On Oct. 27, the School of Health and Human Sciences’ Speech and Hearing Center will provide screenings to anyone with UNCG or in the community. Appointments should take roughly 15 minutes, and registration is open now.
Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Search Advisory Committee
To guide the search for our next vice chancellor, the chancellor has convened an advisory committee. The committee will work closely with our search partners at Isaacson, Miller to identify and recommend outstanding candidates. We thank them in advance for their service and thoughtful guidance during this important process.
Advisory Committee Members:
Alan Boyette, Provost (chair)
Joy Bhadury, Dean, Bryan School of Business and Economics
Beth Fischer, Vice Chancellor for Advancement
Donna Heath, Vice Chancellor for Information Technology Services
Susan Letvak, Professor of Nursing; Past Chair, Faculty Senate Budget Committee
Sherine Obare, Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement
Zach Smith, Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus Enterprises and Risk Management
Waiyi Tse, Chief of Staff
Interim Leadership
Effective Jan. 1, 2026, and until we have a new vice chancellor for finance and administration, leadership of the division will be shared by Scott Milman, associate vice chancellor for finance; and Zach Smith, associate vice chancellor for campus enterprises and risk management.
We are confident that they will provide steady leadership as we transition to our next permanent vice chancellor.
Please join us in thanking the advisory committee members for their service and in supporting Scott and Zach in their interim leadership roles.
Historias Espartanas: Latine Students Who Found Their Way Here
Posted on October 06, 2025
It’s no surprise that the kick-off for Hispanic Heritage Month events at UNC Greensboro was packed with students. The “Fiesta at the Fountain” began with organizations sharing their services with students arriving at Moran Commons, followed by performances by musicians and dancers around the fountain, and ended with the crowd joining in for one big dance party.
The event was symbolic of how quickly the Latine student body has grown on our campus. In recent years, the percentage of students identifying as Hispanic or Latine has increased steadily. Last year, UNCG was recognized as an Emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution when our Hispanic student body surpassed 15%. Today, Hispanic students make up 17.9% of our undergraduates. It’s the highest percentage among four-year institutions of the UNC system.
Scenes from the UNCG’s Hispanic Heritage Month kick-off event.
The story behind this growth is bigger than recruitment and enrollment statistics. It reflects a culture of care and success that UNCG fosters for its students of Hispanic heritage. Resources help students succeed academically, while organizations allow them to learn more about their heritage and find ways to express and celebrate it. Staff keep Spanish-speaking family members informed with the help of translators. And students find mentors that look like them in campus student leaders, faculty, and alumni groups.
All of these efforts work together to make Latine students feel at home at UNCG. Their journeys, or “Historias Espartanas,” are shared below.
Emeli Hernandez-Urena
Major: English, with event planning and Spanish minors Hometown: Santiago de Los Caballeros, Dominican Republic and Greensboro, North Carolina Class of 2027
I first experienced UNCG through CHANCE camp when I was in high school. It immediately made me feel welcome and supported and showed me the kind of community I would find here.
UNCG has given me the space to celebrate who I am and learn from others’ stories as well. I’ve learned that heritage isn’t measured by how much blood you have, but by how you embrace your culture, values, and experiences.
Kelvin Hernandez
Major: Accounting Hometown: Gurabo, Puerto Rico Class of 2027
UNCG feels like home because there are many Latinos on campus, and when I see my friends, I can go up to them and talk in Spanish. That connection makes me feel comfortable and reminds me of home.
I’ve recently been trying to teach Spanish to my teammates on the golf team. Sharing my language and other parts of my heritage makes me proud of where I come from.
I don’t think I would be who I am today without the incredible individuals who have mentored and inspired me throughout my involvements at UNCG. Marisa Gonzalez wears many hats, but my favorite is her position as advisor of ALPFA UNCG. Julia Goren, Bryan School PD pProgram sSpecialist, has made me feel so seen as a growing leader and helped me in my professional development. I met Dante Evans and Jarrett Strickland in my first year when I joined the Spartan Guide team. They have provided many laughs, mentorship, and the confidence to take on public speaking in welcoming perspective students.
Natalie Richardson-Hernandez
Major: Communication studies with a psychology minor Hometown: Kannapolis, North Carolina Class of 2027
There was something about the campus and the energy here that drew me in. It felt like UNCG was calling me. As someone who is both Mexican and Black, I grew up feeling like I had to choose one part of my identity over the other, but here I’ve been able to embrace all aspects of who I am.
At UNCG, there’s no shame in not knowing something. Instead, there’s always someone willing to help you expand your knowledge, whether academically or personally. I’m planning to pursue a master’s degree in higher education so I can help future students navigate college the way UNCG has guided me, with support, encouragement, and resources to grow and thrive.
