Qian Xu, professor of strategic communications and A.J. Fletcher Professor, collaborated with Cheng Chen, assistant professor at Oregon State University, on a study examining how AI conversational styles interact with users’ expectations of the roles AI should play.

Their article, “” was recently published in Behaviour & Information Technology, a peer-reviewed academic journal that focuses on human-centered information technology.

The experiment randomly assigned 137 college students to one of three Microsoft Copilot conversational styles of Copilot  – creative, balanced or precise – and measured which role they expected the tool to fulfill: co-author, creator, curator or converser. Participants then completed at least three rounds of interaction with Copilot to develop a strategic plan addressing a public health issue in their home county.

Key findings include:

• Copilot’s conversational style affected the readability and linguistic features of its responses, including the use of words associated with analytical thinking and authenticity.
• Users adapted their writing based on Copilot’s conversational style, particularly in the readability of their prompts.
• Users and Copilot showed linguistic alignment in emotional tone and clout across all three conversational styles but diverged in analytical thinking.
• Mismatches between Copilot’s conversational style and users’ expectations of its role reduced perceived credibility and relevance of its responses.

“AI conversational style is more than a matter of preference. What matters is how well the style fits the roles users expect AI to play,” Xu said. The findings point to opportunities for more adaptive AI interfaces that adjust conversational style based on users’ expectations and tasks.

Behaviour & Information Technology is an international peer-reviewed Taylor & Francis journal covering the human aspects of information technology, including usability, user experience, human-computer interaction and human-centered design.

For , pursuing journalism doesn’t necessarily mean following a traditional path. The ������Ƶ junior didn’t want to fit into a certain box, so when she saw an opening last summer for a video production assistant internship in her hometown in Central Illinois, she applied – and landed the role.

The opportunity introduced Burgos to a different side of storytelling. Working with the Big Ten Network, a national sports network dedicated to coverage of Big Ten Conference athletics, she gained hands-on experience setting up and shooting content ranging from interviews to b-roll. Most importantly, she contributed to several documentary projects.

Nearly a year later, she can finally share what she worked on last summer – a short documentary highlighting the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s rich history of agricultural innovation and discovery. The film premiered on the network on July 8; a fact Burgos celebrated on .

With the documentary now available on , Burgos has been able to show her family the finished product, including her father, who was “super excited” for her.

“He’s taking a picture of my credit,” Burgos laughed.

This summer the ������Ƶ junior interned again with the Big Ten Network and her role expanded. She’s gotten to participate in some shoots, review video archives and work on another documentary. While she cannot disclose the subjects yet, she helped colleagues interview several high-profile Illinois alumni.

“I think I really just got to dip my toes in last summer,” she said. “And there are always so many more stories still to be told.”

Burgos’ willingness to explore different sides of journalism reflects the path she took at ������Ƶ, where she didn’t declare her major until her sophomore year. Before settling on journalism, she took advantage of that flexibility to explore different areas within the School of Communications.

That exploration included working on a student film set as a grip, an equipment technician who supports a production.

“If you know about something in your community that you might be interested in getting involved in. Don’t be afraid to reach out.”
– Miranda Burgos ’28

As a Communications Fellow, Burgos and the rest of her first-year cohort traveled to Florida, where they shadowed professionals and toured companies representing different areas of the communications and sport industries. Burgos said it helped her realize that graduating with a journalism degree didn’t necessarily mean she had to work at a newspaper or broadcast station.

“I was still undecided at that time, but no matter what I picked, my options were maybe more open than I was imagining,” Burgos said.

Experiences like the Florida trip eventually helped push her to submit her application to the Big Ten Network.

The internship also brought its own challenges. Burgos said she had to learn to be more adaptable as shoots would get rescheduled or canceled altogether. Once she became accustomed to the unpredictability, however, it became one of her favorite parts of the internship.

“Things can get moved, things can just pop out of nowhere, but it kind of felt like an adventure,” she said. “It has been so much fun.”

This fall, Burgos will study abroad in Spain. When she returns, she plans to continue exploring her options as a journalism major.

