Mapping The Local Impact

UNC Charlotte College of Arts + Architecture Niners are making a difference in arts, culture, and design spaces around Mecklenburg County and beyond.

As part of Niner Nation Week – a celebration of Niner pride combining the University’s signature Homecoming with gatherings for the larger Charlotte community – we’re highlighting the success of our own Niners who are making an impact in that very community every single day. 

From our arts teachers across Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to our architects in the city’s premiere design firms, and to all our students, faculty, and alumni across the cultural map, we could not be more proud of their local impact. Take a look for yourself in our Mapping the Local Impact video, and scroll below to see some individual listings of those students, alumni, and faculty. 

See some missing info? This is a project in process! If you have additions or corrections to the map, please send them our way.

Niner Alumni and student teachers are arts educators in many Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools:

Albemarle Rd MS– Kim Fabio 
Ardrey Kell HS– Rebecca Aranyi ‘07
Bailey MS– Deanna Riley , Alyssa Bainey ‘22
Berewick ES– Mojdeh Henderson ‘00
Bruns Avenue Elementary– Sol Hong ‘21
Butler HS– Kimberly Jean Blair ‘96, Meg Reinecke ’22- ed student
Carmel MS– Charles Mashburn ‘20
Central Cabarrus HS– Shellie Hyser ‘11
Charlotte Academy of Music– Alice Silva ‘11
Charlotte East Language Academy– Jessica Rosa ‘18
Community House MS– Robin Shore ‘89
Cornelius Elementary– Lauren A Griffin Gibson ‘09
Coulwood STEM Academy– Sarah Bednarz ‘20 
Cox Rd ES in CMS– Bethany Baker ’22- ed student
Davidson ES– Adriana Villalpando ‘22, Emily Every ’22- ed student
Eastway MS– Crysta-Leigha Abel ‘22
Elizabeth Traditional Elementary– John E. McMillian ‘03
First Ward ES– Melissa Current ‘97, Emily Sheffield ’22- ed student
Francis Bradley Middle School- Denise C. Paugh ‘03, Autumn McLaughlin ‘17, Debbie Gresham ‘93
Harding HS- Brian Jones ‘14, Lillian Shaw 
Hickory Ridge MS- Jennifer Merry ‘04

Highland Mill ES– Abbey Saal ‘17
Highland Renaissance ES– Carole Drummond-Johnson ‘92
Hough High School– Katherine J Allen ‘16
Huntersville Elementary– Erin Sherrill ‘10
Harold Winkler MS, Cabarrus Cty – Ali Petrauskas ’16
Idlewild ES– Virginia Schacht ‘10
Independence HS– Lindsay DeBlasio 
James Martin MS– Kelli Reimers ‘96
JH Gunn ES- Shayla Locke 
JV Washam ES– Pooja Nair ‘22, Courtney Woodward, Danielle Castellucci ‘18
Lake Wylie ES– Gina Vannais ‘19
Lawrence Orr Elementary– Lesley Allen Philips ‘12
Long Creek Elementary– Monica Beam ‘12
Mallard Creek HS-Natasha Little, Alyssa Faustin ’22- ed student, Sydney Spaulding ’22- ed student
McClintock MS– Matthew Rathbone ‘16, Orlando Turner ‘12
Merry Oaks International Academy Elementary– Lori M. Polite ‘85
Myers Park High School– Brian E. Hester ‘91
North Meck HS in CMS– Courtney Tillson ’22- ed student
Northeast MS– Sara Bradshaw, Phoenicia Butler ‘16, Talia Glass- ed student
Northwest School of the Arts– Chandra McCloud Glover ‘03, Allison Hancock ’22- ed student
Oakhurst STEAM– Kaitlyn Linscheid ‘20

Olympic HS- Liam McMahon ‘19
Parkside ES- Adam Lytle ‘22
Piedmont Open IB- Celine Aquino 
Piney Grove ES- Elena Calebro ‘15, Richelle Aquino ’22- ed student, William Nichols ‘11
Providence Spring ES– Laura Stevenson 
Rama Rd ES- Amber Hyatt ‘01
Rea Farms STEAM Academy– Angelina M. Palacios ‘22
RenWest ES- Michelle Fernandez 
Shamrock Gardens ES– Jamil Dyair Steele ‘05
Sharon Elementary School- Darlene G Cuevas ‘07
South Academy of International Languages– Brittany Pylant ‘10
South Meck HS in CMS- Lourdes Ferragut ’22- ed student
Southwest MS- Kelly Potts 
Statesville Rd ES- Cambrielle Thomas
Thomasboro ES- Thelathia Singleton
Torrence Creek Elementary– Kevin Brawley ‘13
Trillium Spring ES- Marisa Abate ‘18
Tuckaseegee Elementary– Amy Helms ‘05 UMAR Arts Center- Alex Cruz ‘09
UNC Charlotte– Benjamin Still ‘13, Lorraine Turi ‘10
University Meadows Elementary– Anthony Dawson ‘90
West Charlotte HS- Morgan Osburn 
Westerly Hills ES– Jillian Insley
Windsor Park Elementary– Wendy Wiseman ‘15

