Award Recipients

Congratulations to our Fall 2022 award recipients!

  • Course Production Team Instructional Designers, Center for Teaching and Learning / School of Professional Studies:
    • Blair Stamper
    • Sam Gist
    • Chris Muellenbach
    • Melanie Lewis
    • Kory Trosclair
    • Pariss Coleman
    • Enoch Park

“The instructional designers on the Course Production Team in the Center for Teaching and Learning have demonstrated exemplary dedication to accessibility and access for UNC Charlotte’s online students. As part of the course development process, the instructional designers regularly go above and beyond, working beyond their 40 hour work week, to ensure that faculty’s courses and content are accessible, not only for government requirements but for student experience, navigation, and experience in the online and blended courses they develop with faculty. Not only do the instructional designers work tirelessly to integrate universal design for learning principles into the online courses they collaborate on with faculty, they actively work to develop resources and frameworks that help to make these ideas and concepts easier for faculty to understand. These frameworks and resources are generously shared with the larger online learning community outside of UNC Charlotte in professional settings and other institutions, all in the spirit of increasing access and accessibility for higher education students. The instructional designers on the Course Production Team are truly dedicated to equity and inclusiveness in UNC Charlotte’s online courses. Their focus in course development is always on student experience and student success. From proposing alternative navigation strategies, rewriting course materials for clarity, assisting faculty with creating more diverse assessments, to creating alternative forms of content to meet learners needs, everything the instructional designers do in their work is to ensure the accessibility of online courses to UNC Charlotte’s students. The mission of the School of Professional Studies is to ensure ‘that all learners, regardless of age, level of experience, or previous education, have opportunities to learn, grow, and achieve their personal and professional goals with a UNC Charlotte education.’ While meeting these goals is part of the instructional designers’ charge within their roles in the Center for Teaching and Learning and the School of Professional Studies, they truly go above and beyond every single day in their work with faculty to ensure these goals are being fulfilled to the highest extent. “

  • Nance Riffe, Communication Studies

“Dr. Riffe is a fantastic professor with an incredible amount of empathy and understanding for her students.”

  • Katherine Hall-Hertel, The Graduate School

“Katherine chaired the Campus Accessibility and Advisory Committee (CAAC) for many years, only recently rotating off. In that role, she helped prioritize projects on campus to improve physical access, as well as projects related to technical access, like web accessibility. Under Katherine’s leadership, the Committee also launched a tool to help departments check their websites for access and worked with Chartwells to get more transparency around menu ingredients to support guests with food allergies. Even though Katherine is no longer a member of CAAC, she continues to let Katie Montie know when her eagle eyes see issues related to access on campus, like the need for contrast stripes. Her leadership has created meaningful improvements in student accessibility at the University, both at the academic and community levels, and Katherine’s passion for improving access for students continues to permeate her work. “

  • Tracie Kumbine, Atkins Library

“Tracie along with our colleague Kim Looby put in an extensive effort to reform our library’s disability policy, procedure, and website. She leads the accessibility committee and has long been at the forefront of addressing student disability concerns.”

  • Ashlyn Walden, Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Digital Studies

“Ashlyn Walden has done extraordinary work in making her WRDS classes, her presentation materials, and her research accessible to all people. She knows the ins and outs of Canvas and creates Canvas courses that include videos, transcripts, multiple ways for students to engage with the material. She is an absolute expert on Universal Design for Learning and her work deserves to be recognized.”

  • Ryan McKeel, Office of Identity, Equity and Engagement

“Ryan McKeel is the Assistant Director for Leadership & Community Development in the Office of Identity, Equity and Engagement within the Division of Student Affairs. Last year, Ryan heard from several students who identified as living with a disability (physical, invisible, neurodivergent) that they felt supported by the Office of Disability Services in gaining accommodations, but were lacking the ability to gather in community and find a sense of belonging with other peers who identified as living with a disability. Out of these conversations, Ryan supported and assisted an undergraduate student in creating and leading a program called ‘3D: Disability, Discourse, and Development’ to provide unique accessibility to community building among students. 3D is a space for students who identify as disabled to gather in community to build space and relationships with one another. Together, 3D focuses on the development of leadership, career/professional, and community organizing skills. Participation in ‘3D’ is open to any student who self identifies as disabled, neurodivergent, chronically ill, or otherwise as someone who lives with a disability, visible or invisible. Students do not have to be registered with the Office of Disability Services in order to participate in ‘3D’. During Fall 2022, 3D students were offered seven opportunities to gather (4 in person + 3 virtual) to engage in conversation on topics including identity development and intersectionality, ADA protections and EEOC complaint process, radical acceptance and self-care, community development and collective leadership, interviewing skills, workplace accommodations and disclosure, and a Q&A session with a disabled/ chronically ill professional. Participants also took part in common reading of literature dedicated to disability visibility including ‘I’m Tired of Chasing a Cure’ by Liz Moore, ‘When You are Waiting to be Healed’ by June Eric-Udorie, ‘Why My Novel is Dedicated to my Disabled Friend Maddy’ by A.H. Reaume, and ‘Still Dreaming Wild Disability Justice Dreams’ by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha. In addition, 3D invited guest speakers from Student Legal Services, Counseling & Psychological Services, Career Center, and Atkins Library to engage with students.”

  • Liz Butler, Chemistry Department

“Unfortunately the Burson building has a few classrooms that only have steps to reach the front of the room, so wheelchair users cannot access the front to complete required class presentations. Liz quickly and graciously offered to assist in unlocking a back hallway for a student that uses a wheelchair, so that the student could access the front of the room to present. Liz works in the chemistry department, but the student and instructor she assisted were not from a chemistry course. Liz was just willing to help–even outside of her normal work hours. Liz is a shining example of campus employees who work hard to promote inclusion for all 49ers.”

  • Monique Wilson, Office of the Registrar

“Unfortunately there are still several classrooms on campus that only have steps to reach the front of the room. In these classrooms, students who cannot use stairs are unable to complete required class presentations, so the course has to be moved to an accessible classroom for such presentations. This scenario arose this semester for a course in the College of Business in the Friday building, and I reached out to Monique for help finding an accessible classroom alternative. Note this request came in late November! Monique literally responded in minutes with multiple options, and was very pleasant and gracious to work with. Even after the instructor found a classroom on his own afterwards, Monique maintained patience and a very pleasant disposition. Employees like Monique truly help our campus to be more inclusive to all 49ers!”

Congratulations to our Spring 2022 award recipients!

  • Drew Averitt-Auxiliary Services

“For many years Drew has worked tirelessly and thoroughly to incorporate physical accessibility in all of his projects and responsibilities. Drew not only integrates access and inclusion in his work projects, but maintains a keen eye on the broader campus for barriers to access for people with disabilities. Drew possesses strong knowledge of federal, state, and campus requirements for physical accessibility, and never hesitates to include my role as ADA Project Coordinator in all his endeavors. I’m thankful to have Drew as a partner in campus accessibility initiatives.”

  • Dr. Daniel Grano-Department Chair, Communication Studies

“Dr Grano serves as the Chair of one of the most promising programs in The Liberal Arts domain. When I joined the program I was struggling with Imposter syndrome and depression. I wasn’t sure if I would continue, But he observed my situation and offered a helping hand without making me feel like a student who was collapsing. He mentored me and paved the way for many more like me to feel protected and helped.”

  • Kelly Lusco Merges-Student Niner Media

“A student involved in Student Niner Media this year uses a wheelchair that makes it challenging for him to reach the office door handle and subsequently open the door to get into the space. Kelly spent the last semester searching for a solution and advocating for the importance of making the office accessible to the student that allows for his autonomy. At first the solution was to have a person open the door for the student. This was challenging as he had to wait for someone to help, so Kelly asked folks to begin anticipating his arrival such that when they saw him come off of the elevator, they get to the door before he had to wait. But this was not enough for Kelly as the student still had to rely on someone else to let him into the office. She talked with several staff members looking for solutions and finally landed on keeping the door open when the office is open, so that all students can enter and exit autonomously. While this hasn’t solved the challenge of getting into the office after hours, she worked towards a solution that honored the individual student and taking into consideration what other students may also need that the team was not previously aware of. Kelly will continue to look at what works best for all students, recognizing that autonomy is a part of the conversation and not settling for a solution that doesn’t meet the broader human need.”

Congratulations to our very first award recipients!