University Chaplain and Dean of Multifaith Engagement Rev. Kirstin Boswell opened the event with the invocation, followed by the tradition of the bell ringing by Student Government Association President Michael Swartz ’27. The bell arrived in North Carolina in 1854 on one of the first North Carolina railroad trains. It was later used at Graham College, a predecessor institution to ������Ƶ College.

During the event, three individuals with strong ties to the university were awarded the ������Ƶ Medallion, the university’s most prestigious service honor: Jim Donathan, longtime associate director of academic advising and academic support; Mary Thornton, founder and president of Harvest Table Culinary Group; and Don Grady, associate professor emeritus of cinema and television arts.

Katy Rouse, professor of economics in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, was named the Trustee Chair for Excellence. For seventeen years, Rouse has taught ������Ƶ’s Principles of Economics and Intermediate Microeconomics courses, along with a capstone she built herself on educational disparities in the United States, earning student evaluations among the highest in her department for more than a decade.

She has personally mentored more than 30 senior and honors theses, co-authored research with undergraduates, chaired the Love School’s curriculum committee and published her teaching scholarship in the Journal of Economic Education.

“I truly believe that being a teacher scholar mentor at ������Ƶ is one of the best careers I’m going to have,” Rouse said. “Every day we come to work, we have the opportunity to make a lasting impact on students during one of the most pivotal points in their lives.”

Mapping the course

During her annual Opening Day address, Book reflected on ������Ƶ’s progress while looking toward a year that will include the launch of new academic initiatives, continued work surrounding artificial intelligence, the opening of the Roberts Academy and the planned merger with Queens University of Charlotte.

Book centered her remarks around the idea of a map — the markers that show where ������Ƶ has been and the guideposts that will help the university navigate what comes next. The theme was inspired by a visit this summer to ������Ƶ students participating in the Summer Opera Workshop at the Accademia Europea di Firenze. The students came together for a historic production of “The Light in the Piazza” in Florence, Italy, where the musical is set.

As part of their work, students were also tasked with creating a map of the city, something that inspired Book.

“There is something powerful in this mapmaking assignment, and it left me wondering about our collective ������Ƶ map,” Book said. “How would we each draw it?”

At the center of that map, Book said, is ������Ƶ’s mission. She highlighted several markers of progress during the past year, including the Odyssey Program surpassing 300 scholarships, record participation in undergraduate research, strong Fulbright success and new academic programs, including cybersecurity, Clinical Mental Health Counseling and the Charlotte PA program. She also celebrated the upcoming launch of the School of Engineering and Computing under inaugural Dean John Walz and the growth of the university’s nursing program.

Mapping new territory (together)

On Tuesday, Aug. 18, the first students of the Roberts Academy at ������Ƶ will arrive at the school’s temporary home in Trollinger House. The school will be the state’s only university-based private school for children with dyslexia. Book described the academy and the Center for Dyslexia and Engaged Learning as an opportunity that “will change lives from day one.”

Among the most significant new territory is ������Ƶ’s planned merger with Queens University of Charlotte. Book noted that the institutions received accreditation approval this summer to proceed with their merger, with a single Board of Trustees now overseeing both universities. Sixteen administrative units are also becoming shared teams supporting the two campuses, while a federal review of the merger is expected to take 18 to 24 months.

Megan Isaac, professor of English, and Senior Vice President for Advancement and External Affairs Jim Piatt gave brief updates on the merger as part of the SOAR Strategic Planning Committee.

“Our two institutions will be stronger together, will better serve students together, and will have a brighter future together,” Book said. “And now, we are working to build that vision together, to grow opportunity to advance learning — together.”

Mapping a new look

Athletics Director Jennifer Strawley was also invited to the stage to announce a for the university’s athletics program, which had what Book called a “formidable year,” with seven ������Ƶ teams, the most in the university’s history, winning conference titles. A new physical mascot will be unveiled at the first College Coffee of the academic year on Aug. 25.

“The new Phoenix wears a gold sweater with a monogram ‘E,’ paying tribute to our first mascot, the Fighting Christian,” Strawley said. “The focused expression conveys the determination, confidence and purpose that defines our university community. The Phoenix continues to be fueled by the flames, symbolizing our rebuild from the ashes, and capturing the spirit and resilience of the ������Ƶ community.”

