Nkosi Muse ’17 and C. Emmanuel Wright ’21 honored with UNC Charlotte’s prestigious 10 Under Ten award
Nkosi Muse ’17 and C. Emmanuel Wright ’21, proud alumni of the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences, are recipients of UNC Charlotte’s 2025 10 Under Ten Awards.
Each year, the UNC Charlotte GOLD Alumni Network selects ten graduates who exemplify the University’s mission through their achievements, volunteerism and philanthropic impact.
The celebration, held Thursday, Feb. 19, in the Popp Martin Student Union, recognized ten exceptional graduates from the past decade who demonstrate professional excellence, leadership and a commitment to service.
Nkosi Muse ’17
Muse is an environmental fellow at Harvard University’s Center for the Environment, where he advances policy solutions that safeguard human health, productivity and infrastructure from the impacts of climate change, with a particular focus on extreme heat. Muse transferred to UNC Charlotte in 2014, and in the spring of 2016 was initiated into the Epsilon Zeta chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. He earned a bachelor of science in meteorology.
After Charlotte, Muse completed a post‑baccalaureate fellowship in Berkeley, California, earned a master’s of science degree in geoscience from Georgia State University and a Ph.D. in environmental science and policy from the University of Miami. Across his academic and professional journey, Muse applies a justice‑centered lens to ensure that the needs of historically marginalized communities are heard and included in policy and decision-making processes.
C. Emmanuel Wright ’21
Wright is the innovation manager for curriculum at The Hidden Genius Project in Oakland, California, driving the creation of dynamic, culturally grounded learning experiences for Black male youth across multiple cities. His work blends practical skill‑building with storytelling and policy insight to shape education that leads to real‑world impact.
A veteran, Wright brings a service‑driven, systems‑minded approach to leadership. He has supported national research and policy efforts with the University of North Carolina System and the American Council on Education, focusing on student success and community engagement. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and later graduated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he was selected as the student commencement speaker.
2025 10 Under Ten Honorees
- Bilkis Banu ’21 Ph.D., William States Lee College of Engineering
- Mukulika Bose ’22 Ph.D., Klein College of Science
- Kalin Devone ’15, College of Arts + Architecture
- Taylor Faulkner ’19, Cato College of Education
- Kaitlyn Linscheid ’20, College of Arts + Architecture
- Austin McNeill ’18, Belk College of Business
- Nkosi Muse ’17, College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences
- Jeffrey Powell ’18 M.S., Klein College of Science
- Fernando Mayoral Ramírez ’18 MBA, Belk College of Business
- C. Emmanuel Wright ’21, College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences