Senior Scholars at Queens

America and Changing Economic World with Jay Bryson
2025-02-21 10:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | Hybrid: In-Person at PUMC & via Zoom, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, United States
GREAT DECISIONS TOPIC: America and Changing Economic World
SPEAKER: Jay Bryson, Managing Director, Chief Economist, Wells Fargo Corporate and Investment Bank
Dr. Bryson will present his annual analysis of financial markets and macroeconomic developments in the global economy.
He will also provide an outlook for the next two years including forecasts of GDP growth rates, inflation rates, and interest rates in the major economies of the world.

BIOGRAPHY
Details coming soon.

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

How PBS Charlotte Shines the Spotlight on our Region with Amy Burkett
2025-02-28 10:00 - 11:00 | Hybrid: In-Person at PUMC & via Zoom, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, United States
GREAT DECISIONS TOPIC: How PBS Charlotte Shines the Spotlight on our Region
SPEAKER: Amy Burkett, PBS General Manager
Amy will share interesting statistics and behind the scenes production details woven in and out of video clips of local documentaries as well as our signature Emmy winning news magazine Carolina Impact.

BIOGRAPHY
Amy has been honored to lead the renaissance of PBS Charlotte since 2013. She’s grateful that over that time the station has seen over a 400% increase in community support. In addition to the wonderful national content the station has five weekly local shows the newest Unspun is a political program that helps you know what politicians are often thinking but not saying hosted by former Charlotte mayor and governor Pat McCrory. Amy has led the station for five Emmy awards during her time year brining her total to 11 Emmys during her more than 30 years in broadcasting. She’s published two leadership books.
The 7D’s to Your Destiny and The Dirty F-Word: Lessons From our Failures

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

The Shadow of Alzheimer's Disease with Dr. Adam Law
2025-03-07 10:00 - 11:00 | Hybrid: In-Person at PUMC & via Zoom, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, United States
TOPIC: The Shadow of Alzheimer’s Disease
SPEAKER: Dr. Adam Law, Visiting Scientist, Cornell University
This talk will explore Alzheimer’s Disease from a personal, professional and research perspective, as a physician who, in retirement, is participating in a laboratory investigating its molecular mechanisms.

BIOGRAPHY
Adam Law is a Londoner by birth and emigrated to the USA at the age of thirty-one. He moved to Ithaca 34 years ago and has lived in the same home in North East Ithaca where he and his wife Jane Marie raised 3 Ithacan children.
He trained in medicine and molecular medicine at the University of London. He was a post-doctoral researcher at UCSF and Cornell University in molecular biology and genetics. He was the only endocrinologist in Tompkins County for most of his 28 year career in medical practice in Ithaca and also was a primary care physician.
During this time when he was president of the medical staff at The Cayuga Medical Center, he was responsible for bringing medical students and residents to Ithaca from Weill Cornell, where he was a clinical assistant professor.
He has co-founded 2 non-profits. In 2010 Physicians, Scientists and Engineers for Healthy Energy (PSE) in his living room, currently board president and in 2021 Artists with Evidence (AwE), currently board treasurer.
He retired from clinical medicine in 2022. Currently, he is a visiting scientist in the Lis lab in the Biotechnology Center at Cornell University researching Alzheimer’s disease. His hobbies are learning the guitar, studying Brazilian Portuguese, running and cycling.

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

Curriculum Committee Meeting - March 12
2025-03-12 13:15 - 14:00 | Zoom Registration Required
Curriculum Committee Meetings are open to Membership.
Join our monthly Curriculum Committee meetings, via Zoom, to hear about upcoming speakers/events or to suggest speakers you know (or have heard speak) and believe would be of interest to your fellow Senior Scholars.
These meetings are always held on the Zoom platform.