CoA+A Alumni also work in many Mecklenburg County architecture firms and related design organizations: 

505 Design
A.B. Group– Alaa Bou Ghane ‘17
ADW Architects
AI Design Group
Alter Architects
Axiom Architecture
BB+M Architecture
Biloba Architecture– Ian Patrick ‘07
Boomerang Design
C Design Inc.
Charlotte Urban Design Center– Charlotte Lamb ‘18
Clark Nexsen– Jason Jones ‘93
Clark Patterson Lee
Cline Design Associates
Cluck Design Collaborative PLLC– Kevin Kennedy ‘96
Don Duffy Architecture– Don Duffy ‘80

Duke Energy
FMK Architects
Freelon Group Inc.
Gensler
HALL | AEC, Charlotte- Dennis Hall ‘76
HDR
Jenkins Peer Architects
LandDesign– Lucas Flint ‘17
Lindsay Daniel Architecture, Inc.– Lindsay Daniel ‘84
Little Diversified– Ashley Spinks ‘98, Elizabeth Unruh ‘11, Melanie Reddrick ‘01, Natasha Edwards ‘09
LS3P– Chris Wellman ‘99
McCulloch England Associates Architects
McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture

MEND Design Collaborative– James Michael Dunning ‘93
Morris-Berg Architects– Lane Allmon ‘00, Tarik Hameed ‘09
Neighboring Concepts– Cathy Cervantes Morrison ‘07
Northwood Ravin LLC– David Ravin ‘94
Odell Associates
Perkins + Will
Perkins Eastman Architects
Sekou cooke studios 
Shook Kelley– Terry Shook ‘76
The FWA Group
The Housing Studio
Watts Leaf Architects
Witteha– Toby Witte ‘04
Woolpert, Inc.

And our students, faculty, and alumni are assets all across the cultural map: 

Alexander Street Park– Public Art- Deb Ryan, faculty, and 30+ urban design and architecture students 
Alternative Fitness Pilates- Melissa Pope ‘80
Bechtler Museum of Modern Art– Mykell Gates Jamil ‘10
Public Murals– Kalin Devone ‘15, Jamil Dyair Steele ‘05, Sharon Dowell ‘02
LYNX Transit Light Rail- Public Art– Sharon Dowell ‘02, professors Marek Ranis and Susan Brenner
Charlotte Ballet– Jaiden Gradner ‘24, Kari Sescourka ‘26), Annabelle Luna ‘26-  students in Ballet Certificate Program 
Charlotte Symphony– Peyton Wulff ‘20, Alice Silva ‘11, and faculty “extras”
Children’s Theatre of Charlotte– Alex Aguilar ‘17, Isabel Gonzalez ‘19

Coulwood Hills Neighborhood Park, Public Art Installation- professor Marc Manack and architecture students
Dedrick’s Dance District– Dedrick Perkins ‘15
Elder Gallery– Susan Brenner- emeritus professor
GOGH-ing on a Picnic– Camp North End- Dari Calamari ‘10
Goodyear Artist Collective– Holly Keogh ‘14, Jamila Brown 18
Grier Heights Community Center– professor Tamara Williams
Leo Dowell Designs– Doreen Whaley ‘06
Luquire George Andrews– Todd Aldridge ‘92
McColl Center- Andreal Diaz ’23, Tiana Cohen ’23, Danielle Arias ’23- student interns
Middle C Jazz Club– Troy Conn ‘02
Mint Museum– Jamila Brown ‘18

Open Door Studios– Audrey Baran ‘03 and professor Kim Jones
Opera Carolina – Professors Brian Arreola and Sequina DuBose
Order My Steps Christian Dance Studio– Patrice Commodore ‘11
SOCO Gallery– Holly Keogh ‘14
Spectrum Center, Hornets Hive Hip Hop Crew – Dedrick Perkins ‘15, student Mica Anthony, Phonecia Butler ‘16
The People’s Porch, public architectural installation- professor Marc Manack and architecture students
Panther’s Top Cats– Zaria Franklin ‘18
Trailhead Pavilion, public architectural installation- Architecture students and professor Marc Manack
Union – Banks Wilson ‘01

Video/Animation by BFA Graphic Design student, Noah Atwood ’23