, 2024
UNCG CEO student vendors and entrepreneurs promote their work at the student marketplace and share how the Bryan School of Business ...
November 19, 2024
UNCG’s comprehensive campaign has surpassed its original $200 million mark. Now, the University sets its sights on specific campai...
Posted on November 20, 2024
As Dominick Amendum ’01 raises UNCG’s musical theatre program to new heights, he’s also defying gravity as the production music supervisor of the blockbuster film adaptation of “Wicked.”
November 20, 2024
A commitment to meeting students where they are, forming healthy habits, tackling the anxieties of academics, and providing a path t...
November 19, 2024
UNCG CEO student vendors and entrepreneurs promote their work at the student marketplace and share how the Bryan School of Business ...
November 19, 2024
UNCG’s comprehensive campaign has surpassed its original $200 million mark. Now, the University sets its sights on specific campai...
Posted on November 19, 2024
Faculty and staff were able to apply their knowledge to the election season and its results, being quoted in publications that analyzed the lead-up and the results. They were among many accomplishments to be celebrated in recent months.
Dr. Lisa Levenstein, director of the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program, was quoted extensively in the New York Times article that looked at women’s choices in the polls.
Lloyd International Honors College Dean Omar Ali was part of a cross-Atlantic collaboration of political scientists, historians, and sociologists who provided presidential election analysis.
For FOX8 News, Political Science Graduate Program Director Hunter Bacot broke down the red and blue propensities of national and state election results in North Carolina.
Political Science Professor Thom Little was a guest expert for WFMY News 2, where he explained early voting as well as North Carolina’s constitutional amendment on voting and citizenship.
Teacher Education and Higher Education Professor Wayne Journell gave the presentation “Political Challenges of/for/in 21st Century Schools” at McGill University’s Learning Commons’ conference about polarization in classrooms.
Dr. David Wright, visiting assistant professor of history, discussed a proposed U.S.-Saudi security agreement.
Keisha Brown, principal of the Middle College at UNCG, spoke to Triad City Beat about its participation in the Fulbright-TEA program.
Pianist and Staff Accompianist Ināra Zandmane was featured in Duke University’s ‘The Chronicle” with her performance at Duke Music’s Faculty Recital “New Creations.”
Dr. Amanda Gale, director of undergraduate studies for interior architecutre, had her research on multisensory spaces highlighted by I & S Magazine.
Dr. Gay Ivey, William E. Moran Distinguished Professor in Literacy, spoke on youth and whether they should have access to contested books in school settings.
MFA Writing Program faculty member Xhenet Aliu previewed her new audiobook “Brass.”
Community & Therapeutic Recreation Director of Undergraduate Studies Kimberly Miller received a roughly $10,000 award for a graduate assistantship position with Greensboro Parks and Rec. The grad student will assist in developing after-school programing and an adaptive mountain bike program.
Dr. Alan Chu, associate professor of applied sport psychology in the Department of Kinesiology, presented at the Association for Applied Sport Psychology conference. He was also selected for the association’s Dorothy V. Harris Memorial Award.
Public Health Education Professor Sharon Morrison was recognized, along with her research assistant Nathan Dang by the North Carolina Hmong Women Association.
Kinesiology Professor Ben Dyson was inducted with former Ph.D. student Yu Kai Chang as Fellows into the National Academy of Kinesiology.
Dr. Sandy Shultz, kinesiology professor and director of the Center for Women’s Health and Wellness, talked to CT Insider about the risk of ACL injuries faced by high school girls playing soccer.
November 20, 2024
A commitment to meeting students where they are, forming healthy habits, tackling the anxieties of academics, and providing a path t...
November 19, 2024
UNCG CEO student vendors and entrepreneurs promote their work at the student marketplace and share how the Bryan School of Business ...
November 19, 2024
UNCG’s comprehensive campaign has surpassed its original $200 million mark. Now, the University sets its sights on specific campai...
Posted on November 19, 2024
UNCG’s comprehensive campaign has surpassed its original $200 million mark. Now, the University sets its sights on specific campaign objectives to further enhance opportunities for students and boost academic excellence.
November 20, 2024
A commitment to meeting students where they are, forming healthy habits, tackling the anxieties of academics, and providing a path t...
November 19, 2024
UNCG CEO student vendors and entrepreneurs promote their work at the student marketplace and share how the Bryan School of Business ...
November 19, 2024
UNCG’s comprehensive campaign has surpassed its original $200 million mark. Now, the University sets its sights on specific campai...
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.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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
November 20, 2024
A commitment to meeting students where they are, forming healthy habits, tackling the anxieties of academics, and providing a path t...
November 19, 2024
UNCG CEO student vendors and entrepreneurs promote their work at the student marketplace and share how the Bryan School of Business ...
November 19, 2024
UNCG’s comprehensive campaign has surpassed its original $200 million mark. Now, the University sets its sights on specific campai...
Posted on November 18, 2024
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.
Read the story here.
Alumna Brings Dogs and Cats to Safety
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.
Read the story here.