Critical Thinking – A Quick Course
2025-03-14 10:00 - 11:00 | Zoom Only
TOPIC: Critical Thinking – A Quick Course
SPEAKER: Pierce Howard, Ph.D
Beginning with a definition of critical thinking–and in the spirit of critical thinking, Pierce will offer several definitions. What it is, and what it is not.
The core is questioning, so we will explore the world of asking questions that most support critical thinking. Then Pierce will identify obstacles to thinking critically, followed by qualities that foster critical thinking.
This all leads up to identifying System I (instincts) and System II (processes) mental functions, what Daniel Kahneman described in his Thinking, Fast and Slow (2013). We will close with a daily tool bag that includes five basic skills of critical thinking.
NOTE: This meeting is Zoom only. PUMC is closed on 3/14/2025.

BIOGRAPHY
Pierce J. Howard, PhD, was born in Kinston, North Carolina. Making his way through public schools, he learned to love reading, writing, mathematics, music, and nature. Four years at Davidson College stoked his passion for literature, music, philosophy, and psychology. Three years in the U.S. Army as a Military Intelligence Specialist molded his penchant for research and investigation. During graduate school at East Carolina University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he changed his major from literature to educational psychology.
His first job was with the North Carolina Advancement School in Winston-Salem. Moving to Charlotte in 1977 to teach at West Charlotte, Pierce then co-founded LEAD (long E) Associates in 1979. Between arriving in Charlotte and retiring, Pierce also served as an adjunct professor at UNC–Charlotte, Pfeiffer University, and most recently the McColl School of Business at Queens University.
In 1986, along with his wife, Jane, he started a consulting company, now named Paradigm Personality Labs. Over 32 years, they offered training, team building, coaching, and personnel research to clients on six continents. In 1994, Pierce wrote and published The Owner’s Manual for the Brain, now in its 4th edition and published by William Morrow. He even appeared as a guest on “Oprah” in1995. Subsequently, he wrote more than 20 books. The Howards’ core service has been through several personality assessments that they developed: the WorkPlace Big Five Profile, the SchoolPlace Big Five Profile, the WorkPlace Values Profile, and the WorkPlace Performance 360. In 2018, Pierce retired as the Chief Innovations Officer at Paradigm, but in retirement, he’s now writing The Owner’s Manual for Critical Thinking.

SPOTLIGHT SERIES: Passion for Bach & Coltrane
2025-03-14 19:30 - 21:00 | Sarah Belk Gambrell Center for the Arts, 2319 Wellesley Ave, Charlotte, 28207, United States
The Grammy Award winning Passion for Bach and Coltrane pairs Imani Winds, the poet A.B. Spellman, Harlem Quartet, and a jazz piano trio to synthesize classical and jazz styles, highlighting the gifts of all the performers onstage. Inspired by and featuring Spellman’s poetry, Passion interweaves orated poems with music, in a manner inspired by J.S. Bach’s Passion settings. Jeff Scott selected one masterwork by each composer — Bach’s Goldberg Variations and John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme — and used each as source material to construct a mosaic tapestry around the drama and imagery in Spellman’s text. Pensive, ethereal moments are punctuated by Bach, while the tone for moody, dark passages is set by Coltrane’s work. Winner of the 2024 Grammy for Best Classical Compendium Album.

Spring Expo: March 21
2025-03-21 09:00 - 10:00 | Providence United Methodist Church (PUMC) – Wolfe Hall, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, North Carolina, 28211
Spring Expo!
March 21, 2025
9-10 am before speaker event
Exhibitors include:

The Connery on Providence – a newly built apartment community for seniors (55+)
McIntyre Elder Law Firm – information about asset protection, veteran benefits, Medicaid and wills.

International Climate Cooperation in an Era of Geopolitical Turmoil with Mark Kelso
2025-03-21 10:00 - 11:00 | Providence United Methodist Church (PUMC) – Wolfe Hall, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, North Carolina, 28211
GREAT DECISIONS TOPIC: International Climate Cooperation in an Era of Geopolitical Turmoil
SPEAKER: Mark Kelso, Professor, Political Science, International Studies & Sociology Department, Queens University
An overview of international efforts to enhance global environmental protection, with a focus on recent efforts to address climate change. Discussion of where these efforts have succeeded.
Discussion of key challenges that lie ahead.

