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• ������Ƶ holds largest-ever Spring Undergraduate Research Forum
• Personal experience inspires ������Ƶ student’s research to help children experiencing homelessness

Dozens of students showcased research projects inspired by personal experiences and academic interests, guided by faculty mentorship, during the 2026 Summer Undergraduate Research Experience presentations on July 23 in Schar Hall.

The most recent SURE symposium featured more than 50 students from both ������Ƶ and Queens University of Charlotte, marking the latest example of collaboration between two institutions in the process of merging into a united community.

“SURE continues to be one of the flagship events of ������Ƶ’s Undergraduate Research Program. This poster session is a celebration of their dedication and growth as budding young scholars,” said Justin Clar, director of undergraduate research and associate professor of chemistry. “I was especially pleased that we were joined by amazing students from Queens who shared their work with the ������Ƶ community.”

At ������Ƶ, the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience has for years provided student researchers with a stipend to spend eight weeks working full-time on a project in collaboration with a faculty mentor with substantial and recognized expertise in the discipline.

The program concludes every July with a symposium that deepens students’ knowledge of the research experience while offering an opportunity to grow their public speaking and presentation skills.

“It was a great opportunity for the students to share their summer research in a low-stakes environment,” said Kira McEntire, director of undergraduate research and creative work; and associate professor of biology at Queens. “It was also fun to see the ������Ƶ students sharing their summer projects and to learn about some of the interests of ������Ƶ colleagues.”

At Queens, the university holds its annual in the spring, a campus-wide celebration of academic inquiry and community impact. The day starts with oral and poster presentations, followed by service activities in the afternoon.

Personal connections

For many students at SURE, like ������Ƶ student��Thomas Gress ’27, projects carried a deeply personal connection. Gress designed a four-week study comparing exercise approaches for people with chronic fatigue syndrome, inspired in part by his brother’s experience with the condition.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the condition is a serious and often long-lasting illness that keeps people from doing their usual activities. It makes physical and mental exertion difficult, and symptoms include difficulty thinking, severe tiredness, and other issues.

“Before I started this project, (my brother had) been suffering for four years, and there seemed to be no end in sight. So, this was something small that I could do to be of use,” said Gress, a biology major from Savannah, Georgia. “For all of these patients, there’s no other option. There are no drugs available, only a few supplements with very little efficacy. So, it seems the best option is experimenting with lifestyle. And if not this, then there is nothing.”

Queens student Isabella Sherman ’27 has a love for nature that inspired her to explore plant communities at the Carolina Wildlands Foundation with mentor E. Davis Carter, assistant professor of biology at Queens.

“It was an excellent experience,” said Sherman, a conservation biology major from Charlotte. “It’s really close to what I want to do with my career. I love research, I love forestry, and every time I went out there, I was like, ‘This is exactly what I want to do.’ This kind of information is what people take into consideration when they’re trying to develop land or provide an additional environment for fauna and flora.”

Mentoring relationships

A common thread among many of the projects was the close relationship students developed with their faculty mentors.

Anna Grace Gilbert ’27, an ������Ƶ psychology major from Knoxville, Tennessee, says Associate Professor of Psychology Sabrina Perkins “completely changed” her undergraduate experience through their work studying infant motor development.

“I’ve worked with (Professor Perkins) technically since the summer of my freshman year. I just reached out to her and was like, ‘I love babies. I’d love to work with you,” Gilbert said. “I’m very grateful. We’ve really bonded over these almost three years.”

For Jack VanValkenburg ’27, a Queens student majoring in data analytics, undergraduate research provided an opportunity to apply his technical skills. He worked with Queens Assistant Professor of Biology Denni Einersson to develop a computerized system for organizing trash collected during community cleanup events.

“It was a great opportunity to work with people who know more than me. The coding that I’ve done in the past is more analytical and this was more developmental,” said VanValkenburg, who is from Atlanta. “(Clean-up crews) would go out with field cards, like pencil and paper, and just mark things down, which was super timely and it’s very inconvenient, and then that just led to a lot of data that wasn’t being used.”

