Unexpected Opportunities Carve a Colorful Path for UNCG Art Student

Posted on October 30, 2024

Girl sits cross-legged on a painted park sidewalk with a paint brush.

When she was in high school, Destiny Turner had already set goals for her career as an artist, but she was unsure that college was the right track for her. Now, three years later, the Spartan studio art major realizes that saying yes to UNC Greensboro was just the first of a series of opportunities that led to her first public art installation. 

A Walk in the Park 

On a beautiful fall day, Turner stands with representatives from Greensboro Parks and Recreation and other city officials at the ribbon cutting for Mayer Park. The newly renovated public park, in the Brice Street neighborhood adjacent to UNCG’s campus, now features a sidewalk mural painted by Turner. 

Group of people cut a ribbon in a city park.
Turner, fifth from left, cuts the ribbon to open Mayer Park with other Greensboro officials.

The Mayer Park mural project began in the spring of 2024 when Turner’s design was chosen among six student artists who presented their work to city officials at the Greensboro Project Space (GPS). Caitlyn Schrader, of GPS, facilitates connections like these between UNCG School of Art and the City of Greensboro enabling students to share their art with the public. 

“The Mayer Park mural was a wonderful opportunity for our students to gain real-world experience in deepening their understating of making art reflective of their local communities,” says Schrader. “Destiny’s design is an example of how the arts continue to be a thread that connects our institution and our surrounding communities.” 

A Blanket of Art for a Shared Space 

When Turner first saw the park, it was an empty lot; but after researching the demographics of the area, she immediately understood the assignment. Her winning design features a quilt pattern, highlighting motifs and patterns that are consistent across quilts from various cultures in the country. 

“Especially in America, quilting is something that is a part of the background of everybody’s culture,” she explains. “It represents shared fate and space.” 

After a complete overhaul by the city of Greensboro, Mayer Park now features a dog run, a basketball half-court, playground equipment, and picnic areas. It is the perfect tucked-away space to serve UNCG students and young families living in the apartments and homes around this shared recreation space. The sidewalk that runs through the lawn is brightly painted with Turner’s vibrant quilt design.  

Wide arial shot of a park with trees around it, lawns separated by sidewalks, a picnic area, playground and basketball court. In the center a section of the sidewalk is painted colorfully and you can barely see the artist standing beside it with her arms outstretched.

Experience ‘Made in Italy’ 

Although Turner’s design was inspired by American quilts and she credits local organizations like Creative Greensboro for the chance to paint her first public mural, her interest in mural painting was sparked by a study abroad experience in Italy. 

Turner wanted to study abroad from the minute she arrived on campus. After finding out she was too late to go on a group trip to Costa Rica with her Spanish class, she discovered an opportunity in Florence, Italy for art students. She worked with UNCG’s financial aid office to make sure her Pell grants and other scholarships would assist with the expenses she needed to spend a semester of her sophomore year overseas.  

“My trip to Florence was not just my first time flying, but my first time out of the country,” she explains. “I was scared, but I was so determined to go.” 

While in Florence, taking classes at Lorenzo de Medici Institute, Turner was invited to work with an Italian street artist on a mural for the school’s 50th anniversary.  

“I never considered public art until I went to Florence,” she says. “It broadened my horizons of what I thought would be possible for me as an artist. I never would’ve been able to create this sidewalk mural without my study abroad experience, and the fact that it is so affordable to study abroad at UNCG definitely helped.” 

The Art of Destiny   

The opportunities Destiny Turner found at UNCG have advanced her art far beyond what she expected when she was a high schooler questioning whether college was for her.

Now, as a third-year student who has just completed her first solo art installation, Turner looks ahead to graduating with distinction from Lloyd International Honors College in 2026. She appreciates the guidance she has absorbed from teachers like Mariam Aziza Stephan, the drawing instructor who encouraged her to study abroad and nominated her for the Mayer Park mural project. 

“I have seen Destiny’s willingness to try new things, engage with new ideas and artistic processes,” says Stephan. “Upon her return from Florence, I had the feeling that her approach to drawing became more rigorous. A rigor that comes from seeing more of the world and not being afraid of failing by taking risks because you have a larger perspective of risks that can be taken. Destiny has been one of the hardest working students that I have had the pleasure to teach, and I expect she will continue to surprise me.” 

When asked about how she feels about her design being a part of the Greensboro parks system forever, Turner pauses at the gravity of the question. “The idea of having something permanent in the world – of my art and my ideas – has always been my goal as an artist. I hope to be able to impact the world through my art.” 

Story by Becky Deakins, University Communications.
Photography by Sean Norona, University Communications.
Videography by Grant Gilliard, University Communicaitons
.

Arial view of a colorfully painted sidewalk with an artist working on it.

Color the World Around You.

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UNCG IDEAS Brings Immersive Stage Production to Audience

Posted on October 31, 2024

An actress playing Anne of Green Gables sits on a bed while a UNCG student in black clothes shadows her performance.

“Carrot-top!” 

Fans of the classic book “Anne of Green Gables” know that this taunt sets off the red-headed Anne (with an “E”), who responds to her classmate’s teasing by breaking a blackboard over his head. Chaos erupts in the classroom.

The scene, as presented by a community theatre in Burlington, North Carolina, added another layer of chaos. Two sets of actors were caught up in the fray, fighting in two languages – English and American Sign Language (ASL). Natalie Griffin, who played Anne Shirley, is deaf. She signed all her lines while interpreter Maddie Almers – now a student at UNC Greensboro – spoke those same lines beside her.

“Anne of Green Gables” was performed by Studio 1 as a shadow play, designed for a deaf or hard-of-hearing audience. Some of the actors could hear; others were deaf. They are each paired with an interpreter – known as a “shadow” or a “terp” – who provided sign language or verbal speech. They worked with Interpreting, Deaf Education and Advocacy Services (IDEAS) in UNCG’s School of Education to make it happen. 

At Studio 1, It Takes Two 

IDEAS faculty members Glenda Torres and the recently retired Lynne Allen pitched shadow plays to Studio 1’s executive director Tami Kress. “Lynne’s daughter was in a show, and they came to see her performance,” Kress recalls. “They said, ‘Hey, would you be interested in doing this?’ I thought, ‘I don’t know anything about it, but you know what? Let’s do it.’ And the rest is history.'”

Instead of placing an interpreter on the side, shadow plays have the interpreters follow the actors around the stage. The audience can fully immerse themselves in the performances because they do not have to “ping pong” their attention. It was a stellar opportunity for Studio 1 to expand its audience while giving students time to shine before graduation. Many of the terps are students recruited by the IDEAS faculty.

“When you’re a newer student, a freshman or sophomore, you get a lot of content-based courses, learning terminology and context,” says IDEAS major Josie Maita, who shadowed the character Ruby. “And sometimes you’re like, ‘Man, I just want to go out and do it.’ This is something for a student to look forward to.”

Maita originally planned to watch one of the shadow plays from the audience. Then she got an email from Assistant Professor Frank Griffin. “It said, ‘We need interpreters for Anne of Green Gables.’ I knew he was having a class downstairs, and so I ran down there and asked, ‘Are there still spots? Can I do the play?’ He said, ‘Yes. You need to be at rehearsal tonight at seven.'”

Almers’ first role as a terp was in Studio 1’s “The Little Mermaid.” She says those bonds she formed inspired her to enroll at UNCG to study ASL interpretation.

“That was surely a role and a production in general that had such a big impact on me and my knowledge of the Deaf Community,” says Almers. “Studio 1’s inclusivity led to me finding my passion for ASL and immersing myself in that community.”

Kress has directed for years, but she says there was a learning curve for staging ASL shadowed plays. She remembers the nervousness of both actors and interpreters going into their first production, but they clicked by the end of the first rehearsal. 

“I don’t know how to explain it,” she says. “Everyone just realized, ‘We are like-minded people. We are all thinking outside of the box together.’ And it just took off from there. It was this cool meeting of worlds.” 

Shadow Waltz 

Studio 1 has a three-sided “thrust stage.” That means the actors must direct their performance in three directions while their interpreters focus their hands and faces toward the center section where the hard-of-hearing audience sits. Griffin, Torres, and Allen would sit in the gallery to make sure the interpreters were visible. 

“My actress, Mackenzie, was a little spitfire,” says Maita. “She talked incredibly fast. And so, sometimes I wasn’t moving my hands fast enough. So, Frank would say, ‘You have to condense more.'” 

Maita also learned how to emote alongside Mackenzie. “The character of Ruby cries a lot. She stomps, she squeals,” she says. “Facial expressions are really important in ASL. I had to use the facial expressions that I don’t typically use when I’m signing, the facial expressions that I see children use.”

Kress always tells her actors to put thought into their character’s personality. Even if they don’t have a single line, she expects them to express that personality in actions and reactions. She brought the IDEAS students into the process.

“I love how they came together,” she says. “In one scene, Natalie had to throw herself onto her bed. They come up with the idea for Natalie to throw herself into Maddie’s lap, and Maddie would comfort her. They were like best friends, but also the same person.” 

Coming Attractions 

IDEAS students will return to the stage in the Holly Hill Mall on November 15-17 for “Blithe Spirit,” Studio 1’s 13th shadow play production. 

Kress says they picked this play based on feedback from the Deaf Community. “This year, they suggested we do a physical comedy,” she says. “A guy’s wife dies, and then he’s getting remarried, and she comes back as a ghost to try and chase off the new girlfriend.” 

Kress is grateful for the chance to deliver the theater experience to more people. “I love making theater accessible. It has always been one of my passions. Making it accessible to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community really is an art form of its own.”

Maita is graduating in December, and she hopes the shadow plays will continue with future IDEAS students. She says, “When you’re an interpreter, you get to join so many different worlds. This was definitely a blast.” 

Story by Janet Imrick, University Communications 
Photography courtesy of Studio 1

Three graduates of UNCG IDEAS do sign language during the National Anthem at Commencement.

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3MT Finalists Announced for 2024 Competition

Posted on October 29, 2024

A UNCG student gives a presentation in front of a projected powerpoint.

An 80,000-word thesis or dissertation would take nine hours to present.

Their time limit is three minutes.

Join them and the UNCG Graduate School for the 3MT Final Competition on Tuesday, November 5 from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Alumni House. This event is free and open to the public.

The 3MT Competition challenges master’s and doctoral students to explain their thesis or dissertation research to non-specialist audiences in just three minutes with one PowerPoint slide. This competition celebrates the discoveries made by graduate students and encourages them to communicate the importance of their work to the broader community.

The winners will be selected and announced at the end of the final competition: first place ($1,000), second place ($500), and People’s Choice ($250). The audience will select the People’s Choice winner, so come out, watch the competition, and cast your vote!

3MT Finalists in Alpha Order (Titles subject to change):

Sarah Campbell, History
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Torren Gatson
Revolution, Restoration, Recognition: The House in the Horseshoe National Register Nomination Reimagined

Esther Cardenas, Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Zhenquan Jia
The Effect of Carbon Nanodots on Ultrasonic Vocalizations and Other Behaviors of C57BL/6J and LDLr-/- mice

Terry Chavis, Higher Education
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Brad Johnson
From whose point of view? A phenomenological investigation of epistemological relations with Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Traditional STEM Curriculum & Pedagogy

Ashley Herring-Nicholas, Nanoscience
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eric Josephs
The Power of One – CRISPR-Cas precision editing of single nucleotide variants

Stacy Huff, Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sandra Ayoo
Exploring Compassion Fatigue in Program Evaluation

Nooshin KianvashRad, Nanoscience
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Dennis LaJeunesse
Cracking the Code of Drug-Resistant Fungi: Nanotechnology Meets Bioinformatics

Merna Melad, Nanoscience
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eric Josephs
How Far Is Enough? Dreaming of a Future Beyond 6 Feet Apart

Crystal Thinzar, Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Margaret “Megan” Fields-Olivieri
Keeping it R.E.A.L.: Understanding Everyday Socialization Processes in Parents of Toddlers

Panesun Tukur, Nanoscience
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jianjun Wei
Fast-Track Innovation: Unleashing AI and ML for Rapid Product Development

Nora Webb, English
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Risa Applegarth
The American Witch: Acts of Communication and Rebellion

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Ambitious Animations 

Posted on October 29, 2024

Jasmine Doctor and Sa'mya Mohammad
Honors Ambassadors Jasmine Doctor and Sa'mya Mohammad

Lloyd International Honors College ambassadors on storytelling, connections and leadership 

Empowering students comes in many forms at UNC Greensboro, including by giving students spaces to tell their stories, make personal connections, and lead by example.  

UNCG seniors Jasmine Doctor and Sa’mya Muhammad – animation majors in the College of Visual and Performing Arts – recently put their academics and marketing skills on display. They combined forces to give a virtual presentation on new media to students at the NC School of Science and Mathematics, many of whom were interested in game design. 

“We presented a slide show that was an overview of new media and design, including some of our work, and talked about programs students can combine with their majors, like we do in the Lloyd Disciplinary Honors,” Muhammad says. Among the slides, Doctor included storyboards and 2-D animation, and Muhammad added 3-D animation and modeling.  

The two are primed for career prospects in animation with a growing demand for artists who can create 3-D and 2-D graphics for video games, news broadcasts, professional sports teams, and animation studios. Sharing their UNCG experience with the next round of future animators was an apt way to reflect what it’s taken to prepare them for launch from the program. 

The honors advantage 

Artwork by Jasmine Doctor

Doctor, who is from Florence, SC, and Muhammad, from King’s Mountain, NC, met online before they came to UNCG four years ago and were matched as roommates in the Lloyd International Honors College where they both serve as ambassadors.  

“Honors College taught us a lot about how to grow as a person, be more of a leader, find new opportunities and try new things.” says Doctor. “It’s one reason I came to UNCG. I liked the requirement to study abroad, which has been an interest of mine since I was really young.” Doctor has traveled to both Japan and Italy through UNCG; the Honors College offers scholarships and grants to help fund travel expenses.  

“It also provides disciplinary artists so we can elevate our art classes, and it gave us experience in making presentations,” Doctor says. 

Muhammad adds, “When I met the Honors staff, their energy was contagious. They were passionate about what they were teaching, and that’s something I need — someone teaching the class who’s just as passionate as I am.” 

Animation aspirations 

Doctor plans to work in the animation industry, maybe in small, independent studios, in the U.S. or Japan, where she hopes to live someday. She has been interested in the country since she met a Japanese exchange student in fourth grade. The two are still friends. She traveled to Japan in 2023 through UNCG and felt at home there. Her minor in Asian studies enables her to focus on Japanese culture and language. She wants to compare the animation industry in the two countries. 

Muhammad wants to attend graduate school and come back to UNCG to teach animation. She too has visited Japan, as well as South Korea, with assistance from UNCG. She was once interested in working abroad but has grown attached to UNCG and wants “to create opportunities at home before I create opportunities anywhere else,” she says. 

She’d also like to open her own animation studio focused on children’s entertainment. Her goal is to create shows that help children embrace their environment and make them more open to trying new things. “I want to feature characters from around the world and help children see that they can succeed, no matter where they come from, or what they look like.” In her minor in entrepreneurship, she is studying how to start and run a business. 

Artwork by Sa’mya Muhammad

Connections for the future 

Both students appreciate the opportunities UNCG provides to build relationships with professors. “You’re encouraged to go to office hours, to talk to them in class and take advantage of them while you have them,” Doctor says. “I want to stay in contact with them and work with them in the future.” 

Muhammad adds, “My professors have helped me feel comfortable in myself and my work. They’re really good at making sure their students have their plan set for the future.” 

Story by Mary Daily

Photography and artwork courtesy of Jasmine Doctor and Sa’mya Muhammad

Aerial photo showing students on the lawn in front of the Elliott University Center.

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Faculty Present: Workshops and Presentations in November 2024

Posted on October 28, 2024

Students clap in their theatre seats during a talk at UNCG.