BIOGRAPHY
Mark Kelso is Professor of Political Science at Queens University of Charlotte. His research interests focus on environmental policy and political leadership.
His most recent publication is “A Green Presidency? Barack Obama and the Environment” in Meena Bose and Paul Fritz, Evaluating the Obama Presidency (2024).
He has also published in Congress and the Presidency and Presidential Studies Quarterly. He is the 2017 winner of the Hunter-Hamilton Love of Teaching Award.

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

Seelbinder Literary Arts Series: "North Putnam"
2025-03-25 18:00 - 20:30 | Ketner Auditorium, 1900 Selwyn Ave, Charlotte, NC, 28274
The English & Writing Studies Department, in partnership with The Independent Picture House, is pleased to present Director Joel Fendelman and Producer James Chase Sanchez, who will share and discuss their film North Putnam. This documentary depicts a year in the life of a rural Indiana school district and the community it serves. Crafted with empathy, a hyper-real reporting lens, and skillfully lush cinematography, the film aims to reach across divides and to spark action-oriented conversations about the interdependence between public schools and community development.

New Member Orientation - March 28
2025-03-28 09:00 - 09:30 | Providence United Methodist Church (PUMC) – Wolfe Hall, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, North Carolina, 28211
All members old and new are invited to attend our New Member Orientation meeting in person.
Learn more about the organization including how to meet people, join events and how you can help the organization – the best way to meet new people!
In person meeting, in Room 106 in PUMC.
Click the RSVP button for an email to tell us you’re coming!

NATO Under New Leadership with Dmitry Vovchuk
2025-03-28 10:00 - 11:00 | Providence United Methodist Church (PUMC) – Wolfe Hall, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, North Carolina, 28211
GREAT DECISIONS TOPIC: North Atlantic Treaty Organization Under New Leadership
SPEAKER: Dmitry Vovchuk, The Cohen Group
Following NATO’s 75th Anniversary Summit in Washington DC in July 2024, the Alliance faces a new reality. The reelection of Donald Trump and his policies on NATO and Ukraine will determine the course of European security for the foreseeable future. NATO’s new Secretary General, Mark Rutte, must effectively navigate this new political environment to manage deterrence and defense against Russia, preserve Ukraine’s sovereignty, and ensure NATO remains united across the Atlantic. This timely update on NATO will be provided by Mr. Vovchuk ahead of NATO’s next Summit, taking place in The Hague in June.

BIOGRAPHY
Dmitry Vovchuk is a Vice President at The Cohen Group. During his time at the firm, Mr. Vovchuk has led a wide range of client teams in the defense, manufacturing, healthcare, financial, and technology sectors. In addition, Mr. Vovchuk supports The Cohen Group’s Europe practice and he leads the firm’s Ukraine working group, advising clients on sectoral implications of the war in Ukraine and its impacts on European markets.
Prior to joining The Cohen Group, Mr. Vovchuk served in numerous key roles at the US Departments of State and Defense, National Security Council, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). He also held several leadership positions in financial services and management consulting.
Mr. Vovchuk served as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Secretary General of NATO from 2013-2016. In that role, he managed the transition of NATO’s combat operations in Afghanistan to its Resolute Support Mission and helped achieve key milestones in NATO’s ballistic missile defense program. Mr. Vovchuk also led the process to conduct a full review of the US integrated campaign plan as the Director for Strategic Planning in the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy to Counter ISIS.
Additionally, Mr. Vovchuk coordinated the work of the White House Task Force responsible for the 2012 NATO Summit hosted by President Obama in Chicago and served as the National Security Council Director for Eastern Europe from 2012-2013, managing the development and execution of US policy for a region stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea.
Mr. Vovchuk was selected to the Civil Service as a Presidential Management Fellow in 2006. He led the interagency process to invite new members into NATO at its Summit in Bucharest, Romania, supported the development of NATO’s renewed Strategic Concept, and managed US policy priorities for the Alliance’s International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan. Mr. Vovchuk also served as a Political Officer at the US Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine and in the Office of the Secretary of Defense during the 2008 conflict between Russia and Georgia.
Outside of government, Mr. Vovchuk advised global consumer goods and health care companies on organizational change and strategic alignment as a Principal with the McChrystal Group. He was a registered financial representative and served as Chief of Staff at Ally Bank, supporting the Executive Director for its auto, deposits, online brokerage, and wealth management customer care and experience division.
Mr. Vovchuk is the recipient of the State Department’s Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards, completed a five-year term membership with the Council on Foreign Relations, and taught foreign policy at Queens University of Charlotte. He received a Master’s of Arts in US National Security Policy at Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Arts from Drew University.