Pushing through the learning process

������Ƶ business analytics major Chase Hannibal ’28 examined the sense of belonging among Black business students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly White Institutions. It can sometimes feel isolating as a Black female business student, Hannibal said.

“I just wanted to see if other students felt that way, and if it was a pattern, what could be fixed,” Hannibal said. “(I wanted to) let other students know that you’re not alone.”

Hannibal says her mentor, Shanetta Pendleton, assistant professor of strategic communications, pushed her to be better, even when she was at her “stopping point.”

“Even when I felt at the worst of the worst, she supported me throughout everything,” Hannibal said. “She was great, and I’m very excited to work with her in the future.”

Amelia Weaver ’28 also explored the experiences of college students, particularly women. Her ������Ƶ Honors Fellows research examines the motivations of college-aged women who participate in sports betting after she noticed women were less vocal about the topic in class discussions.

“It made me think about why the women in the class weren’t as talkative or excited about their own experiences with sports betting,” said Weaver, a sport management and media analytics double major with a minor in . “I wondered if this was because they didn’t participate, didn’t care, or they just didn’t want to say anything.”

Weaver said her mentor, Alex Traugutt, an assistant professor of sport management, has helped guide her through the process.

“He immediately said, ‘This is going to be a partnership. We’re going to take steps together. We’re going to figure this out together. I’m not just going to throw you into everything,’” said Weaver. “That’s been really helpful in the learning process.”

When sudden shutdowns canceled their in-person sessions at��, a Down syndrome achievement center, they quickly pivoted online, bringing interactive music therapy right into participants’ living rooms.��

During their sessions, Queens��alumnae��Yenchun��Ko ’21, Gabrielle Frens ’22 and Molli Smith ’22 documented their findings, and��this past��June, their work was published in����

Funded by a grant through the��James Rogers Summer Institute for Research and Creative Work��and��guided��by Varvara Pasiali, Livingstone Professor of Music Therapy at Queens, the team highlighted the core philosophy behind their��virtual��sessions,��a concept known as “musicking,” originally developed by musicologist Christopher Small.��

“’Musicking’ is taking music as a noun and turning it into a verb,” Pasiali��said.��“It captures the idea that music exists in the act of actually making it.��Everyone participates in some way in a musical event; they aren’t just sitting passively receiving it.”����

To turn that active concept into reality��virtually, the student-therapists played live instruments, used structured musical cues, and designed interactive movement prompts that kept participants engaged across the screen. At the same time, parents��joined in��as active co-facilitators,��rocking, swaying, and making music alongside their children to foster meaningful bonding directly in their living rooms.��

GiGi’s Playhouse Charlotte Executive Director Lori Keller has seen firsthand how that philosophy��impacted��the lives of children and individuals living with developmental disabilities.��

“Music brings us together as a community and engages parts of the brain in ways that no other therapy can,” Keller said. “It creates opportunities for cognitive and social growth, while also improving language and communication. I must admit that the most immediate benefit��I’ve��witnessed��has been expressions of joy. And that is priceless.”��

Seeing their hard work officially reach the broader clinical community through the peer-reviewed publication has been a deeply rewarding, full-circle moment for the former students.��

“It was surreal to learn that this study would be published,” Smith said. “I felt very proud of younger me for stepping out of my comfort zone and trying something new.”��

Frens echoed that pride. “To have something published in my name feels like a very big deal,” she��said.��“The whole publishing process takes a long time, but I am especially proud of the team for how we collaborated and maintained the integrity of what we did.”��

Ko��shared in��that excitement when she learned the news. “When I was informed that it was going to be published, I was thrilled,” Ko said. “I learned a great deal from this opportunity, from session planning to collaborating with my classmates and composing therapeutic music.”��

After graduating from Queens, the��alumnae��found that their undergraduate research directly shaped their clinical success.��

“Participating in this study helped me prepare for a professional career in many ways,” Smith said. “Not only did I grow more confident in my writing skills and analytical thinking,��it��boosted my skills in observing and documenting client responses. As a professional, I��currently��treat an individual client virtually and I felt entirely equipped to deliver those telehealth services because of this project.”��

Smith currently works as a board-certified music therapist at Piedmont Music Therapy, a local nonprofit in Charlotte, where her caseload spans from early childhood to older adults in memory care. Frens is completing her graduate degree online through Duquesne University while working as a board-certified music therapist at Atrium Health Mercy. Ko recently completed her master’s degree at Molloy University as she prepares for the next step in her clinical career.��

“Having their work published by a peer-reviewed clinical journal builds their identity as scientists and their confidence in doing research,” Pasiali said, noting that the students also co-presented their findings at a regional music therapy conference and led a virtual continuing education seminar for music therapists in Cyprus.��

For all three��alumnae, the project was the ultimate reflection of the Queens motto, “Not to be served, but to serve.”��

“That attitude of how to serve and care for others well really aligns with music therapy,” Frens said��“I feel that music therapy in general, and especially in the work that I do, is in a position to serve others and not expect service back to ourselves.��“Smith agreed. “As a music therapist, I always aim to serve my clients in the best way I can—meeting them where they are, supporting their needs, and amplifying their individuality, creativity, and��successes,” she said.��“It brings me such joy to do so.”��

For Ko, that spirit of service came to life in the quiet, musical moments shared between the children and their families.��

“When I played my violin during one of the sessions, I saw participants swaying back and forth with their parents,” Ko recalled. “Seeing that precious bond and their response through the music made me realize just how meaningful and impactful our work really was.”

The day started in the Sarah Belk Gambrell Center for the Arts and Civic Engagement on July 16, 2026, with Queens’ first-ever College Coffee, an ������Ƶ tradition that offers students, faculty and staff weekly opportunities during the semester to connect over coffee and pastries.

“This is a powerful morning,” Queens Acting President and CEO Jesse Cureton said in remarks to attendees. “You’re going to learn today a lot about Queens and the history of the university, but as I’ve shared with so many, Queens is not just about this campus – it’s about a 170-year history, and it’s about this phenomenal city, one of the fastest-growing in the country. Sports, healthcare, manufacturing, energy – all these things are creating opportunities for our students.”

Following a campus tour for ������Ƶ visitors, employees from both locations participated in an interactive professional development workshop, “Own the Moment: Practical Tools for Navigating Change with Confidence,” led by Rochelle Stojnic, director of the Office of Leadership and Professional Development at ������Ƶ.

Grounded in the idea that the most meaningful moments during institutional transitions occur in ordinary, everyday interactions, the session provided attendees with strategies to approach organizational evolution with a curious and open perspective.

Employees were encouraged to serve as a steady, grounding presence for colleagues and students, and learned how to leverage personal and collective strengths to fuel community growth.

“This is a historic transition, and navigating it successfully requires an ‘all hands on deck’ approach,” Stojnic said. “Leadership isn’t just for a few people at the top. Everyone needs to feel empowered to lead through this change, which starts with understanding how we handle transition personally.”

“At ������Ƶ, prioritizing professional development is a core value. We invest heavily in our people because we believe that for our universities to grow and get better, our employees must have the space to expand their skills, navigate uncertainty with balance, and feel genuinely supported along the way.”

Shawn Bowers, director of the General Education Program at Queens, attended the professional development session.

“As an educator, I consider myself a lifelong learner, and I deeply appreciate how both institutions invest in us as holistic individuals. When resources and energy are poured into faculty and staff, it allows us to show up as the best versions of ourselves,” she said. “Ultimately, that yields incredible dividends for our students, who are the main constituents we serve.”

The collaborative energy of the workshop and joint sessions highlighted a shared commitment to building a unified, resilient community.

Here’s what employees from both campuses had to say about the exchange:

• “When two universities have this much overlap, there’s a fantastic opportunity to learn from one another and adopt the best processes from both sides. It’s also a two-way street: both ������Ƶ and Queens share the benefit of communicating ideas and resources. The prospect of bettering our programs, becoming more efficient, and thriving together is not just rewarding, but exciting. I can’t wait to see where this road leads us.”
  Jackson Mair
  Coordinator, Vandiver Center for Career Development, Queens

• “The professional development session provided us with practical tools for real-life change. The ‘why’ of this exchange became obvious when a Queens colleague and an ������Ƶ colleague from the same department shared their experiences navigating the merger. Watching them find comfort and laughter in their shared experience showed the true value of the exchange. It breaks down walls and helps us realize we are building on common ground.”
  Loretta Evivie
  Professor of Practice of Leadership, Queens

• “The thing that really struck me during my visit is the way in which ������Ƶ and Queens share an approach to education. The two student tour guides said many of the same things I’ve told prospective ������Ƶ students: small classes, faculty who are available and dedicated to students, a focus on hands-on learning, and even classrooms arranged so that the students can work together. I had the opportunity to meet some of the physics/math faculty, and we talked about ways we can support each other. We’re hopeful that we can develop programs that take advantages of our shared strengths.”
  Jonathan Su
  Associate Professor of Engineering, ������Ƶ

• “I still have many questions about the merger, but I am excited by the prospect of internship pipelines for our students in key sectors like professional sports, medicine, finance, and the arts. I was pleasantly surprised by the lovely Myers Park neighborhood and the look and feel of the campus, which is quite similar to ������Ƶ’s. Many thanks to the entire ������Ƶ-Queens team for setting things up for our first College Coffee there!”
  Pamela Winfield
  Professor of Religious Studies and Associate Director of International & Global Studies, ������Ƶ

• “By offering College Coffee at Queens, it creates a bridge between our two cultures. Queens has a really nice location for College Coffee in the summer, which is very similar to what ������Ƶ offers at Moseley Center. Both places are a great way to escape the heat, grab something to drink or eat, and have a conversation with someone on campus that you don’t get to see in person.”
  Doug Purnell
  Assistant Director of Data Architecture and��Reporting, ������Ƶ

Students arriving for Move-In Day will notice big changes under the oaks following summer renovations at Queens that include refreshed campus landscaping, restored building exteriors and updated finishes in Wireman Residence Hall.

Inside Wireman, student rooms are being updated with fresh paint and new furniture. The customizable loft beds, wardrobes, desks and dressers will allow students to easily personalize their spaces.

The building’s shared common areas are also getting a modern, multi-functional makeover. A mix of soft seating and high-low tables will fill these spaces, giving students a flexible environment to study, eat, or relax together.

“Student living spaces are where they spend a great deal of their time. These improvements will help create more comfortable and fresh spaces for students,” said Amber Slack, vice president for student affairs and dean of campus life. “As we continue updating common areas and lobbies across campus, our ultimate goal is to design inviting spaces that naturally bring students together and strengthen our community.”

In line with Queens’ commitment to sustainability and its motto, “Not to be served, but to serve,” the university found new homes for Wireman’s furniture by partnering with Hildrup Moving Companies, Habitat for Humanity and Beds for Kids.

“We knew from the beginning that we didn’t want to send usable furniture to a landfill,” said Leigh Hicks, Queens’ director of capital projects. “We were thrilled to partner with local non-profits to donate these items directly to families in need.”

Student Government Association President Jessica Paredes ’27 lived in Wireman for two years and served on the Campus Improvement Committee, working closely with Slack last year in discussing renovations in Wireman and across campus.

“I am so excited and grateful for the new feel Wireman will have and know that many students will see it as a fresh start for an exciting year ahead,” said Paredes. “Returning Royals will be glad to see their newly renovated ‘homes away from home.'”

Queens Hall, one of the oldest buildings on campus, is also undergoing a complete stairwell restorations.

“The three classical stone entrances to Queens Hall are being repaired and refreshed with brand-new, uniform light fixtures and hand railings to give the historic building a clean, consistent look,” said David Haught, senior director of facilities for ������Ƶ’s Charlotte properties. “These renovations are aimed at beautifying and returning the splendor of a grand entrance to this historic campus in the heart of Myers Park, one of the first planned suburbs of Charlotte.”

Nearby, the columns at Sykes Learning Center, the hub of the McColl School of Business, are being replaced with a durable material designed to match the original architecture, while the surrounding brick plaza is being leveled and refreshed.

The summer renovations are on track for completion by late July, well before Royals return to their refreshed campus for the 2026-27 academic year.

That question brought together students, professionals, community members and local government leaders for the Charlotte Decision Challenge, hosted through ������Ƶ’s Master of Science in Business Analytics Flex program in partnership with the City of Charlotte.

Guided throughout the day by Lakeisha Vance, assistant teaching professor of business analytics, and Vinayaka Gude, assistant professor of business analytics, participants worked in teams using real data and a custom analytics platform to explore potential impacts along the proposed Red Line corridor and develop recommendations aimed at supporting businesses and communities as growth continues across the region.

“One of the strengths of the MSBA Flex program is the opportunity to bring together industry partners, community leaders and learners from a variety of backgrounds to tackle real challenges,” said Mark Kurt, associate dean of curriculum and academic programming at the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. “Partnerships like this allow us to apply analytics in ways that extend beyond the classroom and support the communities we serve.”

For city leaders, the challenge offered an opportunity to bring new voices into conversations that will help shape Charlotte’s future.

“As city leaders, we have to constantly ask ourselves who’s not here and who’s impacted by the decisions we’re making,” said Charlitta Hatch, deputy chief information officer and chief data and analytics officer for the City of Charlotte. “Bringing students, professionals and community members into that process helps us see challenges from new perspectives.”

Between July 2024 and July 2025, Charlotte added more residents than any other city in the nation. ��Transportation infrastructure will play an important role in supporting that growth. As city leaders look toward future transit investments, they are also looking closely at lessons learned from previous transit projects and how those experiences can inform future decisions.

The proposed Red Line will bring commuter rail service to communities north of Charlotte, including Huntersville, Cornelius and Davidson. Throughout the challenge, participants looked to experiences from Charlotte’s existing Blue Line light rail system and explored themes including business ownership, entrepreneurship and economic mobility.

For Jackie Tynan, data analytics manager for the City of Charlotte, that combination of perspectives is exactly what makes partnerships like this valuable.

“The students here today are a different generation than those in leadership making the decisions,” Tynan said. “By including the voices of our future in the decisions, we can build stronger outcomes that reflect what matters most to them and better prepare them for what’s ahead. ”

Hatch described universities as “community think tanks” and emphasized the value of collaboration between higher education and local government.

“The partnerships are critical because we are limited in what we know and what we can do,” Hatch said. “The breadth that you have, from researchers to practitioners to emerging talent, really helps us make sure we are recommending the best solutions for our community.”

By the end of the event, participants had transformed publicly available data into recommendations for one of Charlotte’s most important future infrastructure projects, demonstrating the role collaboration can play in shaping stronger communities.

“It makes me hopeful about what a larger group can do over a longer period of time,” Tynan said.

Developed in collaboration with the City of Charlotte, the challenge focuses on how local businesses and communities may be affected as the proposed Red Line corridor moves forward. Participants will work in teams to explore real data, uncover insights and develop practical recommendations that can help city leaders better understand potential impacts and identify opportunities for support.

The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at ������Ƶ in Charlotte, located at 330 W. Tremont Avenue. No coding, programming or analytics experience is required.

“The Charlotte Decision Challenge reflects the kind of work our MSBA Flex program is designed to support,” said Mark Kurt, associate dean for the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. “Participants will have the opportunity to use data in a practical, accessible way while contributing ideas that can support real decision-making in the Charlotte community.”

Individuals and teams are welcome to participate. The event is designed for anyone interested in business, analytics, public policy, economic development, transportation, community engagement or civic problem solving.

Breakfast, lunch and refreshments will be provided at no cost.

Applications will be accepted starting Sept. 1, 2026.

