Research

UNC Charlotte Professor of English and American Studies Program Director Jeffrey Leak and colleagues have received a new American Association of University Administrators (AAUA) award for a special issue of the Journal of Higher Education Management that focuses on the twin pandemics of COVID-19 and racial justice and equity.

A significant proportion of Gaston County residents get their drinking water from private wells and other unregulated sources, particularly in the county’s northern and western rural communities. Yet, only a small fraction of residents test their water regularly. A UNC Charlotte team will work with residents and county health officials to boost the number of people doing tests regularly and improve the sharing of data, with new state funding to broaden the work.

A team including UNC Charlotte urban planning researcher Katherine Idziorek has received a nearly $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to advance research on how urban social and spatial systems can be organized to be more resilient and efficient.

UNC Charlotte health psychology doctoral student Jan Mooney is expanding her research in maternal health, with support from a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Intramural Research Training Award. The fellowship from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development will allow Mooney to work closely with NIH scientists.

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.

The latest U.S. News & World Report rankings place the Gerald G. Fox Master of Public Administration at #48 nationally, with the program moving into top 17 percent of all ranked public affairs programs. For UNC Charlotte’s nationally accredited MPA program, its ranking marks a 19% increase over last year’s results.

Akin Ogundiran, a Chancellor’s Professor and professor of Africana Studies, Anthropology and History,  is the 2021 recipient of the First Citizens Bank Scholars Medal, UNC Charlotte’s most prestigious faculty award, in recognition of excellence in research. undiran is a renowned archaeologist and transdisciplinary scholar-teacher who has consistently used diverse research methods in the humanities, social sciences and physical sciences to study African and African Diaspora history, with an emphasis on the Yoruba civilization.

To most observers, the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, illustrates how extremist groups have increased in power and visibility. UNC Charlotte’s Shannon Reid, associate professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology, describes the criminality and violence exhibited during the Capitol riots as a major concern.

New UNC Charlotte social and behavioral sciences research on gender inequality indicates that fewer leadership prospects in the workplace apply even to women who show the most promise early on in their academic careers.

Former FEMA Administrator Brock Long will headline UNC Charlotte’s third annual “Talking Policy in the Queen City” symposium on Feb. 24, hosted by the Public Policy Ph.D. and MPA programs with UNC Charlotte Urban Institute.