Santino Inkpen
Major: Kinesiology Hometown: Alexandria, Virginia Class of 2028
I decided to come to UNCG for several reasons: the kinesiology program, the great soccer program with staff to support the players, and the beautiful campus. I love being on a team with so many people from different countries. It makes it easy to be who you are without thinking you are different.
UNCG offered me the opportunity to combine academics with athletics. The international business program is strong and being able to play soccer at a competitive level while studying in the U.S. was the perfect combination for me.
I hope to use my degree in international business to create opportunities and to connect businesses across countries. My goal is to support my family and contribute to building bridges between communities through trade, culture, and education.
Fatima Galvan-Ruiz
Major: Media studies, with business and Spanish minors Hometown: Asheboro, North Carolina Class of 2026
One of the most meaningful parts of my journey has been helping Herencia grow from an idea into a space where students connect with their heritage and community. It has brought me joy to be part of someone else’s self-discovery as they experience their culture through a new lens, as I did here at UNCG.
I hope to use my degree to create and share impactful stories and give a platform to voices and news that deserve to be heard. As a first-generation student, it is a privilege to be in college pursuing a creative field. Entering the media industry, where there aren’t many people who look like me, I know I can uplift both my family and future communities by giving even the quietest voices a space that inspires and empowers.
Story by Becky Deakins, University Communications. Photography by Sean Norona, University Communications. Athletes’ photos were submitted by UNCG Athletic Department.
Historias Espartanas: Marisa González Inspires the Next Generation
Posted on September 29, 2025
Many UNC Greensboro alumni stick around to work for the University, finding ways to give back by serving the students who come after them.
One of those, Marisa González ’16, ’19 M.A., has worn many hats, and often many at once. Right now, she’s a student, alumna, staff member, and lecturer.
She embraces so many different roles, she says, because sometimes the key to a student’s success is a change of perspective. She knows first-hand that a conversation or a moment of encouragement can be the spark that helps someone reach their goals.
Encontrando su camino aquí
When González arrived at UNCG as a first-generation student, the cultural shift toward earning a college degree had not yet taken root within her family or community. In her first semester, she began to have doubts. That all changed, however, thanks to a little encouragement from Carmen Sotomayor, Ph.D., now professor emerita of the languages, literatures, and culture (LLC) department.
“Her class Spanish 302, that one class, kept me here,” says González. “She was the first one to see something in me. I like to say she was my angel in my first semester.”
Gonzalez speaks at a UNCG Affinity Group Council meet-up.Selfie time for CHANCE Camp staff and volunteers.Students learn more about campus offerings during Fall Kickoff.
González changed majors to Spanish education with K-12 teacher licensure. After finishing her degree, she stayed to earn a master of arts in languages, literature, and culture for Spanish at the urging of another mentor, Department Associate Head Ignacio Lopez, Ph.D.
“I found a space where I could grow and really thrive,” she says. “I also felt like I could make an impact by teaching about culture and language.”
Graduate school introduced her to new ways to give back to the University that had served her. The University Teaching and Learning Commons (UTLC) offered her a graduate assistantship, which eventually led to a full-time job offer.
La Voz de la Comunidad
All those experiences inspired her to serve students facing the same doubts she overcame. She says, “When I started my Ph.D., I felt something change in me. I wanted to connect with my identity and my culture a little bit more and in other capacities on campus.” To that end, González moved into the admissions office to provide bilingual services, then into the Office of Intercultural Engagement (OIE). She began teaching introductory Spanish courses.
Gonzalez shares wellness resources during “Be Well Stay Well.”Undergraduate Admissions Open House.
Over the years, she observed a demographic shift. Today, UNCG is an emerging Hispanic-serving institution, with those students comprising 22% of the first-year class.
“The growth in our Latine-Hispanic community really caught my attention,” says González. “When I started here, I think we were at 4%. I was seeing a need in admissions. We started asking, ‘Where is the space for them to build community once they are at UNCG?'”
González helped start a focus group with students and other employees. “Some of the things that came up a lot were unity, feeling represented, community, support in navigating the University,” she recalls. “They wanted to know that they’re not alone, that there’s spaces that they can come back to and feel like they have a family here.”
OIE’s VOISES panel holds a Valentine’s Day-themed talent show.A panel discussion during the Alianza Symposium.Best quinceañera dress contest.
With this feedback, she helped launch OIE’s Herencia, a collective to build and support community. Through this and other programs, she’s become a familiar face among students looking for academic resources or social events that emphasize their shared heritage.
Círculo Completo
UNCG continues to change under her watch, and it remains deeply personal to González in many ways. More than a decade since her first semester, several of her younger relatives have come to UNCG.
Her own education continues to evolve so that she can reach even more students. She is now pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership and cultural foundations. She returned to UTLC this year as an educational developer, helping faculty identify and improve students’ sense of belonging in the classroom. “I hope to be a voice for students,” she says. “Having the perspective of a student, staff, a teacher, and now a Ph.D. student, I bring all the different roles that I’ve played at UNCG and put that into faculty development.”
