Senior Scholars at Queens

Update on Mecklenburg County Initiatives with Dena Diorio
2025-04-11 10:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | Hybrid: In-Person at PUMC & via Zoom, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, United States
TOPIC: Update on Mecklenburg County Initiatives
SPEAKER: Dena Diorio, Mecklenburg County Manager
Dena will provide an update on County projects and initiatives and answer questions.

BIOGRAPHY
Dena Diorio has been a leader in public administration since 1988. After graduate school Dena started what would be a ten-year stint with the City of New York, eight of which were in the Mayor’s Office. Serving under three different Mayors, Dena started as a financial analyst in the Departments of Sanitation and General Services where she provided financial support to various operating divisions. In 1990, she was appointed a supervising analyst at the Mayor’s Office of Operations where she rose to the level of Deputy Director in only five years. In 1995, she was appointed the Director of City Legislative Affairs and served as the Mayor’s lobbyist to the City Council. In that role she is credited with facilitating the passage of over 100 local laws included in the Mayor’s legislative agenda.
In 1998, Dena was appointed the inaugural Director of the Office of Policy and Management for the City of Stamford, Connecticut. She established a strong budget and auditing department that improved efficiency and accountability. In 2002, Dena moved to the City of Danbury, Connecticut where she served as the Director of Finance and Human Resources.
Dena joined Mecklenburg County, North Carolina in 2007 as Director of the Department of Financial Services. She is recognized for guiding the County through the fiscal crisis and implementing policies that significantly improved the financial position of the County. In 2013, she was promoted to Assistant County Manager and in 2014 was selected as the first woman to serve as County Manager for Mecklenburg County. As County Manager Dena serves as the CEO of the organization and is responsible for a workforce of 6,000 employees and an annual operating budget of $2 billion.
In her role as County Manager, Dena serves on a variety of boards including Charlotte Center City Partners, the Charlotte Sports Foundation, the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, Blumenthal Performing Arts, and United Way of Central Carolinas.
Dena has been recognized for her leadership by many organizations. In 2015, she was named Public Policy Leader of the Year by the National Association of Women Business Owners, and in 2016, she received the Leadership in Action award by Career Mastered. In 2018 she was named one of the 50 Most Influential Women by the Mecklenburg Times, and in 2019 a Most Admired CEO by the Charlotte Business Journal. In 2020, Dena was chosen as the Businesswoman of the Year by Queens University, the first woman from the public sector to receive the honor. In 2021, she was awarded the Excellence in Leadership Award from the Centralina Regional Council, received a Woman in American History Award from the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Pegasus Award from the Public Relations Society of America, which honors someone from outside the public relations profession for embracing the strategic use of communications. In 2023, she was awarded the Whitney M. Young award by the Urban League of Central Carolinas that honors those that have made significant impacts in the black community.
Dena earned her bachelor’s degree in social services from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh. She earned a master’s degree in public administration from Columbia University.
Dena lives with her husband Phil in Charlotte, North Carolina.

NOTE: Attend in-person at PUMC, no registration required. Attend via Zoom, please register with the Zoom link above.

Fluid Geopolitics of South Asia with Parag Jyoti Saikia
2025-04-18 10:00 - 11:00 | Zoom Only
GREAT DECISIONS TOPIC: Fluid Geopolitics of South Asia: Challenges and Opportunities
SPEAKER: Parag Jyoti Saikia, Doctoral Candidate, Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
India is at a volatile crossroads in South Asia. In summer 2024, India lost one of its close allies as student uprising deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Towards the end of 2024, China announced to build new dams on rivers originating from Tibet, threatening India’s efforts to build similar dams downstream. Such tensions are not new in international relations, India’s reaction to China’s growing financial and infrastructural influence in South Asia has been closely observed. Drawing from scholarship on Indo-China relations and personal experience of growing up in a frontier area, my talk will discuss India’s challenges and opportunities to becomes a regional and global leader.

BIOGRAPHY
Parag Jyoti Saikia is studying the construction of a hydropower dam in India to understand how infrastructures in-the-making shape everyday life, the environment, and geopolitics. He is a doctoral candidate in anthropology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (UNC). His research is supported by the Wenner-Gren Foundation, Social Science Research Council and UNC’s Graduate School. He is a public-engaged scholar who has also been awarded to Public Scholar’s Training Fellowship from SAPIENS magazine. For nearly a decade, he has been associated with grassroots organizations working on dams, rivers, and the environment, and been writing about these issues both in English and Assamese, his mother tongue. His writings have appeared on The Conversation, SAPIENS, South Asia blog of London School of Economics, The Wire, and Asia Times.

NOTE: This meeting will be Zoom only. There will be no in-person meeting due to Good Friday and PUMC being closed.

Update on Queens University with Dr. Sarah Fatherly
2025-04-25 10:00 - 11:00 | PUMC – Wolfe Hall, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, United States
TOPIC: Update on Queens University
SPEAKER: Dr. Sarah Fatherly, Chief Academic Officer for Queens University of Charlotte
Learn about what has been happening at Queens over the 2024-2025 year.

BIOGRAPHY
Sarah Fatherly is the chief academic officer for Queens University of Charlotte, overseeing all academic programs and services. Having served in that role since 2017, Dr. Fatherly has almost two decades of experience in academic administration.
She joined the Queens community in 2012 as associate provost and dean of university programs providing a renewed focus to undergraduate student success and retention. In addition to scholarship in her academic fields of study, Fatherly has published and presented widely on scaling high-impact practices, equity-minded curriculum innovation, faculty development practices, and campus partnerships for student success. She earned a B.A. from Gustavus Adolphus College, an M.A., and a Ph.D. in United States History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

NOTE: Attend in-person at PUMC, no registration required. Attend via Zoom, please register with the Zoom link above.

Wildacres 2025 Speaker Meg Johnson: Music Therapy
2025-04-28 10:00 - 11:00 | Wildacres Retreat, 1565 Wildacres Road, Little Switzerland, NC, 28749, United States
Senior Scholars annual Wildacres retreat is scheduled for April 28-May 1, 2025. For full details and to register for this event, please go to the Wildacres page.
TOPIC: Music Therapy: The science, the singing and everything in between.
SPEAKER: Meg Johnson, Music Therapy Program Director and Clinical Coordinator, Queens University
The presentation will provide an overview of the field of music therapy: the academic foundations, the education of students and therapists, the places we work and how we do what we do.

BIOGRAPHY
Meg Stanley Johnson has extensive clinical experience with a variety of client populations including child, adolescent and adult psychiatric settings, memory care groups, and children and adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities in both individual and group settings. Her current clinical focus is with young adults with autism who have limited verbal skills and a history of aggression.
She is the music therapy program director and clinical coordinator at Queens in addition to teaching in the music therapy and general education programs.
Education

M.M., Neurologic Music Therapy, Colorado State University
B.M., Music Therapy, Queens College, Charlotte, NC
B.A., Psychology, Queens College, Charlotte, NC
Bi www.musictherapy.org
www.ncmusictherapy.org
www.cbmt.org

Wildacres 2025 Speaker Joe Kendrick: How Music Impacts Society
2025-04-29 10:00 - 11:30 | Wildacres Retreat, 1565 Wildacres Road, Little Switzerland, NC, 28749, United States
Senior Scholars annual Wildacres retreat is scheduled for April 28-May 1, 2025. For full details and to register for this event, please go to the Wildacres page.
TOPIC: Songs of Solidarity, Songs of Protest, Songs of Hope Amidst Struggle: A Brief Survey of the Impact of Music on the Radio for Social Movements
SPEAKER: Joe Kendrick, Director of Programming and Operations Manager, WNCW
An overview of songs, artists, genres and eras of music on radio that reflect and have impacted various social movements in America.

BIOGRAPHY
Public radio programmer, music host, writer, podcaster, college instructor, public speaker, event producer
My role is to envision and develop the sound and image of WNCW, create original programming and manage round the clock operations. I recruit, develop and manage our programming staff. Also I host and produce weekly music shows and a bi-weekly podcast, Southern Songs and Stories. I represent WNCW in person as well as virtually worldwide to donors and industry partners. Additionally, I am part of the team that produces the annual Earl Scruggs Music Festival in Tryon, NC.
Joe Kendrick profile

The Levine JCC's Butterfly Project with Lori Semel
2025-05-02 10:00 - 11:00 | PUMC – Wolfe Hall, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, United States
TOPIC: The Levine JCC’s Butterfly Project with Lori Semel
SPEAKER: Lori Semel, Butterfly Project Coordinator
The Butterfly Project was developed as a call to action through education, the arts, and memorial making, which uses the lessons of the Holocaust to educate about the dangers of hatred and bigotry and cultivates empathy and social responsibility.
Participants paint ceramic butterflies that are displayed as symbols of resilience and hope, with the goal of creating 1.5 million butterflies around the world—one for each child who perished during the Holocaust, and honoring the survivors.

BIOGRAPHY
Lori graduated from East Carolina University. She taught middle school for 10 years, leaving to stay home with her two children. She began volunteering with the LJCC Butterfly Project in 2011, joined as staff shortly after and is now Coordinator.

NOTE: Attend in-person at PUMC, no registration required. Attend via Zoom, please register with the Zoom link above.

Healthcare Delivery with Dr. Stephen Riggs
2025-05-09 10:00 - 11:00 | PUMC – Wolfe Hall, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, United States
TOPIC: Healthcare Delivery, Past, Present and a Future with AI

SPEAKER: Dr. Stephen Riggs, Steve Riggs, MD, MBD, FACS; Professor Advocate Health, Wake Forest School of Medicine Vice Chair Department of Urology- Atrium Health Levine Cancer Center, Carolinas Medical Center
Healthcare delivery is experiencing unprecedented change and growth. The United states spends more on healthcare than any other country but ranks low when measuring many health outcomes. Government (medicare and medicaid) health insurance remains a topic of great debate while Artificial intelligence brings excitement and new energy to fixing some of our greatest challenges.

BIOGRAPHY
I am a Professor and Urologic Oncologist within the Department of Urology, Wake Forest School of Medicine and Levine Cancer Institute within Advocate Health (formerly Atrium Health). I have an active clinical practice in Urologic Oncology and extensive experience in designing and conducting clinical trials. My clinical interest includes bladder, kidney, testis, and prostate cancer with a research focus on standardization and optimization of surgical care. I currently serve Vice Chair for the Department of Urology, Chair for Robotic Surgery and Strategy for the Southeast and Co-lead the Enterprise Surgical Quality committee focused on defining and standardizing surgical quality and operations across the Advocate Enterprise.

Medical School: University of South Carolina College of Medicine
Residency: Vanderbilt University – Surgery; University of Mississippi Medical Center – Urology
Fellowship: University of California Medical Center – Urologic Oncology

NOTE: Attend in-person at PUMC, no registration required. Attend via Zoom, please register with the Zoom link above.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport Update with Jack Christine
2025-05-16 10:00 - 11:00 | Providence United Methodist Church (PUMC) – Wolfe Hall, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, North Carolina, 28211
TOPIC: Charlotte Douglas International Airport Update
SPEAKER: Jack Christine, A.A.E., Chief Infrastructure Officer, CLT Airport
Mr. Christine is overseeing Destination CLT, a five-year, $2.5-$3.1 billion capital program that includes planning, design and construction of expansion of terminal and concourse, and the development of numerous airfield projects. He will provide an update of progress and plans for the future.