November 20, 2024
A commitment to meeting students where they are, forming healthy habits, tackling the anxieties of academics, and providing a path t...
November 19, 2024
UNCG CEO student vendors and entrepreneurs promote their work at the student marketplace and share how the Bryan School of Business ...
November 19, 2024
UNCG’s comprehensive campaign has surpassed its original $200 million mark. Now, the University sets its sights on specific campai...
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.
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.
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:
Fourth-year consumer, apparel and retail studies major
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.”
Fourth-year marketing and entrepreneurship double major
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.”
Fourth-year kinesiology major
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.”
Third-year business major
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.”
Fourth-year elementary education major
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.
November 20, 2024
A commitment to meeting students where they are, forming healthy habits, tackling the anxieties of academics, and providing a path t...
November 19, 2024
UNCG CEO student vendors and entrepreneurs promote their work at the student marketplace and share how the Bryan School of Business ...
November 19, 2024
UNCG’s comprehensive campaign has surpassed its original $200 million mark. Now, the University sets its sights on specific campai...
Posted on November 19, 2024
The UNCG Collegiate Entrepreneurship Organization (CEO) club, a student-led organization, accommodates students by facilitating educational opportunities that push them to tap into their creativity and network with other like-minded individuals.
The club informs, supports, and motivates students to be more entrepreneurial and to start or continue promoting a business. Jules Belfi, president of CEO and Vice President, Meaghan Dohnert have worked to make CEO as interactive as possible for students by hosting various events and workshops that support innovative thinking.
Belfi was inspired to start the CEO student marketplace after seeing a need for her peers to expand their audience and combine both business and design. The student marketplace provides a platform for students to sell and market their goods and services to other students on campus. Typically, the marketplace happens every fall and spring semester on College Avenue.
The most recent marketplace took place on October 1, 2024. Seventy-three vendors collectively made over $27,500 in sales, with an average of $475.55 per vendor. 59% of vendors made over $200.
Ayla Thompson, an entrepreneurship and marketing student and director of media for CEO, sold 87 items from her business called “Finds & Reminds.” She says, “I wanted to start my business at fourteen, but I didn’t prioritize it until the first student marketplace last fall. Since then, I have promoted my business at over ten markets outside of the CEO club. The student marketplace gave me the push I needed to get started and keep going.” Thompson’s business upcycles and resells clothes to help reduce textile waste.
Like Thompson, there were many students who got to explain what their artistic pieces signify. For computer science graduate student, Lakshmi Bobbili, her passion for her business was rooted in her childhood love for crafts.
“I specialize in handmade Indian fusion jewelry that blend traditional Indian elements with modern designs. Each piece reflects my love for craftmanship and is created for those who appreciate unique, culturally inspired accessories.” Bobbili goes on to say, “Entrepreneurship is not just about building a business but also creating value. It’s a journey of self-discovery, resilience, and innovation, where every step is an opportunity to make a difference.”
While you can expect to grow personally and professionally in entrepreneurship, there are also several challenges that come with managing business responsibilities. For Bobbili, being an entrepreneur means dealing with uncertainty, taking risks, learning from setbacks, and trying to understand customer preferences in a competitive market. “Despite these challenges, the journey is incredibly rewarding, as each obstacle provides an opportunity to grow, learn, and improve,” Bobbili says.
The CEO marketplace not only increased awareness of student businesses but also prompted students to meet new people and connect with other student entrepreneurs. Briana Johnson, a new media design student with an established business since 2016, shares that being in organizations at UNCG like CEO helped her become more comfortable talking about her business and what it represents.
“In entrepreneurship, I’m in control of my success or failure,” Johnson says. One of the business skills she’s learned from UNCG is improving her self-image and how she presents herself to others. Johnson’s business “Br33zytees” sells handmade custom tie-dye, bleach, ice-dye apparel and hand-painted accessories.
Behind every business is a story waiting to be heard. UNCG encourages all students to lean into what drives their creativity, embrace obstacles, and further the transformative ideas embedded inside of them. Students interested in learning more about entrepreneurship can find more information here.
Story by Lauren Segers, University Communications
Photography by Sean Norona, University Communications
November 20, 2024
A commitment to meeting students where they are, forming healthy habits, tackling the anxieties of academics, and providing a path t...
November 19, 2024
UNCG CEO student vendors and entrepreneurs promote their work at the student marketplace and share how the Bryan School of Business ...
November 19, 2024
UNCG’s comprehensive campaign has surpassed its original $200 million mark. Now, the University sets its sights on specific campai...
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.
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:
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:
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.
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:
Story by Becky Deakins, University Communications.
Photos by Sean Norona, University Communications.
November 20, 2024
A commitment to meeting students where they are, forming healthy habits, tackling the anxieties of academics, and providing a path t...
November 19, 2024
UNCG CEO student vendors and entrepreneurs promote their work at the student marketplace and share how the Bryan School of Business ...
November 19, 2024
UNCG’s comprehensive campaign has surpassed its original $200 million mark. Now, the University sets its sights on specific campai...