UNC Charlotte Cato College of Education

Congratulations to our Mebane Early Literacy Center team for winning an inaugural Partner Impact Award from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools!

MELC was awarded the Pathways to Promise Award for its many support pathways for CMS instructional staff and families, including...

📖 the annual Mebane Early Literacy Summit
💻 the new SCORE and SCORE+TEACH research webinar series with differentiated instruction for literacy leaders & admins versus classroom teachers
🏫 enhanced clinicals that bring Charlotte students and professors into CMS classrooms
🤝 resources like the Interactive Literacy Support Map and Community Inquiry Study that help CMS communities identify local nonprofits supporting literacy services near them

Many thanks to CMS for recognizing these efforts and for their ongoing partnership in support of early literacy!

Feeling inspired by the stories of our graduates? Ready to explore what’s next in your journey as an educator? You’re in the right place.

Mark your calendar for August 13 and join us at our Doctoral Open House, where you can meet current students, faculty, and alumni to learn about any of our five doctoral programs:

🧠 Ph.D. In Counselor Education and Supervision
🎓 Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction
🌟 Ed.D. in Educational Leadership
📊 Ph.D. in Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation
🤝 Ph.D. in Special Education

Register here to reserve your spot today: https://gradapp.charlotte.edu/register/?id=8eb2db11-e285-4ced-9a8d-00a45135189b

We caught up with some more of our spring 2026 grads, Kaleena Waters and Andrew Clegg, both graduates of the M.Ed. In Educational Leadership!

Learn more about their journeys at Charlotte, written by doctoral student Kailey Galloway: https://education.charlotte.edu/2026/05/11/qa-with-m-ed-in-educational-leadership-graduates/

Charlotte's fourth cohort of Holmes Scholars is now accepting applications! Holmes Scholars offers professional development supports for doctoral students seeking faculty employment after graduation.

Students of all doctoral programs in the Cato College of Education are welcome, so long as you have at least three years of your studies remaining - including students starting this fall. Additional eligibility notes and tips for applying are noted on the application form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeN5GjEwk-_A8HrvQxQ8QDXdH8SwMV01pax64LaErsUTPublA/viewform

Applications close this Friday, so don't miss out!

In the midst of commencement festivities, we celebrated our senior Teaching Fellows too! We are so proud of these exceptional scholars who have committed to years of teaching in high-need schools and subject areas.

They got to hear from Dean Butler, Associate Dean Tisha Greene, two of our New Teacher Support Coaches Courtnie and Lindsay, and two exceptional alumni in Emily Francis and Molly Todd.

We know they will take the many words of encouragement and the powerful stories of teacher impact they heard that night with them into their first year of teaching and beyond 🌟🎓

In 2004, Jennifer Merry graduated from UNC Charlotte with a B.M. in Music Education and a license to teach, and eventually became a band director.

That’s how most graduate profiles end, but for Merry, her bachelor’s degree was just the beginning of her Niner story. She went on to earn her MSA in 2023, and then as she chose to pursue her Ph.D., she was hired as the first employee supporting the Mebane Early Literacy Center.

In just three years, she made an impact far greater than just getting her Ph.D or being an admin support associate. In the words of MELC Director Angela Preston, "From day one, I could already tell she was much more than what that role says on paper... She is the fabric of UNC Charlotte."

Read more about Merry's journey: https://education.charlotte.edu/2026/05/08/she-is-the-fabric-of-unc-charlotte-three-time-niner-jennifer-merry-04-msa-23-leaves-lasting-legacy-earns-ph-d/