Research

Associate Professor of Architecture Jonathan Dessi-Olive had already been working with mushrooms for about five years when he first met Assia Crawford. Both researchers were attending a conference in Denmark in 2022 and discovered their shared interests in earthy materials and digital fabrication. They also “met all these mushroom people,” Dessi-Olive said, and began to […]

As Halloween approaches, spiders, bats and other “spooky” creatures are creeping into the spotlight. In the Stellwagen Lab at UNC Charlotte, though, spiders are the main focus of ongoing research throughout the year.  Sarah Stellwagen, assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, is specifically interested in spider silk. She answered questions about the uniqueness […]

As chimney swift populations decline, conservationists in Charlotte are working to protect the older brick chimneys that have become important habitats for the birds.  Sara Gagné, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of UNC Charlotte’s Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences, is among researchers helping to document local chimney swift roosting sites and raise awareness […]

UNC Charlotte’s William States Lee College of Engineering, an energy-innovation leader for nearly two decades, steadily built its research capability, partnerships and workforce to support one of America’s most urgent infrastructure challenges: the modernization of the national electric grid. In 2008, the college’s early work in power systems and energy infrastructure accelerated with the launch of […]

A team from the David R. Ravin School of Architecture has been chosen to participate in the inaugural Housing Innovation Challenge, a national design-build competition that brings students together with builders to help address the affordable housing crisis. Led by founding partners Housing Innovation Alliance, Meritage Homes and Home Technology Ventures, with the City of […]

The day the ribbon was cut on the “Roots of Change” project at Deep Roots CPS Farm, it was easy to imagine a good life. The sun shone out of a bright blue sky. A golden Palomino horse grazed lazily on the lawn, its blonde mane ruffled by the breeze. Nearby, James Beard Award-nominated chef […]

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Colleen Hammelman, an associate professor in the Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences, was selected as UNC Charlotte’s nominee for the 2025 Governor James E. Holshouser, Jr. Award for Excellence in Public Service. The nomination recognizes Hammelman’s years of dedicated service. Since joining the University in 2017, she has advanced community-engaged research and teaching […]

Professor of Architecture Kyoung Hee Kim has been named to the 2026 Class of Senior Members of the National Academy of Inventors, a recognition honoring academic inventors whose work has made a measurable impact through patents, commercialization and mentorship. Kim, director of the Integrated Design Research Lab, develops building systems that reduce energy use and improve environmental […]

Five UNC Charlotte faculty members have been named to the 2026 class of Senior Members of the National Academy of Inventors, a recognition honoring academic inventors whose work has made a measurable impact through patents, commercialization and mentorship. The honorees represent disciplines across the University’s research enterprise: