General News

During COVID-19, Associate Teaching Professor Terence Fagan demonstrated the power of “democratized innovation” by producing clear face masks for medical workers. This sparked his interest in the Fab Foundation’s Super Fab Labs. While standard Fab Labs focus on small-scale prototyping, SFLs provide expanded capabilities for industrial R&D and “concept-to-production” workflows. At the time, only five existed globally.

Following years of strategic planning with Rob Keynton, dean of the William States Lee College of Engineering, Fagan’s vision for a Charlotte SFL materialized. Keynton secured funding via Engineering North Carolina’s Future, a 2022 General Assembly initiative. Fagan enhanced the SFL model by integrating a specialty focus on advanced manufacturing, effectively bridging the gap between initial prototyping and full-scale production.

Jairus Cook isn’t just graduating from UNC Charlotte with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He has designed and built his own college experiences and network that have supported his journey. An engineering student, scholarship winner, four-time intern and organization leader, Cook now has a meaningful community that he wants to share with future Niner Engineers.

What started with a museum visit and a string of nine straight losses has grown into the largest combat robotics tournament in North Carolina — and it’s all run by students. Brian Schoellner, a junior mechanical engineering major at UNC Charlotte, co-founded the Charlotte Combat Robot Club and turned his childhood passion for battle bots […]

As a first-generation college student enrolled in the construction management program, Ramirez is among the next generation of construction industry leaders. She graduates in May in a top 10 construction market in the U.S.

U.S. News & World Report rankings reflect the growing national reputation of the college, with three graduate programs achieving double-digit climbs, underscoring the university’s strength in high-demand technical fields.

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte has received a leadership gift from alumni Craig ’85 and Darla ’83 Albert to establish the Albert School of Construction in the William States Lee College of Engineering, launching a new model for construction education in one of the nation’s fastest-growing markets.

To recognize Kamalasadan’s impact on the energy industry, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers recently elected him as a Fellow of the organization, a distinction reserved for fewer than 0.1% of the organization’s voting membership.

UNC Charlotte’s BATT CAVE invites all Niner Engineers to The Battery Show South 2026, which will be held on April 22–23 at the Charlotte Convention Center. This two-day event brings together engineers, researchers and industry leaders across the battery, electric vehicle and energy storage sectors. Attendees will find a valuable opportunity to explore cutting-edge technologies, attend technical sessions and engage in high-impact networking. 

Niner Engineer Bilkis Banu, who graduated in 2021 with a Ph.D. in electrical engineering, was recognized as one of the University’s 2025 “10 under Ten.”

As National Engineers Week drew to a close, the William States Lee College of Engineering gathered at the Harris Alumni Center on Thursday, Feb. 26, to celebrate the alumni who are helping build the future.