With each step of her academic journey, faculty and staff encouragement has made a difference. “The people in UTLC were the ones that actually pushed me to want to get a Ph.D. They said, ‘You can do this.’ They believed in me so much.”
Maintaining community takes place every day, not just during Hispanic Heritage Month, she says. “Sure, we come together, like we say, ‘Let’s have a fiesta at the fountain.’ But that’s not everything. I want to know people’s names, where they come from. I want them to feel they can come to me with a question, or if they have a challenge at home that we can figure it out together.”
No matter what she does, a part of every job is building relationships. “That’s how it starts,” she says. “Building trust. Building community. It’s about helping one more person get across the finish line.”
Story by Janet Imrick, University Communications Photography by Sean Norona and David Lee Row, University Communications
The Benefits of an Undergraduate Research Experience
Posted on October 03, 2025
URSCO Director Mitch Croatt, Ph.D., discusses the world of opportunities that open up to students who engage in undergraduate research and shares a list of new workshops for them to learn more.
Food, Fundraisers, and More for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Posted on October 03, 2025
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month each October, UNCG departments and student organizations hold events to raise money and help everyone put more focus on their health.
These events are open to anyone interested in learning more:
Think Pink Through Nov. 13 Kaplan Center
Sweat for a good cause or cheer on your friends. Recwell’s Intramural Sports will hold pink-themed challenges.
As part of Homecoming Weekend, join nursing’s two-mile walk around campus in partnership with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation. All are welcome, and there is no registration fee. It starts and ends at the Nursing Instructional Building.
Student group HerFlora Collective Network presents this as part of its Cycle of Care series, combining wellness, education, and community connection. Students and community members are invited to enjoy refreshing pink-themed agua frescas while learning about breast health, menstrual equity, and preventive care. The program will include interactive education on breast self-exams and resources for reproductive and overall wellness.
Zeta Phil Beta invites all to their Breast Cancer Awareness party, an uplifting and informative event dedicated to education, empowerment, and honor. They will have food and talks about prevention, early detection, and survivors’ stories.
After a surprise encounter during orientation, Jinna Sakkijha felt more confident about her choice to pursue a degree in the arts. Now, while working at the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, she reflects on the powerful impact art can have on different communities.
As the thermometer dips closer to that “Goldilocks” temperature – not too hot, not too cold, but just right – UNC Greensboro brings the fall fun with something sure to suit everyone.
Numerous organizations help students beat midterm stress and keep active before the winter frost settles in. It’s time to check out a group that piqued your interest during the Fall Kickoff or experience a different side of campus. Opportunities range from cozying up indoors with friends to getting the adrenaline pumping on an outdoor adventure.
Here are some ways to make the most of autumn at UNCG:
Workshop Your Wellness
There are so many different Spartan well-being workshops in the coming weeks (Eating Well at the G, Healthy Behaviors, Wellness Wednesday, Financial Wellness) that students will easily find something to round out their personal wellness journey.
An encouraging and practical session teaches about bouncing back from a tough start and finishing the semester strong. Learn how to set realistic goals, shift into a growth mindset, and build the resilience you need to keep moving forward—no matter the setback. College can be tough, but you’re tougher. Let’s regroup, refocus, and take positive action.
This eight-week Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) group focuses on giving college students struggling with ADHD and ADHD symptoms the tools to help develop focus, embrace structure, and build strategies they need to succeed academically, personally, and socially.
Create your own Bingo card of activities to improve your wellness! Learn about the Eight Dimensions of Wellness and pick up some giveaways, too!
Support Your Peers
CEO Student Marketplace Oct 7, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., College Avenue Hosted by the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization
Explore one-of-a-kind creations ranging from handmade art and crochet to trendy clothing and more, while enjoying live performances throughout the day. The Marketplace supports student businesses while creating an exciting, real-world experience for aspiring entrepreneurs. Don’t miss your chance to shop and support your fellow students.
Transfer Taco Tuesday Oct. 21, 11 a.m.–2 p.m., Minerva statue Hosted by Transfer Student Success
Come by the Taco Bros truck for a sizzling celebration of transfer students with tacos, burritos, and quesadillas (including veggie options). Meet fellow transfers, make new connections, and enjoy good vibes. The first 85 transfer students to RSVP on Spartan Connect enjoy a free meal.
Each transfer student wearing a T-shirt from their previous institution gets a fresh, new Transfer Initiatives T-shirt. At the same time, they get to meet other transfer students, represent their new home, and show off that school spirit in style. Shirts are offered while supplies last.
Get Adventurous
Outdoor Adventures is a multifaceted program that promotes physical health through the Recreation and Wellness department. It hosts regular excursions off campus, manages the Kaplan Center’s climbing wall, and provides outdoor equipment rentals.