  • Adam Burden-Student Involvement

“Adam Burden and Jordan Holliday-Millard recognized the need to make University traditions accessible to all students. As such, the proposed moving the gold nugget students rub for luck from the middle of a staircase to a location better suited for the University community. The gold nugget is now located near the student entrance to the Student Activity Center as a great location to ask for luck for our various athletic teams, on the pathway through campus to ask for luck in classes and other projects, and in a great location to take photographs to show Niner Pride.”

  • Virginia Fuentes-Parking and Transportation Services

“Terrance and Virginia are Niner Paratransit drivers by day, but they are ALWAYS willing to jump in on any other project needed to be completed. When ODS stated to PaTS that they had a project they could use some help with, Terrance and Virginia were ready to assist. The project was to survey campus buildings and log the status of building door actuators in an effort to figure out which locations were out of compliance or just needed some attention. Terrance and Virginia worked together to survey (90) locations across campus and logged each location in detail, stating specific location, actuator height, card swipe availability and height, if the actuators were functional, etc. They then took the project one step further and put together a PowerPoint presentation with pictures of the locations and descriptions of each so ODS had a clear idea of what they saw during their survey. Terrance and Virginia’s willingness to assist and attention to detail on this project shows a true commitment to ensuring our Charlotte campus is as friendly as possible when it comes to accessibility. Thanks to Terrance and Virginia for a job well-done!”

  • Jordan Holliday-Millard-Enrollment Communications

“Jordan Holliday-Millard and Adam Burden recognized the need to make University traditions accessible to all students. As such, the proposed moving the gold nugget students rub for luck from the middle of a staircase to a location better suited for the University community. The gold nugget is now located near the student entrance to the Student Activity Center as a great location to ask for luck for our various athletic teams, on the pathway through campus to ask for luck in classes and other projects, and in a great location to take photographs to show Niner Pride.”

  • Terrance Lambert-Parking and Transportation Services

“Terrance and Virginia are Niner Paratransit drivers by day, but they are ALWAYS willing to jump in on any other project needed to be completed. When ODS stated to PaTS that they had a project they could use some help with, Terrance and Virginia were ready to assist. The project was to survey campus buildings and log the status of building door actuators in an effort to figure out which locations were out of compliance or just needed some attention. Terrance and Virginia worked together to survey (90) locations across campus and logged each location in detail, stating specific location, actuator height, card swipe availability and height, if the actuators were functional, etc. They then took the project one step further and put together a PowerPoint presentation with pictures of the locations and descriptions of each so ODS had a clear idea of what they saw during their survey. Terrance and Virginia’s willingness to assist and attention to detail on this project shows a true commitment to ensuring our Charlotte campus is as friendly as possible when it comes to accessibility. Thanks to Terrance and Virginia for a job well-done!”

  • Morgan Meehan-Student Engagement

“Under Morgan’s leadership, both the Popp Martin Student Union and Cone University Center have been intentional rather than reactionary regarding accessibility. From facilities to technology, considering protruding objects and access to movies and other events, determining what doors can remain open and which should have actuators, Morgan takes into account the impact of organizational decisions on community access to engagement on campus.”