BIOGRAPHY
Details coming soon.

NOTE: Attend in-person at PUMC, no registration required. Attend via Zoom, please register with the Zoom link above.

Wildlife You May Know with Bob Senn
2025-05-23 10:00 - 11:00 | Providence United Methodist Church (PUMC) – Wolfe Hall, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, North Carolina, 28211
TOPIC: Wildlife You May Know
SPEAKER: Bob Senn, Certified South Carolina Master Naturalist
Presentation with slideshow, and a side of humor, on many of the wildlife seen in North and South Carolina.

BIOGRAPHY
Bob is a certified South Carolina Master Naturalist. There are five zones in SC and Bob was initially certified for the coastal zone in 2014.
After working in that area and continuing with projects and education over the next several years around the state, Bob became one of the few Naturalists with a Statewide certification in May, 2017. Bob has done work with Sea Turtles, Wolves, Snakes, Hawks, Oyster Beds and other assorted wildlife.
Bob has given presentations to many groups and has led activities at Anne Close Greenway and the SCDNR (South Carolina Department of Natural Resources) Marine Research Center on James Island, South Carolina. He is also a member of the South Carolina Association of Naturalists.

NOTE: Attend in-person at PUMC, no registration required. Attend via Zoom, please register with the Zoom link above.

Charlotte Fire Department Update with Battalion Chief Horne
2025-05-30 10:00 - 11:00 | Providence United Methodist Church (PUMC) – Wolfe Hall, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, North Carolina, 28211
TOPIC: Charlotte Fire Department Update
SPEAKER: Battalion Chief Horne
Chief Horne will provide us insight into the operations of an agency that is so critical to the safety of Charlotte. This talk, which will be our last educational presentation for the spring term, will serve as something of a counterpoint to last year’s presentation by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department.

NOTE: Attend in-person at PUMC, no registration required. Attend via Zoom, please register with the Zoom link above.

Globalization, Trade, and Tariffs with Sergio Castello
2025-09-12 10:00 - 11:00 | Hybrid: In-Person at PUMC & via Zoom, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, United States
TOPIC: Globalization, Trade, and Tariffs
SPEAKER: Sergio Castello, Professor, Wingate University
A look at globalization since the 1970s to today and the importance of trade (and the notion of comparative advantage) in the US economy driven by multinational corporations and the TAA program to help dislocated workers.

BIOGRAPHY
Sergio Castello was born in Barcelona, Spain. At 18, he came to the US with $157, one suitcase and two tennis racquets. He earned a BBA in finance (minor in mathematics) from Freed-Hardeman University, an MBA from the University of Memphis, and a Ph.D. in international trade and finance from Colorado State University. He has been married to Lora for 35 years and have five children, Katie, Kerri (deceased), Walker, Monica, and Sofia. He enjoys playing tennis and golf and spending time in Montana.

NOTE: Attend in-person at PUMC, no registration required. Attend via Zoom, please register with the Zoom link above.

Elections Integrity with Mary Jo McGowan
2025-09-19 10:00 - 11:00 | Hybrid: In-Person at PUMC & via Zoom, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, United States
TOPIC: Elections Integrity
SPEAKER: Mary Jo McGowan, Dept of Political Science and Public Administration, UNC-Charlotte
A review of the elections process helps folks understand how elections work and how confident we can be in our electoral process.

BIOGRAPHY
Mary Jo McGowan is a faculty member at UNC Charlotte in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration.
Her research focus is on public policies relating to elections and running for office. She is a part of a research team studying impacts of election administration on electoral outcomes.
The team (Martha Kropf, Zachary Mohr, Mary Jo McGowan and JoEllen V. Pope) will publish their study of election costs A Republic If You Can Afford It: How Much Does it Cost to Administer an Election later this year.
Additionally, she studies policy complexity and its effect on outcome variables such as candidate decisions to run for office. Dr. McGowan teaches in the Model UN, Public Policy, and introductory Political Science courses. She is the Undergraduate Director for the Political Science Dept and Director of the American Studies program at UNC Charlotte.

NOTE: Attend in-person at PUMC, no registration required. Attend via Zoom, please register with the Zoom link above.

U.S. Relationship with Mexico with Dr. Jurgen Buchenau
2025-09-26 10:00 - 11:00 | Hybrid: In-Person at PUMC & via Zoom, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, United States
TOPIC: U.S. Relationship with Mexico: Past, Present and Future
SPEAKER: Dr. Jurgen Buchenau, Dowd Term Professor of Capitalism Studies; Professor of History and Latin American Studies, UNC Charlotte
An overview of the relationship between North America’s most populous countries since independence, with special emphasis on the history of the border, economic relations, and immigration.

BIOGRAPHY
Jürgen Buchenau is the Dowd Term Chair of Capitalism Studies, the co-director of the Center for Migration and Diaspora Studies, and Professor of History and Latin American Studies at UNC Charlotte.
Buchenau has authored and edited thirteen books, including Plutarco Elías Calles and the Mexican Revolution (2007), winner of the Alfred B. Thomas Book Award of the Southeastern Council of Latin American Studies, and The Sonoran Dynasty in Mexico: Revolution, Reform, and Repression (2023).
Buchenau’s research has been funded by the National Endowment of the Humanities and the American Philosophical Society. He is currently the editor of The Latin Americanist and two book series with Wiley and the University of New Mexico Press and has just completed a book on U.S.-Mexican relations.

NOTE: Attend in-person at PUMC, no registration required. Attend via Zoom, please register with the Zoom link above.