UNCG faculty and staff regularly put their talent and expertise on display for all students and colleagues. These are some of the presentations featuring employees on the UNCG campus during the month of October:

Hallo Weekend
November 1, 12:30 – 2 p.m.
MHRA Building, Room 3501

Didn’t get your fill trick-or-treating on October 31? The English Club is spending All Hallows’ Day and Día de los Muertos with Dr. Amy Vines, who will be offering a sneak peek at her Spring course “Books to Keep You Up at Night: Contemporary Horror Fiction.” All are invited to bring an excerpt from their favorite scary story to share. Costumes optional but always appreciated, Halloween or not.

A Reflection on a Fantastic Year in Chemistry
November 1, 1 – 3 p.m.
Sullivan Science Building, Room 101

In this seminar by Dr. Jerry Walsh, he reflects on his unexpected career path in chemistry, exploring boron cage compounds, transition metal complexes, and the importance of cherishing one’s unique contributions, followed by a reception honoring his many years at UNCG ahead of his retirement.

2024 Biology Weekly Seminar Series
November 1, 3 – 4 p.m.
Sullivan Science Building, Room 201

Dr. David Bickel, associate professor of computer science, will give the first of four presentations in this year’s month-long series. He will present on “Propagating uncertainty about clades, molecular evolution models, and prior distributions to divergence times and branch lengths.”

Red Clay Saxophone Quartet
November 2, 7:30 – 9 p.m.
Tew Recital Hall

Professors Steven Stusek and Mark Engebretson have been part of the Red Clay Saxophone Quartet for more than two decades. The Quartet presents a varied repertoire from classical to jazz to new music to tango, featuring music by composers such as Chen Yi, Ben Johnston, James Paul Sain, György Ligeti, Guillermo Lago, Francis Poulenc, Alejandro Rutty, Steve Reich, Mark Engebretson, David Maslanka, Martin Bresnick, Burton Beerman, and Gavin Bryars.

Equatorial Guinea: Central Africa and the Making of World History
November 7, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Bryan Building, Room 205

For the SPA 317 Foundations of Hispanic Cultures Speakers’ Series, Lloyd International Honors College Dean Omar Ali will explore how Africans and people of African descent have shaped the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Indian Ocean worlds.

UNCG Regional Mathematics and Statistics Conference
November 8-9
Sullivan Science Building

Mathematics and Statistics faculty members Igor Erovenko, Monika Goel, Sat Gupta, Romesh Thanuja, Thomas Weighill, Yi Zhang, and Jianping Sun are among the participants at this year’s conference which promotes student research in mathematics, statistics, and related fields.

“New Muslim Cool” Film Screening
November 14, 4 – 6 p.m.
Location to be determined

Dean Omar Ali will lead a discussion after the screening of the film by Puerto Rican-American rapper Hamza Perez. The award-winning documentary takes viewers on Hamza’s ride through streets, slums and jail cells, following his spiritual journey to some surprising places in an America that never stops changing. The event is co-sponsored by the Lloyd International Honors College and the Muslim Student Association

Viola Concert
November 15, 7:30 – 9 p.m.
Organ Hall

Professor of Viola and Chamber Music Scott Rawls has appeared as soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and Europe. He’ll be joined on the stage by Professor of Collaborative Piano James Douglass at this performance.

All-State and District Double Reed Day
November 17, 1 – 5 p.m.
School of Music Building

Join Drs. Courtney Miller and Michael Burns for masterclasses special Double Reed Day at UNCG focusing on NC All-State Solos, Scales, and Sightreading. The Faculty Recital is also part of this incredible afternoon.

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Artist’s Gift Will Transform the Weatherspoon Art Museum at UNCG

Posted on October 28, 2024

Artist Carol Cole Levin stands beside art exhibits.

Famed artist and collector Carol Cole Levin shares her love of art with students of the present and the future, gifting the Weatherspoon Art Museum a new collection of nearly 300 works and funding the Cole Levin Center for Art and Human Understanding.

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Furry Best Friends Bring Smiles at UNCG

Posted on October 25, 2024

Odin the UNCG police comfort dog wears a tie at a career fair.
UNCG students pet a dog outside.
Allie the Great Pyrenees was mascot for the master of informatics and analytics degree while her owner Dr. Prashanti Manda was the program director.