Book acknowledged that the changing higher education landscape brings challenges, from enrollment pressures and federal regulations to declining public confidence. But she reminded faculty and staff that adapting to change has long been part of ������Ƶ’s history.

“I understand change can be daunting. Shifting national headwinds are challenging higher education,” Book said. “Fortunately for us, ������Ƶ has never succeeded by standing still. We’ve joined together, developed new strategies and guided by our mission — built the number one institution for engaged learning and student success.”

She closed by returning to the journey ahead, and the role faculty and staff play in shaping the lives of ������Ƶ students.

“It is not simply education; it is a journey of human transformation,” Book said. “Thank you for the everyday commitment, kindness and integrity that are our enduring guideposts.”

Jim Donathan, longtime associate director of academic advising and academic support; Mary Thornton, founder and president of Harvest Table Culinary Group; and Don Grady, associate professor emeritus of cinema and television arts, heard from former mentors, friends and colleagues before being bestowed the honor by ������Ƶ President Connie Ledoux Book.

Jim Donathan

Jim Donathan arrived to ������Ƶ in 1994 as associate director of academic advising and director of academic support, drawn specifically to work with mentor Lela Faye Rich. He carried the largest advising load in his department, taught ������Ƶ 101 (now ������Ƶ 1010), and was known for his sustained support of students on academic probation and for mentoring students well beyond the classroom.

Rich, who served ������Ƶ for 29 years and received the ������Ƶ Medallion in 2008, read Donathan’s citation for the award.

“Jim Donathan is the only one on this stage that has two medallions. I just happen to be wearing one of them,” Rich said. “In the advising center, I was the loudmouth. I was a loud-mouthed advocate for students. Jim was the listener. The heart, the soul of academic advising. Without his total commitment to students’ success, to our academic advising staff, to mastering all those intricacies of creating an online degree audit. I would never have received this medallion.”

Donathan advised ������Ƶ’s chapter of Kappa Alpha Order for 25 years and received the university’s Ward Family Excellence in Mentoring Award in 2012. His mentorship of one ������Ƶ family led to the establishment of the Donathan-McAllister Endowed Scholarship in his honor. He retired in 2020, having shaped the academic support and mentoring experience for generations of ������Ƶ students.

“I recently came across this quote from one of my favorite novelists, Pat Conroy: ‘I had read like a man on fire my whole life, because the genius of English teachers touched me with the dazzling beauty of language,’” said Donathan when accepting the honor. “������Ƶ does that for students. It touches them with the dazzling beauty of language. That might be the language of literature or biology, or political science, or art history, or so many other disciplines. Students can carry that language into their lives and into their future.”

Mary Thornton

Mary Thornton is the founder and president of Harvest Table Culinary Group, the dining partner that has served ������Ƶ since the company’s founding. She spent years in leadership roles at Aramark, including vice president of compliance beginning in 2007, before proposing in 2016 the creation of a culinary group built around healthy, sustainable food and transparency about where food comes from.

Harvest Table launched in 2018 as an independent division of Aramark, with ������Ƶ among its earliest partner institutions alongside Wake Forest and the University of Rochester. Under her leadership, Harvest Table has emphasized locally sourced ingredients, chef-driven menus tailored to each campus, and deeper engagement with student communities.

“Highly respected for her work ethic, expertise, relentless commitment to excellence, Mary has demonstrated a deep understanding of ������Ƶ’s mission and the critical role dining plays in building community and contributing to a welcoming campus environment,” said Janet Williams, vice president for finance and administration and chief financial officer.

Most recently, Harvest Table Culinary Group made a gift supporting ������Ƶ’s Slattery Center, reflecting the company’s ongoing commitment to student health and wellness. Her partnership has helped shape the dining experience for generations of ������Ƶ students.

“I accept this medallion with humility and deep appreciation and as a reminder to continue serving others, leading with purpose and striving to make a positive difference,” said Thornton, upon accepting the award. “Thank you very much for this incredible honor. It means more to me than words can express.”

