Student Stories

Students in Susana Cisneros’ Spanish for Law Enforcement class last spring witnessed police in action, talked with FBI agents and observed court trials – gaining real-world insights into how Spanish is used in the criminal justice system. Because of students’ positive experiences, she plans to continue to offer these types of opportunities for students.

UNC Charlotte meteorology students can now showcase their weather research online and in a new campus display unit in the front lobby of the McEniry building, as a result of meteorology student Warren Pettee’s Charlotte Research Scholars summer project.

Two College of Liberal Arts & Sciences students are among the seven leaders chosen as Graduate Life Fellows for the 2014-15 academic year. They are Kristen Reynolds, a master’s student in English and Alyssa Vela, a doctoral student in health psychology, chosen from 45 applicants.

Two of the three winners for best research posters at the third annual Summer Research Symposium are students in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, and several students who earned honorable mention also come from the college. Over 80 undergraduate students, including the students in the Charlotte Research Scholars summer research program, competed in the poster competition, presenting scholarly inquiry in a broad range of topics.

UNC Charlotte religious studies undergraduate Kevin Caldwell was so inspired by his research experiences last summer, at the university’s Mt. Zion archaeological dig site in Jerusalem, that he headed back again. “To participate in that was perhaps the best, and I would have to say the greatest, intellectual exercise that I’ve been able to participate […]

Ashley Williams knows no boundaries and shows no fear when asking big questions. Williams is one of the rare UNC Charlotte students to double major across two colleges and also begin a master’s program while working on her undergraduate degrees. She sees her wide-ranging choices as critical preparation for her future.

Scholarship benefactor Jason Bonsall wants people to know that he does not consider himself to be unique, or special, or extraordinary. He’s just a regular guy who has found a way to help others. He has done so by starting a scholarship fund while an undergraduate philosophy major at UNC Charlotte.

Joseph Albertson is spending this summer studying Hindi in Jaipur, India, with a fellowship from the American Institute of Indian Studies. This is his second fellowship from the institute, which funded his studies in Jaipur last summer as well. Albertson is pursuing his master’s degree in religious studies at UNC Charlotte.

People who live in food deserts in Charlotte struggle to find healthy fresh food. Lauren Whipp, who as an undergraduate anthropology major began researching the topic, takes this issue personally. While she has long been interested in the topic, Whipp expanded her formal research into food access issues as an undergraduate Charlotte Research Scholar in the summer of 2013.

As competition for talent heats up worldwide, UNC Charlotte researcher Qingfang Wang has identified critical factors that appear to give some communities a competitive edge. Wang’s research considers highly skilled immigrants and immigrant entrepreneurs – what attracts them, what fosters their growth and what deters them from fully using their skills and knowledge.