Honors & Awards

A book by UNC Charlotte Africana Studies associate professor Oscar de la Torre, The People of the River: Identity and Environment in Black Amazonia, 1835-1945, has received the inaugural Outstanding First Book Award from the Association for the Study of the Worldwide African Diaspora.

Janaka Lewis, associate professor of English, received the 2019 Bonnie E. Cone Early Career Professorship for Teaching in recognition of her strong commitment to teaching.

Nancy A. Gutierrez, dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at UNC Charlotte, has been elected chair of the North Carolina Humanities Council Board of Trustees for 2019-2020. The Board of Trustees seeks to make the humanities accessible statewide.

Akinwumi Ogundiran, a transdisciplinary scholar and professor in the Departments of Africana Studies, Anthropology and History, is now designated as a Chancellor’s Professor at UNC Charlotte. This campus honor recognizes his outstanding scholarly achievement and demonstrated excellence in interdisciplinary research, teaching and service.

Mark West, professor and chair of the Department of English, is the 2019 Bonnie E. Cone Professorship in Civic Engagement recipient for his ongoing commitment to civic involvement that has positively impacted the University’s relationship with the community. He received the honor in September 2019.

Maria Garcia, who is majoring in International Studies, French and German, received one of 12 Zero Hunger Summer Internships, selected from a pool of 400 applicants who have demonstrated commitment to ending hunger in their communities.

Lydia Roos, a doctoral student in health psychology, recently received the P.E.O. International Scholarship, a competitive merit-based $15,000 award. Roos’ research focuses on the effects of interpersonal stress on stress reactivity, immune system functioning and downstream effects on psychological and physical health.

For his outstanding contributions to industrial and organizational psychology, UNC Charlotte Psychological Science Department Chair Eric D. Heggestad has been named a Fellow of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP).

UNC Charlotte Chancellor’s Professor Steven Rogelberg is the 2019 recipient of the First Citizens Bank Scholars Medal, UNC Charlotte’s most prestigious faculty award in recognition of excellence in research. He was honored formally at an awards ceremony Tuesday, April 2, at the Harris Alumni Center at Johnson Glen.

UNC Charlotte professor Jeffrey Leak has been named an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow for the 2019-20 academic year. He is one of 39 individuals selected nationwide for this prestigious professional development opportunity. Leak is a faculty member in the departments of English and Africana Studies.