������Ƶ student Rony Dahdal ’26, and his brother, alumnus��Rafi Dahdal ’24 G’24��were highlighted in a The Assembly article chronicling their family’s journey from war-torn Syria to North Carolina in search of educational opportunity.

The story, details how the Dahdal family’s commitment to learning endured despite the dangers of civil war and the challenges of rebuilding their lives in the United States.��

After fleeing Damascus in 2012 amid escalating violence, the Dahdal family settled in North Carolina, where education remained central to their long-term goals.��Rafi Dahdal is��an ������Ƶ graduate through the Accelerated 3+1 Dual Degree Program in business administration and business analytics. He has gone on to serve as a Youth Trustee for the university.

At ������Ƶ, Rony Dahdal has distinguished himself as a Lumen Scholar and Goldwater Scholar, conducting innovative research using LiDAR technology to explore noninvasive ways to detect vital signs — work aimed at improving health outcomes through emerging technologies.

“I felt so encouraged to continue research because I’ve seen my parents value higher education,” said Rony. “It was very hard to deal with as a little kid, but I look back on it now, and I’m grateful.”

• Granted��tenure��to: Douglas Jurs.
• Granted��tenure��and��associate professor to: Heather Barker, Dan Burns, Nicholas Bussberg, Yanica Faustin, Keshia Gee, Jeanine Hill, Katrina Jongman-Sereno, Dinidu Karunanayake, Waseem Kasim, Travis Maynard, Drew Peabody, Travis Phillips, Jonathan Poquette, Devin Proctor, Tony Reyes, Ilyssa Salomon, Alex Traugutt, Elizabeth von Briesen, Khirey Walker, and Long Xia
• Promoted��Rosa Newman and Srikanth Reddy��to associate professor.
• Promoted Adam Aiken, David Bockino, Oliva Choplin, Jennifer Hamel, Chris Harris, Heidi Hollingsworth, Baris Kesgin, Patricia Perkins, Federico Pous, Chris Richardson, Andrea Sinn, Tracey Thurnes, Jen Uno, Kate Upton, Scott Windham, and Rena Zito��to full professor.
• Promoted Binnan Gao, David Moura, Brittany Riggs, Jacob Rutz and Staci Saltz-Spieker to associate teaching professor.
• Promoted Polly Cornelius, Paula Patch, Randy Piland, Clay Stevenson, Amanda Tapler and Marna Winter to teaching professor.
• Promoted��Shaunta Alvarez and Alison Van Norman��to associate librarian.

• Continuance in a continuing track appointment was approved for Russ Dailey and Jeanmarie Koonts.
• Continuance in a teaching track appointment was approved for Larry Cantwell, Micah Daw, Richard Dutton, Emily Elrod, Devon Hawkins, Jeremy Hohertz, KC Kasserman, Laura Lacy, JP Lavoie, Mena Marino, Craig Morehead, Ben Murphy, Scott Oakes, Jasmine Powell, Karen Wirth and Deidre Yancey.
• Continuance in a continuing appointment was approved for Ellen Cline.

Founded in 1889 and 1857, respectively, both ������Ƶ and Queens have histories that emphasize engaged learning, community service and student-centered innovation. With a merger, ������Ƶ’s national reputation for experiential education and undergraduate teaching excellence will meet Queens’ nearly 170-year legacy in Charlotte’s civic and academic ecosystem. The merger is described as “combining complementary strengths, shared values and a deep commitment to Charlotte.”

At the conclusion of the merger, ������Ƶ will operate Queens. For students, the benefits are tangible. A combined institution promises expanded academic pathways, enhanced connections with regional employers and deeper integration of hands-on learning with real-world impact. And for Charlotte, the union signals a bold investment in local higher education, anchoring both campuses in a vibrant metropolitan region that is expected to grow in population by more than 50% by 2050.

The combined vision will preserve the traditions of both institutions while advancing a modern model of scale, opportunity and regional engagement.

A Landmark Meeting

In a historic gathering and a major step forward in the intended merger between ������Ƶ and Queens, the Boards of Trustees of both institutions — joined by dozens of faculty and senior leaders — gathered in October on the ������Ƶ campus for a daylong review of progress and collaborative planning.

The working session marked a significant milestone in the shared vision to create a merged institution positioned for academic excellence, operational strength and exceptional student outcomes.

During the session, leaders outlined a timeline for key regulatory and legal steps. The gathering included an ������Ƶ campus tour for the guests from Queens as well as a series of roundtable discussions in which board members provided feedback on each of the core integration areas.

Prominent Queens Alumni

Vi Lyles ’73
Mayor of Charlotte (2017-present)

Shirley Fulton MBA ’88
First African American woman to serve as a judge in the Superior Court of North Carolina

Malek Jandali ’97
Composer and pianist, founder of Pianos for Peace

Conrad Ricamora ’01
Actor

JB Brown MBA ’03
President of Hendrick Automotive Group

Maxwell Millington ’16
Entertainment reporter for Axios

Meg Rosenthal ’19
Author of “The Wingman” and “The Right Words”

Hannah Aspden ’22
Paralympic Gold Medalist

Dillon Lewis ’25
Drafted by the New York Yankees (currently at Hudson Valley Renegades)

Quick Facts About Queens

Campus

• 30 acres in the Myers Park neighborhood of Charlotte

Students

• Nearly 1,600 combined enrollment (undergraduate and graduate)
• 44 states and 50 countries represented

Academics

• 51 undergraduate majors
• 9 pre-professional programs and 9 master’s programs

Athletics

• 23 Division i NCAA Teams
• Mascot: Rex the Lion
• Name: The Royals

Timline

Queens University

1857: Founded as Charlotte Female Institute in uptown Charlotte

1891: Renamed Seminary for Girls

1896: Renamed Presbyterian Female College, located at North College & Ninth streets

1912: Renamed Queens College and moves to Myers Park

1930: Merges with Chicora College for Women to become Queens– Chicora College

1948: Begins admitting men to new co-ed evening college

1987: Becomes fully coeducational

2001-02: Trustees approve (2001) and implement (2002) the name Queens University of Charlotte

2025: Gains full NCAA Division I status and championship eligibility; Queens and ������Ƶ announce intent to merge

������Ƶ

1889: ������Ƶ College founded by the Christian Church (now the United Church of Christ) as a co-ed institution

1890: First classes held; original administrative and academic buildings constructed

1920: Toshio Sato, ������Ƶ’s first international student, graduates

1923: A fire destroys ������Ƶ’s main building, sparking a campus rebuild

1963: ������Ƶ admits its first Black student, Glenda Phillips Hightower, marking a major shift toward racial integration

2000:��Official name changes to ������Ƶ, signaling a rising national identity and expanded academic scope

2019: Named a Top-100 National University by U.S. News & World Report for the first time

2023: Announces expansion of national campus program to Charlotte, joining established initiatives in Los Angeles and New York

2025: Queens University of Charlotte and ������Ƶ announce intent to merge

To learn more about the merger, visit

The working session marked a significant milestone in the shared vision to create a merged institution positioned for academic excellence, operational strength and exceptional student outcomes.

Leaders of the integration process opened the session with updates from the joint “sprint teams” established earlier this fall to evaluate alignment opportunities across key areas including academics, finance, administration, student experience, graduate programs, technology and operations. The sprint teams are currently engaging in more than 60 side-by-side discussions with faculty and staff to inform integration planning and identify opportunities for innovation that will benefit students.

During the session, leaders also outlined a timeline for key regulatory and legal steps. The Boards of Trustees are scheduled to review and vote on a definitive agreement to merge on Nov. 20. The agreement would legally formalize the intent to merge and enable state, federal and accreditation processes to begin — including submission to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). The final completion of the merger will be contingent on those approvals.

The gathering included an ������Ƶ campus tour for the guests from Queens as well as a series of roundtable discussions in which board members provided feedback on each of the core integration areas.