Don Grady

Don Grady served ������Ƶ for 35 years. He arrived in 1985, before ������Ƶ had a formal communications department, and taught broadcast courses and senior capstone classes throughout his career. He chaired the communications department from 1987–1993 and again from 2004–2009, became associate dean in 2010, and helped guide creation of the nation’s first undergraduate major in media analytics. He was twice elected to the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications and received the Broadcast Education Association’s Distinguished Education Service Award in 2022.

Gerald Gibson, the university’s first full-time communications professor and Grady’s undergraduate roommate at NC State University, read Grady’s citation.

“Dr. Grady distinguished himself as an outstanding teacher, mentor, and advisor, by teaching broadcasting, senior research capstone, … and study abroad courses, supervising as many as 50 internships a year,” said Gibson. “Mentoring students through research, internships, and professional employment, leading study abroad programs in Great Britain and Europe, and becoming much loved by students who sought him out for guidance, encouragement, and wise counsel, even long after graduation.”

Grady’s administrative leadership and personal investment in students and faculty helped build ������Ƶ’s School of Communications into a nationally recognized program. He retired in 2020, leaving a legacy colleagues describe as foundational to the school’s success.

“So many of our graduates (are) doing great work in media markets all over the country. 
They’re the reason we do this work,” Grady said. “Toward the end of my time, it was my privilege to regularly teach the senior theory and research capstone course that gave students the opportunity to dig into why communication professionals do what they do, and how what they do ripples through the lives of individuals and society.”

The annual recognition honors emerging public relations professionals making their mark on the industry in the early stages of their careers. For Gibson, the recognition gave her a chance to appreciate how much she and HCM have grown in a relatively short time.

“PRNEWS is one of the most respected platforms in the industry, so it’s an honor to be recognized,” Gibson said. “I’ve spent the past few years watching Hannah Cranston Media grow from a team of three to a team of more than 20, and most days I’m too deep in pitching and problem-solving to stop and think about how far we’ve come.”

While Gibson has built her career in public relations, many of the skills that guide her work today were developed through her experiences as a journalism major at ������Ƶ.

The Honors Fellow was heavily involved with ������Ƶ News Network as an anchor and multimedia journalist, while also participating other immersive experiences like FreshTV. Those opportunities helped establish a foundation in storytelling that she continues to draw upon while working on the public relations side of the media industry.

“������Ƶ gave me a passion for storytelling and a tenacious curiosity, both essential to my career,” Gibson said. “Working as a reporter and anchor with ENN taught me what it takes to build a good story, and what makes people actually connect with one – the human element has to come first.”

That journalism background, Gibson said, has proved especially valuable as she develops stories and works directly with reporters.

“It’s shaped how I think about what a good story looks like and made me a better resource to the journalists I work with today,” she said.

Following graduation, Gibson spent three years with Jennifer Bett Communications before joining HCM in early 2024 as senior manager of public relations. She was promoted to director of public relations and business development six months later.

In her current position, Gibson oversees the agency’s consumer packaged goods, women’s health and wellness client roster, with responsibilities spanning client strategy and media relations. Her work can range from developing pitch strategies with colleagues to staffing events with reporters and cultivating media relationships. “My job changes shape depending on the week – which is one of the best parts,” she said.

Gibson credits much of her professional growth to learning the importance of surrounding herself with people committed to their work and to one another.

“Bet on people over playbooks. In an industry built on relationships, we can teach anyone to write a pitch or find the right story – but working alongside people who are passionately determined and hungry to see their teams succeed is an irreplaceable, unteachable quality.”

– Amanda Gibson ’21

Gibson also points to retired ������Ƶ faculty members Rich Landesberg and Glenn Scott as influential mentors. She credits Landesberg with instilling a respect for journalism’s ability to serve communities, an outlook that has influenced the brands and people she chooses to work with. Her research with Scott examining how stories are told around major events also continues to inform her approach to identifying stories and perspectives that might otherwise be overlooked.

Those lessons, along with the relationships she developed during her undergraduate years, remain important to Gibson five years after graduating.

“Beyond the classroom, the friendships and mentors I found at ������Ƶ continue to be a bedrock of both my life and my career,” Gibson said, “I’m endlessly grateful for my time Under the Oaks.”