The ABA approval clears the way for ������Ƶ Law to expand its nationally recognized model of full-time legal education to North Carolina’s largest city. At that point, ������Ƶ Law will offer three pathways to a law degree in North Carolina: a full-time program in Greensboro, a full-time program in Charlotte and the part-time ������Ƶ Law Flex Program in Charlotte.

“This comes at an incredible moment for ������Ƶ Law,” said ������Ƶ Law Dean Zak Kramer. “Within the last year, we’ve celebrated historic bar passage rates and employment outcomes for our graduates, along with record enrollment and student applications. The ABA’s approval of our Charlotte program builds on that momentum, allowing ������Ƶ Law to bring our signature approach to legal education to one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities.”

The inaugural Charlotte class, consisting of up to 75 students, will begin studies in August 2027 on the campus of Queens University of Charlotte. The charter cohort will graduate in December 2029, following ������Ƶ Law’s existing 2.5-year, seven-trimester academic calendar in Greensboro. The ������Ƶ Law Flex Program will also begin holding its part-time evening classes on the Queens campus in Fall 2027.

The full-time Charlotte program will replicate the innovative curriculum established at ������Ƶ Law’s Greensboro campus. The hallmark of ������Ƶ Law’s experiential, skills-based, community-centered approach to legal education is the Residency-in-Practice Program: a course-connected placement that pairs every student with a practicing attorney or judge during the winter or spring of their second year.

That experience moves students beyond studying the law to begin living it — working alongside attorneys and judges, serving clients and communities, and developing the professional judgment and practical skills expected of new lawyers. Students return to campus with greater confidence, stronger professional connections and a clearer sense of the kind of lawyer they will become.

������Ƶ Law is in the early stages of hiring a full complement of professors, administrators and student support personnel who will lead the full-time program in Charlotte. The move aligns with the proposed merger of ������Ƶ and Queens University, which remains subject to final approval from SACSCOC and the U.S. Department of Education.

������Ƶ leaders are working closely with Queens University to ensure law students benefit from a vibrant campus experience and the resources of a thriving university community.

The expansion also builds on ������Ƶ Law’s longstanding relationships throughout Charlotte’s legal community. Already, more than 10 percent of the law school’s alumni live and work in the Charlotte area. Law school leaders plan to strengthen existing partnerships, develop new connections and grow opportunities for students to serve in a region with a need for legal talent, legal services and innovative legal education.

Through clinics, residencies and community partnerships, ������Ƶ Law students regularly work alongside attorneys, judges, nonprofit organizations and public agencies to help address unmet legal needs.

“We’ve been in Charlotte all along through our students, alumni and community partnerships,” Kramer said. “This approval gives us an opportunity to deepen our commitment to Charlotte. We’re excited to invest here, build new partnerships and help shape what comes next.”

Additional information about admissions, faculty hiring and program development will be announced in the coming months.

About ������Ƶ Law

������Ƶ Law is the preeminent school for engaged and experiential learning in law. With a focus on learning by doing, it integrates traditional classroom instruction with a required residency-in-practice field placement for all full-time students during the winter or spring of their second year. The law school’s distinctive full-time curriculum provides a logically sequenced program of professional preparation and is accomplished in 2.5 years, which offers exceptional value by lowering tuition and permitting graduates early entry into their careers.

������Ƶ Law has graduated more than 2,000 alumni since opening its doors in downtown Greensboro in 2006. Its annual enrollment now tops 500 students. The law school is regularly featured in PreLaw Magazine’s “Best Schools for Practical Training” rankings, maintaining an A+ rating each year since 2023. ������Ƶ Law was also among schools highlighted by Bloomberg Law in 2023 for its innovative approach to student development.

The ������Ƶ Law Flex Program, a part-time, in-person program of legal study, launched in Charlotte in 2024. Designed for students balancing work, family and other commitments to earn their J.D. in under four years, it will enroll its third cohort in Fall 2026.

Legalization��has��reshaped��markets across��North Carolina,��and the sports betting landscape continues to evolve. Bockino, Squadron and Tobias��impressed upon��the audience that this wasn’t just a sports story, but it’s actually a��business, data, and policy story, too.��The panelists��explored��the industry’s economic impact, regulatory environment, and the growing role of data and analytics.��They spoke about��consumer trends��and��fan��engagement��and answered questions from the audience about the NCAA’s role in sports betting and how taxes on sports betting��could be used to��support community areas like K-12 public education.