Throughout the sprint team presentations, participants emphasized the guiding principles driving the integration process: maximizing student impact, strengthening financial sustainability, ensuring operational and academic excellence, engaging all stakeholders in planning, and leveraging the unique strengths of each institution.

Presentation highlights illustrated how the merger will accelerate growth in areas that include academic programming, technology infrastructure, advancement and student services, while honoring the legacy, identity and mission of both universities.

Faculty leaders from both institutions discussed the strong alignment in academic values and program structures, as well as academic collaborations that could enhance learning on both campuses. Board members and faculty/staff also explored how shared traditions and student life experiences could help shape a unified, vibrant campus culture.

In presentations on operations and infrastructure, the sprint teams identified opportunities to enhance��systems in areas such as human resources and finance, improve academic and student life services, and position the merged institution to grow strategically in Charlotte — one of the nation’s fastest-growing talent and innovation hubs.

As the work continues, leaders reaffirmed their collective commitment to transparency, engagement and thoughtful planning. Additional joint updates will be shared with both communities as milestones are reached and continued collaboration impacts key decisions.

Rafi Dahdal ’24 G’24��will serve a three-year term as��Youth Trustee, joining Megan Curling ’23 and Elizabeth “Liz” Kwon L’23 in youth leadership roles for the university’s governing body.

The Board of Trustees has ultimate corporate and fiduciary responsibility for ������Ƶ. It oversees ������Ƶ’s long-term health and strategic direction, educational policy, finances and operations, and overall advancement of the university’s mission.

Dahdal was active on campus as a student advisor, tutor, teaching assistant, intern in the Center for Organizational Analytics, Graduate Advisory Board representative, and student worker in the university’s mail center. His academic work focused on the intersection of AI and business intelligence.

Dahdal today serves as a division business analyst at in Raleigh, N.C., and aspires to attend medical school, where he hopes to apply data-driven insights to improve patient outcomes and clinic operations.

“Being selected for this position is not just an honor, it’s an opportunity to represent student voices at the highest level,” Dahdal said. “It’s not just a title. It’s a platform.”

Building on his experience as a student leader at ������Ƶ, Dahdal said he looks forward to engaging broadly with peers and serving as a voice for the student body in the boardroom.

Born in Syria, Dahdal moved to Raleigh in 2012 and is the oldest of four siblings, including Rony Dahdal ’26. He graduated from in Raleigh where he pursued multiple internship and learning opportunities that he described as honoring the sacrifices his parents made for him.

A later recipient of the Leon and Lorraine Watson Scholarship through ������Ƶ’s Odyssey Program, and a graduate of the Accelerated 3+1 Business Dual-Degree Program in Business Analytics, Rafi Dahdal credits his campus mentors for helping him find a sense of purpose.

Dahdal said he always attempts to bring a thoughtful, data-informed mindset to leadership. “Meaningful change starts with listening and leading with intention,” he said. “My goal is to build bridges between students and leadership—to make sure every voice is heard.

“I’m excited to bring a fresh perspective grounded in collaboration and innovation with a deep commitment to making a lasting impact.”

About ������Ƶ

������Ƶ is a nationally recognized leader in engaged, experiential learning that prepares graduates to be creative, resilient, ambitious and ethical citizens of our global culture.

At ������Ƶ, more than 7,000 students learn through hands-on experiences and close working relationships with faculty and staff whose priorities are teaching and mentoring. The curriculum is grounded in the liberal arts and sciences with emphasis on global experiences and career development. More than 70 undergraduate majors are complemented by professional and graduate programs in law, business, education and health care. ������Ƶ is ranked No. 1 for excellence in undergraduate teaching by U.S. News & World Report.

������Ƶ’s academic divisions include ������Ƶ College, the College of Arts and Sciences; the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business; the School of Communications; the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education; the School of Health Sciences; and the School of Law, with programs in Greensboro and Charlotte, North Carolina.

The ������Ƶ Board of Trustees has elected one of the university’s most devoted graduates to serve a four-year term on the board.

