Murray is also a co-founder of the See the Triumph campaign which aims to support survivors of abuse, sharing messages of empowerment and hope. This summer, she leaves UNCG to focus on her new endeavor: Start Here Counseling and Consulting, promoting mental health and healthy relationships within the community.
The Steps to Recovery
Murray spoke on “Last First Date,” hosted by Sandy Weiner, in the episode “Healing from Emotional Abuse: Insights from Christine Murray and Sandy Weiner.” Murray shared from her personal experience as a survivor, engaging in conversation with Weiner about the intricacies of emotional abuse and the journey towards recovery.
“It’s important for people to take those steps toward educating themselves on the signs of abuse. Set an intention that you want to work on your healing and recognize those patterns that repeat themselves,” Murray said.
Some of her key messages include the various forms of emotional abuse, the profound effects of emotional abuse, the importance of actively pursuing healing, and the role of partners in supporting survivors of abuse.
In “Relationship Advice” episode “What Exactly is A Healthy Relationship Anyway,” hosted by Chase and Sarah Kosterlitz, Murray talked about her initiatives for preventing abusive relationships and shaping healthy, safe relationships of all kinds.
“I encourage listeners to be proactive in evaluating their relationships, striving for happiness and health, and taking action if they slide into unhealthy territories,” Murray said.
Some of her key messages include the importance of recognizing early warning signs of abuse, understanding the complex dynamics of abusive relationships, identifying red flags, setting personal boundaries, self-reflection, and independence.
For the past year, Kimberly Osborne has served as the Interim Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communications. In this role and as a member of the University Communications team, Kimberly has led several University-wide marketing and communications efforts including the brand refresh, our 125th anniversary, COVID crisis communications, and the Next Generation Web Project. Since joining UNCG in 2017, she has been a vital voice in shaping UNCG and our story for years to come.
Kimberly is taking on a new role as Vice President for University Communications and Chief Marketing Officer at Old Dominion University and her last day with UNCG will be June 17. I have appreciated her willingness to step-in and lead University Communications and collaborate with key marketing units on campus to ensure our story is consistent and authentic.
I am pleased to share that Myla Edmond will serve as the next Interim Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communications. She will begin in early June and work with Kimberly to ensure a smooth transition. Myla joins us from the RW Jones Agency, where she serves as Senior Vice President, advising university clients on strategic marketing and branding. She was previously the Associate Vice President of Communications and Marketing at California State University, Dominguez Hills, and has over 17 years of higher education marketing and communications experience, including at Western Michigan University, the University of California System, and the University of Indianapolis.
Please join me in thanking and congratulating Kimberly and welcoming Myla.
Assistant Professor of Dance Marielis Garcia has been a teaching artist since she was barely a teenager—a gutsy teenager who knew exactly what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to ask for it.
UNCG Alum Makes It Home with Durham Bulls Marketing
Posted on May 06, 2024
Since graduating from UNC Greensboro in 2016, former Spartan baseball player Keaton Haack ’16 has been able to keep his love of the game in a successful career.
“UNCG molded me from the day I walked into my first job,” says Haack.
Haack is originally from Guilford County and attended Northwest Guilford High School, where he also played baseball. He racked up multiple accolades early in his career, being named the 2011 Most Valuable Pitcher for Northwest Guilford and the 2011 Perfect Game Preseason High School underclassmen All-American.
BACK TO HOME PLATE
When looking at universities, he wanted to continue his baseball career and decided to go out of state. But the draw of home brought him back.
“I decided to go home where I felt comfortable. I knew that the UNCG baseball team was on the rise so it was an easy choice,” he says.
Finding his way to UNCG was one choice, but finding the right major was something else.
“I started as a biology major, wanting to go the medical school route,” Haack says. “But then I realized I had this innate ability with business and sales. I think a lot of athletes are good with business because we command a room and can have a lot of leadership potential.”
Haack says he also wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, who has been an influential business leader throughout his career.
“It was an easy choice for me to choose business,” he says. “I didn’t necessarily know what I wanted to do in the business world though.”
FOCUS IN THE FIELD
The Bryan School did help Haack narrow down what field of business he wanted to pursue and, after graduation, he knew sports needed to be part of his life.
“I started applying to a bunch of corporate jobs in the area and I had a couple of interviews, but I felt like it wasn’t for me,” he says. “I knew sports was my passion.”
In 2018 he landed a position working in sales for the Kansas City Chiefs, something he says UNCG uniquely prepared him for.