Israel Balderas, assistant professor of journalism, recently appeared on WGHP’s “Swing State” to discuss the 2026 midterm election, and the political landscape nationally and in North Carolina.

“If you look at the national mood right now, I would say Republicans have a plus, if you start looking at states and individual candidates,” Balderas said. “I think while the Democrats, right now,  a generic ballot favors the Democrats, you’re going to have to see candidate by candidate. Is the candidate likeable? Is the candidate recognizable? And then you start looking at district (by) district, state by state.”

Much of the conversation focused on North Carolina being a competitive state in the 2026 midterm election. They discussed the North Carolina U.S. Senate Race between former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and Republican Michael Whateley, including a recent ������Ƶ Poll about the race. In this new poll, 84% of registered voters said they had heard “a great deal” (55%) or “some” (29%) about Cooper, who was North Carolina governor from 2017 to 2025 and previously served 16 years as the state’s attorney general. In comparison, 53% said they had heard “a great deal” (17%) or “some” (36%) about Whatley

“(Cooper) has a problem, he needs to reach more members of the center-to-center-right,” said Balderas. “When it comes to Whatley, Whatley is not recognized. Even in his hometown of Gastonia, he’s not very well known. Which means he has an ability to gain more voters. But Whatley is a DC guy. He was an RNC chairman and the attack leading up to the election is going be another Washington insider.”

The discussion also focused on the war in Iran and its economic consquences, and how it could affect voters’ concerns about inflation, affordability and the economy.

.

School of Communications faculty members earned research and teaching honors and shared their expertise on topics ranging from artificial intelligence and internships to mentorship and First Amendment issues at the .

Held Aug. 5-8 in New Orleans, the conference brought together journalism and mass communication educators and scholars from around the world to present research, exchange ideas and explore emerging issues across the communications field.

Several ������Ƶ faculty members were recognized for their work during the conference.

Shanetta Pendleton and Michele Lashley, assistant professors of strategic communications, earned second place in the Teaching Paper Competition for their research, “Exploring the Perceived Efficacy of Custom AI Chatbots in Public Relations Education.” Their study explored how course-specific AI chatbots can serve as instructional supports in undergraduate communications courses, providing students with additional opportunities for formative feedback and iterative learning. The findings highlight the potential for thoughtfully designed AI tools to complement classroom instruction by helping students refine their work and deepen their learning while encouraging responsible and ethical AI use.

Qian Xu, professor of strategic communications and A.J. Fletcher Professor, and Jenny Jiang, associate professor of visual communication, were recognized during the Internships and Careers Interest Group’s Top Refereed Research Paper Session. They presented “AI in Media Analytics Job Postings: A Computational Analysis of AI Mentions, Expectations, and Semantic Networks,” a study analyzing more than 5,400 media analytics job postings to examine how AI is mentioned, framed and structurally embedded in job descriptions.

Presentations and panels

������Ƶ faculty also contributed to research and teaching sessions examining mentorship, internships, emerging technologies, workplace experiences and First Amendment concerns.

• Israel Balderas, assistant professor of journalism, served as a panelist for “Compelling Faith: The Growing Tensions between the Free Speech, Free Exercise, and Establishment Clauses of the First Amendment.” The panel examined how recent Supreme Court rulings are reshaping debates over religious expression, compelled speech and civil rights in schools and universities. Balderas also moderated “Disrespected and Derailed: Women of Color Journalists Covering the Trump Administration,” a research panel examining the experiences of women of color journalists covering the administration.

• 

  Vanessa Bravo, professor of strategic communications, served as a panelist for the teaching session “Mentoring Minoritized Students and Fostering Resilient Young Professionals,” which examined how faculty can mentor and support students from historically underrepresented backgrounds. Bravo also served as a discussant for “Media, Vulnerability, and Empowerment: How Mediated Spaces Both Endanger and Support Marginalized Groups” and moderated the International Communication Division teaching panel “Global Inclusivity in Comparative Research: Experiences and Reflections.”