Anyone interested must register in advance. Browse for a trip of your choosing on the Outdoor Adventures webpage.
Pilates Day Hike (Oct. 25, 7 a.m.–5 p.m., Stone Mountain State Park) Register by Oct. 22.
Kickstart Your Lifetime Goals
URSCO Workshops Through Nov. 6 Hosted by Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creativity
Learn how to apply for graduate school, overcome imposter syndrome, and build professional skills in a series of workshops. Each topic will be covered in two sessions.
This signature all-majors recruiting event is designed to connect UNCG students and alumni with world-class employers offering full-time, internship, and graduate opportunities. Students will meet prospective employers face-to-face and network with companies. In addition, graduate schools will give talks about their programs.
Harriet Elliott Lecture Series (Oct. 1–2, 6 p.m. and 2 p.m.): Podcast host Jacoby Cochran and the local DJ group “In the Beat of the Night” will deliver a keynote speech and a hip-hop show centered around the theme of storytelling and fostering connection through communication. “In the Beat of the Night” is Greensboro’s longest-running radio show, beginning on UNCG’s WUAG.
Graduate students can spend a Friday evening enjoying the fall weather beside the lake. All Kaplan Center members are eligible and may bring up to four guests.
Banned Books Week Oct. 6–10 Hosted by University Libraries
Jackson Library recognizes Banned Books Week with two events. On Tuesday, Oct. 7, they will screen the film “Banned Together: The Fight Against Censorship.” On Thursday, Oct. 9, they will hold a read-a-thon of the frequently challenged book “Looking for Alaska” outside on the lawn of the Stone Building.
Costumes encouraged! UNCG students are invited to visit each of the 11 departments and programs in the School of Health and Human Sciences. They’ll collect stamps on their passports and get their fill of candy. After collecting all the stamps, stop by the HHS Advising Center on the fourth floor of the Margaret C. Moore Building, Room 422, for games, prizes, and more treats.
Join friends to watch a horror masterpiece from A24. UNCG SpartanCard is required for entry.
In 1630, upon threat of banishment by the church, an English farmer leaves his colonial plantation, relocating his wife and five children to a remote plot of land on the edge of an ominous forest, within which lurks an unknown evil. With suspicion and paranoia mounting, family members accuse teenage daughter Thomasin of witchcraft.
Sweeney Todd (Oct. 3–5) Enter the dark, twisted streets of 19th-century London where revenge is served piping hot. Sweeney Todd, a barber with a haunted past, returns from exile, burning with vengeance against the corrupt judge who destroyed his life and stole his wife. But justice has a price, and blood will spill. Teaming up with the wickedly clever meat pie shopkeeper Mrs. Lovett, Todd opens a barbershop upstairs with a sinister twist.
AGSD Showcase (Oct. 17–18, Coleman Theatre) The Association of Graduate Students will present a concert showing works in progress featuring undergraduate and graduate dancers.
Prime Movers (Oct. 24–25, Coleman Theatre) This student group hosts an annual show featuring adjudicated undergraduate student work.
Collage (Oct. 25, 7:30–9 p.m., UNCG Auditorium): The UNCG School of Music presents its 18th annual performance of Collage this year. Talented performers present one riveting work after another, combined with fun lighting effects. Join the School of Music students and many of our world-class faculty members for this nonstop evening of amazing performances. It’s not to be missed!
Organ Spooktacular (Oct. 28, 7:30 p.m., Organ Recital Hall) Rock the night with eerie tunes courtesy of the impressive pipes in the Music Building.
Rough Magic (Oct. 31–Nov. 2) What happens when Shakespeare collides with superheroes in the heart of New York City? Pure magical mayhem. In Rough Magic, characters from The Tempest are hurled into modern-day Manhattan in a high-stakes, spell-slinging adventure where the city’s fate hangs in the balance.
Celebrate Homecoming
UNCG’s Homecoming falls on Oct. 17 and 18 this year. Don’t miss the lighting of the bonfire or the incredible food and vendor stands at Street Fest. And this year, join Spartans old and new for the naming of the Alumni House to the Marcus T. Johnson Alumni House at 2:00 p.m. Then cheer on the Men’s Soccer team as they take on Wofford at 6:00 p.m. As Ted Lasso says, “Believe!”
Story by Janet Imrick and Lauren Segers, University Communications Photography by Sean Norona and David Lee Row, University Communications
Please check out the link to see below for details about each program.
The police department will host a “Steer Clear: Decide to Drive Sober” session on Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 5 p.m. at the Police Building, 1st Floor Community Room. Learn more about the program and how to register at the UNCG police website.
This free series offers globally themed sessions to enhance the professional and personal development of campus members and the public. It features speakers from UNCG and the community with unique insights into global topics. Bring lunch. Participants have the option of attending in person or virtually.
