Awards

Carlos Gonzalez-Calderon, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, has been named a 2026 Gambrell Faculty Fellow. With support from The Gambrell Foundation and as part of the Charlotte Urban Institute’s Gambrell Faculty Fellowship, he will join nine other UNC Charlotte faculty as they leverage the scholarship to help develop a better quality of life for Charlotte.  

Elevating UNC Charlotte’s standing in advanced research, Professor of Mechanical Engineering Stuart Smith has been elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, a status nationally recognized as the highest professional distinction awarded to inventors. This honor places Smith among an esteemed group of pioneers recognized for creating outstanding inventions that make a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society.

Dipankar Maity, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the William States Lee College of Engineering, earned the prestigious NSF CAREER Award in June of this year to support his investigations in how teams of smart machines, like connected robots, work together more reliably.

Xiang Chen, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, wins NSF CAREER award to explore the complexities of energy supportive materials. She is working to unravel these complex relationships and unlock the full potential of these ionic-conducting superlattices, pushing the boundaries of what’s currently possible in various technological fields.

William States Lee College of Engineering faculty have been recognized for their exceptional contributions to research, innovation, teaching and service. These achievements reflect the College’s ongoing commitment to engineering excellence and societal impact.

Niner Engineers in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) hit new milestones for the first time in April 2025.

Brigid Mullany, professor of mechanical engineering with UNC Charlotte’s William States Lee College of Engineering, has been elected as a 2024 Fellow with the Society of Manufacturing Engineers.

Four William States Lee College of Engineering graduate students were honored with International Facility Management Association (IFMA) Foundation Scholarships at the 2024 IFMA World Workplace Conference held Oct. 9-11 in San Antonio, Texas.

Sydney Prince ’22 is a nominee for the 2024 Women in Motorsports North America SHEro Award. Prince is the newly promoted lead engineer on the NASCAR Cup Series No. 84, driven by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Jimmie Johnson.

Tao Hong, Duke Energy Distinguished Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering in the William States Lee College of Engineering, and Harold Reiter, professor emeritus of mathematics in the Klein College of Science, led Team USA’s elementary and middle school-level teams to Grand Champion Team Awards in the 2024 International Mathematics Competition held in July. The wins mark the first time in more than a decade that one country has claimed both championship titles.