“One of the best experiences at UNCG was my professional selling class. It taught you about consumer behavior and how to shape your selling techniques,” he says. “UNCG pushes you to think outside of the box and create your own path, which I appreciated. There was always a drive to push me to become a better person, student, and an athlete.”
COACHING COMMUNICATION
It wasn’t just his classes in the Bryan School that prepared Haack for his career, but his baseball experience as well.
“My coaches helped me adapt my communication styles and to understand different leadership styles,” he says. “My teammates also pushed me, and they were very kind and accepting when I came to the University.”
In April 2022, Haack made another homecoming – returning to North Carolina to work for the Durham Bulls as he and his wife began to start a family. His advice for students who want to get into the sports marketing world: don’t take no for an answer.
“Sports is one of the harder industries to get into, but it’s very satisfying,” he says. “And if it’s what you want to do, if it’s a passion, then it will be rewarding in the end.”
Story by Avery Craine Powell, University Communications Photography courtesy of Keaton Haackand UNCG Athletics
UNC Greensboro’s Class of 2024 is embarking on their next big adventure. They’re bringing their celebrations to a close and reflecting on the memories they made on campus. UNCG knows they will put their knowledge to good use, creating remarkable, real-world impact every day, and the University does not want that wisdom to be lost on campus.
Some of this year’s graduates left a message for another set of seniors, specifically those graduating from high school and preparing for that move into higher education in the fall. This is the wisdom they want to pass on to the next generation of Spartans.
Explore all the potential career paths that can come from this major and build relationships with your professors because they genuinely care about your growth and success.
Build strong and meaningful relationships! Communicate with your professors, get to know your roommates and Resident Advisors, connect with UNCG staff members, etc. College is a connection point to wonderfully diverse people, experiences, and knowledge – you just have to seek it out. Eventually, you will leave with a degree (or degrees), but the people you met along the way will hold a very special place in your life.
I advise new students to get involved in whatever capacity works best for and excites them. Being involved helps you feel more a part of the community and builds a sense of belonging. That being said, also learn to protect your time and health. Knowing your limitations and honoring them is a strength!
There is no right path to discover who you are and what you want. Be brave and take chances. This campus gives you the opportunity to find new communities and new interests every single day, and taking advantage of that is the reason for my success here. It’s up to you how much you squeeze out of this experience.
Never settle. One of the many things my faculty members did well was push students to see themselves creating positive change in our field. They instilled a desire to be changemakers at the forefront of the field, and they provided the knowledge and resources to do just that, but it takes drive from the student to achieve that.
Graduating high school is no easy feat, so you should celebrate every single step of the way. Don’t be too nervous about college; I know your teachers have told you about how strict and scary and difficult it is, but it’s far from it. In the least stereotypical cliche way, college is a place where you simply grow as a person into a young adult. As long as you can manage your time to balance work and play, you’ll be perfectly fine and have more free time than you think.
Story by Janet Imrick, University Communications Photography by Sean Norona, University Communications; and courtesy of Ayana Cholula, Pooja Tadepalli, and Trinity Shealy
CELEBRATE OUR GRADS!
Graduates and their families are encouraged to share their accomplishments on social media by tagging the University accounts and using the hashtags #UNCGGrad and #UNCGWay. Visit UNCG’s digital swag page for graduation-themed graphics, filters, and templates.
Mention @UNCG in celebratory posts on Instagram and X and @uncgreensboro on TikTok.
New Leaders, Educators, and Innovators from UNCG Are Ready for Life’s Next Journey
Posted on May 03, 2024
Cheers and tears of joy were shared among UNC Greensboro’s newest alumni, as their faculty and family members saw them complete their journey to the Spring 2024 Commencement ceremonies.
Embrace the transformation
When Abby Barley ’24 addressed her fellow graduates at the undergraduate ceremony, she reflected on everything it took to reach that moment – the commitments they made to themselves and to their friends and fellow students. She celebrated their hard work and how they rose above their anxiety or mistakes, embracing every instance as another step in a transformative experience.
“At our core, we are the same. With each interaction, we deepen our sense of self,” said Barley, shortly before earning her diploma for a bachelor of science in consumer, apparel, and retail studies from the Bryan School of Business and Economics. “The hardships we face along the way may feel relentless, but if we are a little happier, a bit healthier, and an ounce more authentic at the end of it, then we know it is the hardships that have allowed us to grow.”
As the student speaker of UNCG’s undergraduate Commencement ceremony on May 3, Barley got to congratulate more than 2,000 Spartans getting their bachelor degrees, while their families and friends cheered from the stands of the Greensboro Coliseum.