Pets have a special place in the hearts of Spartans. Scientists say that being around dogs can bring down stress levels, so it’s encouraging when UNC Greensboro students meet a four-legged friend on campus. Faculty and staff’s beloved dogs even got their own feature in the Fall 2019 UNCG Magazine. 

“Students living on campus have often left their pets at home, and they miss them dearly,” says Dr. Angela Bolte, Assistant Dean of the Lloyd International Honors College. She is one of several faculty who has introduced her dogs to students. “While my dogs can’t replace their own pets, it does give them chance to interact with a friendly pet for a short time.”

Some students make up for that separation by posting their pet pics on the biology and psychology “Pet Walls,” but it’s always fun when they come across a dog to play with between classes. 

Meet some of UNCG’s most iconic dogs who appear on campus just to add a little joy to students’ lives.

A UNCG student holds a small black dog while she chats on the steps with other students.

Hugs on Patrol 

If there’s one Spartan who brings smiles whenever he shows up in his fluffy brown coat, it’s Odin. 

The four-year-old Belgian Tervuren is a trained comfort dog who joined UNCG Campus Police in 2022. If a student experiences a serious and frightening crisis, Officer Zachary Lynch will bring Odin with his distinctive muzzle, long tongue, and nonjudgmental support.

A student dealing with depression or homesickness or who feels overwhelmed by a project may also ask to spend time with Odin. He makes regular visits to the busiest parts of campus, so students can set aside schoolwork to give him a pet or ear scratch or to gesture for one of his signature hugs. 

Odin is one of two dogs serving with campus police. Felix, the patrol dog, is also looking out for students, sniffing out evidence to prevent crimes and helping students look for lost items. Felix and his handler Officer Austin will also do demonstrations on request. 

Odin and Felix share insights into their days on their Instagram pages here and here

Reading Day Buddies 

Even the most prepared straight-A student feels the anxiety ramp up before final exams. It’s what inspired the Jackson Library staff to start a regular tradition on Reading Day, and one retired professor has helped make it happen. 

Susan Shelmerdine, professor emerita of classical studies, is a volunteer with North Carolina Pet Partners. They bring therapy animals to various functions for departments across campus, but Reading Day at the library is a favorite. “Everybody at NC Pet Partners loves going to UNCG,” she says. 

All the animals are trained, and each has a human handler to ensure everyone’s comfort and safety. Shelmerdine’s Golden Retrievers Kylie and the late Sophie were regular guests.

“We love our relationship with UNCG,” says Elizabeth Kuoni, president of North Carolina Pet Partners. “The students get so excited for the visits, and you can see how much they mean to them. Several times a student has come up to us and shown us one of Theo’s cards that we hand out on visits that they’ve carried in their wallet or backpack from years ago! It is very touching.”

Shelmerdine says each dog is different, and the handlers will guide students who may be nervous about getting up close. “Some dogs lie on a blanket or quilt, but my dogs didn’t want to stay in one spot. It depends on the personality, whether it’s a dog that wants to go around and meet people, or perform tricks, or roll over on its back for belly rubs.” 

Melody Rood, librarian in the research, outreach, and instruction department, notices that these visits lift students’ spirits. She says, “We’ll hear students say, ‘Oh my gosh! This is the best day!’ Or, ‘I didn’t know this was happening. I’m so glad I came through the library today.’” 

Pet Partners limits the pet outings to two hours, so they don’t tire out, but Shelmerdine says that as therapy animals, they’re naturally inclined to enjoy human company. As to why students love to see the pets on Reading Day, she says, “Animals don’t judge. Particularly at a time when you have a scary test or a paper worth half your grade, and somebody is definitely judging you. The dogs don’t. They just love to see you.” 

Teachers’ Pets

Animal sightings are not limited to special events. Some professors bring their dogs to campus to motivate their pupils. 

Bolte first introduced her Shelties to UNCG when she brought them to serve as examples for her ethics classes. Students asked her to bring them back, so she made it a practice to have them visit before finals.