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

Lunch Bunch: March 28
2025-03-28 12:00 - 14:00 | Leos Italian Social, 4720 Piedmont Row, Charlotte, NC, 28210
We have booked Leo’s Italian Social, for Friday, March 28, 11:45 a.m.
Located in the Piedmont Row development near Southpark Mall. Parking is available in the garage.
Limited space available!
If you register and find you can’t attend, please email LunchBunch@SeniorScholars.net so that we can offer your seat to another member.
Leo’s Italian Social
4720 Piedmont Row
Suite 150
Charlotte, NC 28210
980-237-6880

Royal Easter Egg Hunt 2025
2025-03-29 10:00 - 12:00 | Levine Center for Wellness and Recreation, 2201 Wellesley Avenue, Charlotte, NC, 28274, United States
Join us for the 27th Annual Easter Egg Hunt!
Face painting, photos with the Easter Bunny and Rex will be available at 9:30 a.m. and the hunt will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m.

Please fill out your contact information for the event and enter in the number of total people who will be attending.
Levine Center for Wellness and Recreation
South Lawn 2201 Wellesley Avenue
Charlotte, NC 28274
United States

Distinguished Leaders in Action: Rick Schnall
2025-04-03 18:00 - 19:00 | Sykes Learning Center, Ketner Auditorium, 1900 Selwyn Ave, Charlotte, 28274, United States
Join us for the Distinguished Leaders in Action Lecture Series featuring Rick Schnall, Co-Chairman & Governor of the Charlotte Hornets and Hornets Sports & Entertainment.
The Peter and Kathy Browning Leaders in Action Lecture Series provides the McColl School of Business and Queens University’s campus community an opportunity to interact with and be exposed to a variety of leaders with varying leadership styles and experiences.
The lecture begins at 6:00 p.m. and a networking reception will immediately follow.

American Foreign Policy in the Middle East with Dr. Harry Chernotsky
2025-04-04 10:00 - 11:00 | Hybrid: In-Person at PUMC & via Zoom, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28211, United States
GREAT DECISIONS TOPIC: American Foreign Policy in the Middle East
SPEAKER: Dr. Harry Chernotsky, Professor Emeritus Global Studies, UNC Charlotte
This presentation – part of the Great Decisions 2025 program -will address the continuing search for peace in the Middle East, as the region looks to move beyond the events of October 7 and confronts the realities of an uncertain future. We will review the latest developments impacting the region’s many trouble spots and will examine the changing posture of the United States under the Trump administration.

BIOGRAPHY
Harry I. Chernotsky is Professor Emeritus in Global Studies, retiring after 43 years on the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He served as the founding chair of the Department of Global Studies from 2009-2016 after spending 30 years in the university’s Department of Political Science. Previous positions included Director of International Studies and Interim Associate Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. He is the recipient of UNC Charlotte’s Bank of America Teaching Excellence Award and its International Education Faculty Award.
Chernotsky received his Ph.D. in Political Science from Rutgers University. He specializes in international political economy and American foreign policy and has published in a wide range of professional journals. He is most proud of his work (with Heidi Hobbs) – Crossing Borders: International Studies for the 21st Century (4rd edition, 2022) – one of the first textbooks providing an interdisciplinary perspective on the field.
Throughout his career, Chernotsky was a leader in international studies education. He spearheaded numerous initiatives at UNC Charlotte, including the development of the Model United Nations program and the interdisciplinary International Studies major. He was Director of the North Carolina Great Decisions public affairs series and still lectures widely on international affairs and U.S. foreign policy. He also served as President of the Southern region of the International Studies Association (ISA) and as Chair of ISA’s International Education section. He worked for many years with the University of Cantabria (Spain) on its global studies certificate program and was Scholar in Residence at Florida Atlantic University’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, where he continues lecture each year.