• Hal Vincent, associate teaching professor of strategic communications, moderated a research panel session, “Spotlight: Research Scholars Exchange,” and served as a discussant for multiple refereed research paper sessions. He also moderated the members’ meeting for the Internships and Careers Interest Group.
• Qian Xu and former ������Ƶ Comm faculty member Chris Chen presented “Customizing Communication Styles in Claude: Control Benefits, Cognitive Cost, and Task-Dependent Effects” during a scholar-to-scholar refereed research paper session on AI and relationships. Their research examined how different levels of customization and task type influence psychological responses in human-AI interaction and perceptions of AI-generated output.

As digital editor at WUSA-TV, a CBS affiliate in Washington, D.C., Rosenthal handles a wide range of responsibilities, from writing for the station’s website and producing social media content to gathering sources and reporting in the field. The journalism major said she fell in love with news reporting when she was in high school, which led her to apply to ������Ƶ.

“I joined my high school newspaper club in ninth grade, and it was the 2016 election season,” Rosenthal recalled. “There was a ton of news, and I got the ‘news bug,’ and I’ve been doing it ever since.”

At ������Ƶ, Rosenthal found opportunities through student media to develop her reporting skills outside the classroom.

“I feel like the hands-on experience that I got working with my peers and friends, and actually going out and doing reporting, and putting together a paper every week showed me more of the skills that I use on a day-to-day,” Rosenthal said.

She also credits The Pendulum’s critique sessions with teaching her how to receive feedback and use it to improve her work.

“You don’t need to qualify a mistake or qualify a reason why you did this or that,” Rosenthal said. “What I learned so much from critique was how to take feedback and move forward and use that in the next piece. Now I’m somebody who asks for feedback all the time because, I think, in part, because of those critiques.”

Those lessons have followed Rosenthal into her professional career. Earlier this year, she spent three weeks covering a murder trial in Fairfax, Virginia, an assignment she described as a significant learning experience.

“My station sent me to a murder trial in January, and I spent three weeks covering a very high-profile case every day in court, and that has been a huge learning and teaching moment for me,” Rosenthal said. “I feel like I learned so much from covering this trial, especially as somebody who has covered many court hearings and smaller things.”

For current ������Ƶ students interested in journalism, Rosenthal recommends getting involved in student media early and pursuing the subjects that interest them.

“My biggest advice is to be involved in student journalism,” she said. “Just start doing stories and meeting people and doing things that are out of your comfort zone. When I was at ������Ƶ, I was interested in courts. I would go to the courthouse in Graham to pick up court documents for stories, and go to the police station, and pick up crime numbers, and things like that. If there’s something that you’re interested in, just start doing it.”

Like Rosenthal, Phengsitthy discovered her love of writing through her high school newspaper, where she served as editor-in-chief. She brought that interest to ������Ƶ, double majoring in Communication Design (now Visual Communication) and Media Analytics while becoming heavily involved with ������Ƶ News Network.

“I’ve always been a writer,” Phengsitthy said. “I know that people don’t really like talking about high school when they talk about their experience, but high school is when I really started.”

Phengsitthy served as design chief of The Pendulum during her sophomore year and managing editor as a junior. She credits those experiences with providing the foundation for her professional journalism career.

Everything I did in ������Ƶ News Network is what set me up for my journalism experience today. I joke with my friends that ENN was like my third degree in college because I got so much done and learned so much there. From just writing every single day, that’s what helped me get better.

— Nyah Phengsitthy ’23

While at ������Ƶ, Phengsitthy interned with Bloomberg Law on its environment desk. Following graduation, she returned to the organization through a rotational program and now works as a health reporter. In that role, she has covered the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, drug pricing and other complex issues affecting the pharmaceutical and health care industries.

Her work at Bloomberg Law requires reporting on complex subjects, but Phengsitthy said young journalists shouldn’t feel pressure to become experts on every topic they cover. Instead, they should focus on developing the skills necessary to find knowledgeable sources, understand complicated information and explain it clearly to readers.

“Be an expert in being a reporter and writing and learning how to break down information for your readers,” Phengsitthy said.

Phengsitthy also encourages ������Ƶ students to complement their campus journalism experience with internships that allow them to apply their skills in professional settings.