“I think students feel like they already know my dogs, if I’ve used them as an example in class or if they’ve seen them on social media,” says Bolte. “We’ve featured Honors College pets on Instagram before, and I’ve been told there’s a lot of excitement when my dogs appear.” 

Safety First  

Berkeley is UNCG professor Angela Bolte's beloved Sheltie.
Bolte’s Sheltie Berkeley is a treat…in exchange for treats.

Not all dogs are the same. Always check with the dog’s owner before touching them. Bolte says her own dogs can get overstimulated, so she’s developed methods to keep them comfortable.

“I usually bring cookies for the dogs, so the students can give them a treat, and the dogs enjoy it, too,” says Bolte.

It is important to distinguish between pets and service dogs, who are working animals and should not be distracted while they provide critical, perhaps life-saving support. Be aware of policies and guidance for interacting with service animals.  

Before you consider bringing your own dog on campus, check with staff to ensure safety and understand your rights. Students with service dogs are not required but highly encouraged to check in with the Office of Accessibility Resources and Services (OARS), so that staff can help make sure the animals are respected on campus. Emotional support animals must be reported to OARS. 

Story by Janet Imrick, University Communications
Photography by Sean Norona, University Communications
Additional photography courtesy of Dr. Angela Bolte, Lloyd International Honors College; and Susan Shelmerdine, Pet Partners

UNCG students pose with a husky from a local animal shelter group.

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National Transfer Student Week Hits Different at UNCG

Posted on October 22, 2024

Student stands in front of Forney building posing with a UNCG t-shirt held in front of her. Your First Year banners and students in lime green shirts are behind her.

UNCG prides itself on meeting our students where they are and supporting them throughout their academic journey. This week, we celebrate the huge portion of our students who find their way here from another school.

A whopping 38% of UNCG’s total current student body are transfer students and this number is growing. Of all the new students who arrived on campus this fall, 42% transferred in from another college.  

42% of 2024 First-Year
Students are Transfers 

  • 60% come from community colleges –  
    Guilford Tech and Forsyth Tech are our biggest transfer feeder schools 
  • 17% come from another UNC system institution 
  • 15% come from an out-of-state institution 

Warm Spartan Welcome for Transfers 

Our transfers’ average age is 26, and they arrive with varied experience and credit hours, which require special advising options. Helping these unique students find their fit at UNCG requires custom resources. Transfers have their own SOAR sessions, advising, and campus organizations.  

Transfer2Transfer is a UNCG program connecting new transfers with those who are in their second year here for advice and support. “Connect,” one of four living learning communities, offers special interest housing just for transfers, allowing them to live in a community that fits better for those new to UNCG, but not new to college. Organizations like Tau Sigma allow transfer students to bond with their peers on campus. 

UNCG’s supportive resources and organizations ensure that our transfer students find a home here that breeds success. So how are we doing? Let’s go straight to the sources: 

Celebrating Our Transfers 

Transfer Initiatives is a team dedicated to supporting UNCG’s transfer population, so they succeed here both academically and socially. This team has been busy planning special events to recognize transfers during their honorary week, October 21-25.  

They kicked off the week with a Taco Truck on Monday and gave free lunch vouchers to transfer students. On Thursday, October 24, there’s an event at the Kaplan Center especially for transfer students. RSVP today if you’d like to attend the Transfers Reaching the Top rock-climbing event

This week is especially important to UNCG since so many of our graduating students come to us as transfers. We tip our hats to the faculty and staff members who make UNCG a welcoming place for transfers and we applaud those students for “finding their way here.”  

Story by Becky Deakins, University Communications.
Photos by Sean Norona, except for those submitted by transfer students.

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UNCG Students Get the Word (and Pictures) Out About Playground Project

Posted on October 23, 2024

UNCG Dr. Emily Hamuka points at a picture board in a park to her three students Sidney Cassidy, Brooke Parks, and Mary Grace Smith.

A picture can be worth a thousand words, especially for children who have intellectual or physical impediments to forming words on their own. Thanks to the efforts of UNC Greensboro students, many children will find a helpful tool when having fun with friends on the playground. 

