Alumni & Friends

The five inaugural recipients of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (CLAS) Distinguished Leadership Awards have helped make the college strong, leaders say. Honorees are Twig Branch, Nancy A. Gutierrez, Margaret Kocherga, Boris “Bluz” Rogers and Shawn Long, who was honored posthumously.

Charlotte alumnus Joseph Graham Jr.’s inspiring story of struggle and progress is featured in a documentary film “Grit & Grace: The Fight for the American Dream,” produced by a Congressional committee focused on economic disparity and fairness in growth.

Supported in part by a national Phi Kappa Phi Graduate Fellowship, Claire Patrick is studying urban planning in the master’s program at Georgia Tech’s School of City and Regional Planning. Her goal is to meld technology and equitable planning strategies to ensure that in the future our cities are healthy, just, and sustainable. Patrick graduated in May 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in geography, minors in public health and religious studies, and University and Geography honors.

The U.S. Senate has confirmed UNC Charlotte alumna Sandra J. Hairston as United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, making history with her selection as the first Black woman to serve as the district’s top prosecutor. Hairston earned a bachelor’s degree in English from UNC Charlotte in 1981.

UNC Charlotte alumna Estella Patterson ’96 is the new police chief for the city of Raleigh, N.C., chosen following a competitive national search. Patterson, who graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in political science from UNC Charlotte and was a member of the Army ROTC, has risen through the ranks with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) over the past 24 years.

UNC Charlotte alumna and former faculty member Brenda Tindal ’04 has been named executive director of Harvard Museums of Science and Culture. She earned bachelor’s degrees in History and Africana Studies with University Honors distinction from UNC Charlotte in 2004 and was a visiting faculty member in the Department of History and the Honors College.

UNC Charlotte faculty member and alumna Dina Massachi has followed a long and winding road to build her extensive knowledge and understanding of L. Frank Baum, author of the enduring classic, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. She is one of the experts chosen to provide insights on Baum in a PBS documentary “American Oz,” which premieres on April 19.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney ’92, the 2020 UNC Charlotte Distinguished Service Award winner, was honored on March 12, 2020 for his strong leadership, listening ear and reputation as a community and relationship builder.

Stephanie Stenglein did not know what a 501c3 was when she started the Master of Public Administration program at UNC Charlotte. Today, she is transforming lives in her role as vice president of institutional advancement for Arts+, and colleagues have yet again honored her for her work.

Jon Venable will cross the stage during Fall 2019 Commencement to accept a bachelor’s degree in geology. This milestone was 20 years in the making, as he left UNC Charlotte in August 1998 just four credit hours shy of finishing. Now, two decades later, he will be the 1,000th former student to return to UNC Charlotte through the 49er Finish Program.