How Old Age Echoes Young Age with Judy Goldman
2025-10-03 10:00 - 11:00 | Hybrid: In-Person at PUMC & via Zoom, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, United States
TOPIC: How Old Age Echoes Young Age
SPEAKER: Judy Goldman, Author
Judy will talk about how every age — young age and old age and every age in between — brings with it the fear of the unfamiliar, as well as the exhilaration of trying out a new kind of existence.

BIOGRAPHY
Judy Goldman has published eight award-winning books — four memoirs, two novels, and two collections of poetry. Her most recent book, The Rest of Our Lives: A Memoir, published in May 2025, was named a best-seller by bookstores across the Southeast. Her work has appeared in USA Today, Washington Post, Real Simple, Our State, Charlotte Observer, and in many anthologies and literary journals.
Born and raised in Rock Hill, SC, she has lived in Charlotte for 58 years. She and her husband have two married children and four grandchildren.

NOTE: Attend in-person at PUMC, no registration required. Attend via Zoom, please register with the Zoom link above.

The Government Accountability Office with Davis Judson
2025-10-10 10:00 - 11:00 | Hybrid: In-Person at PUMC & via Zoom, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, United States
TOPIC: The Government Accountability Office
SPEAKER: Davis Judson, Senior Analyst, GAO
GAO has been called the congressional watchdog and the defender of the public interest. Learn about GAO’s unique role in the federal government and how it supports Congress with objective, reliable, and nonpartisan information.

BIOGRAPHY
Davis Judson is a project manager in GAO’s financial markets and community investment team, where he leads teams in evaluating government programs that span Wall Street to Main Street. He received an MPA from Cornell University and a BA in economics and urban studies from Washington University in St Louis.

NOTE: Attend in-person at PUMC, no registration required. Attend via Zoom, please register with the Zoom link above.

The Pearl, Charlotte's Innovation District with Hillary Crittendon
2025-10-17 10:00 - 11:00 | Hybrid: In-Person at PUMC & via Zoom, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, United States
TOPIC: The Pearl, Charlotte’s Innovation District
SPEAKER: Hillary Crittendon
The Pearl, anchored by Wake Forest School of Medicine, is a 30-acre mixed-use development that includes education, retail, apartments, a hotel, open community space, and health science research facilities. Located next to uptown and Atrium Health’s flagship hospital, it aims to drive economic growth and job creation in the Charlotte Region.
This presentation will explore how public-private partnerships, educational collaboration, and strategic business development are fueling growth in the district. The Pearl exemplifies how innovation district can power transformation across education, research, healthcare and economic mobility–delivering a model of inclusive innovation that is uniquely Charlotte.

BIOGRAPHY
Hillary Crittendon joined Atrium Health in early 2021 and serves as Head of Operations and Strategy for The Pearl, Charlotte’s innovation district.
Prior to joining Atrium Health, Hillary was the Director of the Charlotte Executive Leadership Council, a 30-member CEO council based in Charlotte which is focused on influencing economic mobility, policy and economic development solutions for the region. She joined the CELC via McKinsey, where she served as a consultant in various capacities over nearly 5 years.
Hillary holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in French from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Masters in Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She has experience in investment banking, having served as an analyst at Credit Suisse, and in financial fundraising in the private equity and hedge fund industries. She also co-founded The Brandshop, a startup marketing and consultancy focused on supporting growth of high-end female-owned retail and lifestyle brands.
Hillary serves on the board of the Urban League of Central Carolinas and the North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE). She also serves on the Advisory Board for the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System’s Career and Technical Education Program and on the Auxiliary of the Mint Museum.

NOTE: Attend in-person at PUMC, no registration required. Attend via Zoom, please register with the Zoom link above.

The Future of Human-AI Relations with Mark Peres
2025-10-24 10:00 - 11:00 | Hybrid: In-Person at PUMC & via Zoom, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, United States
TOPIC: The Future of Human-AI Relations
SPEAKER: Mark Peres, Author/Professor/Founder
In this provocative and accessible talk, ethicist and novelist Mark Peres invites audiences to explore one of the most profound questions of the 21st century: What does it mean to share the future with intelligent machines?
Drawing on the ideas at the heart of his new novel, The Accord, Peres looks beyond today’s headlines to examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping our understanding of consciousness, agency, and responsibility — and how it might evolve from a mere tool into a genuine collaborator in the human story.
Through a blend of philosophy, literature, and real-world examples, he outlines three possible futures for human–AI relations — subordination, domination, or transformative partnership — and offers guiding principles to ensure that this powerful technology serves humanity rather than distorts it. This is not a technical presentation but a spirited conversation about values, imagination, and the choices that will determine whether AI deepens our humanity or diminishes it.

BIOGRAPHY
Mark Peres is founding director of The Charlotte Center for the Humanities & Civic Imagination, the Charlotte Ideas Festival, the On Life Life and Meaning podcast, and Charlotte Viewpoint magazine. He is also an award-winning professor of leadership and ethics at Johnson & Wales University, where he challenges students to reflect deeply on what it means to lead a good life.
He is the author of ‘The Accord’ – a novel on the future of human-AI relations, and ‘The Man Who Lived a Hundred Lives’ – a memoir about his father’s improbable life and immigrant journey. He is the winner of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Luminary Award for Lifetime Achievement. Mark is a graduate of The Florida State University College of Law, and of Rollins College, where he studied history and philosophy of religion.

NOTE: Attend in-person at PUMC, no registration required. Attend via Zoom, please register with the Zoom link above.

Energy Transition to Carbon Free Electricity with Neva Espinoza
2025-10-31 10:00 - 11:00 | Hybrid: In-Person at PUMC & via Zoom, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, United States
TOPIC: Energy Transition to Carbon Free Electricity
SPEAKER: Neva Espinoza, Senior Vice President – Energy Supply and Low-Carbon Resources & Chief Generation Officer
Neva Espinoza will discuss how nuclear power and other advanced technologies can enable a transition to affordable, reliable, and carbon-free electricity

BIOGRAPHY
Neva Espinoza is Senior Vice President, Energy Supply and Low-Carbon Resources and Chief Generation Officer at EPRI.
In this role, she leads a global team conducting EPRI research and development related to energy supply – including generation, nuclear, and low-carbon fuels – as electricity use continues growing through the energy transition. This includes conventional and advanced nuclear, the existing fossil fleet, large-scale renewable generation assets, long duration energy storage, and the production and use of low-carbon energy carriers.
Previous leadership roles included serving as EPRI’s Vice President of Energy Supply and Low-Carbon Resources and Director of R&D for the institute’s Generation Sector. She joined EPRI in January 2012 with more than 10 years of operational and engineering experience in the power industry, across a diverse set of assets and technologies. Prior to EPRI, Espinoza served in technical and leadership positions at NRG’s Arthur Kill Power Station, Exelon’s Oyster Creek Power Station and Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory.
Espinoza received a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Rutgers University and Master of Business Administration degree from Wake Forest University. She is a graduate of the U.S. Navy’s Officer Nuclear Power Program and held a senior reactor operator license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Espinoza sits on the National Petroleum Council and the Georgia Institute of Technology Strategic Energy Institute Executive Advisory Board.

NOTE: Attend in-person at PUMC, no registration required. Attend via Zoom, please register with the Zoom link above.

The American Fire Service with Heather Burford
2025-11-07 10:00 - 11:00 | Hybrid: In-Person at PUMC & via Zoom, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, United States
TOPIC: The American Fire Service – Proud History & Innovative Future
SPEAKER: Heather Burford
From Benjamin Franklin co-founding the Country’s first volunteer fire company in 1736, through today’s migration to electric fire engines, the American Fire Service has evolved tremendously throughout history. Ever evolving, the fire service has undergone remarkable transformation, adapting to changing environments, embracing technology and innovation, and expanding its role beyond traditional firefighting.
This presentation will guide the audience through a short history of the fire service and discuss impactful advancements being made to better serve communities across our nation. The discussion will also touch on some of the lesser-known facts about the fire service such as why Dalmatians were the dog of choice for fire departments, and the impact that COVID has had on the profession of firefighting.

BIOGRAPHY
Heather Burford has a 35-year history with the American fire service. Soon after graduating from Iowa State University, Heather joined the Wilton Fire Department in Connecticut as a volunteer firefighter and fell in love with public safety services. In 1993, Heather was hired as the first female Firefighter in Manchester, Connecticut where she spent 13 years working her way up through the ranks of the department. She became the Fire Chief of the Ridgefield Connecticut Fire Department in 2006 and in 2014 she was appointed Fire Chief and Director of Emergency Management for the City of Seminole in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area of Florida.
Heather holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Connecticut, is recognized by the Center for Public Safety Excellence® as a Chief Fire Officer and is a graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program.
Heather has a long history of community involvement and volunteering. She is an active member of Team Rubicon, a veteran-led humanitarian and disaster recover organization; she serves as a board member for the South Carolina Firefighters Burned Children’s Fund; and she currently serves as a member of the Indian Land Consolidated Fire Protection District Commission. Heather resides in South Carolina, where she is close to her parents and extended family.

NOTE: Attend in-person at PUMC, no registration required. Attend via Zoom, please register with the Zoom link above.

Ancient Rome's Last God with E. Michael Whittington
2025-11-14 10:00 - 11:00 | Hybrid: In-Person at PUMC & via Zoom, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, United States
TOPIC: Ancient Rome’s Last God
SPEAKER: E. Michael Whittington, Retired Art Museum Director
The Roman Empire with its larger-than-life emperors, mighty legions, extravagant gladiatorial games, and extraordinary art and architecture fires our imagination and influences popular culture.
The ancient Roman supernatural was populated by a dizzying panoply of gods, goddesses, deified rulers, heroes, and fantastical beasts. Unique in this pantheon was a young man whose lifeless body was recovered from the Nile in the autumn of 130 CE. Immediately proclaimed a god, temples were built to worship him, a city was founded in his name, dozens of surviving sculptures forever captured his youth, coins were struck with his likeness, and Olympic games were celebrated in his honor.
Who was this young man named Antinous who rose so quickly from obscurity to prominence in the imperial court? What were the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death and why did he become the Roman Empire’s last god?

BIOGRAPHY
E. Michael Whittington is an art historian specializing in ancient art. Michael was Curator of the Arts of Ancient America at the Mint Museum of Art and an Adjunct Instructor of Art History at UNC-Charlotte. As a Director/CEO, he led art museums in California, Oklahoma and Washington state. Michael organized significant national and international exhibitions and participated in scholarly and professional symposia in the United States, Europe, Latin America, and Asia.
Whittington has a BA in Anthropology from West Georgia University and an MA in Art History from the University of Florida.
Michael retired to Greenville, South Carolina in 2024. He teaches art history at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Furman University in Greenville.
Recommended Readings:

Beard, Mary: Emperor of Rome: Ruling the Ancient Roman World. Liveright Publishing Corporation, New York. 2023
Birley, Anthony R. Hadrian: The Restless Emperor. Rutledge, London and New York. 1997
Boatwright, Mary Taliaferro: Hadrian and the City of Rome. Princeton University Press, Princeton. 1987
Everitt, Anthony: Hadrian and the Triumph of Rome. Random House, New York. 2009
Holland, Tom Pax: War and Peace in Rome’s Golden Age. Abacus Books, London. 2023
Lambert, Royston: Beloved and God: The Story of Hadrian and Antinous. Phoenix, London. 1984
Opper, Thorsten: Hadrian: Empire and Conflict. Harvard University Press. Cambridge. 2008
Zaccaria, Mari and Sergio Sgalambro: “The Antinoeion of Hadrian’s Villa: Interpretation and Architectural Reconstruction.” American Journal of Archaeology. Volume 111 No. 1, January, 2007
Ancient Sources: Aurelius Victor de Caesaribus. Translated with an introduction and commentary by H.W. Bird. Liverpool University Press, Liverpool. 1994.
Dio’s Roman History. William Heinemann, London. 1914
Lives of the Later Caesars. The first part of the Augustan History with newly compiled Lives of Nerva and Trajan. Translated and Introduced by Anthony Birley. Penguin Books, London. 1976

NOTE: Attend in-person at PUMC, no registration required. Attend via Zoom, please register with the Zoom link above.