“It’s��always��fun��to talk about sports betting with people from a variety of industries,” Bockino said.��“This is a growing industry��that affects not only amateur and professional sports but education, finance, and tourism, and I appreciate��the��opportunity to connect with Charlotte’s leaders across all these sectors.”

“Sports betting is having a major impact and��has a lot of elements that people don’t always see,” Squadron said. “������Ƶ’s bringing together the Charlotte community to discuss it was��a great opportunity��to explore all the different pieces of this growing area.”

������Ƶ��University��Charlotte will hold future����with the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance.��Interested in learning more about sports betting? Bockino will��release a book on��the topic on Tuesday, June 2.

When arrived at ������Ƶ as a first-year student, she envisioned a future in physical therapy.

Four years later, the graduating senior leaves ������Ƶ not only with two majors, but with published scholarship, national conference presentations, and a growing passion for research that ultimately reshaped her career ambitions.

This winter, the native of Walnut Creek, California, served as lead author on a research publication in the , collaborating with ������Ƶ faculty members Alex Traugutt, Caroline Ketcham and Eric Hall. The publication represents the latest milestone in a research journey that began during her sophomore year, when she approached Ketcham about becoming involved with ������Ƶ BrainCARE.

“At the time, I was an exercise science major planning to apply to physical therapy school, so while I was genuinely interested in concussions and brain health, I also saw research as a way to deepen my involvement at ������Ƶ and strengthen my future applications,” McAfee said.

As she became more involved with research, McAfee’s interests evolved beyond concussions and brain injuries. While reviewing existing scholarship, she became increasingly interested in the ways athletics influence student-athletes off the playing field.

“One article in particular sparked my curiosity about how sports shape athletes beyond their playing careers,” McAfee said. “This led me to explore whether competitive sports help develop career readiness and how athlete identity may influence academic performance.”

Those experiences ultimately inspired McAfee to add sport management as a second major, where she met Traugutt during her first course in the department.

“Lucy is an intellectually driven student researcher who, over nearly three years of collaboration, led data collection, identified research topics and conducted analyses that resulted in two first-author peer-reviewed publications before completing her undergraduate degree,” said Traugutt, assistant professor of sport management.

Traugutt explained that McAfee distinguished herself through both her intellectual curiosity and her ability to connect research with practical application.

“What sets Lucy apart is her ability to bridge scholarship and practice,” Traugutt said, noting that she has presented research twice at the Applied Sport Management Conference and participated in multiple SURF and SURE programs.

McAfee said that working closely with Traugutt, Ketcham and Hall helped strengthen both her confidence and critical-thinking skills.

“When I first started doing research, I felt uncertain about my future and my own abilities,” McAfee said. “Dr. Alex Traugutt, Dr. Caroline Ketcham and Dr. Eric Hall each played a key role in guiding me, giving me direction, and helping me build confidence in my research skills.”

She especially valued the collaborative nature of the work.

“I particularly enjoyed our meetings –��especially the ones at The Oak House –��where we would dissect the data together,” McAfee said. “Consistently learning and discussing research with such knowledgeable professors pushed me to think more critically and challenged me to contribute insights of my own.”

McAfee’s recent publication is not expected to be her last contribution to the field. In addition to a forthcoming publication in Case Studies in Sport Management examining career readiness programming for student-athletes, she and Traugutt recently submitted a third research paper examining the NCAA transfer portal and high school recruiting opportunities in college football to the Journal of Applied Sport Management.

That research grew out of McAfee’s desire to better understand the rapidly changing dynamics of college athletics.

“My interest in the transfer portal stemmed from conversations during my time at the ACC, where its impact on various stakeholders was frequently discussed,” said McAfee, who completed an internship with the Power 4 conference last summer. “However, I noticed there was limited research regarding its effects on high school athletes. I saw that as an opportunity to contribute meaningful new knowledge to the field of sport management.”