Cam Tims ’00, who majored in business administration in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, joins a governing body responsible for the university’s long-term health, oversight for its strategic direction, educational policy, finances and operations, and for advancing the mission of the university.

“The board deals with complex matters and, at times, is trying to navigate difficult situations,” Tims said. “What excites me is that I will continue to represent the ������Ƶ experience because I lived through it, and I now have 25 years of professional and life experience that I can bring to the dialogue.”

Tims owns Worth Generation Group, a real estate investment company in Raleigh, N.C., and serves as managing director of the interior design firm of Hue Home Interiors. He recently acquired , which produces custom, high-end home accents used by decorators and interior designers across the Carolinas.

A Business Fellow active as a student with ������Ƶ Volunteers! and Habitat for Humanity, Tims spent nearly two decades after graduation in banking industry leadership roles with Truist (formerly BB&T) and, before that, in financial analysis and accounting with IBM.

Tims has been involved with his alma mater through the ������Ƶ LEADS Regional Committee, the President’s Round Table, the ������Ƶ Alumni Board, and the Young Alumni Council where he was a founding member. In 2009, Tims was recognized for his dedication with a Distinguished Service to ������Ƶ Award.

In 2016, Tims established the Tims Access Endowed Scholarship, which assists students from his home state of Mississippi, as well as surrounding states. He has made gifts to the university in support of the Odyssey Program, ������Ƶ’s Greatest Needs, the Kernodle Center for Civic Life, the ������Ƶ Alumni Board ������Ƶ Engagement Scholarship, the Phoenix Club, and The Inn at ������Ƶ. He is a member of the 1889 Society and the Order of the Oak.

Tims’s election to the Board of Trustees on May 30, 2025, brings him back to where he started his service to ������Ƶ as a Youth Trustee from 2000-2002.

“One of the most important things that I do throughout any day is to make sure that I’m listening and learning,” Tims said. “That’s what ������Ƶ teaches its students: to be open, to listen, to learn, and to use those practices to guide decisions. And it’s one of the things that I love most about ������Ƶ.

“When I talk to prospective students and their parents, who are now my neighbors and friends, or when I talk with current students or young alumni, they all describe the feeling and experience I had. That impresses me so much. The core experience, even on the emotional level, remains after all these years.”

About ������Ƶ

������Ƶ is a nationally recognized leader in engaged, experiential learning that prepares graduates to be creative, resilient, ambitious and ethical citizens of our global culture.

At ������Ƶ, more than 7,000 students learn through hands-on experiences and close working relationships with faculty and staff whose priorities are teaching and mentoring. The curriculum is grounded in the liberal arts and sciences with emphasis on global experiences and career development. More than 70 undergraduate majors are complemented by professional and graduate programs in law, business, education and health care. ������Ƶ is ranked No. 1 for excellence in undergraduate teaching by U.S. News & World Report.

������Ƶ’s academic divisions include ������Ƶ College, the College of Arts and Sciences; the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business; the School of Communications; the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education; the School of Health Sciences; and the School of Law, with programs in Greensboro and Charlotte, North Carolina.

Widely regarded as one of the nation’s most respected leaders in collegiate athletics, Yow-Bowden was elected to the board in 2006 and served as a key member of the Campus Life and Athletics Policy committees, where she championed student-athletes and offered guidance on important issues such as Title IX and gender equity, helping to nurture a winning tradition in ������Ƶ athletics.

“Debbie’s passion for ������Ƶ, her community and collegiate athletics is evident in all she does, and we are grateful for her dedicated service in support of ������Ƶ’s mission as a member of the board,” says Board Chair Dave Porter p’11 p’19.

Yow-Bowden thanked President Emeritus Leo M. Lambert and President Connie Ledoux Book for their steadfast leadership of the university during her board service.

