By Jared Moon
With the sun setting on 2013, it’s only natural to take some
time to reflect on all the great things that happened at UNC Charlotte this
year. However, with enrollment currently
at more than 26,500 students – and continually growing – and approximately
another 4,000 faculty and staff members, there’s no way we could adequately
reference every story. So, with that in
mind, here is a snapshot of just a few things we’re proud of that made up 2013
at UNC Charlotte.
Were you ready for some football? 2013 was a milestone year in that
intercollegiate football on UNC Charlotte’s campus officially kicked off, and
what an exciting season we had. Things
got off to a thrilling start with the highly anticipated first game, which
couldn’t have been scripted any better with linebacker Mark Hogan returning an
interception 32 yards for a touchdown on only the second play from
scrimmage. That play set the tone for
what continued to be an exhilarating season and provided the first of many
highlight plays that are sure to come for Charlotte 49er football. The Niners wrapped up their inaugural season
with a 5-6 record.
A major step forward was taken this year in opening the
doors of the campus to the greater Charlotte community. Federal, state and local government
officials, along with business and community leaders and the public took part
in breaking ground on the LYNX Blue Line extension which will link UNC
Charlotte’s main campus with UNC Charlotte Center City as well as businesses,
organizations and cultural groups in the heart of Uptown. The 9.3 mile extension will serve as a
proverbial gateway to the University granting the Charlotte community access to
a myriad of fun and engaging activities on campus – including Division I
athletics, top-notch performing arts and a host of academic engagements. Operational service is expected to begin in
2017.
Academically, one of the biggest stories was the
collaboration between the William States Lee College of Engineering, Belk
College of Business and the College of Arts and Architecture for the 2013
Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.
UNC Charlotte was one of 20 academic teams from around the world chosen to participate in the competition which challenged
teams to design, build and operate solar-powered houses that are
cost-effective, energy-efficient and visually attractive. Our team developed UrbanEden, a net-zero
energy powered home designed with a strong connection between indoor and
outdoor living areas. Our team garnered two
awards during the Decathlon, third place in the juried Engineering Contest and
the People’s Choice Award – the public’s vote for its favorite house.
Those are just a few of the wonderful things transpiring at
North Carolina’s urban research university.
As we put to bed yet another calendar, we are already looking forward to
the many things in store for 2014. New
students, novel research, stronger community bonds, all efforts we foster to
underscore the commitment to remain integral to the economic, social and
cultural fabric of the Charlotte region.
So from UNC Charlotte, happy holidays and we’ll see you next
year!
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Jared Moon is communications coordinator in the Office of Public Relations.
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