Traugutt said McAfee’s work stands out for both its academic rigor and its broader relevance within athletics and higher education.

“Her work examining athletic identity, career readiness and student-athlete development is not only carefully designed and executed, but deeply meaningful, directly addressing questions that matter to practitioners and institutions alike,” Traugutt said.

McAfee also served as an executive intern with ������Ƶ Athletics, an experience Traugutt said complemented the practical focus of her research.

After graduation, McAfee will pursue a master’s degree in higher education at Boston College, where she will hold two graduate assistantships – one as a student-athlete academic adviser within Boston College Athletics and another with Tufts Medical School’s graduate student services department.

Traugutt said those opportunities speak to both McAfee’s academic growth and the practical focus she brought to her research throughout her time at ������Ƶ.

“These achievements reflect a student who takes her work seriously and understands its real-world implications,” Traugutt said. “I have no doubt she will carry that same curiosity, independence and commitment into her graduate studies at Boston College and beyond.”

As Commencement approaches, McAfee said her undergraduate research experiences transformed her ������Ƶ journey in ways she never anticipated.

“When I received my acorn at convocation, I never imagined I would be doing research at this level,” McAfee said. “Now, as I prepare to receive my sapling at Baccalaureate, I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities and support that made that possible.”

This work represents an important step forward in the planned merger, which is awaiting a vote from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. That accreditation approval is the first step in a two-step federal approval process before ������Ƶ assumes operational oversight of Queens.

As the approval process continues, ������Ƶ and Queens are planning to align a number of administrative and operational functions through shared services, beginning June 30. The goal of the shared services model is to strengthen the financial and operational foundation of the future combined institution while ensuring that students continue to receive strong support throughout the transition.

“This next stage is about building the foundation for a stronger future,” said Jeff Stein, chief integration officer and executive vice president. “Leaders from both institutions are working collaboratively and deliberately, and drawing on the strengths, talents and traditions of ������Ƶ and Queens to design shared functions that serve students well and position the combined institution for long-term success.”

The shared services model will bring together teams in areas such as admissions and financial aid, advancement, career services, communications and marketing, finance, human resources, information technology, academic advising, facilities, library services, study abroad and other key administrative functions. These areas support the daily operations of both campuses and play an important role in the student experience. Leaders have emphasized that the design process is not simply about combining existing structures, but about creating stronger teams and practices that reflect the best of both institutions.

The merger also builds on ������Ƶ’s growing presence in Charlotte, including the expansion of ������Ƶ Law and future graduate programs. Queens’ deep roots in the city, distinctive undergraduate experience, Division I athletics program and legacy of civic engagement will remain important parts of the combined institution’s future. Athletics programs at ������Ƶ and Queens will continue to operate as distinct and separate Division I programs.

For employees, the transition will include direct communication, HR support and detailed information about next steps. Queens employees whose roles are part of the shared services areas will transition to ������Ƶ employment at the end of June and continue in similar roles. Queens employees who transition will move to ������Ƶ’s benefits program.

A small number of positions will not continue as part of the shared services structure. Employees in those roles are receiving direct support, including information about open positions at ������Ƶ in which they are eligible to apply and career transition resources.

The transition plan also includes onboarding, professional development and culture-building opportunities designed to help newly integrated teams build relationships and establish shared practices. Planned supports include department retreats, leadership workshops, employee resources, buddy programs and ongoing opportunities for feedback and questions.

Throughout the process, Queens will continue to have dedicated leadership guiding campus operations, helping ensure continuity for students, employees and the Charlotte community while federal approvals are pending.

For ������Ƶ and Queens, this stage of the work is both practical and forward-looking. It is about aligning systems and teams, but also about shaping a shared future grounded in student success, institutional strength and a commitment to Charlotte.

“The promise of this merger is not only that two institutions will come together,” Stein said. “It is that, together, we can create something stronger — an institution with deeper resources, broader opportunities and an enduring commitment to the students and communities we serve.”