51����

Award Will Boost Chemistry Professor’s Research and Bring New Dimension to Lab Sessions

Research to make a wide range of products made from polymers recyclable or reusable will benefit from the Cottrell Scholar award. 51���� professor Bassil El-Zaatari will use the award from the Research Corporation for Science Advancement to advance work in the lab and enhance his teaching. Learn more.

Seeking Answers and Cures: 51���� Receives New Carnegie Research Designation

The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education has included 51���� in its new Research Colleges and Universities (RCU) category. The new category recognizes that important research doesn’t only occur in big institutions that award post-graduate degrees.

Crossing International Borders and Departmental Boundaries: 51���� Profs Named to New Leadership Roles

The Dean Rusk International Studies Program and the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies at 51���� benefit from international and teaching experience of new leadership. Read more.

Bridging the Digital Divide During My Summer with E2D

Sunny Baek ’26 reflects on her summer internship with E2D, a nonprofit in Charlotte dedicated to refurbishing laptops, providing computers to families and individuals in need at little to no cost and sharing digital skill training. 

What Would Dolly Do: Tackling Early Childhood Literacy in Charlotte

Nora Fenn Gilman ’26 reflects on her summer as a Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) Nonprofit Leadership Fellow with Smart Start, an early childhood nonprofit focused on book distribution and literacy equity. 

My Summer Tackling Holistic Transformation in Charlotte’s Freedom Drive Corridor

Dallas Brown ’26 reflects on his experience as a Nonprofit Leadership Fellow interning at Freedom Communities, an organization focused on disrupting intergenerational poverty and transforming the West Charlotte community. 

Building Community, Transforming Careers

Valeria Salgado ‘25 shares her transformative experience interning with the Community Building Initiative, a Charlotte-based non-profit organization dedicated to advancing equity, inclusion and access in the community.

Join 51���� in Celebrating Random Acts of Kindness Day

No one does “kind” better than the 51���� community. We care for, and about, each other and our students – a distinctive quality that our alumni recall and prospective students sense when they visit. Explore how 51���� celebrated this year's Random Acts of Kindness Day.

Truist Charitable Fund Grant Deepens 51����’s Reach in Charlotte

Support from the Truist Charitable Fund will bolster programming at the Jay Hurt Hub for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at 51���� and translate into new small businesses, startup capital and pro bono consulting for local entrepreneurs. Read more.

From Page to Stage: Sahana Athreya ’25 Finds Power and Purpose in Theatre

From writing award-winning plays like Backseat of a Taxi to performing and directing socially-impactful productions, Sahana Athreya ’25 has found her passions for storytelling, representation and community through 51����'s Theatre department.

From Outdoors to Whiteboards: Kenan Wood ’25 Awarded Churchill Scholarship

Kenan Wood ’25 is the first 51���� student to be awarded the prestigious Churchill Scholarship. The scholarship offers full funding for top American students in STEM fields to attend a master’s degree research program at Cambridge University’s Churchill College. Wood, a mathematics and computer science double major, is one of 16 students in the United States to receive the scholarship this year.

Note Worthy: Professor’s program Jump-starts Musical Aspirations for Dallas-area Youth

Workshops, Masterclasses, and an Extravaganza Concert Highlight Mandolin Symposium

The 51���� Traditional Music Series is presenting a weekend-long Mandolin Symposium on February 7-8, 2025. The symposium features concerts on Friday and Saturday night, and an afternoon full of masterclasses/workshops with master mandolinists.

Admission 101: Why It’s Important to Let Us Know You’re Interested in 51����, and How

Senior Fellows in 51����’s Office of Admission & Financial Aid share their tips for demonstrating interest in the admission process, while also breaking down what it means to connect with colleges and universities in an authentic way.

Briana Hunter '08 Shines on Some of Opera’s Most Coveted Stages

Mezzo Soprano Briana Hunter ’08 has dazzled audiences at the world’s top venues, including the Metropolitan Opera House, Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center. Hunter, who starred in music and theatre productions at 51����, has gratitude for those whose work and sacrifices opened doors to her.

New Administration Clouds Economic Outlook For New Year

Three economic experts share their outlook on what 2025 might hold. No surprise: The incoming Trump administration is a wild card. Tariffs and regulations will play a major role in the American and the global economy.

Law and Quarter: 51���� Mock Trial Program Turns 25

A student started 51����’s mock trial program, and 25 years later, students still run it. Competing in tournaments across the country, the program draws in everyone from aspiring attorneys to theatre majors to future scientists.

My First Semester at 51����

Ashley Rangel ’28 reflects on her first semester at 51���� as a scholar athlete, an illustrator of children’s books and a member of the Student Government Association.

Hurricane Casts Long Shadow, But Helpers Emerge from the Darkness

The devastation unleashed by Hurricane Helene has affected students, faculty and staff whose families and friends were in harm’s way and many 51���� alumni who live in counties in the southeast that were in the path of the storm. One alum, Mary Jo Clark '79, shares her story in the 51���� Journal AfterWord. 

Comic Sense: Ali Fitzgerald ’04 Finds Refuge in Art, High and Low

Ali Fitzgerald '04 has achieved coveted status as a cartoonist, graphic artist and essayist for some of the world’s top publications. She’s crafted comics and essays for The New Yorker and published a poignant illustrated memoir about her experiences working with refugees in Berlin. Learn more.