“For many of us, college was the first opportunity for independence and separation. Leaving a hometown, living independently, or supporting oneself are a few stories of the multitudes we hear. It is an exciting, anxiety-inducing, and overwhelming journey.”
Change the world
Dr. Anthony Dellinger addresses the masters and doctoral candidates.
Dr. Anthony Dellinger addresses the masters and doctoral candidates.
Dr. Anthony Dellinger addresses the masters and doctoral candidates.
First to cross the stage as the UNCG Class of 2024, were 610 master and 104 doctoral candidates receiving hoods from their mentors in a ceremony on May 2.
Chancellor Franklin Gilliam addressed them proudly as “experts in a highly specialized field of study who have been empowered to make new discoveries and develop new knowledge in order to make a real-world impact.”
Nanoscientist, entrepreneur, and inventor Dr. Anthony Dellinger ’14 delivered the keynote address. Dellinger, who earned a PhD in nanoscience from the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering introduced himself to the graduates as a “representative of a community that thrives on scholarship, innovation and dreams.”
“Harness your mind and unwavering determination to change the world,” he advised the master and doctoral candidates. “Be a polymath, be an innovator, be a thinker, be a leader, and be a catalyst for change.”
The nearly 2,900 graduates join the ranks of alumni, armed with new knowledge and a solid network of peers and educators read to help them on their next journey, whether that’s as the owner of a business, a nurse in the emergency room, or a teacher in the classroom.
Like Spartans who have gone before them, they’ve proved they have what it takes to fuel the future. In the meantime, Chancellor Gilliam urged them to live in the moment.
He said, “You’ve now demonstrated commitment, resilience, and transformative academic and personal growth. And you’ve become part of the Spartan family.”
Story by Janet Imrick and Becky Deakins, University Communications Photography by Sean Norona, University Communications; and Bert VanderVeen, VanderVeen Photographers Videography by Grant Evan Gilliard, David Lee Row, Jaysen Buterin, University Communications Video editing by Grant Evan Gilliard, University Communications Video written by Janet Imrick, University Communications
CELEBRATE OUR GRADS!
Graduates and their families are encouraged to share their accomplishments on social media by tagging the University accounts and using the hashtags #UNCGGrad and #UNCGWay. Visit UNCG’s digital swag page for graduation-themed graphics, filters, and templates.
Mention @UNCG in celebratory posts on Instagram and X and @uncgreensboro on TikTok.
Retiring UNCG Entrepreneurship Professor Shares Business Sense
Posted on May 03, 2024
Dr. Dianne Welsh at UNCG's 2019 Faculty Awards Ceremony.
Dr. Dianne Welsh, Hayes Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship and Founding Director of UNC Greensboro’s Entrepreneurship Program in the Bryan School of Business and Economics was featured on podcasts “Family Business Today” and “She Means Profit.”
This year, Welsh was honored with a lifetime achievement award for entrepreneurship from the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
Welsh retires this summer, ending 15 years of teaching students and inspiring new entrepreneurs and business-minded individuals at UNCG.
Keeping it in the family
In “Family Business Today,” hosted by Greg Lewis, Welsh shares insight on her new book called “Entrepreneurial Family Business: From Survival to Success.” Welsh talks about her personal experiences and their influence on her perspective of family business and entrepreneurship.
“Every generation has to be entrepreneurial to survive and be successful. One of the main things I bring home is to model entrepreneurship and teach entrepreneurship.” Welsh said.
Some of her key messages include the evolving landscape of family business leadership, the importance of being open-minded when considering successors, diversity in leadership, and the significance of instilling an entrepreneurial mindset.
In “She Means Profit,” hosted by Melissa Houston, Welsh focuses on the theme of “Cultivating an Entrepreneurial Mindset for Success.” She speaks of the importance of having an entrepreneurial mindset and about her background as an owner of three businesses and founder of two entrepreneurship centers.
“There’s never going to be a perfect time to start calling yourself an entrepreneur until you actually start doing it,” Welsh said.
Some of her key messages include the critical role of financial management in business success, the potential within global markets, the qualities that can pave the way to entrepreneurial success, and documenting business succession plans.
You Can Do It! Spartans Complete Degrees With Alumni Encouragement
Posted on May 02, 2024
In Spring 2023, members of UNC Greensboro’s Alumni Leadership Board (ALB) sent hand-written messages to 292 students who had “stopped-out.” They were seniors who had left school before completing their degrees. Many returned and are now graduating with the class of 2024.