  • Michael Smalenberger-Department of Mathematics and Statistics

“I have been a colleague of Michael Smalenberger for over 5 years and have worked closely with him for more than half of that time. As adjunct Lecturers we share an office, often teach the same courses, and hence frequently collaborate on course materials and share pedagogical insights and best practices with each other and other colleagues. Every semester Michael and I teach several Top 40 courses, and frequently teach large enrollment sections with 80-140+ students. Without fail, we always have numerous students with accommodations from the Office of Disability Services enrolled in these courses. Because I’m very familiar with Michael’s conduct as an educator, I can unequivocally and without hesitation say that Michael is very deserving of the Dubois Award for Accessibility Improvement.
Since the time when I first met Michael, I was struck by how much he invests in the educational experience of his students. Prior to the onset of the pandemic, Michael would frequently have numerous students visit him in our office either to discuss course material, seek advice on academic plans, or even just to chat. His passion to help students succeed was evident not only from his instruction and interaction with students enrolled in his courses, but also from the guidance he provided in leading several students in undergraduate research funded by the Chancellor’s Diversity Challenge and Equity in Assessment institutional grants. Michael has informed me that not only was it a priority of his to include students in this research who haled from traditionally underrepresented groups in higher education, but that the research topics investigated directly pertained to the accessibility of academic material to students with impairments. Some of this research was presented by his students at UNC Charlotte’s Undergraduate Research Symposium, which not only added to their educational experience while at UNC Charlotte, but certainly facilitated them in reaching their goals post-graduation. The fact that Michael engaged in this work as an adjunct Lecturer without receiving recognition or compensation clearly indicates that he continually focuses on, and is driven by, a strong intrinsic motivation on such topics.
Michael’s singular focus on the success of his students again became evident once remote teaching commenced due to the pandemic. Despite the sudden onset of remote instruction where most faculty primarily focused on making their courses available remotely, Michael’s approach focused on ensuring his students who have accommodations had an unobstructed path to success. The vast amount of time and effort Michael had already invested in designing his course materials and instruction around accessibility not only aided the transition to remote instruction, but also benefited his students who did not have accommodations. One common trend which particularly stuck with me occurred on several occasions during our faculty meetings where we as a group shared best practices for remote instruction. In these meetings Michael was a steadfast advocate that universal design should always be conducted, and that remote instruction was an impetus and opportunity for more students and faculty to recognize the importance of and use such resources. I am delighted to say that many faculty heard and responded to his call to action on accessibility.
Even though it may appear to myself and many of my colleagues that Michael’s repertoire of resources and practices are the epitome of accessibility, from working in close proximity to Michael I know for certain that he is constantly striving to improve and lead by example. While I am convinced that Michael’s distinction in prior semesters fully warrants him receiving this award, the reason I am nominating him now is his demonstrated exemplary practices in the current semester. Specifically, it is understandable that many people in many regards are yearning for a return to the pre-pandemic status quo. But in this quest for normalcy, Michael continues to highlight how the old status quo in its entirety is not what is best for all students, especially for some with impairments. Many lessons have been learned as a result of the current pandemic, and this is true also for pedagogical practices. Over the course of the last three semesters, many educators have explored, implemented, and improved educational technologies and other aspects of their instruction. Michael is no exception to this, and in fact has on several occasions spearheaded these initiatives within our department. Instead of returning to the practices before these additional insights were gained and improvements made, Michael structures his courses so that each student can choose whatever best meets their needs, and he helps guide them in this process. What has unfortunately now widely been deemed “optional”, Michael continues to exert the extra time and effort to make universally available, even freely sharing with other faculty. For this reason, Michael’s classes are very often highly desired by students and his courses always quickly reach capacity. Additionally, even though he is an adjunct faculty member, he is often invited to participate in course redesign and improvement initiatives by department leadership.
One example Michael recently shared with me was regarding a student with a hearing impairment who partially relies on lipreading to follow along in lectures. Since the return to in-person classes where masks are mandatory, this student expressed difficulty following lectures in other courses. However, in Michael class, he allows students to choose whether to attend in person or via Zoom even though he always lectures in-person wearing a mask. While this dual form of instruction requires extra effort which few other instructors exert, a feature which this allows Michael to use is the automatic transcription of spoken word in Zoom. This has enabled the aforementioned student to follow along during Michael’s class which is not available to this student in the other courses. This is just one small example of the many tools Michael routinely uses which benefit his students and other instructors could use. By nominating Michael, and hopefully by him receiving this award, I hope this will help shed light on the fact that such kind of instructional practices are possible, very beneficial, and can be implemented on our campus. His continually demonstrated commitment to accessibility is exemplary and laudable, and for this reason Michael is highly deserving of the Dubois Award for Accessibility Improvement.”

  • Desiré Taylor-Department of Mathematics and Statistics

“In her role as an instructor in the math department, Desiré has demonstrated an above and beyond dedication to accessibility of course materials for the Calculus courses she teaches. She has worked extensively with the Disability Services office to ensure the course text students use is accessible, has made strategic decisions on course materials specifically to ensure accessibility for students, and in her work with the Course Production Team in the School of Professional Studies has also dedicated herself to remediating hundreds of homework examples, videos, and other student resources. Her work for this has included completely redoing these documents to ensure they’re built from scratch to be accessible. This represents a substantial amount of work that Desiré has never turned away from doing, even knowing the number of hours it requires. Desiré’s commitment to the goal of accessibility in her courses, and specifically her online courses, is exemplary and inspiring. She deserves all the recognition she can get for this unwavering dedication to equal access for UNC Charlotte’s students.”