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

Field Trip: Duke Mansion Tour
2025-04-07 10:00 - 12:00 | Duke Mansion, 400 Hermitage Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28207
DATE: April 7, 2025
TIME: 10 am
COST: $10 donation, optional
ADDRESS: 400 Hermitage Road, Charlotte, NC 28207
CARPOOLING: Because parking is limited, carpooling is encouraged. Meet in the lower lot of Providence United Methodist Church at 9:40. Please let us know if you will be carpooling.
Tour the inside of the mansion & hear the history. The gardener will also give a tour of the gardens.
Wear good walking shoes.
The tour is free but a suggested $10 donation to the Duke Mansion would be much appreciated. Bring your donation with you that morning.
Sign up deadline is April 1. Please let us know you’re coming, click the RSVP button and fill out the form.
Duke Mansion

Curriculum Committee Meeting - April 9
2025-04-09 13:15 - 14:00 | Zoom Registration Required

New Member Orientation - April 11
2025-04-11 09:00 - 09:30 | Providence United Methodist Church (PUMC) – Wolfe Hall, 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, North Carolina, 28211

Update on Mecklenburg County Initiatives with Dena Diorio
2025-04-11 10:00 - 11:00 | 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.

Field Trip: Carolina Raptor Center
2025-04-15 10:00 - 12:00 | Carolina Raptor Center, 6000 Sample Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28078, United States
DATE: April 15, 2025
TIME: 10 am
COST: $14/person
ADDRESS: 6000 Sample Rd., Huntersville, NC 28078
CARPOOLING: Because parking is limited, carpooling is encouraged. Meet in the lower lot of Providence United Methodist Church at 9:40. Please let us know if you will be carpooling in the registration form.
The ¾ mile Raptor Zoo Trail is a self-guided tour highlighting raptors. There are 30 different types of birds located along the trail with educational placards and docents available to answer questions. There is also a new Quest Nature Center and picnic area located on the grounds. Take advantage of the of the spring weather and the opportunity to visit with fellow Senior Scholars, so bring a lunch and enjoy the day!
The $14 per person fee must be paid to Senior Scholars by end of business April 10.
Contact Pam Nemecek with questions.
Use the RSVP button to access a form to sign up and purchase your ticket.

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.

Lunch Bunch: April 25
2025-04-25 12:00 - 14:00 | Brixx Wood Fired Pizza, 7814 Fairview Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28226, United States
We have booked Brixx Pizza, for Friday, April 25, 11:45 a.m.
Located in the Foxcroft East Shopping Center.
Limited space available! Please sign up by 4/22/2025.
If you register and find you can’t attend, please email LunchBunch@SeniorScholars.net so that we can offer your seat to another member.
Brixx Wood Fired Pizza + Craft Bar
7814 Fairview Rd
Charlotte, NC 28226
704-295-0707

Wildacres Spring 2025 Retreat / April 28 - May 1, 2025
2025-04-28 08:00 - 2025-05-01 17:00 | Wildacres Retreat, 1565 Wildacres Road, Little Switzerland, NC, 28749, United States
Wildacres 2025: April 28 – May 1, 2025

Enjoy 3 nights in a Blue Ridge Parkway Mountaintop Resort with 75 of your Senior Scholar friends!
Speaker Meg Johnson, Music Therapy
Speaker Joe Kendrick, Music Impacts on Society
Waterfalls, hiking paths, fresh air, local entertainers, 8 home-style, all-you-can-eat meals!

All this for only $305/double occupancy.
Reservations now open. Hurry, it will fill up fast!
Details Here

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.

Curriculum Committee Meeting - May 14
2025-05-14 13:15 - 14:00 | Zoom Registration Required

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.