Talking Turkey to Keep the Wolves Away with Anne Larkin and Samuel Kunjukunju
2025-11-21 10:00 - 11:00 | Hybrid: In-Person at PUMC & via Zoom, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, United States
TOPIC: Talking Turkey to Keep the Wolves Away – Eradicating Elder Financial Fraud
SPEAKER: Ann Larkin and Samuel Kunjukunju
Seniors lose billions of dollars every year due to criminals absconding with much-needed retirement assets. Learn about current scams, the financial industry’s responses, and the need for more help.

BIOGRAPHY
ANNE WILSON LARKIN works as a consultant with the American Bankers Association (ABA) and The Moonshot Initiative to help fight elder financial exploitation. Scammers took her parents’ assets, which ignited a passion for keeping other people’s assets safe. She is a litigator by training, holding five state bar licenses and, also worked within government and academia. Anne’s work for 15 years as a Senior Vice President for a large bank connected her with other passionate people across the country and internationally. During COVID, she held 50 conversations with different Adult Protective Services agencies regarding what is needed. She obtained her Juris Doctorate with Highest Honors from the University of Oklahoma and is a proud TCU Horned Frog undergrad.
SAMUEL KUNJUKUNJU is the Vice President of Consumer Education at the American Bankers Association (ABA). He designs and implements programs to support the banking industry’s efforts to protect consumers and engage vulnerable communities through the ABA Foundation. Sam oversees the Foundation’s national financial education programming and serves as the subject matter expert on elder financial exploitation. Sam holds a Master of Public Health as well as a Master of Business Administration from the University of Rochester.
Many financial industry, government, and non-profit resources exist (see e.g., bank and investments websites; FBI, including iC3; DOJ, including Elder Justice Coordinators; FTC and their elder advisory committees; CFPB’s Office of Older Americans; state Adult Protective Agencies (APS) and the National APS Association; AARP; the Better Business Bureau; The Moonshot Initiative (TMI); and other state and local law enforcement).
Similarly, many books address elder financial fraud: Empty Mansions re: Huguette Clark; The Stealing Joy; Elder Fraud Wars; Quick Guide to Recognizing Elder Fraud. Recent movies include “I Care A Lot” (guardianship abuse); “Tinder Swindler” (romance scams); and “The Bee Keeper” (retribution after a computer scam).`

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AI in Your Hands: A Practical Guide with Cori Faklaris
2026-01-09 10:00 - 11:00 | Hybrid: In-Person at PUMC & via Zoom, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, United States
TOPIC: AI in Your Hands: A Practical Guide to Capabilities, Prompting, and Pitfalls
SPEAKER: Cori Faklaris, Asst Professor, UNC Charlotte
AI is everywhere, but it doesn’t come with a user manual. Tools such as ChatGPT can be powerful assistants for brainstorming, writing, and learning. At the same time, they are used to create scams, “deepfakes,” and convincing misinformation.
How can a non-expert tap into its capabilities without falling into the pitfalls? Join Dr. Cori Faklaris, a usable security and AI expert, as she demystifies machine-learning technologies such as chatbots and image generators. Attendees will receive guidance on writing effective prompts to make AI your personal intern, the essential skills to spot frauds, and her views of AI’s impact on education, career paths, and publishing.

BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Cori Faklaris is an assistant professor at UNC Charlotte’s College of Computing and Informatics, where she directs the Security and Privacy Experiences (SPEX) group.
Her focus is on understanding people’s needs and designing for safe, secure, and trustworthy computing, including artificial intelligence. In this interdisciplinary work, Faklaris draws on methods from social science, computer science, data science and machine learning, cybersecurity, and design. She also employs skills and knowledge from her past careers in journalism, IT/UX, and social media.
Among other accomplishments, she received a 2024 Google Research Scholar award for work to connect people with advice about their security and privacy concerns. Her work is also funded by BasisLabs LLC founder Carl Hoffman, the U.S. Army Research Lab, and the U.S. National Science Foundation.
Dr. Cori Website

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Be a Voice for the Children in Our Community with Rhonda McGuire
2026-01-16 10:00 - 11:00 | Hybrid: In-Person at PUMC & via Zoom, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, United States
TOPIC: Be a Voice for the Children in Our Community with Rhonda McGuire
SPEAKER: Rhonda McGuire
The Guardian ad Litem (GAL) program recruits, screens, trains, and supervises volunteer advocates to protect and promote the best interest of abused and neglected children in the state’s custody (foster care).
A GAL works as part of a team with a program staff and an attorney advocate to prepare a written report to help the judge understand what is best for the child and to ultimately find them a safe, permanent home as quickly as possible. Before beginning service, GALs participate in 35 hours of training and observe two hours of juvenile court.

BIOGRAPHY
Rhonda McGuire is the Guardian ad Litem (GAL) Program Specialist for the Mecklenburg County Office. She has been with GAL for 11 years. Rhonda’s role in the office is to recruit, screen and help train community members to advocate for children in foster care.