As Sidney Cassidy, Brooke Parks, and Mary Grace Smith near the end of UNCG’s speech-language pathology graduate program, they chose a capstone project that removes obstacles for children with complex communication needs at parks in Asheboro, North Carolina.

With the guidance of Dr. Emily Hamuka, associate professor and clinical educator in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD), they designed special boards that are now permanently set in playgrounds at five of the city parks.

UNCG students Mary Grace Smith, Brooke Parks, and Sidney Cassidy stand behind a picture board with their professor Emily Hamuka.

Playtime Accessibility 

“What started this project was our shared interest in AAC,” says Parks, referring to augmentative and alternative communication, a tool used by people when words are not at their disposal. October is AAC Awareness Month.

Parks works for Asheboro’s Cultural and Recreations Services, and she pitched the idea of putting AAC boards in the playgrounds at the beginning of the year. She says, “I didn’t have to think about how I would be able to communicate when I went to the park as a kid. But there are people with disabilities who have to think about that. These boards should help them.”

AAC can be high-tech, such as electronic tablets, or light-tech such as pencil and paper. It is a valuable aid to people who have intellectual disabilities or physical conditions – including autism, aphasia, Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, ALS, and traumatic brain injuries – which can inhibit the ability to speak or express oneself. 

“We often think about physical accessibility,” says Hamuka. “For example, playgrounds having ramps or mulch that won’t get stuck in a wheelchair wheel. But a lot of people don’t think about those public spaces having accessible communication.” 

Cassidy and Parks are both from Asheboro, and Smith is from Marion, so they recognized the value of expanding access to speech-language pathology tools outside of large urban centers. Cassidy says, “We were interested in reaching beyond Guilford County into a more rural area, an area that may not have the resources that others have.” 

“I hope we broke some of the stigma about AAC,” says Smith. “I hope we showed people that it is an acceptable form of communication.” 

Pictures for All Ages 

Each board is lined with pictures that link to one or two words. They indicate directions like “up” and “down,” actions such as “slide,” requests such as “look,” and other needs such as “hurt” or “help.” 

“The majority of these are ‘core words’ which can be used across many situations and contexts,” says Hamuka. “They also have some specific words and symbols related to a playground, which we call ‘fringe vocabulary.’”

The boards in Asheboro are primarily directed at children, but Parks, Cassidy, and Smith designed them to be intuitive for all ages. They studied other AAC boards, talked to speech-language pathologists, and did a survey in Asheboro to decide what words would be most useful to the public. 

Smith says, “We also put the boards at a certain height, so that children or individuals in wheelchairs can reach them.” 

CSD students at UNCG can study AAC in a semester-long, one-credit course. “When I was in graduate school, I had perhaps one class period where we talked about AAC,” says Hamuka. “Now, our students at UNCG can be supervised by amazing community-based speech-language pathologists who focus on children with complex communication needs. They get amazing hands-on experience.”

Bringing the Public on Board 

A key part of their project is education, so they led a staff training day over the summer. “Asheboro Cultural and Recreation Services really helped in this project,” says Parks. “They fully funded the boards. They put them up. We could not have done it without them.”

UNCG students Brooke parks, Mary Grace Smith, and Sidney Cassidy sit atop a slide.

They also held Community Days to educate the public about the boards and AAC in general. “There were several other speech-language pathologists there, and parents with children that used AAC,” says Cassidy. “And they were saying it would be great to have this in their schools and other places.” 

Hamuka was impressed by the work that Cassidy, Parks, and Smith put into this project that will leave a resounding impact for years to come. 

“The awesome thing about these capstone projects is how they let graduate students nearing the end of their academic career really take ownership and decide what area or specialty they want to focus on,” she says. “They learn research skills but also how to engage with the community. They’ll get to continue that as they go out into the world as speech-language pathologists.” 

“We wanted to give more people a voice,” says Cassidy. “Everyone deserves a voice.” 

Story by Janet Imrick, University Communications
Photography by David Lee Row, University Communications

UNCG students Brooke Parks, Mary Grace Smith, and Sidney Cassidy laugh as they slide down a playground slide.

Impact Your Community.

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