Class of 2024: Retired Technical Sergeant Dandrick Glenn Finds New Harmony at UNCG
Posted on May 01, 2024
Retired U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant Dandrick Glenn says his retirement from military service wasn’t the end of a journey, it was an opportunity for more.
“The focus now needs to be on how I can help, rather than what can I gain,” Glenn says.
Glenn will graduate in Spring 2024 with a doctorate in musical arts, focusing on trombone performance from UNC Greensboro. The Shelby, North Carolina native recently retired after 23 years of combined service in the Air Force and the Air National Guard – performing as a military musician throughout his career.
ARTS IN THE AIR FORCE
Dandrick Glenn with the Flightline Brass, a New Orleans-Style Brass band, a small ensemble in the 553rd Air National Guard Band of the Northeast.
As a member of the US Air Force, Glenn was assigned to the Band of the Pacific-Asia. A major part of the unit’s mission was to use the universal language of music to build community and international relations. The unit conducted several tours in Japan, Korea, and Singapore. In 2009, he was deployed to Southeast Asia in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He’s also performed for various dignitaries and heads of states including former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
During his first assignment with the Band of the U.S. Air Force Reserve, he was part of several USO type events in Germany, Portugal, Spain and Turkey.
“Music has allowed me to meet the most amazing people, do the most amazing things, and see some amazing places that I never would have imagined,” he says.
His military experience, of course, played a part in earning his degree.
“The great football coach Mike Tomlin said that many are capable, but few are willing, and that pretty much encapsulates the military,” he says. “Two-percent of Americans are part of the greatest military force the world has ever seen. Certain aspects of discipline and structure have definitely been a part of my journey as a student here at UNCG.”
Music has always been in his life, beginning at an early age: “It all started in the church choir when my mother was singing. The church choir was, and still is, my greatest influence.”
GETTING THE DOCTORAL BUG
Throughout his time in higher education, Glenn didn’t see many others like him, especially with advanced degrees in the music field, but he recalls meeting a kindred spirit.
“I met Dr. Keith Jackson, who is now the Dean of the College of Creative Arts at West Virginia University. He was the first African American trombonist I’d met with a doctoral degree, and he understood my love for music.”
In 2016, Glenn was a guest soloist at Morehouse College for the Historically Black Colleges and University’s National Band and Orchestra Directors’ Consortium. His impact made a difference for others and sparked a change for himself.
“Several students came up to me at that performance and said ‘You inspired me. Can you give me some advice?’ And that put a bug in my ear to pursue advanced degrees.”
Years later, he’s earning that advanced degree from UNCG, which offers the most comprehensive music performance degree in North Carolina.
“UNCG is a flagship music institution here in the Southeast,” says Glenn of his decision to attend. “The School of Music is elite in communicating with their students.”
UNCG faculty, including Dr. Randy Kohlenberg, have made a dramatic difference in his career: “Dr. Kohlenberg is one of the greatest pedagogues. He really helped me hone how I teach.”
“Dandrick has been invaluable to the School of Music as a performer, teacher, and influence on students and faculty alike,” says Kohlenberg, the director of graduate programs in the School of Music. “To be able to complete the degree and juggle family life, his teaching at Fayetteville State, and performing in the Air Force reserves, with numerous symphony orchestras, in faculty groups, and at conferences is truly remarkable. He is an inspiration to all of us, especially me.”
Glenn also credits Professor Steve Haines, in the jazz studies program, with giving him new and unique opportunities to advance his studies.
“Dandrick is a special guy and one of the most determined people I’ve ever met,” says Haines. “During his time at UNCG he performed over three hundred times, wrote arrangements for the Spartan Jazz Collective, taught at another university, all the while caring for his family. He managed to spend time with James Brown’s legendary trombonist, Fred Wesley as he was the focus of Dandrick’s work. Dandrick has a bright future, and we are proud he’s a Spartan.”
If I have an opportunity to help somebody have a similar experience through this beautiful art, then i’m all for it.
CREATE A LIFE THROUGH MUSIC
Glenn moved his family to Greensboro from Fayetteville to attend UNCG – something he says required communication and a lot of support from his wife and daughter.
“The most important job I have is to be a parent and a husband,” he says. “Family is very important and managing my time was key with this program.”
Now an adjunct professor at Fayetteville State University, Glenn is ready to use his UNCG education to the fullest.
