This Week in LANG 4/20/2026

In this Edition: “Department Meeting this Friday, End of Semester and Retirement Celebration this Friday”

Dear colleagues, 

We are getting close to the end of the semester. This is our last full week of classes. At the end of the week, we will have our last department meeting and we will celebrate the end of the semester together and the retirements of our colleagues. 

Dates and Events this Week

Chair Office Hours Week of April 20: 

M 12:00-1:30 (f2f and virtual), T 3-5 (virtual), W 11-12:30 (F2F and virtual)

Monday, April 20

• Candidate 6 visit

Friday, April 24

• Department Meeting, Mebane 434, 2:30-4:00, end of year party 4:00-6:00 Potluck

Looking Ahead: Dates and Events Spring 2026

May 11, 12, 14 and 15

• GLI Institute

May 13

• 4th Charlotte AI Summit for Smarter Learning

Congratulations

Congratulations to Chris Mellinger who was recognized in the top 2% of most cited scholars in the college for 2025 at the CHESS Faculty and Staff Achievement Recognition event.

At the same event, David Dalton was recognized for the award his book Robo Sacer received.

Congratulations to Sandra Watts, who hosted the Lee Barnes Campus Debate in the Language Resource Center on April 9. The topic was “How Should the US Approach its Relationship with Israel as Tensions Rise in the Middle East.” CHESS Senior and Lee Barnes Campus Debate Fellow Noah Hughey facilitated a Braver Angels ABCD Dialogue for over 30 attendees. \

Congratulations to Yukiko Yokono, SEATJ President for hosting a successful SEATJ Conference: 

The Japanese Studies Program at UNC Charlotte successfully hosted the SEATJ (Southeastern Association of Teachers of Japanese) Annual Conference, welcoming Japanese language educators from across the region for a day of professional exchange and collaboration. The conference opened with welcoming remarks from Department Chair Anabel, setting a warm and collegial tone for the event.

Thanks to the careful planning and dedication of the Japanese Studies Program faculty and staff, the conference ran smoothly and provided a well‑organized, welcoming environment. Sessions encouraged participants to reflect positively on their teaching practices and on what it means to be a Japanese language educator today, while emphasizing the importance of connection and harmony within the teaching community.

The program also featured Christopher McDuffie, a Japanese Studies Program alumnus currently working at FUJIHATSU & TOYOTSU Battery Components, North Carolina LLC, who attended the conference and delivered a short speech highlighting his experience at UNC Charlotte and real‑world applications of Japanese language studies at work.

Also, student volunteers played a vital role by assisting with early‑morning logistics, registration, timekeeping, and cleanup. Their professionalism and helpfulness were widely praised by conference participants and contributed greatly to the event’s success.

Overall, the SEATJ Annual Conference reflected UNC Charlotte’s strong commitment to language education, collaboration, and community engagement.

Our Department also hosted the NC and SC AATG with 20 participants in the Language Resource Center. Guest speakers were Justin Cary, Director of Human Interaction with AI and Daniel Ditmar, CEO of HEYCO, a German American company in the Charlotte area. K-12 German teachers and German professors from North and South Carolina attended the meeting. Special thanks to Jules Geaney-Moore and Kai Werbeck for their support. 

Information for Faculty and Staff

Upcoming Events

Spread the Word: Come CHILL at IPH!
CHILL OUT! CHESS produces a summer program of mini-courses aimed at general audiences of all ages. It’s called CHILL – the CHESS Initiative for Lifelong Learning. Each mini-course addresses an important topic and consists of four two-hour classes that meet over a two-week span. Classes meet in NODA from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Independent Picture House, 4327 Raleigh St. Best of all, each class only costs $150. During the first hour of each course a UNC Charlotte professor presents that day’s key information and concepts, leaving the second hour open for the instructor and students to chill out as they discuss, debate, and dive into that day’s presentation. All are welcome! Independent Picture House (4237 Raleigh St, Charlotte);  Register; Learn More about the Event

Wishing you a good week. 

All the best, 

Anabel