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Habitat's Evolving Business Model with Laura Belcher
2026-01-23 10:00 - 11:00 | Hybrid: In-Person at PUMC & via Zoom, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, United States
TOPIC: Habitat’s Evolving Business Model
SPEAKER: Laura Belcher, President/CEO Habitat for Humanity, Charlotte Region
Founded locally 42 years ago, Habitat Charlotte Region has built over 1500 new homes and served over 5000 families. In recent years, as land availability becomes scarce and building material costs escalate, Habitat has looked at how it needs to evolve to meet the rising demand for affordable homeownership options.
Join this presentation to hear how Habitat has moved from homebuilder to neighborhood developer while also preserving aging housing inventory and preparing future homeowners through financial education. As one of the largest affiliates in the US, Habitat Charlotte Region’s $65million operation continues to look for ways to transform and intensify its impact.

BIOGRAPHY
Laura Belcher joined Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region in 2014 as President & CEO. During her leadership, the organization has seen nearly a 400% increase in families served through new homeownership, critical home repairs and financial education programming. Laura has led the organization through 2 strategic mergers in the past 5 years, expanding programming into Iredell and Gaston Counties. 2023 provided a career highlight as Habitat Charlotte Region hosted the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project building 27 homes in a week with 3800 volunteers.
Laura spent the first 20 years of her career in corporate roles with Arthur Andersen, Wachovia Securities and Transamerica.  Laura was a CPA, graduated from the College of William and Mary, and spent 9 years in nonprofit work as CFO/COO of the Arts & Science Council prior to joining Habitat.
Laura is on the Catapult Employers Association Board of Directors and chairs the Governance Committee. Laura is a member of Women Executives and International Women’s Forum. Her recent recognitions include 2025 Charlotte Business Journal Power 100 influential leaders, 2024 Charlotte Woman of the Year and Business NC 2024 Power List as one of the most influential leaders in non-profits and philanthropies.

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Civil and Indian Wars with Peter Cozzens
2026-01-30 10:00 - 11:00 | Hybrid: In-Person at PUMC & via Zoom, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, United States
TOPIC: Deadwood, Wild Bill Hickok, and Calamity Jane: The Births of Three Legends
SPEAKER: Peter Cozzens, Author
The presentation will scrutinize the birth and evolution of three of the most legendary subjects of the Wild West. It will also look at how Deadwood provoked the most consequential Indian War in the West.
NOTE: This presentation will be via Zoom in Wolfe Hall.

BIOGRAPHY
Peter Cozzens is the international award-winning author and editor of nineteen books on the American Civil War and the American West. Cozzens retired after a thirty-year career as a Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. Department of State. Before joining the Foreign Service, he served as a captain in the U. S. Army. His book The Earth Is Weeping: The Epic Story of the Indian Wars for the American West received the 2017 Gilder Lehrman Prize in Military History for the best military history work in the English language. In December 2024, the Economist selected it as one of the seven greatest military history books ever written.
In 2002, Cozzens received the American Foreign Service Association’s highest award, given annually to one Foreign Service Officer for exemplary moral courage, integrity, and creative dissent. He has also received an Alumni Achievement Award from his alma mater, Knox College.
His most recent book is Deadwood: Gold, Guns, and Greed in the American West.

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The Library Era with Jenni Gaisbauer
2026-02-06 10:00 - 11:00 | Hybrid: In-Person at PUMC & via Zoom, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, United States
TOPIC: The Library Era: Charlotte Mecklenburg’s New Main Library
SPEAKER: Jenni Gaisbauer, CFRE, Executive Director, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation
A library has stood on the corner of Sixth and North Tryon Streets in Uptown Charlotte since 1903 when industrialist Andrew Carnegie donated $25,000 (equivalent of $1million today).
In the spring of 2027, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library will open its much anticipated new Main Library in the same location. Designed by internationally acclaimed architect Snohetta, your Library will be an awe-inspiring fusion of architecture, technology, and civic gathering spaces spanning an impressive 115,000 square feet. Join us as Jenni shares the vision and intimate details of the new Main Library and what will take place in all its beautiful community spaces.

BIOGRAPHY
A non-profit executive, Jenni has more than 25 years of experience in strategic planning, philanthropy, comprehensive campaigns, special events, board development, and community partnerships. Jenni joined the Library in 2013 and serves dual roles as the Chief Development Officer and the Executive Director of the Library Foundation. Previously, Jenni served as the Senior Vice President of Development at Levine Museum of the New South and Assistant Development and Marketing Director at World T.E.A.M. Sports.
Jenni a graduate of the American Leadership Forum and has served on the boards of Association of Fundraising Professionals, The Plus Collective, Girls on the Run, Community Building Initiative and currently serves on the boards of the Arts & Science Council, Children’s Home of North Carolina and the Library Support Networks. In 2015, Jenni was honored as the Fundraising Executive of the Year by Association of Fundraising Professionals, Charlotte Chapter. Jenni earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Montana and a master’s degree from The Ohio State University.
When not working, Jenni enjoys traveling, cooking, reading, watching football, and spending time with her family.

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Charlotte at a Crossroads: Building a Sustainable City for Generations to Come with Shannon Binns
2026-02-13 10:00 - 11:00 | Hybrid: In-Person at PUMC & via Zoom, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, United States
TOPIC: Charlotte at a Crossroads: Building a Sustainable City for Generations
SPEAKER: Shannon Binns, Founder/Executive Director Sustain Charlotte
Charlotte is growing faster than almost any city in the nation. With this growth come big questions: How will we move around safely and efficiently? How do we keep housing affordable? How do we protect our air, water, and natural spaces?
In this talk, Shannon Binns, founder and executive director of Sustain Charlotte, will share how smart growth and better transportation choices can make our community more equitable, connected, and healthy. He’ll highlight local success stories, current challenges, and ways that all of us — at every stage of life — can play a role in shaping a thriving future for Charlotte.