“������Ƶ’s leadership continues to act strategically,” Yow-Bowden says. “New and exciting majors are added, on-campus housing has expanded and initiatives related to quality of life for the campus community are pursued diligently. That is a winning combination.”��— Debbie Yow-Bowden ’74

“The opportunity to contribute through trustee service was an honor that brought me full circle all these decades later,” Yow-Bowden says. “The opportunity to participate in varsity athletics was an important element in my decision to attend ������Ƶ and to major in English. I am grateful that [former] President Fred Young allowed varsity athletic teams for women in 1971. That was not the norm in the nation at the time.”

After graduating from ������Ƶ in 1974, Yow-Bowden coached basketball at Williams High School in Burlington, North Carolina, and Eastern Guilford High School in her hometown of Gibsonville. She then served as head women’s basketball coach at the University of Kentucky, Oral Roberts University and the University of Florida, averaging 20 wins per season and taking all three programs to their first-ever ranking in the national Top 20.

Following a successful coaching career, Yow-Bowden entered athletics administration with positions at the University of Florida, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and Saint Louis University, where she served as athletics director, demonstrating outstanding administrative skills and prioritizing the success of student-athletes.

In 1994 she was named athletics director at the University of Maryland, becoming the first woman to serve in that role in the Atlantic Coast Conference and leading the Terrapin program to 20 national championships, including 16 NCAA titles. She then served nine years as athletics director at North Carolina State University, where her older sister, Kay, had served for 34 years as the Wolfpack’s women’s basketball coach and her younger sister, Susan ’76, was selected as N.C. State’s first All-American in any women’s sport. Under Yow-Bowden’s leadership, N.C. State soared in national rankings of the best overall collegiate athletics programs, climbing from No. 89 in 2010 to No. 15 in 2018.

In addition to her work on many NCAA committees and councils, Yow-Bowden served as president of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and the first female president for the Division 1 AD’s Association (now LEAD1). She is a member of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame and in 2021 received the ������Ƶ Medallion, the university’s highest honor.

“������Ƶ’s leadership continues to act strategically,” Yow-Bowden says. “New and exciting majors are added, on-campus housing has expanded and initiatives related to quality of life for the campus community are pursued diligently. That is a winning combination.”

On March 6, 2025, ������Ƶ awarded the ������Ƶ Medallion to Gerald O. Whittington, senior vice president emeritus and special assistant to the president, during a ceremony that also dedicated a residence hall in his honor.

With his wife, Roberta, by his side inside the Great Hall in the Global Commons, Whittington stood before hundreds of professors, staff and administrators as ������Ƶ President Connie Ledoux Book read a citation summarizing the meaningful career of “one of our university’s great historic figures.”

������Ƶ Trustee Mark Mahaffey conferred the medallion on Whittington, who followed with remarks in acknowledgment of his achievement.

“My time at ������Ƶ has seen it rise… to one of the nation’s most creative and innovative institutions – a university of quality, excellence and repute.”

-Gerald O. Whittington

“Indeed, ������Ƶ is a place where pride of service to students is paramount and it is a place of quiet gravitas: doing meaningful work for society, in the nation’s best environment for learning,” said Whittington. “I was so lucky to share that experience with all of you.”

The ceremony coincided with ������Ƶ Day, the university’s annual day of giving and celebration, and brought together family, friends and the campus community to commemorate a career that spanned the administrations of three presidents, three provosts and 15 board chairs.

The ������Ƶ Medallion represents the highest honor bestowed by ������Ƶ and is awarded to individuals who demonstrate extraordinary dedication and meritorious service to the institution.

Hired in 1992 by President J. Fred Young, Whittington served as senior vice president for business, finance and technology and corporate treasurer of the board of trustees and corporation, directly assisting in ������Ƶ’s transformation from a regional college to a nationally ranked university.

“One of my favorite idioms is the Latin phrase, ‘sine qua non,’ meaning ‘without which, not,’” Young said in ceremonial remarks where he addressed Whittington directly. “I think you were not only essential, but you were indispensable the years we worked with you at ������Ƶ. ‘Sine qua non.’”