“You can have all the skills, and you can have all the clips that you have from ENN, but it’s more powerful if you go and get to apply them somewhere else,” she said, noting the value of internships. “The more experience you have, the better.

“The job market is really hard right now, but I feel like if you’re able to show that you can get your foot in the door somewhere, that’s good.”

Founded by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer, Imagine Entertainment is one of Hollywood’s most respected film and television production companies, with acclaimed credits including “A Beautiful Mind,” “Apollo 13” and “Friday Night Lights.”

Since joining the company more than six years ago, Choi has risen from an executive assistant to vice president of film, where she leads development across the department’s slate. Her projects include “Dangerously Funny,” a feature about the Smothers Brothers’ battle with CBS censors, and she secured the rights to the books “200 Monas” by Jan Saenz and Rebecca Yarros’ “The Last Letter” for Amazon. Imagine’s upcoming releases include “How to Rob a Bank,” “Whalefall,” “The Mosquito Bowl” and “Spaceballs 2.”

Choi said the recognition is especially meaningful because it reflects the relationships she has built throughout her career.

“You can’t succeed in a vacuum, and I think the best part of this industry is the camaraderie and community that you can find if you look for it,” Choi said. “To be recognized by the company where I grew up as a producer is incredibly meaningful, and even more than that, to look around and be celebrated by my peers and creative partners is everything.”

In her profile, the ������Ƶ graduate reflected on the experiences that sparked her passion for filmmaking.

“Growing up, I wasn’t allowed to watch many movies, so the ones I did manage to see felt especially meaningful,” she told Variety. “That experience shaped the kinds of stories I gravitate toward today.”

Reflecting on her career path, Choi – a Leadership Fellow at ������Ƶ – offered advice for others hoping to break into the film industry.

“No matter how you got into the room or what room you’re in, make the most of it,” she said. “Do everything you can to hone your craft so that, in an industry where opportunities are increasingly harder to come by, you’re the most prepared you could be to take full advantage of whatever comes your way.”

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While many students are away for the summer, July remained a busy month at ������Ƶ. Student researchers shared the results of projects driven by curiosity and purpose, high school students experienced campus through summer programs and the university continued to welcome visitors for camps and community events. Take a look back at some of the month’s highlights through the eyes of the staff in University Communications.

������Ƶ Engage

The Engage program at ������Ƶ provides an opportunity for incoming students to spend a week on campus before their first semester, learning more about the university and volunteering in the local community. It is one of ������Ƶ’s First-Year Summer Experience (FSE) programs, which gives incoming ������Ƶ students a preview of the university during the summer before their first semester

Adventures in Leadership

Another FSE program, Adventures in Leadership, allows incoming first-year students to explore the outdoors across North Carolina.

A combined College Coffee

������Ƶ faculty and staff visited Queens University for a day of collaborative learning, professional development and Queens’ first-ever College Coffee event fostering connection and community between both institutions.

Research together

More than 50 ������Ƶ and Queens University of Charlotte students came together for the annual Summer Undergraduate Research Experience presentations on July 23 in Schar Hall.

The largest Odyssey

������Ƶ’s Odyssey Program welcomed its largest cohort in history during Odyssey Week, a collection of events that introduces the students to the scholarship program and college life.

Phoenix Summer

������Ƶ hosted its inaugural Phoenix Summer residential camp this month for rising high school juniors and seniors interested in preparing for the transition to college.

Twenty-six students participated in Phoenix Summer, held July 6-17 on ������Ƶ’s campus, where they immersed themselves in hands-on, college-style academics while fostering curiosity, community and independence.

Off-the-Court

Seven incoming first-year students explored careers in the sport industry this summer through the Off-the-Court First Year Summer Experience, an immersive program designed to help students discover where they fit in the business of sport before declaring a major.

Led by sport management faculty members Cara Lucia and Khirey Walker, participants toured ������Ƶ Athletics facilities, connected with alumni in Charlotte, toured Truist Field, home of the Charlotte Knights, and visited organizations such as the Carolina Core Elite Training Center and the Burlington Sock Puppets, gaining firsthand insight into the many career paths within the sport industry.