“I have a heart for that community of learners, but I’d like to, more than anything, help young people create the life they want to create through music,” Glenn says. “If I have an opportunity to help somebody have a similar experience through this beautiful art, then I’m all for it.”
Story by Avery Craine Powell, University Communications Photography by Sean Norona, University Communications Additional photography courtesy of Dandrick Glenn
CELEBRATE OUR GRADS!
Graduates and their families are encouraged to share their accomplishments on social media by tagging the University accounts and using the hashtags #UNCGGrad and #UNCGWay. Visit UNCG’s digital swag page for graduation-themed graphics, filters, and templates.
Mention @UNCG in celebratory posts on Instagram and X and @uncgreensboro on TikTok.
UNCG scientist investigates geography’s impact on access to jobs, recreation
Posted on May 01, 2024
Dr. Selima Sultana, a fellow of the American Association of Geographers, is an expert on geography and urban transportation research.
When Selima Sultana was a graduate student living in Atlanta, Georgia, she was excited about a potential new job until she faced a hurdle in the application process.
“When I was interviewed, they asked whether I had a car and I said I didn’t. They were very hesitant to hire me,” she says.
This conundrum became the crux of Sultana’s dissertation research. Now, as a professor and the associate department head in UNC Greensboro’s Department of Geography, Environment, and Sustainability, Dr. Sultana is a leader in transportation and urban research. She has published and authored over 50 peer-reviewed papers, two books, and another book under contract. In 2024, she was named a fellow of the American Association of Geographers – a prestigious recognition for select scholars who have made significant contributions to geography.
Sultana’s research focuses on how the geographic location of jobs and housing significantly impacts people’s access to opportunities, jobs, and recreation – creating consistent barriers for some.
A long commute is not just an annoyance; these daily drives are linked to many downsides.
“Studies suggest that if people are commuting a long distance every day, their productivity goes down,” she says. “Longer commuting is linked to a variety of mental and physical health impacts, including obesity.”
Sultana says the design of a city can leave people with few options, forcing them to either commute extensively or face unemployment if working from home is not an option.
For her dissertation research, Sultana applied geographic information systems to determine the degree to which people are separated from their jobs. She found this job-housing imbalance was prevalent in the Atlanta metropolitan area.
“I was integrating geographic information into urban and transportation planning, which was rare at the time,” she says.
Since this initial study, Sultana has expanded her transportation research, including recent work investigating the accessibility of electric vehicle charging stations. Her goal is for her research to help policymakers and leadership make meaningful changes that foster equal access for all individuals.
“My motivation is always to solve real-world problems and make sure the solution helps the community equally,” Sultana says.
Among Sultana’s areas of expertise, she has investigated the accessibility of charging stations for electric vehicles.
Accessing national parks
When Sultana moved to the United States from Bangladesh, she was captivated by the National Parks. She resonated with the parks’ beauty, but also the mission of the National Park to make nature accessible to everyone.
“The concept of National Parks is really an American concept of access for everybody,” she says. “The goal is preservation of the parks from generation to generation.”
Sultana says preserving the parks – and its funding – hinges upon ample visitors. Like Sultana, who took solo trips to the parks as a young adult, sleeping in her car, and soaking up the sights.
“All of a sudden, I looked around and thought, ‘How come the people who visit these National Parks are predominately white?’” she says.
Sultana’s musing sparked a multi-decade long collaboration with Dr. Joe Weber, a professor at the University of Alabama who grew up in Death Valley National Park. Together, they have published multiple papers and books, including their recently published book, “The Parks Belong to the People,” in which they examine park visitation rates, geography, and how the parks are changing over time.
Among their findings, the scientists have found that many Black Americans have the least accessibility to the parks, which Sultana says contributes to lower visitation rates. Sultana has built on this work in a recent study by visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park with UNCG students.
Their goal: better understand why there are fewer Black visitors to the park, despite geographic information indicating many Black individuals live close to Great Smoky National Park.
“We found that Black Americans are seldom mentioned in Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s historical records and only minimally featured in public materials and exhibits,” she says. “This historical pattern might have conveyed to Black Americans that the park is an unwelcoming space for them.”
Sultana shared these findings with the National Park Service. She says working with students, including on this study, is one of the highlights of her job – whether watching their eyes light up when a concept clicks or they publish a paper.
For Sultana, being a faculty member is more than conducting research and mentoring students. She also invests in service – both within the University and for geography organizations – to make a positive dent in the field.
“When you get involved and you have a seat at the table, you can always make an impact,” Sultana says.
Story by Rachel Damiani Photography by Martin Kane