Whittington played a key role in ������Ƶ doubling its enrollment and quadrupling its physical campus in size through four strategic plans. He helped steer the university through major financial challenges, including the Great Recession of 2007-09, and he oversaw significant growth in ������Ƶ’s financial standing and workforce.

He provided leadership for key departments, including business and finance, human resources, facilities management, information technology, campus safety and police, and planning, design and construction.

Widely admired for his financial mind and record of astute and ethical leadership, Whittington oversaw years of successful audits and championed the use of long-term bonds to finance key facilities to strengthen ������Ƶ’s reputation as a best-run institution committed to the highest level of fiscal responsibility.

The National Association of College and University Business Officers named him its 2018 Distinguished Business Officer of the Year, the organization’s highest and most prestigious award.

“������Ƶ has a culture of collaboration – leadership is a team sport. Gerald personified that idea.”

-President Emeritus Leo M. Lambert.

“Too many CFOs in this country hide under their green eye shades and say ‘no’ a lot. Gerald, in contrast, helped his colleagues get things done,” said Lambert. “In the end, we all knew he would help us accomplish our goals – he was the best collaborator.”

In honor of Whittington’s significant contributions to the university, the Global A residence hall in Global Neighborhood was formally dedicated at the ceremony as “Gerald O. Whittington Hall,” a reflection of his commitment to global engagement and the liberal arts.

The ceremony included the unveiling of a university-commissioned painting of that residence hall for Whittington to display in his home.

After thanking his former colleagues and the Board of Trustees, and praising the unwavering support of his family, including his wife and his son, Chris, Whittington concluded his remarks with a charge to those in attendance “to develop meaningful, impactful and undeniable answers” to turmoil in American higher education.

“Connect with the public and bring to light all the values that we at ������Ƶ display every day,” he said. “Not only does ‘the world need ������Ƶ graduates,’ but also ‘the world needs ������Ƶ.’ In my view, ������Ƶ is the antidote to this world of crisis.

“So, ������Ƶ, take courage, be that leader and make true the slogan of ‘Long live ������Ƶ.’”

Granted tenure to:

• Bethany Brinkman
• Granted tenure and associate professor to:�� Jenny Jiang, Juan Leal Ugalde, Xin Liu, Jessica Merricks, Thibaut Morillon, Pratheep Paranthaman, Erin Pearson and Yidi Wu.
• Promoted Chrystal Clodomir and Erin Fitzgerald to associate professor.
• Promoted Steven Bednar, John Flynn, Alexis Franzese, Cara Lucia, Sean McMahon, Cherrel Miller Dyce, Scott Morrison and Nicole Triche to full professor.
• Promoted Lynn Beck and Brandon Booker to senior lecturer.
• Promoted Jesse Akman to associate librarian.

The Board learned that:

• Continuance in a continuing track appointment was approved for Kim Stokes.
• Continuance in a lecture track appointment was approved for Jill Auditori, Thomas Kerr, Lina Kuhn, Lakeisha Vance and John Wimmer, Jr.

Slattery is a partner in the Biotherapeutics group at Deerfield Management Company. Before joining Deerfield in 2000, he worked at Amerindo Investment Advisors as a senior healthcare analyst and held research positions at National Medical Enterprises, Johnson & Johnson and HMSS. A director and former chairman of Red Door Community, Slattery serves on the board of Vescor Therapeutics, LLC and��the Salisbury School in Salisbury, CT.

Slattery holds an undergraduate degree from The State University of New York at Albany and completed coursework in immunology at Rutgers University. Bill and his wife, Latticia “Tish” Slattery, reside in Rye, New York and have five children. Daughter Madelyn Slattery ’25, is majoring in English and is involved in various student organizations including the Tri-Delta Sorority and WSOE radio. Their youngest son, James, joined the ������Ƶ community as a member of the Class of 2028.

The Slatterys direct their philanthropy through the Slattery Family Foundation and support Red Door Community, which offers free support to those impacted by cancer and their families, several preparatory schools and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. The Slatterys have generously supported financial aid at ������Ƶ and recently have made a significant commitment to support the university’s��HealthEU initiative.