BIOGRAPHY
Shannon is the Founder and Executive Director of Sustain Charlotte. Before moving to Charlotte in 2007, Shannon worked at The Nature Conservancy in Washington, D.C., where he was part of their climate change science and policy team.
Shannon served in the Peace Corps in Senegal, in AmeriCorps’ National Civilian Community Corps, and helped found a tsunami relief organization in Thailand. He worked as an industrial engineer for Motorola, General Motors and Trane in the for-profit sector. He holds a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering from Iowa State University and a Master of Public Administration in environmental science and policy from Columbia University.
He has previously served as a supervisor on the Mecklenburg County Soil and Water Conservation Board, an adjunct professor in the Sustainable Technologies program at Central Piedmont Community College and a member of the North Carolina Advisory Board for Environmental Defense Fund. In 2015, he was named one of “Seven to Watch” by The Charlotte Observer and one of the Charlotte Business Journal’s “40 Under 40.” In 2018, Charlotte’s NPR affiliate, WFAE, named him one of “The Most Powerful Voices in Charlotte.” In 2024, the Charlotte Business Journal named Shannon one of the region’s “Top 100 Innovators.”
Website: https://www.sustaincharlotte.org
Book Recommendations:

Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design — Charles Montgomery
The Smart Growth Manual — Andres Duany, Jeff Speck, Mike Lydon
Reimagining Sustainable Cities: Strategies for Designing Greener, Healthier, More Equitable Communities — Stephen Wheeler
Toward Sustainable Communities — Mark Roseland
The Death and Life of Great American Cities — Jane Jacobs

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The United States and Africa: History, Change, and the Road Ahead with Beth Whitaker
2026-02-20 10:00 - 11:00 | Hybrid: In-Person at PUMC & via Zoom, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, United States
TOPIC: The United States and Africa: History, Change, and the Road Ahead
SPEAKER: Beth Whitaker, Professor of Political Science, UNC Charlotte
How has the United States engaged with Africa over time and what does that relationship look like today?
In this talk, Dr. Beth Elise Whitaker, Professor of Political Science and longtime scholar of African politics and U.S.–Africa relations, will explore the evolving dynamics that have shaped American policy toward the continent. Drawing on more than two decades of research, teaching, and on the ground experience—including her work in Kenya as a Fulbright Scholar—she will trace key moments in the diplomatic, security, and economic ties linking the U.S. and African nations.
Dr. Whitaker will discuss how Cold War rivalries, humanitarian crises, and counterterrorism strategies influenced earlier eras of engagement, and how today’s shifting global landscape has transformed U.S. priorities. She will also highlight the role of migration, diaspora communities, and African public opinion in shaping contemporary policy debates.

BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Beth Elise Whitaker is professor of political science and associate dean for research and interdisciplinary collaboration in the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Whitaker’s research focuses on migration and security, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Her work explores how political dynamics influence attitudes and policies toward migrants and refugees.
As a Fulbright Scholar in Kenya in 2005-2006, she examined U.S.-African counter-terrorism cooperation.
She is co-author with John F. Clark of Africa’s International Relations: Balancing Domestic and Global Interests (Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2018) and her articles have appeared in many academic journals.
Whitaker worked previously at the Brookings Institution and the American Council on Education and has consulted for the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Defense, Social Science Research Council, United Nations Foundation, and Save the Children Fund. She earned her bachelor’s degree in public and international affairs from Princeton University and her master’s and Ph.D. in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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Microplastics with Olya Keen
2026-02-27 10:00 - 11:00 | Hybrid: In-Person at PUMC & via Zoom, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, United States
TOPIC: Microplastics and Other Contaminants of Emerging Concern
SPEAKER: Olya Keen, Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director, UNC Charlotte
The talk will focus on microplastics and other contaminants of emerging concern, such as PFAS, plasticizers, pharmaceuticals, flame retardants, etc. I will discuss where they come from in the environment, where we encounter them in our daily lives and the latest research discoveries.

BIOGRAPHY
Olya Keen received her BS and MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of South Florida and her PhD in the same discipline for University of Colorado at Boulder. She has been a faculty member in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UNC Charlotte for 13 years. She has published over 30 peer-reviewed articles on contaminants of emerging concern and ways to treat them in water.

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Vaccine Science with Courtney Labonge
2026-03-06 10:00 - 11:00 | Hybrid: In-Person at PUMC & via Zoom, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, United States
TOPIC: Vaccines Science, Development and Clinical Trial Applications
SPEAKER: Courtney Labonge, Associate Director, Alkermes, Inc
This presentation explores the fundamentals of vaccine science, the various types of vaccines, and their critical role in clinical trials.
It covers the importance of vaccines in public health, mechanisms of immune response, safety and efficacy principles, phases of clinical research, regulatory review, and post-marketing surveillance.
Real-world case studies, including COVID-19 vaccine development, and innovations in vaccine technology are discussed, highlighting the global health impact and ongoing challenges in vaccine trials.

BIOGRAPHY
Courtney Labonge is Associate Director of Study Start Up at Alkermes, where they lead global clinical trial operations and process innovation. With extensive experience in study start-up, regulatory affairs, and team leadership, Courtney is recognized for driving collaboration and operational excellence across late-stage clinical programs.
Courtney holds a BS in Biology from UNC Wilmington. She has received multiple industry awards for leadership and research, including Charlotte Top 30 under 30.
Website
Book Recommendations:

Vaccine: The Controversial Story of Medicine’s Greatest Lifesaver by Arthur Allen
The Vaccine Race: Science, Politics, and the Human Costs of Defeating Disease By Meredith Wadman

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