A year of achievement for UNCG
The 2025-26 academic year brought major momentum to UNC Greensboro, with achievements that touched nearly every part of campus. The University marked gains in enrollment, research, philanthropy, student support, community engagement, athletics, and national recognition — a year defined by growth, visibility, and impact.
Enrollment reaches historic levels
In August, UNCG posted its highest enrollment numbers since 2021. For the Fall 2025 semester, UNCG welcomed 2,606 new first-year students, up 7.1% over the previous year; 1,890 new transfer students, up 5.2%; and 1,355 new graduate students, up 6.1%. Enrollment increased across all student populations. It was notable in areas of study aligned with workforce demand, including health sciences, business, education, and arts and sciences.
Building a top-tier research University
UNCG researchers broke new ground this academic year on the University’s well-plotted path to R1 status. Forty faculty members were assessed to be in the top 2% of most-cited experts in their respective fields. Meanwhile, research expenditures reached an all-time high of $77.4 million.
Research stories this academic year included:
- Dr. Gideon Wasserberg’s work on disease-bearing sand flies and blacklegged ticks
- Dr. Nick Oberlies’ NASA grant to develop bricks made of fungi for building human habitats on Mars and the moon
- Dr. Dora Gicheva’s discovery that first-year female college students are experiencing slower academic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic compared to males
- Dr. Maryanne Perrin’s international research on the nutritional composition of donor human breast milk, a critical first food for many preterm infants
The Chancellor’s Initiative for Transformative Research, an in-house grant program that provides seed money to projects with strong community impact and the potential to attract outside funding, backed four UNCG research initiatives. These projects explore the effects of technology on adolescent development, AI support for healthcare clinicians, the use of VR and AI in apparel supply chains, and a promising anti-cancer compound. Each received approximately $75,000 to carry the research into its next phase.
Several UNCG projects also benefited from the state’s NCInnovation grant pool, which was created to drive commercial innovation from North Carolina’s colleges and universities. Projects funded by NCInnovation have the potential to create jobs, expand economic opportunity, and develop industry across the state. UNCG-based success stories funded this academic year by NCInnovation include:
- Dr. Hemali Rathnayake’s research on critical minerals, which previously laid the foundation for Minerva Lithium, a UNCG-grown company with patented technology to extract, refine, and process battery-grade lithium. Her most recent grant will scale technology used to produce cathode powders from nickel, cobalt, and manganese.
- Dr. Kerui Wu’s work to develop targeted treatments for inflammation with fewer harsh side effects, by delivering medicine directly to macrophages.
And in May, a $2 million award from BioMade funded the launch of NC BioMISSION at UNCG. This bioindustrial workforce training and research program will equip students with technical, applied, and industry-aligned skills for careers in the growing sector.
With every funded research project, UNCG moves closer to its institutional goal of advancing from R2 Carnegie classification, or High Research Activity, to an R1, or Very High Research Activity, by 2030.
A new campus landmark takes shape
The Jeanne Tannenbaum Center for Creative Practice began taking shape this year on the Millennial Campus at the corner of Tate Street and Gate City Boulevard. An October beam-signing featured Chancellor Gilliam and Jeanne Tannenbaum. Hard-hat tours began this spring as the Center moved from blueprints to reality.
The Tannenbaum Center will be an interdisciplinary hub where art, innovation, and technology converge. It will feature academic and community residencies, art studios, a new makerspace, a learning lab, and a black-box immersive studio with a high-resolution LED Volume wall and motion-capture technology.
The JTCCP is more than a gallery, studio, or performance space. It is a catalyst for creativity and community engagement, where Greensboro’s artists, thinkers, and makers work with the University to explore bold ideas and create meaningful impact.
The center is scheduled to open in October 2026.
Advancing workforce readiness
Over the course of the academic year, UNCG added several services, partnerships, and learning opportunities designed to strengthen Spartans’ educational foundation and prepare North Carolina’s workforce for emerging industries.
Virtual Reality: In December, UNCG became one of just three universities in the country to win a grant from Virtualware and HTC VIVE for the launch of a cutting-edge extended reality center. The Spartan Immersive Systems Collaboratory will employ virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality, enabling students to visualize data, practice difficult skills safely, or explore new scenarios firsthand. The Collaboratory is set to open later in 2026.
The Washington Center’s Career Launch Bootcamp:In October, UNCG became the first college campus in the country to host a Career Launch Bootcamp with The Washington Center (TWC), an independent nonprofit organization that provides immersive internships and academic seminars to students from hundreds of colleges and universities globally. The free, three-day event held in Elliot University Center brought together aspiring students, TWC career experts, and UNCG alumni and corporate partners for workshops and networking. It was designed to give Spartans a competitive edge as they prepare to enter the workforce.
SparkHub: UNCG launched North Carolina’s first SparkHub in February, in collaboration with SparkNC and Guilford County Schools (GCS). The SparkHub serves as a physical and intellectual bridge between K-12 education, higher education, and the global workforce. Here, GCS students will participate in immersive, hands-on learning experiences developed in collaboration with global technology leaders, including Apple, IBM, Epic Games, Lenovo, TEKsystems, and Cisco.
Hallmarks of academic excellence
Higher education observers took notice of UNCG’s momentum this academic year. The University earned more than 100 mentions in “Best of” lists, college guides, and other rankings and awards that reach national and international audiences.
Gilman Scholars: This term, UNCG was recognized by the U.S. Dept. of State as a Gilman Program 25th Anniversary Top Producing Institution based on the number of recipients supported from 2001–25. UNCG continues to lead North Carolina in Gilman Scholarship recipients. Since 2001, 278 UNCG students have studied in 44 countries through the Gilman Program, which has directed more than $800,000 to UNCG students. All Gilman Scholars are Pell Grant recipients — students with demonstrated financial need for whom studying abroad can be financially out of reach.
Princeton Review: For the second year in a row, UNCG was named to the Princeton Review Mental Health Services Honor Roll — the only college in NC to make the list spotlighting 30 schools that prioritize student mental health. Princeton Review also placed UNCG on several of its other lists, including:
- Best Colleges
- Best in the South
- Best Green Colleges
- Top 50 Online MBAs (Bryan School of Business and Economics)
U.S. News & World Report: For the seventh year in a row, US News & World Report has ranked UNCG No. 1 in NC for Social Mobility,acknowledging the University’s power to uplift entire families. The University placed highly on several of the outlet’s annual Best of college ranking lists.
- Best Online Masters Degree in Special Education (No. 1 in NC)
- Best Student Counseling Programs (No. 1 in NC)
- Best Library and Information Studies Programs (No. 2 in NC)
- Best Online Masters in Education for Veterans (No. 2 in NC)
- Best Speech-Language Pathology Programs (No. 2 in NC)
Online accolades: UNCG placed first in the state in several online categories from various organizations, highlighting our commitment to meet students where they are and take them further.
- Best Online Masters in Music
- Best Online MBA in Information Technology
- Best Online Exercise Degree
- Best Online Kinesiology Degree
- Best Online Gerontology Program
- Best Online Colleges that Accept FAFSA
Connecting campus and community
The bond between Greensboro and its University has grown stronger through events, facilities, and service opportunities that bring the community onto campus and extend UNCG’s reach beyond the city’s borders.
In the spring, a gift from UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of North Carolina elicited the creation of Minerva’s Mobile Health Chariot, a companion in the UNCG healthcare fleet to Minerva’s Mobile Health Unit, which was built to bring free healthcare services to the nearby areas most in need. Staffed by faculty and students from the School of Nursing, Minerva’s Chariot uses telehealth technology to bring free primary care to patients with economic and geographic challenges to healthcare. At the same time, it gives nursing students practical experience on the front lines.
In December, UNCG’s annual Toys for Joy campaign attracted a line of cars along Woman’s College Way — renamed in October 2025 to honor the University’s legacy — for toy dropoffs at the Marcus T. Johnson Alumni House. In partnership with The Links, Inc., UNCG was able to collect more than 1,000 toys for Guilford County children in foster care.
Science Everywhere, UNCG’s contribution to the NC Science Festival, took over classrooms, labs, and spaces on campus in the spring. In its 12th year, Science Everywhere emphasized the University’s STEM programs and its connection with the community as hundreds of attendees participated in experiments, demonstrations, exhibits, and activities. As is tradition, the day culminated in a cardboard robot parade and dance party in Foust Park.
The University Concert and Lecture Series, the longest continually running series of its kind in NC, announced its 2026-27 lineup. Events run between September 2026 and April 2027, featuring five main-stage performers, two visiting jazz artists, and a visiting fine artist. Events include master classes for UNCG students and ticketed performances for the entire community.
- Alex Newell (Sept. 25)
- Falk Visiting Artist Clarence Morgan (Oct. 1)
- Renee Harris Puremovement American Dance Theater (Oct. 16)
- Collage (Oct. 24)
- Robinson Family Visiting Jazz Artist John Scofielod and Electrospective (Nov. 21)
- Samara Joy (Feb. 5)
- Ben Folds (March 20)
- Robinson Family Visiting Jazz Artist Carmen Bradford (April 23)
This summer, UNCG Libraries curated “Limits of Freedom,” a traveling exhibit focused on the experience of enslaved African Americans in the earliest days of our nation. Created with a grant from America 250 at the nation’s semiquincentennial, the exhibit features 12 banners with images and stories researched by graduate and undergraduate students. It will be on display through the end of July at the Greensboro Cultural Center.
26,684 donors Light the Way
University Advancement closed out a banner year with the culmination of the Light the Way campaign, which began in October 2021. When it closed on Dec. 31, 2025, the campaign had brought in more than $266 million from 26,684 donors. The donations established 236 scholarships and 12 professorships and funded 244 University programs.
Significant gifts were bestowed by a Class of ’99 alumnus whose name on the Marcus T. Johnson Alumni House makes it the very first building on the UNCG campus to be named for a person of color. Woman’s College alumna Harriet Shain Evenson ’53 gave the largest gift in University history: $13 million, which will expand the existing Harriet Shain and Jerome Evenson Endowed Scholarship in Education, establish the Jerome Evenson Distinguished Professorship in Artificial Intelligence in Education, and strengthen Jewish Studies. In the fall, the School of Education building will be renamed the Harriet Shain and Jerome Evenson School of Education Building in her honor.
Light the Way wrapped with one of the biggest spectacles the University has ever staged: a drone light show at the Soccer Stadium that filled the night sky with celebratory images and icons of the University’s history.
A championship year for Spartan Athletics
UNCG Spartan Athletics logged dozens of literal wins on scoreboards with two notable advancements by teams in their respective NCAA tournaments:
- The Spartan Softball Team earned both the SoCon regular season and championship titles, advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in program history, where they secured the team’s first tournament win in program history.
- The Spartan Men’s Soccer Team logged NCAA Tournament wins this season as well, playing spoiler against 2-seed Virginia and advancing to the Sweet 16.
Team Norway chose UNCG as its World Cup home base for the North American cup series held this summer, bringing a Nordic flair to campus as they trained on the world-class UNCG pitch. More than 20,000 people requested tickets for the team’s open practice, which introduced global stars like Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard to Greensboro soccer fans.
Big wins came off the fields and courts as well. In November, Fleming Gymnasium, where Spartan basketball teams play their home games, was renamed Bodford Arena in recognition of the Bodford family after their $2 million donation, the largest unrestricted gift to Spartan Athletics in University history.
And in March, Jerod Haase was named as the new men’s basketball coach, bringing 25 years of coaching experience, including time at Stanford University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and UNC-Chapel Hill.
A milestone commencement
By the end of the 2025-26 academic year, UNCG had awarded 4,767 graduate and undergraduate degrees, creating a new generation of Spartan alumni who will go out into the world to log wins of their own.
The Spartan Spirit may be best exemplified by the words of Jiyah McLaughlin ’26, the student speaker at the 2026 Spring Commencement inside the First Horizon Coliseum.
“Being a Spartan means we don’t just walk into rooms,” she said. “We transform them.”
Story by Brian Clarey, University Communications
Photos by Sean Norona, University Communications
Video by David Row, University Communications
